Transport mechanism

Abstract

To provide a transport mechanism which enables reduction of the time related to transport of products.SOLUTION: In a transport mechanism 100, a feed screw member has: a spiral groove part which rotates and is provided along an outer periphery; and a straight groove part extending along a direction of a rotation axis. A driven member moves along the spiral groove part to move a movable part to a first position and moves along the straight groove part to move the movable part to a second position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveying mechanism, and more particularly to a conveying mechanism including a feed screw member. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART A transport mechanism including a feed screw member is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The above-mentioned Patent Document 1 discloses a conveying mechanism including a screw shaft arranged along the conveying direction of the conveyed object, a nut member that moves along the screw shaft, a ball screw (feed screw member) including balls, and a movable conveying member attached to the nut member. In Patent Document 1, the movable conveying member is directly moved by rotating the ball screw to convey the conveyed object. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-232253 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Although not disclosed in Patent Document 1, when a transported object is moved back and forth between a first position and a second position by the rotation of a ball screw, the ball screw is configured to obtain a large moving force by slowing down the rotation through the action of a reducer. Therefore, when a ball screw is used, the time required to move from the first position to the second position and the time required to move from the second position to the first position are long, which increases the time required to transport the object. For this reason, it is desirable to reduce the time required to transport the object.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and one object of the present invention is to provide a conveying mechanism that can shorten the time required to transport an item. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a conveying mechanism according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a movable part that moves back and forth between a first position and a second position and conveys an article, and a moving mechanism that moves the movable part back and forth between the first position and the second position and includes a feed screw member and a driven member, wherein the feed screw member rotates and has a spiral groove portion provided along its outer periphery and a linear groove portion extending along the direction of the rotation axis, and the driven member is configured to move the movable part to the first position by moving along the spiral groove portion as the feed screw member rotates, and to move the movable part to the second position by moving along the linear groove portion when the feed screw member is not rotating.

[0008] In one aspect of the present invention, as described above, the conveying mechanism includes a feed screw member that rotates and has a spiral groove portion provided along its outer periphery and a linear groove portion extending along the direction of the rotation axis, and the driven member is configured to move the movable part to a first position by moving along the spiral groove portion as the feed screw member rotates, and to move the movable part to a second position by moving along the linear groove portion while the feed screw member is not rotating. This allows for a faster movement along the linear groove portion than along the spiral groove portion, and therefore the speed of movement from the second position to the first position can be faster than the speed of movement from the first position to the second position. As a result, the time required to convey an article can be reduced.

[0009] In the conveying mechanism according to the above aspect, the moving mechanism preferably includes a drive source that rotates the feed screw member to move the driven member along the spiral groove, thereby moving the movable part to the first position, and a biasing member that biases the driven member to move along the linear groove, thereby moving the movable part to the second position. With this configuration, the biasing force of the biasing member moves the movable part from the first position to the second position, thereby moving the driven member along the linear groove. Therefore, there is no need to provide a separate drive source, such as a linear drive motor, for moving the driven member along the linear groove, in addition to the drive source that moves the driven member along the spiral groove. As a result, the device configuration of the moving mechanism can be prevented from becoming complicated.

[0010] In this case, preferably, the driven member is configured to move to a first position by the driving force of the drive source when engaged with the helical groove portion, and to move to a second position by the biasing force of the biasing member when engaged with the linear groove portion, and the feed screw member includes a direction changing portion provided at an end of the helical groove portion, which rotates the driven member moving along the helical groove portion and changes the direction of the driven member so that its longitudinal direction is aligned with the extension direction of the linear groove portion, thereby engaging the driven member with the linear groove portion. With this configuration, the direction changing portion provided in the helical groove portion can switch the moving direction (longitudinal direction) of the driven member to the direction along the linear groove portion, thereby eliminating the need for multiple driven members and enabling the driven member to move both along the helical groove portion and the linear groove portion by moving in one direction. As a result, an increase in the number of parts can be suppressed and the structure can be simplified.

[0011] In the conveying mechanism according to the above aspect, the driven member preferably has an elongated shape with a lateral length smaller than the groove widths of the spiral groove portion and the linear groove portion and a longitudinal length larger than the groove widths of the spiral groove portion and the linear groove portion. With this configuration, the driven member can be moved while engaged with the spiral groove portion and the linear groove portion, since the lateral length of the driven member is smaller than the groove widths of the spiral groove portion and the linear groove portion. Furthermore, the longitudinal length of the driven member is larger than the groove width of the spiral groove portion, thereby preventing the driven member from entering the linear groove portion while moving along the spiral groove portion. This prevents derailment of the driven member. Furthermore, the longitudinal length of the driven member is larger than the groove width of the linear groove portion, thereby preventing the driven member from entering the spiral groove portion while moving along the linear groove portion, thereby preventing derailment of the driven member.

[0012] In a configuration in which the feed screw member includes a direction changing portion, the driven member is preferably elliptical in shape, with a lateral length smaller than the groove widths of the helical groove portion and the linear groove portion and a longitudinal length larger than the groove widths of the helical groove portion and the linear groove portion. With this configuration, the elliptical shape of the driven member makes the leading end of the driven member in the traveling direction circular, and therefore the driven member is less likely to get caught when it moves across the helical groove portion to the linear groove portion, when it moves across the linear groove portion to the helical groove portion, and when it comes into contact with the direction changing portion to change direction, allowing for smooth movement.

[0013] In the configuration in which the feed screw member includes a direction changing portion, the movement mechanism preferably includes a locking member that locks the movement of the movable portion, and is configured such that, when the movement of the movable portion is locked by the locking member, the feed screw member is rotated by the drive source, causing the driven member to rotate along the direction changing portion and change direction. With this configuration, the driven member changes direction when the movable portion is locked by the locking member, so that immediate movement of the driven member along the linear groove portion after the driven member changes direction can be suppressed, and the driven member can be stopped at the position where it has changed direction.

[0014] In this case, the drive source preferably includes a clutch unit that, when the driven member that has moved along the spiral groove portion is rotated and changed direction by the direction changing unit, stops the feed screw member in a state where the longitudinal direction of the driven member is aligned with the extension direction of the linear groove portion without transmitting rotational force to the feed screw member. With this configuration, the provision of the clutch unit allows the feed screw member to be stopped in a state where the longitudinal direction of the driven member is aligned with the extension direction of the linear groove portion, making it easy to position the driven member so that it can be moved to the second position. Furthermore, the provision of the clutch unit allows the drive source to run freely when the movement of the driven member is locked, thereby preventing a large load from being applied to the drive source.

[0015] In a configuration in which the above-described movement mechanism includes a locking member, the movable part is preferably configured to move to the second position by causing the driven member to move along the linear groove to the second position due to the biasing force of the biasing member when the lock on movement of the movable part by the locking member is released. With this configuration, the movable part moves to the second position due to the biasing force of the biasing member simply by releasing the locked state, so there is no need to drive the drive source.

[0016] In a configuration in which the above-mentioned movement mechanism includes a biasing member and a drive source, preferably, the first position is a receiving position where a product is received as an item, and the second position is a product transport position to which the product is transported, and when moving the movable part from the product transport position to the receiving position, the drive source rotates the feed screw member to move the driven member along the spiral groove, thereby moving the movable part to the receiving position, and when moving the movable part from the receiving position to the product transport position, the biasing force of the biasing member biases the driven member to move along the linear groove, so as to move the movable part to the product transport position. With this configuration, when transporting products, the movable part moves due to the biasing force of the biasing member, so that the speed during product transport is faster than the speed during receiving, allowing the products to be transported quickly. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present invention, as described above, it is possible to provide a conveying mechanism that can reduce the time required to convey an article. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a transport mechanism. [Figure 2] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a transport mechanism at a first position. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the transport mechanism at a second position. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a feed screw member. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a biasing member. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a driven member. [Figure 7] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the movement of a driven member along a spiral groove portion. (A) shows a driven member moving along the spiral groove portion. (B) shows a driven member changing direction at a direction changing portion. (C) shows a driven member whose direction has been changed by the direction changing portion. [Figure 8]1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating the movement of a driven member along a linear groove portion. (A) shows a driven member moving along the linear groove portion. (B) shows a driven member changing direction at a direction changing portion. (C) shows a driven member whose direction has been changed by the direction changing portion. [Figure 9] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating a locking mechanism, in which (A) shows an unlocked state, (B) shows a locking start state, and (C) shows a locked state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0020] The configuration of a transport mechanism 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the conveying mechanism 100 is a mechanism for conveying an article 50 from a first position P1 indicated by a solid line to a second position P2 indicated by a dashed line. The article 50 includes, for example, a product, a part, etc. The conveying mechanism 100 is also used as a part conveying device used in a factory, etc., or a product conveying device used in a vending machine, etc. In this embodiment, the first position P1 is a receiving position where the product as the article 50 is received, and the second position P2 is a product conveying position to which the product is conveyed.

[0022] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the transport mechanism 100 includes a movable part 1 and a moving mechanism 2. The movable part 1 and the moving mechanism 2 are movable parts.

[0023] The movable unit 1 is configured to reciprocate between a first position P1 and a second position P2. The movable unit 1 is also configured to transport an article 50. In this embodiment, the direction in which the movable unit 1 reciprocates is defined as the X direction, with the first position P1 being a position on the X2 side. The second position P2 is a position on the X1 side. The X direction is either the front-to-rear or left-to-right direction of the device in which the transport mechanism 100 is disposed. The vertical direction perpendicular to the X direction is defined as the Z direction, with the upper side defined as Z1 and the lower side defined as Z2. The direction perpendicular to the X direction and the Z direction is defined as the Y direction.

[0024] The movable part 1 has a bottom surface and three side surfaces adjacent to the bottom surface; in other words, the movable part 1 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that does not have a side surface on the X1 side or a top surface. The movable part 1 has an item 50 placed on the bottom surface. The movable part 1 moves in the X direction on the fixed part 10. The fixed part 10 is, for example, a member provided to prevent the item 50 from falling, and has rails on its side surfaces along which the movable part 1 moves. The fixed part 10 may be flat, or may be inclined so that the X1 side is located higher than the X2 side.

[0025] The moving mechanism 2 is configured to reciprocate the movable part 1 between a first position P1 and a second position P2. The moving mechanism 2 includes a feed screw member 2a, a driven member 2b, a drive source 2c, a biasing member 2d, and a locking member 2e.

[0026] The feed screw member 2a is configured to rotate. Specifically, the feed screw member 2a is configured to rotate when driven by the drive source 2c. The feed screw member 2a is configured to rotate around a rotation axis extending in the X direction.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 4, the feed screw member 2a has a spiral groove portion 21a, a linear groove portion 22a, a direction change portion 23a, and a direction change portion 23b. The spiral groove portion 21a is provided spirally along the outer periphery. The linear groove portion 22a extends in the direction of the rotation axis (X direction). The linear groove portion 22a is disposed so as to cross the spiral groove portion 21a. In Figs. 4 and 6 to 8, the linear groove portion 22a is enclosed by a dashed line to indicate its extent.

[0028] The direction changing portion 23a and the direction changing portion 23b are provided at the X2-side end and the X1-side end of the spiral groove portion 21a, respectively. The direction changing portion 23a is configured to rotate the driven member 2b that has moved along the spiral groove portion 21a, changing the direction of the driven member 2b so that the longitudinal direction of the driven member 2b is aligned with the extension direction of the linear groove portion 22a, thereby engaging the driven member 2b with the linear groove portion 22a. The direction changing portion 23a has a curved shape. The direction changing portion 23b is configured to rotate the driven member 2b that has moved along the linear groove portion 22a, changing the direction of the driven member 2b so that the longitudinal direction of the driven member 2b is aligned with the extension direction of the spiral groove portion 21a, thereby engaging the driven member 2b with the spiral groove portion 21a. The direction changing portion 23b has a curved shape.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 , the driven member 2b is connected to the movable part 1. The driven member 2b is configured to move along the spiral groove portion 21a to move the movable part 1 to the first position P1. The driven member 2b moves along the spiral groove portion 21a while rotating around a rotation center axis extending in the X direction. The driven member 2b moves relatively along the spiral groove portion 21a as the feed screw member 2a rotates. The driven member 2b is also configured to move the movable part 1 to the second position P2 by moving along the linear groove portion 22a. When engaged with the spiral groove portion 21a, the driven member 2b is configured to move to the first position P1 by the driving force of the drive source 2c against the biasing force of the biasing member 2d. When engaged with the linear groove portion 22a, the driven member 2b is configured to move to the second position P2 by the biasing force of the biasing member 2d. The driven member 2b moves relatively along the linear groove portion 22a due to the biasing force of the biasing member 2d. In this embodiment, the driven member 2b is located in the Y direction, which is perpendicular to the X and Z directions, at the X-side end of the feed screw member 2a.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 6, the driven member 2b has a lateral length t1 that is smaller than the groove width w1 of the spiral groove portion 21a and the groove width w2 of the linear groove portion 22a. The driven member 2b has a longitudinal length t2 that is larger than the groove width w1 of the spiral groove portion 21a and the groove width w2 of the linear groove portion 22a. The driven member 2b has an elongated shape. In this embodiment, the driven member 2b has an oval shape. The driven member 2b also has a thickness that is equal to or greater than the groove depths of the spiral groove portion 21a and the linear groove portion 22a. In this embodiment, the driven member 2b is located on the Y-direction side of the feed screw member 2a.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 7(A), when driven member 2b moves along spiral groove portion 21a, its longitudinal direction is perpendicular to the X direction. Specifically, its longitudinal direction alternates between the Y direction and the Z direction. As shown in FIG. 7(B), when driven member 2b moves from the X1 end to the X2 end of spiral groove portion 21a, it rotates along the curve of direction change portion 23a at the X2 end, and as shown in FIG. 7(C), it changes direction so that its longitudinal direction coincides with the X direction and engages with linear groove portion 22a. In the state shown in FIG. 7(C), the direction change portion 23a and driven member 2b come into contact with each other, thereby stopping the rotation of feed screw member 2a.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 8(A), when driven member 2b moves along linear groove portion 22a, its longitudinal direction is the same as the X direction. As shown in Fig. 8(B), when driven member 2b moves from the X2 side end to the X1 side end of linear groove portion 22a, it rotates along the curve of direction change portion 23b at the X1 side end, and as shown in Fig. 8(C), it changes direction so that its longitudinal direction and the X direction are perpendicular to each other, and engages with spiral groove portion 21a. At this time, it rotates so that its leading edge when moving along linear groove portion 22a is positioned at the rearmost position.

[0033] The driving source 2c is configured to rotate the feed screw member 2a and move the driven member 2b along the spiral groove portion 21a, thereby moving the movable portion 1 to the first position P1. The driving source 2c is, for example, a motor. The driving source 2c is configured to stop when the driven member 2b moves along the linear groove portion 22a.

[0034] The driving source 2c includes a clutch unit 21c. When the driven member 2b, which has moved along the spiral groove portion 21a, is rotated and changed direction by the direction changing unit 23a, the clutch unit 21c is configured to stop the feed screw member 2a in a state in which the longitudinal direction of the driven member 2b is aligned with the extension direction of the linear groove portion 22a without transmitting the rotational force to the feed screw member 2a. When a load exceeding a certain level is applied, the clutch unit 21c is configured to stop transmitting the rotational force to the feed screw member 2a and cause the driving source 2c to rotate freely. The driving source 2c is configured to rotate the feed screw member 2a via the clutch unit 21c and a gear (not shown), and is located on the Z2 side of the feed screw member 2a.

[0035] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the biasing member 2d biases the driven member 2b along the linear groove 22a and moves the movable part 1 to the second position P2. In this embodiment, the biasing member 2d is a wound constant-force spring that generates a biasing force and attempts to unwind when stretched. The biasing member 2d is stretched in the X2 direction and attempts to unwind in the X1 direction, generating a biasing force in the X1 direction. The biasing member 2d is stretched when the driven member 2b moves along the spiral groove 21a. One end of the biasing member 2d is fixed to a roller, and the other end is fixed to the movable part 1. Therefore, the biasing member 2d is stretched when the movable part 1 is moved in the first direction by the driven member 2b. Furthermore, when unwinding due to the biasing force, the biasing member 2d is configured to move the movable part 1 to the second position P2.

[0036] 2 and 9, the locking member 2e is configured to lock the movement of the movable part 1 by coming into contact with the movable part 1. The locking member 2e includes a first member 21e and a second member 22e that each rotate about a rotation axis extending in the X direction, and a spring member 23e that connects the first member 21e and the second member 22e.

[0037] When the locked member 3 provided at the tip of the X1 side of the movable part 1 comes into contact with the first member 21e as shown in FIG. 9(B) from the unlocked state shown in FIG. 9(A), the first member 21e rotates, narrowing the gap between the first member 21e and the second member 22e, resulting in the locked state shown in FIG. 9(C). Meanwhile, when the solenoid 2g rotates the second member 22e away from the first member 21e from the locked state shown in FIG. 9(C), the spring member 23e pulls the first member 21e, widening the gap between the first member 21e and the second member 22e, resulting in the unlocked state. The solenoid 2g generates a magnetic field when a current flows through it, and ceases to generate a magnetic field when the current supply is stopped. The second member 22e is configured to be attracted by the magnetic field of the solenoid 2g.

[0038] 2 and 3, the movement of the movable part 1 will be described. When moving from the second position P2 to the first position P1, first, the drive source 2c is driven, and the feed screw member 2a rotates. As the feed screw member 2a rotates, the driven member 2b moves along the linear groove portion 22a from the X2 direction to the X1 direction. Accordingly, the movable part 1 moves in the X2 direction and the biasing member 2d is extended.

[0039] As the movable part 1 moves in the X2 direction and the locked member 3 comes into contact with the locking member 2e, a locked state is established, locking the movement of the movable part 1. With the movement of the movable part 1 locked by the locking member 2e, the feed screw member 2a is rotated by the drive source 2c, causing the driven member 2b to rotate along the direction changing portion 23a and change direction. By changing direction, the driven member 2b becomes movable along the linear groove portion 22a.

[0040] Furthermore, when the driven member 2b, which has moved along the spiral groove portion 21a, is rotated and changed direction by the direction change portion 23a, the clutch portion 21c stops the rotation of the feed screw member 2a. When the rotation of the feed screw member 2a is stopped, a force is applied, which places a large load on the drive source 2c, so the drive source 2c is configured not to transmit the rotational force to the feed screw member 2a. At this time, the drive source 2c stops after rotating for a predetermined time or a predetermined number of rotations. When the movement of the movable portion 1 is locked by the locking member 2e, the biasing member 2d is in an extended state, but cannot rewind because the movable portion 1 is locked. Furthermore, because the movable portion 1 is locked, the driven member 2b does not move along the linear groove portion 22a.

[0041] When moving from the first position P1 to the second position P2, the drive source 2c is not driven, and therefore the feed screw member 2a does not rotate. When moving to the second position P2, the solenoid 2g unlocks the locking member 2e. This causes the biasing member 2d to return to its original position. With the locking of the movement of the movable part 1 released by the locking member 2e, the biasing force of the biasing member 2d causes the driven member 2b to move along the linear groove portion 22a to the second position P2, thereby moving the movable part 1 to the second position P2. Furthermore, the driven member 2b rotates along the direction changing portion 23a provided at the end on the X1 side and changes direction so that it can move along the spiral groove portion 21a. Then, when the biasing member 2d rewinds, the movement of the movable part 1 is stopped.

[0042] [Effects of this embodiment] In this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.

[0043] As described above, this embodiment includes a movable part 1 that transports an article 50, and a movement mechanism 2 that reciprocates the movable part 1 between a first position P1 and a second position P2 and includes a feed screw member 2a and a driven member 2b. The feed screw member 2a rotates and has a spiral groove 21a provided along its outer periphery and a linear groove 22a extending along the direction of the rotation axis. The driven member 2b is configured to move the movable part 1 to the first position P1 by moving along the spiral groove 21a as the feed screw member 2a rotates, and to move the movable part 1 to the second position P2 by moving along the linear groove 22a as the feed screw member 2a rotates. This allows the movable part 1 to move faster along the linear groove 22a than along the spiral groove 21a, and therefore the speed of movement from the second position P2 to the first position P1 can be faster than the speed of movement from the first position P1 to the second position P2. As a result, the time required to transport the article 50 can be reduced.

[0044] In this embodiment, as described above, the moving mechanism 2 includes the driving source 2c that rotates the feed screw member 2a to move the driven member 2b along the spiral groove 21a, thereby moving the movable part 1 to the first position P1, and the biasing member 2d that biases the driven member 2b along the linear groove 22a to move the movable part 1 to the second position P2. This eliminates the need for a separate driving source, such as a linear drive motor, for moving the driven member 2b along the linear groove 22a, in addition to the driving source 2c that moves the driven member 2b along the spiral groove 21a. This eliminates the need for a separate driving source, such as a linear drive motor, for moving the driven member 2b along the linear groove 22a. This reduces the complexity of the device configuration of the moving mechanism 2.

[0045] In this embodiment, as described above, the driven member 2b is configured to move to a first position P1 by the driving force of the drive source 2c when engaged with the spiral groove portion 21a, and to move to a second position P2 by the biasing force of the biasing member 2d when engaged with the linear groove portion 22a. The feed screw member 2a includes a direction changing portion 23a that is provided at the end of the spiral groove portion 21a and that rotates the driven member 2b that has moved along the spiral groove portion 21a, changing the direction of the driven member 2b so that the longitudinal direction of the driven member 2b is along the extension direction of the linear groove portion 22a, thereby engaging the driven member 2b with the linear groove portion 22a. With this configuration, the direction of movement (longitudinal direction) of driven member 2b can be switched to the direction along linear groove portion 22a by direction change portion 23a provided in spiral groove portion 21a, eliminating the need for multiple driven members 2b, and by moving driven member 2b in one direction, movement along spiral groove portion 21a and linear groove portion 22a can be achieved. As a result, an increase in the number of parts can be suppressed and the structure can be simplified.

[0046] In this embodiment, as described above, the driven member 2b has an elongated shape with a lateral length that is smaller than the groove widths of the spiral groove portion 21a and the linear groove portion 22a and a longitudinal length that is larger than the groove widths of the spiral groove portion 21a and the linear groove portion 22a. Because the lateral length of the driven member 2b is smaller than the groove widths of the spiral groove portion 21a and the linear groove portion 22a, the driven member 2b can move while engaged with the spiral groove portion 21a and the linear groove portion 22a. Furthermore, because the longitudinal length of the driven member 2b is larger than the groove width of the spiral groove portion 21a, the driven member 2b can be prevented from entering the linear groove portion 22a while moving along the spiral groove portion 21a. This prevents the driven member 2b from derailing. Furthermore, since the longitudinal length of the driven member 2b is greater than the groove width of the linear groove portion 22a, the driven member 2b can be prevented from entering the spiral groove portion 21a while moving along the linear groove portion 22a, thereby preventing the driven member 2b from derailing.

[0047] In the present embodiment, as described above, driven member 2b has an elliptical shape with a lateral length that is smaller than the groove widths of spiral groove portion 21a and linear groove portion 22a and a longitudinal length that is larger than the groove widths of spiral groove portion 21a and linear groove portion 22a. As a result, because driven member 2b has an elliptical shape, the leading end of driven member 2b in the traveling direction is circular, and therefore driven member 2b is less likely to get caught when it moves in linear groove portion 22a across spiral groove portion 21a, when it moves in spiral groove portion 21a across linear groove portion 22a, and when it comes into contact with direction change portion 23a and changes direction, allowing for smooth movement.

[0048] In this embodiment, as described above, the movement mechanism 2 includes the locking member 2e that locks the movement of the movable part 1, and is configured such that, when the movement of the movable part 1 is locked by the locking member 2e, the feed screw member 2a is rotated by the drive source 2c, causing the driven member 2b to rotate along the direction changing portion 23a and change direction. As a result, when the movable part 1 is locked by the locking member 2e, the driven member 2b changes direction, so that after the driven member 2b changes direction, immediate movement of the driven member 2b along the linear groove portion 22a can be prevented, and the driven member 2b can be stopped at the position where it has changed direction.

[0049] In this embodiment, as described above, the drive source 2c includes a clutch unit 21c that stops the feed screw member 2a in a state where the longitudinal direction of the driven member 2b is aligned with the extension direction of the linear groove portion 22a without transmitting rotational force to the feed screw member 2a when the driven member 2b, which has moved along the spiral groove portion 21a, is rotated and changed direction by the direction changing unit 23a. By providing the clutch unit 21c, the feed screw member 2a can be stopped in a state where the longitudinal direction of the driven member 2b is aligned with the extension direction of the linear groove portion 22a, making it easy to position the driven member 2b in a state where it can be moved to the second position P2. Furthermore, by providing the clutch unit 21c, the drive source 2c can be allowed to idle when the movement of the driven member 2b is locked, thereby preventing a large load from being applied to the drive source 2c.

[0050] In this embodiment, as described above, when the movement of the movable part 1 is unlocked by the locking member 2e, the biasing force of the biasing member 2d moves the driven member 2b along the linear groove portion 22a to the second position P2, thereby moving the movable part 1 to the second position P2. As a result, simply by releasing the locked state, the biasing force of the biasing member 2d moves the movable part 1 to the second position P2, eliminating the need to drive the drive source 2c. Furthermore, by locking the biasing member 2d with a large biasing force in the locked state, the speed at which the movable part 1 moves to the second position P2 when the lock is released can be further increased.

[0051] In this embodiment, as described above, the first position P1 is a receiving position where products as articles 50 are received, and the second position P2 is a product transport position to which the products are transported. When moving the movable part 1 from the product transport position to the receiving position, the drive source 2c rotates the feed screw member 2a to move the driven member 2b along the spiral groove 21a, thereby moving the movable part 1 to the receiving position. When moving the movable part 1 from the receiving position to the product transport position, the biasing force of the biasing member 2d is configured to bias the driven member 2b along the linear groove 22a so as to move the movable part 1 to the product transport position. As a result, when transporting products, the movable part 1 moves due to the biasing force of the biasing member 2d, and the speed at which the products are transported is faster than the speed at which the products are received, allowing the products to be transported quickly.

[0052] [Variations] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims rather than the above description of the embodiments, and further includes all modifications (variations) within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0053] For example, in the above embodiment, the first location is a receiving location where a product is received as an item, and the second location is a product delivery location to which the product is delivered, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the first location may be a product delivery location, and the second location may be the receiving location.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the movable part has a rectangular parallelepiped shape that does not have a side surface on the X1 side or a top surface, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the movable part may have a flat plate shape or another three-dimensional structure such as a triangular prism.

[0055] In the above embodiment, the driven member has an oval shape, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the driven member may have a rectangular shape.

[0056] In the above embodiment, the driving source includes a clutch unit, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the driving source may not include a clutch unit and may be controlled by a sensor.

[0057] In the above embodiment, the biasing member is a wound constant force spring, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the biasing member may be a torsion spring or a rubber member other than a spring.

[0058] In the above embodiment, the locking member is locked when the locked member comes into contact with the lockable member, and the locked state is released by the solenoid, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the locking member may be electrically controlled.

[0059] In the above embodiment, the driven member is positioned in a direction perpendicular to the X and Z directions at the X-side end of the feed screw member, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the driven member may be positioned in the Z direction at the X-side end of the feed screw member.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the driven member is located on the Y-direction side of the feed screw member, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the driven member is located on the Z-direction side of the feed screw member.

[0061] In the above embodiment, the drive source is disposed on the Z2 side of the feed screw member, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the present invention, the drive source may be disposed on the Y direction or Z1 direction of the feed screw member. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1 Moving part 2 Moving mechanism 2a Feed screw member 2b driven member 2c Drive source 2d biasing member 2e Locking member 21a Spiral groove 21c clutch part 22a Straight groove 23a Turning point 50 Goods 100 Transport mechanism

Claims

1. a movable part that moves back and forth between a first position and a second position and transports an article; a movement mechanism that reciprocates the movable portion between the first position and the second position and includes a feed screw member and a driven member, the feed screw member rotates and has a spiral groove portion provided along an outer periphery and a linear groove portion extending along the direction of the rotation axis, The driven member is configured to move along the spiral groove portion in response to rotation of the feed screw member, thereby moving the movable part to the first position, and to move along the linear groove portion in a state in which the feed screw member is not rotating, thereby moving the movable part to the second position.

2. The moving mechanism includes: a drive source that rotates the feed screw member to move the driven member along the spiral groove, thereby moving the movable part to the first position; The transport mechanism according to claim 1 , further comprising: a biasing member that biases the driven member to move along the linear groove and to move the movable portion to the second position.

3. the driven member is configured to move to the first position by the driving force of the driving source when engaged with the spiral groove portion, and to move to the second position by the biasing force of the biasing member when engaged with the linear groove portion, 3. The conveying mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the feed screw member includes a direction changing portion provided at an end of the spiral groove portion, which rotates the driven member that has moved along the spiral groove portion, changing the direction of the driven member so that the longitudinal direction of the driven member is aligned with the direction of extension of the linear groove portion, thereby engaging the driven member with the linear groove portion.

4. 2. The conveying mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the driven member has an elongated shape having a short-side length that is smaller than the groove widths of the spiral groove portion and the linear groove portion, and a long-side length that is larger than the groove widths of the spiral groove portion and the linear groove portion.

5. 4. The conveying mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the driven member has an elliptical shape having a short-side length smaller than the groove widths of the spiral groove portion and the linear groove portion and a long-side length larger than the groove widths of the spiral groove portion and the linear groove portion.

6. the movement mechanism includes a locking member that locks the movement of the movable part, 4. The conveying mechanism according to claim 3, wherein when the movement of the movable part is locked by the locking member, the feed screw member is rotated by the drive source, causing the driven member to rotate along the direction changing part and change direction.

7. 7. The conveying mechanism of claim 6, wherein the drive source includes a clutch unit that stops the feed screw member in a state where the longitudinal direction of the driven member is positioned along the extension direction of the linear groove portion without transmitting a rotational force to the feed screw member when the driven member, which has moved along the spiral groove portion by the direction changing unit, rotates and changes direction.

8. 7. The transport mechanism according to claim 6, wherein the movable part is configured to move to the second position by the biasing force of the biasing member causing the driven member to move along the linear groove portion to the second position when the locking member is released from locking the movement of the movable part.

9. the first location is a receiving location for receiving the commodity as the item, the second location is a product delivery location to which the product is delivered, When the movable part is moved from the product transport position to the receiving position, the drive source rotates the feed screw member to move the driven member along the spiral groove, thereby moving the movable part to the receiving position, 3. The conveying mechanism according to claim 2, wherein when the movable part is moved from the receiving position to the product conveying position, the biasing force of the biasing member biases the driven member to move along the linear groove portion and to move the movable part to the product conveying position.

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