Container accumulation device and container accumulation method

Abstract

To provide a container accumulation device and a container accumulation method which can quickly and reliably perform container accumulation work and have a long lifespan of the device.SOLUTION: A container accumulation device 1 includes: a conveyor 10 that conveys the first through nth containers 100 in order from upstream to downstream; stopping means 20 that stops a conveyed first container 100-1 at a first position downstream and stops the first through nth containers 100 by bringing them into contact with each other; a container placement part 30 that is disposed below the conveyor 10 and has n placement parts 31 formed with a zigzag cross-shape; transfer means that raises and lowers the conveyor 10 and the container placement part 30 relative to each other, transferring the first through nth containers 100 from the conveyor 10 to the placement parts 31; and pressing means 40 that applies a pressing force from the upstream nth container 100 to the first container 100-1 to the first position, thereby accumulating the containers 100 on each placement part 31 on the adjacent downstream container 100 and accumulating them.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a container stacking device and a container stacking method for stacking containers. [Background technology]

[0002] In the manufacturing process of food products and the like, containers containing food products and the like need to be stacked for storage or shipping.

[0003] One method for stacking containers is to use a food storage device as disclosed in Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 discloses that food 41 transported on a first belt conveyor 51 is sucked and held by a suction head 22 attached to an arm 13 of a robot 11, sent to the next process, and stored in a tray 41. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-94712 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the method disclosed in Patent Document 1 requires that food items be grasped one by one by arm 13, which increases the collection time and causes problems such as a large load on arm 13 due to the repeated high-speed movements of arm 13, shortening the lifespan of the robot. Also, when containers need to be stacked vertically, methods have been used in which containers are dropped one by one from above or pushed up from below. These stacking methods also require that containers be stacked one by one, which increases the collection time and causes the containers to become unstable, potentially causing the stacked containers to collapse.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a container stacking device and a container stacking method that can quickly and reliably perform container stacking work and that have a long lifespan. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A container stacking device according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises: a conveyor that transports the first to nth containers in order from upstream to downstream; a stopping means for stopping the first transported container at a first position downstream, the stopping means stopping the first container and causing the first to n-th containers to come into contact with each other and stop on the conveyor; a container placement unit disposed below the conveyor and including n placement units each having a zigzag cross-sectional shape that slopes upward in a downstream direction; a transfer means for moving the conveyor and the container placement unit up and down relative to each other, and transferring the stopped first to nth containers from the conveyor to the n placement units; The apparatus is equipped with a pressing means that applies a pressing force to the n containers transferred to the loading section in order from the nth container upstream to the first container downstream, thereby stacking the containers in each loading section on the adjacent downstream container in order, and accumulating the n containers in the vertical direction.

[0008] The container is a circular container in a top view, The stopping means determines the center position of the container and stops the container. This may also be the case.

[0009] The stopping means includes a pair of stopping units, the pair of stopping units being arranged opposite each other across the conveyor. This may also be the case.

[0010] Each mounting portion includes a bottom portion that is inclined upward toward the downstream direction and that receives the bottom of the container, and a side portion that rises from a lower end of the bottom portion and that contacts a side portion of the container, and the length of the side portion is longer than the height of the container. This may also be the case.

[0011] the conveyor comprises a plurality of conveyor units arranged in parallel; The stopping means or the pressing means is shared by adjacent conveyor units. This may also be the case.

[0012] The container is a rectangular container when viewed from above, The stopping means includes a pair of stopping units, the pair of stopping units being arranged with a shift in the conveying direction of the container across the conveyor. This may also be the case.

[0013] A container stacking method according to a second aspect of the present invention includes: a first conveying step of conveying the first to n-th containers in order from the first container on a conveyor from upstream to downstream; a stopping step of stopping the transported first container at a first position downstream on the conveyor, thereby stopping the first to nth containers in contact with each other; a first transfer step of transferring the stopped first to nth containers onto n placement sections each having a zigzag cross section that slopes upward in the downstream direction; and an accumulation process in which a pressing force is applied to the n containers transferred to the n loading sections in a downstream direction from the nth container upstream to the first container in order up to the first position, thereby stacking the containers transferred to each loading section on adjacent containers in order, and accumulating the n containers in a vertical direction.

[0014] a second transfer step of transferring the accumulated containers onto the conveyor; and a second conveying step of conveying the container transferred onto the conveyor on the conveyor to a next step. This may also be the case. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a container stacking device and a container stacking method that can quickly and reliably perform container stacking work and have a long lifespan. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are conceptual diagrams showing a container stacking device according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a top view and FIG. 1B is a side view. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view showing a container used in a container manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B show a container placement section of a container stacking device, in which FIG. 1A is a top view and FIG. 1B is a side view. [Figure 4] FIG. 10(a) shows a first transport step of the container stacking method, and (b) and (c) show a stopping step of the container stacking method. [Figure 5] 10(a) and 10(b) are diagrams illustrating a first transfer step of the container stacking method. [Figure 6] 1(a) to 1(c) are diagrams illustrating the stacking process of the container stacking method. [Figure 7] 10(a) and 10(b) are diagrams showing the positional relationship between a container and a container placement unit. [Figure 8] 10(a) and 10(b) show a second transfer step of the container stacking method, and FIG. 10(c) shows a second transport step. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for stacking containers. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are conceptual diagrams of Modification 1, in which (a) is a top view of the container stacking device, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a top view of the container placing section. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a part of a method for stacking containers in Modification 1, where (a) is a top view and (b) is a side view. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram of a second modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments of a container manufacturing apparatus and a container manufacturing method according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the scope of the present invention. Therefore, those skilled in the art may adopt embodiments in which each or all of the elements are replaced with equivalents, and these embodiments are also within the scope of the present invention.

[0018] (Embodiment) The structure of a container stacking device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1-9. In the figures, the side on which the container stacking device is installed is referred to as the downward direction, the opposite direction as the upward direction, the direction in which containers are transported as the rightward direction, and the opposite direction as the leftward direction. These terms do not limit the directions in which the embodiment of the present invention is actually used. Furthermore, these terms should not be used to limit the technical scope of the claims.

[0019] <Containers used in the container stacking device> The container used in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2. Container 100 is a lidded container, comprising body 101 and lid 102. Body 101 is formed in a flat cylindrical shape with an opening at the top. Food such as cheese is placed through the opening. Lid 102 covers the opening of body 101. The size of container 100 used is, for example, approximately 10 cm in diameter and approximately 2 cm in height when body 101 and lid 102 are combined. It is preferable to use a small container with a low height. Container 100 is transported and collected by a container collecting device with the bottom of body 101 facing downwards.

[0020] <Container stacking device> The container stacking device is a device used to stack multiple containers containing food or the like when storing or boxing the containers, and Fig. 1 shows a conceptual diagram of the overall configuration. Fig. 1(a) shows a top view of the container stacking device 1, and Fig. 1(b) is a side view of the container stacking device 1. Driving devices and control devices such as pulleys and motors are omitted from Fig. 1(a). The container stacking device 1 comprises a conveyor 10, stopping means 20, a container placing section 30, pressing means 40, a sensor 50, and a control device 60.

[0021] The conveyor 10 is a belt conveyor and includes a pulley 11 and a belt 12 wound around the pulley 11. When the pulley 11 is driven by a first motor 13, the belt 12 wound around the pulley 11 moves, and the containers 100 placed on the belt 12 are transported in the direction indicated by the arrow, that is, from left to right. The left side is the upstream side of the transport, and the right side is the downstream side. The containers 100 are circular in top view, with the diameter of the circle being greater than the width of the belt 12, and the outer periphery of the containers 100 extending beyond the belt 12 during transport.

[0022] The stopping means 20 is installed at a predetermined downstream position (first position) and stops the first container 100 transported on the belt 12 at the first position. The stopping means 20 includes a pair of rod-shaped stopping units 20a, 20b formed of synthetic resin or the like. The stopping units 20a, 20b are arranged opposite each other across the belt 12 and stop the container 100 at the first position by coming into contact with the container 100 transported on the belt 12. At least two stopping units are required to position the center of the circular container 100 at the first position and stop it.

[0023] The stopping units 20a and 20b are raised by the second motor 21 to a position higher than the height of the belt 12 before the first container 100 (first container 100-1) conveyed on the belt 12 reaches the first position. The timing for raising the stopping units 20a and 20b is determined, for example, by a sensor 50 (described later) detecting that the first container 100-1 has passed under the sensor 50. When the first container 100-1 comes into contact with the stopping units 20a and 20b and stops, the n containers 100 conveyed sequentially come into contact with each other on the belt 12 and stop. When the n containers 100 have stopped, the operation of the belt 12 stops.

[0024] The container mounting section 30 has a mounting section 31 on which the container 100 is mounted. The structure of the container mounting section 30 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 3. Figure 3 shows a conceptual diagram of the container mounting section 30, where (a) is a top view of the container mounting section 30 and (b) is a side view of the container mounting section 30.

[0025] The container placing section 30 is disposed below the belt 12 in the initial position, and is formed in a zigzag shape (or sawtooth shape) that slopes upward toward the downstream side in a side view (cross section in the conveying direction). The container placing section 30 includes a pair of container placing units 30a, 30b. The pair of container placing units 30a, 30b have the same shape and are arranged parallel to each other with a predetermined distance between them. The belt 12 is disposed inside the pair of container placing units 30a, 30b. Each of the container placing units 30a, 30b includes n (six in FIG. 3) placing sections 31, and the n placing sections 31 form a zigzag shape (or sawtooth shape) that slopes upward toward the downstream side in a side view. Each mounting portion 31 is inclined upward toward the downstream side and includes a bottom portion 31a that receives the bottom of the container 100, and a side portion 31b that rises obliquely from the lower end of the bottom portion 31a toward the upstream side and comes into contact with the side of the container 100. The inclination angle of the bottom portion 31a is preferably 10 to 30 degrees.

[0026] The container placing section 30 is moved up and down by a third motor 32 shown in FIG. 1(b). As the container placing section 30 is raised by the third motor 32, n containers 100 stopped on the belt 12 are transferred from the belt 12 to the container placing section 30. Specifically, as the container placing section 30 is raised, the n containers 100 stopped by the stopping means 20 on the belt 12 are transferred to the n placing sections 31 while stopped. The container placing units 30a and 30b support the outer periphery of the containers 100 extending from the belt 12. The container placing section 30, the third motor 32, and the conveyor 10 constitute a transfer means.

[0027] Furthermore, the container placement unit 30 moves down, thereby transferring the containers 100 accumulated by the pressing means 40 (described later) from the container placement unit 30 onto the belt 12 .

[0028] The pressing means 40 is a member that stacks the n containers 100 vertically in a first position by pressing the n containers 100 transferred to the container mounting section 30 in the downstream direction. The pressing means 40 includes a pair of pressing units 40a, 40b. The pair of pressing units 40a, 40b are formed of synthetic resin or the like, similar to the stopping means 20, and are arranged facing each other on the outside of the container mounting section 30, with the belt 12 sandwiched between them.

[0029] The pressing means 40 is connected to a fourth motor 41, and is raised by the fourth motor 41 to a position higher than the belt 12. The pressing means 40 is then moved from the upstream side to the downstream side along the belt 12 to a first position. The pressing means 40 may be moved, for example, by installing a pair of pressing units 40a, 40b on a rail and running them on the rail by a driving means separate from the fourth motor 41.

[0030] To determine the initial position of the pressing means 40, it is determined in advance how many containers are to be stacked at the first position. Then, the initial position of the pressing means 40 is set according to the number of containers 100 to be stacked. For example, when stacking six containers 100, the length (L1) of the containers 100 in the conveying direction multiplied by the number of containers 100 to be stacked is set as the distance required to stack the containers 100 (hereinafter referred to as the "stacking distance"). In other words, the position of the stacking distance upstream from the first position is set as the initial position of the pressing means 40. In this embodiment, the length (L1) of the containers 100 in the conveying direction, i.e., the length calculated by multiplying the diameter of the container 100 by 6, is the stacking distance, and the initial position of the pressing means 40 is a position that is that stacking distance upstream from the first position.

[0031] When n containers are stopped in a tight contact state on belt 12, pressing means 40 is raised from the initial position by fourth motor 41 to a position higher than belt 12. The timing for raising pressing means 40 is when sensor 50, which will be described later, detects that n containers have been conveyed onto belt 12 and are in a tight contact state.

[0032] Since the pressing means 40 rises from the initial position, a space is required between the nth container and the (n+1)th container to allow the pressing means 40 to be inserted. In this embodiment, since containers that are circular in top view are being transported, the nth container and the (n+1)th container are in point contact. Therefore, a space exists between the nth container and the (n+1)th container, and the pressing means 40 rises from this space.

[0033] The pressing means 40 sequentially presses the n containers 100 transferred to the container placement section 30, repeatedly placing each pressed container 100 on top of the adjacent container 100. Then, at the first position, all of the containers 100 are stacked vertically. Specifically, the pressing means 40 pushes the nth container 100 stopped upstream on the belt 12 downstream, thereby pushing the n-1th container that is in contact with the nth container downstream of the nth container, the n-2th container that is in contact with the n-1th container downstream of the n-1th container, and so on, until the first container 100-1 is stopped at the most downstream position. This causes the n containers to be stacked vertically at the first position. In this embodiment, the pair of pressing units 40a, 40b can move while positioning the center of the container 100 to be stacked, preventing the center positions of the n containers 100 from shifting, allowing the n containers 100 to be stacked accurately.

[0034] The sensor 50 detects the containers 100 moving on the belt 12. In this embodiment, the sensor 50 is installed at the initial position of the pressing means 40. In this embodiment, an infrared sensor is used as the sensor 50, but other sensors may be used. When the sensor 50 detects that the first container, i.e., the first container 100-1, has passed, the stopping means 20 rises to a first position, and the conveyed first container 100-1 is stopped by the stopping means 20. The sensor 50 detects the number of containers 100 passing under the sensor 50 to determine which container has passed. When a predetermined number n of containers 100 have passed, the driving of the first motor 13 is stopped and the belt 12 is stopped. In this state, the n containers 100 are stopped in close contact with the belt 12, and the pressing means 40 rises.

[0035] The control device 60 includes a CPU and a storage device, and controls the overall operation of the container stacking device 1 by executing a computer program recorded in the CPU.

[0036] <Container accumulation method> A method for stacking the containers 100 will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 9. In this embodiment, a method for stacking six containers 100 will be described.

[0037] First, the control device 60 instructs the first motor 13 to be driven, which rotates the pulley 11 to drive the conveyor 10, starting the first conveying process of conveying the containers 100 (step S101). When the first conveying process starts, as shown in FIG. 4(a), the first container 100, that is, the first container 100-1, is conveyed on the belt 12 of the conveyor 10 in order, followed by the second container 100-2, the third container 100-3, the fourth container 100-4, the fifth container 100-5, and the sixth container 100-6.

[0038] When the first container 100-1 passes under the sensor 50, the sensor 50 detects the first container 100-1, and a signal indicating the detection is sent from the sensor 50 to the control device 60. The control device 60 then instructs the second motor 21 to drive the stopping means 20, which raises the stopping means 20 to a first position higher than the belt 12. As the stopping means 20 rises to the first position, the movement of the first container 100-1 is restricted by the stopping means 20 and the first container 100-1 is stopped. At this time, the stopping units 20a and 20b position the first container 100-1 so that its center position does not shift. When the movement of the first container 100-1 is stopped, the second container 100-2 to the sixth container 100-6, which are being conveyed sequentially, come into contact with each other and stop on the belt 12 in a close contact state as shown in FIGS. 4(b) and 4(c) (stopping process, step S102).

[0039] Next, when the sensor 50 detects that the sixth container 100-6 is in the initial position of the pressing means 40, the control device 60 stops the rotation of the first motor 13, which stops the rotation of the pulley 11 of the conveyor 10. When the pulley 11 stops, the movement of the belt 12 stops.

[0040] Next, the control device 60 instructs the third motor 32 to be driven, causing the container placement unit 30 to rise above the conveyor 10, and as shown in FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b), the containers 100 placed on the conveyor 10 are transferred to the container placement unit 30 (first transfer process, step S103). As shown in FIG. 5(a), the pressing means 40 can be raised from its position on the conveyor 10 by the fourth motor 41 shown in FIG. 1 before the transfer. As the pressing means 40 rises, the first container 100-1 to the sixth container 100-6 can be clamped between the stopping means 20 and the pressing means 40, and their movement can be fixed.

[0041] After the containers 100 are transferred to the placement unit 31, the control device 60 drives the fourth motor 41 or another motor to move the pressing means 40 to the first position along the conveyor 10. As shown in FIGS. 6(a)-(c), by the pressing means 40 moving to the first position, each container 100 placed on the placement unit 31 is stacked on top of the adjacent container 100 from the upstream side, and all the containers 100 are stacked vertically at the first position (stacking step, step S104).

[0042] Here, the positional relationship between each container 100 to be transferred and the placement section 31 of the container placement section 30 will be described with reference to Figures 7(a) and 7(b). Each container 100 has a predetermined length L1 in the conveyance direction. The container placement section 30 is formed in a zigzag shape, and if the length connecting the vertices 31c, 31c of adjacent zigzags of each placement section 31 is ZL, then length L1 is equal to length ZL. Because length L1 is equal to length ZL, each container 100 is reliably transferred to the corresponding placement section 31.

[0043] Furthermore, the length ZB of the bottom side 31a of the mounting section 31 is shorter than the length L1 of the container 100. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 7(b), the container 100 transferred to the mounting section 31 is transferred so that it protrudes from the end of the bottom side 31a of the mounting section 31. Due to this protruding portion, in the accumulation process, each container 100 can be smoothly stacked on the adjacent container 100 downstream.

[0044] 7(b), the length ZH of the side edge portion 31b of the mounting portion 31 is longer than the height L2 of the container 100. Because the length ZH is longer than the height L2, when the containers 100 are pushed by the pushing means 40 in the process of stacking the containers 100, adjacent containers 100 downstream of the pushed container 100 are not pushed at the same time, and the containers can be reliably pushed one by one and stacked.

[0045] 7(a), the phase of the pitch a of the closely packed containers 100 is shifted downstream from the pitch b of the placement unit 31. Due to this shift, each container 100 is smoothly transferred to the placement unit 31 by utilizing the inclination of the bottom side 31a.

[0046] Next, when all the containers 100 are stacked at the first position, the control device 60 instructs the third motor 32 to drive in the reverse direction, and as shown in Figures 8(a) and (b), the container mounting section 30 is lowered, and the stacked containers 100 on the container mounting section 30 are transferred onto the conveyor 10 (second transfer process, step S105).

[0047] Then, when the transfer is completed, the control device 60 instructs the first motor 13 to be driven, and the conveyor 10 is operated. Once the conveyor 10 is operated, the belt 12 is driven again, as shown in FIG. 8(c), and the accumulated containers 100 are transported to the next process, for example, to a position for boxing (second transport process, step S106).

[0048] If there are more containers 100 to be accumulated (step S107: YES), the process returns to the initial step and steps S101 to S106 are repeated. If there are no more containers 100 to be accumulated (step S107: NO), the accumulation process ends.

[0049] (Variation 1) In this embodiment, the device for transporting and stacking circular containers has been described, but the containers to be stacked are not limited to being circular when viewed from above, and containers of various shapes can be stacked. As an example, the case of stacking containers that are square when viewed from above will be described.

[0050] FIG. 10 shows a schematic diagram of the container stacking device of the first modified example, where (a) is a top view of the container stacking device, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a top view of the container placing section.

[0051] The container stacking device 2 includes a conveyor 10, stopping means 20, a container placement unit 30, a pressing means 40, a sensor 50, and a control device. The control device is not shown. The structure and operation of the conveyor 10 are the same as those of the conveyor 10 of the container stacking device 1, so illustration and description thereof will be omitted.

[0052] The stopping means 20 is a member that stops the container 200 on the belt 12 at a predetermined downstream position (first position). The stopping means 20 comprises a pair of rod-shaped stopping units 20a, 20b, which are arranged with the belt 12 sandwiched between them and offset in the conveying direction, unlike the container stacking device 1. In this modified example 1, the stopping units are offset so that the stopping unit 20a is on the downstream side and the stopping unit 20b is on the upstream side. The container 200 used in this modified example 1 is a rectangular container when viewed from above, and at least two stopping units are required to position and stop the container 200 at the first position.

[0053] The pair of stop units 20a, 20b are arranged with the positions offset in order to ensure an insertion space for the pressing means 40 that rises from below in the accumulation process described below. In the case of rectangular containers 200, if they are conveyed with their long or short sides positioned parallel to the belt 12, adjacent containers 200 will be conveyed with their sides in contact with the belt 12 perpendicularly. In this first modification, since the pair of stop units 20a, 20b are arranged with the positions offset, the containers 200 are positioned and stopped at an angle in top view at the first position as shown in FIG. 10(a), and the successively conveyed containers 200 are also positioned at an angle, ensuring a space for the insertion of the pressing units 40a, 40b as shown in FIG. 11(a).

[0054] Before the container 200 on the belt 12 reaches the first position, the stopping units 20a, 20b are raised above the conveyor 10 based on detection by the sensor 50 or the like, and contact the container 200 to restrict the movement of the container 200.

[0055] The container placing section 30 moves up and down, and by rising, it transfers the containers 200 on the belt 12 from the belt 12 to the container placing section 30, and by descending, it transfers the containers 200 accumulated in the container placing section 30 from the container placing section 30 onto the belt 12.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 10(c), the container placing section 30 includes a pair of container placing units 30a, 30b. The structure of the container placing units 30a, 30b is the same as that of the container placing units 30a, 30b of the container stacking device 1. However, unlike the container stacking device 1, the container placing units 30a, 30b are arranged offset in the conveying direction from the pair of stop units 20a, 20b. That is, the container placing units 30a, 30b are arranged offset from the upstream side and the container placing unit 30b is arranged offset from the downstream side. Similar to the container stacking device 1, the container placing units 30a, 30b include a placing section 31 on which the container 200 is placed. Since the container placing units 30a, 30b are arranged offset from the upstream side in the conveying direction, the placing sections 31 are also offset from the downstream side. By arranging them offset in this manner, it is possible to properly place a container 200 that is stopped at an angle.

[0057] The pressing means 40 has the same structure as the pressing means 40 of the container stacking device 1, and includes a pair of pressing units 40a, 40b. Unlike the container stacking device 1, the pair of pressing units 40a, 40b are arranged in the same direction as the pair of stopping units 20a, 20b, but offset in the conveying direction.

[0058] A pair of pressing units 40a, 40b move from the upstream side to the downstream side along the conveyor 10, and in the process of movement, they push the multiple containers 200 transferred to the container placement section 30, and repeat the operation of placing the pushed containers 200 on the adjacent containers 200, until all the containers 200 are stacked vertically at the first position.

[0059] In order to set the initial position of the pressing means 4, the container stacking device 2 determines in advance how many containers are to be stacked, just like the container stacking device 1. In this modified example 1, stacking five containers 200 will be described as an example. The initial position of the pressing means 40 is set at a position whose length is the length of the containers 200 in the conveying direction multiplied by the number of containers to be stacked. In this modified example 1, the stacking distance is the length of the containers 200 in the conveying direction (L3) x 5, and the initial position of the pressing means 40 is set at a position this stacking distance upstream from the first position.

[0060] The sensor 50 is the same sensor as the sensor 50 of the container stacking device 1, and detects the containers 200 moving on the belt 12. In response to detection by the sensor 50, the control device determines the timing for raising the stopping means 20, stopping the operation of the belt 12, raising and lowering the container placement section 30, and starting the operation of the pressing means 40.

[0061] A method for stacking containers 200 using a container stacking device 2 having such a structure will be described with reference to FIG. 11. FIG. 11(a) is a top view when the containers 200 are being transported, and (b) is a side view. The first container 200-1 to the fifth container 200-5 are transported in order from upstream to downstream by the conveyor 10 (first transport step). When the first container 200-1 is transported to the first position, it comes into contact with the raised stopping means 20 and its movement is restricted. When the movement of the first container 200-1 is stopped, the second container 200-2 to the fifth container 200-5 that are being transported later also come into contact with the preceding containers and are stopped (stopping step).

[0062] When the sensor 50 determines that five containers 200 have stopped on the belt 12, the operation of the belt 12 is stopped, the container placement section 30 is raised, and the containers 200 are transferred from the belt 12 to the container placement section 30 (first transfer step). Then, the pressing means 40 is raised and moved in the conveying direction, thereby vertically stacking the five containers 200 at the first position (stacking step).

[0063] Then, similarly to the container stacking device 1, the container placing section 30 is lowered, and the containers 200 are transferred from the container placing section 30 to the belt 12 (second transfer step). The operation of the conveyor 10 is resumed again, and the stacked containers 200 are transported to the next step (second transport step). If there are more containers 200 to be stacked, the process returns to the first transport step, and the above operations are repeated.

[0064] According to the present first modification, rectangular containers 200 can be accumulated, and the range of options for the shapes of containers that can be accumulated can be expanded.

[0065] (Variation 2) In this embodiment, the round containers 100 are transported and stacked by one conveyor 10. The present invention is not limited to one conveyor 10, and multiple conveyors 10 may be arranged in parallel to stack the containers 100.

[0066] 12 shows a container stacking device 3 in which multiple conveyors are arranged in parallel. The basic configuration is the same as that of the container stacking device 1, but differs in that the stopping means and pressing means are shared by adjacent conveyors.

[0067] The container stacking device 3 of this modified example 2 includes a first container stacking unit 3-1, a second container stacking unit 3-2, and a third container stacking unit 3-3. Each container stacking unit includes a first conveyor unit 10-1, a second conveyor unit 10-2, and a third conveyor unit 10-3. Furthermore, each container stacking unit includes a container placement section 30.

[0068] The container stacking device 3 includes stopping units 20a, 20b, 20c, and 20d, and pressing units 40a, 40b, 40c, and 40d. Each container stacking unit is provided with a pair of stopping and pressing units, with the conveyor sandwiched between them, but the stopping and pressing units are shared between adjacent conveyors. That is, stopping unit 20b and pressing unit 40b are shared between the first conveyor unit 10-1 and the second conveyor unit 10-2, and stopping unit 20c and pressing unit 40c are shared between the second conveyor unit 10-2 and the third conveyor unit 10-3.

[0069] Sharing the stopping unit and pressing unit makes the device more compact. Furthermore, providing three container stacking units allows many containers 100 to be stacked at once, improving the efficiency of the stacking process. For example, three groups of five-tiered containers 100 can be formed at once.

[0070] According to this embodiment, containers 100 can be transferred from the conveyor 10 to the container loading section 30 having a zigzag cross-sectional shape, and the pressing means 40 can be moved in the conveying direction, thereby stacking the containers all at once, thereby improving the efficiency of the stacking process.

[0071] According to this embodiment, instead of stacking multiple containers 100 one by one, they are stacked all at once using the pressing means 40, thereby reducing the load on the container stacking device 1 and extending the life of the container stacking device 1.

[0072] According to this embodiment, the circular container 100 is stopped by positioning the center thereof, so that a plurality of containers 100 can be stacked without being misaligned.

[0073] According to this embodiment, the movement of the circular container 100 can be restricted by a pair of opposing stop units 20a, 20b across the conveyor 10, so that limited space can be used effectively.

[0074] According to this variant example 1, by installing a pair of stop units 20a, 20b offset in the conveying direction on either side of the conveyor 10, the movement of the square container 200 can be regulated, thereby increasing the width of the containers that can be stacked.

[0075] According to the second modification, a plurality of conveyor units 10-1, 10-2, and 10-3 arranged in parallel can be used, so that a large number of containers 100 can be accumulated while making effective use of space.

[0076] According to this embodiment, the accumulated containers 100 can be transported to the next process, which allows for the automation of the manufacturing process to be promoted.

[0077] In this embodiment, the conveyor 10 is described as a belt conveyor, but a roller conveyor, a chain conveyor, or the like may also be used.

[0078] In this embodiment, the stopping means 20 is described as being composed of a pair of stopping units 20a, 20b, but any shape may be used as long as it can position and stop the circular container 100 at the first position, centering it at the first position. For example, a single curved stopping means, a stopping means with a V-shaped cross section, or a stopping means that stops at three points may be used.

[0079] In this embodiment, the stopping means 20 is described as rising to stop the movement of the container 100 on the belt 12, but the stopping means 20 may be installed at an upper position and the movement of the container 100 may be stopped by the stopping means 20 descending.

[0080] In this embodiment, it has been explained that the container mounting section 30 rises, thereby transferring the container 100 on the belt 12 to the container mounting section 30, but the container 100 may also be transferred by lowering the conveyor 10 equipped with the belt 12.

[0081] In this embodiment, six containers 100 and five containers 200 are stacked, but the number of containers to be stacked is not limited to these numbers. Any number of containers may be stacked as long as their posture is stable when stacked.

[0082] In the present embodiment, Modification 1, and Modification 2, the containers to be transported are described as being circular and rectangular in top view, but the shape of the container is not limited to circular or rectangular. The present invention can be applied to containers of various shapes, such as pentagonal and hexagonal. When applying the present invention to containers of shapes other than circular, the positions of the stopping units 20a and 20b can be changed.

[0083] In this embodiment, the timing at which the pressing means 40 rises has been described as being determined by detecting the passage of the nth container 100 by the sensor 50, but the present invention is not limited to detecting the passage of the nth container. After the first container 100-1 passes under the sensor 50, when a predetermined time has elapsed, it may be determined that the nth container has passed, and the pressing means 40 may be raised.

[0084] In this embodiment, the sensor 50 is described as being installed at the position of the pressing means 40, but it may be installed at any position between the position of the pressing means 40 and the first position.

[0085] In the first modification, the stopping unit 20a is disposed downstream and the stopping unit 20b is disposed upstream, but the direction of displacement may be reversed. That is, the stopping unit 20a may be disposed upstream and the stopping unit 20b may be disposed downstream. In that case, the displacement direction of the pressing unit 40a and the pressing unit 40b is also reversed.

[0086] In the first modification, the pressing unit 40a and the pressing unit 40b are described as being arranged to be shifted in the conveyance direction, but they may be arranged to face each other with the conveyor 10 in between.

[0087] In this variant example 2, it has been explained that adjacent conveyor units share the stop unit 20b and the pressing unit 40b, and the stop unit 20c and the pressing unit 40c, but it is also possible to share either the stop unit or the pressing unit. [Industrial Applicability]

[0088] The present invention can be used in a container stacking device and a container stacking method for stacking a plurality of containers. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 1, 2, 3 Container stacking device 3-1 First container accumulation unit 3-2 Second container accumulation unit 3-3 Third container accumulation unit 10 Conveyor 10-1 First conveyor unit 10-2 Second conveyor unit 10-3 Third conveyor unit 11 Pulley 12 Belt 13 First Motor 20 Stopping means 20a, 20b, 20c, 20d Stop units 21 Second Motor 30 Container placement section 30a, 30b Container mounting unit 31 Placement section 31a bottom 31b Side part 31c Vertex 32 Third Motor 40 Pressing means 40a, 40b, 40c, 40d Pressing units 41 Fourth Motor 50 sensors 60 Control device 100 containers 100-1 1st container 100-2 Second container 100-3 Third container 100-4 Fourth container 100-5 5th container 100-6 6th container 101 Body 102 Lid 200 containers 200-1 1st container 200-2 Second container 200-3 Third container 200-4 Fourth container 200-5 5th container

Claims

1. a conveyor that transports the first to nth containers in order from upstream to downstream; a stopping means for stopping the first container conveyed at a first position downstream, the stopping means stopping the first container, thereby causing the first to n-th containers to come into contact with each other and stop on the conveyor; a container placement unit disposed below the conveyor and including n placement units each having a zigzag cross-sectional shape that slopes upward in a downstream direction; a transfer means for moving the conveyor and the container placement unit up and down relative to each other, and transferring the stopped first to nth containers from the conveyor to the n placement units; and a pressing means for applying a pressing force to the n containers transferred to the placement section in order from the nth container on the upstream side to the first container on the downstream side, thereby stacking the containers on each placement section on the adjacent downstream container, and stacking the n containers in the vertical direction. Container stacking device.

2. The container is a circular container in a top view, The stopping means determines the center position of the container and stops the container. The container stacking device according to claim 1 .

3. The stopping means includes a pair of stopping units, the pair of stopping units being arranged opposite each other across the conveyor. The container stacking device according to claim 2 .

4. Each mounting portion includes a bottom portion that is inclined upward toward the downstream direction and that receives the bottom of the container, and a side portion that rises from a lower end of the bottom portion and that contacts a side portion of the container, and the length of the side portion is longer than the height of the container. The container stacking device according to claim 1 .

5. the conveyor comprises a plurality of conveyor units arranged in parallel; The stopping means or the pressing means is shared by adjacent conveyor units. The container stacking device according to claim 2 .

6. The container is a rectangular container when viewed from above, The stopping means includes a pair of stopping units, the pair of stopping units being arranged with a shift in the conveying direction of the container across the conveyor. The container stacking device according to claim 1 .

7. a first conveying step of conveying the first to n-th containers in order from the first container on a conveyor from upstream to downstream; a stopping step of stopping the transported first container at a first position downstream on the conveyor, thereby stopping the first to nth containers in contact with each other; a first transfer step of transferring the stopped first to n-th containers onto n placement sections each having a zigzag cross section that slopes upward in a downstream direction; and a stacking step of stacking the n containers in the vertical direction by applying a pressing force to the n containers transferred to the n placement units in a downstream direction from the nth container upstream to the first container in order up to the first position, thereby stacking the containers transferred to each placement unit on adjacent containers. Container accumulation method.

8. a second transfer step of transferring the accumulated containers onto the conveyor; and a second conveying step of conveying the container transferred onto the conveyor on the conveyor to a next step. The container stacking method according to claim 7.

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