Conveyor device

Abstract

To provide a conveyor device with a small speed difference between transport rollers.SOLUTION: A conveyor device has a plurality of transport rollers, and it comprises a transport roller group 6 consisting of three or more transport rollers 5. A belt 20 is wound around the transport rollers 5 positioned at both ends of the transport roller group 6. In the intermediate region of the transport roller group 6, the belt 20 is pressed toward the transport rollers by a pressing member 32.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveyor device, and more particularly to a conveyor device having a plurality of conveying rollers. [Background technology]

[0002] A conveyor device called a roller conveyor is known. A typical roller conveyor has a pair of left and right side frames arranged parallel to each other, and a plurality of conveying rollers for conveying an object are supported between the pair of side frames at predetermined intervals in the conveying direction. In roller conveyors, several conveying rollers are often rotated by power to move the conveyed object. In the roller conveyor disclosed in Patent Document 1, one of the transport rollers is a motorized roller that incorporates a drive motor, and the other transport rollers are idling rollers. In the roller conveyor disclosed in Patent Document 1, a belt is wound between adjacent conveying rollers, and a rotational force is transmitted between the adjacent conveying rollers. In Patent Document 1, all of the conveying rollers are engaged with a belt, and the rotational force of one motorized roller is transmitted to all of the conveying rollers, causing all of the conveying rollers to rotate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-210100 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-31346 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As mentioned above, conventional conveyor devices have a power transmission belt (hereinafter simply referred to as the belt) wound between adjacent conveyor rollers to transmit torque between the adjacent conveyor rollers. The belt transmits torque by friction, and there is slippage. Therefore, a speed difference occurs between the rotation of the driving roller and the rotation of the driven roller between a pair of conveyor rollers.

[0005] In the conventional conveyor device, one conveying roller serves as a driving source, and power is transmitted between adjacent conveying rollers one after another. For simplicity, let us assume that the belt has a power transmission efficiency of 90 percent, i.e., that there is a 10 percent loss due to belt slippage. The driving source (the motorized roller in the previous example) is defined as the first conveying roller, the roller that receives power transmission from the first conveying roller is defined as the second roller, and the rollers are defined as the third roller, fourth roller, fifth roller, and sixth roller in that order. If we assume that the rotation speed of the first transport roller, which is the drive source, is 100 rotations per minute, then the rotation speed of the second roller will be 90 rotations, the third roller 81 rotations, the fourth roller 73 rotations, and the final sixth roller 73 rotations. The rotation speed of the sixth roller drops to 59 rotations. In other words, because the conveyor device of the prior art is structured so that adjacent rollers are connected by a belt and the rotational force is transmitted sequentially, the loss of conductivity accumulates. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention focuses on the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and has as its object to provide a conveyor device in which the speed difference between the conveying rollers is small. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An embodiment for solving the above-mentioned problems is a conveyor device having a plurality of conveying rollers, characterized in that a conveying roller group is made up of three or more conveying rollers, a belt is wound around the conveying rollers arranged at both ends of the conveying roller group, and the belt is pressed against the conveying rollers by a pressing member in an intermediate region of the conveying roller group.

[0007] In the conveyor device of this aspect, a belt is wound around the conveyor rollers arranged at both ends of the conveyor roller group. It is desirable to select a belt with low slippage for this belt. In the conveyor device of this aspect, one type of belt is wound across one or more conveyor rollers. Therefore, the belt engages with the conveyor rollers arranged in the intermediate region, and the conveyor rollers in the intermediate region are rotated by the belt. In the conveyor device of this aspect, in the intermediate region of the group of conveying rollers, the belt wound around the conveying rollers at both ends is pressed against the conveying rollers by the pressing members.

[0008] In the above aspect, the pressing member is freely rotatable, It is desirable that the conveying roller has a pulley, the belt is wound around the pulley, and the belt is pressed by the pressing member against the pulley of the conveying roller disposed in the intermediate region.

[0009] According to this aspect, the belt engages with the pulley of the conveying roller, so that the transmission efficiency is high.

[0010] In each of the above aspects, it is desirable that the pressing member is a radial bearing.

[0011] According to this aspect, power can be transmitted to each conveying roller with a simple structure.

[0012] In each of the above aspects, it is desirable that the conveying roller is attached to the frame, and the pressing member is attached to the frame below the conveying roller.

[0013] According to this aspect, the pressing member does not interfere with the transport.

[0014] In each of the above aspects, it is desirable that the belt is a belt having a core wire.

[0015] Power transmission belts come in two types: those with core wires and those without. Belts with core wires have less stretch and can be wound with high tension, resulting in high power transmission efficiency. On the other hand, belts with core wires are less likely to stretch, making them difficult to wind around conveyor rollers with short center-to-center distances. In the conveyor device of this embodiment, as described above, the belt is wound around the conveyor rollers located at both ends of the group of conveyor rollers. That is, the conveyor rollers around which the belt is actually wound are located at both ends of the group of conveyor rollers, with one or more conveyor rollers between them. Therefore, the conveyor rollers around which the belt is actually wound have a long center distance, so even a belt with a core can be wound around them. Furthermore, as described above, a belt with a core has little elongation and can be wound with high tension, resulting in high power transmission efficiency. Therefore, power can be efficiently transmitted to the group of conveyor rollers.

[0016] In each of the above aspects, it is desirable that the belt bends its travel path by being pressed by the pressing member, and the contact length between the belt and the conveying roller in the intermediate region increases.

[0017] According to this aspect, the contact length between the belt and the conveying roller in the intermediate region is relatively long, so that slippage between the belt and the conveying roller in the intermediate region is small, and power is transmitted efficiently. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] The conveyor device of the present invention has a plurality of transport rollers, and the speed difference between the transport rollers is small. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view of a conveyor device according to an embodiment of the present invention (excluding a belt). [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the conveyor device of FIG. 1 (excluding the belt). [Figure 3]2A and 2B are enlarged views of the pulley area of ​​the conveyor device in FIG. 1, where (a) shows the state where the belt is not wound around it, and (b) shows the state where the V-ribbed belt is wound around the drive rollers at both ends of each drive roller group. [Figure 4] 2A and 2B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the belt winding path of the conveyor device of FIG. 1, where (a) shows the state in which the belt is not wound, and (b) shows the state in which the V-ribbed belt is wound only between the geared motor and the first conveying roller (drive roller). [Figure 5] 2A and 2B are explanatory diagrams illustrating the winding path of the belt of the conveyor device of FIG. 1, in which (a) shows a state in which the V-ribbed belt is wound between the drive rollers at both ends of each drive roller group, and (b) shows a state in which all the belts are wound. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing a state in which a belt is wound around a conveying roller. [Figure 7] FIG. 2A is a perspective view showing the relationship between the pulleys of the conveying roller, the belt, and the pressing unit, and FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the pressing unit. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a conveying roller of the conveyor device of FIG. 1. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of the conveying area of ​​the conveyor device of FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The conveyor device 1 of this embodiment is a short roller conveyor known as a zone conveyor, and has a frame 3 with a pair of left and right frame pieces 2a, 2b arranged in parallel, with multiple conveying rollers 5 journaled at predetermined intervals between the frame pieces 2, 2. As shown in Figures 2 and 7, the frame pieces 2, 2 have vertical groove-shaped engaging portions 7 into which the ends of the conveying rollers 5 are inserted. All of the conveying rollers 5 rotate freely. The conveying roller 5 has a conveying region 11 in which a plurality of roller members 50 are arranged in series, and a power transmission region 15 in which a pulley 12 is provided. In this embodiment, a double pulley 12 is used. That is, the pulley 12 has two rows of grooves for winding a belt.

[0021] 2, 5, and 6, a geared motor 16 is installed below the conveying roller 5, and a drive power transmission belt 17 (hereinafter simply referred to as drive belt 17) is wound around a pulley 18 installed on the geared motor 16 and the pulley 12 of the conveying roller 5a, thereby driving the conveying roller 5a. In this embodiment, the pulley 18 installed on one geared motor 16 is a double pulley, and two conveying rollers 5a are rotated by one geared motor 16. Hereinafter, the conveying roller 5 that receives power transmission from the geared motor 16 via the drive belt 17 will be referred to as the first conveying roller 5a or drive roller. The other conveying rollers 5b to 5f are rotated by power transmitted directly or indirectly from the driving roller (first conveying roller) 5a. In the conveyor device 1 of this embodiment, six conveying rollers 5a to 5f constitute one conveying roller group 6. The conveyor device of this embodiment has two sets of transport roller groups 6. That is, in the conveyor device of this embodiment, the transport roller group 6a and the transport roller group 6b are configured in one frame 3.

[0022] The conveyor device 1 of this embodiment has 12 transport rollers 5 arranged in parallel, with the two central transport rollers being first transport rollers (drive rollers) 5a. That is, the conveyor system of the conveyor device 1 of this embodiment is divided into two transport roller groups 6a and 6b from the center, with the first transport rollers 5a (drive rollers) belonging to the transport roller group 6a in the right region and the first transport rollers 5a (drive rollers) belonging to the transport roller group 6b in the left region. Focusing on the right region conveying roller group 6a, the right region includes rollers from the right first conveying roller 5a (drive roller) to the right sixth conveying roller 5f. Focusing on the left region conveying roller group 6b, the left region includes rollers from the left first conveying roller 5a (drive roller) to the left sixth conveying roller 5f.

[0023] In the conveyor device 1 of this embodiment, the rotational force of the first conveying roller (drive roller) 5a belonging to each conveying roller group 6 is transmitted to the driven rollers (the second conveying roller 5b to the sixth conveying roller 5f) via the interlocking power transmission belt (hereinafter simply referred to as the interlocking belt) 20, causing all of the conveying rollers 5 to rotate.

[0024] The power transmission mechanism between the conveying rollers 5 will be described below. In the conveyor device 1 of this embodiment, a linking belt 20 and pressing units 30a and 30b are used for power transmission between the conveying rollers 5 of the conveying roller group 6. The interlocking belt 20 is a V-ribbed belt as shown in FIG. The V-ribbed belt (interlocking belt 20) is a power transmission belt with multiple ribs that are connected in the circumferential direction. The V-ribbed belt is made of rubber or resin and has a core wire 25 made of rope or wire built inside. The V-ribbed belt has a core wire 25 that has a small elongation rate and can withstand high tension. In other words, the V-ribbed belt does not easily elongate even when subjected to a pulling force. The V-ribbed belt can be wound with high tension, resulting in high power transmission efficiency. On the other hand, it is not easy to wind a V-ribbed belt around a pulley with a short center distance.

[0025] 6 and 7, the pressing units 30a and 30b have a pressing member 32 journaled on a support base 31. The pressing member 32 is a freely rotatable roller. In this embodiment, a radial bearing is used as the pressing member 32. That is, the pressing member 32 is a radial bearing itself, and has an outer ring 33 and an inner ring 35 as shown in FIG. 7, with balls or rollers interposed between the outer ring 33 and the inner ring 35.

[0026] The support base 31 has a bottom plate portion 40 and side plates 41 provided on both sides thereof. The pressing unit 30 has a radial bearing as a pressing member 32 arranged between the left and right side plates 41 of the support base 31, and a fixed shaft 43 inserted into the inner ring 35, with the fixed shaft 43 being supported by the left and right side plates 41 of the support base 31. In the pressing unit 30, an outer ring 33 of a radial bearing, which is a pressing member 32, rotates freely relative to a support base 31. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7(a), an intermediate table 38 is provided inside one frame piece 2a at the middle in the height direction. Pressing units 30a and 30b are fixed to the intermediate table 38. That is, a bottom plate portion 40 is fixed to the intermediate table 38 by screws (not shown).

[0027] In this embodiment, as described above, two pressing units 30a and 30b are used. In this embodiment, both pressing units 30a and 30b are installed below the power transmission area 15 of the conveying roller 5. In this embodiment, one pressing unit 30a is disposed between the second conveyor roller 5b and the third conveyor roller 5c, and the other pressing unit 30b is disposed between the fourth conveyor roller 5d and the fifth conveyor roller 5e. As shown in FIG. 4( a ), the pressing members 32 of the pressing units 30 a and 30 b are partially inserted into an imaginary straight line 45 that passes through the bottom of each conveying roller 5 .

[0028] In the conveyor device 1 of this embodiment, among the conveyor rollers 5a to 5f belonging to the conveyor roller group 6, an interlocking belt 20 is wound between the outermost conveyor rollers 5a and 5f. As described above, the pressing members 32 of the pressing units 30a and 30b are positioned within the imaginary line 45 that passes through the bottom of each conveying roller 5, and therefore the pressing members 32 are positioned within the path of the interlocking belt 20 and press the interlocking belt 20 toward the conveying roller 5. In other words, the outer peripheral surface of the pressing member 32 contacts the back surface of the interlocking belt 20 and presses the back surface of the interlocking belt 20. Therefore, the interlocking belt 20 passing between the second conveyor roller 5b and the third conveyor roller 5c is pressed toward the gap between the second conveyor roller 5b and the third conveyor roller 5c, and the winding path curves upward.

[0029] Looking at the relationship between the pulleys 12 of the second and third conveyor rollers 5b and 5c and the interlocking belt 20, the interlocking belt 20 is pushed up between the pulleys 12 of the second and third conveyor rollers 5b and 5c. Therefore, the running path of the interlocking belt 20 bends upward near the pulleys 12 and runs along the arc of the pulleys 12. As a result, the interlocking belt 20 makes contact with the pulleys 12 of the second and third conveyor rollers 5b and 5c in a curved line, increasing the contact length. The same is true for the interlocking belt 20 passing between the fourth conveying roller 5d and the fifth conveying roller 5e, where the interlocking belt 20 is pushed up between the pulleys 12 of both rollers, and the running path of the interlocking belt 20 curves upward near the pulley 12, running along the arc of the pulley 12. As a result, the interlocking belt 20 makes contact with the pulley 12 of the fourth conveying roller 5d and the pulley 12 of the fifth conveying roller 5e in a curved line, increasing the contact length.

[0030] As described above, in the conveyor device 1 of this embodiment, among the conveyor rollers 5a to 5f belonging to the conveyor roller group 6, the interlocking belt 20 is wound between the first conveyor roller 5a and the sixth conveyor roller 5f, which are located on the outermost sides. The interlocking belt 20 used in this embodiment is a V-ribbed belt that contains a core 25 made of rope or wire and can withstand high tension. This allows for high power transmission efficiency and low slippage. In this embodiment, the first conveyor roller 5a functions as the drive roller. The sixth conveyor roller 5f, located at the other end of the conveyor roller group 6, receives power directly from the drive roller (conveyor roller 5a) via the interlocking belt 20, which has high power transmission efficiency and low slippage, and therefore rotates at the same speed as the first conveyor roller 5a with little attenuation of rotational speed.

[0031] The second conveying rollers 5b to 5e arranged in the intermediate region have a curved contact area with the interlocking belt 20, so although the conveying efficiency is somewhat lower, a certain degree of conveying efficiency can be expected, and they rotate at the same speed as the first conveying roller 5a.

[0032] As described above, the V-ribbed belt has core wires 25 and is not easily stretchable, so it is not easy to wind it around pulleys with a short center distance. In contrast, in the conveyor device 1 of this embodiment, the V-ribbed belt is wound across multiple transport rollers 5, so the distance between the axes of the pulleys around which it is wound is long. Therefore, while the V-ribbed belt is less likely to stretch, it can be wound between two pulleys, allowing for efficient power transmission.

[0033] In the embodiment described above, a V-ribbed belt is used as a belt having cords 25 and little stretch. Other belts with core wires and little stretch include toothed belts and V-belts.

[0034] When assembling the conveyor device 1 of this embodiment, the pressing units 30a and 30b are attached to the frame 3 first. Then, externally, the interlocking belt 20 is wound around the six conveying rollers 5. In this state, the interlocking belt 20 has slack. Then, the six conveying rollers 5 constituting the conveying roller group 6 are pushed from above into the engaging portions 7 formed on the frame 3. As a result, the interlocking belt 20 comes into contact with the pressing member 32 below the group of conveying rollers 6, and the winding path of the interlocking belt 20 is caused to meander by the pressing member 32. In addition, an appropriate tension is applied to the interlocking belt 20.

[0035] In the embodiment described above, the transport roller group 6 is made up of six transport rollers 5, and two pressing members 32 are provided in the transport roller group 6. The number of transport rollers 5 constituting the transport roller group 6 is arbitrary as long as it is at least 3. It is recommended that the number of transport rollers 5 constituting the transport roller group 6 be approximately 4 to 10. The number of pressing members 32 is also arbitrary, and for example, the number of pressing members 32 for a conveying roller group 6 consisting of six conveying rollers 5 may be two or five. The recommended number of pressing members is preferably PN=(RN-2) / 2 or more and PN=(RN-1) or less, where RN is the number of conveying rollers 5 and PN is the number of pressing members 32.

[0036] In the embodiment described above, a radial bearing itself is used as the pressing member 32, and the outer ring 33 of the radial bearing directly presses against the back surface of the interlocking belt 20. This embodiment has a simple structure and is recommended, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, a freely rotating pulley may be used as the pressing member 32. Alternatively, a freely rotating cylindrical member may be used as the pressing member 32.

[0037] In the embodiment described above, the pressing member 32 presses the interlocking belt 20 from below the conveying roller 5. The reason for this is to prevent the pressing member 32 from being present on the conveying surface side of the conveyor device 1. However, if the layout is such that the power transmission area 15 of the conveying roller 5 is separated from the conveying area 11 as shown in FIG. 1, the interlocking belt 20 may be pressed against the conveying roller 5 by the pressing member 32 from above.

[0038] Next, the conveying roller 5 and other components employed in this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 8, the transport roller 5 used in the conveyor device 1 of this embodiment has holding members 52 at both ends, a pulley member 53 inside the holding member 52 on one end side, and a transport section 55 in the middle.

[0039] As shown in Figure 8, the conveying section 55 is configured by connecting a plurality of roller members 50 and spacing members 56 in series, with a rotation core (shaft member) (not shown) inserted through these members. The aforementioned pulley member 53 and the plurality of roller members 50 and spacing members 56 that make up the conveying section 55 are engaged with each other at adjacent members, and rotate integrally. The rotation core (shaft member), the aforementioned members, and the pulley member 53 are engaged and integrated in the rotation direction. Therefore, when the pulley member 53 rotates, the rotation core (shaft member), the plurality of roller members 50, and spacing members 56 rotate integrally.

[0040] In the conveyor device 1 of this embodiment, the conveying rollers 5 have a large diameter portion where the roller members 50 are located and a small diameter portion formed by the spacing member 56, and the large diameter portion of a particular conveying roller 5 is located at a position corresponding to the small diameter portion of an adjacent conveying roller 5, and the small diameter portion of a particular conveying roller 5 is located at a position corresponding to the large diameter portion of an adjacent conveying roller 5, and the axis-to-axis distance between adjacent conveying rollers 5 is shorter than the diameter of the large diameter portion.

[0041] Therefore, in the conveyor device 1 of this embodiment, the transport rollers 5 are arranged closely, and there are many opportunities for the transported objects to come into contact with the transport rollers 5, making the transported objects less likely to rattle. Therefore, the shock to the transported objects is small.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 9, the external appearance of the conveying roller 5 is such that large diameter portions 121 and small diameter portions 122 are alternately provided around the central shaft. The large diameter portions 121 have a hollow structure. Because the conveying roller 5 has a cavity inside, the roller members easily deform when an object collides with them, cushioning the impact of the collision. Therefore, even if an object collides with them, noise is unlikely to be generated. In addition, the conveying portion is unlikely to be damaged. In the conveyor device 1 of this embodiment, both ends of a transport roller 5 are rotatably supported by opposing frame pieces 2. In the conveyor device 1, the conveying rollers 5 are arranged closely together, and the large diameter portion 121 of one of the adjacent conveying rollers 5 is positioned in the position of the small diameter portion 122 of the other conveying roller 5. That is, in the conveyor device 1, the center distance L between adjacent transport rollers 5 is short as shown in Fig. 9. As shown in Fig. 9, when the diameter of the large diameter portion 121 is D, the center distance L is smaller than the diameter D of the large diameter portion 121. If the diameter of the small diameter portion 122 is d, then (D+d) / 2 is slightly smaller than the center distance L. That is, (D+d) / 2 is 70 percent or more of the center distance L, and more preferably 80 percent or more.

[0043] Therefore, the gap Sa between the small diameter portion 122 and the large diameter portion 121 of adjacent conveying rollers 5 is extremely small, and the gap Sa is 15% or less of the diameter D of the large diameter portion 121, and more preferably 10% or less.

[0044] Furthermore, when the length of large diameter portion 121 is A and the length of small diameter portion 122 is B, length A of large diameter portion 121 is slightly smaller than length B of small diameter portion 122. That is, the length A of the large diameter portion 121 is 70 percent or more of the length B of the small diameter portion 122, and more preferably 80 percent or more. Therefore, the gap Sb in the axial direction between the large diameter portions 121 of the adjacent conveying rollers 5 is extremely small. Therefore, the conveyor device 1 has few gaps overall and is in a dense state.

[0045] Although not limited thereto, the diameter D of the large diameter portion 121 is about 25 mm to 80 mm, and preferably about 30 mm to 60 mm. The gap Sa between the small diameter portion 122 and the large diameter portion 121 of the adjacent conveying rollers 5 is 10 mm or less, and preferably 3 mm or less.

[0046] In the conveyor device 1 of this embodiment, the transport rollers 5 are arranged closely, which increases the chances of the transported object coming into contact with the transport rollers 5 and makes the transported object less likely to rattle. In addition, since the conveyor device 1 of this embodiment has small gaps, even when transporting an object with a small outer shape, the object is less likely to fall between the transport rollers 5.

[0047] The transmission mechanism employed in the conveyor device of the present invention is suitable for conveyor devices with narrow spacing between the conveying rollers 5 and short center distances between the pulleys, but it can also be used in conveyor devices that use ordinary cylindrical rollers. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to linear conveyors, but can also be applied to curved conveyor devices. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1 Conveyor equipment 5 Conveyor roller 6 Conveyor roller group 12 pulleys 20 Interlocking belt 25 core wire 30 Pressing unit 32 Pressing member

Claims

1. In a conveyor device having a plurality of conveying rollers, A conveyor device characterized in that there is a group of conveying rollers consisting of three or more conveying rollers, a belt is wound around the conveying rollers arranged at both ends of the group of conveying rollers, and the belt is pressed against the conveying rollers by a pressing member in the middle region of the group of conveying rollers.

2. The pressing member is freely rotatable, The conveying roller has a pulley, and the belt is wound around the pulley, 2. The conveyor device according to claim 1, wherein the belt is pressed by the pressing member against the pulley of the conveying roller disposed in the intermediate region.

3. 2. The conveyor apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressing member is a radial bearing.

4. a frame formed by a pair of frame pieces, the conveying roller being attached to the frame; 2. The conveyor device according to claim 1, wherein the pressing member is attached to the frame below the transport roller.

5. 2. The conveyor system according to claim 1, wherein the belt is a belt having a core.

6. 2. The conveyor device according to claim 1, wherein the belt travel path is curved by being pressed by the pressing member, and the contact length between the belt and the conveying roller in the intermediate region is increased.

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