Conveyor unit

Abstract

To provide a conveyor unit that can convey to-be-conveyed objects from an upstream conveyor device to a downstream conveyor device more smoothly than conventional conveyor units.SOLUTION: A first conveyor device has a first frame member whose first support wall part forms a conveying path, a second conveyor device is located upstream of the first conveyor device in the first conveying direction and has a second frame member whose second support wall part forms a conveying path, and has a conveyor connecting member connecting the first frame member and the second frame member, the conveyor connecting member has a first connecting wall part across the first support wall part and the second support wall part, the first connecting wall part is located outside the first support wall part and the second support wall part and has a connecting insertion hole, and the first support wall part has a first inclined wall part extending at an angle from the conveying path side toward the inside of a connecting insertion hole of the first connecting wall part at the end side adjacent to the second frame member in the first conveying direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveyor unit. [Background technology]

[0002] Conveyor units have been used to transport goods in logistics centers, automated warehouses, etc. These conveyor units are made up of a plurality of conveyor devices arranged in a row to form a transport path, and are capable of transporting desired items such as goods along the transport path (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-37368 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When assembling conveyor units by arranging conveyor devices side by side, slight misalignment may occur between the ends of the frames of the individual conveyor devices depending on the installation location, etc. In such cases, a step is formed at the joint between the frame of the upstream conveyor device and the frame of the downstream conveyor device in the article conveying direction, and this step may prevent articles from accurately crossing from the upstream conveyor device to the downstream conveyor device.As a result, it is necessary to fine-tune the position of the conveyor device so that a step that interferes with the transport of articles is not formed, which takes time to assemble the conveyor device.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a conveyor unit that can transport an object from an upstream conveyor device to a downstream conveyor device more smoothly than conventional conveyor units. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention for solving the above-mentioned problems is a conveyor unit in which at least a first conveyor device and a second conveyor device are adjacent to each other to form a conveyance path, and an object can be conveyed at least in a first conveyance direction by the conveyance path, wherein the first conveyor device has a first frame member whose first support wall portion forms the conveyance path, and the second conveyor device is located upstream of the first conveyor device in the first conveyance direction and has a second frame member whose second support wall portion forms the conveyance path, and The conveyor unit has a conveyor connecting member that connects second frame members, the conveyor connecting member having a first connecting wall portion that straddles the first support wall portion and the second support wall portion, the first connecting wall portion being located outside the first support wall portion and the second support wall portion when viewed from the conveying path side and having a connecting insertion hole, and the first support wall portion having a first inclined wall portion that extends at an angle from the conveying path side toward the inside of the connecting insertion hole of the first connecting wall portion at the end side adjacent to the second frame member in the first conveying direction.

[0007] According to this aspect, the first inclined wall portion of the first support wall portion of the first conveyor device downstream of the second conveyor device extends at an incline toward the inside of the connecting insertion hole of the conveyor connecting member, and the tip portion is retracted from the conveying path, thereby preventing the transported object from getting caught on the tip portion of the first inclined wall portion of the first support wall portion, and making it possible to transport the transported object from the upstream second conveyor device to the downstream first conveyor device more smoothly than conventional methods.

[0008] In a preferred aspect, the second support wall portion has a second inclined wall portion extending at an angle from the conveying path side toward the inside of the connecting insertion hole of the first connecting wall portion on the end side adjacent to the first frame member in the first conveying direction.

[0009] In a preferred aspect, the first inclined wall portion extends in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the second inclined wall portion in a plan view.

[0010] In a preferred aspect, the first inclined wall portion has a width extending upward from a position that is the same height as or lower than the bottom of the transport path.

[0011] In a preferred aspect, the first support wall portion has a main body wall portion, the first inclined wall portion is cut and raised relative to the main body wall portion, and the inclination angle of the first inclined wall portion relative to the main body wall portion is greater than 0 degrees and less than 15 degrees.

[0012] In a preferred aspect, the first support wall portion has a partitioning notch between the first inclined wall portion and the main body wall portion, and the first connecting wall portion blocks the partitioning notch from the outside when viewed from the conveying path side.

[0013] In a preferred aspect, the first frame member has a first top side wall portion erected from the upper end of the first support wall portion toward the outside when viewed from the conveying path side, the second frame member has a second top side wall portion erected from the upper end of the second support wall portion toward the outside when viewed from the conveying path side, and the conveyor connecting member has a second connecting wall portion that is arranged across the underside of the first top side wall portion and the underside of the second top side wall portion and connects the first top side wall portion and the second top side wall portion.

[0014] A preferred aspect is a conveyor fastening element, wherein the first conveyor device has a roller, the first support wall portion supports the shaft portion of the roller, and the first connecting wall portion is fixed to each of the first support wall portion and the second support wall portion by the conveyor fastening element below the roller.

[0015] The term "fastening element" as used herein is a broader concept that includes combinations of screws, nails, rivets, bolts and nuts, etc., and includes temporary fastening elements that can be fastened and released non-destructively. The same applies hereinafter.

[0016] In a preferred aspect, the first support wall portion has a shaft fixing hole for fixing the shaft portion of the roller, and the first connecting wall portion has a connecting side notch that is cut out to avoid the shaft fixing hole. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the conveyor unit of the present invention, it is possible to transport an object from an upstream conveyor device to a downstream conveyor device more smoothly than in the past. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a conveyor unit according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the conveyor device of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the frame member of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 4 is a perspective view of the frame member of FIG. 2, seen from a direction different from that of FIG. 3. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the frame connecting member of FIG. 2. [Figure 6] 6 is a perspective view of the frame connecting member of FIG. 2, seen from a direction different from that of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the conveyor connecting member of FIG. 1. [Figure 8] 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the relationship between the frame members, frame connecting members, and frame fastening elements of the conveyor device of FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 9] 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the relationship between the frame members, conveyor connecting members, and second conveyor fastening elements of each conveyor device of the conveyor unit of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 10] 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the relationship between the frame members, conveyor connecting members, and first conveyor fastening elements of each conveyor device of the conveyor unit of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a side view of a main part of the conveyor unit of FIG. 1. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a main part of the conveyor unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention, when a frame connecting member is attached in a different position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail.

[0020] The conveyor unit 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention is a conveying device that conveys an object 200 in a conveying direction T1, as shown in Figure 1, and is equipped with a plurality of conveyor devices 2 (2a, 2b), a conveyor connecting member 3, a fastening element 5 for a first conveyor, and a fastening element 6 for a second conveyor.

[0021] <Conveyor device 2> As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the conveyor device 2 is a roller conveyor, and its main components include multiple rollers 10, frame members 11 (11a, 11b), frame connecting members 13 (13a, 13b), and frame fastening elements 14 (14a, 14b). 1, the conveyor device 2 has a conveying path 15 formed by rollers 10 and frame members 11a and 11b, along which an object 200 can be conveyed, and the object 200 can be conveyed in a conveying direction T1 (first conveying direction) through the conveying path 15. Note that the conveying direction T1 of the object 200 may be the opposite direction.

[0022] (Laura 10) As shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 1, the roller 10 is a conveying roller that constitutes a conveying path 15 together with frame members 11a and 11b. As shown in Figure 2, the roller 10 has a roller main body 20, a first shaft 21, and a second shaft 22, with the first shaft 21 supported by one frame member 11a and the second shaft 22 supported by the other frame member 11b, and the roller main body 20 being rotatable relative to the shafts 21 and 22. One or more rollers constituting the conveyor device 2 are motorized rollers, with a motor and a reducer built into the roller body. When power is supplied to the motor, the roller body 20 can rotate. On the other hand, the remaining rollers that make up the conveyor device 2 are driven rollers, and a belt is suspended between them and the motorized roller, and the roller bodies are rotatable by receiving power transmitted from the motorized roller. Note that any of the rollers 10 may also be motorized rollers.

[0023] (Frame member 11) The frame members 11 (11a, 11b) are support members that support the shafts 21, 22 of the rollers 10, and the frame members 11a and 11b are symmetrical to each other. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the frame member 11 is a long body having a U-shaped cross section extending in the conveying direction T1, and is provided with a support wall portion 30, a top side wall portion 31, a bottom side wall portion 32, a rising wall portion 33, and a rising wall portion 34.

[0024] The support wall portion 30 is a wall portion that supports each roller 10 and is an upright wall portion that connects the base end portion of the top surface side wall portion 31 and the base end portion of the bottom surface side wall portion 32 . As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the support wall portion 30 has a main body wall portion 50, inclined wall portions 51 and 52, partition cutout portions 53a and 53b, a shaft fixing hole 55, a first engagement hole 56, a second engagement hole 57, a first fastening insertion hole 58, second fastening insertion holes 60a and 60b, and a wiring hole 61.

[0025] The main body wall portion 50 is a plate-like portion extending in the vertical direction (up-down direction L), and is a connecting wall portion that connects the top surface side wall portion 31 and the bottom surface side wall portion 32.

[0026] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the inclined wall portions 51 and 52 are bent portions bent from the main body wall portion 50 and extend obliquely from the main body wall portion 50. The tops of the inclined wall portions 51 and 52 are positioned lower than the bottom of the top surface side wall portion 31, and are bent below the top surface side wall portion 31.

[0027] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the inclined wall portion 51 is provided on the downstream end (one end) side of the conveying direction T1 and is inclined outward in the width direction W (a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction T1 and also perpendicular to the up-down direction L). The inclination angle of the inclined wall portion 51 relative to the main body wall portion 50 is preferably greater than 0 degrees and equal to or less than 15 degrees.

[0028] The inclined wall portion 52 is provided on the upstream end (the other end) side in the conveying direction T1, and is inclined outward in the width direction W. That is, the inclined wall portion 52 is inclined inward in the width direction W from the upstream side toward the downstream side in the conveying direction T1, and is inclined together with the inclined wall portion 51 in a V-shape. The inclination angle of the inclined wall portion 52 relative to the main body wall portion 50 is preferably greater than 0 degrees and equal to or less than 15 degrees.

[0029] The first partitioning cutout 53a extends from the downstream side to the upstream side in the conveying direction T1, and is a portion that partitions the main body wall 50 and the inclined wall 51 in the up-down direction L and separates them. The second partitioning cutout 53b extends from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction T1, and is a portion that partitions the main body wall 50 and the inclined wall 52 in the up-down direction L and separates them.

[0030] 3 and 4, the shaft fixing holes 55 are through-holes that penetrate the main body wall 50 in the thickness direction, and are support holes into which the shaft portions 21 (or shaft portions 22) of the rollers 10 can be inserted, and which support the shaft portions 21 (or shaft portions 22) of the rollers 10 when inserted. The shaft fixing holes 55 are arranged at intervals in the conveying direction T1, and are equally spaced in this embodiment.

[0031] The first engagement hole 56 is a through-hole that penetrates the main body wall portion 50 in the thickness direction, and is an engagement groove that has a width in the transport direction T1 and a length that extends in the vertical direction (up-down direction L).

[0032] The second engagement hole 57 is a through hole that penetrates the main body wall portion 50 in the thickness direction, and is an engagement groove that has a width in the conveying direction T1 and extends in the same direction as the first engagement hole 56, i.e., in the vertical direction (up-down direction L). The second engagement hole 57 is aligned with the first engagement hole 56 at an interval in the conveying direction T1 and is parallel to each other. The second engagement hole 57 is located upstream of the first engagement hole 56 in the transport direction T1.

[0033] The first fastening insertion holes 58 are through-holes that penetrate the main body wall portion 50 in the thickness direction, and allow the shaft portions 131 of the frame fastening elements 14a, 14b to be inserted therethrough (see FIG. 8).

[0034] The second fastening insertion holes 60a, 60b are through holes that penetrate the main body wall portion 50 in the thickness direction, and allow the shaft portion 176 of the first conveyor fastening element 5 to be inserted therethrough (see FIG. 10). The second fastening insertion hole 60a is provided at the downstream end of the main body wall portion 50 in the conveying direction T1, and the second fastening insertion hole 60b is provided at the upstream end of the main body wall portion 50 in the conveying direction T1.

[0035] The wiring hole 61 is a through hole that penetrates the main body wall portion 50 in the thickness direction, and is an insertion hole that allows a wiring member 201 (see Figure 12) such as a wiring cable of the roller 10 to be inserted from the inside to the outside of the main body wall portion 50.

[0036] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the top surface side wall portion 31 is a wall portion bent from the upper end portion of the support wall portion 30, and is a wall portion that constitutes the top surface of the frame members 11a and 11b. The top surface side wall portion 31 is provided with top surface side fastening holes 65a and 65b. The top surface side fastening holes 65a, 65b are through holes that penetrate the top surface side wall portion 31 in the thickness direction, and are fastening receiving portions to which the shaft portion 181 of the second conveyor fastening element 6 can be fastened. The top surface side fastening hole 65a is provided at the downstream end of the top surface side wall portion 31 in the conveying direction T1, and the top surface side fastening hole 65b is provided at the upstream end of the top surface side wall portion 31 in the conveying direction T1.

[0037] The bottom side wall portion 32 is a wall portion that bends from the lower end of the support wall portion 30 in the same direction as the top side wall portion 31 (outside in the width direction W), and is a wall portion that forms the bottom surface of the frame members 11a, 11b. The bottom sidewall portion 32 faces the top sidewall portion 31 with a space therebetween in the height direction (vertical direction L).

[0038] The rising wall portion 33 is a bent portion that is bent downward from the outer end portion (tip portion) of the top surface side wall portion 31 in the width direction W.

[0039] The rising wall portion 34 is a bent portion that is bent upward from the outer end portion (tip portion) of the bottom side wall portion 32 in the width direction W.

[0040] (Frame connecting member 13) The frame connecting member 13 is a stay that connects the frame members 11a and 11b in the width direction W. The frame connecting member 13 is formed by bending a plate-shaped body, and as shown in Figures 5 and 6, it has a connecting main body portion 80, a first connecting portion 81, a second connecting portion 82, and one or more wiring holes 83.

[0041] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the connecting main body portion 80 has a U-shaped cross section, is a long body having a width in the conveying direction T1, and extends in the width direction W. The connecting body 80 includes a connecting wall 100, a first standing wall 101, a second standing wall 102, and a storage space 103.

[0042] The connecting wall portion 100 is a long plate-like portion that has a width in the conveyance direction T1 and extends in the width direction W. The first standing wall portion 101 is a wall portion erected from one end portion in the lateral direction of the connecting wall portion 100 (the downstream end portion in the conveying direction T1), and is a wall portion extending in the vertical direction (up-down direction L). The second standing wall portion 102 is a standing wall portion that rises from the other end portion in the short side direction of the connecting wall portion 100 (the upstream end portion in the conveying direction T1), and is a wall portion that extends in the vertical direction (up-down direction L). The second standing wall portion 102 is disposed at an interval from the first standing wall portion 101 in the conveying direction T1, and faces the first standing wall portion 101 with the storage space 103 interposed therebetween. The storage space 103 is an enclosed space surrounded by the connecting wall portion 100, the first standing wall portion 101, and the second standing wall portion 102, and is capable of storing wiring members 201 (see Figure 12) such as the wiring cable of the roller 10 as needed.

[0043] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the first connecting portion 81 is provided at one end in the longitudinal direction of the connecting body portion 80, and is a portion that is connected to the frame member 11a. The first connecting portion 81 is composed of a first engaging piece 110, a second engaging piece 111, and a first opposing piece 112.

[0044] The first engagement piece 110 is continuous with a part of the first standing wall 101 and is a protruding piece that protrudes outward in the longitudinal direction (width direction W) from one end of the first standing wall 101 in the longitudinal direction (width direction W). The width W1 (length in the vertical direction L) of the first engagement piece 110 shown in the enlarged view of FIG. 5 is preferably shorter than the width (length in the vertical direction L) of the first standing wall portion 101.

[0045] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the second engagement piece 111 is a protruding piece that is continuous with a part of the second standing wall portion 102 and protrudes outward in the longitudinal direction (width direction W) from one end of the second standing wall portion 102 in the longitudinal direction (width direction W). It is preferable that the width (length in the vertical direction L) of the second engagement piece 111 is shorter than the width (length in the vertical direction L) of the second standing wall portion 102.

[0046] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the first opposing piece 112 is a standing wall portion that is continuous with a part of the connecting wall portion 100 and rises up in the vertical direction L from one end of the connecting wall portion 100 in the longitudinal direction (width direction W). The first opposing piece 112 is provided with a first fastening hole 115 as shown in FIG. The first fastening hole 115 is a through-hole that penetrates the first opposing piece 112 in the thickness direction, and is a fastening receiving portion that can fasten the shaft portion 131 of the frame fastening element 14 (see FIG. 8).

[0047] The second connecting portion 82 is provided at the other end in the longitudinal direction of the connecting body portion 80, and is a portion that is connected to the frame member 11b. The second connecting portion 82 includes a third engaging piece 120, a fourth engaging piece 121, and a second opposing piece 122, as shown in FIGS.

[0048] 6, the third engagement piece 120 is a protruding piece that is continuous with a part of the first standing wall portion 101 and protrudes outward in the longitudinal direction (width direction W) from the other end of the first standing wall portion 101 in the longitudinal direction (width direction W). In other words, the third engagement piece 120 is a protruding piece that protrudes on the opposite side from the first engagement piece 110 in the longitudinal direction. It is preferable that the width (length in the vertical direction L) of the third engagement piece 120 is shorter than the width (length in the vertical direction L) of the first standing wall portion 101.

[0049] The fourth engagement piece 121 is a protruding piece (overhanging piece) that is continuous with a part of the second standing wall portion 102 and protrudes outward in the longitudinal direction (width direction W) from the other end of the second standing wall portion 102. In other words, the fourth engagement piece 121 is a protruding piece that protrudes on the opposite side from the second engagement piece 111 in the longitudinal direction. It is preferable that the width (length in the vertical direction L) of the fourth engagement piece 121 is shorter than the width (length in the vertical direction L) of the second standing wall portion 102.

[0050] The second opposing piece 122 is a standing wall portion that is continuous with a part of the connecting wall portion 100 and rises in the up-down direction L from the other end of the connecting wall portion 100 in the longitudinal direction (width direction W). The second opposing piece 122 is provided with a second fastening hole 125 as shown in FIG. The second fastening hole 125 is a through-hole that penetrates the second opposing piece 122 in the thickness direction, and is a fastening receiving portion to which the shaft portion 131 of the frame fastening element 14 can be fastened.

[0051] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the wiring hole 83 is a through hole that penetrates the connection wall portion 100 in the thickness direction, and is an insertion hole that can insert a wiring member 201 (see Figure 12) such as the wiring cable of the roller 10 from the inside to the outside of the storage space 103.

[0052] (14 fastening elements for frames) The frame fastening elements 14 (14a, 14b) are fixing members that fix the frame connecting member 13 to the frame members 11a, 11b. The frame fastening element 14 is specifically a temporary fastening element such as a bolt, and includes a head 130 and a shaft 131 .

[0053] Here, the positional relationship between the various parts of the conveyor device 2 will be described.

[0054] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the conveyor device 2 is arranged with a predetermined gap in the width direction W so that frame members 11a and 11b face each other with rollers 10 in between, and each roller 10 is supported by frame members 11a and 11b. Specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the conveyor device 2 has the first shaft portion 21 of each roller 10 inserted into each shaft fixing hole 55 of the frame member 11a and supported by the support wall portion 30 (first support wall portion) of the frame member 11a, and the second shaft portion 22 of each roller 10 inserted into each shaft fixing hole 55 of the frame member 11b and supported by the support wall portion 30 (second support wall portion) of the frame member 11b.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 1, the rollers 10 are arranged side by side at predetermined intervals in the conveying direction T1. The height of the top (uppermost part) of each roller 10 is the same as shown in the enlarged view of Fig. 1, and the tops of each roller 10 form a conveying surface 16. In other words, the conveying surface 16 is an imaginary surface connecting the tops of the rollers 10, and is an imaginary surface through which the bottom surface of the conveyed object 200 passes.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 2, the frame connecting member 13 has a first connecting portion 81 connected to the frame member 11a and a second connecting portion 82 connected to the frame member 11b.

[0057] 8, at one longitudinal end of the frame connecting member 13, the first engagement piece 110 is inserted into the first engagement hole 56 of the frame member 11a, and the second engagement piece 111 is inserted into the second engagement hole 57 of the frame member 11a. At one longitudinal end of the frame connecting member 13, the first opposing piece 112 faces the support wall portion 30 of the frame member 11a, and the first fastening hole 115 is aligned with the first fastening insertion hole 58 of the frame member 11a to form a single communicating hole. The frame connecting member 13 is fixed to the frame member 11a by inserting the shank 131 of the frame fastening element 14 into the communicating hole from the outside in the longitudinal direction and threadingly engaging with the first fastening hole 115 of the first opposing piece 112.

[0058] Similarly, at the other longitudinal end of the frame connecting member 13, the third engagement piece 120 is inserted into the first engagement hole 56 of the frame member 11b, and the fourth engagement piece 121 is inserted into the second engagement hole 57 of the frame member 11b. At the other longitudinal end of the frame connecting member 13, the second opposing piece 122 faces the support wall portion 30 of the frame member 11b, and the second fastening hole 125 forms a single communicating hole alongside the first fastening insertion hole 58 of the frame member 11b. The frame connecting member 13 is fixed to the frame member 11b by inserting the shank 131 of the frame fastening element 14 into the communicating hole from the outside in the longitudinal direction and threadingly engaging with the second fastening hole 125 of the second opposing piece 122.

[0059] <Conveyor connecting member 3> As shown in Figure 1, the conveyor connecting member 3 is a member that connects adjacent conveyor devices 2, 2 in the conveying direction T1, and as shown in Figure 7, it has a first connecting wall portion 150, a second connecting wall portion 151, a connecting insertion hole 152, conveyor insertion holes 153a, 153b, and conveyor fastening holes 154a, 154b.

[0060] (1st connecting wall part 150) The first connecting wall portion 150 is a portion shaped like the letter “T” when viewed from the front, and includes a first wall portion 160 and a second wall portion 161. The first wall portion 160 is a plate-like portion that is continuous with the upper end of the second wall portion 161 and is located above the second wall portion 161. The second wall portion 161 is an extension portion that is located on the central side of the first wall portion 160 in the conveying direction T1, is continuous with the lower end portion, and extends downward from the lower end portion of the first wall portion 160, and is a narrow portion that is narrower than the first wall portion 160. From another perspective, the first connecting wall portion 150 has connecting-side notches 162a and 162b that are cut out so as to avoid the rollers 10, 10 located at the ends of the conveyor device 2 to be connected.

[0061] (Second connecting wall part 151) The second connecting wall portion 151 is continuous with the first wall portion 160 of the first connecting wall portion 150 and is a bent portion bent from the upper end portion of the first wall portion 160.

[0062] (Connection insertion hole 152) The connection insertion hole 152 is provided across the first connection wall portion 150 and the second connection wall portion 151, and is a cutout hole formed by cutting out a part of the first connection wall portion 150 and the second connection wall portion 151. The connecting insertion hole 152 is rectangular when viewed from the front, and is an escape hole that allows the inclined wall portion 52 of the conveyor device 2a and the inclined wall portion 51 of the conveyor device 2b to escape from the conveying path 15 in adjacent conveyor devices 2a and 2b as shown in Figure 9.

[0063] (Conveyor insertion holes 153a, 153b) The conveyor insertion holes 153a and 153b are through holes that penetrate the second wall portion 161 of the first connecting wall portion 150 in the thickness direction, as shown in Figure 7, and are capable of inserting the shaft portion 176 of the first conveyor fastening element 5, as shown in Figure 10. As shown in FIG. 7, the conveyor insertion holes 153a and 153b are arranged at an interval in the conveying direction T1.

[0064] (Conveyor fastening holes 154a, 154b) As shown in FIG. 7, the conveyor fastening holes 154a and 154b are through holes that penetrate the second connecting wall portion 151 in the thickness direction, and allow the shaft portion 181 of the second conveyor fastening element 6 to be inserted therethrough. The conveyor fastening holes 154a, 154b are arranged at an interval in the conveyance direction T1.

[0065] <First conveyor fastening element 5> As shown in FIG. 10, the first conveyor fastening element 5 is a fixing member that fixes the first connecting wall portion 150 of the conveyor connecting member 3 to the frame members 11a, 11b of the adjacent conveyor devices 2a, 2b. The first conveyor fastening element 5 is a temporary fastening element made up of a fastening member 170 such as a bolt and a fastening receiving portion 171 such as a nut. The fastening member 170 includes a head 175 and a shaft 176 . The fastening receiving portion 171 can be screwed onto the shaft portion 176 .

[0066] <Second conveyor fastening element 6> The second conveyor fastening element 6 is a fixing member that fixes the second connecting wall portion 151 of the conveyor connecting member 3 to the frame members 11, 11 of the adjacent conveyor devices 2, 2, as shown in FIG. The second conveyor fastening element 6 is specifically a temporary fastening element such as a bolt, and includes a head 180 and a shaft 181.

[0067] Next, the positional relationship of each part of the conveyor unit 1 of this embodiment will be described.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 1, the conveyor unit 1 has a plurality of conveyor devices 2 arranged side by side in a conveying direction T1, and a conveyor connecting member 3 attached across adjacent conveyor devices 2a and 2b.

[0069] Focusing on the adjacent conveyor devices 2a and 2b, as shown in Figure 9, the inclined wall portion 52 of conveyor device 2a and the inclined wall portion 51 of conveyor device 2b extend toward the inside of the connection insertion hole 152 of the conveyor connecting member 3, with their leading ends close to each other. In other words, the boundary between the inclined wall portion 52 of conveyor device 2a and the inclined wall portion 51 of conveyor device 2b is located outside the conveying path 15. The shortest distance between the end of the inclined wall 52 of the conveyor device 2a in the extending direction (inclination direction) and the end of the inclined wall 51 of the conveyor device 2b in the extending direction (inclination direction) is preferably 1 cm or less.

[0070] 9, the second connecting wall portion 151 of the conveyor connecting member 3 is located between the support wall portion 30 and the downstanding wall portion 33 of the frame members 11a, 11a of the conveyor devices 2a, 2b, and is in surface contact with the lower surface of the top side wall portion 31. In other words, the second connecting wall portion 151 of the conveyor connecting member 3 is provided so as to straddle the lower surface of the top side wall portion 31 of the conveyor device 2a and the lower surface of the top side wall portion 31 of the conveyor device 2b. The first connecting wall portion 150 of the conveyor connecting member 3 straddles the support wall portions 30, 30 of the conveyor devices 2a, 2b, and is in surface contact with the outer surfaces of the support wall portions 30, 30.

[0071] 9 and 10, the conveyor connecting member 3 has the conveyor insertion hole 153a aligned with the second fastening insertion hole 60b of the conveyor device 2a to form a single communicating hole, and the conveyor insertion hole 153b aligned with the second fastening insertion hole 60a of the conveyor device 2b to form a single communicating hole. As shown in Fig. 10, the shafts 176 of the fastening members 170 of the first conveyor fastening elements 5 are inserted into the communicating holes from the outside in the width direction W and are fastened by threading into the fastening receiving portions 171 of the first conveyor fastening elements 5 inside the main body wall portion 50, and the conveyor connecting member 3 is fixed across the main body wall portions 50 of the frame members 11a, 11a (11b, 11b) of the conveyor devices 2a, 2b.

[0072] 9, the conveyor connecting member 3 has the conveyor fastening hole 154a aligned with the top surface side fastening hole 65b of the conveyor apparatus 2a to form a single communicating hole, and the conveyor fastening hole 154b aligned with the top surface side fastening hole 65a of the conveyor apparatus 2b to form a single communicating hole. The shaft portion 181 of the second conveyor fastening element 6 is inserted from above into each communicating hole and fastened by being threadedly engaged with the top surface side fastening hole 65b of the conveyor apparatus 2a and the top surface side fastening hole 65a of the conveyor apparatus 2b, respectively, and the conveyor connecting member 3 is fixed across the top surface side walls 31, 31 of the frame members 11a, 11a (11b, 11b) of the conveyor apparatus 2a, 2b.

[0073] The second partition notch 53b of the frame member 11a (11b) of the conveyor device 2a and the first partition notch 53a of the frame member 11a (11b) of the conveyor device 2b are aligned in a row in the conveying direction T1, as shown in Figure 11. As shown in Figure 11, the conveyor connecting member 3 has a first connecting wall portion 150 that covers and blocks the second partition cutout portion 53b of the frame member 11a (11b) of the conveyor device 2a and the first partition cutout portion 53a of the frame member 11a (11b) of the conveyor device 2b.

[0074] As shown in Figure 11, the first connecting wall portion 150 of the conveyor connecting member 3 extends between the shaft fixing hole 55A located most upstream in the conveying direction T1 of the frame member 11a (11b) of the conveyor device 2a and the shaft fixing hole 55B located most downstream in the conveying direction T1 of the frame member 11a (11b) of the conveyor device 2b when viewed from the axial direction of the roller 10, and the connecting side cutouts 162a, 162b are positioned so as to avoid the shaft fixing holes 55A, 55B.

[0075] In the conveyor unit 1 described above, the frame connecting member 13 is attached to the frame members 11a and 11b in an orientation in which the connecting wall 100 forms the top surface so that the storable space 103 opens downward. However, the frame connecting member 13 can also be attached to the frame members 11a and 11b in an orientation in which the connecting wall 100 forms the bottom surface so that the storable space 103 opens upward, as shown in FIG. 12. This allows wiring members 201, such as the wiring cables of the rollers 10, to be routed over the connecting wall 100 of the storable space 103. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the wiring member 201 can be pulled from the outside in the width direction W of one frame member 11a through the wiring hole 61 and the wiring hole 83a of the frame connecting member 13 into the storable space 103, and then passed through the wiring hole 83b of the frame connecting member 13 and the wiring hole 61 of the other frame member 11b to the outside of the other frame member 11b. 12, the conveyor unit 1 may be provided with a cover member 190 that closes the upper side of the storage space 103, as needed. This prevents a part of the wiring member 201, such as a cable, stored in the storage space 103 from coming into contact with the rollers 10.

[0076] According to the conveyor device 2 of this embodiment, the frame connecting member 13 can be attached to the frame member 11 without welding or the like by inserting the first engagement piece 110 of the frame connecting member 13 into the first engagement hole 56 of the frame member 11 and fixing the first opposing piece 112 of the frame connecting member 13 to the support wall 30 of the frame member 11 with the frame fastening element 14 (first fastening element). This makes it easy to connect the frame members 11a and 11b to each other with the frame connecting member 13. As a result, the width of the conveyor device 2 can be easily adjusted by using a frame connecting member 13 with an optimal width to suit the installation environment at the installation site, for example.

[0077] According to the conveyor device 2 of this embodiment, the first engagement hole 56 is preferably formed in the support wall portion 30 of the frame member 11. With this configuration, the first engagement piece 110 can be inserted into the first engagement hole 56 in the same direction as the overlapping direction of the first opposing piece 112 and the support wall portion 30 of the frame member 11. Therefore, for example, by performing the fastening operation of the frame fastening element 14 with the first engagement piece 110 inserted into the first engagement hole 56, it becomes easy to fix the first opposing piece 112 to the support wall portion 30 of the frame member 11 with the frame fastening element 14.

[0078] According to the conveyor device 2 of this embodiment, it is preferable that the frame member 11 has the second engagement hole 57 in the support wall portion 30, and the frame connecting member 13 has the second engagement piece 111, which is inserted into the second engagement hole 57. According to this configuration, by inserting the first engagement piece 110 into the first engagement hole 56 and the second engagement piece 111 into the second engagement hole 57, the frame connecting member 13 can be positioned relative to the frame member 11 by the two engagement pieces 110, 111, making it easier to fix the first opposing piece 112 to the support wall portion 30 with the frame fastening element 14. In addition, by inserting the first engagement piece portion 110 and the second engagement piece portion 111 of the frame connecting member 13 into the first engagement hole 56 and the second engagement hole 57 that are independently provided in the conveying direction T1 of the support wall portion 30, and fixing the frame connecting member 13 to the frame member 11 with the frame fastening element 14, the connection by the frame connecting member 13 can be made stronger without using welding.

[0079] According to the conveyor device 2 of this embodiment, it is preferable that the first engagement hole 56 is an elongated hole extending in the vertical direction (up-down direction L), and the second engagement hole 57 is an elongated hole extending substantially parallel to the first engagement hole 56. With this configuration, when the first engagement piece 110 is inserted into the first engagement hole 56 and the second engagement piece 111 is inserted into the second engagement hole 57, the frame connecting member 13 is unlikely to come off the support wall portion 30 of the frame member 11a. Therefore, when fixing with the frame fastening element 14, the fastening operation of the frame fastening element 14 becomes easy.

[0080] According to the conveyor device 2 of this embodiment, it is preferable that the first opposing piece 112 is fixed to the support wall portion 30 of the frame member 11 between the first engagement hole 56 and the second engagement hole 57. With this configuration, the fastening operation of the frame fastening element 14 can be performed more stably.

[0081] According to the conveyor device 2 of this embodiment, the frame connecting member 13 has a connecting body portion 80 extending between the frame members 11a and 11b, and the first engagement piece portion 110 is a protruding piece protruding from the end of the connecting body portion 80 in the extension direction, and it is preferable that the upper end of the first engagement piece portion 110 is lower than the upper end of the connecting body portion 80. With this configuration, a step is created between the upper end of the connecting body portion 80 and the upper end of the first engagement piece portion 110, which makes the connection between the frame member 11a and the frame connecting member 13 stronger.

[0082] According to the conveyor device 2 of this embodiment, the first engagement piece 110 has a width in the vertical direction, and the width of the first engagement piece 110 is preferably shorter than the vertical length of the connecting body 80. With this configuration, a step is created between the upper end of the connecting body 80 and the upper end of the first engagement piece 110, and between the lower end of the connecting body 80 and the lower end of the first engagement piece 110. Therefore, when the first engagement piece 110 is inserted into the first engagement hole 56, the frame connecting member 13 is less likely to tilt relative to the frame member 11 due to gravity.

[0083] According to the conveyor device 2 of this embodiment, the frame connecting member 13 preferably has a connecting body 80 extending between the frame members 11a and 11b, and the connecting body 80 preferably includes a connecting wall 100 extending in the extension direction of the connecting body 80, a first standing wall 101 erected from one end of the connecting wall 100 in the short direction, a second standing wall 102 erected from the other end of the connecting wall 100 in the short direction, and a storage space 103 surrounded by the connecting wall 100, the first standing wall 101, and the second standing wall 102. With this configuration, for example, as shown in FIG. 12, by turning the frame connecting member 13 upside down, it is possible to store wiring members 201 such as cables connected to the rollers 10, etc., in the storage space 103.

[0084] According to the conveyor device 2 of this embodiment, the first engagement piece 110 is preferably a protruding piece that protrudes from the end of the first standing wall portion 101 in the extension direction of the connecting body portion 80. With this configuration, insertion of the first engagement piece 110 into the first engagement hole 56 is less likely to affect the wiring member 201, such as a cable, stored in the storable space 103.

[0085] According to the conveyor device 2 of this embodiment, the frame fastening elements 14 are preferably temporary fastening elements. With this configuration, the frame members 11 can be detached from the frame connecting members 13. Therefore, by preparing multiple types of rollers 10 and frame connecting members 13 with different lengths and selecting rollers 10 and frame connecting members 13 of an appropriate length to suit the installation site, the width of the conveyor device 2 can be adjusted to suit the installation site.

[0086] According to the conveyor device 2 of this embodiment, the frame connecting members 13 are preferably disposed at a position lower than the rollers 10. With this configuration, the rollers 10 can be prevented from coming into contact with the frame connecting members 13.

[0087] According to the conveyor device 2 of this embodiment, it is preferable that the first engagement piece 110 is inserted into the first engagement hole 56 from the frame member 11b side in the longitudinal direction of the roller 10, and that the tip end thereof protrudes from the first engagement hole 56. With this configuration, the first engagement piece 110 is less likely to come out of the first engagement hole 56.

[0088] According to the conveyor device 2 of this embodiment, the conveyor device 2 has a frame fastening element 14b (second fastening element), the frame member 11b has a first engagement hole 56 (third engagement hole), the frame connecting member 13 has a third engagement piece 120 and a second opposing piece 122 that faces the support wall portion 30 of the frame member 11b, and it is preferable that the third engagement piece 120 of the frame connecting member 13 is inserted into the first engagement hole 56 of the frame member 11b and the second opposing piece 122 is fixed to the support wall portion 30 of the frame member 11b by the frame fastening element 14b. According to this configuration, by inserting the third engagement piece 120 of the frame connecting member 13 into the first engagement hole 56 of the frame member 11b and fixing the second opposing piece 122 of the frame connecting member 13 to the support wall portion 30 of the frame member 11b by the frame fastening element 14b, it is possible to attach the frame connecting member 13 to the frame member 11b without using welding or the like. Therefore, for example, it is possible to adjust the optimum combination of frame member 11a, frame connecting member 13, and frame member 11b to suit the installation environment at the installation site.

[0089] According to the conveyor device 2 of this embodiment, the frame connecting member 13 can be formed with a bent structure without using welding or the like, which reduces the amount of processing work required, improves assembly accuracy compared to conventional methods, and enables manufacturing at low cost and in a short period of time.

[0090] According to the conveyor unit 1 of this embodiment, the inclined wall portion 52 (first inclined wall portion) of the support wall portion 30 of the downstream conveyor device 2a (first conveyor device) extends at an incline toward the inside of the connection insertion hole 152 of the conveyor connecting member 3 relative to the upstream conveyor device 2b (second conveyor device), and the tip portion is retracted from the conveying path 15. This prevents the conveyed object 200 from getting caught on the tip portion of the inclined wall portion 52 of the support wall portion 30, and allows the conveyed object 200 to be conveyed from the upstream conveyor device 2b to the downstream conveyor device 2a more smoothly than before.

[0091] According to the conveyor unit 1 of this embodiment, it is preferable that the support wall 30 of the frame member 11 (second frame member) of the upstream conveyor device 2b has an inclined wall 51 (second inclined wall) that extends at an angle from the conveyance path 15 side toward the inside of the connection insertion hole 152 of the first connecting wall 150, on the end side adjacent to the frame member 11 (first frame member) of the downstream conveyor device 2a in the conveyance direction T1. This prevents the end of the inclined wall 51 from getting caught on the transported object 200 when the transported object 200 is transported from the upstream conveyor device 2b to the downstream conveyor device 2a.

[0092] According to the conveyor unit 1 of this embodiment, it is preferable that the inclined wall 52 of the downstream conveyor device 2a extends in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the inclined wall 51 of the upstream conveyor device 2b in a plan view. With this configuration, the corner formed by the inclined wall 52 of the downstream conveyor device 2a and the inclined wall 51 of the upstream conveyor device 2b can be retracted from the conveying path 15, so that the conveyed object 200 can be conveyed more smoothly from the upstream conveyor device 2b to the downstream conveyor device 2a.

[0093] According to the conveyor unit 1 of this embodiment, it is preferable that the inclined wall portion 52 of the downstream conveyor device 2a has a width extending upward from a position that is the same height as the conveying surface 16, which is the bottom of the conveying path 15, or a position lower than the conveying surface 16. This configuration allows the transported object 200 to be transported more smoothly from the upstream conveyor device 2b to the downstream conveyor device 2a.

[0094] According to the conveyor unit 1 of this embodiment, the support wall 30 of the downstream conveyor device 2a has a main body wall 50, and the inclined wall 52 of the downstream conveyor device 2a is cut and raised relative to the main body wall 50, and it is preferable that the inclination angle relative to the main body wall 50 is greater than 0 degrees and not greater than 15 degrees. With this configuration, the transported object 200 can be transported more smoothly from the upstream conveyor device 2b to the downstream conveyor device 2a.

[0095] According to the conveyor unit 1 of this embodiment, the support wall 30 of the downstream conveyor device 2a has a partitioning notch 53b between the inclined wall 52 of the downstream conveyor device 2a and the main body wall 50, and it is preferable that the first connecting wall 150 closes the partitioning notch 53b from the outside when viewed from the conveying path 15. This configuration prevents the conveyed object 200 from getting caught in the partitioning notch 53b.

[0096] In the conveyor unit 1 of this embodiment, the frame member 11 has a top sidewall 31 erected from the upper end of the support wall 30 toward the outside when viewed from the conveying path 15, and the conveyor connecting member 3 is preferably provided with a second connecting wall 151 that straddles the underside of the top sidewall 31 (first top sidewall) of the downstream conveyor device 2a and the underside of the top sidewall 31 (second top sidewall) of the upstream conveyor device 2b and connects the top sidewall 31 of the downstream conveyor device 2a to the top sidewall 31 of the upstream conveyor device 2b. This configuration makes it easy to connect the frame member 11 of the downstream conveyor device 2a to the frame member 11 of the upstream conveyor device 2b.

[0097] According to the conveyor unit 1 of this embodiment, it is preferable that the conveyor unit 1 has the first conveyor fastening element 5, the downstream conveyor device 2a has the roller 10, the support wall portion 30 of the frame member 11 of the downstream conveyor device 2a supports the shafts 21, 22 of the roller 10, and the first connecting wall portion 150 is fixed below the roller 10 by the first conveyor fastening element 5 across the support wall portion 30 of the downstream conveyor device 2a and the support wall portion 30 of the upstream conveyor device 2b. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent the first conveyor fastening element 5 from obstructing the transport path 15.

[0098] According to the conveyor unit 1 of this embodiment, it is preferable that the support wall 30 of the downstream conveyor device 2a has a shaft fixing hole 55 for fixing the shafts 21, 22 of the rollers 10, and the first connecting wall 150 has connecting-side notches 162a, 162b cut out to avoid the shaft fixing hole 55. This configuration prevents the conveyor connecting member 3 from interfering with the rollers 10.

[0099] In the above embodiment, the frame connecting member 13 has two engaging pieces 110, 111 (120, 121) for each of the frame members 11a, 11b, but the present invention is not limited to this. The frame connecting member 13 may have one engaging piece for each of the frame members 11a, 11b, or may have three or more engaging pieces. Furthermore, in the frame connecting member 13, the number of engaging pieces 110, 111 of the first connecting portion 81 and the number of engaging pieces 120, 121 of the second connecting portion 82 may be the same or different.

[0100] In the above embodiment, at the joint between the downstream conveyor device 2a and the upstream conveyor device 2b, in addition to the inclined wall portion 52 of the downstream conveyor device 2a, the inclined wall portion 51 of the upstream conveyor device 2b is inclined with respect to the main body wall portion 50, but the present invention is not limited to this. Only the inclined wall portion 52 of the downstream conveyor device 2a may be inclined with respect to the main body wall portion 50.

[0101] In the above embodiment, the conveyor unit 1 includes two conveyor devices 2a and 2b, but the present invention is not limited to this. The conveyor unit 1 may include three or more conveyor devices 2.

[0102] In the above embodiment, the conveyor device 2 is provided with two frame connecting members 13, one on the upstream side and one on the downstream side in the conveying direction T1, but the present invention is not limited to this. The conveyor device 2 may be provided with one frame connecting member 13, or may be provided with three or more single frame connecting members 13.

[0103] In the above-described embodiments, each component can be freely substituted or added between the respective embodiments as long as it falls within the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] 1 conveyor unit 2 Conveyor equipment 2a Conveyor device (first conveyor device) 2b Conveyor device (second conveyor device) 3 Conveyor connecting members 5 Fastening element for first conveyor 10. Laura 11a, 11b frame members (first frame member, second frame member) 15 Transport path 30 Support wall part (first support wall part, second support wall part) 31 top surface side wall portion (first top surface side wall portion, second top surface side wall portion) 50 Main body wall 51 Slanted wall section (second sloped wall section) 52 Slanted wall section (first inclined wall section) 53a First compartment cutout 53b Second compartment cutout 55,55A,55B Shaft fixing hole 150 1st connecting wall 151 2nd connecting wall 152 Connection insertion hole 162a,162b Connection side notch 200 items transported

Claims

1. A conveyor unit including at least a first conveyor device and a second conveyor device adjacent to each other to form a conveyance path, and capable of conveying an object in at least a first conveyance direction by the conveyance path, the first conveyor device has a first frame member having a first support wall portion that defines the transport path; the second conveyor device is located upstream of the first conveyor device in the first conveying direction, and has a second frame member whose second support wall portion constitutes the conveying path; a conveyor connecting member connecting the first frame member and the second frame member; the conveyor connecting member has a first connecting wall portion provided across the first support wall portion and the second support wall portion, the first connecting wall portion is located outside the first support wall portion and the second support wall portion when viewed from the transport path side, and has a connecting insertion hole; A conveyor unit, wherein the first support wall portion has a first inclined wall portion extending at an angle from the conveying path side toward the inside of the connecting insertion hole of the first connecting wall portion on the end side adjacent to the second frame member in the first conveying direction.

2. 2. The conveyor unit according to claim 1, wherein the second support wall portion has a second inclined wall portion extending at an angle from the conveying path side toward the inside of the connecting insertion hole of the first connecting wall portion at an end side adjacent to the first frame member in the first conveying direction.

3. The conveyor unit according to claim 2 , wherein the first inclined wall portion extends in a direction intersecting an extension direction of the second inclined wall portion in a plan view.

4. The conveyor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first inclined wall portion has a width extending upward from a position that is the same height as or lower than the bottom of the transport path.

5. The first support wall portion has a main body wall portion, the first inclined wall portion is cut and raised relative to the main body wall portion, The conveyor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first inclined wall portion has an inclination angle with respect to the main body wall portion that is greater than 0 degrees and is equal to or smaller than 15 degrees.

6. the first support wall portion has a partitioning notch between the first inclined wall portion and the main body wall portion, The conveyor unit according to claim 5 , wherein the first connecting wall portion externally closes the partitioning notch when viewed from the conveying path side.

7. the first frame member has a first top surface sidewall portion that stands outward from an upper end of the first support wall portion when viewed from the transport path side, the second frame member has a second top surface sidewall portion that stands outward from an upper end of the second support wall portion when viewed from the transport path side, A conveyor unit as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the conveyor connecting member is provided across the underside of the first top surface side wall portion and the underside of the second top surface side wall portion, and includes a second connecting wall portion that connects the first top surface side wall portion and the second top surface side wall portion.

8. a fastening element for the conveyor; the first conveyor device has rollers; the first support wall portion supports a shaft portion of the roller, The conveyor unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first connecting wall portion is fixed to each of the first support wall portion and the second support wall portion by the conveyor fastening element below the roller.

9. the first support wall portion has a shaft fixing hole for fixing a shaft portion of the roller, The conveyor unit according to claim 8 , wherein the first connecting wall portion has a connecting-side notch that is cut out to avoid the shaft fixing hole.

Images