Sorting device

Abstract

To provide a sorting device sorting a plurality of articles transported in a row to three or more rows without enlarging a device as well as being capable of improving throughput.SOLUTION: A sorting mechanism 12 is arranged above a conveyor 11. The sorting mechanism 12 is provided with two sorting sections placed longitudinally in a transport direction. and each of sorting sections is provided with two of sorting bodies 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b moving longitudinally and laterally in the transport direction. A pair of first sorting bodies 18a, 18b or a pair of second sorting bodies 19a, 19b of each of the sorting sections are configured to move in an opposite direction to each other in the lateral direction. Articles 10 of a reference row CL are sorted to five rows including the reference row by moving the sorting bodies 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b positioned on either the left and right sides of the reference row CL over the reference row.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sorting device that sorts a plurality of articles conveyed in a single line into a plurality of lines. [Background technology]

[0002] A known device uses a distributing member to move some of the articles, which are continuously conveyed in a single line along the conveying direction on a conveyor, in a left-right direction intersecting the conveying direction, thereby distributing and aligning the articles into multiple rows (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The device described in Patent Document 1 positions one side of a plate-shaped distributing body serving as a distributing member next to a predetermined number of articles in a central row where the articles are conveyed in a single line, and then moves the distributing body downstream at the same speed as the conveying speed of the articles while moving in one direction left and right across the central row, thereby separating the predetermined number of articles from the central row. The other side of the distributing body that has moved upstream is then positioned next to the predetermined number of articles in the central row, and then moves downstream at the same speed as the conveying speed of the articles while moving in the other direction left and right across the central row, thereby repeatedly separating the predetermined number of articles from the central row. That is, both sides of the distributing body are used to move the distributing body back and forth left and right across the central row, centered on the central row, to distribute the articles in the central row left and right and align them into multiple rows. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Application No. 2015-34064 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the device described in Patent Document 1, articles continuously conveyed in a single line on a conveyor are sorted left and right by alternating one side of a sorting body and the other side to form three lines. In other words, by moving the sorting body left or right, one line can only be divided into two lines, and the time required to form three lines increases, limiting the ability to increase the conveyance speed of the articles. Furthermore, in some cases, it is necessary to sort articles from one line into five or more lines, rather than just dividing them into three lines. In such cases, the time required to form five lines increases even further. Therefore, in order to properly sort continuously conveyed articles left and right, it is necessary to slow down the conveyance speed of the articles or lengthen the conveyor. This poses problems such as a failure to improve processing capacity or an increase in the size of the device.

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a sorting device that can appropriately sort multiple items transported in a single line into three or more lines without increasing the size of the device, and that can improve processing capacity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems and achieve the intended purpose, the first means is: A sorting device that sorts a plurality of articles (10) that are intermittently supplied in a single line in a conveying direction onto a conveyor (11) that conveys the articles (10) into three or more lines (CL, L1, L2, R1, R2) on the conveyor (11), a plurality of sorting units (20, 21) disposed at the front and rear of the conveyor (11) in the conveying direction and movable at the front and rear of the conveyor (11); a distributor (18a, 18b, 19a, 19b) disposed in each distributor (20, 21) and movable left and right in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the conveyor (11); The sorting device is configured to move the sorting bodies (18a, 18b, 19a, 19b) of the sorting section (20, 21) positioned to the side of a predetermined number of articles (10) in a reference row (CL) supplied in a single row to the conveyor (11) downstream in the conveying direction at the same speed as the articles (10) on the conveyor (11), while moving to either the left or right across the reference row (CL), thereby pushing and sorting the predetermined number of articles (10) into rows (L1, L2, R1, R2) aligned in the reference row (CL), and then move upstream in the conveying direction to position the sorting bodies (18a, 18b, 19a, 19b) to the side of the predetermined number of articles (10) to be next sorted, repeating this sorting operation; The system is characterized in that the distances of movement of the distribution bodies (18a, 18b, 19a, 19b) in the multiple distribution sections (20, 21) to the left and right are made different, and the distribution operation is performed so as to leave a predetermined number of articles (10) in the reference row (CL), thereby distributing one row of articles (10) into three or more rows including the reference row (CL). According to this configuration, multiple items transported in a single line can be sorted into three or more lines in a single sorting operation, so that the items can be sorted appropriately and efficiently into multiple lines without slowing down the item transport speed or increasing the size of the device, thereby improving processing capacity.

[0007] The second means is such that the distributing unit (20, 21) includes a plurality of distributing bodies (18a, 18b, 19a, 19b), The multiple distributors (18a, 18b, 19a, 19b) included in the distributor (20, 21) are arranged at intervals in the front and rear of the conveying direction corresponding to the intervals between the predetermined number of articles to be pushed, The multiple distributors (18a, 18b, 19a, 19b) provided in the distributor (20, 21) are configured to move in opposite directions to each other in the left and right direction across the reference row (CL) from positions positioned alternately on the left and right sides of the articles (10) in the reference row (CL) in the conveying direction, thereby distributing a predetermined number of articles (10) to both the left and right sides of the reference row (CL). According to this configuration, a plurality of articles conveyed in a single line can be sorted into a plurality of lines for each sorting section, thereby further improving processing capacity.

[0008] The third means is characterized in that the distributors (18a, 18b, 19a, 19b) which have different moving distances to the left and right in the multiple distributors (20, 21) are configured to operate so that the moving times for distributing the articles (10) in the reference row (CL) are the same. With this configuration, the allocation of items to multiple rows at different distances from the reference row is completed simultaneously, thereby shortening the time lag until the next allocation operation can be performed, further improving processing capacity. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the sorting device of the present invention, multiple items transported in a single line can be appropriately and efficiently sorted into multiple lines (three or more lines) while preventing the device from becoming larger, thereby improving processing capacity. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing the sorting device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing a distribution mechanism. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 2. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a distribution mechanism. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view showing a distribution mechanism. [Figure 7] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB in FIG. 2. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are explanatory diagrams showing the sorting operation by the sorting mechanism. [Figure 9] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the articles and the distributing body during the distributing operation. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] Next, preferred embodiments of a distributing device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Example]

[0012] 1 to 3, the sorting device according to the embodiment includes a transport conveyor (conveyor) 11 that transports a plurality of articles 10 supplied in a single file in the transport direction from the upstream side, and a sorting mechanism 12 that is disposed above the transport conveyor 11 and sorts the plurality of articles 10 transported in a single file by the transport conveyor 11 into multiple files (five files in the embodiment) in the left-right direction that intersects with the transport direction. A supply conveyor 13 is connected to the upstream side of the transport conveyor 11, and the plurality of articles 10 transported in a single file in the transport direction by the supply conveyor 13 are fed linearly into the transport conveyor 11. In the embodiment, the row of articles 10 linearly fed from the supply conveyor 13 to the transfer conveyor 11 is referred to as the reference row CL. The rows of articles 10 aligned parallel to the reference row CL on either side of the reference row CL are referred to as the first row L1 and the second row L2, respectively, from the row closest to the reference row CL as viewed downstream. The rows on the right side of the reference row CL as viewed downstream are referred to as the first row R1 and the second row R2, respectively. Note that in FIG. 1 , the positions to which the articles 10 are sorted from the reference row CL are indicated by dashed lines as the first row L1 and the second row L2 and R2. Examples of articles 10 include plastic bottles filled with beverages or liquid seasonings, but the present invention can also be applied to various other types of articles.

[0013] 1, 3, and 4, the supply conveyor 13 employs a conveyor that circulates an endless belt or an endless chain with multiple slats driven by a servo motor. The supply conveyor 13 includes a regulating means 14 that regulates the transport of the articles 10 that have been transported to the downstream end, and a detecting means 15 that detects the articles 10 on the conveyor. The detecting means 15 includes a first detecting unit 15a that detects the leading (most downstream) article 10 whose transport is regulated by the regulating means 14, and a second detecting unit 15b that is disposed a predetermined distance upstream from the position of the first detecting unit 15a. The detecting means 15 is configured to be able to detect the presence of a predetermined number of articles 10 (the number of articles in one row to be sorted by the sorting mechanism 12; in this embodiment, 10) between the first detecting unit 15a and the second detecting unit 15b. Then, after both the first detection unit 15a and the second detection unit 15b have detected the articles 10, the regulating means 14 repeatedly regulates and releases the articles 10 so that the articles 10 are fed one by one onto the transport conveyor 11, and the number of articles 10 detected by the first detection unit 15a is counted. When 10 articles have been fed to the transport conveyor 11, the regulating means 14 regulates the transport of the articles until both detection units 15a and 15b detect the articles 10. That is, the supply conveyor 13 is configured to intermittently feed 10 articles 10 to the transport conveyor 11 every time 10 articles 10 are gathered. In this embodiment, the regulating means 14 uses a pair of belt conveyors spaced apart on the left and right on the supply conveyor, and is configured to regulate and release the articles 10 located at the downstream end by moving the opposing belts of the two belt conveyors toward and away from each other. Furthermore, the number of articles 10 intermittently supplied from the supply conveyor 13 to the transport conveyor 11 is set according to the number of articles 10 sorted by the sorting mechanism 12 .

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the transport conveyor 11 is configured to run on a transport body driven by a servo motor, such as an endless belt or an endless chain with multiple slats connected to it, which allows smooth left-right movement of the placed articles 10. The supply conveyor 13 and the transport conveyor 11 are set to have the same or approximately the same transport speed for the articles 10, and multiple articles 10 transferred from the supply conveyor 13 to the transport conveyor 11 are transported with approximately the same front-to-back spacing in the transport direction. The transport conveyor 11 continuously transports the articles 10 placed on the transport body and delivers the articles 10, aligned in five rows on the transport conveyor 11, to a subsequent process, such as a boxing device, connected downstream of the transport conveyor 11. Downstream of the sorting area on the conveyor 11 where the sorting mechanism 12 sorts the articles 10, a plurality of guides 16 are provided above the conveying surface, spaced apart laterally in the left-right direction according to the width of the articles, and extending a predetermined length in the conveying direction. Five lanes 17 are formed in the left-right direction by these guides 16. Each of the articles 10 sorted into five rows by the sorting mechanism 12 is guided by the guides 16 along its corresponding lane 17 and conveyed downstream (see FIG. 8). The articles 10 conveyed along each lane 17 are blocked by a dispensing means (not shown), collected into a predetermined number of rows, and then dispensed and supplied to a subsequent process. The conveyor 11 is also provided with an article detection means (not shown) that detects the leading article 10 in a group of articles (10 articles) intermittently supplied from the supply conveyor 13. The sorting operation by the sorting mechanism 12 is initiated based on the detection of the article by the article detection means.

[0015] As shown in Figures 2 to 7, the sorting mechanism 12 includes sorting bodies 18a, 18b, 19a, and 19b that push the articles 10 in the left-right direction, and includes multiple (two in this embodiment) sorting sections 20 and 21 arranged at the front and back (downstream and upstream) of the conveying direction, a forward / backward movement mechanism 22 that moves the multiple sorting sections 20 and 21 back and forth as a unit back and forth in the conveying direction, and left-right movement mechanisms 23 and 24 that move the sorting bodies 18a, 18b, 19a, and 19b of each sorting section 20 and 21 back and forth in the left-right direction. The sorting mechanism 12 of the sorting device is configured to sort the single row of articles supplied to the transport conveyor 11 into multiple rows by having sorting units 20, 21 and sorting bodies 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b perform a sorting operation in which sorting units 20, 21 move downstream in the conveying direction at the same speed as articles 10, while sorting bodies 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b move left and right. In the embodiment, when distinguishing between the two sorting units 20, 21, the sorting unit 20 on the downstream side in the conveying direction is referred to as the first sorting unit 20, and the sorting unit 21 on the upstream side is referred to as the second sorting unit 21.

[0016] 2 to 7, the front-rear movement mechanism 22 includes a pair of left and right slide guides 26, 26 that are disposed on a base member 25 located above the transport conveyor 11 and extend along the transport direction, a movable body 28 that is movably supported on the slide guides 26, 26 via sliders 27, and a front-rear drive means 29 that moves the movable body 28 back and forth in the transport direction. The front-rear drive means 29 includes a pair of timing pulleys 30, 30 that are rotatably supported on the base member 25 and spaced apart in the transport direction, a timing belt 31 that is wound around the timing pulleys 30, 30, and a front-rear drive motor 32 that is a servo motor that rotationally drives one of the timing pulleys 30, and the movable body 28 is connected to the timing belt 31. The two sorting units 20, 21 are disposed on a moving body 28, and are configured so that the two sorting units 20, 21 move integrally forward and backward in the conveying direction together with the moving body 28 as the timing pulley 30 rotates forward and backward by a front-rear drive motor 32 as the timing belt 31 runs. When moving the sorting units 20, 21 from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction, the front-rear drive motor 32 is configured to move the sorting units 20, 21 at the same speed as the articles 10 conveyed by the transport conveyor 11. When moving the sorting units 20, 21 from the downstream side to an initial position on the upstream side, which will be described later, the front-rear drive motor 32 is configured to move the sorting units 20, 21 at a constant speed or by accelerating or decelerating so that the speed is faster than the speed of movement from the upstream side to the downstream side.

[0017] 4 to 6, the left-right movement mechanisms 23, 24 are respectively disposed on the moving body 28 in correspondence with the front and rear sorting sections 20, 21. The first left-right movement mechanism 23 disposed in correspondence with the first sorting section 20 includes a pair of front and rear slide guides 35, 35 extending in the left-right direction and disposed on a first support member 34 supported via a bracket 33 on the underside of the moving body 28, a first moving member 37 movably supported on each slide guide 35 via a slider 36, and a first driving means 38 that reciprocates the pair of first moving members 37, 37 in the left-right direction. The first driving means 38 includes a pair of timing pulleys 39, 39 spaced apart in the left-right direction and rotatably supported on the first support member 34, a timing belt 40 wound around the timing pulleys 39, 39, and a first driving motor 41 consisting of a servo motor that rotationally drives one of the timing pulleys 39, and is connected to first moving members 37 corresponding to one and the other linear traveling portions of the timing belt 40 that are spaced apart in the conveying direction and face each other. In other words, by rotating the timing pulley 39 forward or backward by the first driving motor 41, the two first moving members 37, 37 are configured to move in opposite directions in the left-right direction as the timing belt 40 runs.

[0018] 4 to 7, the second left-right movement mechanism 24 disposed corresponding to the second sorting section 21 has a configuration similar to that of the first left-right movement mechanism 23, and includes a pair of front and rear slide guides 35, 35 extending in the left-right direction and disposed on a second support member 42 supported via a bracket 33 on the underside of the moving body 28, a second moving member 43 movably supported on each slide guide 35 via a slider 36, and a second drive means 44 that reciprocates the pair of second moving members 43, 43 in the left-right direction. The second drive means 44 includes a pair of timing pulleys 39, 39 rotatably supported on the second support member 42 and spaced apart in the left-right direction, a timing belt 40 wound around the timing pulleys 39, 39, and a second drive motor 45 formed of a servo motor that rotationally drives one of the timing pulleys 39, and is connected to the second moving members 43 corresponding to one and the other linear traveling portions of the timing belt 40 that are spaced apart in the conveying direction and face each other. That is, by rotating the timing pulley 39 forward or backward by the second drive motor 45, the two second moving members 43, 43 are configured to move in opposite directions in the left-right direction as the timing belt 40 runs. In the embodiment, the first moving member 37 on the downstream side of the first sorting section 20 and the second moving member 43 on the downstream side of the second sorting section 21 move in the same direction in the left-right direction, and the first moving member 37 on the upstream side of the first sorting section 20 and the second moving member 43 on the upstream side of the second sorting section 21 move in the same direction in the left-right direction (see FIG. 8).

[0019] As shown in Figures 3, 4 and 6, each of the first and second sorting sections 20, 21 has multiple sorting bodies 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b (two in this embodiment), and the two first sorting bodies 18a, 18b of the first sorting section 20 and the two second sorting bodies 19a, 19b of the second sorting section 21 are arranged at intervals in the front and rear of the conveying direction corresponding to the intervals between the specified number of items to be pushed (two in this embodiment). That is, each first distributing body 18a, 18b is arranged to move integrally with the corresponding first moving member 37, and each second distributing body 19a, 19b is arranged to move integrally with the corresponding second moving member 43, and the two paired first distributing bodies 18a, 18b and the two paired second distributing bodies 19a, 19b are configured to move in opposite directions to each other in the left-right direction by the corresponding left-right movement mechanisms 23, 24 (see Figure 8).

[0020] 3 and 5, the first and second distributors 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b are formed in the shape of thin plates extending in the conveying direction, and are moved in the conveying direction and left and right in an upright position relative to the conveying surface of the transport conveyor 11 by the front-rear movement mechanism 22 and the left-right movement mechanisms 23, 24. As shown in Fig. 8, the first distributors 18a, 18b arranged on the first moving members 37, 37 have one side (downstream side) located on one side (left or right) of the articles 10 in the standard row CL, and the other side (upstream side) located on the other side (right or left) of the articles 10 in the standard row CL, and the surface facing the articles 10 in the left and right direction is formed flat. Similarly, with respect to the second distributing bodies 19a, 19b disposed on the second moving members 43, 43, one side (downstream side) is located on one side (left or right) of the articles 10 in the reference row CL, and the other side (upstream side) is located on the other side (right or left) of the articles 10 in the reference row CL, and the surface facing the articles 10 in the left-right direction is formed flat. The conveying direction lengths of the first and second distributing bodies 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b are set to lengths corresponding to the conveying direction lengths of a predetermined number of articles 10 (two in this embodiment) to be pushed to positions that become the first rows L1, R1 or the second rows L2, R2. Here, the conveying direction lengths of the first and second distributing bodies 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b are set to lengths that are equal to or shorter than the conveying direction length of the predetermined number (two) of articles 10 lined up in the conveying direction, and are dimensioned so as to be able to abut against the sides of all of the predetermined number of articles 10. That is, when allocating a predetermined number of articles 10, each of the allocating bodies 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b is designed so as not to protrude in the conveying direction forward of the leading article 10 or backward of the trailing article 10 among the predetermined number of articles 10. Each of the allocating bodies 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b is detachably disposed on the corresponding moving members 37, 43, and is configured so as to be replaceable with one having a shape and dimensions according to the size of the articles 10 and the number of articles 10 to be pushed.

[0021] 8(a) and 8(d), the two sorting units 20, 21 are positioned downstream with the two sorting bodies 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b, respectively, positioned alternately in the conveying direction on the left and right sides of the standard row CL, sandwiching the articles 10. The forward / backward movement mechanism 22 moves the sorting units 20, 21 downstream, and the first and second left / right movement mechanisms 23, 24 move the first sorting bodies 18a, 18b and the second sorting bodies 19a, 19b in the corresponding sorting units 20, 21 to the right or left across the standard row CL, and move the other first sorting bodies 18b, 18a and the second sorting bodies 19b, 19a to the left or right across the standard row CL, thereby sorting the articles 10 in the standard row CL to the left and right. The left-right movement distances of the two first distributing bodies 18a, 18b in the first distributing section 20 are set to be the same, so that the distance between the articles 10 distributed from the reference column CL to the positions of the left and right first columns L1, R1 is the same as the distance between the articles 10 in the reference column CL. Furthermore, the left-right movement distances of the two second distributing bodies 19a, 19b in the second distributing section 21 are set to be the same as the distance between the articles 10 in the reference column CL to the positions of the left and right second columns L2, R2. In addition, the left-right movement distances of the first distributors 18a, 18b and the second distributors 19a, 19b are set so that the spacing between items distributed to the first columns L1, R1 and the second columns L2, R2 on either side of the reference column CL is the same as the spacing between items between the reference column CL and the first columns L1, R1.

[0022] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the first left-right movement mechanism 23 (first drive motor 41) moves the first left-right movement mechanism 23 (first drive motor 41) so that the first distributors 18a, 18b, which were positioned on one side (left or right) of the item 10 in the reference row CL and have pushed the item 10 to the other side across the reference row CL to a position that becomes the first row R1, L1, are positioned on the other side (right or left) of the item 10 in the reference row CL when the next item 10 is pushed, and so that the first distributors 18a, 18b, which were positioned on the other side (right or left) of the item 10 in the reference row CL and have pushed the item 10 to one side across the reference row CL to a position that becomes the first row L1, R1, are positioned on one side (left or right) of the item 10 in the reference row CL when the next item 10 is pushed. Similarly, the second left-right movement mechanism 24 (second drive motor 45) also moves the second distributors 19a, 19b left and right so that when the second distributors 19a, 19b are positioned on one side (left or right) of the item 10 in the reference row CL and have pushed the item 10 to the other side across the reference row CL to a position that becomes the second row R2, L2, the second distributors 19a, 19b are positioned on the other side (right or left) of the item 10 in the reference row CL when the next item 10 is to be pushed, and when the second distributors 19a, 19b are positioned on the other side (right or left) of the item 10 in the reference row CL and have pushed the item 10 to one side across the reference row CL to a position that becomes the second row L2, R2, the second distributors 19a, 19b are positioned on one side (left or right) of the item 10 in the reference row CL when the next item 10 is to be pushed. That is, when the first and second distributors 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b return to the initial position K where they distribute the next item 10 to be distributed after pushing the item 10 to the position corresponding to the row L1, R1, L2, R2, they are positioned on the corresponding side of the item 10 without crossing the reference row CL, and each distributor 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b is switched so that the side that pushes the item 10 alternates between the left and right sides each time it performs a distribution operation on an item 10.

[0023] The first and second left-right movement mechanisms 23, 24 (drive motors 41, 45) are configured to move the distribution bodies 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b at a constant speed when pushing the articles 10 in the reference row CL to positions corresponding to the first row L1, R1 or the second row L2, R2. The first and second left-right movement mechanisms 23, 24 (drive motors 41, 45) are configured to move the distribution bodies 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b at a constant speed or by accelerating or decelerating so that the speed is faster than the speed when pushing the articles 10 when returning the distribution bodies 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b that have pushed the articles 10 to the initial position K where the next article 10 to be sorted will be sorted. Furthermore, the first and second left-right movement mechanisms 23, 24 (drive motors 41, 45) are set so that the speed at which the second distributors 19a, 19b of the second distributor 21 push the items 10 in the standard row CL to a position that will become the second row L2, R2 is faster than the speed at which the first distributors 18a, 18b of the first distributor 20 push the items 10 in the standard row CL to a position that will become the first row L1, R1, and so that the time at which the items 10 are pushed by the first distributors 18a, 18b to a position that will become the first row L1, R1 is approximately the same as the time at which the items 10 are pushed by the second distributors 19a, 19b to a position that will become the second row L2, R2. That is, the first and second sorting sections 20, 21 are configured to control the operation of the first and second left-right movement mechanisms 23, 24 so that the movement times required for the first and second sorting bodies 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b, which have different left-right movement distances, to sort the items 10 in the reference row CL to the corresponding rows L1, R1, L2, R2 are the same.

[0024] Next, the operation of the sorting device according to the embodiment will be described. In the following description, the right and left of the reference line CL refer to the state when viewed from the downstream side in the conveying direction. The articles 10 that are continuously conveyed in a line in the conveying direction on the supply conveyor 13 are successively collected while their conveyance is restricted by the restricting means 14 of the supply conveyor 13, and when the detecting means 15 detects that 10 articles 10 have been collected, the restricting means 14 repeatedly restricts and releases the article conveyance, and the 10 articles 10 are supplied in a line to the transport conveyor 11, which then transports the articles 10 continuously. When 10 articles 10 have been sent out from the supply conveyor 13, the restricting means 14 restricts the conveyance of the succeeding articles 10, and the articles 10 are collected on the supply conveyor 13. As shown in Figures 8(a) and 9(a), the first and second sorting sections 20, 21 are waiting at an initial position K in which the two sorting bodies 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b are spaced apart on either side of the reference row CL, allowing the items 10 being transported along the reference row CL to be transported downstream. When the first two items 10 (the same number as the predetermined number to be sorted by the sorting body) in the standard row CL being transported by the conveying conveyor 11 pass through the first sorting body 18a on the downstream side of the first sorting section 20, the third and fourth items 10, 10 from the front of the standard row CL are located to the right of the first sorting body 18a on the downstream side of the first sorting section 20, the fifth and sixth items 10, 10 from the front are located to the left of the first sorting body 18b on the upstream side of the first sorting section 20, the seventh and eighth items 10, 10 from the front are located to the right of the second sorting body 19a on the downstream side of the second sorting section 21, and the ninth and tenth items 10, 10 from the front are located to the left of the second sorting body 19b on the upstream side of the second sorting section 21. When the article detecting means detects the leading article 10, the sorting operation by the sorting mechanism 12 is started.

[0025] 8(b) and 9(b), during the sorting operation by the sorting mechanism 12, the first and second sorting sections 20, 21 are moved together downstream in the conveying direction at the same speed as the articles 10 being conveyed by the transport conveyor 11 by the forward / backward movement mechanism 22, while the paired first sorting bodies 18a, 18b and second sorting bodies 19a, 19b of each sorting section 20, 21 move in opposite directions to the left and right, crossing the reference row CL. That is, the downstream first sorting body 18a of the first sorting section 20 moves to the right, while the upstream first sorting body 18b moves to the left, pushing the third and fourth articles 10, 10 from the front to the right and sorting them into the first row R1, and pushing the fifth and sixth articles 10, 10 from the front to the left and sorting them into the first row L1. Additionally, the downstream second distributor 19a in the second distributor 21 moves to the right, while the upstream second distributor 19b moves to the left, pushing the seventh and eighth articles 10, 10 from the front to the right and distributing them to the second row R2, and pushing the ninth and tenth articles 10, 10 from the front to the left and distributing them to the second row L2. As a result, the ten articles 10 supplied in a single row from the supply conveyor 13 to the transfer conveyor 11 are distributed two articles each to the central standard row CL, the left and right first rows L1, R1, and the left and right second rows L2, R2, and are transported downstream in five rows.

[0026] As shown in Figure 8(c), the sorting mechanism 12 sorts one row of articles 10 into five rows using sorting bodies 18a, 18b, 19a, and 19b, and then moves each of the sorting bodies 18a, 18b, 19a, and 19b upstream in the conveying direction and left and right using the forward / backward movement mechanism 22 and left and right movement mechanisms 23 and 24 to return them to the initial position K. At this time, each of the sorting bodies 18a, 18b, 19a, and 19b positioned to the side of the articles 10 in the standard row CL supplied from the supply conveyor 13 to the transport conveyor 11 is positioned on the opposite side to the side of the articles 10 during the previous sorting operation (see Figure 9(c)). 8(d), with respect to the articles 10 in the standard row CL, the first sorting body 18a on the downstream side in the first sorting section 20 is located on the right, the first sorting body 18b on the upstream side in the first sorting section 20 is located on the left, the second sorting body 19a on the downstream side in the second sorting section 21 is located on the right, and the second sorting body 19b on the upstream side in the second sorting section 21 is located on the left. Then, when the first two articles 10 supplied from the supply conveyor 13 to the transport conveyor 11 pass through the first sorting body 18a on the downstream side of the first sorting section 20 and the first article 10 is detected by the article detection means, each of the sorting bodies 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b moves downstream in the transport direction, and each of the sorting bodies 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b moves across the standard row CL in the opposite left-right direction from the previous sorting operation. That is, the first distributing body 18a and the second distributing body 19a on the downstream side in the first distributing section 20 and the second distributing section 21 move to the left, while the first distributing body 18b and the second distributing body 19b on the upstream side move to the right, and one row of items 10 is distributed into five rows (see Figure 9(d)).

[0027] As described above, each time ten articles 10 are intermittently supplied from the supply conveyor 13 to the transport conveyor 11, the sorting mechanism 12 sorts the ten articles 10 arranged in the standard row CL into the same number (two) of articles 10 in each of the left and right rows L1, R1, L2, and R2, leaving two in the standard row CL. In other words, by repeating the sorting operation of the sorting units 18a, 18b, 19a, and 19b alternately left and right, the articles 10 supplied from the supply conveyor 13 to the transport conveyor 11 can be sorted and aligned evenly into five rows while being continuously transported on the transport conveyor 11. The five rows of articles 10 transported by the transport conveyor 11 are then blocked by the dispensing means, collected into a queue of a predetermined number, and then dispensed and supplied to a subsequent process.

[0028] In the sorting device of the embodiment, the sorting mechanism 12 has multiple sorting sections 20, 21, each equipped with sorting bodies 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b that sort the articles 10 in the reference row CL, arranged at the front and rear of the conveying direction of the transport conveyor 11, so that the multiple articles 10 intermittently supplied from the supply conveyor 13 to the transport conveyor 11 can be sorted into three or more rows in a single sorting operation by the sorting mechanism 12, thereby improving processing capacity. Also, since each sorting section 20, 21 has two sorting bodies 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b, the 10 articles 10 intermittently supplied from the supply conveyor 13 to the transport conveyor 11 can be sorted into five rows in a single sorting operation by the sorting mechanism 12. Therefore, multiple articles 10 can be appropriately and efficiently sorted into multiple rows without slowing down the conveying speed of the transport conveyor 11 or increasing the size of the device, thereby further improving processing capacity. Also, since the sorting bodies 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b are operated so that the movement time of the first sorting bodies 18a, 18b that sort articles 10 into the first rows L1, R1 that are close to the reference row CL is the same as the movement time of the second sorting bodies 19 that sort articles 10 into the second rows L2, R2 that are far from the reference row CL, sorting of articles 10 into multiple rows that are different distances from the reference row CL is completed simultaneously, shortening the time lag until the next sorting operation can be performed, further improving processing capacity.

[0029] In the sorting device of the embodiment, the two sorting sections 20, 21 located at the front and rear in the conveying direction are configured to move back and forth in the conveying direction by a single forward / backward movement mechanism 22, thereby simplifying the configuration. Furthermore, the sorting device moves each sorting body 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b left and right across the reference row CL, and then when positioning it next to the article 10 to be sorted, it positions it to the side of the article 10 in the reference row CL to which it has moved. Therefore, after sorting the article 10 to the corresponding row L1, R1, L2, R2, there is no need to move it across the reference row CL, and each sorting body 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b can be positioned next to the article 10 to be sorted in a short time, which contributes to improving processing capacity.

[0030] (Example of change) The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the examples, and can be modified as follows, for example: Furthermore, the configurations described in the examples are not limited to the following modifications, and various embodiments can be adopted within the scope of the gist of the present invention. (1) In the embodiment, the multiple items 10 transported in one line are distributed into five lines, but the items can be distributed into three or more lines by providing the number of distribution sections 20, 21 or distribution bodies 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b according to the number of lines to be distributed. (2) In the embodiment, each of the distributors 18a, 18b, 19a, and 19b is configured to distribute two articles 10 to the left and right from the reference row CL, but the number of articles 10 distributed from the reference row CL may be one or three or more, and distributors 18a, 18b, 19a, and 19b of a size appropriate to the number of articles 10 may be used. Furthermore, the number of articles 10 intermittently supplied from the supply conveyor 13 to the transport conveyor 11 may be set according to the number of articles 10 distributed at one time by the distributors 18a, 18b, 19a, and 19b from the reference row CL. For example, when distributing items 10 one by one using distributors 18a, 18b, 19a, and 19b, five items 10 are intermittently supplied from supply conveyor 13 to transport conveyor 11, and when distributing items 10 three by three using distributors 18a, 18b, 19a, and 19b, 15 items 10 are intermittently supplied from supply conveyor 13 to transport conveyor 11. (3) In the embodiment, the sorting mechanism 12 is configured to operate so that the two (predetermined number) of items 10 at the front supplied to the conveying conveyor 11 remain in the reference row CL, but the sorting mechanism 12 may also be configured to operate so that the two (predetermined number) of items 10 at the rear remain in the reference row CL. (4) In the embodiment, the articles 10 are distributed to the left and right of the reference row CL, but a configuration can be adopted in which the articles 10 are distributed to form multiple rows to either the right or left of the reference row CL. For example, by providing only the upstream first distributor 18a and the second distributor 19a in each distributor 20, 21, or by providing only the downstream first distributor 18b and the second distributor 19b in each distributor 20, 21, the articles 10 can be distributed to form multiple rows to either the right or the left of the reference row CL. In this case, the number of articles 10 distributed at one time by one distributor 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b may be different from that in the embodiment. (5) In the embodiment, the left-right movement distances of the two first distribution bodies 18a, 18b of the first distribution section 20 and the left-right movement distances of the two second distribution bodies 19a, 19b of the second distribution section 21 are the same, but the left-right movement distances of the two distribution bodies 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b in each distribution section 20, 21 may be made different. (6) The distributors 18a, 18b, 19a, and 19b are not limited to being flat, and may be configured in any way that allows the articles 10 to be pushed in the left-right direction, for example, with multiple parallel bars extending in the up-down direction lined up in the article conveying direction. (7) The forward / backward drive means 29 is configured to run the timing belt 31 using the forward / backward drive motor 32, but various other mechanisms, such as a linear slide mechanism, can be adopted as long as the sorting sections 20, 21 are configured to be able to move back and forth in the conveying direction. (8) The drive means 38, 44 of the left-right movement mechanisms 23, 24 are configured to run the timing belt 40 using the drive motors 41, 45, but as long as the paired first distributors 18a, 18b and second distributors 19a, 19b can be moved in opposite directions in the left-right direction, various other configurations can be adopted, such as a configuration in which a pinion that commonly engages with opposing racks arranged on the first moving members 37, 37 and the second moving members 43, 43 is rotated by a drive motor. (9) In the embodiment, the paired first distributors 18a, 18b and second distributors 19a, 19b are configured to move in opposite directions in the left-right direction by a single driving means 38, 44, but a configuration can be adopted in which each distributor 18a, 18b, 19a, 19b is moved in the left-right direction by an independent driving means. [Explanation of symbols]

[0031] 10 Item, 11 Transport conveyor (conveyor), 18a First distributing body (distributing body) 18b 1st Allocation Body (Allocation Body), 19a 2nd Allocation Body (Allocation Body) 19b 2nd distribution body (distribution body), 20 1st distribution part (distribution part), 21 2nd distribution part (distribution part) CL reference column, L1 1st column, L2 2nd column, R1 1st column, R2 2nd column

Claims

1. A sorting device that sorts a plurality of articles that are intermittently supplied in a single line in a conveying direction onto a conveyor that transports articles, into three or more lines on the conveyor, a plurality of sorting units disposed at the front and rear of the conveyor in a conveying direction and movable at the front and rear of the conveyor in the conveying direction; a distributor disposed in each distributor section and movable left and right in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the conveyor; The sorting device is configured to move the sorting body of the sorting section, which is positioned to the side of a predetermined number of articles in a standard row supplied in a single row to the conveyor, downstream in the conveying direction at the same speed as the articles on the conveyor, while moving to either the left or right across the standard row to push forward the predetermined number of articles and sort them into rows lined up in the standard row, and then move upstream in the conveying direction to position it to the side of the predetermined number of articles to be next sorted, repeating the sorting operation; The distances of movement of the distributing bodies in the plurality of distributing sections to the left and right are made different, and the distributing operation is performed so as to leave a predetermined number of articles in the standard row, thereby distributing articles in one row to three or more rows including the standard row. A sorting device characterized by:

2. The distributing unit includes a plurality of the distributing bodies, The multiple distribution bodies provided in the distribution unit are arranged at intervals corresponding to the intervals between the predetermined number of articles to be pushed forward, front and rear in the conveying direction, The sorting device described in claim 1, characterized in that the multiple sorting bodies provided in the sorting section are configured to move in opposite directions in the left and right direction across the reference row from positions positioned alternately on the left and right sides of the articles in the reference row in the conveying direction, thereby sorting a predetermined number of articles to both the left and right sides of the reference row.

3. The sorting device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the sorting bodies in the multiple sorting sections, which move different distances to the left and right, are configured to operate so that the movement time required to sort items in the standard row is the same.

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