Arraying feeder

Abstract

To improve the device to array and feed objects.SOLUTION: An arraying feeder comprises a transport device that forms a transport passage for carrying work-pieces in a predetermined direction, a first guide that protrudes by a first distance from one end in a width direction of the transport passage toward the other end and is for moving the work-piece under transport, positioned in the first distance from the one end on the transport passage, toward the other end, a second guide that is provided on the transport passage downstream of the first guide, protrudes by a second distance from the other end in the width direction toward the one end and is for moving a work-piece under transport, positioned in the second distance from the other end, toward the one end, a third guide that is provided on the transport passage downstream of the second guide, protrudes by a third distance from the other end on the transport passage and is for discharging a work-piece under transport, positioned in the third distance from the other end, from the transport passage, and a first actuator that displaces the third guide in order to change the third distance depending upon work-piece size.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an alignment and feeding device. [Background technology]

[0002] A device has been proposed in the past that includes a turntable that rotates appropriately, a supply means that supplies target objects onto the turntable, a flow rectifying guide that extends from the center of the turntable toward the outer periphery, and an alignment guide that has an opening of a predetermined width and a guide space connected to the opening and guides target objects that pass through the opening to a discharge section, and that aligns the supplied target objects in a line and discharges them (Patent Document 1).This device has support columns erected on the outside of the turntable, a top plate that is detachably supported by the support columns, a flow rectifying guide and an alignment guide disposed on the underside of the top plate, and the position of the alignment guide configured to be movable, making it possible to adjust the width of the opening and the guide space. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 05-005725 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present invention provides a technique for improving an apparatus for aligning and feeding objects, which requires time and effort for adjusting the position when changing the width of the guide space. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] (Aspect 1) a conveying device that forms a conveying path for conveying the workpiece in a predetermined direction; a first guide that protrudes a first distance from one end of the conveying path toward the other end in the width direction, and moves the workpiece being conveyed, the workpiece being positioned within the first distance from the one end of the conveying path, toward the other end; a second guide provided downstream of the first guide on the conveying path, protruding from the other end in the width direction toward the one end by a second distance, for moving the workpiece being conveyed and positioned within the second distance from the other end toward the one end; a third guide provided downstream of the second guide on the conveying path, protruding from the other end of the conveying path by a third distance, for discharging the workpiece being conveyed and located within the third distance from the other end from the conveying path; a first actuator that displaces the third guide to change the third distance in accordance with the size of the workpiece; An alignment and feeding device comprising: (Aspect 2) In the alignment and feeding device according to aspect 1, The third distance is a size corresponding to the sum of the second distance and the size of the workpiece, The first distance may be greater than the difference between the width of the transport path and the sum of the second distance and the size of the smallest workpiece that can be processed by the aligning and feeding device. (Aspect 3) In the aligning and feeding device according to aspect 1 or 2, The first guide may have an inclined portion that gradually increases in height toward the downstream side of the transport path. (Aspect 4) In the aligning and feeding device according to any one of aspects 1 to 3, The apparatus may further include an overlap removal unit that limits the height of the transport path. (Aspect 5) In the alignment and feeding device according to aspect 4, The device may further include a second actuator that changes the height of the overlap removal section. (Aspect 6) In the aligning and feeding device according to any one of aspects 1 to 5, The conveying device may have an uneven surface on which the workpiece is placed. (Aspect 7) In the aligning and feeding device according to any one of aspects 1 to 6, The device may further include a third actuator that displaces or deforms the first guide to change the first distance, or displaces or deforms the second guide to change the second distance. (Aspect 8) In the aligning and feeding device according to any one of aspects 1 to 7, the conveying device is a turntable that rotates to form a circular conveying path, or a vibration disk that forms a circular conveying path by vibration transport, The first guide may be located downstream of the third guide on the transport path. (Aspect 9) a conveying device that forms a conveying path for conveying the workpiece in a predetermined direction; a first guide that protrudes a first distance from one end of the conveying path toward the other end in the width direction, and moves the workpiece being conveyed, the workpiece being positioned within the first distance from the one end of the conveying path, toward the other end; a second guide provided downstream of the first guide on the conveying path, protruding from the other end in the width direction toward the one end by a second distance, for moving the workpiece being conveyed and positioned within the second distance from the other end toward the one end; a third guide provided downstream of the second guide on the conveying path, protruding from the other end of the conveying path by a third distance, for discharging the workpiece being conveyed and located within the third distance from the other end from the conveying path; a first actuator that displaces the third guide to change the third distance in accordance with the size of the workpiece; A path adjustment method performed by an aligning and feeding device comprising: The first actuator changes the third distance to a length according to the size of the workpiece. Route adjustment method. (Aspect 10) a conveying device that forms a conveying path for conveying the workpiece in a predetermined direction; a first guide that protrudes a first distance from one end of the conveying path toward the other end in the width direction, and moves the workpiece being conveyed, the workpiece being positioned within the first distance from the one end of the conveying path, toward the other end; a second guide provided downstream of the first guide on the conveying path, protruding from the other end in the width direction toward the one end by a second distance, for moving the workpiece being conveyed and positioned within the second distance from the other end toward the one end; a third guide provided downstream of the second guide on the conveying path, protruding from the other end of the conveying path by a third distance, for discharging the workpiece being conveyed and located within the third distance from the other end from the conveying path; a first actuator that displaces the third guide; The method is executed by a computer connected to an alignment and supply device comprising: a program for causing the first actuator to change the third distance to a length according to the size of the workpiece;

[0006] The contents of the means for solving the problem can be combined as much as possible without departing from the problem and technical idea of ​​the present invention. Furthermore, the contents of the means for solving the problem can be provided as a device such as a computer or a system including multiple devices, a method executed by a computer, or a program executed by a computer. The program may be executed on a so-called cloud. Furthermore, a recording medium storing the program may be provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] Techniques can be provided to improve apparatus for aligning and feeding objects. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of a supply system. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the supply system. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the supply system. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of an aligning and feeding device. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a plan view for explaining the displacement of the third guide. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the aligning and feeding device. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the aligning and feeding device. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the aligning and feeding device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] <Embodiment> Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the supply system 100. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the supply system 100. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the supply system 100. The supply system 100 includes an entrance conveyor 1 that receives objects to be conveyed (workpieces), an aligning and feeding device 2 that aligns the workpieces fed from the entrance conveyor 1 in a line and discharges them, an exit conveyor 3 that transports the workpieces discharged from the aligning and feeding device 2, and a control device 4 that controls the operation of the system.

[0011] The workpieces conveyed by the supply system 100 are not particularly limited, and may be food. The workpieces may be, for example, frozen fries such as frozen croquettes or cutlets. That is, the approximate size of the workpieces is determined by the type of workpiece, but the workpieces may also be of irregular shape. For example, when conveying food, the supply system 100 can be suitably used in kitchens such as central kitchens or in production lines in food processing factories.

[0012] The entrance conveyor 1 is a transport device such as a belt conveyor. In the example of FIG. 1, the entrance conveyor 1 is arranged at an angle, and transports workpieces on the conveyor belt above the aligning and feeding device 2. A user or another device empties workpieces stored in a container such as a box onto the conveyor belt of the entrance conveyor 1. The entrance conveyor 1 also transports the workpieces to the aligning and feeding device 2 and feeds the workpieces into the aligning and feeding device 2 from above.

[0013] The aligning and feeding device 2 aligns the input workpieces in a line and discharges them (i.e., feeds them to another device). Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing an example of the aligning and feeding device 2. The aligning and feeding device 2 comprises a disk-shaped turntable 21, a base part 22 that supports the turntable 21, and a base part 22a that supports the turntable 21. The apparatus includes a peripheral wall 23 that surrounds the outer periphery of the bull 21, a first guide 24, a second guide 25, and a third guide 26 that guide the path of the workpiece, and an actuator 27 for changing the position (orientation) of the third guide 26.

[0014] The turntable 21 is a conveying device that includes a circular flat plate and forms a conveying path on it for conveying workpieces. The turntable 21 is connected to the output shaft of an actuator 28 (FIG. 3), such as a motor, that is fixed to the base 22 side vertically below the turntable 21, and is rotated in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, the turntable 21 rotates clockwise in a plan view (FIG. 2: arrows A1 and A2), with the center of the circle as the rotation axis. That is, when the turntable 21 is in operation, the directions indicated by arrows A1 and A2 in FIG. 2 are the traveling directions, and a conveying path for the workpieces is formed on the turntable 21. For convenience, the radius of the turntable 21 will be referred to as the width of the conveying path.

[0015] Convex portions 211 are provided on the upper surface of the turntable 21. The convex portions 211 are an example of irregularities provided on the turntable. In this embodiment, a plurality of convex portions 211 are formed radially along the radial direction of the turntable 21. The convex portions 211 rotate together with the turntable 21 and increase the frictional force against the workpiece. The shape of the convex portions 211 may be, for example, a plurality of dots, or may be a portion where the surface of the turntable 21 is roughened by blasting or the like.

[0016] The peripheral wall 23 is a wall surface provided along the outer periphery of the turntable 21 so as to surround the area vertically above the turntable 21. The peripheral wall 23 is connected to the base portion 22 directly or indirectly via another member and does not rotate. The peripheral wall 23 is not provided on a portion of the outer periphery of the turntable 21. The portion where the peripheral wall 23 is not provided serves as an outlet 231 for discharging the workpieces from the aligning and feeding device 2. The aligning and feeding device 2 and the outlet-side conveyor 3 are arranged so that the outlet 231 faces the outlet-side conveyor 3.

[0017] The first guide 24 is a magatama-shaped (C-shaped) member in a plan view. The first guide 24 is connected to the base 22 directly or indirectly via another member and does not rotate. The first guide 24 extends radially outward from the center of the turntable 21 (i.e., one end of the conveying path in the width direction) (i.e., the other end of the conveying path in the width direction). Due to its curved outer shape in a plan view, the first guide 24 gradually protrudes radially outward toward the downstream side of the conveying path (i.e., the direction in which the workpiece travels). The maximum radial outward protrusion of the first guide 24 from the center of the turntable 21 is also referred to as the first distance. When the workpiece is conveyed by the turntable 21, the first guide 24 moves the workpiece present within the first distance from the center of the turntable 21 radially outward. 4, the first guide 24 has an inclined portion 241 whose height gradually increases toward the downstream side of the conveying path. For example, when multiple workpieces are present between the peripheral wall 23 and the first guide 24 with no gap between them, some of the workpieces can climb over the inclined portion 241 and be conveyed, thereby preventing the workpieces from clogging the conveying path. As shown in the figure, the inclined portion 241 may be configured so that its height gradually increases from the outer side toward the center in the radial direction of the turntable 21. That is, the gradient of the inclined portion 241 (the direction in which the gradient is greatest) may be oriented toward the downstream side of the conveying path and the center of the turntable 21. In this way, workpieces present within a first distance from the center of the turntable 21 can be moved radially outward and clogging of the workpieces can be prevented.

[0018] The second guide 25 is a flat plate-shaped member that is located above the turntable 21 and extends radially inward from the peripheral wall 23. The second guide 25 is located downstream of the first guide 24 in the conveying path. The second guide 25 is connected to the base 22 and the peripheral wall 23 directly or indirectly via another member, and does not rotate. The second guide 25 includes a portion 251, an overlap removal portion 252, and a bridging portion 253. The second guide 25 may be divided into the second guide portion 251, the overlap removal portion 252, and the bridging portion 253 by being bent as shown in the figure, or may be linear in plan view. In addition, in this embodiment, the second guide portion 251, the overlap removal portion 252, and the bridging portion 253 are formed as an integrated member, but part of the second guide 25, such as the second guide portion 251 or the overlap removal portion 252, may be formed as a separate member.

[0019] The second guide portion 251 extends from the peripheral wall 23 (in other words, the other end of the conveying path in the width direction) radially inward (in other words, one end side of the conveying path in the width direction) and is provided close enough to the turntable 21 that the workpiece cannot pass underneath. The second guide portion 251 is angled with respect to the radial direction of the turntable 21 (in other words, the width direction of the conveying path) in a plan view, and the amount of radial inward protrusion gradually increases toward the downstream side of the conveying path. The maximum amount by which the second guide portion 251 protrudes radially inward from the peripheral wall 23 of the turntable 21 is also referred to as the second distance. Therefore, when the workpiece is conveyed by the turntable 21, the workpiece located within the second distance from the peripheral wall 23 is moved radially inward by the second guide portion 251.

[0020] The overlap removal unit 252 is located radially inward of the turntable 21 relative to the second guide unit 251. The overlap removal unit 252 is installed above the turntable 21 at a distance from the turntable 21 sufficient to allow one workpiece to pass underneath, thereby limiting the height of the conveyance path. That is, when two or more workpieces are conveyed overlapping vertically, the upper workpiece comes into contact with the overlap removal unit 252 and is restricted from moving downstream, so that, for example, only the bottommost workpiece is conveyed. Furthermore, the overlap removal unit 252 is angled relative to the radial direction of the turntable 21 (in other words, the width direction of the conveyance path) in a plan view, and its radial inward protrusion gradually increases toward the downstream side of the conveyance path. Therefore, two or more workpieces whose overlapping has not been resolved are moved further radially inward by the overlap removal unit 252.

[0021] The bridge section 253 is located radially inward of the turntable 21 relative to the overlap removal section 252. The bridge section 253 is located above the turntable 21 at a distance from the turntable 21 sufficient to allow two or more stacked workpieces to pass underneath. Note that the bridge section 253 may be located at a distance from the turntable 21 sufficient to allow two stacked workpieces to pass, for example. When three or more workpieces are transported overlapping vertically, the bridge section 253 may also remove the overlap by allowing the first two works from the bottom to pass and restricting the movement of the third and subsequent works in the forward direction. The bridge section 253 may also be located at a height that allows workpieces whose overlaps could not be resolved by the overlap removal section 252 to pass. The bridge section 253 is located substantially along the radial direction of the turntable 21 in a plan view, and workpieces passing underneath the bridge section 253 are transported downstream along the transport path without being moved in the width direction of the transport path. Although the provision of the bridge portion 253 makes the second guide more robust, the second guide 25 may be a cantilever beam that does not include the bridge portion 253. Furthermore, the end of the bridge portion 253 opposite the overlap removal portion 252 may be connected to the outside in the radial direction of the turntable 21 or any other position, instead of near the center of the turntable 21.

[0022] The third guide 26 is a flat member that guides the workpiece that has passed under the overlap removal section 252 so that it is discharged from the exit 231 onto the exit-side conveyor 3. The third guide 26 is located downstream of the second guide 25 on the conveying path. Since the conveying path on the turntable 21 is circular, the first guide 24 is located further downstream of the third guide 26. The maximum size that the third guide 26 projects radially inward from the peripheral wall 23 of the turntable 21 is also referred to as the third distance. When the workpiece is conveyed by the turntable 21, When being conveyed, the workpieces located within a third distance from the peripheral wall 23 are moved to a discharge path (arrow A3 in FIG. 2) formed radially outward by the third guide 26. One end of the third guide 26 is connected to an actuator 27. The other end of the third guide 26 is located on the turntable 21. A curved plate 261 having an arc shape in a plan view is provided on the other end of the third guide 26. The curved plate 261 can also adjust the width of the entrance to the discharge path from the aligning and feeding device 2. The workpieces located radially outward from the other end of the third guide 26 are conveyed along the third guide 26 to the discharge path and discharged from the exit 231. On the other hand, the workpieces located radially inward from the other end of the third guide 26 revolve on the turntable 21 along arrow A2 in FIG. 2.

[0023] The actuator 27 is located near the downstream end of the outer periphery of the turntable 21, where the peripheral wall 23 is not provided, and near one end of the exit conveyor 3 in the width direction. The actuator 27 rotates the third guide 26 around one end of the third guide 26. FIG. 5 is a plan view illustrating the displacement of the third guide 26. Operation of the actuator 27 causes the third guide 26 to rotate around one end, as indicated by the dashed arrow. (A) in the upper part of FIG. 5 illustrates an example of the aligning and feeding device 2 with the outlet 231 wide open. (B) in the lower part of FIG. 5 illustrates an example of the aligning and feeding device 2 with the outlet 231 closed. The width of the discharge path from the aligning and feeding device 2 (in other words, the angle of the actuator 27) can be determined depending on the size of the workpieces. Furthermore, for example, if a production line malfunction occurs and discharge to the exit conveyor 3 needs to be stopped, the third guide 26 may close the outlet 231, as shown in (B) of FIG. 5.

[0024] 3, the aligning and feeding device 2 may also include a sensor 29. The sensor 29 may be a photoelectric sensor, a camera, or the like. The sensor 29 detects, for example, the workpieces on the turntable 21. The sensor 29 may also be configured to detect the presence or absence of workpieces and whether workpieces are overlapping.

[0025] The exit conveyor 3 is a transport device such as a belt conveyor. In the example of Fig. 1, the exit conveyor 3 is arranged horizontally, and transports the workpieces discharged from the aligning and feeding device 2 by a conveyor belt.

[0026] The control device 4 is a computer, and as shown in Fig. 3, includes a processor 41, a storage device 42, and a user interface (UI) 43. The processor 41 is a processing device that includes at least one of a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MCU (Micro Controller Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), a FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), an ASIC (Application Specific IC), or an ASSP (Application Specific Standard Product). The processor 41 controls the operation of the aligning and feeding device 2 or the entire feeding system 100. In other words, the processor 41 executes a program for causing the aligning and feeding device 2 to transport and align and feed works, and a program for controlling the actuator 27 to change the position of the third guide 26 and adjust the transport path.

[0027] The storage device 42 is a main storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory), and an auxiliary storage device (secondary storage device) such as an HDD (Hard-disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a flash memory. The main storage device temporarily stores programs read by the processor 41 and secures a working area for the processor 41. The auxiliary storage device stores programs executed by the processor 41 and other data. In this embodiment, for example, the auxiliary storage device stores identification information indicating the type of workpiece ("Workpiece ID" in FIG. 3) and the angle of the actuator 27 for changing the position of the third guide 26 ("Angle" in FIG. 3). ) may be stored in advance in association with each other. In this way, when the user selects the type of workpiece, the processor 41 can control the actuator 27 and change the third guide 26 to an appropriate position (orientation).

[0028] The UI 43 is, for example, a display, a touch panel stacked on the display, a keyboard, a pointing device, and other HMI (Human Machine Interface). It accepts user operations and outputs information to the user.

[0029] <Example of operation> 6 to 8 are schematic diagrams for explaining the operation of the aligning and feeding device 2. In FIGS. 6 to 8, the conveying path on the turntable 21, which can be expressed in polar coordinates, is converted into a Cartesian coordinate system for convenience. That is, the lower end of the rectangular turntable 21 in FIG. 6 corresponds to the peripheral wall 23. The upper end 20 corresponds to the center of the turntable 21. As indicated by the dashed-dotted arrows A1 and A2, the turntable 21 conveys the workpieces 8 (8A, 8B, ...) from right to left. Note that the workpieces 8 conveyed to the left end of the figure will circle around and be conveyed from the right end. Also, the workpieces 8 are assumed to be inserted between the third guide 26 and the first guide 24.

[0030] FIG. 6 shows an example in which the flow rate of workpieces is relatively low. For example, workpiece 8A inserted between the third guide 26 and the first guide 24 is moved to the outside of the turntable 21, approximately along the outer shape of the first guide 24, as shown by workpieces 8B and 8C. Note that workpiece 8D inserted near the peripheral wall 23 of the turntable 21 does not contact the first guide 24. Then, workpiece 8E, located near the peripheral wall 23 of the turntable 21, is moved to the inside of the turntable 21 along the second guide portion 251. Then, workpiece 8F passes under the overlap removal portion 252, and is discharged from the outlet 231 along the third guide 26, as shown by workpiece 8G. At this time, the position of the tip 262 of the third guide 26 is adjusted in advance by the actuator 27 so that the workpiece 8 being conveyed is discharged within a predetermined distance D1 from the peripheral wall 23.

[0031] The distance D1, which corresponds to the width of the entrance to the discharge path of the aligning and feeding device 2, is set to a length corresponding to the sum of the distance D2 that the second guide part 251 protrudes from the peripheral wall 23 and the size D3 of the workpieces 8. In other words, the workpieces 8 are moved by the second guide part 251 to a position spaced apart by the distance D2 from the peripheral wall 23, and are discharged in a line in the order in which they reach the third guide 26.

[0032] If the workpiece 8 has a flat shape such as an ellipse or an oval shape in a plan view, the size of the workpiece 8 is not limited to the length of the minor axis. Also, if the center of gravity of the workpiece 8 is located closer to the peripheral wall 23 than the tip of the third guide 26, the workpiece 8 will generally flow toward the outlet 231, so the distance D1 does not need to be strictly greater than or equal to the sum of D2 and D3.

[0033] Furthermore, the workpieces 8 also need to be moved by the first guide 24 to a position spaced a distance D2 from the peripheral wall 23. Therefore, in this embodiment, it is possible to align and discharge workpieces 8 that are larger than the difference between the width D4 of the conveying path and the sum of the distance D5 that the first guide 24 protrudes from the center 20 of the turntable 21 and the distance D2 that the second guide portion 251 protrudes from the peripheral wall 23. In other words, the distance D5 that the first guide 24 protrudes from the center 20 of the turntable 21 is larger than the difference between the width D4 of the conveying path and the sum of the size of the smallest workpiece to be conveyed in the supply system 100 and the distance D2 that the second guide portion 251 protrudes from the peripheral wall 23.

[0034] 7 shows an example in which the workpieces are relatively large. In the example of FIG. 7, the width of the entrance of the discharge path of the aligning and feeding device 2 (i.e., the width of the tip 26 of the third guide 26) is adjusted according to the size D7 of the workpieces 9. 2 and the peripheral wall 23) is adjusted. That is, in the case of FIG. 7 , the distance D6 corresponds to the sum of the distance D2 by which the second guide portion 251 protrudes from the peripheral wall 23 and the size D7 of the workpiece 9. By widening the width of the entrance of the discharge path according to the size of the workpiece 9, large-sized workpieces 9 can be properly discharged. On the other hand, if small-sized workpieces 8 are transported while the entrance of the discharge path remains wide, the workpieces 8 may not be aligned in a row. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6 , the width of the entrance of the discharge path is narrowed according to the size of the workpieces 8. In this way, if the processor 41 of the control device 4 operates the actuator 27 to change the position of the third guide, the user's effort when changing the type of workpieces processed by the aligning and feeding device 2 can be reduced. Furthermore, the only component that needs to be repositioned when changing the type of workpiece is the third guide, making the device relatively easy to control and maintain. In this embodiment, the workpieces are distributed in the direction of rotation on the turntable 21 as indicated by arrow A2, or to the discharge path as indicated by arrow A3, so the largest workpiece that can be processed by the alignment and supply device 2 is approximately half the size of the width D4 of the conveying path.

[0035] FIG. 8 shows an example where the workpiece flow rate is relatively high. Even when multiple workpieces 8 are present across the width of the conveying path, as shown by workpieces 8H and 8I, the workpieces 8 overcome the inclined portion 241 of the first guide 24, preventing clogging. Even when multiple workpieces 8 are stacked across the height of the conveying path, as shown by workpiece 8J, the overlap removal unit 252 allows the workpieces 8 to pass one by one, or moves the stacked workpieces 8 toward the inside of the turntable 21. In this way, even when the workpieces are loaded in a relatively random manner, the aligning and supplying device 2 can eliminate overlaps across the width and height of the conveying path and align the workpieces in a single row before discharging them. Furthermore, providing the turntable 21 with irregularities, such as the protrusions 211, on the workpiece placement surface increases the frictional force against the workpieces, improving clogging prevention and clogging removal performance.

[0036] Furthermore, by forming a circumferential conveying path using the turntable 21, it is possible to relatively reduce the size of the aligning and feeding device 2. Note that instead of the turntable 21, a vibrating disk that forms a circumferential conveying path by vibration transport may be used.

[0037] <Variation 1> The aligning and feeding device 2 may further include an actuator for changing the height of the overlap removal section 252. The actuator displaces the overlap removal section 252 in the vertical direction, for example, according to the height (thickness) of the workpiece. Note that the height of the entire second guide 25 including the overlap removal section 252 may be made variable, or the second guide section 251 and the overlap removal section 252 may be separate members, and the height of only the overlap removal section 252 or the heights of the overlap removal section 252 and the bridge section 253 may be made variable. In this way, a wider range of sizes of workpieces can be processed.

[0038] <Variation 2> The positions or shapes of the first guide 24 and the second guide portion 251 may be changeable. For example, the position of the first guide 24 may be moved or the shape of the first guide 24 may be extended or contracted in order to change the amount by which the first guide 24 protrudes from the center of the turntable 21. Furthermore, for example, the position of the second guide portion 251 may be moved or the shape of the second guide portion 251 may be extended or contracted in order to change the amount by which the second guide portion 251 protrudes from the peripheral wall 23. Examples of a structure for extending or contracting the shape include a Zip Chain Actuator (registered trademark) and a structure that extends or contracts a telescopic housing using an actuator. As described above, there is a limit to the size of the workpiece that can be processed in the embodiment, but according to this modification, workpieces of a wider range of sizes can be processed.

[0039] <Variation 3> The control device 4 may detect the state of the workpieces on the conveying path using the sensor 29 (FIG. 3) of the aligning / feeding device 2 and perform control according to the state. For example, when the processor 41 of the control device 4 detects a blockage of workpieces on the conveying path, the processor 41 may separate the workpieces by rotating or stopping the turntable 21, or by switching between forward and reverse rotation of the turntable 21, or by changing the angle of the actuator 27. Furthermore, when it is determined that no workpieces are present on the turntable 21, the processor 41 may stop the rotation of the turntable 21, and when it is determined that a workpiece has been placed on the turntable 21, the processor 41 may start the rotation of the turntable 21.

[0040] The angle of the actuator 27 may also be changed depending on the type of workpiece. That is, multiple types of workpieces are placed on the turntable 21, and the type of workpiece being transported is identified by image recognition using a camera, for example, and the width of the discharge path is changed depending on the type. In this way, even when various types of workpieces are mixed, they can be discharged in a single line.

[0041] <Variation 4> The aligning and feeding device 2 may be provided with a conveying device that forms a linear conveying path, such as a belt conveyor, a drive roller conveyor, or a vibration conveyor, instead of the turntable 21. In this modified example, as shown in Figures 6 to 8, a device that aligns and discharges the workpieces can be realized by arranging a first guide 24, a second guide 25, and a third guide 26 on the conveying path.

[0042] <Other> The above-described configuration is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to the exemplified configuration. The above-described features can be appropriately combined and implemented within the scope of the object and technical idea of ​​the present invention.

[0043] Furthermore, the rotation and linear motion of the above-mentioned components can be realized by combining known technologies. The rotary actuator that changes the angle of the object around its axis can be an electric motor, a pneumatic motor, a hydraulic motor, an ultrasonic motor, or the like. The object to be rotated and the motor can be connected via a link or a cam, and the rotation axis of the object to be rotated and the output axis of the motor can be misaligned. The angle of the object can be changed by combining a linear actuator and a link. The linear actuator for changing the position of the object can be an electric cylinder, an air cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, a Zip Chain Actuator (registered trademark), or the like. The position and angle of the object can be changed by combining two or more linear actuators, two or more rotary actuators, or a linear actuator and a rotary actuator.

[0044] In the embodiment and the modified examples, the processing performed by the control device 4 may be shared or executed in parallel by two or more computers. The control device 4 may also be connected to other components via a network. The network may be, for example, an IP (Internet Protocol) The network includes a network, and devices connected to the network can communicate based on a predetermined communication protocol. Part of the network may be a telephone network (fixed telephone network or mobile communication network), an ad hoc network, an intranet, a VPN (Virtual Private Network), a LAN (Local Area Network), a Wireless LAN, a WAN (Wide Area Network), or the Internet. In this case, the control device 4 allows other terminals connected via the network to operate as HMIs. The control device 4 may also be configured to acquire the above-mentioned program or data for updating the program, or setting information for adjusting the path for each workpiece (for example, the workpiece identification information shown in FIG. 3 and the angle of the actuator 27 for changing the position of the third guide 26 associated therewith) from another computer via a network.

[0045] Furthermore, the entrance side conveyor 1 and the exit side conveyor 3 are also examples, and the devices disposed before and after the aligning and feeding device 2 are not limited to these.

[0046] The present invention can also be embodied as an aligning and feeding method performed by the aligning and feeding device 2, or a path adjustment method for changing the workpiece transport path of the aligning and feeding device 2, or a program executed by the control device 4 to cause the aligning and feeding device 2 to perform at least one of these methods, or a computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded. The recording medium on which the program is recorded causes the control device (computer) to execute the program, thereby controlling the aligning and feeding device 2 and causing the aligning and feeding device 2 to perform the above-mentioned processing.

[0047] A computer-readable recording medium is a recording medium that stores information such as data and programs electrically, magnetically, optically, mechanically, or chemically and can be read by a computer. Among such recording media, those that can be removed from a computer include flexible disks, magneto-optical disks, optical disks, magnetic tapes, memory cards, etc. Furthermore, recording media that are fixed to a computer include HDDs, SSDs, ROMs, etc. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 100: Supply system 1: Inlet conveyor 2: Alignment and supply device, 21: Turntable, 211: Convex portion, 22: Base portion, 23: Peripheral wall, 231: Exit, 24: First guide, 241: Inclined portion, 25: Second guide, 251: Second guide portion, 252: Overlap removal portion, 253: Installation portion, 26: Third guide, 27: Actuator 3: Exit conveyor 4: Control device

Claims

1. a conveying device that forms a conveying path for conveying the workpiece in a predetermined direction; a first guide that protrudes a first distance from one end of the conveying path toward the other end in the width direction, and moves the workpiece that is being conveyed and is located within the first distance from the one end of the conveying path toward the other end; a second guide provided downstream of the first guide on the conveying path, protruding from the other end in the width direction toward the one end by a second distance, for moving the workpiece being conveyed and positioned within the second distance from the other end toward the one end; a third guide provided downstream of the second guide on the conveying path, protruding from the other end of the conveying path by a third distance, for discharging the workpiece being conveyed and located within the third distance from the other end from the conveying path; a first actuator that displaces the third guide to change the third distance in accordance with the size of the workpiece; An alignment and feeding device comprising:

2. the third distance is a size corresponding to the sum of the second distance and the size of the workpiece, The first distance is greater than the difference between the width of the conveying path and the sum of the second distance and the size of the smallest workpiece that can be processed by the aligning and feeding device. The alignment and feeding device according to claim 1 .

3. The first guide has an inclined portion whose height gradually increases in the direction of travel of the conveying path. The alignment and feeding device according to claim 1 .

4. An overlap removal unit that limits the height of the transport path is further provided. The alignment and feeding device according to claim 1 .

5. Further provided is a second actuator for changing the height of the overlap removal portion. The alignment and feeding device according to claim 4.

6. The conveying device has an uneven surface on which the workpiece is placed. The alignment and feeding device according to claim 1 .

7. a third actuator that displaces or deforms the first guide to change the first distance, or displaces or deforms the second guide to change the second distance. The alignment and feeding device according to claim 1 .

8. the conveying device is a turntable that rotates to form a circular conveying path, or a vibration disk that forms a circular conveying path by vibration transport, The first guide is located downstream of the third guide in the conveying path. The aligning and feeding device according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. a conveying device that forms a conveying path for conveying the workpiece in a predetermined direction; a first guide that protrudes a first distance from one end of the conveying path toward the other end in the width direction, and moves the workpiece that is being conveyed and is located within the first distance from the one end of the conveying path toward the other end; the first guide is provided downstream of the conveying path and protrudes from the other end in the width direction toward the one end by a second distance, and the wafer being conveyed is positioned within the second distance from the other end. a second guide for moving the work toward the one end; a third guide provided downstream of the second guide on the conveying path, protruding from the other end of the conveying path by a third distance, for discharging the workpiece being conveyed and located within the third distance from the other end from the conveying path; a first actuator that displaces the third guide; A path adjustment method performed by an aligning and feeding device comprising: The first actuator changes the third distance to a length according to the size of the workpiece. Route adjustment method.

10. a conveying device that forms a conveying path for conveying the workpiece in a predetermined direction; a first guide that protrudes a first distance from one end of the conveying path toward the other end in the width direction, and moves the workpiece that is being conveyed and is located within the first distance from the one end of the conveying path toward the other end; a second guide provided downstream of the first guide on the conveying path, protruding from the other end in the width direction toward the one end by a second distance, for moving the workpiece being conveyed and positioned within the second distance from the other end toward the one end; a third guide provided downstream of the second guide on the conveying path, protruding from the other end of the conveying path by a third distance, for discharging the workpiece being conveyed and located within the third distance from the other end from the conveying path; a first actuator that displaces the third guide; The method is executed by a computer connected to an alignment and supply device comprising: a program for causing the first actuator to change the third distance to a length according to the size of the workpiece;

Images