Transportation unit

Abstract

To provide technology capable of easily abutting an object to be transported to a stopper.SOLUTION: A transportation unit transports a first object to be transported discharged from a heat treatment furnace. The transportation unit is provided with: a first transportation device having a first transportation surface on which the first object to be transported can be mounted and allowing the first object to be transported to move from an upstream end to a downstream end of the first transportation surface; a tilting device tilting the first transportation surface at a first tilting angle such that the downstream end of the first transportation surface is positioned below the upstream end of the first transportation surface; and a stopper abuttable to the first object to be transported. When the tilting device tilts the first transportation surface, the first object to be transported on the first transportation surface moves on the first transportation surface to the downstream end due to the weight of the first object to be transported to abut to the stopper at the downstream end .SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The technology disclosed in this specification relates to a transport unit. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a transport unit. The transport unit transports materials discharged from a heat treatment furnace. The transport unit includes a roller-type transport device that transports the materials, and a stopper that can come into contact with the materials. The stopper can be moved between an upper position and a lower position by an actuator. When the stopper moves to the upper position, the materials transported on the transport surface of the roller-type transport device come into contact with the stopper. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6978622 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the conveying unit of Patent Document 1, the conveying surface is fixed horizontally. In this configuration, the rollers of the roller-type conveying device must be rotated to bring the conveyed object into contact with the stopper. Also, an actuator is required to move the stopper between an upper position where the conveyed object contacts the stopper and a lower position where the conveyed object does not contact the stopper. This makes the structure for bringing the conveyed object into contact with the stopper complex.

[0005] This specification discloses a technique that allows the transported object to easily come into contact with the stopper. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In a first aspect of the technology disclosed herein, a transport unit transports a first transported object unloaded from a heat treatment furnace. The transport unit includes a first transport device on a first transport surface on which the first transported object can be placed and on which the first transported object can move from an upstream end to a downstream end of the first transport surface, a tilting device that tilts the first transport surface at a first tilt angle so that the downstream end of the first transport surface is located below the upstream end of the first transport surface, and a stopper that can abut against the first transported object. When the tilting device tilts the first transport surface, the first transported object on the first transport surface moves along the first transport surface to the downstream end due to its own weight and abuts against the stopper at the downstream end.

[0007] According to the above configuration, when the first conveying surface is tilted, the first object moves on the first conveying surface due to its own weight and abuts against the stopper. Furthermore, by tilting the first conveying surface, the stopper can be moved vertically relative to the first conveying surface. This allows the first object to easily abut against the stopper with a simple structure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a top view of the heat treatment furnace and the transfer unit of the first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a side view of the transport unit of the first embodiment when the downstream end of the intermediate transport surface is at a first position. [Figure 3] 10 is a side view of the transport unit of the first embodiment when the downstream end of the intermediate transport surface is in a second position. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a side view of the intermediate conveying device and tilting device of the first embodiment when the downstream end of the intermediate conveying surface is in a first position. FIG. [Figure 5] 3 is an enlarged side view of the upstream conveying device and the intermediate conveying device of the first embodiment when the downstream end of the intermediate conveying surface is at a first position. FIG. [Figure 6] 10 is a side view of the transport unit of the first embodiment when the downstream end of the intermediate transport surface is in a third position. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a top view of the heat treatment furnace and the transfer unit of the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The main features of the embodiments described below are listed below. Note that the technical elements described below are independent technical elements that exhibit technical utility alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing.

[0010] In a second aspect of the technology disclosed in this specification, in the first aspect described above, the tilting device may further tilt the first conveying surface to a second tilt angle greater than the first tilt angle. The downstream end when the first conveying surface is at the second tilt angle may be located lower than the downstream end when the first conveying surface is at the first tilt angle.

[0011] In a third aspect of the technology disclosed in this specification, in the second aspect described above, when the first conveying surface is at the first inclination angle, the inclination gradient of the first conveying surface may be 10% or more. When the first conveying surface is at the second inclination angle, the inclination gradient of the first conveying surface may be 15% or more. With the above configuration, the first conveying object on the first conveying surface can be easily moved to the downstream end.

[0012] In a fourth aspect of the technology disclosed in this specification, in the second or third aspect described above, the transport unit may further include a second transport device on whose second transport surface the first transported object can be placed and which transports the first transported object in a second transport direction different from the first transport direction in which the first transport device transports the first transported object when the transport unit is viewed from above. The upstream portion of the second transport surface may be located below the downstream end of the first transport surface when the first transport surface is at the first inclination angle and above the downstream end of the first transport surface when the first transport surface is at the second inclination angle. According to the above configuration, the first transported object on the first transport surface can be moved onto the second transport surface by tilting the first transport surface from the first inclination angle to the second inclination angle.

[0013] In a fifth aspect of the technology disclosed in this specification, in any one of the second to fourth aspects, the transport unit may further include a first sensor that detects the first transported object on the upstream end of the first transport surface and a second sensor that detects the first transported object on the downstream end of the first transport surface. The tilting device may tilt the first transport surface to the first tilt angle when the first sensor detects the first transported object, and tilt the first transport surface to the second tilt angle when the second sensor detects the first transported object. With the above configuration, the first transport surface is tilted at an appropriate time, and it is possible to prevent the first transport surface from tilting to the first tilt angle or the second tilt angle when the first transported object is not placed on the first transport surface.

[0014] In a sixth aspect of the technology disclosed in this specification, in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the transport unit may further include a third transport device on a third transport surface on which the first transported object can be placed and which transports the first transported object toward the upstream end of the first transport surface. The downstream end of the third transport surface may be located below the upstream end of the first transport surface when the first transport surface is at the first inclination angle. According to the above configuration, when the first transport surface is at the first inclination angle, the first transported object on the third transport surface is restricted from moving onto the first transport surface. This makes it possible to restrict another first transported object on the third transport surface from moving onto the first transport surface while the first transported object is moving on the first transport surface.

[0015] In a seventh aspect of the technology disclosed in the present specification, in any one of the first to sixth aspects, the stopper may be capable of contacting the first transported object and may include a cushioning material that absorbs impacts caused by contact with the first transported object. According to the above configuration, damage to the first transported object can be suppressed.

[0016] In an eighth aspect of the technology disclosed in this specification, in any one of the first to seventh aspects, the first conveying device may be rotatable about a rotation axis located at the upstream end. The tilting device may raise and lower the downstream end of the first conveying surface. According to the above configuration, the first inclined surface can be tilted with a simple configuration.

[0017] In a ninth aspect of the technology disclosed in this specification, in any one of the first to eighth aspects described above, the transport unit may transport the first and second transported objects unloaded from the heat treatment furnace. The first transport device may transport the first and second transported objects in a first transport direction when the transport unit is viewed from above. The first transport surface may include a first divided transport surface and a second divided transport surface that are divided in a column direction substantially perpendicular to the first transport direction. The tilting device may independently tilt the first divided transport surface and the second divided transport surface. The first and second transported objects may be aligned in the column direction. The first transported object may move on the first divided transport surface. The second transported object may move on the second divided transport surface. According to the above configuration, the tilting device independently tilts the first divided transport surface and the second divided transport surface. Therefore, even when the position of the first transported item in the first transport direction is shifted relative to the position of the second transported item in the first transport direction, the first transported item can be reliably moved on the first divided transport surface, and the second transported item can be reliably moved on the second divided transport surface.

[0018] (First Example) The transport unit 10 shown in FIG. 1 transports an object 4 that has been transported from a heat treatment furnace 2. The object 4 is, for example, a sagger that can accommodate an object to be treated. The object 4 has a roughly rectangular box shape with an opening at the top. The object to be treated is, for example, a raw material for a ceramic capacitor, or a positive or negative electrode material for a lithium-ion battery. The object to be treated is fired as the object 4 passes through the heat treatment furnace 2. In this embodiment, six objects 4 are arranged in six rows in the row direction D1 and transported from the heat treatment furnace 2. In a modified example, the number of rows of the objects 4 arranged in the row direction D1 may be one to five rows, or may be seven or more rows.

[0019] The conveying unit 10 includes an upstream conveying device 12, an intermediate conveying device 14, a tilting device 16 (see Figure 2), a stopper 18, a downstream conveying device 20, a first sensor 22 (see Figure 2), and a second sensor 24 (see Figure 2).

[0020] The upstream conveying device 12 conveys the multiple objects 4 unloaded from the heat treatment furnace 2, arranged in multiple rows (six rows in this embodiment) in the row direction D1. As shown in FIG. 2, the upstream conveying device 12 includes multiple upstream conveying rollers 30 arranged in a first conveying direction D2. The first conveying direction D2 is substantially perpendicular to the row direction D1 and substantially perpendicular to the direction of gravity. The direction of gravity is substantially parallel to the vertical direction. The upstream conveying rollers 30 are motor rollers that are driven by a driving device (not shown) to rotate. When the multiple upstream conveying rollers 30 rotate with the multiple objects 4 placed on an upstream conveying surface 32 of the upstream conveying device 12, the multiple objects 4 are conveyed on the upstream conveying surface 32 in the first conveying direction D2. The upstream conveying surface 32 is a surface that includes the upper ends of the multiple upstream conveying rollers 30 and is aligned along the first conveying direction D2. The upstream conveying surface 32 is substantially parallel to a horizontal plane HP. The horizontal plane HP is substantially perpendicular to the direction of gravity.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the intermediate conveyance device 14 conveys multiple objects 4 delivered from the upstream conveyance device 12, arranged in multiple rows in a row direction D1. When the conveyance unit 10 is viewed from above, the intermediate conveyance device 14 is disposed on the first conveyance direction D2 side relative to the upstream conveyance device 12, and when the conveyance unit 10 is viewed from above, the intermediate conveyance device 14 conveys the objects 4 in the first conveyance direction D2. As shown in FIG. 2, the intermediate conveyance device 14 includes multiple intermediate conveyance rollers 36 arranged in the first conveyance direction D2. The intermediate conveyance rollers 36 are free rollers that rotate without being driven by a drive device. In a modified example, some of the multiple intermediate conveyance rollers 36 may be motorized rollers.

[0022] The intermediate conveyance device 14 is rotatable about a rotation axis AX1. The rotation axis AX1 is located at the upstream end of the intermediate conveyance device 14. The vertical position of the downstream end of the intermediate conveyance device 14 is adjusted by the rotation of the intermediate conveyance device 14 about the rotation axis AX1. As shown in FIG. 3, when multiple conveyed objects 4 are placed on the intermediate conveyance surface 38 of the intermediate conveyance device 14 and the downstream end of the intermediate conveyance device 14 (i.e., the downstream end of the intermediate conveyance surface 38) is positioned below the upstream end of the intermediate conveyance device 14 (i.e., the upstream end of the intermediate conveyance surface 38), the multiple conveyed objects 4 move on the intermediate conveyance surface 38 from the upstream end to the downstream end. The intermediate conveyance surface 38 is a surface that includes the upper ends of the multiple intermediate conveyance rollers 36 and is aligned with the direction in which the conveyed objects 4 move. As shown in FIG. 1, when the conveyance unit 10 is viewed from above, the multiple conveyed objects 4 move on the intermediate conveyance surface 38 in a first conveyance direction D2.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2, the tilting device 16 is fixed to the downstream end of the intermediate conveying device 14. The tilting device 16 is, for example, an elevating device, such as an air cylinder. When the tilting device 16 moves the cylinder rod 42 up and down, the downstream end of the intermediate conveying device 14 (i.e., the downstream end of the intermediate conveying surface 38) is raised and lowered. Therefore, the vertical position of the downstream end of the intermediate conveying device 14 is adjusted by the tilting device 16. This causes the intermediate conveying device 14 to rotate about the rotation axis AX1. The tilting device 16 is configured to tilt the intermediate conveying surface 38 with respect to the horizontal plane HP.

[0024] The tilting device 16 adjusts the vertical position of the downstream end of the intermediate conveying surface 38 in multiple stages. In this embodiment, the tilting device 16 adjusts the vertical position of the downstream end of the intermediate conveying surface 38 to a first position (see FIG. 2), a second position (see FIG. 3), and a third position (see FIG. 6).

[0025] When the downstream end of the intermediate conveying surface 38 is in the first position, the intermediate conveying surface 38 is substantially parallel to the horizontal plane HP and the upstream conveying surface 32. The vertical position of the intermediate conveying surface 38 is substantially the same as the vertical position of the upstream conveying surface 32. Therefore, when the upstream conveying roller 30 rotates, the conveyed object 4 on the upstream conveying surface 32 moves from the upstream end of the intermediate conveying surface 38 onto the intermediate conveying surface 38.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 3, the second position is located lower than the first position. When the intermediate conveying surface 38 is in the second position, the downstream end of the intermediate conveying surface 38 is located lower than the upstream end of the intermediate conveying surface 38. Therefore, the intermediate conveying surface 38 is inclined at a first inclination angle with respect to the horizontal plane HP and the upstream conveying surface 32. When the intermediate conveying surface 38 is at the first inclination angle, the conveyed object 4 moves on the intermediate conveying surface 38 from the upstream end to the downstream end due to its own weight. As shown in FIG. 4, when the intermediate conveying surface 38 is at the first inclination angle, the inclination gradient of the intermediate conveying surface 38 is, for example, 10% or more. The inclination gradient is calculated by dividing the distance L1 between the upstream and downstream ends of the intermediate conveying surface 38 in the vertical direction by the distance L2 between the upstream and downstream ends of the intermediate conveying surface 38 in the first conveying direction D2, and multiplying the result by 100.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 5 , the intermediate conveying device 14 further includes a plate member 44 located at the upstream end of the intermediate conveying surface 38, and the upper end of the plate member 44 defines a portion of the intermediate conveying surface 38. When the intermediate conveying surface 38 is at the first inclination angle, the upstream end of the intermediate conveying surface 38 (i.e., the upper end of the plate member 44) is located above the downstream end of the upstream conveying surface 32. Therefore, the object 4 on the upstream conveying surface 32 is restricted from moving onto the intermediate conveying surface 38 by abutting against the plate member 44 in the first conveying direction D2. Note that when the intermediate conveying surface 38 is at the first position, the object 4 on the upstream conveying surface 32 can move from the upstream end of the intermediate conveying surface 38 onto the intermediate conveying surface 38 without interfering with the plate member 44. In a modified example, when the intermediate conveying surface 38 is at the first position, the upper end of the plate member 44 may be located slightly below the intermediate conveying surface 38.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 6, the third position is located lower than the second position. Therefore, the intermediate conveying surface 38 is inclined at a second inclination angle with respect to the horizontal plane HP and the upstream conveying surface 32. The second inclination angle is greater than the first inclination angle. When the intermediate conveying surface 38 is at the second inclination angle, the inclination gradient of the intermediate conveying surface 38 is, for example, 15% or more. When the intermediate conveying surface 38 is at the second inclination angle, the upstream end of the intermediate conveying surface 38 (i.e., the upper end of the plate member 44) is located higher than the downstream end of the upstream conveying surface 32. Therefore, the conveyed object 4 on the upstream conveying surface 32 is restricted from moving onto the intermediate conveying surface 38 by abutting against the plate member 44 in the first conveying direction D2.

[0029] 2, the stopper 18 is disposed on the first conveying direction D2 side with respect to the intermediate conveying device 14. The stopper 18 is disposed near the downstream end of the intermediate conveying surface 38. The position of the stopper 18 is fixed.

[0030] The stopper 18 includes a base 46 and a cushioning material 48. The base 46 is made of, for example, a metal material. The cushioning material 48 is fixed to the base 46. The cushioning material 48 is disposed between the base 46 and the downstream end of the intermediate conveying surface 38. The cushioning material 48 is made of a cushioning material or the like. The cushioning material is made of, for example, ceramics, silicon, or a resin material. The cushioning material 48 abuts against the transported object 4 on the intermediate conveying surface 38 at the downstream end of the intermediate conveying surface 38. As a result, the cushioning material 48 deforms to absorb the impact caused by the abutment with the transported object 4.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 1, the downstream conveying device 20 conveys the object 4 in a second conveying direction D3. Unlike the first conveying direction D2, the second conveying direction D3 is substantially perpendicular to the first conveying direction D2 in this embodiment. The second conveying direction D3 is also substantially parallel to the horizontal plane HP. When the conveying unit 10 is viewed from above, the downstream conveying device 20 partially overlaps with the intermediate conveying device 14.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 2, the downstream conveying device 20 includes a downstream chain conveyor 52. The downstream chain conveyor 52 is driven by a drive device (not shown). When the downstream chain conveyor 52 is driven with the transported object 4 placed on a downstream transport surface 54 of the downstream conveying device 20, the transported object 4 is transported on the downstream transport surface 54 in a second transport direction D3. The downstream transport surface 54 is aligned with the direction in which the downstream chain conveyor 52 extends.

[0033] The downstream conveying surface 54 has an upstream portion 54a that overlaps with the intermediate conveying device 14 when the conveying unit 10 is viewed from above. When the downstream end of the intermediate conveying surface 38 is in the first position, i.e., when the intermediate conveying surface 38 is substantially parallel to the horizontal plane HP, the upstream portion 54a of the downstream conveying surface 54 is located below the downstream end of the intermediate conveying surface 38. As shown in FIG. 3, when the downstream end of the intermediate conveying surface 38 is in the second position, i.e., when the intermediate conveying surface 38 is at a first inclination angle, the upstream portion 54a of the downstream conveying surface 54 is located below the downstream end of the intermediate conveying surface 38. As shown in FIG. 6, when the downstream end of the intermediate conveying surface 38 is in the third position, i.e., when the intermediate conveying surface 38 is at a second inclination angle, the upstream portion 54a of the downstream conveying surface 54 is located above the downstream end of the intermediate conveying surface 38. Therefore, for example, when the intermediate conveying surface 38 switches from the first inclination angle to the second inclination angle, the article 4 on the intermediate conveying surface 38 moves onto the upstream portion 54a.

[0034] The first sensor 22 is disposed near the upstream end of the intermediate conveying surface 38. The first sensor 22 is selected from various sensors such as an optical sensor. The first sensor 22 detects the transported object 4 on the upstream end of the intermediate conveying surface 38. Since the multiple transported objects 4 are transported arranged in multiple rows in the row direction D1, the first sensor 22 detects each of the multiple transported objects 4 arranged in the row direction D1.

[0035] The second sensor 24 is disposed near the downstream end of the intermediate conveying surface 38. The second sensor 24 is selected from various sensors such as an optical sensor. The second sensor 24 detects the transported objects 4 on the downstream end of the intermediate conveying surface 38. Like the first sensor 22, the second sensor 24 detects each of the multiple transported objects 4 arranged in the column direction D1.

[0036] The flow of the transport unit 10 transporting the transported object 4 will be described. As shown in Fig. 2, the transported object 4 discharged from the heat treatment furnace 2 is transported from the upstream end to the downstream end of the upstream transport surface 32 by the rotation of the upstream transport rollers 30. At this time, the intermediate transport surface 38 is approximately parallel to the horizontal plane HP. Therefore, the transported object 4 on the upstream transport surface 32 is transported from the upstream end of the intermediate transport surface 38 onto the intermediate transport surface 38.

[0037] When the transported object 4 passes the upstream end of the intermediate conveying surface 38, the first sensor 22 detects the transported object 4. As shown in FIG. 3 , when the first sensor 22 detects all of the multiple transported objects 4 arranged in the row direction D1 (six transported objects 4 in this embodiment), the tilting device 16 moves the cylinder rod 42 downward to move the downstream end of the intermediate conveying surface 38 from the first position to the second position. This causes the intermediate conveying surface 38 to tilt to the first tilt angle. As a result, the multiple transported objects 4 arranged in the row direction D1 move on the intermediate conveying surface 38 from the upstream end to the downstream end due to their own weight, and come into contact with the cushioning material 48 at the downstream end. The cushioning material 48 deforms, and the impact caused by the contact between the cushioning material 48 and the transported object 4 is absorbed by the cushioning material 48. This prevents the transported object 4 from being damaged. Furthermore, when the intermediate conveying surface 38 is at the first inclination angle, the objects 4 in the rear row on the upstream conveying surface 32 are restricted from moving onto the intermediate conveying surface 38 by abutting against the plate member 44 in the first conveying direction D2.

[0038] When the transported object 4 reaches the intermediate conveying surface 38, the second sensor 24 detects the transported object 4. As shown in FIG. 6 , when the second sensor 24 detects the multiple transported objects 4 arranged in the column direction D1, the tilting device 16 further moves the cylinder rod 42 downward, thereby moving the downstream end of the intermediate conveying surface 38 from the second position to the third position. This causes the intermediate conveying surface 38 to tilt to a second tilt angle. As a result, the multiple transported objects 4 arranged in the column direction D1 on the intermediate conveying surface 38 do not move toward the upstream end of the intermediate conveying surface 38, but instead move onto the upstream portion 54a of the downstream conveying surface 54. Because the transported object 4 on the intermediate conveying surface 38 was inclined and abutting against the stopper 18, when the transported object 4 moves to the upstream portion 54a, it returns from its inclined state to a horizontal state and moves away from the stopper 18.

[0039] Next, the downstream chain conveyor 52 is driven, and the transported object 4 is transported in the second transport direction D3 on the downstream transport surface 54. Since the transported object 4 is away from the stopper 18, the transported object 4 can be prevented from being transported while in contact with the stopper 18.

[0040] Finally, when the second sensor 24 no longer detects the conveyed object 4, the tilting device 16 moves the cylinder rod 42 upward to move the downstream end of the intermediate conveying surface 38 from the third position to the first position, so that the intermediate conveying surface 38 becomes substantially parallel to the horizontal plane HP.

[0041] (effect) In the first embodiment described above, when the intermediate conveying surface 38 is inclined to the first inclination angle, the object 4 moves on the intermediate conveying surface 38 from the upstream end to the downstream end due to its own weight, and abuts against the stopper 18, which is fixed so as not to move, at the downstream end. In addition, by inclining the intermediate conveying surface 38, the stopper 18 can be moved vertically relative to the intermediate conveying surface 38. This makes it possible to easily abut the object 4 against the stopper 18 with a simple structure.

[0042] (Correspondence) The transported object 4 is an example of a "first transported object." The intermediate transport surface 38 is an example of a "first transport surface." The intermediate transport device 14 is an example of a "first transport device." The downstream transport surface 54 is an example of a "second transport surface." The downstream transport device 20 is an example of a "second transport device." The upstream transport surface 32 is an example of a "third transport surface." The upstream transport device 12 is an example of a "third transport device."

[0043] (Second Example) In the second embodiment, only the differences from the first embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 7, the intermediate conveying surface 38 is divided into a plurality of (six in this embodiment) intermediate divided conveying surfaces 138. Hereinafter, the six intermediate divided conveying surfaces 138 may be referred to as intermediate divided conveying surfaces 138a, 138b, 138c, 138d, 138e, and 138f in order from the row direction D1. The multiple intermediate divided conveying surfaces 138 are aligned in the row direction D1. The number of the multiple intermediate divided conveying surfaces 138 is equal to or less than the number of the multiple conveyed articles 4 aligned in the row direction D1, and in this embodiment, it is the same as the number of the multiple conveyed articles 4 aligned in the row direction D1. Hereinafter, the six conveyed articles 4 aligned in the row direction D1 may be referred to as conveyed articles 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, and 4f in order from the row direction D1. In this embodiment, six conveyed articles 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, and 4f move on six intermediate divided conveying surfaces 138a, 138b, 138c, 138d, 138e, and 138f, respectively.

[0044] The tilting device 16 (see FIG. 2) independently tilts the multiple intermediate divided conveying surfaces 138. Therefore, for example, when the conveyed object 4a is shifted in the opposite direction of the first conveying direction D2 relative to the other five conveyed objects 4b-4f, the tilting device 16 tilts only the intermediate divided conveying surfaces 138b-138f at a first tilt angle when the conveyed objects 4b-4f pass the upstream ends of the intermediate divided conveying surfaces 138b-138f, and tilts the intermediate divided conveying surface 138a at the first tilt angle when the conveyed object 4a passes the intermediate divided conveying surface 138a. Note that when all of the conveyed objects 4a-4f contact the stopper 18, the tilting device 16 tilts the intermediate divided conveying surfaces 138a-138f at a second tilt angle.

[0045] (Correspondence) The transported object 4a is an example of a "first transported object." The transported object 4b is an example of a "second transported object." The intermediate divided transport surface 138a is an example of a "first divided transport surface." The intermediate divided transport surface 138b is an example of a "second divided transport surface."

[0046] (Variation) In one embodiment, when the downstream end of the intermediate conveying surface 38 is in the first position, the intermediate conveying surface 38 may be inclined with respect to the horizontal plane HP.

[0047] In one embodiment, the intermediate conveying device 14 may be a plate member instead of the plurality of intermediate conveying rollers 36. In this configuration, the conveyed object 4 may move from the upstream end to the downstream end of the plate member by sliding on the upper surface of the plate member (i.e., the intermediate conveying surface 38).

[0048] In one embodiment, the tilting device 16 may be a rotating device instead of a cylinder. The rotating device may include a motor that rotates the intermediate conveying device 14 around a rotation axis AX1.

[0049] Although specific examples of the technology disclosed in this specification have been described in detail above, these are merely examples and do not limit the scope of the claims. The technology described in the claims includes various modifications and variations of the specific examples exemplified above. Furthermore, the technical elements described in this specification or drawings exhibit technical utility alone or in various combinations, and are not limited to the combinations described in the claims at the time of filing. Furthermore, the technology exemplified in this specification or drawings simultaneously achieves multiple objectives, and achieving one of those objectives itself has technical utility. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 2: Heat treatment furnace 4, 4a, 4b, 4c, 4d, 4e, 4f: Conveyed items 10: Transport unit 12: Upstream transport device 14: Intermediate conveying device 16:Tilt device 18: Stopper 20: Downstream transport device 22: First sensor 24: Second sensor 30: Upstream transport roller 32: Upstream conveying surface 36: Intermediate conveying roller 38: Intermediate conveying surface 42: Cylinder rod 46: Bass 48: Cushioning material 52: Downstream chain conveyor 54: Downstream conveying surface 54a: Upper reaches 138, 138a, 138b, 138c, 138d, 138e, 138f: intermediate divided conveying surface AX1: Rotating axis D1: Column direction D2: First conveying direction D3: Second conveying direction HP: horizontal plane L1, L2: distance

Claims

1. A transport unit that transports a first transported object carried out from a heat treatment furnace, a first conveying device on which the first object can be placed and which can move from an upstream end to a downstream end of the first conveying surface; a tilting device that tilts the first conveying surface at a first tilt angle so that the downstream end of the first conveying surface is positioned lower than the upstream end of the first conveying surface; a stopper that can come into contact with the first conveyed object, A conveying unit in which, when the tilting device tilts the first conveying surface, the first conveying object on the first conveying surface moves on the first conveying surface to the downstream end due to the weight of the first conveying object and abuts against the stopper at the downstream end.

2. the tilting device is further capable of tilting the first conveying surface to a second tilt angle greater than the first tilt angle; 2. The transport unit according to claim 1, wherein the downstream end when the first transport surface is at the second inclination angle is positioned lower than the downstream end when the first transport surface is at the first inclination angle.

3. When the first conveying surface is at the first inclination angle, the inclination gradient of the first conveying surface is 10% or more; The transport unit according to claim 2 , wherein when the first transport surface is at the second inclination angle, the inclination gradient of the first transport surface is 15% or more.

4. the first transported object can be placed on a second transport surface, and the transport unit further includes a second transport device that transports the first transported object in a second transport direction that is different from a first transport direction in which the first transport device transports the first transported object when the transport unit is viewed from above; 3. The transport unit described in claim 2, wherein the upstream portion of the second transport surface is located below the downstream end of the first transport surface when the first transport surface is at the first inclination angle and above the downstream end of the first transport surface when the first transport surface is at the second inclination angle.

5. a first sensor that detects the first conveyed object on the upstream end of the first conveying surface; a second sensor that detects the first object on the downstream end of the first conveying surface, The tilting device is tilting the first conveying surface to the first inclination angle when the first sensor detects the first conveyed object; The transport unit according to claim 2 , wherein the first transport surface is tilted at the second tilt angle when the second sensor detects the first transported object.

6. the first transported object can be placed on a third transport surface, and the third transport device transports the first transported object toward the upstream end of the first transport surface; The transport unit according to claim 1 , wherein a downstream end of the third transport surface is positioned lower than the upstream end of the first transport surface when the first transport surface is at the first inclination angle.

7. The transport unit according to claim 1 , wherein the stopper is capable of coming into contact with the first transported object and includes a cushioning material that absorbs impact caused by the stopper coming into contact with the first transported object.

8. the first conveying device is rotatable about a rotation axis located at the upstream end, The transport unit according to claim 1 , wherein the tilting device raises and lowers the downstream end of the first transport surface.

9. the transport unit transports the first transported object and the second transported object that are unloaded from the heat treatment furnace; the first transport device transports the first object and the second object in a first transport direction when the transport unit is viewed from above; the first conveying surface includes a first divided conveying surface and a second divided conveying surface that are divided in a row direction substantially perpendicular to the first conveying direction, the tilting device tilts the first divided conveying surface and the second divided conveying surface independently, the first conveyed object and the second conveyed object are aligned in the column direction, the first conveyed object moves on the first divided conveying surface, The transport unit according to claim 1 , wherein the second transported object moves on the second divided transport surface.

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