Conveying system

Abstract

To provide a conveyance system which has a simple configuration, eliminates the need for circulation and re-conveyance, suppresses an increase in facility cost, reduces the number of persons to be arranged, and reliably performs branching operation at the time of stop and restart.SOLUTION: A conveying system comprising: a main conveying passage for conveying an object; at least one branch passage branching off from the main conveying passage; and a branching mechanism for selectively transferring the object from the main conveying passage to the branch passage, the branching mechanism includes a branching sensor that detects a conveyed item, a branching device that performs a branching operation, and a branching operation control unit that controls the branching operation, and the branching operation control unit has a stop complementing function of controlling the branching operation by complementing a coasting amount of the conveyed item from a stop command to a complete stop when the entire conveying operation of the main conveying path and the branching path is stopped, and restarting the branching operation according to the complemented coasting amount when the entire conveying operation is restarted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveyance system including a main conveyance path for conveying an object, at least one branch path branching off from the main conveyance path, and a branching mechanism for selectively transferring the object from the main conveyance path to the branch path. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in a conveying system for conveying objects equipped with a branching mechanism, if the intended branch destination is full of already conveyed objects and the object cannot be branched to the branch destination, the object that could not be branched and the object that will be branched after that object are circulated together on the main conveying path, so that the object that will be branched after that object can be branched to the branch path before it makes another round on the main conveying path, thereby improving conveying efficiency (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2023-112711 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The conveying device known in Patent Document 1 and the like rotates the cargo 200 on a circular conveyor 2 and transports it to a supply conveyor 3. However, due to the layout of the circular conveyor 2 and the supply conveyor 3, the conveyor equipment as a whole tends to become large, and there is a risk that it may be difficult to install in an environment where installation space is limited. Furthermore, a separate conveyor must be installed for the circulating portion, which may increase equipment costs. Furthermore, although the specific branching movement operation when branching and moving the cargo 200 to the supply conveyor 3 is not described in detail, if the circular conveyor 2 stops rotating because another cargo becomes a stopped cargo while a certain cargo is branching and moving, the branching movement will also stop, which could result in the branching movement operation being unable to return to normal.

[0005] In addition, in a layout where the conveyor does not rotate, if the destination is full it is possible to allow the goods to pass through without branching off, but it is necessary to set up a separate overflow section to collect the goods that have passed through and re-introduce them for sorting.The collected goods must then be moved to the entrance of the conveyor and then re-introduced onto the conveyor, which could result in labor costs associated with moving the goods and the time required for re-transportation. The present invention aims to solve these problems by providing a conveying system with a simple configuration that does not require circulation or re-transportation, suppresses increases in equipment costs, reduces the number of personnel required, and reliably performs branching operations when stopping and restarting. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The conveying system of the present invention is a conveying system comprising a main conveying path for conveying objects, at least one branch path branching off from the main conveying path, and a branching mechanism for selectively transferring objects from the main conveying path to the branch path, wherein the branching mechanism has a branching sensor for detecting the objects, a branching device for performing the branching operation, and a branching operation control unit for controlling the branching operation, and wherein the branching operation control unit has a stop complement function that, when the entire conveying operation of the main conveying path and the branch path is stopped, complements the coasting amount of the objects from the time of the stop command to the time of complete stop to control the branching operation, and when the entire conveying operation is resumed, resumes the branching operation according to the complemented coasting amount, thereby solving the above-mentioned problem. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the invention of claim 1, there is provided a conveying system comprising a main conveying path for conveying conveyed objects, at least one branch path branching off from the main conveying path, and a branching mechanism for selectively transferring conveyed objects from the main conveying path to the branch path, wherein the branching mechanism has a branching sensor for detecting the conveyed objects, a branching device for performing branching operations, and a branching operation control unit for controlling the branching operation, and when the entire conveying operation of the main conveying path and the branch path is stopped, the branching operation control unit has a stop complement function that complements the coasting amount of the conveyed objects from the time of the stop command to the time of complete stop to control the branching operation, and when the entire conveying operation is resumed, resumes the branching operation according to the complemented coasting amount, thereby ensuring that the branching operation can be performed reliably when the conveyed objects are stopped and resumed. This makes it possible to stop the entire conveying operation when the target branching destination is full of already transported items, eliminating the need to collect items that cannot be diverted to the branching path in an overflow area or to have the items circulate around the main conveying path. This eliminates the need to move the items when re-transporting, re-insert them into the item inlet on the main transport path, correct sorting information, and other tasks, and also makes it possible to reduce the number of personnel stationed in overflow areas, etc. Furthermore, by not making the layout of the main transport path circular, it is possible to shorten the overall length of the main transport path, thereby making the transport system more compact and reducing the costs required for installation. Furthermore, if any of the branch paths becomes full with transported goods, the entire transport operation of the main transport path and the branch path stops, and no more transported goods will be transported to the branch path.Therefore, the position for determining whether the transported goods are full can be set at a position further upstream of the branch path, and the amount of transported goods that can be accepted at the branch path can be increased.

[0008] According to the invention of claim 2, the system is provided with a plurality of branching rollers that can rotate in the conveying direction, and the branching rollers are configured to be able to change the conveying direction by changing the orientation of their rotation axes within a horizontal plane, which makes it easier to control the branching operation control unit, allowing the conveying and branching of the transported items to be carried out with precision, and allowing the transported items to be accurately branched to the desired branch path.

[0009] According to the invention of claim 3, the branching operation control unit has an accumulating timer means, so that it can start counting using the accumulating timer immediately after being detected by the branching sensor.As a result, even if the entire conveying operation of the main conveying path and the branching operation stops during the branching operation by the branching device, the amount of coasting of the transported object from the time of the stop command to the time of complete stop can be compensated for by taking into account the conveying speed of the transported object and the number of counts by the accumulating timer.This makes it possible to resume the branching operation of the branching device from the middle, and ensures that the branching operation can be performed reliably when the conveying system is stopped and restarted.

[0010] According to the invention of claim 4, the branching operation control unit has a pulse signal receiving means, so that it can start receiving a pulse signal immediately after being detected by the branching sensor.As a result, even if the entire conveying operation of the main conveying path and the branching operation stops during the branching operation by the branching device, the coasting amount of the transported object from the time of the stop command to the time of complete stop can be compensated for by taking into account the conveying speed of the transported object and the number of pulses in the received pulse signal, making it possible to resume the branching operation of the branching device from the middle, and ensuring branching operation when the conveying system is stopped and restarted.

[0011] According to the invention of claim 5, by providing a plurality of branch paths and branch mechanisms for the main conveying path, it is possible to branch the conveyed items to a plurality of destinations without significantly increasing the occupied area of ​​the conveying system. Furthermore, regardless of which branch path the transported item is passing through, if the entire transport operation of the main transport path and the branch path stops during the branching operation, the stop complement function of the branching mechanism can complement the coasting amount of the transported item.

[0012] According to the invention of claim 6, the main conveying path has an encoder that detects the rotation of the drive unit, which makes it possible to synchronize the feed displacement of the main conveying path with the position of the conveyed item detected by the branching sensor, thereby making it possible to more reliably perform branching operations when the conveyed item is stopped and restarted. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a top view of a transfer system 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a top view of a branching mechanism 130 of the transport system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a top view of the diverting mechanism 130 of the transport system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention during a diverting operation. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are a top view and a control diagram of a branching operation of a branching mechanism 130 of a transfer system 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention, respectively. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] A transfer system 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, a transport system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a main transport path 110, three branch paths 120, three branching mechanisms 130, and an encoder (not shown).

[0015] The main transport path 110 is configured so that the transported object can be moved to another position, and is configured by a belt conveyor, a roller conveyor, or the like. In addition, both ends of the main conveying path 110 are configured to be connectable to the branching devices 132 that make up the branching mechanism 130, making it possible to freely rearrange the layout and arrangement of the conveying path, and also to freely adjust the conveying speed and the timing to stop and restart the conveying operation. Furthermore, the shape of the main transport path 110 is not limited to a straight line or an arc, and may be any shape as long as it allows the transported object to move.

[0016] Like the main transport path 110, the branch path 120 is configured to be able to move the transported object to another position, and is configured by a belt conveyor, a roller conveyor, or the like. Furthermore, at least one end of the branch path 120 is configured to be connectable to the branch device 132 that constitutes the branch mechanism 130, making it possible to freely rearrange the arrangement and configuration of the conveying path, and also to freely adjust the conveying speed and the timing of stopping and restarting the conveying operation. Furthermore, the shape of the path of the branch path 120 is not limited to a straight line or an arc, and may be any shape as long as the path is configured to allow the transported object to move. Further, a sensor may be provided on the branch path 120 to detect whether the path is full of articles.

[0017] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the main conveying path 110 and the branch path 120 are configured so that the angle they form when viewed from the conveying direction of the transported object is an obtuse angle, making it possible to branch the transported object from the main conveying path 110 to the branch path 120 without reducing the transport speed of the transported object. In addition, the conveying operations of all of the main conveying paths 110, branching devices 132, and branching paths 120 of the conveying system 100 can be controlled collectively, and the conveying operations can be stopped and resumed simultaneously.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the branching mechanism 130 has a branching sensor 131 that detects the arrival of an object, a branching device 132 that performs the branching operation, and a branching operation control unit (not shown) that controls the branching operation.

[0019] The branching sensor 131 is disposed on the main conveying path 110 so as to cross the conveying path of the conveyed object, and is configured to be able to detect the arrival of the conveyed object.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the branching device 132 can be connected to the main transport path 110 and the branching path 120, and can arbitrarily branch the transport direction of the transported object into a plurality of directions. In addition, the branching device 132 has a motor (not shown) and multiple branching rollers 133 that can rotate in the conveying direction driven by the motor, and the conveyed item can be made to move in a straight line by passing over the multiple branching rollers 133 that rotate in the same direction as the conveying direction of the main conveying path 110.

[0021] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a total of eight rows of branch rollers 133 are provided in the traveling direction of the transported object, with each odd-numbered row consisting of six branch rollers 133 and each even-numbered row consisting of seven branch rollers 133. In addition, the branch roller 133 can change the direction of its rotation axis in a horizontal plane, and by sequentially changing the direction of the rotation axis of the branch roller 133 in a horizontal plane in accordance with the timing at which the transported item passes over the branch roller 133, the travel path of the transported item can be changed in the direction of the branch path 120.

[0022] At this time, the changes in the orientation of the rotation axes of the branch rollers constituting each branch roller group in the horizontal plane are synchronized with each other in the first branch roller group 133a in the first and second rows, the second branch roller group 133b in the third and fourth rows, the third branch roller group 133c in the fifth and sixth rows, and the fourth branch roller group 133d in the seventh and eighth rows relative to the direction of travel of the transported object. Therefore, by sequentially and continuously changing the orientation of each rotation axis in the horizontal plane in the order of first branch roller group 133a, second branch roller group 133b, third branch roller group 133c, and fourth branch roller group 133d according to the progress of the transported object, it is possible to change the travel path of the transported object in the direction of branch path 120.

[0023] For example, as shown in FIG. 3, when an item 200 is being transported on the main transport path 110 and it is desired to branch the item 200 to the branch path 120, after the arrival of the item 200 is detected by the branch sensor 131, the orientation of the rotation axis of the first branch roller group 133a is changed in the horizontal plane after a certain time has elapsed, and thereafter, the orientations of the rotation axes of the second branch roller group 133b, the third branch roller group 133c, and the fourth branch roller group 133d are successively changed in the horizontal plane every certain time thereafter, thereby branching the item 200 to the branch path 120.

[0024] The branching operation control unit (not shown) controls the branching operation of the transported objects by the branching mechanism 130, and in this embodiment has an integrating timer means (not shown) capable of integrating operations. By having an accumulating timer means, when the entire conveying operation of the main conveying path 110, the branching device 132, and the branching path 120 stops for reasons such as the branching path 120 being full of already-conveyed transported goods, the branching operation can be controlled by supplementing the coasting amount of the transported goods from the time the command to stop the conveying operation is given until the time it completely stops, and if there are goods being conveyed in the middle of the branching operation when the conveying operation is resumed, the stop supplement function makes it possible to resume the branching operation from the middle.

[0025] The encoder (not shown) is arranged upstream of the conveying system 100, i.e., near the transported object inlet, and is configured to be able to synchronize the transported object being input into the conveying system 100 with the positional information of the transported object on the conveying system 100. Furthermore, similar to the integrating timer means of the branching operation control section, it is also possible to compensate for the coasting amount of the transported article from the time when the transport operation starts to be stopped until the time when the transport operation stops.

[0026] Next, with reference to Figure 4, we will explain the straight-line operation and branching operation by the branching mechanism 130 in the conveying system 100 of the first embodiment of the present invention, in two cases: when the entire conveying operation of the main conveying path 110, the branching device 132, and the branching path 120 does not stop during the straight-line operation or branching operation, and when the entire conveying operation of the main conveying path 110, the branching device 132, and the branching path 120 stops during the straight-line operation or branching operation. FIG. 4 shows the branching mechanism 130 and the control timing of the branching roller 133 when an object passes through the branching mechanism 130. In the graph shown at the top of FIG. 4, the horizontal axis represents the distance from the branching sensor, and the vertical axis represents time. Also, in Figure 4, the passing control operation 136 indicated by the white circle indicates the control timing of the branching roller 133 when the transported item does not stop during the branching operation, and the stop control operation 137 indicated by the black circle indicates the control timing of the main transport path 110, the branching device 132, and the branching path 120 when the transported item stops during the branching operation.

[0027] First, the operation of the diverter mechanism 130 when the overall conveying operation of the main conveying path 110, the diverter device 132, and the diverter path 120 is not stopped will be described. In this embodiment, the conveying direction of each branching roller group is always directed in the same direction as the main conveying path 110, and when the branching sensor 131 detects that an item to be branched has arrived, the branching operation is controlled; otherwise, the branching operation is not performed and the item travels straight on the branching device 132.

[0028] When an object to be diverted is conveyed on the main conveying path 110 and its arrival is detected by the diverting sensor 131, counting by the integrating timer means is started, and the object is conveyed on the diverting device 132 in accordance with the passage control operation 136.

[0029] At the count timing when the transported object reaches the branching operation position 134a of the first branching roller group, the transporting direction of the first branching roller group 133a is switched to the direction of the branching path 120, and the transported object can be transported on the first branching roller group 133a in the direction of the branching path 120. Next, at the timing of the count when the transported object reaches the branching operation position 134b of the second branching roller group, the transporting direction of the second branching roller group 133b is switched to the direction of the branching path 120, and the transported object can be transported on the second branching roller group 133b in the direction of the branching path 120. Next, at the timing of the count when the transported object reaches the branching operation position 134c of the third branching roller group, the transporting direction of the third branching roller group 133c is switched to the direction of the branching path 120, and the transported object can be transported on the third branching roller group 133c in the direction of the branching path 120. Next, at the timing of the count when the transported object reaches the branching operation position 134d of the fourth branch roller group, the transport direction of the fourth branch roller group 133d is switched to the direction of the branch path 120, and the transported object can be transported on the fourth branch roller group 133d in the direction of the branch path 120. As a result, the conveyed object is transferred to the branch path 120 by the branching operation of the branching device 132. Here, the conveying direction of each branch roller group is returned to the same direction as the main conveying path 110 at the timing when the conveyed object has completely passed through.

[0030] Next, the branching operation by the branching mechanism 130 when the entire conveying operation of the main conveying path 110, the branching device 132, and the branching path 120 is stopped will be described. In this embodiment, in the event that one of the branch paths 120 is full of transported items, in order to prevent the branch path 120 from overflowing with transported items, the entire transport operation of the main transport path 110, the branching device 132, and the branch path 120 is stopped, and processing is performed to prevent any further transported items from being transported to the branch path 120. At this time, the transported items on the main conveying path 110, the branching device 132, and the branching path 120 are stopped as the conveying operations of the main conveying path 110, the branching device 132, and the branching path 120 are stopped, and transport begins again when the conveying operations of the main conveying path 110, the branching device 132, and the branching path 120 are resumed.

[0031] On the other hand, during the diverting operation by the diverting mechanism 130, that is, when the conveyed object is diverted by the diverting sensor 131 If the conveying operation of the main conveying path 110, the branching device 132, and the branching path 120 stops before the branching operation by the branching device 132 is completed after the arrival is detected by the motor, the motor will also stop, and the rotational movement of the branching roller 133 driven by the motor will also stop. At this time, a time lag occurs due to inertia between when a command to stop the conveying operation of the main conveying path 110, the branching device 132, and the branching path 120 is issued and when they completely stop, and the conveyed object continues to be transported during that time. Therefore, the cumulative timer means of the branching operation control unit is used to complement the coasting amount of the transported item during the branching operation from the time a stop command is issued until the item is completely stopped, and when the transporting operation is resumed, the stop complement function uses the complemented coasting amount to control the operation of the branching device 132, making it possible to resume the branching operation from the middle.

[0032] A method for complementing the coasting amount by the integrating timer means and a method for restarting the diverting operation of the conveyed article will be described with reference to FIG. When an article is conveyed on the main conveying path 110 and its arrival is detected by the branching sensor 131, counting by the integrating timer means is started, and the article is first conveyed on the branching device 132 in accordance with the passage control operation 136.

[0033] At the timing of the count when the conveyed object reaches the first branch roller group branching operation position 134a, the conveying direction of the first branch roller group 133a becomes the branch direction, and the conveyed object moves on the first branch roller group 133a. At this time, if the conveying operation of the main conveying path 110, the branching device 132 and the branching path 120 stops at position 135a where a stop command for the main conveying path 110, the branching device 132 and the branching path 120 is issued, the operation of the conveyed item is switched from passing control operation 136 to stop control operation 137. Even if the operation is switched to the stop control operation 137, the integration by the integration timer means continues.

[0034] Next, at the timing of the count when the conveyed object reaches the branching operation position 134b of the second branching roller group, the conveying direction of the second branching roller group 133b becomes the branching direction, and the conveyed object moves on the second branching roller group 133b.

[0035] Next, the counting of the integrating timer stops at the timing when the conveyed article reaches the counting stop position 135b of the integrating timer means. The count stop position 135b of this integrating timer means is set in advance in the integrating timer means to be half the time required from the stop command in the branching device 132 until it completely stops when the conveying operations of the main conveying path 110, the branching device 132, and the branching path 120 stop, and if the conveyed item stops in the middle of the branching operation, the integrating timer means continues counting from the time the stop command is issued until the time previously set in the integrating timer means has elapsed.

[0036] After the counting by the integrating timer means is completed, the conveyed object is further conveyed by the inertia of the branching roller 133 and stops at the complete stop position 135c of the main conveying path 110, the branching device 132 and the branching path 120. At this time, the counting of the integrating timer means is stopped and no integration is performed between the count stop position 135b of the integrating timer means and the complete stop position 135c of the main transport path 110, the branching device 132 and the branching path 120.

[0037] In this way, by having the accumulator timer means count only half the coasting amount from when the stop command is issued until the transported object comes to a complete stop, the number of counts of the accumulator timer at the stop position of the transported object when the transported object stops can be made the same as the number of counts of the accumulator timer at a point the same distance away when the transported object does not stop. That is, the counts of the loading timer means are the same at the complete stop position 135c of the main conveying path 110, the branching device 132 and the branching path 120 and at the position 134e equidistant from the complete stop positions of the main conveying path 110, the branching device 132 and the branching path 120. As a result, when the transport operation of the transported item is resumed from the complete stop position 135c of the main transport path 110, the branching device 132, and the branching path 120, the transport operation can be resumed from the same count number as position 134e, which is equidistant from the complete stop positions of the main transport path 110, the branching device 132, and the branching path 120. Therefore, even if the conveying operations of the main conveying path 110, the branching device 132, and the branching path 120 are stopped, the branching operation by the branching device 132 can be restarted from the middle.

[0038] When the full load of transported items in the branch path 120 is resolved, for example, and the transport operations of the main transport path 110, the branch device 132, and the branch path 120 can be resumed, the transport operations are resumed from the stopped state at the complete stop position 135c of the main transport path 110, the branch device 132, and the branch path 120. At this time, the normal conveying start position 135d of the main conveying path 110, branching device 132 and branching path 120 is defined as the distance traveled from the time the stop command is issued until the time the object is completely stopped, i.e., the distance equivalent to the distance from the position 135a where the stop command for the main conveying path 110, branching device 132 and branching path 120 is issued to the completely stopped position 135c of the main conveying path 110, branching device 132 and branching path 120, and the distance to this position is defined as the distance required for the object to accelerate from a completely stopped state to the specified conveying speed. After the normal conveyance start position 135d of the main conveyance path 110, the branching device 132, and the branching path 120, the conveyed object is conveyed on the main conveyance path 110, the branching device 132, and the branching path 120 as usual.

[0039] Next, a transfer system 100b according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The conveying system 100b according to the second embodiment of the present invention has a configuration in which a pulse signal receiving means (not shown) is used instead of the integrating timer means in the configuration of the conveying system 100 according to the first embodiment, and the straight-line operation and branching operation by the branching mechanism 130 when the overall conveying operation of the main conveying path 110, the branching device 132 and the branching path 120 does not stop are the same as those of the conveying system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Next, in the transport system 100b according to the second embodiment, the straight forward movement by the diverting mechanism 130 when the entire transport operation of the main transport path 110, the diverting device 132, and the branch path 120 is stopped will be described. The conveying system 100b according to the second embodiment uses a pulse signal receiving means provided in the branching operation control unit to supplement the coasting amount of the transported object during the branching operation from when a stop command is issued until the object is completely stopped, and when the conveying operation of the main conveying path 110, the branching device 132 and the branching path 120 is resumed, the operation of the branching device 132 and the branching roller 133 is controlled using the supplemented coasting amount, thereby making it possible to resume the branching operation from the middle.

[0041] A method for complementing the coasting amount by the pulse signal receiving means and a method for restarting the diverting operation of the conveyed article will be described with reference to FIG. When an object is transported on the main transport path 110 and its arrival is detected by the branching sensor 131, pulse measurement is initiated by the pulse signal receiving means which receives a pulse signal from the encoder, and the object is first transported on the branching device 132 in accordance with the passage control operation 136. Here, the pulse signal from the encoder can be converted into distance, and the distance required for the transported object to move from the branching sensor 131 to the first branching roller group branching operation position 134a and the distance required for the object to move between each of the first to fourth branching roller group branching operation positions are set in advance in the branching operation control unit.

[0042] At the timing of the count when the conveyed object reaches the first branch roller group branching operation position 134a, the conveying direction of the first branch roller group 133a becomes the branch direction, and the conveyed object moves on the first branch roller group 133a. At this time, if the conveying operation of the main conveying path 110, the branching device 132 and the branching path 120 stops at position 135a where a stop command for the main conveying path 110, the branching device 132 and the branching path 120 is issued, the operation of the conveyed item is switched from passing control operation 136 to stop control operation 137. Even if the operation is switched to the stop control operation 137, the pulse signal receiving means continues to measure the pulses.

[0043] Next, at the timing of the count when the conveyed object reaches the branching operation position 134b of the second branching roller group, the conveying direction of the second branching roller group 133b becomes the branching direction, and the conveyed object moves on the second branching roller group 133b.

[0044] Next, when the conveyed object stops at the complete stop position 135c of the main conveying path 110, the branching device 132 and the branching path 120, the pulse signal from the encoder also stops, and therefore the pulse signal receiving means also stops receiving the pulse signal. In this way, even if the operation of the main conveying path 110, the branching device 132, and the branching path 120 stops, the pulse signal receiving means converts the pulse signal from the start of the stopping of the main conveying path 110 to the end of the stopping into distance, making it possible to directly compensate for the coasting amount of the transported object.

[0045] When the full load of transported items in the branch path 120 is resolved, for example, and the transport operations of the main transport path 110, the branch device 132, and the branch path 120 can be resumed, the transport operations are resumed from the stopped state at the complete stop position 135c of the main transport path 110, the branch device 132, and the branch path 120. At this time, the normal conveying start position 135d of the main conveying path 110, branching device 132 and branching path 120 is defined as the distance traveled from the time the stop command is issued until the time the object is completely stopped, i.e., the distance equivalent to the distance from the position 135a where the stop command for the main conveying path 110, branching device 132 and branching path 120 is issued to the completely stopped position 135c of the main conveying path 110, branching device 132 and branching path 120, and the distance required for the object to accelerate from a stopped state to the specified conveying speed is defined as the distance to this position. After the normal conveyance start position 135d of the main conveyance path 110, the branching device 132, and the branching path 120, the conveyed object is conveyed on the main conveyance path 110, the branching device 132, and the branching path 120 as usual.

[0046] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various design modifications can be made without departing from the present invention as set forth in the claims. The transport system according to the present invention can be adapted to various layouts, and in addition to the above-described embodiment, the shape, size, and transport direction of the main transport path and branch paths can be freely changed. In the above-described embodiment, the branching mechanism 130 uses the branching device 132 having the branching rollers 133, but the branching mechanism may use other branching methods such as extrusion. This is also effective not only for stopping and restarting when the transport system is full, but also for emergency stopping or temporary suspension of the entire transport system due to other factors. [Explanation of symbols]

[0047] 100 ··· Conveyor system 110 Main conveying path 120 ··· Fork in the road 130 Branching mechanism 131 Branch sensor 132 Branching device 133 Diverting roller 133a First branch roller group 133b Second branch roller group 133c Third branch roller group 133d Fourth branch roller group 134a First diverting roller group diverting operation position 134b Second diverting roller group diverting operation position 134c Third diverting roller group diverting operation position 134d: Fourth diverting roller group diverting operation position 134e: A position equidistant from the complete stop position of the main conveying path 110, the branching device 132, and the branching path 120 135a: A position where a stop command is issued to the main transport path 110, the branching device 132, and the branching path 120. 135b: Count stop position of the integration timer 135c: Complete stop position of the main conveying path 110, the branching device 132, and the branching path 120 135d: Normal conveyance start position of the main conveyance path 110, the branching device 132, and the branching path 120 136 Passage control operation 137 Stop control operation 200 ··· Transported items

Claims

1. A conveyance system comprising: a main conveyance path for conveying an object; at least one branch path branching from the main conveyance path; and a branching mechanism for selectively transferring the object from the main conveyance path to the branch path, The diverting mechanism includes a diverting sensor that detects the transported article, a diverting device that performs diverting operation, and a diverting operation control unit that controls the diverting operation, the branching operation control unit controls the branching operation by supplementing the coasting amount of the transported object from the time of the stop command until the entire transport operation of the main transport path and the branching path is stopped, A conveying system having a stop complement function that restarts a branching operation in accordance with a complemented coasting amount when restarting the entire conveying operation.

2. the branching device includes a plurality of branching rollers rotatable in a conveying direction; 2. The conveying system according to claim 1, wherein the branching rollers are configured so that the conveying direction can be changed by changing the orientation of the rotation axis within a horizontal plane.

3. 2. The transport system according to claim 1, wherein the branching operation control unit includes an integrating timer means.

4. 2. The conveyance system according to claim 1, wherein the branching operation control unit includes a pulse signal receiving means.

5. 2. The transport system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of the branch paths and branch mechanisms are provided for the main transport path.

6. 2. The conveying system according to claim 1, wherein the main conveying path has an encoder for detecting rotation of a driving unit.

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