Conveying device

Abstract

The present invention provides a conveying device that eliminates the need to clean the conveying path used to transport containers. [Solution] The X-direction drive unit 120 is a first extrusion means that pushes the retracted container 3 to the serving position. The discharge drive unit 140 is a second extrusion means that pushes the container with the food placed in it from the serving position to the discharge destination. The suction pad 32 is a fixing means that fixes the container 3 at the serving position. The retraction drive unit 130 is a movement control means that moves the connecting plate 22, which is a movable plate, to a first position P1 when guiding the container 3 to the serving position and when guiding it to the discharge destination, and moves it to a second position P2 which is at least a predetermined distance from the container 3 at the serving position when food is being placed in it.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a conveying device used in a food automatic serving system.

Background Art

[0002] For the purpose of improving the efficiency of operations and services in restaurants, a food automatic serving system that automates the process of sorting and individually serving food is being used (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In this type of food automatic serving system, a conveying path is required to move the container to or from the food serving position. However, when using a belt conveyor as the conveying path, food may spill onto the belt conveyor during serving, or even if it does not spill during serving, food adhering to the side of the container or the like may fall onto the belt conveyor during conveyance, resulting in the contamination of the conveying path. This poses a problem in terms of hygiene. In addition, the cleaning work has to be done manually, which is troublesome.

[0005] An object of this invention is to provide a conveying device that can avoid contamination of the conveying path by food.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A conveying device according to one aspect of this invention includes means for drawing in a container, a movable plate on which to place the drawn-in container, a first pushing means for pushing the drawn-in container to a serving position, a second pushing means for pushing the container with food placed in it from the serving position to a discharge point, a fixing means for fixing the container at the serving position, and a movement control means for moving the movable plate to a first position when guiding the container to the serving position and when guiding it to the discharge point, and to a second position at a predetermined distance or more away from the container during food placement.

[0007] In a preferred embodiment, the system further includes a first transport path substantially connected to the movable plate in the first position for moving the retracted container substantially horizontally to the movable plate, and a second transport path substantially connected to the movable plate in the first position for moving the container substantially horizontally from the serving position to the discharge destination, wherein the transport direction of the first transport path and the transport direction of the second transport path are substantially perpendicular.

[0008] In another preferred embodiment, the movement control means has a mechanism for moving the movable plate in a horizontal and vertical direction, and the movable plate in the second position is stored below the first transport path.

[0009] In another preferred embodiment, the first extrusion means comprises a contact portion having a recess formed therein that contacts the container, and a driving means for driving the contact portion in a predetermined direction.

[0010] In another preferred embodiment, the fixing means has a mechanism that generates vertically downward pressure at the mounting position.

[0011] In another preferred embodiment, a plate portion is provided vertically below the serving position to receive food that was not placed in the container during serving, and the second position is a position in which the food falling onto the plate portion does not interfere with the movable plate.

[0012] In another preferred embodiment, the fixing means includes a support portion for supporting the container at the serving position, an adsorption portion for generating negative pressure, and a lifting mechanism for moving the adsorption portion vertically upward to a position in contact with the container when the container is supported by the support portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to this invention, the container is moved to the serving position by an extrusion mechanism and then to the discharge point. Furthermore, during food serving, the container is fixed in place, and the conveying plate retracts to a second position away from the container. As a result, contamination of the conveying path due to the serving process can be prevented. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This figure shows the basic configuration of an automatic food plating system, which is one embodiment of the conveying device according to this invention. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the basic configuration of the automated food plating system. [Figure 3] This is a schematic plan view illustrating the automated food plating system. [Figure 4] This is a schematic plan view illustrating the automated food plating system. [Figure 5] This is a schematic plan view illustrating the automated food plating system. [Figure 6] This is a plan view of the secondary buffer and serving section of the automated food serving system. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view of the secondary buffer and the plating section. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional view of the secondary buffer and the plating section. [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view of the secondary buffer and the plating section. [Figure 10] This is a cross-sectional view of the secondary buffer and the plating section. [Figure 11] This is a cross-sectional view of the secondary buffer and the plating section. [Figure 12]It is a cross-sectional view of the secondary buffer and the same filling part. [Figure 13] It is a cross-sectional view of the secondary buffer and the same filling part. [Figure 14] It is a cross-sectional view of the secondary buffer and the same filling part. [Figure 15] It is a cross-sectional view of the secondary buffer and the same filling part. [Figure 16] It is a cross-sectional view of the secondary buffer and the same filling part. [Figure 17] It is a cross-sectional view of the secondary buffer and the same filling part. [Figure 18] It is a cross-sectional view of the secondary buffer and the same filling part. [Figure 19] It is a cross-sectional view of the secondary buffer and the same filling part. [Figure 20] It is a cross-sectional view of the secondary buffer and the filling part in another embodiment of this invention. [Figure 21] It is a cross-sectional view of the secondary buffer and the same filling part. [Figure 22] It is a cross-sectional view of the secondary buffer and the same filling part. [Figure 23] It is a cross-sectional view of the secondary buffer and the same filling part. [Figure 24] It is a cross-sectional view of the secondary buffer and the same filling part. [Figure 25] It is a cross-sectional view of the secondary buffer and the same filling part. [Figure 26] It is a plan view of the pusher and the container in another embodiment of this invention.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of this invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0016] Figures 1 and 2 show the basic configuration of an automatic food plating system 1, which is one embodiment of the conveying device according to the present invention. The automatic food plating system 1 is installed, for example, near an existing conveying lane 2, and its basic configuration includes a primary buffer 10, a secondary buffer 20, a plating section 30, and a discharge buffer 40. Figure 2 is a simplified version of Figure 1, omitting parts of the conveying lane 2, internal frame, and other structures shown in Figure 1, in order to show the plating section 30 and discharge buffer 40, which could not be shown in Figure 1.

[0017] Figures 3 to 5 are schematic plan views showing the configuration of an automatic food plating system 1, which is one embodiment of the conveying device according to this invention. In order to prevent the drawings from becoming too complex, the components of the automatic food plating system 1 are schematically shown in Figures 3 to 5.

[0018] In the following description, we will assume an XYZ Cartesian coordinate system consisting of a Z-axis parallel to the vertical direction and X and Y axes that are mutually orthogonal and also orthogonal to the Z-axis, and explain the configuration of this embodiment. In the following, one side in the Z-axis direction may be referred to as the +Z direction or +Z side, and the other as the -Z direction or -Z side. Similarly, one side in the X-axis direction may be referred to as the +X direction or +X side, and the other as the -X direction or -X side, and one side in the Y-axis direction may be referred to as the +Y direction or +Y side, and the other as the -Y direction or -Y side.

[0019] In the illustrated example, the transport lane 2 is, for example, a belt conveyor that transports the container 3 in the X-axis direction. The automatic food plating system 1 is a system that pulls the container 3 transported by the transport lane 2 in the +Y direction, places food in the pulled-in container 3, and discharges the food-filled container 3 in the -Y direction and returns it to the transport lane 2. Here, the container 3 pulled from the transport lane 2 may be an empty container or a container that already has some food placed inside.

[0020] As shown in Figure 3, the automatic food plating system 1 includes a primary buffer 10, a secondary buffer 20, a plating unit 30, a discharge buffer 40, a plating robot 50, and a controller 60. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the automatic food plating system 1 also includes a Y-direction drive unit 110, an X-direction drive unit 120, a retraction drive unit 130, and a discharge drive unit 140. The controller 60 is a means for controlling each part of the automatic food plating system 1.

[0021] The primary buffer 10 is adjacent to the +Y side of the transport lane 2 and includes a storage section consisting of, for example, five shelves for accommodating containers 3, and a mechanism for raising and lowering this storage section in the Z-axis direction. The Y-direction drive unit 110 has a rod-shaped pusher 111 extending in the X-axis direction. When a container 3 is being retracted, the controller 60 adjusts the Z-axis position of the storage section of the primary buffer 10 so that the Z-axis position of the shelves on which no containers 3 are placed is the same as the Z-axis position of the upper surface of the transport lane 2. The controller 60 then moves the pusher 111 in the +Y direction using the Y-direction drive unit 110, pushing the container 3 on the transport lane 2 onto the shelves of the storage section of the primary buffer 10 by the pusher 111.

[0022] The secondary buffer 20 is adjacent to the primary buffer 10 on the +Y side and includes a plate portion on which the container 3 is placed. When there is space available in the secondary buffer 20, the controller 60 adjusts the Z-axis position of the storage section so that the Z-axis position of the shelf on which the container 3 is placed in the storage section of the primary buffer 10 is the same as the Z-axis position of the upper surface of the secondary buffer 20. The controller 60 then moves the pusher 111 in the +Y direction using the Y-direction drive unit 110, and moves the container 3 on the shelf of the primary buffer 10 to the secondary buffer 20 using the pusher 111.

[0023] The serving section 30 is adjacent to the +X side of the secondary buffer 20. This serving section 30 is the area where the serving robot 50 places food into the container 3 under the control of the controller 60. Specifically, the serving robot 50 consists of an arm, a gripping mechanism provided at the tip of the arm, and control mechanisms for these. It grasps a predetermined amount of food from a storage tray installed in a predetermined position, moves the arm to directly above the container 3 while gripping the food, releases the grip, and places the food into the container 3. The structure and control mechanism of the serving robot 50 are arbitrary. Furthermore, "food" refers not only to items defined by laws such as food hygiene regulations, but also to anything that is expected to be consumed by humans or animals. The X-direction drive unit 120 has a rod-shaped pusher 121 extending in the Y-axis direction.

[0024] When the serving unit 30 is ready to accept the container 3, the controller 60 moves the pusher 121 in the +X direction using the X-direction drive unit 120, and moves the container 3 on the secondary buffer 20 to the serving unit 30 using the pusher 121.

[0025] The discharge buffer 40 is an area sandwiched between the serving section 30 and the conveying lane 2, and includes a plate section on which the food-filled containers 3 are placed. The discharge drive section 140 has a rod-shaped pusher 141 extending in the X-axis direction.

[0026] After the food is placed in the container 3 in the serving section 30, the controller 60 moves the pusher 141 in the -Y direction using the discharge drive section 140, and the pusher 141 pushes the container 3 out of the serving section 30 to the discharge buffer 40.

[0027] Furthermore, the controller 60 moves the pusher 141 in the -Y direction using the discharge drive unit 140 at an appropriate timing to prevent collision between the container 3 discharged from the discharge buffer 40 and the container 3 flowing along the transport lane 2, thereby pushing the container 3 from the discharge buffer 40 to the transport lane 2 using the pusher 141.

[0028] In this embodiment, in order to prevent food spilled from container 3 from adhering to the transport path or food adhering to container 3 from adhering to the transport path, a movable plate is used to move container 3 from the secondary buffer 20 to the serving section 30 and from the serving section 30 to the discharge buffer 40. The retraction drive unit 130 is a means for controlling the movement of container 3 using this movable plate. Details of this retraction drive unit 130 will be described later.

[0029] Figure 6 is a plan view showing the detailed configuration of the secondary buffer 20 and the serving section 30. As shown in Figure 6, a hollow cylindrical serving base 31 is positioned near the center of the serving section 30 with its top surface facing the +Z side. Inside this serving base 31, a circular suction pad 32 is positioned with its top surface (suction surface) facing the +Z side.

[0030] The secondary buffer 20 adjacent to the -X side of the serving section 30 has a roughly rectangular plate section 21 for placing the container 3. A roughly rectangular connecting plate 22 is stored on the -Z side of this plate section 21. This connecting plate 22 is a movable plate for placing the container 3 that has been pulled up to the secondary buffer 20, and is movable in the X-axis and Z-axis directions. The connecting plate 22 has a recess 22a on its +X side for accommodating the serving table 31 from the side. The connecting plate 22 is movable from a second position, which is stored below (-Z side) the plate section 21, to a first position, specifically, a position where the recess 22a contacts the serving table 31.

[0031] Figures 7 to 19 are cross-sectional views of the secondary buffer 20 and the serving section 30. Figures 7 to 19 show the state of the secondary buffer 20 and the serving section 30 during the process from when the container 3 moves to the serving section 30, when food is placed in the container 3, and when it is discharged from the serving section 30.

[0032] As shown in Figure 7, the upper surface of the plate portion 21 of the secondary buffer 20 and the upper surface of the serving table 31 are at the same position in the Z-axis direction.

[0033] The serving section 30 comprises a serving base 31, a suction pad 32, an air cylinder 33, and a plate section 34. Here, the serving base 31, the suction pad 32, and the air cylinder 33 constitute fixing means for fixing the container 3 at the serving position. More specifically, the serving base 31 is a support section that supports the container 3 at the serving position. The suction pad 32 is a suction section that generates vertical downward pressure, i.e., negative pressure, at the serving position. The air cylinder 33 is a lifting mechanism that moves the suction pad 32, which is the suction section, vertically upward (+Z direction) to a position where it contacts the container 3 when the container 3 is supported by the serving base 31, which is the support section. The plate section 34 is provided on the vertical downward side around the serving position. This plate section 34 has a larger area than the container 3 on the serving base 31 and plays the role of receiving food that is not contained in the container 3 during serving.

[0034] In the region of the secondary buffer 20, the linear guide 131 and the linear slider 132 constitute means for driving the air cylinder 133 in the X-axis direction. The air cylinder 133 is means for driving the gangway plate 22 in the Z-axis direction. The linear guide 131, the linear slider 132, and the air cylinder 133 constitute the retraction drive unit 130. That is, the retraction drive unit 130, which is a movement control means, includes a mechanism for moving the gangway plate 22, which is a movable plate, in the horizontal and vertical directions.

[0035] This retraction drive unit 130 is a movement control means that moves the movable plate, the connecting plate 22, to a first position when guiding the container 3 to the serving position and when guiding it to the discharge destination, while moving it to a second position at a predetermined distance or more away from the container 3 during food serving.

[0036] Figure 7 shows the state of each part before the container 3 is guided to the serving position. Therefore, in Figure 7, the connecting plate 22 is not in the first position, but is located on the -Z side of the plate portion 21. Also, in Figure 7, the container 3 is placed on the +Z side of the plate portion 21.

[0037] When guiding the container 3 to the serving position, as shown in Figure 8, the retraction drive unit 130, under the control of the controller 60, drives the connecting plate 22 in the +X direction using the linear guide 131 and the linear slider 132, moving the connecting plate 22 to a first position P1 where the recess 22a contacts the serving table 31.

[0038] Next, as shown in Figure 9, the retraction drive unit 130, under the control of the controller 60, drives the gangway plate 22 in the +Z direction using the air cylinder 133, so that the position of the upper surface of the gangway plate 22 in the Z-axis direction coincides with the position of the top surface of the serving table 31 in the Z-axis direction. In this state, the upper surface of the plate portion 21 of the secondary buffer 20, the upper surface of the gangway plate 22, and the top surface of the serving table 31 form the same horizontal plane. At this time, the plate portion 21 of the secondary buffer 20 is substantially connected to the gangway plate 22 at the first position P1 and functions as a first transport path for substantially moving the retracted container 3 to the gangway plate 22 in a horizontal direction.

[0039] Next, as shown in Figure 10, the controller 60 moves the pusher 121 in the +X direction using the X-direction drive unit 120, pushing the container 3 from the plate portion 21 of the secondary buffer 20 to the serving position on the serving table 31. At this time, the container 3 discharged from the plate portion 21 slides along the upper surface of the connecting plate 22 to reach the serving position.

[0040] Next, as shown in Figure 11, the controller 60 moves the suction pad 32 in the +Z direction using the air cylinder 33, bringing it into contact with the bottom of the container 3 on the serving table 31. Then, the controller 60 turns on the suction pad 32, and the suction pad 32 uses the suction pad 32 to suction the bottom of the container 3, fixing the container 3 in the serving position on the serving table 31.

[0041] Next, the retraction drive unit 130, under the control of the controller 60, moves the gangway plate 22 in the -Z direction using the air cylinder 133, as shown in Figure 12.

[0042] Next, under the control of the controller 60, the retraction drive unit 130 drives the connecting plate 22 in the -X direction using the linear guide 131 and the linear slider 132, as shown in Figure 13, to move the connecting plate 122, which is a movable plate, to a second position P2 (in the illustrated example, a position below the plate portion 21) which is at least a predetermined distance from the serving position (the position of the serving table 31). In this state, the controller 60 causes the serving robot 50 to serve food onto the container 3 on the serving table 31. Here, the second position P2 is a position where the food falling onto the plate portion 34 does not interfere with the connecting plate 22, which is a movable plate.

[0043] Once the food plating is complete, the retraction drive unit 130, under the control of the controller 60, drives the connecting plate 22 in the +X direction using the linear guide 131 and the linear slider 132, as shown in Figure 14, to move the movable connecting plate 122 to the first position P1.

[0044] Next, under the control of the controller 60, the pull-in drive unit 130 drives the gangway plate 22 in the +Z direction using the air cylinder 133, as shown in Figure 15, so that the position of the upper surface of the gangway plate 22 in the Z-axis direction coincides with the position of the top surface of the serving table 31 in the Z-axis direction. In this state, the upper surface of the gangway plate 22, the top surface of the serving table 31, and the upper surface of the plate portion of the discharge buffer 40 form the same horizontal plane. At this time, the plate portion of the discharge buffer 40 is substantially connected to the gangway plate 22 at the first position P1 and functions as a second transport path for moving the container 3 substantially horizontally from the serving position to the discharge destination. In this embodiment, the first transport path and the second transport path are perpendicular.

[0045] Next, as shown in Figure 16, the controller 60 turns off the suction pad 32 and moves the suction pad 32 in the -Z direction using the air cylinder 133.

[0046] Next, as shown in Figure 17, the controller 60 moves the pusher 141 in the -Y direction to the discharge drive unit 140, pushing the container 3 from the serving table 31 to the discharge buffer 40. At this time, the container 3 discharged from the serving table 31 slides along the upper surface of the connecting plate 22 to reach the discharge buffer 40. Next, the controller 60 moves the pusher 141 in the -Y direction to the discharge drive unit 140, pushing the container 3 from the discharge buffer 40 to the conveyor lane 2 by the pusher 141.

[0047] Next, as shown in Figure 18, the retraction drive unit 130 moves the gangway plate 22 in the -Z direction under the control of the controller 60.

[0048] Next, as shown in Figure 19, the pull-in drive unit 130, under the control of the controller 60, drives the connecting plate 22 in the -X direction, moving it to the second position P2. In this way, the secondary buffer 20 and the serving unit 30 return to the state shown in Figure 7. Then, when the container 3 is pulled into the secondary buffer 20, the same operation as described above is repeated.

[0049] As described above, in this embodiment, the container 3 is slid along the road surface (for example, the plate portion 21 and the connecting plate 22) by being pushed out by a pusher. In addition, in this embodiment, during the serving process, the connecting plate 22, which is the transport surface, is moved to the second position P2 to prevent soiling, and is moved to the first position P1 only when transporting. This prevents the transport path from becoming soiled. Also, since the container 3 does not move during serving, the possibility of food spilling from the container 3 is reduced.

[0050] <Other Embodiments> The above describes one embodiment of the present invention, but other embodiments are possible. For example, the following:

[0051] (1) In the above embodiment, an adsorption pad 32 that generates negative pressure to adsorb the container 3 was used. However, when using the adsorption pad 32, it is necessary to retract the adsorption pad 32 during the movement of the container 3 in order to avoid interference between the adsorption pad 32 and the container 3. Therefore, in another embodiment of this invention, a Bernoulli gripper is used instead of the adsorption pad 32. This Bernoulli gripper is a device that attracts an object by the Bernoulli effect of the ejected airflow.

[0052] Figures 20 to 25 are cross-sectional views of the secondary buffer 20 and the serving section 30 in this embodiment. Figures 20 to 24 show the state of each part from when the container 3, which has been drawn into the secondary buffer 20, moves to the serving position and when the food is served. In these Figures 20 to 25, the suction pad 32 of the above embodiment is replaced with a Bernoulli gripper 36.

[0053] In Figure 20, the container 3 is on the plate portion 21 of the secondary buffer 20. The connecting plate 22 is stored below the plate portion 21. When guiding the container 3 to the serving position, the controller 60 moves the connecting plate 22 to the first position P1 as shown in Figure 21, and then raises the upper surface of the connecting plate 22 to the height of the top surface of the serving table 31 as shown in Figure 22.

[0054] Then, as shown in Figure 23, the controller 60 pushes the container 3 to the serving position using the pusher 121 and turns on the Bernoulli gripper 36. Next, as shown in Figure 24, the controller 60 moves the connecting plate 22 in the -Z direction, and then, as shown in Figure 25, drives the connecting plate 22 in the -X direction to move it to the second position P2. Then, the controller 60 uses the serving robot 50 to serve the food into the container 3 at the serving position.

[0055] Although not shown in the diagram, the movement of container 3 from the serving position to the discharge point is basically the same as described above.

[0056] As described above, according to this embodiment, since it is unnecessary to bring the suction part (Bernoulli gripper 36) into contact with the container 3 and then retract it from the container 3, the efficiency of the serving work can be increased. In this embodiment, since it is not necessary to raise or lower the suction part, the air cylinder 33 may be replaced with a simple support member that does not have a raising or lowering function.

[0057] (2) If the container 3 is cylindrical or the like, and the area of ​​the region that contacts the pusher is small, when the container 3 is pushed out by the pusher, the container 3 may rotate or otherwise shift along the longitudinal direction of the pusher (i.e., it may not move parallel to the transport path). To solve this problem, in another embodiment of the present invention, the pusher 121c shown in Figure 26 is used.

[0058] The pusher 121c has a recess, specifically a V-shaped groove 121cc, which contacts the container 3c. By using this pusher 121c, the container 3c and the pusher contact at two points, making it difficult for rotational force to be generated on the container 3, and thus reducing the component of the force applied to the container 3c that is perpendicular to the transport path. Note that the shape of the groove is not limited to a V shape; it can be a shape that is substantially symmetrical with respect to the transport direction, and may be partially or entirely composed of a curved surface such as a parabola.

[0059] The present invention may also be used to transport items other than food in a container. In this case, the above-mentioned "serving" may be read as "packaging" or "packing," etc. That is, the transport device according to the present invention only needs to include means for drawing in a container, a movable plate on which to place the drawn-in container, a first pushing means for pushing the drawn-in container to a packaging position, a second pushing means for pushing the container containing the object from the packaging position to a discharge point, a fixing means for fixing the container at the packaging position, and a movement control means for moving the movable plate to a first position when guiding the container to the packaging position and when guiding it to the discharge point, and to a second position at a predetermined distance or more away from the container during the packaging of the object. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0060] 1...Automatic food plating system, 2...Conveyor lane, 3,3c...Container, 10...Primary buffer, 20...Secondary buffer, 30...Plating unit, 40...Discharge buffer, 50...Plating robot, 60...Controller, 110...Y-direction drive unit, 120...X-direction drive unit, 130...Retraction drive unit, 140...Discharge drive unit, 111,121,141,121c...Pusher, 121cc...V-groove, 21...Plate section, 22...Connecting plate, 131...Linear guide, 132...Linear slider, 133,33...Air cylinder, 31...Plating table, 32...Suction pad, 34...Plate section.

Claims

1. A means of drawing in the container, A movable plate on which the retracted container is placed, A first extrusion means pushes the retracted container to the serving position, A second extrusion means for pushing a container filled with food from the serving position to the discharge point, Fixing means for fixing the container at the serving position, Movement control means for moving the movable plate to a first position when guiding the container to the serving position and when guiding it to the discharge destination, and to a second position at a predetermined distance or more away from the container during the serving of food. A conveying device having

2. A first transport path substantially connected to the movable plate in the first position, for substantially horizontally moving the retracted container to the movable plate, A second transport path substantially connected to the movable plate in the first position, for substantially moving the container substantially horizontally from the serving position to the discharge destination, Furthermore, The conveying direction of the first conveying path and the conveying direction of the second conveying path are approximately perpendicular. The conveying device according to claim 1.

3. The movement control means has a mechanism for moving the movable plate in the horizontal and vertical directions. In the second position, the movable plate is stored below the first transport path. The conveying device according to claim 2.

4. The first extrusion means is A recess is formed and the contact portion comes into contact with the container, A driving means for driving the contact portion in a predetermined direction, The conveying device according to claim 1, comprising:

5. The fixing means has a mechanism that generates vertical downward pressure at the mounting position. The conveying device according to claim 1.

6. A plate portion is provided vertically below the serving position to receive any food that was not placed in the container during serving. The second position is a position in which the food falling onto the plate does not interfere with the movable plate. The conveying device according to claim 1.

7. The aforementioned fixing means is A support portion that supports the container at the aforementioned serving position, A suction part that generates negative pressure, A lifting mechanism moves the suction part vertically upward to a position where it contacts the container when the container is supported by the support part, Having, The conveying device according to claim 1.

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