Conveyor roller

Abstract

The present invention provides a conveying roller that allows the conveyed object to slide axially, independently of the roller's rotation. [Solution] A conveying roller comprising: a cylindrical inner roller that is rotatable around an axis; a guide slot provided on the outer surface of the inner roller along the axial direction; a slide drive mechanism housed inside the inner roller; a slide movement mechanism that is movable in the axial direction inside the inner roller by the slide drive mechanism; and a cylindrical outer roller that is fitted onto the inner roller, rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the inner roller, is connected to the slide movement mechanism via the guide slot, and is movable in the axial direction in conjunction with the movement of the slide movement mechanism.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present disclosure relates to a conveyor roller used for roller conveyance.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 below discloses a method for controlling the direction of a conveyed object in roller conveyance, in which the conveyor roller has a function of controlling the direction of the conveyed object, so that there is no need to separately provide a special direction control mechanism.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The conveyor roller disclosed in Patent Document 1 is a mechanism that slides the conveyed object in the lateral direction with respect to the conveyance direction while rotating the roller, so that only a slight distance can be slid per one rotation of the roller.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a conveyor roller capable of sliding a conveyed object in the axial direction independently of the rotation of the roller.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] A conveying roller according to an aspect of the present disclosure comprises a cylindrical inner roller rotatable about an axis, a guide slot provided axially along the outer surface of the inner roller, a slide drive mechanism housed within the inner roller, a slide movement mechanism movable axially within the inner roller by the slide drive mechanism, and a cylindrical outer roller fitted onto the inner roller, which rotates with the rotation of the inner roller and is connected to the slide movement mechanism via the guide slot, and which is movable axially in conjunction with the movement of the slide movement mechanism.

[0007] With the above configuration, the outer roller can slide axially as the sliding movement mechanism inside the inner roller moves axially by the sliding drive mechanism, independently of the rotation of the inner roller of the conveyor roller.

[0008] In the above-described conveying roller, the slide drive mechanism preferably comprises a motor, a ball screw rotatably projecting from the motor along its axis, a front bracket rotatably supporting the tip of the ball screw, a rear bracket rotatably supporting the rear end of the ball screw, and a slide guide extending parallel to the ball screw, with its tip fixed to the front bracket and its rear end fixed to the rear bracket. The slide movement mechanism preferably comprises a movable nut externally fitted onto the ball screw and movable in conjunction with the rotation of the ball screw, and a nut holder that holds the movable nut and through which the slide guide passes.

[0009] With the above configuration, as the ball screw of the slide drive mechanism rotates, the moving nut of the slide trajectory mechanism can move axially along the slide guide together with the nut holder.

[0010] In the above-described conveying roller, it is preferable that the sliding mechanism further comprises a connecting bearing mounted on the outer circumference of the nut holder, a connecting holder rotatably mounted on the outer circumference of the connecting bearing, and a connecting projection that protrudes outward from the connecting holder and connects to the outer roller by passing through the guide elongated hole.

[0011] With the above configuration, the connecting holder is rotatable relative to the nut holder by the connecting bearing. This allows the outer roller, which is connected to the connecting holder by the connecting projection, to rotate together with the inner roller.

[0012] In the above-described conveying roller, it is preferable that the sliding mechanism further includes a pair of cam followers mounted on the nut holder so as to clamp both sides of the slide guide.

[0013] With the above configuration, the nut holder can move stably in the axial direction along the slide guide.

[0014] In the above-described conveying roller, it is desirable that the guide elongated hole is covered with a dust guard having a slit formed therein, through which the connecting projection protrudes and slides in the axial direction.

[0015] The above configuration prevents dust from entering the inside of the conveyor roller through the guide slots. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] As the embodiments of this disclosure are configured as described above, it is possible to provide a conveying roller that allows the conveyed object to slide in the axial direction independently of the rotation of the roller. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] A perspective view showing the conveyor roller and drive roller of this embodiment. [Figure 2]Perspective view showing the state of the conveying roller excluding the outer roller and the inner roller. [Figure 3] Exploded view of the components of the conveying roller in the state shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] Cross-sectional view showing the state in which the outer roller is located at the rearmost position in the conveying roller shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 5] Cross-sectional view showing the state in which the outer roller is located at the foremost position in the conveying roller shown in FIG. 1.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings referred to below are schematically shown for the purpose of explaining the invention, and do not necessarily accurately represent the dimensions and ratios of actual products. Also, the reference numerals commonly attached to each drawing indicate common members, parts, or configurations even if not mentioned in the description of each drawing.

[0019] In the present application, regarding the axial sliding movement of the outer roller 30 (see FIG. 1), the direction in which the sliding mechanism 50 (see FIG. 2) moves away from the motor 41 (see FIG. 2) is defined as "front", and the direction in which it approaches is defined as "rear". Also, regarding each member, the end located on the front side is defined as the "tip", and the end located on the rear side is defined as the "rear end". Specifically, the front side in FIGS. 1 to 3 and the left side in FIGS. 4 and 5 are defined as "front", and the opposite side is defined as "rear".

[0020] (1) Appearance FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the transport roller 10 of the present embodiment and the drive roller 60 that rotates the transport roller 10. The transport roller 10 includes a cylindrical inner roller 20 that is rotatable around an axis, and an outer roller 30 that is externally inserted into the inner roller 20. A passive pulley 17 that is rotatable together with the inner roller 20 is attached to the tip of the inner roller 20. A front shaft 11 that is non-rotatably supported by a support frame (not shown) is provided at the tip of the inner roller 20. On the other hand, a rear shaft 12 (see FIGS. 3 to 5) that is non-rotatably supported by a support frame (not shown) is provided at the rear end of the inner roller 20. A connector 18 that supplies power and control information to a slide drive mechanism 40 (see FIGS. 2, 4, and 5) installed inside the inner roller 20 is provided through the rear shaft 12.

[0021] A guide elongated hole 21 is provided along the axial direction on the outer surface of the inner roller 20. The guide elongated hole 21 is covered with a rubber dust guard 22, and a slit 23 is formed along the axial direction at the center of the dust guard 22. The outer roller 30 is formed in a cylindrical shape. In the present embodiment, a pair of semi-cylindrical members are combined to form a cylindrical shape. In the present embodiment, a plurality of fastening rings 32 are fitted on the outer periphery of the outer cylinder 31. Note that the outer cylinder 31 may be used alone without using the fastening rings 32. Also, instead of the fastening rings 32, for example, a rubber ring or a resin ring for anti-slip may be used. Further, irregularities or grooves may be formed on the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder 31, or the outer periphery of the outer cylinder 31 may be coated with resin or the like. The outer roller 30 is connected via the guide elongated hole 21 to a slide movement mechanism 50 (see FIGS. 2, 4, and 5) by a connecting projection 56. Thereby, as will be described later, the outer roller 30 is movable in the axial direction along the guide elongated hole 21 in conjunction with the slide movement mechanism 50.

[0022] The conveyor roller 10 is mounted alongside the drive roller 60. A drive motor (not shown) is built into the drive roller 60, and it rotates on its own around its axis when driven by this drive motor. A drive pulley 61 that rotates together with the drive roller 60 is attached to the tip of the drive roller 60. A drive belt 62 is stretched between the drive pulley 61 and the passive pulley 17 of the inner roller 20. As a result, the rotation of the drive roller 60 is transmitted to the inner roller 20 via the drive belt 62, causing the inner roller 20 to rotate passively.

[0023] (2) Internal structure Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the internal structure of the conveyor roller 10 from Figure 1, with the outer roller 30 and inner roller 20 removed. Inside the conveyor roller 10, a slide drive mechanism 40 is provided, which includes a motor 41 controlled by a motor board 41B, a ball screw 42 rotatably projecting from the motor 41 along its axis, a front bracket 44 that rotatably supports the tip of the ball screw 42, a rear bracket 46 that rotatably supports the rear end of the ball screw 42, and a slide guide 43 that extends parallel to the ball screw 42, with its tip fixed to the front bracket 44 and its rear end fixed to the rear bracket 46.

[0024] As described above, the slide drive mechanism 40 is fixed to the non-rotating front shaft 11 and the rear shaft 12 through which the connector 18 passes (see Figures 3 to 5). However, the front housing 13 and rear housing 14, on which the passive pulley 17 is formed, can rotate freely relative to the front shaft 11 and rear shaft 12, as will be described later. Furthermore, the slide movement mechanism 50 can move back and forth along the slide guide 43 as the ball screw 42 rotates. An annular connecting holder 55 that is rotatable relative to the slide movement mechanism 50 is fitted to the outer circumference of the slide movement mechanism 50, as will be described later. As described above, a connecting projection 56 that connects to the outer roller 30 is provided protruding outward from the connecting holder.

[0025] (3) Assembly drawing of parts Figure 3 is a parts assembly diagram of the transport roller 10 in the state shown in Figure 2. A roughly cylindrical rear housing 14 is mounted on a roughly rod-shaped rear shaft 12 through which a connector 18 is inserted. A circuit board holder 41C, on which a motor circuit board 41B is mounted, is interposed between the rear housing 14 and the motor 41 located in front of it. An annular bracket ring 49 is screwed to the front end of the motor 41 by a holder screw 49A. A roughly cylindrical rear bracket 46 with a through-center is screwed in front of this bracket ring 49 by a rear bracket screw 46A.

[0026] Furthermore, a roughly cylindrical movable nut 51 with a female thread formed in the center is screwed onto the front end of the ball screw 42. Meanwhile, a roughly cylindrical nut holder 52 with a through-center is inserted from the rear of the ball screw 42. In this state, the movable nut 51 is screwed onto the nut holder 52 by a nut screw 51A. An annular connecting bearing 54 is mounted on the outer circumference of the rear end of the nut holder 52. An annular connecting holder 55 is also mounted on the outer circumference of the connecting bearing 54. The connecting holder 55 is provided with a connecting projection 56 as described above. The rear of the connecting bearing 54 is fixed by an annular connecting bearing support 54A. The rear end of the ball screw 42 is inserted into a roughly cylindrical coupling hub 48. An annular rear bearing 47 is mounted on the outer circumference of the coupling hub 48. The coupling hub 48 is inserted into the rear bracket 46. The rear bearing 47 is fixed by a rear bearing support 47A which is screwed onto the rear bracket 46 by a rear bearing screw 47B.

[0027] Meanwhile, a roughly cylindrical front housing 13, on which a passive pulley 17 is formed, has a roughly rod-shaped front shaft 11 inserted through it. A roughly cylindrical front bracket 44 is attached to the rear of the front housing 13. The rear end of the front shaft 11 is inserted through the center of this front bracket 44. An annular front bearing 45 is attached to the front bracket 44 from the rear. The tip of a ball screw 42 is inserted into this front bearing 45.

[0028] As shown in Figure 4, the front and rear ends of the elongated plate-shaped slide guide 43, which has an arc-shaped cross-section, are inserted into the rear end of the front bracket 44 and the front end of the rear bracket 46, respectively. The front end of the slide guide 43 is fixed to the front bracket 44 by a front guide screw 43A. The rear end of the slide guide 43 is fixed to the rear bracket 46 by a rear guide screw 43B. A pair of annular cam followers 53 are mounted from above to both ends of the roughly rectangular follower holder 53A. Each of the pair of cam followers 53 abuts against both sides of the slide guide 43 and is slidable along the slide guide 43. The follower holder 53A with the cam followers 53 mounted in this manner is screwed into the nut holder 52 by a follower holder screw 53B.

[0029] With the above assembly, the conveyor roller 10 will be in the state shown in Figure 2. In practice, with all the parts shown in Figure 3 except the front housing 13 through which the front shaft 11 is inserted assembled, the inner roller 20 with the outer roller 30 fitted onto it is fitted from the front end. Then, with the rear end of the inner roller 20 fitted onto the outer circumference of the rear housing 14 and abutting against the flange at the rear end of the rear housing 14, the front housing 13 is inserted from the front end of the inner roller 20 to obtain the conveyor roller 10 shown in Figure 1.

[0030] (4) Operation Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the outer roller 30 in its rearmost position in the conveyor roller 10 shown in Figure 1. Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view showing the outer roller 30 in its frontmost position in the conveyor roller 10 shown in Figure 1. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the slide drive mechanism 40 comprises a motor 41 including a motor shaft 41A and a motor board 41B, a ball screw 42, a slide guide 43, a front bracket 44, a front bearing 45, a rear bracket 46, a rear bearing 47, a coupling hub 48, and a bracket ring 49. The slide movement mechanism 50 comprises a movement nut 51, a nut holder 52, a cam follower 53 (see Figure 3) held by a follower holder 53A, a connecting bearing 54, and a connecting holder 55 having a connecting projection 56.

[0031] The rear end of the ball screw 42 is connected to the motor shaft 41A via a coupling hub 48. The rotation of the motor shaft 41A is transmitted to the ball screw 42 through the coupling hub 48, causing the ball screw 42 to rotate. However, the front bearing 45 and rear bearing 47 allow the ball screw 42 to rotate freely relative to the front bracket 44 and rear bracket 46.

[0032] In other words, even when the ball screw 42 rotates, the front bracket 44 and rear bracket 46 remain fixed to the front shaft 11 and rear shaft 12, respectively, and do not rotate. Furthermore, the slide movement mechanism 50 is prevented from rotating with the rotation of the ball screw 42 by the slide guide 43, but instead moves forward with the forward rotation of the ball screw 42 and backward with the reverse rotation. Accordingly, the outer roller 30, which is connected to the connecting holder 55 by the connecting projection 56, moves forward along the guide slot 21 to the position shown in Figure 5 and backward to the position shown in Figure 4 as the slide movement mechanism 50 moves forward and backward.

[0033] Here, the front housing 13 can rotate freely relative to the fixed front shaft 11 by a pair of front roller bearings 15 interposed between it and the front shaft 11. Similarly, the rear housing 14 can rotate freely relative to the fixed rear shaft 12 by a rear roller bearing 16 interposed between it and the rear shaft 12. The inner roller 20 has a structure in which the front housing 13 and the rear housing 14 are fixed to both ends.

[0034] As described above, the inner roller 20 rotates freely relative to the fixed front shaft 11 and rear shaft 12 via the drive belt 62 between it and the drive roller 60. This rotation of the inner roller 20 is transmitted to the outer roller 30 via the connecting projection 56. The connecting holder 55 on which the connecting projection 56 is formed rotates freely relative to the nut holder 52 via the connecting bearing 54. Therefore, the outer roller 30 rotates in conjunction with the inner roller 20 and can slide back and forth in the axial direction by the sliding mechanism 50.

[0035] Furthermore, by sliding the outer roller 30 axially back and forth by the sliding mechanism 50, the conveyed object on the conveying roller 10 can be moved to a desired position in the left-right direction relative to the direction of travel, for example, just before the branching point of the roller conveyor mechanism, by the sliding of the outer roller 30.

[0036] (5) Others The dust guard 22 prevents dust from entering the conveyor roller 10 through the guide elongated hole 21. The dust guard 22 remains closed by aligning with the slit 23, but because the front and rear of the connecting projection 56 are formed in a wedge shape, it is possible for the dust guard 22 to move forward and switch positions by pushing aside the slit 23.

[0037] Furthermore, the motor 41 may be equipped with either a reduction mechanism or a brake, or both. In addition, it is desirable that the motor 41 be equipped with an encoder to control the movement of the sliding mechanism 50 from the position shown in Figure 4 to the desired position shown in Figure 5.

[0038] In the above embodiment, the transport roller 10 is described as a free roller that rotates passively by the drive roller 60. However, the disclosure is not limited thereto, and it is also possible to equip the drive roller 60 with the functions of the transport roller 10 of this disclosure by separately providing the drive roller 60 with the guide slot 21, outer roller 30, slide drive mechanism 40 and slide moving mechanism 50 described above.

[0039] Furthermore, although the above embodiment describes an example in which the bracket ring 49, rear bracket 46, movable nut 51, rear bearing 47, slide guide 43, follower holder 53A, etc., are screwed in, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, these components may be fixed by methods other than screwing (i.e., fixing methods that do not use screws). Examples of fixing methods that do not use screws include riveting, crimping or fitting, bonding, welding or welding. Alternatively, the component to be screwed in and the component to be screwed in may be formed as a single unit to eliminate the need for screwing.

[0040] As described above, the conveyor roller 10 described in this embodiment comprises a cylindrical inner roller 20 that is rotatable around an axis, a guide slot 21 provided on the outer surface of the inner roller 20 along the axial direction, a slide drive mechanism 40 housed inside the inner roller 20, a slide movement mechanism 50 that can move axially inside the inner roller 20 by the slide drive mechanism 40, and a cylindrical outer roller 30 that is fitted onto the inner roller 20 and rotates with the rotation of the inner roller 20, and is connected to the slide movement mechanism 50 via the guide slot 21, and can move axially in conjunction with the movement of the slide movement mechanism 50.

[0041] In the above-described transport roller 10, the slide drive mechanism 40 preferably includes a motor 41, a ball screw 42 rotatably projecting from the motor 41 along its axis, a front bracket 44 that rotatably supports the tip of the ball screw 42, a rear bracket 46 that rotatably supports the rear end of the ball screw 42, and a slide guide 43 that extends parallel to the ball screw 42, with its tip fixed to the front bracket 44 and its rear end fixed to the rear bracket 46. The slide moving mechanism 50 preferably includes a movable nut 51 that is externally fitted onto the ball screw 42 and is movable in conjunction with the rotation of the ball screw 42, and a nut holder 52 that holds the movable nut 51 and through which the slide guide 43 passes.

[0042] Furthermore, in the above-described transport roller 10, it is desirable that the sliding movement mechanism 50 further includes a connecting bearing 54 mounted on the outer circumference of the nut holder 52, a connecting holder 55 rotatably mounted on the outer circumference of the connecting bearing 54, and a connecting projection 56 that protrudes outward from the connecting holder 55 and connects to the outer roller 30 by passing through the guide elongated hole 21.

[0043] Furthermore, in the above-described conveyor roller 10, it is desirable that the slide movement mechanism 50 further includes a pair of cam followers 53 mounted on the nut holder 52 so as to sandwich both sides of the slide guide 43. In addition, in the above-described conveyor roller 10, it is desirable that the guide elongated hole 21 is covered with a dust guard 22 having a slit 23 formed therein, from which the connecting projection 56 protrudes and slides in the axial direction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0044] 10 Conveyor roller 11 Front shaft 12 Rear shaft 13 Front housing 14 Rear housing 15 Front roller bearing 16 Rear roller bearing 17 Passive pulley 18 Connector 20 Inner roller 21 Guide slot 22 Dust guard 23 slits 30 Outer roller 31 Outer cylinder 32 Fastening ring 40 Slide drive mechanism 41 Motor 41A Motor shaft 41B Motor board 41C Board holder 42 Ball screw 43 Slide guide 43A Front guide screw 43B Rear guide screw 44 Front bracket 45 Front bearing 46 Rear bracket 46A Rear bracket screws 47 Rear bearings 47A Rear Bearing Support 47B Rear bearing screw 48 Coupling hub 49 Bracket ring 49A Bracket ring screw 50 Slide mechanism 51 Moving nut 51A Moving nut screw 52 Nut holder 53 Cam follower 53A Follower holder 53B Follower holder screw 54 Connecting bearing 54A Linked Bearing Support 55 Connecting holder 56 Connecting projection 60 Drive roller 61 Drive pulley 62 Drive belt

Claims

1. A cylindrical inner roller that can rotate freely around the axis, A guide elongated hole is provided on the outer surface of the inner roller along the axial direction, The slide drive mechanism housed within the inner roller, The slide drive mechanism provides a slide movement mechanism that can move axially within the inner roller, A cylindrical outer roller is fitted onto the inner roller and rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the inner roller, and is connected to the slide movement mechanism via the guide elongated hole, and is movable in the axial direction in conjunction with the movement of the slide movement mechanism, A conveyor roller equipped with a conveyor roller.

2. The aforementioned slide drive mechanism is Motor and, A ball screw is provided to rotatably protrude from the motor along its axis, A front bracket that rotatably supports the tip of the ball screw, A rear bracket that rotatably supports the rear end of the ball screw, A slide guide extends parallel to the ball screw, with its tip fixed to the front bracket and its rear end fixed to the rear bracket, It has, The aforementioned sliding mechanism is A movable nut is fitted onto the ball screw and is movable as the ball screw rotates, A nut holder that holds the aforementioned movable nut and through which the slide guide passes, A conveying roller according to claim 1, having the following features.

3. The aforementioned sliding mechanism is A connecting bearing is mounted on the outer circumference of the nut holder, A connecting holder is rotatably mounted on the outer circumference of the aforementioned connecting bearing, A connecting projection is provided that protrudes outward from the connecting holder and passes through the guide elongated hole to connect with the outer roller, The conveying roller according to claim 2, further comprising the above.

4. The conveying roller according to claim 3, further comprising a pair of cam followers mounted on the nut holder so as to clamp both sides of the slide guide.

5. The transport roller according to claim 4, wherein the guide elongated hole is covered with a dust guard having a slit formed therein that allows the connecting projection to protrude and slide in the axial direction.

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