Exterior component mounting device

Abstract

To accurately and surely attach an exterior member to an outer surface of an article during conveyance without lowering speed of the article.SOLUTION: An attachment part has: a holding cylinder part 32 which holds an exterior member Th on an outer peripheral surface and in which the outer peripheral surface rotates along a moving direction of an article Pc; a claw part 33 which has a recessed part 333 for detaching the exterior member held by the holding cylinder part 32 and holding it; and a link mechanism 34. The link mechanism 34 has at least three movable links, and is formed so as to move the claw part 33 so that the recessed part 333 moves in a conveying direction of the article while pressing the exterior member Th against the article Pc. A control device 800 controls so as to change rotational speed of the holding cylinder part 32 and working speed of the link mechanism according to conveying speed of the article.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an exterior member attachment device for attaching an exterior member to the outer surface of an article being transported. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is a straw attachment device that attaches a straw to a packaging container being transported. In this straw attachment device, a molten attachment medium is attached to the packaging container, and the straw is pressed against the packaging container via the molten attachment medium (for example, see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-298486 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the straw attachment device of Patent Document 1, the straw is pressed against the side of the packaging container during transport in a direction intersecting the transport direction, which may result in the straw becoming misaligned or being insufficiently attached.

[0005] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an exterior component mounting device that can reliably mount an exterior component at a precise position on the side of an article being transported. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the exterior member mounting device of the present invention mounts an exterior member on an article transported by an article transport section. The exterior member mounting device includes a mounting section disposed adjacent to the article transport section and configured to mount the exterior member on an outer surface of the article being transported, and a control section for controlling the article transport section and the mounting section. The mounting section includes a holding tube section configured to hold the exterior member on its outer circumferential surface and rotate along the moving direction of the article, a claw section having a recess for removing and holding the exterior member held by the holding tube section, and a link mechanism for operating the claw section. The link mechanism includes at least three movable links. The recess is configured to move the claw section so that the claw section moves in the transport direction of the article while pressing the exterior member against the article. The control section controls the rotation speed of the holding tube section and the operating speed of the link mechanism to be changed according to the transport speed of the article.

[0007] In the above configuration, the link mechanism includes a first node including a first axis parallel to the center line of the holding tube, a first link arm extending from the first node in a direction perpendicular to the first axis in a plan view, a second node including a second axis arranged separately from the first axis and parallel to the first axis, a second link arm extending from the second node in a direction perpendicular to the second axis in a plan view, a third node provided at an end of the first link arm opposite to the first node and rotating about the first axis, a fourth node provided at an end of the second link arm opposite to the second node and swinging about the second axis, and a third link arm having one end rotatably connected to the first link arm at the third node and the other end rotatably connected to the second link arm at the fourth node. The claw portion is arranged so that an angle between the third link arm and a line connecting the third node and the recess is always the same.

[0008] In the above configuration, the actuator includes an output shaft rotatable around the first axis, a drive unit that rotates the output shaft, an eccentric rotation unit that is attached to the output shaft and extends in a direction intersecting the first axis and includes the first link arm, a swing unit that is rotatably supported on the second joint and includes the second link arm, and a driven unit that includes the third link arm. The claw portion is fixed to the driven unit.

[0009] In the above configuration, the control unit acquires position information of the item in the item conveying unit, and controls the rotation speed of the drive unit based on the position and speed of the item to which the exterior member is attached.

[0010] In the above configuration, the apparatus further includes an inspection unit that inspects a state of the article. The control unit controls the drive unit so that the exterior member is attached only to the article that has been determined to be a non-defective article by the inspection unit.

[0011] In the above configuration, a circumferential groove is formed in an axially intermediate portion of the retaining cylindrical portion, the circumferential groove having a depth that allows the claw portion to be disposed radially inward of the retained exterior member.

[0012] In the above configuration, the article transport section includes a rail connected in a loop shape, and a transport shuttle that holds the article and moves along the rail. The rail includes a stator having coils arranged side by side in the transport direction, and a mover having a permanent magnet arranged on the transport shuttle. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an exterior member mounting device that can reliably mount an exterior member at a precise position on the side surface of an article being transported. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic layout diagram of the article processing apparatus. [Diagram 2]FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the article processing apparatus. [Diagram 3] 1 is a view from the outside showing a transport shuttle carrying an article and a single transport shuttle moving along a linear rail. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the transport shuttle shown in the figure. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a view of the transport shuttle as seen from the rear in the transport direction. [Figure 6] The figure shows the transport shuttle moving on the branch rail of the second transport route, as viewed from the rear side in the transport direction. [Figure 7] 1 is a plan view showing a state in which a transport shuttle carrying an article moves along a first curved rail. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a view from the outside showing a state in which a plurality of articles are being transported by a plurality of transport shuttles. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an article to be transported and an exterior member mounting device. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a front view of the exterior component mounting device as seen from the inside. [Figure 11] 1 is a schematic plan view showing a state in which the exterior member mounting device removes an exterior member. FIG. [Figure 12] 11 is a schematic plan view of a state in which the claw portion of the external component mounting device has pushed the external component into the article to the innermost position. FIG. [Figure 13] 11 is a schematic diagram showing the position of the exterior member immediately after it is removed from the holding tube portion. FIG. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the position of the exterior member when it is pressed most deeply against the outer surface of the article. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing the position of the exterior member when installation is completed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, directions are defined based on the article processing device A shown in FIG. 1. In the article conveying section 10 of the article conveying device 100 described later, the clockwise direction is the moving direction of the conveying shuttle 14 described later, that is, the conveying direction Tr. Furthermore, the outside Os and the inside Is are defined based on the loop of the first conveying route 11. In addition, in the moving direction of the article Pc, the conveying shuttle 14, the box conveying shuttle 702, and the box body Bx, the front side and the rear side are defined as follows. The side that will arrive in the future with respect to the current position is the front side. Conversely, the side that was located in the past with respect to the current position is the rear side. In addition, each surface of the article Pc is defined based on the state of being conveyed by the article conveying section 10 of the article conveying device 100. That is, the front side surface of the conveying direction Tr is the front surface Pcf, the rear side surface is the rear surface Pcr, the outer surface is the outer surface PcO, and the inner surface is the inner surface PcI. In addition, the surface of the bottom of the article Pc is the bottom surface Pct.

[0016] <Item processing device A> FIG. 1 is a schematic layout diagram of the article processing device A. The article processing device A transports an approximately rectangular parallelepiped article (also called a transported object) Pc, which is made of, for example, paper or the like and is filled with a liquid content. While transporting the article, the exterior and other parts are inspected. Then, an exterior member such as a straw is attached to the article Pc that passes the inspection while transporting it. After that, a predetermined number of the articles Pc are accumulated and stored in a box. Then, the box Bx containing the articles Pc is carried out to the outside.

[0017] The article processing apparatus A has an article transport device 100, an article output device 200, an exterior member mounting device 300, an article removal device 400, an article storage device 500, a box supply device 600, an article packaging device 700, and a control device 800.

[0018] <Control device 800> Here, the control device 800 will be described in detail. Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram of the article processing device A. As shown in Fig. 2, the control device 800 has a processing circuit 801 and a memory circuit 802. The processing circuit 801 is a circuit that processes various information, and has arithmetic circuits such as a CPU and an MPU. The processing circuit 801 is also connected to the article transport device 100, the article output device 200, the exterior member mounting device 300, the article removal device 400, the article storage device 500 and the box supply device 600 based on the processing results, and controls each device.

[0019] The storage circuitry 802 is a circuit that includes or is connected to semiconductor memories such as ROM and RAM, portable memories such as flash memories, and storage media such as hard disks. Various programs such as control programs or processing programs may be stored in the storage circuitry 802, and the program corresponding to the processing may be called up as necessary and run by the processing circuitry 801 to perform the processing. The elements connected to the control device 800 and their control will be explained when explaining each element.

[0020] <Item conveying device 100> The details of the item transport apparatus 100 will now be described. Fig. 3 is a view from the outside Os of a transport shuttle 14 holding an item Pc and a single transport shuttle 14 moving along a straight rail 13. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the transport shuttle 14 shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a view from the rear side in the transport direction Tr of the transport shuttle. Fig. 6 is a view from the rear side in the transport direction of the transport shuttle 14 moving on the branch rail 121 of the second transport route 12. The item transport apparatus 100 has an item transport section 10 including a first transport route 11 and a second transport route 12, and a transport shuttle 14.

[0021] <First Transport Route 11> The first transport route 11 has a first straight rail 111, a second straight rail 112, a first curved rail 113, and a second curved rail 114. The first straight rail 111 and the second straight rail 112 are arranged side by side. In the first transport route 11, both ends of the first straight rail 111 and the second straight rail 112 are connected by the first curved rail 113 and the second curved rail 114, respectively, to form a ring shape. The first straight rail 111, the second straight rail 112, the first curved rail 113, and the second curved rail 114 have the same structure, and may be referred to as rail 13 as a representative thereof.

[0022] In the first transport route 11, the transport shuttle 14 is disposed on the outer surface Os of the first straight rail 111, the second straight rail 112, the first curved rail 113 and the second curved rail 114 of the first transport route 11. The transport shuttle 14 is movable along the circular first transport route 11.

[0023] The first straight rail 111 and the second straight rail 112 are formed by connecting short straight rails 13s in the transport direction Tr. The lengths of the first straight rail 111 and the second straight rail 112 can be changed by changing the number of connected short straight rails 13s.

[0024] Furthermore, the first curved rail 113 and the second curved rail 114 are arc-shaped, but are not limited to this. For example, a portion may be curved. Furthermore, the curved portion is not limited to an arc shape, and may be a so-called clothoid curve shape. Furthermore, other curved shapes may also be used. The first curved rail 113 and the second curved rail 114 are formed by connecting short curved rails 13c. By preparing short curved rails 13c of different shapes and lengths and combining them according to the loop shape of the article conveying section 10, it is possible to accommodate a variety of shapes.

[0025] <Rail 13> The rail 13 has a main rail 131, a grooved rail 132, and a flat rail 133 (see Figs. 3 and 5). The main rail 131 is a cylinder having a rectangular cross section cut along a plane perpendicular to the conveying direction Tr. The main rail 131 may be made of, for example, some stainless steel, aluminum, and alloys thereof, but is not limited to these.

[0026] The grooved rail 132 is fixed to the upper part of the main rail 131. The grooved rail 132 has a groove portion 134 recessed from the outer surface in a direction intersecting with the transport direction Tr. The grooved rail 132 has two groove portions 134. The two groove portions 134 are arranged next to each other above and below.

[0027] The main rail 131 and the grooved rail 132 can be fixed to each other by, but not limited to, welding, screwing, or the like. The main rail 131 and the grooved rail 132 may be integrally formed. The groove portion 134 is disposed on the outer side Os around the entire circumference of the first transport route 11. As shown in Figs. 3 and 5, a gap 135 is formed between the main rail 131 and the grooved rail 132.

[0028] The flat rail 133 is fixed to the lower part of the main rail 131. The main rail 131 and the flat rail 133 can be fixed to each other by, but not limited to, welding, screw fastening, etc. The main rail 131 and the flat rail 133 may be integrally formed.

[0029] The first straight rail 111 and the second straight rail 112 are formed by connecting short straight rails 13s, but may be formed from a single rail. Similarly, the first curved rail 113 and the second curved rail 114 may also be formed from a single rail.

[0030] <Second Transport Route 12> 1, the second transport route 12 branches off from the first straight rail 111 of the first transport route 11, turns back, and then merges with the second straight rail 112 of the first transport route 11. As shown in FIG. 1, the second transport route 12 has a branching rail 121, a merging rail 122, and a return rail 123.

[0031] The branching rail 121 and the merging rail 122 are straight, and have the same configuration as the first straight rail 111 and the second straight rail 112, except that the groove portion 134 is disposed on the inner side Is. Therefore, detailed description of the parts having the same configuration as those of the rail 13 will be omitted and the same reference numerals will be used.

[0032] A rear end of the branch rail 121 in the conveying direction Tr is disposed opposite to an outer side Os of a front end of the first straight rail 111 of the first conveying route 11 in the conveying direction Tr. The portion where the branch rail 121 and the first straight rail 111 face each other is a branch point P1.

[0033] The front end of the junction rail 122 in the conveying direction Tr is disposed opposite the outer side Os of the rear end of the second straight rail 112 of the first conveying route 11 in the conveying direction Tr. The portion where the junction rail 122 and the second straight rail 112 face each other is the junction point P2.

[0034] The return rail 123 has the same configuration as the first curved rail 113 and the second curved rail 114. A rear end of the return rail 123 in the conveying direction Tr is disposed opposite the inner side Is of the front end of the branch rail 121 in the conveying direction Tr. Similarly, a front end of the return rail 123 in the conveying direction Tr is disposed opposite the inner side Is of the rear end of the merging rail 122 in the conveying direction Tr.

[0035] <Transport Shuttle 14> Next, the transport shuttle 14 will be described.

[0036] The transport shuttle 14 has a main body 140 and an article holding part 16. A magnet 152 of the transport linear motor mechanism 15 is disposed in the main body 140. The magnet 152 is housed inside the main body 140 and faces a coil 151 disposed on the main rail 131 in a direction intersecting the transport direction Tr.

[0037] The main body 140 of the transport shuttle 14 has a first surface 144 and a second surface 145. The main body 140 also has a protrusion 143. The protrusion 143 fits into a gap 135 formed between the main rail 131 and the grooved rail 132. By fitting the protrusion 143 into the gap 135, displacement of the main body 140 is suppressed.

[0038] Two upper rollers 141 are disposed on the main body 140. The two upper rollers 141 are rotatably supported on the main body 140. To explain in detail, the upper rollers 141 are disposed rotatably around a rotation axis that is perpendicular to the conveying direction Tr and parallel to the outer surface of the rail 13. The two upper rollers 141 are spaced apart in the conveying direction Tr and disposed at different positions in the up-down direction. In the main body 140 in this embodiment, the upper roller 141 (see FIG. 3) on the front side in the conveying direction Tr is disposed on top.

[0039] Two lower rollers 142 are disposed in the main body 140. The two lower rollers 142 are rotatably supported by the main body 140. The lower rollers 142 are cylindrical. The two lower rollers 142 are spaced apart in the transport direction Tr and disposed at different positions in the up-down direction. In the main body 140 in this embodiment, the lower roller 142 (see FIG. 3) on the front side in the transport direction Tr is disposed on the bottom.

[0040] The article holding portion 16 is fixed to the upper portion of the main body portion 140. The article holding portion 16 has a holding plate portion 161, an article engagement portion 162, and an article support portion 163. The holding plate portion 161 is plate-shaped, and is disposed on the inner side Is of the main body portion 140, and extends upward. The front side of the holding plate portion 161 in the conveying direction Tr has an inclined surface 164 that is inclined inward toward the front side. The holding plate portion 161 also has a through hole 1611 and recesses 1612 provided on both ends in the conveying direction Tr. The recesses 1612 are disposed below the through hole 1611 and aligned in the conveying direction.

[0041] The article holding portion 16 has two article engaging portions 162, which are arranged vertically and fixed to the holding plate portion 161. One of each article engaging portion 162 is disposed above the holding plate portion 161, and the other passes through a through hole 1611 and protrudes outward Os beyond the holding plate portion 161.

[0042] The article engaging portion 162 has a rear pressing portion 165 provided at the front in the conveying direction and a front pressing portion 166 provided at the rear in the conveying direction. The rear pressing portion 165 and the front pressing portion 166 have a curved shape with the intermediate portion in the protruding direction bulging in the conveying direction Tr (see FIG. 4, etc.).

[0043] The article support portion 163 is fixed to the holding plate portion 161. The article support portion 163 has a rear support portion 167 and a front support portion 168. The rear support portion 167 is disposed forward of the rear pressing portion 165 in the conveying direction Tr. The front support portion 168 is disposed rearward of the front pressing portion 166. The upper surfaces of the rear support portion 167 and the front support portion 168 are at the same height. The rear support portion 167 and the front support portion 168 may be formed integrally. The conveying shuttle 14 has the shape shown above.

[0044] <Transport Linear Motor Mechanism 15> In the article transport apparatus 100, the multiple transport shuttles 14 are each independently driven by a transport linear motor mechanism 15. The transport linear motor mechanism 15 has multiple coils 151, a magnet 152, and a linear driver 153. The multiple coils 151 are arranged inside the rails 13 that form the first transport route 11 and inside the rails 13 that form the second transport route 12.

[0045] The magnet 152 is a permanent magnet and is disposed in the main body 140 of the transport shuttle 14. As shown in FIG. 5, the magnet 152 is disposed inside the main body 140. The main body 140 is formed of a material that is not attracted to a magnet. Therefore, the magnetic force of the magnet 152 leaks to the outside of the main body 140. The magnet 152 is disposed so as to be able to mutually apply magnetic force to the coil 151. The magnet 152 disposed in the main body 140 and the multiple coils 151 disposed inside the rail 13 form a linear motor.

[0046] The linear driver 153 is connected to each coil 151 (see FIG. 2). The linear driver 153 is connected to a power supply circuit (not shown). The linear driver 153 is a circuit that controls the power supplied to the coils 151, and includes circuits such as a calculation processing circuit and a power supply circuit that adjusts the voltage and current supplied to each coil 151. The linear driver 153 supplies an appropriate current to each coil 151 based on an instruction from the control device 800.

[0047] The control device 800 can independently move the transfer shuttles 14. The control device 800 can operate a plurality of transfer shuttles 14 individually and can also operate them synchronously. The control device 800 can also obtain the position of the transfer shuttles 14.

[0048] In the conveying shuttle 14, the article holding portion 16 is disposed above the main body portion 140. For this reason, no components are disposed inside the first surface 144 or outside the second surface 145 of the main body portion 140. As a result, the radial outer edges of the upper roller 141 and the lower roller 142 protrude inward Is from the first surface 144 and outward Os from the second surface 145.

[0049] As a result, on the first transport route 11, the transport shuttle 14 can move along the outer sides Os of the first straight rail 111, the second straight rail 112, the first curved rail 113 and the second curved rail 114. Also, on the second transport route 12, the transport shuttle 14 can move along the inner surfaces of the branching rail 121 and the merging rail 122. Also, on the second transport route 12, the transport shuttle 14 can move along the outer surface of the return rail 123.

[0050] More specifically, the transport shuttle 14 is movable along the outer side Os of the rail 13 on the first transport route 11. The main body 140 is attracted to the outer side Os of the rail 13 on the first transport route 11 by, for example, the magnetic force of a magnet 152. Note that the rail 13 may be provided with an attraction portion made of a metal such as iron that attracts the magnet, or the transport shuttle 14 may be attracted by the magnetic force between the magnet 152 and an iron core provided in the coil 151.

[0051] In the first conveying route 11, the upper roller 141 and the lower roller 142 come into contact with the rail 13, so that the first surface 144 of the main body 140 is disposed at a certain distance from the outer surface of the rail 13. In other words, the main body 140 is supported by the upper roller 141 and the lower roller 142 so as to be movable up and down on the outer surface of the rail 13.

[0052] In the transport shuttle 14, the upper rollers 141 and the lower rollers 142 arranged in the transport direction Tr are offset vertically. Therefore, even when the transport shuttle 14 approaches in the transport direction Tr, the upper rollers 141 or the lower rollers 142 are unlikely to interfere with each other. Therefore, the transport shuttle 14 can be arranged close to each other in the transport direction Tr and can move in a close state.

[0053] 6, the transport shuttle 14 is movable along the inner side Is of the branching rail 121 and the merging rail 122 on the second transport route 12. The main body 140 is attracted to the inner surfaces of the branching rail 121 and the merging rail 122 by the magnetic force of a magnet 152 disposed inside. The rail 13 may be provided with an attraction portion made of a metal such as iron that attracts a magnet, or the transport shuttle 14 may be attracted by the magnetic force between the magnet 152 and an iron core provided in the coil 151.

[0054] The upper roller 141 and the lower roller 142 come into contact with the branching rail 121 and the merging rail 122, so that the second surface 145 of the main body 140 is disposed facing the inner surfaces of the branching rail 121 and the merging rail 122 at a certain interval. In other words, the main body 140 is supported by the upper roller 141 and the lower roller 142 so as to be movable vertically on the inner surfaces of the branching rail 121 and the merging rail 122.

[0055] With this configuration, the transport shuttle 14 can branch off at the branch point P1 and merge at the junction point P2 by controlling the coils 151 arranged on the first straight rail 111, the second straight rail 112, the branch rail 121, and the junction rail 122. In other words, the configuration is simple and the transport shuttle 14 can be branched and merged with simple control.

[0056] That is, the control device 800 can cause the transport shuttle 14 traveling on the first straight rail 111 to branch off to either the first curved rail 113 or the branching rail 121 at the branching point P1. Also, the control device 800 can cause the transport shuttle 14 traveling on the junction rail 122 of the second transport route 12 to merge with the second straight rail 112 at the junction point P2.

[0057] <Holding of item Pc by transport shuttle 14> Next, a description will be given of how the article Pc is held by the transport shuttle 14. The article Pc is held from the front and rear in the transport direction Tr by two transport shuttles 14 arranged side by side in the transport direction Tr.

[0058] The front support portion 168 of the transport shuttle 14 arranged at the front side in the transport direction Tr supports the inside of the front part of the bottom surface of the article Pc, and the front pressing portion 166 presses the front surface Pcf of the article Pc. The rear support portion 167 of the transport shuttle 14 arranged at the front side in the transport direction Tr of the article Pc supports the inside of the rear part of the bottom surface Pct of the article Pc, and the rear pressing portion 165 presses the rear surface Pcr of the article Pc. At this time, the inner surface PcI of the article Pc comes into contact with the holding plate portion 161.

[0059] Here, when the article Pc is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped filled with liquid contents, the front surface Pcf of the article Pc is pressed by the front surface pressing portion 166, causing a recess in the middle portion. Similarly, the rear surface Pcr of the article Pc is pressed by the rear surface pressing portion 165, causing a recess in the middle portion. In this manner, the front surface Pcf and Pcr are pressed by the front surface pressing portion 166 and the rear surface pressing portion 165, respectively, causing a recess, thereby restricting the movement of the article Pc toward the outside Os. In addition, the inner surface PcI of the article Pc comes into contact with the holding plate portion 161, causing a restriction on the movement of the article Pc toward the inside Is. This allows the two conveying shuttles 14 to hold the article Pc securely. The conveying shuttles 14 arranged in front of and behind the conveying direction Tr of the article Pc have the same shape.

[0060] 7 is a plan view showing the state in which the conveying shuttle 14 holding the article Pc moves on the first curved rail 113. Since the rear pressing portion 165 and the front pressing portion 166 are each substantially curved and bulging outward, the front surface Pcf and rear surface Pcr of the article Pc can be appropriately pressed even when the protruding directions of the article engagement portion 162 are not parallel. Therefore, the conveying shuttle 14 can hold the article Pc even when moving on a curved portion such as the first curved rail 113 as shown in FIG. 7. The curvature of the curved portion along which the conveying shuttle 14 can move while holding the article Pc varies depending on the shapes of the rear pressing portion 165 and the front pressing portion 166.

[0061] FIG. 8 is a view from the outside Os of a state in which a plurality of articles Pc are being transported by a plurality of transport shuttles 14. FIG. 8 shows a state in which two articles are held by three transport shuttles 14 arranged in the transport direction Tr. As shown in FIG. 8, the front support portion 168 of the transport shuttle 14 at the front of the transport direction Tr supports the inside of the front part of the bottom of the front article Pc, and the front pressing portion 166 presses the front surface Pcf of the front article Pc. In addition, the rear support portion 167 of the transport shuttle 14 at the center of the transport direction Tr supports the inside of the rear part of the bottom of the front article Pc, and the rear pressing portion 165 presses the rear surface Pcr of the front article Pc. This holds the front article Pc.

[0062] Furthermore, the front support portion 168 of the conveying shuttle 14 at the center in the conveying direction Tr supports the inside of the front part of the bottom of the rear article Pc, and the front pressing portion 166 presses the front surface Pcf of the rear article Pc. Also, the rear support portion 167 of the conveying shuttle 14 at the rear in the conveying direction Tr supports the inside of the rear part of the bottom of the rear article Pc, and the rear pressing portion 165 presses the rear surface Pcr of the rear article Pc. This holds the rear article Pc. As shown in FIG. 8, by arranging three conveying shuttles 14 in the circumferential direction, two articles Pc can be held. Note that the number of articles Pc that can be held is not limited to two, and may be three or more. In other words, by preparing conveying shuttles 14 in a number equal to the number of articles Pc + 1, multiple articles Pc can be held.

[0063] In the article processing device A, when on the branch rail 121 of the second transport route 12, multiple transport shuttles 14 can move in the transport direction Tr while holding multiple articles Pc. When on the first straight rail 111 of the first transport route 11, multiple transport shuttles 14 may hold multiple articles Pc. Also, when moving from the first transport route 11 to the second transport route 12 at the branch point P1, a predetermined number of articles Pc may be bundled together. Bundling one or a small number of articles Pc is referred to as "aggregating." As shown in FIG. 1, in the article transport device 100, a collection area Ar1 is set in a portion between the branch point P1 of the branch rail 121 and an article stacking section 124 described later.

[0064] <Article delivery device 200> As shown in Fig. 1, the item delivery device 200 has an item supply section 20, an item output section 21, and a transfer lane 22. The item Pc is transported by the item supply section 20 from a previous process, such as a content filling process, into the item processing device A. The item supply section 20 is a conveyor that transports the approximately rectangular parallelepiped item Pc. With the item Pc placed on the upper surface of the item supply section 20, the upper surface is moved, whereby the item Pc moves along the item supply section 20. The direction in which the item Pc moves in the item supply section 20 is referred to as a supply direction Ts.

[0065] The article supply unit 20 can use a general transport conveyor such as a belt conveyor or a top chain conveyor. Here, the article supply unit 20 has a supply conveyor 201 that uses a belt conveyor (see FIG. 1, etc.). The supply conveyor 201 of the article supply unit 20 is connected to a control device 800 and is driven according to instructions from the control device 800. Usually, the supply conveyor 201 is driven so as to be able to transport articles at a constant speed.

[0066] The article output section 21 is disposed at the front end of the article supply section 20 in the conveying direction Tr. The article output section 21 has a plurality of nip rollers 211 arranged in pairs, and a transfer lane 22. As shown in FIG. 1, the nip rollers 211 are arranged in pairs in a direction perpendicular to the supply direction Ts of the article supply section 20, and contact the side of the article Pc (here, the inner surface PcI and the outer surface PcO). The surface of the nip roller 211 is formed of a material that has high friction with the surface of the article Pc. In the article output section 21, three pairs of nip rollers 211 are arranged side by side at equal intervals along the supply conveyor 201.

[0067] The nip roller 211 is rotated by a roller motor 212 (see FIG. 2) connected to the control device 800. The rotation of the roller motor 212 is controlled by the control device 800, and the rotation speed of the nip roller 211 is adjusted. This accelerates and decelerates the article Pc in the supply direction Ts. Then, the article Pc, which has been accelerated and decelerated by the paired nip rollers 211, moves to the transfer lane 22.

[0068] The item Pc moves in the supply direction Ts on the transfer lane 22. The front end of the transfer lane 22 in the supply direction Ts is the transfer section R1. At the transfer section R1, the item Pc is held by the transport shuttles lined up in the supply direction Ts. The item Pc is transported along the first transport route 11 while being held by the transport shuttle 14.

[0069] <Exterior member mounting device 300> The exterior member mounting device 300 is disposed on the outside Os of the item conveying section 10 of the item conveying apparatus 100, and mounts an exterior member Th to the outer surface PcO of the item Pc (see FIG. 3). The exterior member Th is a straw in this case, but is not limited to this. The exterior member mounting device 300 is attached to the outer surface PcO of the item Pc in a state where it is housed in a resin bag. The exterior member mounting device 300 is disposed on the outside Os of the first straight rail 111 of the first conveying route 11. Then, the exterior member Th is mounted (attached) to the outer surface PcO of the item Pc held by the conveying shuttle 14 moving along the first straight rail 111.

[0070] The exterior component mounting device 300 has an inspection unit 30 and a mounting unit 31. The inspection unit 30 inspects the condition of the item Pc. For example, the inspection unit 30 acquires an image with an imaging unit (not shown) and judges whether the condition of the item Pc is acceptable or not based on the image processing results of the captured image. When the item Pc is a container having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape made of a paper base material, the inspection unit 30 checks the condition of the adhesive part, scorching due to heating during adhesion, etc.

[0071] The attachment unit 31 has a drive motor 310 (see FIG. 2) that drives the device. The external member attachment device 300, by operation of the drive motor 310, attaches the external member Th to a side surface of the outer side Os of the moving article Pc.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 2, the inspection unit 30 and the drive motor 310 of the exterior member attachment device 300 are connected to a control device 800. The control device 800 operates the drive motor 310 so as to attach the exterior member Th only to the article that has passed the inspection unit 30. The control device 800 also acquires the position of the transport shuttle 14 based on information from the linear driver 153, for example. Based on the position of the transport shuttle 14, the control device 800 drives the drive motor 310. As a result, the control device 800 drives the drive motor 310 in synchronization with the speed of the transport shuttle 14 in the transport direction Tr. As a result, the exterior member Th can be attached while maintaining the moving speed of the transport shuttle 14, i.e., the article Pc.

[0073] The control device 800 acquires the position of the article Pc, in other words, the moving speed, and operates the drive motor 310 based on the position of the article Pc, so that even if an article Pc without an exterior member Th is included, the conveying speed of the article Pc does not need to be reduced. This makes it possible to suppress a decrease in the production efficiency of the article processing device A.

[0074] Note that the item Pc determined to be defective by the inspection unit 30 is conveyed from the branch point P1 via the first curved rail 113 to the second straight rail 112 while being kept clamped by the conveyor shuttle 14. The item determined to be defective is then collected by a defective item collection unit (not shown) disposed close to the second straight rail 112. The item Pc determined to be defective can be collected by dropping it downward, but this is not limiting.

[0075] <Details of the mounting portion 31> The details of the attachment section 31 will be described below. Fig. 9 is a plan view showing the article Pc to be transported and the external member attachment device 300. Fig. 10 is a front view of the external member attachment device 300 as viewed from inside. Fig. 11 is a schematic plan view showing a state in which the external member attachment device 300 removes the external member Th from the holding tube portion 32. Fig. 12 is a schematic plan view showing a state in which the claw portion 33 of the external member attachment device 300 has pushed the external member Th into the article Pc to the innermost position. Note that in Figs. 11 and 12, for ease of explanation, the central axis Cxp of the holding tube portion 32 is shown as an axis extending in the vertical direction.

[0076] 9 and 10, the attachment portion 31 has a holding tube portion 32, a claw portion 33, and a link mechanism 34. The holding tube portion 32 is cylindrical and rotatable about a central axis Cxp. The central axis Cxp is disposed at an incline with respect to the conveying direction Tr. More specifically, the central axis Cxp is disposed at an incline with respect to the article Pc held by the conveying shuttle 14.

[0077] 9 and 10, the retaining tubular portion 32 has a retaining groove 321 and an annular groove 322. The retaining groove 321 is formed on the outer circumferential surface of the retaining tubular portion 32 and extends parallel to the central axis Cxp. In the retaining tubular portion 32, the retaining grooves 321 are arranged adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction. The exterior member Th is retained in the retaining groove 321 by being accommodated in the retaining groove 321, in other words, by being fitted into the retaining groove 321.

[0078] The external material mounting device 300 is provided with an external material supplying unit (not shown), and the external material Th is supplied from the external material supplying device to the holding tube portion 32. The external material Th supplied from the external material supplying unit is supplied so as to be held by the holding groove 321 of the holding tube portion 32. A fixing agent (e.g., adhesive, hot melt, etc.) is applied to the radially outer portion of the external material Th supplied to the holding groove 321 for fixing to the outer surface PcO of the article Pc. The fixing agent may be applied after the external material Th is held in the holding groove 321 of the holding tube portion 32, or may be applied by the external material supplying unit. When hot melt is used as the fixing agent, the claw portion 33 may include a heating function for raising the temperature of the hot melt.

[0079] The annular groove 322 is provided in the axial middle portion of the outer circumferential surface of the retaining tube portion 32. In the mounting portion 31 of this embodiment, the annular grooves 322 are arranged spaced apart in the axial direction. The claw portions 33 are inserted into the annular grooves 322. Therefore, the same number of annular grooves 322 as the number of claw portions 33 are provided. The annular groove 322 has a depth that allows the claw portions 33 to be inserted radially inside the retaining tube portion 32 of the exterior member Th retained in the retaining groove 321.

[0080] The claw portion 33 is operated by a link mechanism 34. The claw portion 33 has a fixed portion 331, a protruding portion 332, and a recessed portion 333. The fixed portion 331 is a plate member that extends in a direction perpendicular to the central axis Cxp, and is fixed to a follower portion 345 of the link mechanism 34, which will be described later.

[0081] The protruding portion 332 is a plate material and is formed integrally with the fixed portion 331. The protruding portion 332 extends from the fixed portion 331 toward the holding tube portion 32. The protruding portion 332 has a shape that tapers toward its tip when viewed from a direction along the central axis Cxp. The tapered tip of the protruding portion 332 is sized to enter the annular groove 322 and to enter radially inward of the exterior member Th.

[0082] The recess 333 is formed on the side surface of the protruding portion 332 facing the first conveying route 11. When the protruding portion 332 enters the annular groove 322, the recess 333 is disposed at a position overlapping with the exterior member Th in the radial direction. In this state, the claw portion 33 moves in a direction away from the holding tube portion 32, whereby the exterior member Th held in the holding groove 321 is held by the recess 333 of the claw portion 33 and moves away from the holding tube portion 32. The operation of the claw portion 33 will be described in detail later.

[0083] The link mechanism 34 has a link motor 340, a link shaft 341, an eccentric rotation portion 342, a swing shaft 343, a swing portion 344, and a driven portion 345. The link motor 340 is an example of a drive portion that rotates the link shaft 341.

[0084] The link shaft 341 is disposed so that its center overlaps with the central axis Cxp. The link shaft 341 is rotatable around the central axis Cxp. The link shaft 341 is rotationally driven by the link motor 340. In the link mechanism 34 of this embodiment, the link motor 340 is an electric motor that operates with electricity. The link motor 340 is connected to the control device 800 (see FIG. 2) and operates based on instructions from the control device 800. The link motor 340 is controlled to rotate in synchronization with the drive motor 310.

[0085] Note that instead of using the link motor 340 as the drive unit, for example, a configuration in which the output torque from the drive motor 310 is transmitted to the link shaft 341 may be adopted. When the output of the drive motor 310 is transmitted to the link shaft 341, it is easy to synchronize the holding cylinder portion 32 and the link mechanism 34.

[0086] The link shaft 341 is disposed so as to be rotatable about the first axis Cx1 parallel to the central axis Cxp. As described above, the link shaft 341 is rotated by the link motor 340. As shown in Figs. 10 to 12, the eccentric rotation part 342 is fixed to the upper end of the link shaft 341. The eccentric rotation part 342 is disk-shaped, and is fixed to the link shaft 341 so that the center line of the eccentric rotation part 342 overlaps with the first axis Cx1. The eccentric rotation part 342 rotates about the first axis Cx1 by the rotation of the link shaft 341. Note that, in this embodiment, the eccentric rotation part 342 is disk-shaped, but is not limited thereto. For example, the eccentric rotation part 342 may be a long eccentric rotation part extending in a direction perpendicular to the first axis Cx1.

[0087] A first pin 346 is disposed at a position away from the first axis Cx1 of the eccentric rotation part 342. The first pin 346 is cylindrical and centered on the first movable axis Cx11. The first movable axis Cx11 is parallel to the first axis Cx1, and rotates about the first axis Cx1 when the eccentric rotation part 342 rotates.

[0088] The swing shaft 343 is disposed at a position different from the link shaft 341 when viewed in the direction along the central axis Cxp, that is, at a position separated from the link shaft 341. The swing shaft 343 is cylindrical and centered on a second axis Cx2 parallel to the central axis Cxp. The swing unit 344 is attached to the upper part of the swing shaft 343. The swing unit 344 is swingable around the second axis Cx2. Note that the swing shaft 343 may be fixed to, for example, a housing of the exterior member mounting device 300, and only the swing unit 344 may swing relative to the swing shaft 343. Alternatively, the swing unit 344 may be fixed to the swing shaft 343, and the swing shaft 343 and the swing unit 344 may swing integrally around the second axis Cx2.

[0089] 11 and 12, the oscillating part 344 is a long plate material. One end of the oscillating part 344 is attached to the oscillating shaft 343. A second pin 347 is disposed at the other end of the oscillating part 344. The second pin 347 is cylindrical and has a second movable axis Cx21 as its center. The second movable axis Cx21 is parallel to the second axis Cx2, and oscillates about the second axis Cx2 when the oscillating part 344 rotates.

[0090] The driven part 345 is a long flat plate-like member. One end of the driven part 345 is rotatably attached to the eccentric rotation part 342 via a first pin 346, and the other end is rotatably attached to the swinging part 344 via a second pin 347. In this embodiment, the first pin 346 is fixed to the eccentric rotation part 342, and the second pin 347 is fixed to the swinging part 344, but this is not limiting.

[0091] The claw portion 33 is fixed to the driven portion 345. As shown in Fig. 10, the claw portion 33 is fixed by fastening the fixing portion 331 to the driven portion 345 with two screws Bt. Note that the method of fixing the claw portion 33 to the driven portion 345 is not limited to the screws Bt, and any fixing method that can reliably fix the claw portion 33 to the driven portion 345, such as welding, adhesion, riveting, etc., can be widely adopted.

[0092] <Operation of the link mechanism 34> The control device 800 operates the link motor 340 in synchronization with the movement (position and speed) of the transport shuttle 14 and the drive motor 310. The link motor 340 rotates the link shaft 341 about the first axis Cx1. The rotation of the link shaft 341 rotates the eccentric rotation part 342 about the first axis Cx1. The rotation direction is counterclockwise when viewed from the direction along the first axis Cx1.

[0093] As a result, one end of driven part 345 attached to eccentric rotation part 342 via first pin 346 moves in accordance with the rotation of eccentric rotation part 342. That is, driven part 345 moves in conjunction with the rotation of eccentric rotation part 342.

[0094] The other end of the driven part 345 is rotatably connected to the swinging part 344 via the second pin 347. Therefore, the swinging part 344 swings around the swing shaft 343, i.e., the second axis Cx2, in conjunction with the movement of the driven part 345. In this manner, one end of the driven part 345 rotates around the first axis Cx1, and the other end swings around the second axis Cx2.

[0095] The configuration of the link mechanism 34 can also be described as follows. When viewed from the direction along the central axis Cxp, the first axis Cx1 is the first node Nd1, the second axis Cx2 is the second node Nd2, the first movable axis Cx11 is the third node Nd3, and the second movable axis Cx21 is the fourth node Nd4. The link connecting the first node Nd1 and the third node Nd3 is the first link arm Lm1, the link connecting the second node Nd2 and the fourth node Nd4 is the second link arm Lm2, and the link connecting the third node Nd3 and the fourth node Nd4 is the third link arm Lm3.

[0096] At this time, the first link arm Lm1 is rotatable about the first joint Nd1, and the second link arm Lm2 is swingable about the second joint Nd2.

[0097] In the link mechanism 34, the first link arm Lm1 rotates around the first joint Nd1. As a result, the third joint Nd3 rotates around the first joint Nd1 by the first link arm Lm1. The third link arm Lm3 connected to the third joint Nd3 moves according to the rotation of the third joint Nd3. In addition, according to the movement of the third link arm Lm3, the second link arm Lm2 connected to the third link arm Lm3 at the fourth joint Nd4 swings around the second joint Nd2. As a result, one end of the third link arm Lm3 rotates around the first joint Nd1, and the other end swings around the second joint Nd2.

[0098] For the above reasons, in the link mechanism 34, a shape including the first link arm Lm1 can be widely adopted as the eccentric rotation part 342. A shape including the second link arm Lm2 can be widely adopted as the swinging part 344. Furthermore, a shape including the third link arm Lm3 can be widely adopted as the driven part 345.

[0099] The claw portion 33 is fixed to the driven portion 345 at the attachment portion 31. As a result, the angle α between the third link arm Lm3 and the line Ln connecting the third joint point Nd3 and the center of the recess 333 is constant regardless of the position of the driven portion 345.

[0100] By the link mechanism 34 operating as described above, the recessed portion 333 of the claw portion 33 removes the exterior member Th held in the holding groove 321 of the holding tube portion 32, and attaches it to the outer surface PcO of the article Pc transported along the first straight rail 111. Here, a trajectory Tj of the recessed portion 333 when attaching the exterior member Th to the outer surface PcO of the article Pc will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0101] Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the position of the exterior member Th immediately after the holding tube portion 32 is removed. Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the exterior member Th is pressed most deeply against the outer surface PcO of the article Pc. Fig. 15 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which attachment of the exterior member Th to the outer surface PcO of the article Pc is completed.

[0102] 13 to 15, the locus Tj of the center of the recess 333 caused by the operation of the link mechanism 34 is indicated by a dashed dotted line. Here, the locus Tj will be described.

[0103] As shown in FIG. 11, when the first joint Nd1 is farthest from the central axis Cxp, the recess 333 of the claw portion 33 enters the annular groove 322 of the holding tube portion 32 and removes the exterior member Th from the holding groove 321. Then, as the link shaft 341 is rotated, the recess 333 moves toward the first straight rail 111. The trajectory of the recess 333 at this time is defined as a first trajectory Tj1. As shown in FIGS. 12 to 15, the first trajectory Tj1 approaches the first straight rail 111 from the holding tube portion 32 and moves in the conveying direction Tr. In the first trajectory Tj1, the recess 333 approaches the first straight rail 111 abruptly and moves slowly in the conveying direction Tr.

[0104] 12, when the third joint Nd3 is closest to the central axis Cxp, the recess 333 is closest to the first straight rail 111. The claw portion 33 presses the exterior member Th against the outer surface PcO of the article Pc. At this time, the outer surface PcO of the article Pc is deflected. Therefore, the exterior member Th can be firmly fixed to the outer surface PcO of the article Pc.

[0105] As the link shaft 341 rotates from this state, the recessed portion 333 moves in the conveying direction Tr and along a second trajectory Tj2 moving away from the first straight rail 111. On the second trajectory Tj2, the recessed portion 333 moves in synchronization with the movement of the article Pc in the conveying direction Tr and gradually moves away from the first straight rail 111.

[0106] Then, after the claw portion 33 is separated from the article Pc, the recessed portion 333 moves along the third trajectory Tj3. The third trajectory Tj3 is a substantially straight trajectory. By moving along the third trajectory Tj3, the recessed portion 333 enters the annular groove 322 and moves radially inward of the exterior member Th held in the holding groove 321. Then, the recessed portion 333 moves again along the first trajectory Tj1.

[0107] The claw portion 33 is moved by the operation of the link mechanism 34, and the recessed portion 333 moves on a substantially triangular trajectory Tj. As a result, the exterior member Th is firmly pressed against the outer surface PcO of the article Pc and moves in the conveying direction Tr. Therefore, the exterior member Th can be attached (attached) to the outer surface PcO of the article Pc moving in the conveying direction Tr by contacting the outer surface PcO for a certain period of time. This allows the exterior member Th to be reliably attached to the exact position of the outer surface PcO of the article Pc.

[0108] Furthermore, the control device 800 operates the drive motor 310 and the link motor 340 in synchronization with the transport shuttle 14 based on the position of the transport shuttle 14 on the first transport route 11 and the speed in the transport direction Tr. This allows the exterior member Th to be attached accurately and reliably to the outer surface PcO of the article Pc moving at a constant speed. It is also possible to accurately respond to operations in which the exterior member Th is not attached, such as when a transport shuttle 14 that is not holding an article Pc moves, or when an article Pc determined to be unacceptable by the inspection unit 30 is transported.

[0109] In the external member mounting device 300, the external member Th is brought close to the article Pc moving in the conveying direction Tr, and the external member Th is moved in the conveying direction Tr while being pressed against the article Pc, thereby mounting the external member Th to the article Pc. In order to mount the external member Th to the article Pc in this manner, it is preferable that the trajectory Tj of the recess 333 of the claw portion 33 is substantially triangular as shown in Figs. 13 to 15.

[0110] The approximately triangular trajectory Tj is formed by rotating one end of the third link arm and swinging the other end. Therefore, the link mechanism 34 of the external component mounting device 300 of this embodiment has at least three movable links. The shape of the trajectory Tj is determined by the length of each link. In the link mechanism 34, as described above, the first link arm Lm1 rotates and the second link arm Lm2 swings. At least the following conditions are satisfied.

[0111] The length of the first link arm Lm1 is shorter than the length of the second link arm, and the distance between the first joint point Nd1 and the second joint point Nd2 is shorter than the sum of the lengths of the first link arm Lm1, the second link arm Lm2, and the third link arm Lm3, and longer than the sum of the lengths of the first link arm Lm1 and the second link arm Lm2.

[0112] <Box supply device 600> The box body Bx for storing the article Pc is formed by folding a sheet Sh made of paper such as cardboard. The box body supplying device 600 forms the box body Bx by folding and gluing the sheet Sh. At this time, the surfaces other than the surface on the branch rail 121 side in the take-out direction Pu are formed. The surface of the box body Bx on the branch rail 121 side is a storage surface for storing the article Pc.

[0113] The box body supplying device 600 has a sheet accumulation section 61, a sheet removal section 62, a forming section 63, a sheet feed section 64, and a box body moving section 65. Sheets Sh are accumulated in the sheet accumulation section 61. The sheet accumulation section 61 is moved by a sheet rail 610. The sheets Sh accumulated in the sheet accumulation section 61 are removed by the sheet removal section 62. The sheets Sh are then sent to the forming section 63 by the sheet feed section 64. In the forming section 63, a part of the sheet Sh is folded and bonded to form a box body Bx having walls other than the wall part close to the article stacking section 124. The box body Bx formed in the forming section 63 is then sent to a storage area 70s of the article packing device 700, which will be described later, by the box body moving section 65.

[0114] The box body supplying device 600 is connected to the control device 800. The box body supplying device 600 operates based on instructions from the control device 800. For example, when the control device 800 confirms that there is no box body Bx in the forming section 63, it operates the sheet take-out section 62 to take out the sheet Sh, and operates the sheet feed section 64 to feed the sheet Sh to the forming section 63, and operates the forming section 63 to form the box body Bx. Then, after a box conveying shuttle 702 of the box body conveying section 70 described later moves to the storage area 70s, it operates the box body moving section 65 to move the box body Bx in the forming section 63 to the storage area 70s.

[0115] An article stacking section 124 is provided adjacent to the branch rail 121 on the outer side Os of the branch rail 121. Articles Pc transported along the branch rail 121 are placed in the article stacking section 124. Note that multiple articles Pc are temporarily stored in the article stacking section 124. The action of collecting and temporarily storing multiple articles Pc in this manner is referred to as accumulating articles. The article stacking section 124 has a guide wall portion 1241 and a retaining wall portion 1242.

[0116] The guide wall portion 1241 extends along the removal direction Pu in which the article is removed. The guide wall portion 1241 is disposed in the article stacking section 124 and is movable in the conveyance direction and can be fixed. The retaining wall portion 1242 is disposed at the rear end of the article stacking section 124 in the removal direction Pu and can be hidden below the floor surface 1240 of the article stacking section 124 and can protrude upward.

[0117] <Item removal device 400 and item storage device 500> The article take-out device 400 moves the articles Pc lined up in the conveying direction Tr in a take-out direction Pu that intersects with the conveying direction Tr, and accumulates them in the article accumulation section 124. In the article processing device A, the take-out direction Pu is outward and perpendicular to the conveying direction Tr.

[0118] The article take-out device 400 has an article rear pushing portion 41 and an article abutting portion 42. The article rear pushing portion 41 supports the article Pc in a state in which the article rear pushing portion 41 contacts the inner surface PcI of the article Pc and the article abutting portion 42 contacts the outer surface PcO of the article Pc. In this manner, the article rear pushing portion 41 and the article abutting portion 42 move in the take-out direction Pu while maintaining the article Pc supported. In other words, the article take-out device 400 moves the accumulated and transported article Pc from the branch rail 121 to the article accumulation portion 124.

[0119] 2, the article pickup device 400 is connected to a control device 800. The article pickup device 400 operates based on instructions from the control device 800. For example, the control device 800 operates the article pickup device 400 after confirming that the transport shuttle 14 has reached the pickup position of the branch rail 121. Note that the control device 800 may operate the article pickup device 400 based on information other than the position of the transport shuttle 14.

[0120] The item storage device 500 collectively moves a certain number of items Pc accumulated in the item accumulation section 124 to a box body Bx. Note that the operation of collectively moving a plurality of items Pc to a box body Bx is referred to as storing items.

[0121] The item storage device 500 has a rear contact portion 51, a side contact portion 52, and a front contact portion 53. The rear contact portion 51 contacts an inner surface PcI of the item Pc arranged at the innermost side Is. The side contact portion 52 contacts a front surface Pcf of the item Pc arranged at the front end of the item Pc in the conveying direction Tr of the item Pc and a rear surface Pcr of the item Pc arranged at the rear end. The front contact portion 53 contacts an outer surface PcO of the item Pc arranged at the outermost side Os of the front end.

[0122] The rear contact portion 51, the side contact portion 52, and the front contact portion 53 move in the removal direction Pu while maintaining contact with the outer surface PcO of the outermost article Pc, the front surface Pcf of the frontmost article Pc, the rear surface Pcr of the rearmost article Pc, and the inner surface PcI of the innermost article Pc, with the adjacent articles Pc in contact with each other. As a result, the accumulated multiple articles Pc are stored in the box body Bx.

[0123] As shown in FIG. 2, the item storage device 500 is connected to the control device 800. The item storage device 500 operates based on instructions from the control device 800. For example, the control device 800 operates the item storage device 500 after confirming that a predetermined number of items Pc have been accumulated in the item accumulation section 124 based on the operation of the item removal device 400. To explain further, the item removal device 400 may move the items Pc to the item accumulation section 124 a predetermined number of times, and the item storage device 500 may be operated after the item removal device 400 has retreated. The control device 800 may operate the item storage device 500 based on operation information of the item removal device 400.

[0124] The article processing device A has one or more article stacking sections 124. Each of the article stacking sections 124 has one article take-out device 400 and one article storage device 500 disposed therein.

[0125] The pressing wall portion 55 comes into contact with the front end portion of the box body Bx in the removal direction Pu, and suppresses the movement of the box body Bx when storing the article Pc. The pressing wall portion 55 is movable up and down.

[0126] <Item Packaging Device 700> The article processing device A has an article packing device 700. The article packing device 700 packs the articles Pc accumulated in the article accumulation section 124 into a box body Bx. Note that packing refers to the operation from storing a predetermined number of articles Pc in the box body Bx to completing the box body Bx.

[0127] As shown in FIG. 1, the article packing apparatus 700 has a box body transport section 70, an article removal device 400, an article storage device 500, a box body supply device 600, and a box body sending section 7.

[0128] The box body supplying device 600 folds the sheet Sh to form a box body Bx, and supplies the box body Bx to the box body conveying section 70. The box body conveying section 70 is disposed on the outer side Os of the branch rail 121. The box body conveying section 70 has a configuration utilizing a box body linear motor mechanism, and has a linear rail 701 and a box conveying shuttle 702.

[0129] In the box transport section 70, the direction in which the linear rail 701 extends is the transport direction of the box Bx, that is, the box transport direction Tb. At least a part of the linear rail 701 is disposed parallel to the branch rail 121.

[0130] The box conveying shuttle 702 holds the box body Bx from the front and rear sides in the box conveying direction Tb, and conveys the box body Bx in the box conveying direction Tb by moving in the box conveying direction Tb. The box conveying section 70 has a box guide rail 76 arranged along the box conveying direction Tb (see FIG. 1). The box conveying section 70 has a plurality of box guide rails 76, and the box body Bx is arranged on the upper part of the box guide rails 76. When conveyed by the box conveying shuttle 702, the box body Bx is slidably arranged on the upper part of the box guide rails 76. In other words, the box guide rails 76 support the box body Bx from below.

[0131] In the box transport section 70, the box transport shuttle 702 is stopped in a storage area 70s that receives the box Bx. With the box transport shuttle 702 stopped, the box Bx is sent from the box supply device 600 to the storage area 70s. Then, while the box transport shuttle 702 maintains its front and rear in the box transport direction Tb, the box transport shuttle 702 transports the box Bx in the box transport direction Tb. The box transport shuttle 702 stops so that the box Bx is placed in a receiving area 70t adjacent to the item stacking section 124.

[0132] In the box transport section 70, the multiple box transport shuttles 702 are each independently driven by a box linear motor mechanism 72. As shown in FIG. 2 etc., the box linear motor mechanism 72 has multiple coils 721, a magnet 722, and a box transport linear driver 723. The multiple coils 721 are arranged inside the linear rail 701 in the box transport direction Tb. The control device 800 is connected to the box transport linear driver 723, and controls the box transport linear driver 723. This causes the box transport shuttles 702 to move along the linear rail 701. The control device 800 can independently control each of the box transport shuttles 702.

[0133] The item take-out device 400 and the item storage device 500 are disposed near the item stacking section 124. The item take-out device 400 moves the items Pc transported to the branch rail 121 to the item stacking section 124 and stacks the items Pc. The item storage device 500 stores the items Pc stacked in the item stacking section 124 in the box body Bx that has been moved to the receiving area 70t.

[0134] <Flap part 77> The item packaging device 700 has a lid folding section 77 that folds the lid of the box body Bx on the item stacking section 124 side. When the storage of the items Pc is completed, the box body Bx closes the door of the box by a box closing mechanism 127. The door is formed integrally with the side wall and is a part that is folded inward. The box body Bx is moved along the box body conveying section 70 with the door closed. The box body Bx with the door closed moves to the lid folding section 77. The lid folding section 77 folds the lid to the outside of the door and bonds the door and lid together to complete the package Cx in which the items Pc are packed. The lid folding section 77 pushes the lid of the box body Bx from below, folding it and bonding the lid to the door.

[0135] <Box delivery section 7> The box body output section 7 is disposed in an output area 70x at the rear end of the box body transport section 70 in the box transport direction Tb. The box body output section 7 has a push-out section 78. The completed package Cx in the lid folding section 77 is inspected, and if it passes the inspection, the outside Os of the package Cx is pushed by the push-out section 78 and sent to the OK side (upper side in FIG. 1). If it fails the inspection, the inside Is of the package Cx is pushed by the push-out section 78 and sent to the NG side (lower side in FIG. 1). The package Cx sent to the OK side is sent to the next process.

[0136] In the item processing device A, the inspection at the box body output section 7 mainly inspects the boxes and the state of the items Pc inside. The items Pc themselves have passed the inspection at the exterior member mounting device 300. In other words, even if the items Pc fail the inspection at the box body output section 7, the items Pc contained therein are often acceptable items. Therefore, even if the package Cx is sent to the NG side, the package Cx is handled so as not to damage the items Pc inside the package Cx.

[0137] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the contents thereof. Furthermore, various modifications can be made to the embodiment of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0138] A. Material handling equipment Bx box body Cx packaging PC goods Pcf front PCR back side PcI inner surface PcO external surface Pct bottom 100 Item transport device 11 First Transport Route 111 First straight rail 112 Second straight rail 113 First curved rail 114 2nd curved rail 12 Second Transport Route 121 Turnout Rail 122 Merging Rail 123 Return Rail 124 Item Collection Section 13 Rail 131 Main Rail 132 Grooved Rail 133 Flat Rail 134 Groove 135 Gap 13c Curved short rail 13s Straight short rail 14 Transport Shuttle 140 Main body 141 Upper roller 142 Lower Roller 143 Convex 144 Inside 145 Exterior 15. Linear motor mechanism for transport 151 Coil 152 Magnet 153 Linear Driver 16 Article holding part 161 Holding plate part 1611 Through hole 1612 Recess 162 Item engagement part 163 Article support part 164 Slope 165 Rear pressing part 166 Front pressure part 167 Rear support 168 Front support 200 Article delivery device 20 Goods Supply Department 21 Nip roller 211 Roller motor 22 Transfer lane 300 Exterior component mounting device 30 Inspection Department 31 Mounting part 310 Drive motor 32 Holding cylinder part 33 Claw part 333 Recess 34 Link mechanism 400 Article removal device 41 Article rear pusher 42 Item contact part 500 Item storage device 51 Rear contact part 52 Side abutment 53 Front abutment part 600 Box feeding device 61 Sheet accumulation unit 62 Sheet removal section 63 Molding section 64 Sheet feed section 65 Box moving part Sh sheet 700 Item Packaging Equipment 70 Box transport section 701 Linear Rail 702 Box Transport Shuttle 70s Storage Area 70t receiving area 7 Box delivery section 800 Control Device 801 Processing Circuit 802 Memory circuit Cxp center axis Cx1 1st axis Cx2 2nd axis Cx11 1st movable axis Cx21 2nd movable axis Lm1 First link arm Lm2 Second link arm Lm3 3rd link arm Nd1 1st node Nd2 2nd node Nd3 3rd node Nd4 4th node PC goods

Claims

1. An exterior member attachment device for attaching an exterior member to an article transported by an article transport section, an attachment section disposed adjacent to the article conveying section and configured to attach the exterior member to an outer surface of the article being conveyed; A control unit that controls the item conveying unit and the attachment unit; having The mounting portion is a holding tube portion having an outer circumferential surface that holds the exterior member and the outer circumferential surface that rotates along the moving direction of the article; a claw portion having a recess for removing and holding the exterior member held by the holding tube portion; A link mechanism for operating the claw portion, the link mechanism has at least three movable links, and is formed so as to move the claw portion in a conveying direction of the article while pressing the exterior member against the article, the control unit controls to change the rotation speed of the holding tube portion and the operation speed of the link mechanism in accordance with the conveying speed of the article, The link mechanism includes: A first node including a first axis parallel to a center line of the holding tube portion; a first link arm extending from the first node in a direction perpendicular to the first axis in a plan view; A second node including a second axis that is disposed separately from the first axis and parallel to the first axis; a second link arm extending from the second node in a direction perpendicular to the second axis in a plan view; a third joint provided at an end of the first link arm opposite to the first joint and rotating around the first axis; a fourth joint provided at an end of the second link arm opposite to the second joint and pivoting about the second axis; a third link arm rotatably connected to the first link arm at the third joint and rotatably connected to the second link arm at the fourth joint; The claw portion is positioned so that the angle between the third link arm and a line connecting the third node and the center of the recess is always the same.

2. an output shaft rotatable about the first axis; A drive unit that rotates the output shaft; an eccentric rotation portion attached to the output shaft, extending in a direction intersecting the first axis, and including the first link arm; a swinging portion rotatably supported on the second joint and including the second link arm; a follower portion including the third link arm, The exterior member mounting device according to claim 1 , wherein the claw portion is fixed to the driven portion.

3. The control unit acquires position information of the item in the item conveying unit, The external component mounting device according to claim 2 , wherein the rotational speed of the drive unit is controlled based on the position and speed of the article to which the external component is to be mounted.

4. Further comprising an inspection unit for inspecting the condition of the item, 4. The external component mounting device according to claim 2, wherein the control unit controls the drive unit so that the external component is mounted only on the article that has been determined to be a non-defective product by the inspection unit.

5. A circumferential groove is formed in an axially intermediate portion of the retaining cylinder portion, the circumferential groove being continuous in a circumferential direction, 5. The exterior member mounting device according to claim 1, wherein the circumferential groove has a depth that allows the claw portion to be disposed radially inwardly of the exterior member being held.

6. The article conveying unit includes: A rail connected in a loop shape, a transport shuttle that holds the article and moves along the rail; The rail includes a stator having coils arranged side by side in a conveying direction; The external component mounting device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a mover having a permanent magnet disposed on the transport shuttle.

Images