Alignment device

Abstract

To prevent clogging of an object in a delivery conveying path while suppressing positional deviation in a conveying path width direction of an object delivered from a delivery port.SOLUTION: An arraying device includes a rotary conveying device for guiding an object T supplied to an upper surface of a rotary table to a rotary conveying surface part 13, inside and outside guide parts 19 and 20 which are brought into close contact with the rotary conveying surface part 13 and are arranged thereabove, and form a delivery conveying path H, and a height defining part 24 for defining a height of the delivery conveying path H. The delivery conveying path H is formed so as to extend in a direction crossing the rotation direction of the rotation conveying surface part 13 and cross an outer peripheral edge of the rotary conveying surface part 13, in plan view. In at least a part positioned above the rotary conveying surface part 13 in the delivery conveying path H, guide surfaces 19 and 21 of at least one of the inside guide part 18 and the outside guide part 20 are inclined to the outside in the conveying path width direction toward the upper side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an alignment device that aligns a plurality of objects in a line and sends them out from a delivery port. [Background technology]

[0002] As the above-mentioned alignment device, an alignment device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2012-116588 (Patent Document 1 below) has been conventionally known.

[0003] This alignment device aligns the objects in a line and sends them out from a delivery port. A conveyor device that conveys the objects sent out from the alignment device by a conveyor belt is connected to the delivery section of the alignment device. The alignment device includes a bowl provided on a base, a rotary table disposed within the bowl and having the objects supplied onto its upper surface, and a guide mechanism that defines a conveying path for the objects.

[0004] The ball has a flange formed on the outer periphery of its opening and is configured to rotate around a vertical axis of rotation, while the rotating table is disposed in the ball in an inclined state, with its upper edge at the same height as the upper surface of the flange of the ball and connected to the flange, and is configured to rotate around an axis of rotation perpendicular to the rotating table.

[0005] With the ball and turntable configured in this manner, when an object is placed on the turntable, centrifugal force acts on the object as the turntable rotates, and this centrifugal force moves the object to the outer peripheral edge of the turntable and then from the upper edge onto the flange portion of the ball.

[0006] The guide mechanism is a mechanism that is positioned above the flange portion of the ball, moves onto the flange portion, and guides an object moving together with the flange portion toward the outlet.The guide mechanism includes an outer periphery guide and a second side guide that are sequentially and consecutively provided inward from the outer periphery of the flange portion toward the outlet, a first side guide that is provided outward from the inner periphery of the flange portion and radially inward from the outer periphery guide and second side guide with a gap allowing the object to pass through, and an upper guide that defines the height of the conveying path defined by the first and second side guides.

[0007] This conveying path extends in an arc shape along the flange portion of the ball in a plan view, and then crosses the upper surface of the flange portion in a direction intersecting the rotation direction thereof to reach a delivery port for delivering the object.

[0008] Thus, the object moved from the rotating table to the flange portion moves together with the flange portion, enters between the outer periphery guide and the second side guide and the first side guide, is guided by the outer periphery guide, the second side guide, and the first side guide, moves in a row to the outlet, and is sent out from the outlet toward the conveying device.

[0009] Thus, in the alignment device disclosed in Patent Document 1, when multiple objects are placed on the rotating table, the objects move sequentially onto the flange portion of the ball due to the action of centrifugal force, and are then sent out from the delivery outlet in a single row aligned by the action of the guide mechanism. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-116588 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] In the conventional alignment device shown in Patent Document 1, as described above, the transport path (outgoing transport path) for the object defined by the first side guide (inner guide portion), the second side guide (outer guide portion) and the upper guide (height defining portion) is formed so as to cross the outer peripheral edge of the flange portion (rotating transport surface portion) in a planar view and reach the sending outlet.

[0012] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing how the object T is conveyed in the outgoing conveying path 104 defined by the inner guide portion 101, the outer guide portion 102, and the height defining portion 103 in this conventional alignment device, as viewed from the downstream side in the conveying direction. As shown in this figure, the rotating conveying surface portion 105 rotates in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the object T in the outgoing conveying path 104 (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 6), so that an external force acts on the object T in the conveying path width direction (black arrow direction in FIG. 6) perpendicular to the conveying direction. As a result, the object T rolls in the direction of the white arrow in FIG. 6, that is, in the direction in which the inner end of the object T in the conveying path width direction rises relative to the outer end. When the object T rolls, the edge of the object abuts against the guide surfaces of the guide portions 101 and 102, causing a problem that the object T gets stuck in the outgoing conveying path 104.

[0013] To avoid this problem, it is conceivable to widen the distance (width of the outgoing conveying path) between the inner guide portion 101 and the outer guide portion 102. In this case, however, there is a problem that the clearance between the object T and each of the guide portions 101 and 102 increases at the outgoing conveying path 104 exit, which is the outlet of the outgoing conveying path 104, and the positional deviation of the object T sent out from the outgoing conveying path in the conveying path width direction (left and right direction in FIG. 6) becomes large.

[0014] The present invention has been developed in consideration of the above-mentioned situation, and its object is to prevent clogging of objects in the outgoing conveying path caused by rotation of the rotating conveying surface, while suppressing misalignment of objects sent out from the outgoing port in the width direction of the conveying path. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] One aspect of the present invention for solving the above problem is to An alignment device that aligns a plurality of objects in a line and sends them out from a delivery port, a rotary conveying device including a rotary table having a circular shape in a plan view, and a horizontal rotary conveying surface portion arranged to surround the periphery of the rotary table in a plan view and rotate in the same direction as the rotary table, and configured to guide the object supplied to an upper surface of the rotary table onto the rotary conveying surface portion; a pair of guide sections disposed adjacent to and above the rotary conveying surface section and forming an output conveying path for guiding objects guided onto the rotary conveying surface section toward the output opening, the pair of guide sections comprising an outer guide section disposed radially outward, and an inner guide section disposed radially inward from the outer guide section with a distance allowing the objects to pass through; a height defining portion disposed above the output conveying path formed between the inner guide portion and the outer guide portion and defining a height of the output conveying path; the output conveying path is formed so as to extend in a direction intersecting a rotation direction of the rotating conveying surface portion in a plan view, cross an outer peripheral edge of the rotating conveying surface portion, and reach the output opening; In at least a portion of the outgoing conveying path located above the rotating conveying surface portion, an alignment device is provided in which the guide surfaces of at least one of the inner guide portion and the outer guide portion are inclined upward and outward in the width direction of the conveying path.

[0016] According to this alignment device, when multiple objects are placed on the upper surface of the rotating table, the objects are sequentially guided onto the rotating conveying surface by the action of the rotating table, and rotate together with the rotating conveying surface around the rotation axis.

[0017] The object rotating together with the rotating conveying surface enters the output conveying path between the outer guide portion and the inner guide portion provided above the rotating conveying surface, and is aligned in a line by passing through the output conveying path (between the outer guide portion and the inner guide portion), and is sent out from the output opening. This output conveying path is formed so as to extend in a direction intersecting the rotation direction of the rotating conveying surface in a plan view, cross the outer periphery of the rotating conveying surface, and reach the output opening. Therefore, when the object is conveyed along the output conveying path, an external force in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction acts on the object due to the rotation of the rotating conveying surface. As a result, the object rolls around the central axis of the object when viewed from the conveying direction along the output conveying path. When both ends of the object in the width direction come into contact with the guide surfaces of the guide portions due to this rolling, a problem occurs in which the object gets stuck in the output conveying path.

[0018] In order to solve this problem, in the present invention, at least in the portion of the outgoing conveying path located above the rotating conveying surface (i.e., the portion where the external force from the rotating conveying surface acts on the object), at least one of the guide surfaces of the inner guide portion and the outer guide portion is inclined outward in the width direction of the conveying path toward the upper side. This allows both ends of the object in the width direction to escape due to the inclination even if the object rolls.

[0019] In addition, if the distance between the guide surfaces of both guide parts were simply widened, the amount of positional deviation in the width direction of the object would increase, but in the present invention, the guide surfaces are inclined outward in the width direction of the conveying path toward the upper side, so that the lower end positions of the guide surfaces can be fixed in the same position as when the guide surfaces are not inclined. Therefore, the lower edge of the guide surfaces can precisely regulate the position of the object in the width direction of the conveying path.

[0020] In this way, according to the present invention, it is possible to suppress misalignment of the object being sent out from the outlet in the width direction of the conveying path, while preventing clogging of the object in the outgoing conveying path caused by rotation of the rotating conveying surface portion.

[0021] In the alignment device of the present invention, in both the portion of the outgoing conveying path located above the rotating conveying surface portion and the portion located closer to the outgoing outlet than the rotating conveying surface portion, it is preferable that the guide surfaces of at least one of the inner guide portion and the outer guide portion are inclined upward and outward in the width direction of the conveying path, and that the inclined guide surface is formed so that the inclination angle is constant throughout the entire conveying direction of the object on the outgoing conveying path.

[0022] According to this configuration, the inclination angle of the guide surface is constant, which makes it easier to process the guide surface, and ultimately reduces the processing cost. In addition, if an inclined guide surface is provided only on the portion located on the upper side of the rotating conveying surface, a step may occur between the inclined surface and the portion downstream of the inclined surface, and the object may get caught in the step. However, by forming the inclined guide surface over the entire conveying direction of the outgoing conveying path as described above, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of such a step and prevent the object from getting caught.

[0023] In the alignment device of the present invention, it is preferable that the guide surface of the outer guide portion is the inclined guide surface, and the guide surface of the inner guide portion is a vertical surface.

[0024] This configuration can more reliably prevent clogging of the object due to rolling in the outgoing conveying path. That is, in the process before the object enters the outgoing conveying path, the object moves while being pressed against the arc-shaped guide surface by centrifugal force, and after entering the outgoing conveying path, it moves while being in approximate sliding contact with the guide surface of the outer guide part. Therefore, by inclining the guide surface of the outer guide part, rolling of the object can be efficiently suppressed. On the other hand, by configuring the guide surface of the first side guide as a vertical surface, the guide surface can be used as a reference surface and the distance between the first side guide and the second side guide can be easily adjusted according to the width size of the object.

[0025] In the alignment device of the present invention, it is preferable that the inclination angle of the inclined guide surface with respect to a vertical plane is equal to or greater than 3° and equal to or less than 5°.

[0026] That is, if the inclination angle of the guide surface with respect to the vertical plane is too small, the object will not be able to escape as it rolls, and will be more likely to become clogged, whereas if the inclination angle of the guide surface is too large, the object will be more likely to become misaligned in the width direction of the conveying path. Based on this idea, the inventors, after extensive research, have found that by setting the inclination angle of the guide surface to 3° or more and 5° or less, it is possible to prevent the object from becoming clogged and suppress the object from becoming misaligned in the width direction of the conveying path.

[0027] Another aspect of the present invention is An alignment device that aligns a plurality of objects in a line and sends them out from a delivery port, a rotary conveying device including a rotary table having a circular shape in a plan view, and a horizontal rotary conveying surface portion arranged to surround the periphery of the rotary table in a plan view and rotate in the same direction as the rotary table, and configured to guide the object supplied to an upper surface of the rotary table onto the rotary conveying surface portion; a pair of guide sections disposed adjacent to and above the rotary conveying surface section and forming an output conveying path for guiding objects guided onto the rotary conveying surface section toward the output opening, the pair of guide sections comprising an outer guide section disposed radially outward, and an inner guide section disposed radially inward from the outer guide section with a distance allowing the objects to pass through; a height defining portion defining a height of the output conveying path formed between the inner guide portion and the outer guide portion, the output conveying path is formed so as to extend in a direction intersecting a rotation direction of the rotating conveying surface portion in a plan view, cross an outer peripheral edge of the rotating conveying surface portion, and reach the output opening; The inner guide portion and the outer guide portion are formed so that the width of the outfeed conveying path narrows from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction of the objects along the outfeed conveying path.

[0028] According to this alignment device, in the upstream part of the outgoing conveying path from which the object is sent out, the object moves while being guided by both guide parts on the upper surface of the rotating conveying surface part, while in the downstream part, the object moves to the outside of the rotating conveying surface part and moves along the upper surface of, for example, a delivery plate or a belt conveying device. Therefore, the rolling of the object due to the rotation of the rotating conveying surface part occurs only in the upstream part of the outgoing conveying path, and after the object moves to the downstream part of the outgoing conveying path and moves outside the rotating conveying surface part, there is no cause for the object to roll. In the present invention, focusing on this point, in the upstream part of the outgoing conveying path, the distance between the guide surfaces of both guide parts is made wide to ensure a sufficient amount of escape even if the object rolls, while in the downstream part where there is no cause for the object to roll, the distance between the guide surfaces of both guide parts is made narrow to limit the movement of the object in the width direction of the conveying path. This makes it possible to both prevent the object from clogging and suppress the object from shifting in the width direction of the conveying path. Effect of the Invention

[0029] As described above, according to the alignment device of the present invention, in at least the portion of the outgoing conveying path located above the rotating conveying surface portion, at least one of the guide surfaces of the inner guide portion and the outer guide portion is inclined upward and outward in the width direction of the conveying path, or the distance between the guide surfaces of the inner guide portion and the outer guide portion is narrowed from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction of the object along the outgoing conveying path, thereby suppressing misalignment of the object sent out from the outgoing outlet in the width direction of the conveying path, while preventing clogging of the object in the outgoing conveying path caused by rotation of the rotating conveying surface portion. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0030] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing an alignment and transport system including an alignment device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1A to 1C are diagrams showing an irregularly shaped tablet as an example of the target object, where (a) is a plan view, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a front view seen from one side in the longitudinal direction. [Diagram 3] 4 is an enlarged perspective view showing the periphery of a first side guide and a second side guide that guide an object toward a delivery port. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which an object rolls, taken along a cross section taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow V in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 5 is a view equivalent to FIG. 4 of an alignment device according to a conventional example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0031] Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0032] 1 is a plan view showing an alignment conveying system 1 including an alignment device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. This alignment conveying system 1 is composed of an alignment device 10 that aligns objects T in a line and sends them out from a delivery port 25, a conveying device 40 that conveys the objects T sent out from the alignment device 10 by a conveying belt 41, a delivery plate 50 that transfers the objects T sent out from the delivery port 25 of the alignment device 10 onto the conveying belt 41 of the conveying device 40, and an inspection device 60 that inspects the objects T conveyed by the conveying device 40.

[0033] Examples of the target object T include tablets, capsules, chip capacitors, etc. In this example, an irregularly shaped tablet shown in Fig. 2 is used as the target object T. The irregularly shaped tablet has an oval planar shape (see Fig. 2(a)), and both its side shape and its front shape as viewed from one side in the longitudinal direction are elliptical (see Figs. 2(b) and (c)), and has a band-shaped flat surface on the outer periphery.

[0034] The alignment device 10 includes a bowl-shaped bowl 12 mounted on a base 11, a rotating table 14 on whose upper surface the object T is supplied, and a guide mechanism 15 that defines a transport path for the object T and guides the object T to the delivery outlet 25.

[0035] The ball 12 has a horizontal flange 13 formed on the outer periphery of its opening, and is rotated about a vertical axis of rotation by an appropriate drive mechanism (hereinafter, ball drive mechanism) (not shown). This flange 13 functions as a rotating conveying surface.

[0036] The rotating table 14 is disposed in the ball 12 in an inclined state, with its upper edge being at the same height as the upper surface of the flange portion 13 of the ball 12, and is provided so as to be connected to the flange portion 13. The rotating table 14 is configured to rotate about a rotation axis perpendicular to itself by an appropriate driving mechanism (hereinafter, table driving mechanism) (not shown).

[0037] Incidentally, the portion where the upper edge of the turntable 14 connects to the flange portion 13 is the portion where the object T placed on the turntable 14 is transferred onto the flange portion 13, and hereinafter this connecting portion is referred to as the transfer position (indicated by reference symbol 14a in Fig. 1). In Fig. 1, the direction of arrow B is the rotation direction of the ball 12 when the object T is transported, and similarly, the direction of arrow C is the rotation direction of the turntable 14 when the object T is transported.

[0038] The balls 12, the ball drive mechanism (not shown), the rotary table 14 and the table drive mechanism (not shown) function as a rotary conveying device.

[0039] The guide mechanism 15 defines a conveying path for moving the object T, which has been moved from the rotating table 14 onto the flange portion 13 at the transfer position 14a, toward the discharge outlet 25, and is equipped with an outer periphery guide 16, a first side guide 18, a second side guide 20, a first upper guide 22, a second upper guide 23, and a third upper guide 24.

[0040] The outer circumferential guide 16 is provided outside the inner peripheral edge of the flange portion 13, and the side closer to the center of the ball 12 (hereinafter simply referred to as the "center side") is a guide surface 17 having an arc-shaped concave curved surface.

[0041] The second side guide 20 extends from the outer circumferential guide 16 toward the delivery port 25, and the side surface on the central side serves as a guide surface 21 connected to the guide surface 17 of the outer circumferential guide 16, and the end of the second side guide 20 reaches above the conveying device 40. This second side guide 20 functions as an outer guide portion.

[0042] The first side guide 18 is disposed closer to the center (radially inward) than the outer periphery guide 16 and the second side guide 20, facing the outer periphery guide 16 and the second side guide 20 at a distance that allows the object T to pass through, and similar to the second side guide 20, its end reaches above the conveying device 40. Needless to say, in the first side guide 18, the side surface facing the outer periphery guide 16 and the second side guide 20 serves as a guide surface 19. The first side guide 18 functions as an inner guide section.

[0043] In addition, the outer periphery guide 16, the first side guide 18 and the second side guide 20 are arranged so that their respective lower surfaces are positioned above the flange portion 13 with a small gap between them and the flange portion 13.

[0044] Between the first side guide 18 and the second side guide 20, an output conveying path H is formed which receives the object T conveyed along an arc-shaped path along the guide surface 17 of the outer periphery guide 16 and conveys it toward the output opening 25. The output conveying path H is a linear conveying path which, in a plan view, extends from near the downstream end of the guide surface 17 of the outer periphery guide 16 in a direction intersecting the rotation direction of the flange portion 13 (in this example, the left-right direction in FIG. 1), crosses the outer periphery of the flange portion 13, and reaches the output opening 25. The height of the output conveying path H is determined by a third upper guide 24 (see FIG. 4) which will be described later.

[0045] Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view showing the periphery of the output conveying path H defined by the first side guide 18 and the second side guide 20, and Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in Fig. 3. In Fig. 3, the third upper guide 24 is omitted for ease of viewing.

[0046] As shown in each drawing, the guide surface 19 of the first side guide 18 is formed on the surface of the first side guide 18 facing the second side guide 20, and is a vertical surface extending over the entire length of the first side guide 18. In other words, this guide surface 19 is formed perpendicular to the upper surface of the flange portion 13, which is a horizontal surface.

[0047] The guide surface 21 of the second side guide 20 is formed at the lower end of the surface of the second side guide 20 facing the first side guide 18. This guide surface 21 is an inclined surface that extends over the entire length of the second side guide 20 (the entire conveying direction of the object T on the outgoing conveying path H) and is inclined outward in the conveying path width direction toward the upper side. The inclination angle θ of the guide surface 21 with respect to the vertical plane (see FIG. 4) is preferably 3° or more and 5° or less, and more preferably 4°. In this example, the inclination angle θ is set to a constant angle (4° in this example) over the entire range from the upstream end to the downstream end of the outgoing conveying path H.

[0048] 3, the delivery opening 25 of the delivery conveying path H is located between the downstream edge of the guide surface 19 of the first side guide 18 and the downstream edge of the guide surface 21 of the second side guide 20. The width dimension of the lower end of the delivery opening 25 is a predetermined amount larger than the width dimension of the object T. This predetermined amount is set to be equal to or smaller than the amount of positional deviation of the object T in the conveying path width direction that is permitted by the inspection device 60 described below.

[0049] Returning to FIG. 1, the first upper guide 22 is disposed above the flange portion 13 so as to provide a gap between the first upper guide 22 and the upper surface of the flange portion 13 that allows the object T to pass through. Specifically, the first upper guide 22 is made of an arc-shaped plate extending in the circumferential direction along the inner peripheral edge of the flange portion 13 in a plan view. The transfer position 14a is located below the central portion of the first upper guide 22 in the circumferential direction. The first upper guide 22 regulates the height of the object T transferred from the rotary table 14 to the upper surface of the flange portion 13 via the transfer position 14a.

[0050] The second upper guide 23 is similarly disposed above the flange portion 13 so as to provide a gap between the flange portion 13 and the second upper guide 23 that allows the object T to pass through. The second upper guide 23 is disposed downstream of the first upper guide 22 in the rotation direction (arrow B direction) of the flange portion 13, and extends circumferentially over a range of approximately 90° along the inner peripheral edge of the flange portion 13. The second upper guide 23 is disposed so that one end faces an end of the first upper guide 22, and the other end faces an end of the third upper guide 24.

[0051] The third upper guide 24 is disposed so that one end is adjacent to the second upper guide 23 and the other end is located above the conveying device 40. The third upper guide 24 is disposed so as to cover the outgoing conveying path H defined by the guide surface 19 of the first side guide 18 and the guide surface 21 of the second side guide 20. Thus, the third upper guide 24 functions as a height defining portion that defines the height of the outgoing conveying path H. The third upper guide 24 has a gap between it and the flange portion 13, the delivery plate 50, and the conveying belt 41 that allows the object T to pass through.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 5, the conveying device 40 includes a support frame 45, a hollow rectangular negative pressure box 46 supported by the support frame 45, the conveying belt 41, four pulleys 44 supported by the support frame 45 so as to be positioned around the negative pressure box 46 and around which the conveying belt 41 is wound so as to be in sliding contact with the upper surface of the negative pressure box 46, and a drive motor 47 connected to one of the pulleys 44 and driving the pulley 44.

[0053] The inside of the negative pressure box 46 is connected to the negative pressure supply source (not shown) and is at negative pressure, and a slit hole (not shown) is formed in the upper surface along the longitudinal direction so that negative pressure acts on the outside through this slit hole.

[0054] The conveyor belt 41 has protrusions 42 formed on both sides thereof, and through holes 43 are formed between the two protrusions 42 at a predetermined interval along the longitudinal direction, and negative pressure from a negative pressure box 46 acts between the two protrusions 42 through the through holes 43. The conveyor belt 41 rotates in the direction of arrow D by a pulley 44 driven by the drive motor 47.

[0055] The transfer plate 50 is supported on the lower end surfaces of the first side guide 18 and the second side guide 20 so as to be positioned above the protrusion portion 42 of the conveying belt 41, and the transfer plate 50 is positioned with a small gap between its base and the flange portion 13 so as not to interfere with the rotation of the flange portion 13.

[0056] The inspection device 60 is provided above the transport device 40, and is a general inspection device that inspects whether the shape of the object T is a predetermined shape.

[0057] Next, a mode in which the target object T is aligned by the alignment device 10 having the above-mentioned configuration will be described.

[0058] First, the object T supplied onto the turntable 14 is moved in the outer periphery direction of the turntable 14 by the action of centrifugal force caused by the rotation of the turntable 14, and the object T that has moved to the outer periphery of the turntable 14 is transferred from the turntable 14 onto the flange portion 13 at a transfer position 14a. The transferred object T moves along the guide surface 17 of the outer periphery guide 16 while remaining placed on the flange portion 13 as the balls 12 rotate.

[0059] Next, the object T on the flange portion 13 enters below the first upper guide 22. At this time, if the object T is stacked in two or more layers or is standing up, the state is resolved and it is returned to the ball 12, and only the object T within a predetermined height range enters below the first upper guide 22. The object T that entered below the first upper guide 22 moves along the guide surface 17 of the outer circumferential guide 16. Then, when the object T has passed the downstream end of the first upper guide 22, the object T that is in a bad position such that the major axis faces the radial direction of the ball 12 falls into the ball 12 and is removed, and the object T that remains without falling further enters below the second upper guide 23. Then, the object T that entered below the second upper guide 23 moves downstream with the rotation of the flange portion 13 and eventually reaches the ends of the first side guide 18 and the second side guide 20. At this time, an object T that cannot enter between the first side guide 18 and the second side guide 20, such as an object T being transported along the inner side of the flange portion 13 from the guide surface 19 of the first side guide 18, is repelled by the first side guide 18 and returned to the ball 12.

[0060] Then, the object T that has not been returned to the ball 12 and remains on the flange portion 13 moves away from the guide surface 17 of the outer circumferential guide 16 and simultaneously enters the output conveying path H surrounded by the guide surface 21 of the second side guide 20, the guide surface 19 of the first side guide 18, the third upper guide 24, and the flange portion 13, as shown in Fig. 4. Then, the object T that has entered the output conveying path H moves downstream by obtaining a component force in a straight line direction along the output conveying path H as the flange portion 13 rotates, and after moving outside the flange portion 13, moves onto the transfer plate 50. The object T that has moved onto the transfer plate 50 moves on the transfer plate 50 by a pushing force from behind, is sent out from the delivery opening 25, and is then transferred to the upper surface of the conveyor belt 41.

[0061] The object T transferred from the delivery plate 50 to the upper surface of the conveyor belt 41 is conveyed toward the inspection device 60 by the drive of the conveyor belt 41, and a predetermined inspection is performed by the inspection device 60. At this time, the object T on the conveyor belt 41 is conveyed in a state where it is attracted to the protrusions 42 of the conveyor belt 41 by the suction force of a negative pressure mechanism (not shown).

[0062] In the alignment device 10 configured as above, when the object T enters the outgoing conveying path H, as described above, a component force in the conveying direction of the object T along the outgoing conveying path H acts on the object T in addition to a component force in the conveying path width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, as the flange portion 13 rotates. Therefore, the object T rolls around its central axis as viewed from the conveying direction of the object T (perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 4) as shown by the white arrow in FIG. 4. As a result, the inner end of the object T in the width direction rises higher than the outer end, and the object T becomes inclined in the outgoing conveying path H. If the object T rolls and tilts in this way, both ends of the object T in the width direction may come into contact with the guide surfaces 19, 21 of the guides 18, 20, and the object T may become stuck in the outgoing conveying path H. In contrast, in this example, one of the guide surfaces 21 is inclined upward at an angle θ outward in the width direction of the conveying path, so that the end of the object T can be allowed to escape by the inclination of the guide surface 21, thereby preventing clogging of the object T. In addition, the lower end position of the guide surface 21 can be fixed in the same position as when the guide surface 21 is not inclined, so that when the object T moves from the delivery opening 25 to the delivery plate 50, the position of the object T in the width direction of the conveying path can be precisely regulated by the lower end edges of both guide surfaces 19, 21, as shown by the two-dot chain line in Fig. 5.

[0063] Therefore, according to the alignment device 10 of this example, it is possible to suppress misalignment of the object T in the width direction of the conveying path as it is sent out from the delivery outlet 25, while preventing clogging of the object T in the delivery conveying path H caused by rotation of the flange portion 13.

[0064] In this example, only the guide surface 21 of the second side guide 20 is inclined, and the guide surface 19 of the first side guide 18 is a vertical surface.

[0065] According to this configuration, clogging of the object T due to rolling of the object T in the outgoing conveying path H can be more reliably prevented. That is, in the process until the object T enters the outgoing conveying path H, the object T is pressed against the guide surface 17 of the outer circumferential guide 16 by the centrifugal force accompanying the rotation of the flange portion 13 and moves. Therefore, the object T that entered the outgoing conveying path H moves while sliding against the guide surface 21 of the second side guide 20, which is the outer guide portion. In this state, if the object T rolls, the guide surface 21 of the second side guide 20 and the end of the object T come into firm contact with each other, causing clogging of the object T. Therefore, in this example, by inclining the guide surface 21 of the second side guide 20 at the angle θ as described above, a sufficient amount of escape of the object T during rolling can be secured, and clogging of the object T can be effectively prevented. Furthermore, by constructing the guide surface 19 of the first side guide 18 as a vertical surface, the guide surface 19 can be used as a reference surface, and the distance between the first side guide 18 and the second side guide 20 can be easily adjusted to accommodate objects T of various width sizes.

[0066] In this example, the guide surface 21 of the second side guide 20 is formed so that the inclination angle θ is constant over the entire conveying direction of the object T on the output conveying path H.

[0067] According to this configuration, the guide surface 21 is inclined at the same angle over the entire conveying direction of the object T on the outgoing conveying path H, which facilitates the processing of the guide surface 21 and ultimately reduces the processing cost. Furthermore, if only the portion of the guide surface 21 located above the flange portion 13 is inclined, a step portion will be generated in the guide surface 21. However, by inclining the guide surface 21 over the entire conveying direction of the outgoing conveying path H as in this example, it is possible to prevent such a step from being generated and hindering the conveying of the object.

[0068] Furthermore, in this example, the inclination angle θ of the guide surface 21 provided on the second side guide 20 with respect to the vertical plane is set to be equal to or greater than 3° and equal to or less than 5°.

[0069] By setting the inclination angle θ of the guide surface 21 within this angle range, it is possible to both prevent clogging of the objects T and suppress displacement of the objects T in the width direction of the conveying path.

[0070] Other Embodiments In the above embodiment, the guide surface 21 of the second side guide 20 is inclined to prevent clogging of the objects T, but the present invention is not limited to this. That is, for example, the guide surface 21 of the second side guide 20 and the guide surface 19 of the first side guide 18 may both be configured as vertical surfaces, and the width of the outgoing conveying path H may be narrowed from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction of the objects T along the outgoing conveying path H. In this case, both guide surfaces 19, 21 of the outgoing conveying path H are inclined inwardly toward each other toward the downstream side in a plan view.

[0071] According to this configuration, in the upstream portion of the outgoing conveying path H, which is affected by the rotation of the flange portion 13, the width of the outgoing conveying path H is made wide to ensure sufficient escape of the object T when rolling, while after the object T moves outside the flange portion 13 (i.e., the downstream portion of the outgoing conveying path H), the width of the outgoing conveying path H is narrowed to accurately regulate the positional deviation of the object T in the width direction of the conveying path as it is sent out from the outgoing port 25.

[0072] In the embodiment, the guide surface 21 of the second side guide 20 is formed so that the inclination angle θ is constant regardless of the position in the conveying direction of the object T on the output conveying path H, but this is not limited thereto, and for example, the inclination angle θ of the guide surface 21 may be decreased from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction. In this case, it is preferable that the inclination angle θ is set to 0° at the position of the output opening 25.

[0073] According to this configuration, in the upstream portion of the outgoing conveying path H which is affected by the rotation of the flange portion 13, the inclination angle θ of the guide surface 21 is set large to ensure a sufficient amount of escape for the object T when rolling, while after the object T moves to the outside of the flange portion 13 (i.e., the downstream portion of the outgoing conveying path H), the inclination angle θ of the guide surface 21 is reduced as much as possible to suppress misalignment of the object T in the width direction of the conveying path as it is sent from the outgoing port 25.

[0074] In the above embodiment, the guide surface 21 of the second side guide 20 is formed so as to be inclined at the angle θ over substantially the entire range of the conveying direction of the object T in the outgoing conveying path H, but this is not limited thereto, and for example, the guide surface 21 may be inclined only in the portion located above the flange portion 13.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the guide surface 21 of the second side guide 20 is inclined to prevent rolling of the object T, but this is not limited to this. For example, both the guide surface 21 of the second side guide 20 and the guide surface 19 of the first side guide 18 may be inclined upward and outward in the width direction of the conveying path, or only the guide surface 19 of the first side guide 18 may be inclined upward and outward in the width direction of the conveying path.

[0076] In the above embodiment, the turntable 14 is disposed inclined with respect to the vertical axis, but this is not limited thereto and may be disposed horizontally. In other words, any configuration may be used as long as the rotary conveying device includes a turntable having a circular shape in a plan view and a horizontal rotary conveying surface portion disposed so as to surround the periphery of the turntable and rotates in the same direction as the turntable.

[0077] The present invention includes any combination of the various embodiments described above.

[0078] It should be noted that the above-described embodiment is illustrative in all respects and is not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make appropriate modifications and changes. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, not the above-described embodiment. Furthermore, the scope of the present invention includes modifications from the embodiment within the scope of the claims and the scope equivalent thereto. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] H Outgoing conveyor T object θ angle 10 Alignment device 13 Flange portion (rotating conveying surface portion, rotating conveying device) 14 Rotary table (rotary conveying device) 18 First side guide (inner guide part) 19 Guide Surface 20 Second side guide (outer guide part) 21 Guide Surface 24 3rd upper guide (height determining part) 25 outlet

Claims

1. An alignment device that aligns a plurality of objects in a line and sends them out from a delivery port, a rotary conveying device including a rotary table having a circular shape in a plan view, and a horizontal rotary conveying surface portion arranged to surround the periphery of the rotary table in a plan view and rotate in the same direction as the rotary table, and configured to guide the object supplied to an upper surface of the rotary table onto the rotary conveying surface portion; a pair of guide sections disposed adjacent to and above the rotary conveying surface section and forming an output conveying path for guiding the object guided onto the rotary conveying surface section toward the output opening, the pair of guide sections comprising an outer guide section disposed radially outward, and an inner guide section disposed radially inward from the outer guide section with a gap allowing the object to pass therethrough; a height defining portion defining a height of the output conveying path formed between the inner guide portion and the outer guide portion, the output conveying path is formed so as to extend in a direction intersecting a rotation direction of the rotating conveying surface portion in a plan view, cross an outer peripheral edge of the rotating conveying surface portion, and reach the output opening; An alignment device characterized in that, in at least a portion of the outgoing conveying path located above the rotating conveying surface portion, at least one of the guide surfaces of the inner guide portion and the outer guide portion is inclined outward in the width direction of the conveying path toward the upper side.

2. In both a portion of the output conveying path located above the rotating conveying surface and a portion located closer to the output port than the rotating conveying surface, at least one of the guide surfaces of the inner guide portion and the outer guide portion is inclined outward in the width direction of the conveying path toward the upper side, 2. The aligning device according to claim 1, wherein the inclined guide surface is formed so that the inclination angle is constant over the entire conveying direction of the objects on the output conveying path.

3. The guide surface of the outer guide portion is the inclined guide surface, 3. The alignment device according to claim 1, wherein the guide surface of the inner guide portion is a vertical surface.

4. 4. The alignment device according to claim 1, wherein an inclination angle of the inclined guide surface with respect to a vertical plane is equal to or greater than 3 degrees and equal to or less than 5 degrees.

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