Conveyor device and inclined conveyor device

Abstract

To provide a conveyor device and an inclined conveyor device capable of smoothly conveying objects to be conveyed.SOLUTION: There is provided a conveyor device in which a plurality of rotating members are arranged in parallel, which is divided into a plurality of sections, each section having a frame body and the plurality of rotating members. The rotating member has a mounting shaft. The frame body has frame pieces arranged in parallel, and at least one of the frame pieces is provided with a plurality of body-side openings, and has a holding member, the holding member having a plurality of holding member-side openings, with a part or all of the holding member-side openings arranged in a curved line. The holding member is at least one of the frame pieces and is attached across adjacent sections. The mounting shaft is fixed to the frame piece in a state in which the body-side openings and the holding member-side openings are communicated with each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an inclined conveyor system that is installed in an inclined position, and also to a conveyor system that is used as an inclined conveyor system. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, there may be a case where a conveyor line is provided on an upper floor and a conveyor line is provided on a lower floor, and a conveyor device is installed in an inclined position between the upper and lower floors. For convenience of explanation, the conveyor device installed in an inclined position is referred to as an inclined conveyor device. For example, when moving an article from an upper floor to a lower floor, the conveyor line on the upper floor carries the article to the upper floor end of the inclined conveyor device, and then the inclined conveyor device is driven to lower the article onto the conveyor line on the lower floor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-135180 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The conveying surface of the inclined conveyor is inclined, while the conveying surface of the conveyor line installed on the lower floor is horizontal. Therefore, an angle is created between the conveying surface of the inclined conveyor and the delivery surface of the conveyor line on the lower floor, which makes it difficult to transfer the transported goods between the inclined conveyor and other conveyor devices. For example, when the transported goods are transferred from the inclined conveyor to the conveyor on the lower floor, the corners of the transported goods hit the delivery surface of the conveyor line on the lower floor. As a result, noise may be generated and the transported goods may be damaged.

[0005] If the conveying surface at the boundary between the inclined area and the horizontal area is curved, the article can be transferred smoothly. However, it is difficult to arrange the transport rollers etc. so that the transport surface is curved.

[0006] The present invention is devised to solve the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a conveyor device and an inclined conveyor device which can easily arrange conveying rollers etc. so that the conveying surface is curved, and which can smoothly convey objects. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An embodiment for solving the above-mentioned problems is a conveyor device in which a plurality of rotating members are arranged in parallel, the conveyor device being divided into a plurality of compartments, each compartment having a frame body and a plurality of the rotating members, the rotating members having mounting shafts, the frame body having frame pieces arranged in parallel, at least one of the frame pieces having a plurality of main body side openings, a retaining member having a plurality of retaining member side openings, some or all of the retaining member side openings being arranged in a curved line, the retaining member being at least one of the frame pieces and being attached across adjacent compartments, and the mounting shaft being fixed to the frame piece in a state where the main body side opening and the retaining member side opening are in communication.

[0008] The conveyor device of this aspect has a holding member, and the rotating member is positioned by the holding member. The holding member employed in the conveyor device of this aspect has a plurality of holding member-side openings, and the holding member-side openings are arranged in a curved line. The mounting shaft of the rotating member is inserted into the opening of the holding member, so that the conveying surface of the rotating member necessarily forms a curve. Furthermore, since the holding member is attached across adjacent compartments, the conveying surface also forms a curve at the boundary between the compartments.

[0009] In the above-mentioned aspect, it is preferable that the main body side opening is a long hole or a notch.

[0010] According to this embodiment, there is a degree of freedom in the mounting position of the mounting shaft on one side of the frame, making it easy to mount the rotating member.

[0011] In each of the above-mentioned aspects, it is desirable that the retaining member has a curved, band-like, arched portion, and that the arched portion is provided with an opening on the retaining member side and an attachment hole for fixing the retaining member to the frame piece.

[0012] According to this aspect, the holding member can be easily attached to the frame piece.

[0013] An aspect of the inclined conveyor is an inclined conveyor that is installed in an inclined position and transports articles between an upper position and a lower position, characterized in that any of the conveyor devices described above is arranged on at least one of the upper side and the lower side.

[0014] The inclined conveyor device of this aspect easily forms a curved conveying surface. Effect of the Invention

[0015] The conveyor device and the inclined conveyor device of the present invention can easily create a curved conveying surface, and therefore can smoothly convey objects. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 2(a) is a front view of an inclined conveyor according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. [Diagram 2] 2(a) is a front view of the upper floor flat area and the upper curved area of ​​the inclined conveyor of FIG. 1, and (b) is a plan view thereof. [Diagram 3] 2(a) is a front view of the lower curved area and the lower curved area of ​​the inclined conveyor of FIG. 1, and (b) is a plan view thereof. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a mounting portion of a transport roller of the inclined conveyor of FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the inclined conveyor. [Figure 6] 2A is a plan view of a section of the inclined conveyor of FIG. 1, FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of the inclined conveyor, and FIG. 2C is an enlarged plan view of another section of the inclined conveyor of FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2( a ) is a front view of a holding member used in the inclined conveyor of FIG. 1 . [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a front view of a modified example of the holding member. [Figure 9] 10A is a front view of an upper curved surface area of ​​an inclined conveyor according to another embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 10B is a plan view thereof, and FIG. 10C is an enlarged plan sectional view of a portion thereof. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] The embodiments of the present invention will be described further below. The inclined conveyor 1 of this embodiment is a roller conveyor that is installed in an inclined position as shown in Figure 1. The conveying path of the inclined conveyor 1 is divided into multiple short conveying zones (sections). That is, the inclined conveyor 1 is configured by connecting multiple zone conveyors in series.

[0018] The zone conveyor 2 is a roller conveyor having a short overall length, and includes a frame body 7 and a plurality of transport rollers (rotating members) 5. 5, the frame body 7 has left and right frame pieces 3a, 3b arranged in parallel to each other. A plurality of transport rollers (rotating members) 5 are attached in parallel to the left and right frame pieces 3a, 3b. The conveying rollers 5 are supported at a predetermined interval in the conveying direction. The conveying rollers 5 are made up of a freely rotating driven roller and a motorized roller that incorporates a drive motor (not shown). In this embodiment, there is only one motorized roller, and the rest are all driven rollers. Each of the conveying rollers (rotating members) 5 has a roller body 11, and a mounting shaft 15 protrudes from both ends of the roller body 11. A screw 12 is formed on the mounting shaft 15. The mounting shaft 15 has a hexagonal portion (not shown).

[0019] Adjacent conveyor rollers 5 in the zone conveyor 2 are wrapped with a transmission belt 6. Therefore, the rotational driving force of the motorized roller can be transmitted to all driven rollers. In this embodiment, the motorized roller is located in the center.

[0020] The zone conveyor 2 employed in this embodiment employs frame pieces 3a and 3b of a unique shape, and further includes a holding member 20 provided on the outside of the frame pieces 3a and 3b. These will be described below. The frame pieces 3a, 3b are linear members having a U-shaped cross section as shown in Figures 4 and 5. That is, the frame pieces 3a, 3b have a bottom wall 21, a vertical wall 22, and a top wall 23. Body side openings 25 are provided at regular intervals in the vertical wall 22. Each of the body side openings 25 is an elongated hole that is long in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the frame pieces 3a and 3b are provided with mounting holes 30 for mounting the holding members 20 thereto.

[0021] 7, the holding member 20 is a band-shaped plate curved slightly like an arch, with protrusions 26 provided on both ends. That is, the holding member 20 has a band-shaped main body portion (arch-shaped portion) 27 curved like an arch, with approximately square protrusions 26 provided on both ends.

[0022] A plurality of holding member side openings 28 are formed at regular intervals in the main body 27 of the holding member 20. As described later, the holding member side openings 28 are holes through which the mounting shafts 15 of the conveying rollers (rotating members) 5 are inserted. The holding member side openings 28 are hexagonal in shape. The pitch of the holding member side openings 28 is the same as the pitch of the main body side openings 25 described above. When the row of the holding member side openings 28 is observed from the front, the holding member side openings 28 are arranged in a slightly curved line as shown in FIG.

[0023] The protruding portion 26 is provided with a mounting hole 31 . The shape of the holding member 20 is not uniform, but there are multiple types. That is, there are types with different rows of the holding member side openings 28. Specifically, there are types in which the row of the holding member side openings 28 is arranged in an upward convex shape, and types in which the row is arranged in a downward convex shape.

[0024] The inclined conveyor device 1 of this embodiment is configured by connecting a plurality of zone conveyors 2 at a predetermined angle. Since the frame body 7 of each zone conveyor 2 is linear, the frame bodies 7 are discontinuously connected as shown in FIG. In the inclined conveyor device 1 of this embodiment, the conveying path is divided into seven zones a to g. Of these, section a is a section that includes an upper floor flat area 50. Sections b and c are upper floor curved areas. Section d is a section that includes a linearly inclined area 51. Sections e and f are lower floor curved areas. Section g is a section that includes a lower floor flat area 52.

[0025] In this embodiment, the holding member 20 is fixed to the frame main body 7. Specifically, the holding member 20 is fixed to the outer side of the vertical walls 22 of the frame pieces 3a, 3b. Here, in this embodiment, the holding member 20 is attached across the frame pieces 3a, 3b of the adjacent sections. For example, looking at sections a and b, the holding member 20ab is attached across sections a and b. That is, one protrusion 26a of the holding member 20ab is attached to the frame pieces 3a and 3b of section a, and the other protrusion 26b of the holding member 20ab is attached to the frame pieces 3a and 3b of section b. Specifically, a screw 33 is inserted through the mounting hole 31 of the protrusion 26a of the holding member 20ab and the mounting holes 30 of the frame pieces 3a and 3b of section a, and a screw 33 is inserted through the mounting hole 31 of the protrusion 26b of the holding member 20ab and the mounting holes 30 of the frame pieces 3a and 3b of section b, and the holding member 20ab is fixed across sections a and b by these screws. Here, in the holding member 20ab spanning the sections a and b, the row of the holding member side openings 28 is arranged in an upward convex shape. That is, in the holding member 20ab, the row of the holding member side openings 28 is arranged in a mountain shape.

[0026] Focusing on section b and section c, the holding member 20bc is attached across section b and section c. That is, one protrusion 26a of the holding member 20bc is attached to the frame pieces 3a and 3b of section b, and the other protrusion 26b of the holding member 20bc is attached to the frame pieces 3a and 3b of section c. Here, in the holding member 20bc spanning the sections b and c, the row of holding member side openings 28 is arranged in an upwardly convex shape. That is, in the holding member 20bc, the row of holding member side openings 28 is arranged in a mountain shape.

[0027] Similarly, holding member 20cd is attached across sections c and d, holding member 20de is attached across sections d and e, holding member 20ef is attached across sections e and f, and holding member 20fg is attached across sections f and g. The holding member 20cd has a row of holding member side openings 28 arranged in an upwardly convex shape.

[0028] In contrast, the retaining member 20de installed across sections d and e, the retaining member 20ef installed across sections e and f, and the retaining member 20fg installed across sections f and g have rows of retaining member side openings 28 arranged in a downward convex shape. That is, the holding members 20de, 20ef, and 20fg have the rows of the holding member-side openings 28 arranged in a valley shape. As described above, the section d is a section that includes the linearly inclined region 51. Between the holding member 20cd and the holding member 20de attached to the section d, there is a region 53 where the holding member 20 does not exist as shown in FIG. In other regions, the holding members 20 are close to each other.

[0029] When the arrangement of the holding member side openings 28 of the holding member 20 attached to the inclined conveyor device 1 is viewed generally, a gentle curve connects the upper floor flat area 50 to the linear inclined area 51. A gentle curve also connects the linear inclined area 51 to the lower floor flat area 52.

[0030] As described above, the pitch of the holding member side openings 28 and the pitch of the main body side openings 25 are the same, so that the holding member side openings 28 and the main body side openings 25 communicate with each other. Since the holding member side openings 28 are arranged in a curved line, the positions of the holding member side openings 28 vary in the height direction of the vertical walls 22 of the frame pieces 3a, 3b. That is, since the holding member side openings 28 are arranged in a curved line, while the frame pieces 3a, 3b are linear members, the positions of the holding member side openings 28 vary in the height direction of the vertical walls 22 of the frame pieces 3a, 3b. In contrast, since the holding member side opening 28 is an elongated hole that is long in the vertical direction, there is a degree of freedom in the vertical direction, and the holding member side opening 28 communicates with any part of the main body side opening 25.

[0031] In this embodiment, the mounting shaft 15 of the conveying roller (rotating member) 5 is inserted through the communication hole between the holding member side opening 28 and the main body side opening 25. A nut 35 is attached to the mounting shaft 15 of the conveying roller 5, and the conveying roller 5 is fixed to the frame pieces 3a and 3b. The holding member side opening 28 is hexagonal in shape and engages with a part of the mounting shaft 15 of the transport roller 5. Therefore, the mounting shaft 15 of the transport roller 5 is prevented from rotating relative to the frame pieces 3a and 3b.

[0032] Since the mounting shaft 15 of the transport roller 5 is inserted through the holding member side opening 28, the position of the mounting shaft 15 of the transport roller 5 is determined and regulated by the holding member side opening 28. Therefore, the conveying surface of the conveying rollers 5 between the upper floor flat area 50 and the linearly inclined area 51 forms a gently curved surface. Similarly, the conveying surface of the conveying rollers 5 between the linearly inclined area 51 and the lower floor flat area 52 also forms a gently curved surface. Therefore, the transported object can be transported smoothly without getting caught.

[0033] In addition, in the inclined conveyor 1 of this embodiment, anti-slip members 40 are attached to the conveying rollers 5 in some sections. Specifically, the anti-slip members 40 are attached to the conveying rollers 5 in the linearly inclined region of section d. The anti-slip member 40 is an endless belt whose width is shorter than that of the transport roller 5. The anti-slip member 40 is made of a material, such as rubber, that has a higher friction coefficient than the surface of the transport roller 5. The anti-slip member 40 is suspended between adjacent transport rollers 5. The anti-slip members 40 are arranged in three rows.

[0034] The rows of anti-slip members 40 on both sides and the row of anti-slip members 40 in the center are arranged in a staggered pattern. The anti-slip member 40 has a high coefficient of friction, so that the transported object is less likely to slip. In addition, the anti-slip member 40 is suspended between the adjacent transport rollers 5, so that the transported object is prevented from becoming stuck between the transport rollers 5. Particularly in this embodiment, the anti-slip members 40 are arranged in a staggered pattern, so that any one of the anti-slip members 40 is present between adjacent anti-slip members 40. In other words, in the area where the anti-slip members 40 are provided, at least one anti-slip member 40 is suspended between all adjacent conveying rollers 5, and the risk of the conveyed object becoming stuck between the conveying rollers 5 is low.

[0035] The holding member 20 employed in the embodiment described above has protrusions 26 on both ends, and mounting holes 31 are provided in the protrusions 26. The mounting holes 31 are used to fix the holding member 20 to the frame pieces 3a, 3b. The mounting structure of the holding member 20 is not limited to the above-mentioned structure. For example, like the holding member 41 shown in Fig. 8, mounting holes 42 may be provided in the main body portion (arch-shaped portion) 27. In the holding member 41, holding member side openings 28 (holes through which the mounting shaft 15 of the conveying roller 5 is inserted) and mounting holes 42 are provided alternately. The holding member side openings 28 are hexagonal holes, and the mounting holes 42 are round holes. The frame pieces 3a and 3b are provided with mounting holes 45 at portions corresponding to the mounting holes 42. The mounting holes 45 are elongated holes that are long vertically. As shown in Figure 9(c), the retaining member 41 is fixed to the frame pieces 3a, 3b by inserting a bolt 46 through the mounting hole 42 of the retaining member 41 and the mounting hole 45 on the frame pieces 3a, 3b, and engaging the bolt 46 with a nut 47.

[0036] In the embodiment described above, the main body side opening 25 is an elongated hole, but it may be a notch with an open top or bottom. It may also be a larger hole.

[0037] In the above-described embodiment, rollers have been used as examples of rotating members for transporting the object, but any member capable of pressing the object by contacting the object will suffice.

[0038] In the embodiment described above, there is a region 53 where the holding member 20 is not present, such as the section d. This is because the area is a part of the linearly inclined area 51, and the conveying surface does not need to be curved. However, the holding members 20 may be densely arranged even when the linearly inclined region 51 is included. In this case, for example, in the section d that is the linearly inclined region, some of the holding member side openings 28 are arranged in a straight line. That is, the row of the holding member side openings 28 of the holding member 20 may be generally curved, but may also include a portion that is arranged in a straight line.

[0039] In the embodiment described above, the holding members 20 are attached to all the sections constituting the inclined conveyor device 1, but there may be sections that do not have the holding members 20. For example, in the case of an inclined conveyor device in which the linear inclined region 51 is long and is divided into a plurality of sections by the linear inclined region 51 alone, there is no need to install the holding member 20 between the sections that make up the linear region. In an inclined conveyor having such a structure, it is sufficient that the holding members 20 are provided only in the sections near the upper end and the lower end.

[0040] In the embodiment described above, both the conveying surfaces near the upper end and the lower end are configured to be curved by the holding member 20, but only either the upper end or the lower end may be curved. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 1 Inclined conveyor device 2 Zone Conveyor 3a, 3b Frame pieces 5 Conveyor roller (rotating member) 15 Mounting shaft 20 Retaining member 25 Main unit side opening 26 Protrusion 27 Main body (arch-shaped part) 28 Holding member side opening 31 Mounting hole

Claims

1. A conveyor device in which a plurality of rotating members are arranged in parallel, The frame is divided into a plurality of sections, each of which has a frame body and a plurality of the rotating members. The rotating member has a mounting shaft; The frame body has frame pieces arranged in parallel, and at least one of the frame pieces is provided with a plurality of body side openings, a holding member having a plurality of holding member-side openings, the holding member-side openings being arranged in a curved line in part or in whole; A conveyor device characterized in that the retaining member is at least one of the frame pieces, attached across the adjacent compartments, and the mounting shaft is fixed to the frame piece in a state where the main body side opening and the retaining member side opening are in communication.

2. 2. The conveyor device according to claim 1, wherein the opening on the main body side is a slot or a notch.

3. The conveyor device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the retaining member has a curved, band-like, arch-shaped portion, and the arch-shaped portion is provided with an opening on the retaining member side and an attachment hole for fixing the retaining member to the frame piece.

4. 4. An inclined conveyor apparatus that is installed in an inclined position and transports articles between an upper position and a lower position, the inclined conveyor apparatus comprising a conveyor apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3 disposed on at least one of an upper side and a lower side.

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