Transfer device and goods transport device

Abstract

To quickly and surely transfer a carried-in article under conveyance.SOLUTION: A transfer device comprises: a plurality of pushers 41 for pushing an article Pc along a transfer route Ta1; a plurality of hold members 42 which respectively independently hold the plurality of pushers 41 so as to rotate; a movement mechanism 43 which respectively independently moves the plurality of hold members 42; and a guide part 44 for supporting at least a part of an outer side in a radial direction of the article Pc. The movement mechanism 43 moves the plurality of hold members so that the articles Pc are delivered at constant intervals.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transfer device for transferring articles and an article transport device equipped with the transfer device. [Background technology]

[0002] JP2015-525176A discloses a linear conveying device using a linear motor as a device for conveying articles. This linear conveying device has a linear motor stator in which an electromagnet is arranged, and a conveying member provided with a permanent magnet. The electromagnet and the permanent magnet form a linear motor system. The conveying member has a holder or a corresponding holder, and the holder and the corresponding holder arranged in the conveying direction sandwich a product, and the conveying member is moved to convey the product. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Special table 2015-525176 publication Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When a linear conveying device is used to convey objects in a manufacturing process, depending on the preceding process, the object may be conveyed to the linear conveying device using a belt conveyor. When an object is transferred from the belt conveyor to the linear conveying device, the conveying operation must be stopped to transfer, which may make it difficult to transfer quickly. In addition, when conveying objects using a belt conveyor, the conveying intervals of objects may vary, in which case the holder in the downstream conveying section needs to be accelerated or decelerated, which complicates control and may cause heating.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT EMBODIMENT An object of the present invention is to provide a transfer device that enables brought-in goods to be transferred quickly and reliably. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the transfer device of the present invention moves an article along an arc-shaped transfer path, and transfers the article from an upstream conveying path to a downstream conveying path. The transfer device includes a plurality of pushers movably arranged along a circumferential moving path that partially overlaps with the transfer path, and pushes the article along the transfer path, a plurality of holding members that independently hold the plurality of pushers and are rotatable about a central axis of the arc-shaped moving path, a moving mechanism that independently moves the plurality of holding members, and a guide unit that supports at least a portion of the radially outer side of the article on the arc-shaped transfer path while the article moves along the transfer path. The moving mechanism moves the plurality of holding members so that the article is delivered to the downstream conveying section at regular intervals.

[0007] With this configuration, even if the intervals at which the articles are supplied to the transfer device vary, it is possible for each of the multiple pushers to send an article. This allows the articles to be transferred to the downstream conveyor at regular intervals, allowing the articles to be transferred quickly and reliably.

[0008] In the above configuration, the pusher comes into contact with at least a part of the rear surface of the article in the conveying direction when moving along the transfer path. By configuring in this way, the article can be pushed in the conveying direction, and the article can be quickly transferred.

[0009] In the above configuration, the pusher contacts at least a part of a radially inner surface of the transfer path of the article, thereby making it possible to transfer the article stably.

[0010] In the above-mentioned configuration, the guide portion is formed integrally with the pusher. With this configuration, the guide portion is less likely to get caught on the article at the transfer portion, so that the article can be transferred quickly and reliably.

[0011] In the above configuration, the guide portion is a separate member from the pusher, and is arranged radially outward of the transfer path and has a band shape extending along the transfer path. By configuring in this manner, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the guide portion.

[0012] In the above configuration, the plurality of holding members are annular members arranged in a line along the central axis, and have mounting parts arranged on the outer circumferential surfaces to which the pushers are attached, and each pusher attached to the mounting parts is positioned at the same position in the central axis direction. By configuring in this way, the articles are pushed at the same position, allowing for stable movement.

[0013] In the above configuration, an internal gear is formed on the inner surface of the plurality of holding members, and the moving mechanism includes a plurality of pinion gears meshing with the internal gear of each of the holding members, and a plurality of motors for rotating the plurality of pinion gears, respectively. With this configuration, each pusher can be moved independently. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the transfer device of the present invention, it is possible to transfer brought-in goods quickly and reliably. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the transport device. [Diagram 3] 1 is a plan view of a first transport shuttle and a second transport shuttle moving on a first linear transport rail. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a view of the first transport shuttle and the second transport shuttle shown in FIG. 3 as seen from the outside. [Diagram 5] 4 is a diagram of the first transport shuttle and the second transport shuttle shown in FIG. 3 as viewed from the rear in the transport direction. [Figure 6]1 is a plan view showing a state in which a first transport shuttle and a second transport shuttle holding articles are moving along a first curved transport rail. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which an article is being transferred using the transfer device. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a plan view of a transfer device according to a modified example. [Figure 11] 1 is a plan view showing a state in which a first accumulation shuttle and a second accumulation shuttle according to the present invention hold accumulated articles. FIG. [Figure 12] 12 is a view of the first and second collection shuttles shown in FIG. 11 as seen from the outside. FIG. [Figure 13] 12 is a diagram showing the first accumulation shuttle and the second accumulation shuttle shown in FIG. 11 as viewed from the rear side in the transport direction. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of the second transport section in a state in which articles are being accumulated. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a first transport section and a sub transport section. [Figure 16] 11 is a plan view showing a state in which an object is held simultaneously by the first transport shuttle and the second transport shuttle, and the first sub-transport shuttle and the second sub-transport shuttle. FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 16 is a rear view of the article shown in FIG. [Figure 18] 13 is a plan view showing the state after the article has been moved to the sub-conveyor section. FIG. [Figure 19] 10 is a flowchart showing a procedure for acquiring item position information by a control unit. [Figure 20] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of return control. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the direction in which the article Pc is conveyed is defined as the conveying direction Tr, and the "upstream side in the conveying direction" and the "downstream side in the conveying direction" are defined along the conveying direction Tr. In addition, when describing the member itself, such as the article Pc, the "downstream side in the conveying direction" is defined as the "front side in the conveying direction", and the "upstream side in the conveying direction" is defined as the "rear side in the conveying direction". For example, the surface of the article Pc facing the downstream side in the conveying direction is described as the "downstream side surface in the conveying direction" or the "front side in the conveying direction", and the surface facing the upstream side in the conveying direction is described as the "upstream side surface in the conveying direction" or the "rear side in the conveying direction". In addition, the radially outward side from the center of the loop of the rail formed in a loop shape is described as the outside, and the radially inward side is described as the inside.

[0017] <Transportation device A> Fig. 1 is a schematic layout diagram of the conveying device A. Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram of the conveying device A. The conveying device A is disposed in a process downstream of a filling device (not shown) that fills objects with contents. As shown in Fig. 1, the conveying device A conveys objects Pc that are substantially rectangular parallelepiped-shaped and filled with liquid contents, packs them into container boxes Bx, and carries them outside.

[0018] 1 and 2, the conveying device A includes an input section 100, a first conveying section 200, a second conveying section 300, a transfer device 400, a packing section 500, a control section 600 (see FIG. 2), and a sub-conveying section 700. In the conveying device A, articles Pc discharged from a filling device (not shown) are brought in via the input section 100.

[0019] The items Pc are subjected to a predetermined process in the first conveying section 200 and then sent to the second conveying section 300. The items Pc conveyed to the second conveying section 300 are stacked in groups of several, then packed into storage boxes Bx in the boxing section 500 and transported to the outside. Here, stacking refers to the act of gathering several items Pc in the conveying direction Tr by bringing adjacent items Pc in contact with each other in the conveying direction Tr, or the state of doing so. Each part of the conveying device A will be described in detail below.

[0020] <Control unit 600> First, the control unit 600 that controls the conveying device A in an integrated manner will be described in detail. As shown in Fig. 2, the control unit 600 has a processing circuit 601 and a memory circuit 602. The processing circuit 601 is a circuit that processes various information, and has arithmetic circuits such as a CPU and an MPU. The processing circuit 601 also controls control targets included in the first conveying unit 200, the second conveying unit 300, the transfer device 400, the boxing unit 500, and the sub-conveying unit 700 based on the processing results.

[0021] The storage circuit 602 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 circuit 602, and the program corresponding to the processing may be called up as necessary and run by the processing circuit 601 to perform the processing. The elements connected to the control unit 600 and the control thereof will be explained when explaining each element.

[0022] <Loading section 100> As shown in Fig. 1, in the conveying device A, the article Pc is carried in through the carrying-in section 100. The carrying-in section 100 has an carrying-in conveyor 11 and a pair of nip rollers 12. The carrying-in conveyor 11 is a conveyor that carries the article Pc that has been filled with contents by a filling device (not shown). The carrying-in conveyor 11 carries the article Pc with the article Pc placed on its upper surface.

[0023] In the carry-in section 100 of this embodiment, it is desired to prevent slippage of the article Pc on the upper surface of the carry-in conveyor 11 during normal transport, and to allow it to slide appropriately when transferring to the transfer device 400. To meet this requirement, the static friction coefficient and dynamic friction coefficient between the article Pc and the carry-in conveyor 11 (upper surface) must be appropriate values.

[0024] As a result of extensive research, the inventors of the present invention have found that in order to optimize the static and dynamic friction coefficients described above, it is preferable to use a top chain conveyor as the carry-in conveyor 11. Therefore, a top chain conveyor is used as the carry-in conveyor 11 in the carry-in section 100 of this embodiment.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 1, the downstream end of the carry-in conveyor 11 in the conveying direction Tr is connected to a second curved conveying rail 214 (described later) of the first conveying section 200 via a transfer device 400. The carry-in conveyor 11 has a conveyor motor 111 (see Fig. 2). The conveyor motor 111 is connected to the control section 600 and is a power source that drives the carry-in conveyor 11 according to instructions from the control section 600.

[0026] The pair of nip rollers 12 are disposed above the carry-in conveyor 11. The pair of nip rollers 12 are rotatable around a central axis extending vertically, and the central axes of the nip rollers 12 are disposed in parallel. The pair of nip rollers 12 contact a surface intersecting the conveying direction Tr of the article Pc. The surface of the nip roller 12 is formed of a material that has high friction with the surface of the article Pc. Therefore, the conveyance of the article Pc is controlled by the rotation of the pair of nip rollers 12. In other words, the conveying interval of the article Pc conveyed by the carry-in conveyor 11 is adjusted by the operation of the nip rollers 12.

[0027] The pair of nip rollers 12 are rotated by a roller motor 121 (see FIG. 2). A roller motor 121 may be provided for each nip roller 12, or a mechanism for transmitting driving force may be used to transmit the driving force of one roller motor 121 to each nip roller 12. As shown in FIG. 2, roller motor 121 is connected to control unit 600. Roller motor 121 is driven based on instructions from control unit 600.

[0028] <First conveying section 200> Next, details of the first transport section 200 will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 moving on the first linear transport rail 211. Fig. 4 is a view of the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 shown in Fig. 3 as seen from the outside. Fig. 5 is a view of the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 shown in Fig. 3 as seen from the rear side in the transport direction.

[0029] As shown in Figs. 1 to 5, the first transport section 200 has a transport rail 21, a first transport shuttle 22, a second transport shuttle 23, and a transport linear motor mechanism 24. In addition, a straw attachment section 25 and a defective product removal section 26 are disposed near the first transport path Tc1. The straw attachment section 25 and the defective product removal section 26 are examples of processing sections that process the items Pc. However, the processing sections are not limited to these.

[0030] The conveyor rail 21 is formed into a loop shape by connecting both ends. The conveyor rail 21 has a first straight conveyor rail 211 and a second straight conveyor rail 212 which are straight, and a first curved conveyor rail 213 and a second curved conveyor rail 214 which are curved (see FIG. 1).

[0031] As shown in Fig. 1, the first conveying section 200 forms a first conveying path Tc1 along which the article Pc is conveyed from the transfer device 400 to the transfer section 37 of the second conveying section 300. The first conveying path Tc1 has a straight portion and curved portions connected to the upstream and downstream sides of the straight portion in the conveying direction. In addition, the first conveying section 200 forms a return path Tb that is disposed outside the loop of the conveying rail 21 and connects the downstream end and the upstream end of the first conveying path Tc1 in the conveying direction Tr.

[0032] The conveyor rail 21 is divided into a main conveying region 21m extending along the first conveying path Tc1 and a return region 21n extending along the return path Tb. The main conveying region 21m is formed by a part of the downstream side in the conveying direction of the second curved conveying rail 214, the first straight conveying rail 211, and a part of the upstream side in the conveying direction of the first curved conveying rail 213. The return region 21n is formed by a part of the downstream side in the conveying direction of the first curved conveying rail 213, the second straight conveying rail 212, and a part of the upstream side in the conveying direction of the second curved conveying rail 214.

[0033] The first straight conveying rail 211 and the second straight conveying rail 212, and the curved first curved conveying rail 213 and the second curved conveying rail 214, have the same configuration except for being straight or curved. In the following, they will be distinguished when necessary, and will be described as conveying rail 21 when no distinction is necessary.

[0034] <Transport rail 21> As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the transport rail 21 has a main rail portion 215, a grooved rail portion 216, and a flat rail portion 217. The main rail portion 215 is a cylinder having a rectangular cross section cut along a plane perpendicular to the transport direction Tr. A coil 241 (described later) of the transport linear motor mechanism 24 is disposed inside the main rail portion 215. The main rail portion 215 is formed of a material through which the magnetic force from the coil 241 can pass. Examples of such materials include, but are not limited to, some stainless steels, aluminum, and alloys thereof.

[0035] The grooved rail portion 216 is disposed on the upper portion of the main rail portion 215. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, a gap 218 is formed between the main rail portion 215 and the grooved rail portion 216. The gap 218 is shaped to fit a convex portion 229 (described later) of the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23. As a result, the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 are guided movably in a direction along the transport rail 21.

[0036] The grooved rail portion 216 has a concave groove portion 219 recessed from the outer surface in a direction intersecting with the conveying direction Tr. The groove portion 219 is formed around the entire circumference of the conveying rail 21. The grooved rail portion 216 has two groove portions 219. The two groove portions 219 are arranged next to each other above and below.

[0037] The flat rail portion 217 is disposed below the main rail portion 215. The flat rail portion 217 has a shape such that the outer side of a cross section cut along a plane intersecting with the conveying direction Tr is aligned along a vertical line (see FIG. 5, etc.).

[0038] The first straight conveying rail 211, the first curved conveying rail 213, the second straight conveying rail 212 and the second curved conveying rail 214 are connected in this order in a clockwise direction in a plan view, whereby the conveying rail 21 is formed in a loop shape.

[0039] In the first conveying section 200 in this embodiment, the first curved conveying rail 213 and the second curved conveying rail 214 are arc-shaped with the same radius of curvature, but are not limited to this. For example, the first curved conveying rail 213 and the second curved conveying rail 214 may be curved by combining curves with multiple radii of curvature, or may be partially linear. Furthermore, the curved portion is not limited to an arc shape, and may be a so-called clothoid curve shape. Alternatively, other curve shapes may be used.

[0040] <First Transport Shuttle 22 and Second Transport Shuttle 23> As shown in Fig. 1, the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 move in a clockwise direction in a plan view along the transport rail 21. Also, as shown in Figs. 1 to 5, the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 are disposed on the outer surface of the transport rail 21 and are movable along the transport rail 21. The first transport shuttle 22 holds the front part of the article Pc in the transport direction Tr. The second transport shuttle 23 holds the rear part of the article Pc in the transport direction Tr.

[0041] The first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 move along the first transport path Tc1 while holding the item Pc, thereby transporting the item Pc in the transport direction Tr. In other words, the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 are an example of a transport shuttle that holds the item Pc. Note that the transport shuttle may be configured to hold the item Pc from below, for example.

[0042] In the first transport section 200, the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 have a common configuration of a main body 220, two upper rollers 223, two lower rollers 224, and a convex portion 229. Note that, as long as the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 are movable along the transport rail 21, they may each have a main body, upper rollers, and lower rollers of different configurations.

[0043] A description will be given of common parts between the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23. A magnet 242 (described later) of the transport linear motor mechanism 24 is arranged in the main body 220. The main body 220 is arranged outward of the transport rail 21 and facing the transport rail 21. The magnet 242 is housed inside the main body 220 and faces a coil 241 arranged on the main rail portion 215 in a direction intersecting the transport direction Tr.

[0044] The main body 220 has a protrusion 229 that protrudes toward the transport rail 21. The protrusion 229 fits into a gap 218 formed between the main rail portion 215 and the grooved rail portion 216 of the transport rail 21 (see FIG. 5). By fitting the protrusion 229 into the gap 218, deviation of the main body 220 from the transport rail 21 is suppressed.

[0045] The two upper rollers 223 are rotatably supported on the upper part of the main body part 220. The outer peripheral surfaces of the upper rollers 223 fit into the groove parts 219 of the grooved rail part 216. The two lower rollers 224 are rotatably supported on the lower part of the main body part 220. The outer peripheral surfaces of the lower rollers 224 come into contact with the outer surface of the flat rail part 217.

[0046] The main body 220 is attracted to the outer surface of the transport rail 21 by the magnetic force of a magnet 242 arranged inside. The transport rail 21 may be provided with an attraction portion made of a metal such as iron that attracts the magnet, or the main body 220 may be attracted by the magnetic force between an iron core provided in the coil 241 and the magnet 242. The main body 220 is movable along the transport rail 21, and may be attached to the transport rail 21 by a hook or the like so as not to easily fall off the transport rail 21.

[0047] Next, the characteristic parts of the first transport shuttle 22 will be described. As shown in Figs. 3 to 5, the first transport shuttle 22 has a first transport support part 221 and two first transport engagement parts 222 attached to the main body part 220. The first transport support part 221 is disposed below the first transport engagement parts 222. The first transport support part 221 is fixed to the main body part 220 by screwing. The first transport support part 221 protrudes outward from the main body part 220. The upper surface of the first transport support part 221 is a horizontal surface.

[0048] In a plan view, the first conveyor support portion 221 has a corner portion 225 at the rear of the outer end portion in the conveying direction Tr. The corner portion 225 extends further rearward in the conveying direction Tr than an arm main body portion 226 (described later) of the first conveyor engagement portion 222. Furthermore, the corner portion 225 extends further outward than a pressing portion 228 (described later) of the first conveyor engagement portion 222 (see FIG. 3).

[0049] The two first transport engaging parts 222 are attached to the main body part 220 at a distance from each other in the vertical direction. The two first transport engaging parts 222 are arranged at different positions in the vertical direction on the main body part 220, but have the same shape. As shown in Figs. 3 to 5, the first transport engaging part 222 has an arm main body part 226, a claw part 227, and a pressing part 228. The first transport engaging part 222 is fixed to the main body part 220 by screws. The arm main body part 226 is in the form of a flat plate that is perpendicular to the main body part 220.

[0050] The claw portion 227 extends rearward in the conveying direction Tr from the outer end of the arm main body 226. The pressing portion 228 extends rearward in the conveying direction Tr from the end of the arm main body 226 closer to the conveying rail 21.

[0051] The characteristic parts of the second transport shuttle 23 will be described. As shown in Figs. 3 to 5, the second transport shuttle 23 has a second transport support part 231 and two second transport engagement parts 232 attached to the main body part 220. The second transport support part 231 is disposed below the second transport engagement parts 232. The second transport support part 231 is fixed to the main body part 220 by screwing. The second transport support part 231 protrudes outward from the main body part 220. The upper surface of the second transport support part 231 is a horizontal surface.

[0052] The second transport support portion 231 has a corner portion 235 at the front of the outer end portion in the transport direction Tr in a plan view. The corner portion 235 extends rearward in the transport direction Tr further than an arm main body portion 236 (described later) of the second transport engagement portion 232. Furthermore, the corner portion 235 extends outward further than a pressing portion 238 (described later) of the second transport engagement portion 232 (see FIG. 3). The two second transport engagement portions 232 are attached to the main body portion 220 at a distance from each other in the vertical direction. The second transport engagement portions 232 correspond to the first transport engagement portions 222.

[0053] 3 to 5, the second conveyor engagement portion 232 has an arm main body portion 236 corresponding to the arm main body portion 226, a claw portion 237 corresponding to the claw portion 227, and a pressing portion 238 corresponding to the pressing portion 228. The claw portion 227 extends forward in the conveying direction Tr from the outer end portion of the arm main body portion 236. The pressing portion 238 extends forward in the conveying direction Tr from the end portion of the arm main body portion 236 closer to the conveying rail 21.

[0054] In addition, in the first conveying section 200, if a guide section for guiding the conveying of the item Pc is provided on the first conveying path Tc1, the first conveying support section 221 and claw section 227 of the first conveying shuttle 22, and the second conveying support section 231 and claw section 237 of the second conveying shuttle 23 may be omitted.

[0055] Next, a description will be given of how the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 hold the article Pc. The control unit 600 can change the relative positions of the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 when they are attached to the transport rail 21.

[0056] First, the holding of the article Pc by the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 when the article Pc is placed on the linear first linear transport rail 211 will be described. The same applies when the article Pc is placed on the second linear transport rail 212. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the first transport shuttle 22 holds the front part of the article Pc in the transport direction Tr, and the second transport shuttle 23 holds the rear part of the article Pc in the transport direction Tr.

[0057] The claw portion 227 of the first transport engagement portion 222 engages with a portion of the front end of the surface of the article Pc opposite the transport rail 21. At the same time, the pressing portion 228 engages with a portion of the front end of the surface of the article Pc facing the transport rail 21. The arm main body portion 226 comes into contact with a portion of the front surface of the article Pc in the transport direction Tr.

[0058] Similarly, the claw portion 237 of the second transport engagement portion 232 engages with a portion of the rear end of the surface of the article Pc opposite the transport rail 21. At the same time, the pressing portion 238 engages with a portion of the rear end of the surface of the article Pc facing the transport rail 21. The arm main body portion 236 comes into contact with a portion of the rear surface of the article Pc in the transport direction Tr.

[0059] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, in the first transport shuttle 22 and second transport shuttle 23 attached to the transport rail 21, the vertical position of the arm main body portion 226 of the first transport engagement portion 222 is between the arm main body portions 236 of the two second transport engagement portions 232, and for example, the vertical position of the arm main body portion 226 of the lower first transport engagement portion 222 is lower than the arm main body portion 236 of the lower second transport engagement portion 232, and the vertical position of the arm main body portion 226 of the upper first transport engagement portion 222 is lower than the arm main body portion 236 of the upper second transport engagement portion 232.

[0060] 4, by disposing each arm body 226 of the first transport engagement part 222 below each arm body 236 of the second transport engagement part 232, a space is formed from the upper front side to the lower rear side in the transport direction Tr on the surface of the article Pc opposite the transport rail 21. Therefore, even if the claw part 227 of the first transport engagement part 222 and the claw part 227 of the second transport engagement part 232 engage with the surface of the article Pc opposite the transport rail 21, an area to which a straw Th can be attached is formed on the surface of the article Pc opposite the transport rail 21.

[0061] It is preferable that the upper surface of the first transport support portion 221 and the upper surface of the second transport support portion 231 are flush with each other, but this is not limited thereto. They may be vertically offset so that the article Pc is tilted in the transport direction Tr.

[0062] When the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23 are holding an item Pc, the corner 225 of the first conveying support portion 221 and the corner 235 of the second conveying support portion 231 support the front and rear corners of the inside of the bottom surface of the item Pc in the conveying direction Tr.

[0063] The bottom surface of the article Pc is supported at the front and rear corners close to the conveyor rail 21. Therefore, a force may act on the top of the article Pc in a direction that causes the article Pc to tip outward. However, since the claw portion 227 of the first conveyor engagement portion 222 is configured to engage with a part of the front end of the surface of the article Pc opposite the conveyor rail 21 and the claw portion 237 of the second conveyor engagement portion 232 is configured to engage with a part of the rear end of the surface of the article Pc opposite the conveyor rail 21, tipping of the article Pc is suppressed.

[0064] In addition, a portion of the front surface of the article Pc in the conveying direction Tr contacts the arm main body 226, and a portion of the rear surface of the article Pc in the conveying direction Tr contacts the arm main body 236. This makes it possible to suppress movement of the article Pc in the conveying direction Tr when the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23 start or stop moving.

[0065] As described above, when an item Pc is held by the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23, the downward movement of the item Pc is supported by the first transport support portion 221 (corner portion 225) and the second transport support portion 231 (corner portion 235). Therefore, it is only necessary for the first transport engagement portion 222 and the second transport engagement portion 232 to come into contact with, i.e., engage with, the side of the item Pc. Therefore, the first transport engagement portion 222 and the second transport engagement portion 232 do not need to press the item Pc strongly.

[0066] As described above, by using the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23, even if the item Pc is soft and easily damaged, such as a paper container containing liquid inside, the front and rear of the item Pc can be securely and safely held in the conveying direction Tr.

[0067] In the first conveying section 200, the first conveying path Tc1 along which the article Pc is conveyed has a curved portion. The first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23 holding the article Pc move along the curved portion of the first conveying path Tc1, i.e., the first curved conveying rail 213 or the second curved conveying rail 214.

[0068] The following description will be given with reference to the first conveyor shuttle 22 and the second conveyor shuttle 23 which move along the first curved conveyor rail 213. Fig. 6 is a plan view showing the first conveyor shuttle 22 and the second conveyor shuttle 23 holding an article Pc moving along the first curved conveyor rail 213.

[0069] In the first transport shuttle 22, the angle of the arm main body 226 with respect to the transport direction Tr is fixed. In the second transport shuttle 23, the angle of the arm main body 236 with respect to the transport direction Tr is fixed. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 6, when the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 are on the first curved transport rail 213, the control unit 600 controls the distance between the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 in the direction along the first curved transport rail 213 to be shorter than the distance when they move along the first straight transport rail 211.

[0070] By controlling in this manner, the distance in the conveying direction Tr between the outer ends of the arm main body 226 and the arm main body 236 is shortened, and the claws 227 and 237 can engage with a part of the front end and a part of the rear end of the surface of the article Pc opposite the first curved conveying rail 213. Therefore, the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23 moving along the first curved conveying rail 213 can firmly hold the article Pc.

[0071] Furthermore, because the claw portions 227 and 237 are configured to engage with a portion of the surface of the article Pc opposite the first curved conveying rail 213, the centrifugal force generated when the article Pc moves along the first curved conveying rail 213 can be received by the claw portions 227 and 237. This makes it possible to prevent the article Pc from flying out or falling even when the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23 move along the first curved conveying rail 213.

[0072] <Transport Linear Motor Mechanism 24> A plurality of first transport shuttles 22 and the same number of second transport shuttles 23 as the first transport shuttles 22 are alternately arranged along the transport direction Tr on the transport rail 21. The transport linear motor mechanism 24 is capable of driving each of the first transport shuttles 22 and each of the second transport shuttles 23 independently.

[0073] 2 and 5, the conveying linear motor mechanism 24 has a plurality of coils 241, a magnet 242, and a linear driver 243 (see FIG. 2). The plurality of coils 241 are arranged along a loop inside the conveying rail 21 arranged in a loop.

[0074] The magnet 242 is a permanent magnet and is arranged in the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23. As shown in Fig. 5, the magnet 242 is arranged inside the main body 220. The magnet 242 is arranged so as to be able to apply magnetic force to the coil 241. The magnet 242 arranged in the main body 220 and the multiple coils 241 arranged inside the transport rail 21 form a linear motor.

[0075] The linear driver 243 is connected to each coil 241. The linear driver 243 is connected to a power supply circuit (not shown). The linear driver 243 is a circuit that controls the power supplied to the coil 241, and includes circuits such as an arithmetic processing circuit and a power supply circuit that adjusts the voltage and current supplied to each coil 241. The linear driver 243 supplies an appropriate current to each coil 241. The linear driver 243 receives information on the operation of the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 (including information on the moving speed, timing, etc.) from the control unit 600, and supplies power to the appropriate coil 241 based on the information. In addition, the linear driver 243 sends excitation coil information Im, which is information on the coil 241 to which power is supplied, to the control unit 600.

[0076] <Straw attachment part 25> The straw attachment unit 25 is disposed close to a straight portion of the first transport path Tc1. The straw attachment unit 25 attaches a straw Th (see Figs. 3 to 5, etc.) to the surface of the article Pc held by the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23, opposite the transport rail 21. The straw Th is attached to the surface of the article Pc opposite the transport rail 21 while being stored in a resin bag. The straw Th can be attached using, for example, hot melt, adhesive, etc., but may be attached by other methods.

[0077] Depending on the item Pc, the straw Th may not be attached. In this case, the straw attachment part 25 may be omitted. Also, when attaching a long object other than the straw Th to the item Pc, the straw attachment part 25 may be used to attach it.

[0078] <Defective product elimination section 26> The object Pc is completed by attaching a straw Th in the straw attachment unit 25. In the first transport unit 200, the appearance of the object Pc transported along the first transport path Tc1, for example, the attachment state of the bottom surface, top surface, etc. is inspected by an inspection unit (not shown). The inspection results from the inspection unit are then sent to the control unit 600. The processing circuit 601 of the control unit 600 judges whether the item is good or bad based on the inspection results.

[0079] The defective product removal section 26 discharges the object Pc determined to be a defective product to the outside of the conveyance route. The defective product removal section 26 is disposed downstream of the first straight conveyance rail 211 of the conveyance rail 21 in the conveyance direction Tr. The defective product removal section 26 includes a removal conveyor 261 disposed below the conveyance rail 21. The removal conveyor 261 is disposed so as to be capable of conveying toward the outside of the conveyance route. Then, the defective product held by the first conveyance shuttle 22 and the second conveyance shuttle 23 is placed on the lower removal conveyor 261, and the removal conveyor 261 is driven to discharge the defective product to the outside of the conveyance route.

[0080] The defective product removal section 26 in this embodiment uses the removal conveyor 261 arranged below the transport rail 21, but is not limited to this. For example, a mechanism for pushing defective products out of the transport route may be adopted. In this case, too, a configuration can be used in which the relative distance between the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 is widened, and the products are pushed after the holding is released.

[0081] The first conveying section 200 has the configuration described above.

[0082] <Transfer device 400> The transfer device 400 will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which an article Pc is being transferred at the transfer device 400. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the transfer device 400. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the transfer device 400.

[0083] The transfer device 400 receives the item Pc transported on the carry-in conveyor 11, transports the item Pc along the transfer path Ta1, and then transfers the item Pc to the first transport section 200. The transfer device 400 receives the item Pc in a receiving area Ar1 at the upstream end of the transfer path Ta1 in the transport direction Tr, and transfers the item Pc to the first transport section 200 in a transfer area Ar2 at the downstream end of the transfer path Ta1 in the transport direction Tr (see Figures 7, 9, etc.). Note that in the transfer device 400, the receiving area Ar1 and the transfer area Ar2 are always constant regardless of the item Pc.

[0084] As shown in Figs. 7 to 9, the transfer device 400 moves the article Pc along a transfer path Ta1 that is an arc shape centered on a central axis C1. As shown in Figs. 7, 9, etc., the upstream end of the transfer path Ta1 of the transfer device 400 in the conveying direction is connected to the downstream end of the carry-in conveyor 11 in the conveying direction Tr. More specifically, the conveying direction Tr of the carry-in conveyor 11 overlaps with the tangent direction of the upstream end of the transfer path Ta1 in the conveying direction Tr. With this configuration, it is possible to transfer the article Pc placed on the upper surface of the carry-in conveyor 11 to the transfer path Ta1 while suppressing the force applied thereto.

[0085] The transfer device 400 has four pushers 41, four holding members 42, a moving mechanism 43, and a guide portion 44.

[0086] <Pusher 41> The pusher 41 pushes the article Pc in the conveying direction Tr along the transfer path Ta1. The pusher 41 is movable along a circumferential movement path Ta2 that is centered on a central axis C1 and partially coincides with the transfer path Ta1. All four pushers 41 have the same shape. The pusher 41 is L-shaped in a plan view, and has a first pushing portion 411 and a second pushing portion 412.

[0087] The first pushing units 411 extend along the conveying direction Tr of the moving path Ta2 (see FIG. 9), i.e., in the tangent direction of a circle centered on the central axis C1. All of the first pushing units 411 are disposed to form the same angle with respect to the central axis C1. The first pushing units 411 support the inner surface of the article Pc moving in the transfer path Ta1 in a direction intersecting with the conveying direction Tr. The first pushing units 411 come into contact with the article Pc, thereby suppressing changes in the posture of the article moving on the transfer path Ta1 with respect to the central axis C1.

[0088] The second pushing section 412 is integral with the first pushing section 411 and extends radially outward from the rear of the first pushing section 411 in the conveying direction Tr with respect to the central axis C1. The second pushing section 412, which is prepared as a separate member, may be fixed to the first pushing section 411. The second pushing section 412 comes into contact with the rear surface of the article Pc conveyed in the conveying direction Tr on the transfer route Ta1. In other words, the article Pc conveyed on the transfer route Ta1 is mainly pushed in the conveying direction Tr by the second pushing section 412.

[0089] For example, when the article Pc can be stably transported through the transfer route Ta1 by being guided by the guide unit 44, the first pushing unit 411 may be omitted. That is, the pusher 41 can be configured to push at least the rear surface of the article Pc in the transport direction Tr.

[0090] <Retaining member 42> Each of the four holding members 42 has an annular shape centered on a central axis C1 and is arranged rotatably along the central axis C1. Each of the four holding members 42 is rotatable about the central axis C1 and is arranged stacked one above the other along the central axis C1. The holding member 42 has an attachment portion 420 and an internal gear 421.

[0091] The mounting portion 420 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the holding member 42. The pusher 41 is attached to the mounting portion 420. As shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8, the mounting portions 420 other than the mounting portion 420 of the second-highest holding member 42 extend in the direction of the central axis C1. The tip portions in the C1 axis direction overlap with the outer circumferential surface of the second-highest holding member 42 in the radial direction.

[0092] 7 and 8, the pushers 41 are attached to the mounting parts 420 at portions that radially overlap with the second-stage holding members 42. More specifically, the pushers 41 are attached to the mounting parts 420 so that the first pushing part 411 and the second pushing part 412 are positioned at the same position relative to the central axis C1 in the circumferential and radial directions. By being attached in this manner, the movement paths Ta2 of the pushers 41 coincide with each other.

[0093] The transfer device 400 of this embodiment has four pushers 41 and four holding members 42, but is not limited to this. The number of pushers 41 may be set according to the frequency at which the transported articles Pc are transferred, the rotation speed of the pushers 41, etc. If the number of pushers 41 increases, the outer diameter of the holding members 42 needs to be increased, and the transfer device 400 becomes larger. For this reason, it is preferable that the number of pushers 41 is the minimum required according to the number of articles Pc or a few more than that. In addition, the number of holding members 42 is the same as the number of pushers 41 and is determined by the number of pushers 41.

[0094] The internal gear 421 is disposed on a peripheral surface that is not exposed to the annular holding member 42. The internal gear 421 is connected to the moving mechanism 43, and a driving force from the moving mechanism 43 is transmitted to the internal gear 421.

[0095] <Movement mechanism 43> The moving mechanism 43 has four drive motors 431 (see FIGS. 2 and 7), four drive shafts 432 (see FIGS. 8 and 9), and four pinion gears 433 (see FIG. 9). The number of drive motors 431, drive shafts 432, and pinion gears 433 is the same as the number of holding members 42, i.e., pushers 41.

[0096] 8, each of the four drive shafts 432 extends along a central axis C1, and has a lower end disposed inside the holding member 42. The four drive shafts 432 are disposed at equal intervals in the circumferential direction around the central axis C1.

[0097] The four pinion gears 433 are attached to the lower ends of different drive shafts 432. The pinion gears 433 can be fixed to the drive shafts 432 by, for example, but not limited to, press fitting, welding, screwing, etc. Any fixing method for firmly fixing the pinion gears 433 to the drive shafts 432 can be widely adopted.

[0098] The four pinion gears 433 are disposed at different positions in the direction of the central axis C1. Each pinion gear 433 meshes with an internal gear 421 of a different holding member .

[0099] The upper ends of the four drive shafts 432 in the direction of the central axis C1 are connected to different drive motors 431. The four drive motors 431 each supply a driving force to rotate the different drive shafts 432. That is, the four pinion gears 433 are connected to different drive motors 431 via different drive shafts 432. As shown in FIG. 7, the drive motor 431 is attached to a lid portion 45 disposed above the holding member 42 in the direction along the central axis C1. The lid portion 45 also serves to prevent foreign matter from entering the inside of the holding member 42.

[0100] Rotation of the drive motor 431 rotates the drive shaft 432 and the pinion gear 433. Then, the holding member 42 having the internal gear 421 with which the pinion gear 433 meshes rotates. That is, the four holding members 42 are rotated by their own independent drive motors 431. The drive motors 431 are each connected to the control unit 600 (see FIG. 2) and are driven independently based on instructions from the control unit 600. As a result, the holding members 42 can rotate independently, and therefore the pushers 41 can also move independently along a circumferential movement path Ta2 centered on the central axis C1.

[0101] In addition, the moving mechanism 43 of this embodiment employs an internal gear and a pinion gear arranged on the inner surface of the holding member, but is not limited to this. For example, a wide variety of configurations that allow the holding members to operate independently can be employed, such as a configuration in which a holding member is fixed to each of a plurality of hollow shafts arranged on a concentric axis and each hollow shaft is rotated independently.

[0102] A part of the moving path Ta2 overlaps with the transfer path Ta1. In other words, the pusher 41 always passes through the transfer path Ta1 when making one revolution around the moving path Ta2. The pusher 41 contacts the item Pc in the receiving area Ar1 and pushes the item Pc so that the item Pc is transported through the transfer path Ta1. The timing of the pusher 41 and the item Pc will be described later.

[0103] <Guide part 44> The guide unit 44 guides the article Pc moving along the transfer path Ta1. The guide unit 44 has a bottom guide 441 and a side guide 442. As shown in Figs. 7 to 9, the bottom guide 441 has a constant width in the radial direction centered on the central axis C1 and extends along the transfer path Ta1. In the transfer device 400, the article Pc moves from the top of the carry-in conveyor 11 to the upper surface of the bottom guide. That is, in the transfer device 400, the bottom guide 441 supports the bottom surface of the article Pc moving in the transfer path Ta1.

[0104] The upstream side of the bottom guide 441 in the conveying direction of the transfer path Ta1 is close to the carry-in conveyor 11. The bottom guide 441 is disposed at a distance so that the article Pc is not caught when the article Pc moves from the carry-in conveyor 11. By forming the gap as narrow as described above, the article Pc can be prevented from losing its posture or falling over when the article Pc moves from the carry-in conveyor 11 onto the bottom guide 441. The upper surface of the bottom guide 441 may be lower than the upper surface of the carry-in conveyor 11 so that the article Pc does not lose its posture when moving.

[0105] The side guide 442 is strip-shaped with a constant width in the direction of the central axis C1. When viewed in the direction of the central axis C1, the side guide 442 is arc-shaped extending along the radial outer edge of the transfer path Ta1. The side guide 442 contacts at least a portion of the radial outer side of the article Pc moving along the transfer path Ta1. As a result, when the article Pc moves along the arc-shaped transfer path Ta1, the side guide 442 contacts a portion of the side of the article Pc to suppress the radial outward movement of the article Pc due to centrifugal force.

[0106] In the first conveying path Tc1 of the first conveying section 200 described below, the item Pc is conveyed while being held at the front and rear in the conveying direction by the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23 described below. In the transfer device 400, the item Pc conveyed within the transfer path Ta1 is handed over to the first conveying section 200 in the transfer area Ar2 (see Figures 7 and 9). In other words, in the transfer device 400, the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23 hold the item Pc conveyed along the transfer path Ta1 when passing through a part of the transfer path Ta1.

[0107] To explain further, when the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 hold the article Pc in the receiving area Ar1, the bottom surface of the article Pc is supported by a first transport support portion 221 (described later) of the first transport shuttle 22 and a second transport support portion 231 (described later) of the second transport shuttle 23. Therefore, the top surface of the bottom guide 441 is flush with the top surfaces of the first transport support portion 221 and the second transport support portion 231 and is positioned so as not to interfere with them.

[0108] In the first transport path Tc1, the article Pc is held at the front and rear of the transport direction Tr by a first transport engagement portion 222 (described later) of the first transport shuttle 22 and a second transport engagement portion 232 (described later) of the second transport shuttle 23. Therefore, the position of the side guide 442 in the direction along the central axis C1 is arranged at a position that does not interfere with the first transport support portion 221, the first transport engagement portion 222, the second transport support portion 231 and the second transport engagement portion 232.

[0109] As described above, when the article Pc is transported in the transfer route Ta1, it is pushed by the pusher 41. Therefore, the positions of the four holding members 42 in the direction along the central axis C1 are determined so that the pusher 41 does not interfere with the first transport support portion 221 and the first transport engagement portion 222, and the second transport support portion 231 and the second engagement support portion 232 (see FIG. 7).

[0110] <Operation of the transfer device 400> The article Pc brought in by the input conveyor 11 is transferred to the first transport section 200 via the transfer device 400.

[0111] The articles Pc placed on the carry-in conveyor 11 and being transported are temporarily stopped on the carry-in conveyor 11 by a pair of nip rollers 12. The articles Pc are then sent out one by one at a predetermined interval in the transport direction of the carry-in conveyor 11 by the pair of nip rollers 12. In the carry-in section 100, the articles Pc are sent out at a certain interval by the operation of the pair of nip rollers 12. However, the transport interval of the articles Pc may vary due to variations in the coefficient of friction of the surface of each nip roller 12, the number of rotations, etc.

[0112] The control unit 600 controls the drive motor 431 so that the pusher 41 can start pushing the article Pc at the timing when the article Pc placed on the carry-in conveyor 11 and transported reaches the receiving area Ar1.

[0113] More specifically, a portion of the moving path Ta2 overlaps with the transfer path Ta1. In other words, the pusher 41 always passes through the transfer path Ta1 when making one revolution along the moving path Ta2. The control unit 600 controls the drive motor 431 to match the timing at which the pusher 41 reaches the transfer path Ta1 with the position of the article Pc on the carry-in conveyor 11. This allows the pusher 41 moving along the transfer path Ta1 to always push the article Pc on the carry-in conveyor 11.

[0114] With this configuration, even if the conveying intervals of the items Pc are shifted or not constant, the pusher 41 can reliably push the items Pc. By moving the pusher 41 in accordance with the timing of conveying the items Pc, it is possible to prevent the pusher 41 that is not pushing the items Pc (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as an empty pusher) from passing through the transfer route Ta1.

[0115] In the transfer device 400 of the present embodiment, the pushers are held by an annular holding member, but this is not limited thereto. For example, the pushers may be fixed to the radially outer ends of the holding members extending radially from the central axis C1, and the holding members may be rotated independently about the central axis C1. A wide variety of configurations may be adopted in which the pushers 41 can be moved independently along the moving path Ta2.

[0116] In the transfer device 400, the speed of the pusher 41 can be changed, and the conveying speed of the article Pc conveyed in the transfer route Ta1 can be freely changed within a certain range. When the intervals between the articles brought in from the carry-in conveyor 11 vary, it is possible to adjust the conveying speed of the article Pc in the transfer route Ta1 to transfer the article Pc to the first conveying section 200 at a constant interval.

[0117] For example, in the transfer route Ta1, when the gap between the previously transported article Pc is long, the control unit 600 controls the drive motor 431 to accelerate the pusher 41 to close the gap. Conversely, when the gap is narrow, the control unit 600 controls the drive motor 431 to decelerate the pusher 41 to increase the gap. In this way, the article Pc can be transported to the transfer area Ar2 at regular intervals, and the article can be transferred to the first transport unit 200 at regular intervals.

[0118] This makes it possible to suppress sudden changes in speed of the mechanism for transporting the article Pc in the first transport section 200, here the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23. This makes it possible to suppress heat generation in the transport linear motor mechanism 24 and to suppress deterioration of the first transport section 200.

[0119] A sensor (not shown) for detecting the position of the article Pc may be provided downstream of the nip roller 12 at a position close to the carry-in conveyor 11, and the drive motor 431 may be operated based on the state of the article Pc detected by the sensor to accurately bring the pusher 41 into contact with the article Pc. In this way, it is possible to further improve the accuracy of article transfer in the transfer device 400.

[0120] Fig. 10 is a plan view of a transfer device 400a according to a modified example. The transfer device 400a shown in Fig. 10 has a different configuration for the pusher 41a, but otherwise has the same configuration as the transfer device 400 shown in Figs. 7 to 9. Therefore, the same reference numerals are used for the parts of the transfer device 400a that are essentially the same as those of the transfer device 400, and detailed descriptions of the same parts will be omitted.

[0121] As shown in FIG. 10, a pusher 41a of a transfer device 400a has an extending second pushing portion 412 and a side holding portion 413 extending forward in the conveying direction Tr from a radially outer end of the second pushing portion 412.

[0122] When the second pushing portion 412 of the pusher 41a comes into contact with the rear surface of the article Pc in the conveying direction Tr, the side holding portion 413 comes into contact with the radially outer surface of the article Pc. As a result, the centrifugal force of the article Pc is received by the side holding portion 413. Therefore, in the transfer device 400a, the side guide 442 of the guide portion 44 can be omitted. The radially inner surface of the side holding portion 413 is inclined. By forming it in this manner, it is possible to reliably come into contact with the outer surface of the article Pc without placing a burden on the article Pc.

[0123] <Second conveying section 300> Next, the second conveying section 300 disposed behind the first conveying section 200 will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 11 is a plan view showing a state in which the first accumulation shuttle 32 and the second accumulation shuttle 33 according to the present invention hold accumulated articles Pc4. Fig. 12 is a view of the first accumulation shuttle 32 and the second accumulation shuttle 33 shown in Fig. 11 as viewed from the outside. Fig. 13 is a view of the first accumulation shuttle 32 and the second accumulation shuttle 33 shown in Fig. 11 as viewed from the rear side in the conveying direction. The upstream of the second conveying path Tc2 of the second conveying section 300 in the conveying direction Tr is a stacking device.

[0124] As shown in Fig. 1, the second transport section 300 is disposed adjacent to the downstream end in the transport direction Tr of the first transport path Tc1 of the first transport section 200. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 11 to 13, the second transport section 300 has a collection rail 31, a first collection shuttle 32, a second collection shuttle 33, a collection linear motor mechanism 34, a collection transport section 35, a guide section 36, and a transfer section 37.

[0125] The accumulation rail 31 and the accumulation linear motor mechanism 34 have substantially the same configuration as the transport rail 21 and the accumulation linear motor mechanism 34 of the first transport section 200. Therefore, each part of the accumulation rail 31 and the accumulation linear motor mechanism 34 is compared with the corresponding parts of the transport rail 21 and the transport linear motor mechanism 24, and detailed explanations are omitted.

[0126] <Second transport path Tc2> As shown in Fig. 1, the second conveying section 300 forms a second conveying path Tc2 along which the article Pc is conveyed. The second conveying path Tc2 is linear. An accumulation conveying section 35 is disposed at the upstream end of the second conveying path Tc2 in the conveying direction Tr. A guide section 36 is also disposed on the second conveying path Tc2.

[0127] <Collected Rail 31> 1, the accumulation rail 31 has a first straight accumulation rail 311, a second straight accumulation rail 312, a first curved accumulation rail 313, and a second curved accumulation rail 314 corresponding to the first straight conveying rail 211, the second straight conveying rail 212, the first curved conveying rail 213, and the second curved conveying rail 214, respectively. The first straight accumulation rail 311 extends along the second conveying path Tc2. Hereinafter, the two will be distinguished when necessary, and will be described as accumulation rail 31 when no distinction is necessary.

[0128] 13, the accumulation rail 31 has a main rail portion 315, a grooved rail portion 316, and a flat rail portion 317 corresponding to the main rail portion 215, the grooved rail portion 216, and the flat rail portion 217, respectively. A gap 318 is formed between the main rail portion 315 and the grooved rail portion 316. The gap 318 corresponds to the gap 218. In addition, a groove portion 319 is formed on the outer surface of the grooved rail portion 316. The groove portion 319 corresponds to the groove portion 219.

[0129] <Integrated Linear Motor Mechanism 34> 2 and 13, the accumulation linear motor mechanism 34 has a coil 341, a magnet 342, and a linear driver 343 (see FIG. 2) corresponding to the coil 241, the magnet 242, and the linear driver 243 of the transport linear motor mechanism 24. As shown in FIG. 2, the linear driver 343 is connected to the control unit 600, and supplies an appropriate current to each coil 341 based on an instruction from the control unit 600. As shown in FIG. 13, the coil 341 is disposed within the main rail portion 315 of the accumulation rail 31. The magnet 342 is disposed in the first accumulation shuttle 32 and the second accumulation shuttle 33.

[0130] <First accumulation shuttle 32 and second accumulation shuttle 33> As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the first collection shuttle 32 and the second collection shuttle 33 are disposed on the outer surface of the collection rail 31 and are movable along the collection rail 31. As shown in FIG.

[0131] In the second conveying section 300, the first accumulation shuttle 32 and the second accumulation shuttle 33 have a main body 320, an upper roller 323, a lower roller 324, and a convex portion 329, which have a common configuration. The main body 320 corresponds to the main body 220 of the first conveying shuttle 22. The upper roller 323 and the lower roller 324 correspond to the upper roller 223 and the lower roller 224 of the first conveying shuttle 22. The convex portion 329 corresponds to the convex portion 229. Therefore, detailed description of the main body 320, the upper roller 323, the lower roller 324, and the convex portion 329 will be omitted. A magnet 342 of the accumulation linear motor mechanism 34 is arranged in the main body 320.

[0132] The first accumulation shuttle 32 is attached to the main body 320 and has two first accumulation engagement parts 321 extending outward from the main body 320. The two first accumulation engagement parts 321 are vertically spaced apart from each other on the main body 320 (see FIGS. 12 and 13).

[0133] 11 and 12, the first accumulation engagement portion 321 has a second accumulation contact surface 325. The second accumulation contact surface 325 is a rear surface in the conveying direction Tr. The second accumulation contact surface 325 extends in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction Tr. Note that the second accumulation contact surface 325 is not limited to being perpendicular to the conveying direction Tr, and may form an angle other than 90° with respect to the conveying direction Tr.

[0134] The second accumulation shuttle 33 is attached to the main body 320 and has two second accumulation engagement portions 331 extending outward from the main body 320. The two second accumulation engagement portions 331 are vertically spaced apart from each other on the main body 320 (see FIGS. 12 and 13).

[0135] 11 and 12, the second accumulation engagement portion 331 has a second accumulation contact surface 335. The second accumulation contact surface 335 is a front surface in the conveying direction Tr. The second accumulation contact surface 335 extends in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction Tr. Note that the second accumulation contact surface 335 is not limited to being perpendicular to the conveying direction Tr, and may form an angle other than 90° with respect to the conveying direction Tr.

[0136] When the first collection shuttle 32 and the second collection shuttle 33 are aligned in the transport direction Tr, the second collection contact surface 325 of the first collection shuttle 32 and the second collection contact surface 335 of the second collection shuttle 33 face each other in the transport direction Tr.

[0137] The first accumulation shuttle 32 and the second accumulation shuttle 33 hold four articles Pc in which adjacent articles Pc are in contact with each other (hereinafter referred to as accumulated) along the conveying direction Tr by sandwiching them from the front and back of the conveying direction Tr. That is, the second conveying section 300 accumulates the four articles Pc, and then moves the accumulated four articles Pc in the conveying direction Tr while supporting their front and rear ends in the conveying direction Tr.

[0138] In the second conveying section 300, the first accumulation shuttle 32 supports the most downstream article Pc in the conveying direction Tr from the downstream side of the accumulated four articles Pc in the conveying direction Tr. As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the first accumulation contact surface 325 of the first accumulation engagement portion 321 of the first accumulation shuttle 32 contacts the downstream surface of the most downstream article Pc in the conveying direction Tr.

[0139] In the second conveying section 300, the second accumulation shuttle 33 supports the most upstream article Pc in the conveying direction Tr from the upstream side of the accumulated four articles Pc in the conveying direction Tr. As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the second accumulation contact surface 335 of the second accumulation engagement portion 331 of the second accumulation shuttle 33 contacts the upstream surface of the most downstream article Pc in the conveying direction Tr.

[0140] The first stacking engagement portion 321 and the second stacking engagement portion 331 may be provided with claw portions like the claw portion 227 of the first transport engagement portion 222 and the claw portion 237 of the second transport engagement portion 232.

[0141] <Stacking and conveying section 35> Next, the stacking and conveying section 35 will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 14 is an enlarged plan view of the second conveying section 300 in a state in which the articles Pc are being stacked.

[0142] As shown in FIG. 14, multiple items Pc are accumulated at the top of the accumulation conveying section 35. The accumulation conveying section 35 is disposed along the second conveying path Tc2 at the upstream end of the second conveying path Tc2 in the conveying direction Tr. The accumulation conveying section 35 conveys the items Pc in the conveying direction Tr with the items Pc placed on the top. In the second conveying section 300, a top chain conveyor is used for the accumulation conveying section 35, but this is not limited thereto, and any conveying mechanism that can move the items Pc placed on the top in the conveying direction Tr can be widely used.

[0143] <Guide part 36> As shown in Figs. 1 and 14, the guide unit 36 ​​is disposed along the second transport path Tc2. The guide unit 36 ​​has a bottom guide 361 and a side guide 362. The bottom guide 361 contacts and supports the bottom surface of the article Pc transported along the second transport path Tc2. The bottom guide 361 is disposed on the second transport path Tc2, downstream of the accumulation transport unit 35 in the transport direction Tr.

[0144] On the upstream side of the second conveying path Tc2 in the conveying direction Tr, the items Pc are conveyed by the accumulation and conveying section 35. The items Pc conveyed by the accumulation and conveying section 35 move from the downstream end of the accumulation and conveying section 35 in the conveying direction Tr to the upper part of the bottom guide 361. At this time, the bottom guide 361 is close to the downstream end of the accumulation and conveying section 35 in the conveying direction Tr, and the upper surface is set at the same height as the upper surface of the accumulation and conveying section 35 so that the items Pc do not fall over or tilt.

[0145] The height of the upper surface of the bottom guide 361 may be lower than the upper surface of the accumulation and conveyance section 35 to the extent that the article Pc does not fall over or tilt. In addition, if the first accumulation shuttle 32 and the second accumulation shuttle 33 can support the bottom surface of the article Pc, the bottom guide 361 may be omitted.

[0146] The side guides 362 contact both sides of the side of the article Pc that faces in a direction intersecting the conveying direction Tr in the second conveying path Tc2, and guide the side of the article Pc moving in the conveying direction Tr. The side guides 362 are arranged in parallel to sandwich the article Pc in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction Tr.

[0147] As a result, the article Pc is transported in the transport direction Tr with its front and rear surfaces always maintaining a constant angle with respect to the transport direction Tr. In the vertical direction, the side guides 362 are arranged to be vertically offset from the first stacking engagement portion 321 of the first stacking shuttle 32 and the second stacking engagement portion 331 of the second stacking shuttle 33. Note that in the guide portion 36, the side guides 362 are arranged three on each side, sandwiching the article Pc, but this is not limited to this. Also, the number of side guides 362 arranged on the inside of the loop shape of the stacking rail 31 and the number of side guides 362 on the outside may or may not be the same.

[0148] As described above, when the first accumulation shuttle 32 and the second accumulation shuttle 33 hold the article Pc, the downward movement of the article Pc is supported by the bottom guide 361. Therefore, the first accumulation engagement portion 321 and the second accumulation engagement portion 331 only need to come into contact with the side of the article Pc. Therefore, the first accumulation engagement portion 321 and the second accumulation engagement portion 331 do not need to strongly press the accumulated article Pc4.

[0149] Therefore, by using the first accumulation shuttle 32 and the second accumulation shuttle 33, the front and rear of the accumulated item Pc4 in the conveying direction Tr can be securely and safely held, even if the item Pc is soft and easily damaged, such as a paper container containing liquid inside.

[0150] <Transshipment section 37> As shown in Fig. 14, the transfer unit 37 moves the article Pc from the first transport path Tc1 to the second transport path Tc2. The transfer unit 37 has six pushers 371, a holding member 372, a drive motor 373 (see Fig. 2), and a guide unit 374. The six pushers 371 have the same configuration as the pusher 41 of the transfer device 400. That is, the pusher 371 is L-shaped in a plan view, and has a first pushing unit 375 corresponding to the first pushing unit 411, and a second pushing unit 376 corresponding to the second pushing unit 412.

[0151] In the transfer section 37, six pushers 371 are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the outer circumferential surface of a cylindrical holding member 372. The holding member 372 is rotatable about a central axis C2. When the holding member 372 rotates, the pushers 371 rotate about the central axis C2. The drive motor 373 is connected to the control unit 600, and rotates the holding member 372 according to instructions from the control unit 600. In the transfer section 37, the article Pc is pushed by the pushers 371 and transported along a circular transfer transport path Td.

[0152] As shown in Fig. 14, the downstream end of the first conveying path Tc1 in the conveying direction Tr overlaps with the upstream end of the transfer conveying path Td in the conveying direction Tr. The overlapping portion of the downstream end of the first conveying path Tc1 in the conveying direction Tr and the upstream end of the transfer conveying path Td in the conveying direction Tr is defined as a transfer start area As1. The downstream end of the transfer conveying path Td in the conveying direction overlaps with the upstream end of the second conveying path Tc2 in the conveying direction Tr. The overlapping portion of the downstream end of the transfer conveying path Td in the conveying direction Tr and the upstream end of the second conveying path Tc2 in the conveying direction Tr is defined as a transfer end area As2.

[0153] The control unit 600 operates the drive motor 373 so that the pusher 371 comes into contact with the article Pc when the article Pc held by the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23 reaches the transfer start area As1. Then, when the article Pc reaches the transfer start area As1, the control unit 600 sends an instruction to the conveying linear motor mechanism 24 to control the first conveying shuttle 22 to move away from the article Pc to the downstream side in the conveying direction Tr. Also, the control unit 600 controls the second conveying shuttle 23 to move away from the article Pc to the upstream side in the conveying direction Tr.

[0154] By the control unit 600 controlling in this manner, the item Pc is pushed by the pusher 371 and transported through the transshipment transport path Td. Then, after being transported through the transshipment transport path Td and reaching the transshipment end area As2, the item Pc is transported by the accumulation transport unit 35, leaves the pusher 371, and is transshipped to the second transport path Tc2.

[0155] In the first conveying section 200, the articles Pc are held and conveyed by the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23, which are each capable of moving independently. Therefore, the articles Pc can be conveyed at regular intervals, i.e., at equal intervals, until they reach the transfer section 37. This allows the pushers 371 to push the articles Pc being conveyed at regular intervals, even if they are arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction on the holding member 372.

[0156] In this embodiment, the transfer section 37 is configured to include six pushers 371, but is not limited thereto and may include more or less than six. The transfer section 37 may also have a configuration in which the multiple pushers 41 can operate individually and independently, similar to the transfer device 400. In this way, even if the intervals between the transport of the items Pc transported in the first transport path Tc1 vary, the items Pc can be stably transferred to the second transport path Tc2.

[0157] The guide section 374 has the same configuration as the guide section 44. That is, the guide section 374 has a bottom guide 377 corresponding to the bottom guide 441, and a side guide 378 corresponding to the side guide 442. The bottom guide 377 holds the bottom of the article Pc transported along the transshipment transport path Td, and the side guide 378 guides the centrifugal force. The bottom guide 377 is connected to the accumulation transport section 35.

[0158] The upper surface of the bottom guide 377 is flush with the upper surface of the accumulation and conveyance section 35. This makes it possible to prevent the article Pc from falling over or tilting when the article Pc moves from the bottom guide 377 to the accumulation and conveyance section 35. Note that if the article Pc does not fall over or tilt, the upper surface of the bottom guide 377 may be higher than the upper surface of the accumulation and conveyance section 35.

[0159] Additionally, the side guide 378 is connected to the side guide 362 of the guide section 36. This allows the articles Pc transported in the transfer section 37 to be smoothly transferred to the second transport section 300. The side guide 378 is disposed at a position not to interfere with the first stacking engagement section 321 and the second stacking engagement section 331 in the vertical direction.

[0160] Although details will be described later, in the first transport section 200, return control may be performed to move the first transport shaft 22 and the second transport shaft 23 to the return region 21n while the first transport shaft 22 and the second transport shaft 23 are holding the article Pc. When performing return control, the side guide 378 of the guide section 374 may get in the way.

[0161] Therefore, in the guide section 374, the top surface of the bottom guide 377 is disposed so as to be lower than the top surface of the first transport support section 221 of the first transport shuttle 22 and the top surface of the second transport support section 231 of the second transport shuttle 23. In the portion where the first transport path Tc1 and the transfer transport path Td overlap, the side guide 378 is also disposed in an area lower than the top surface of the first transport support section 221 of the first transport shuttle 22 and the top surface of the second transport support section 231 of the second transport shuttle 23. This prevents the first transport support section 221 and the second transport support section 231 from interfering with the side guide 378 when the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 pass through the transfer start area As1.

[0162] With this arrangement, for example, when the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 separate from the front and rear of the item Pc in the transshipment start area As1, the item Pc falls from the first transport support section 221 and the second transport support section 231 onto the upper surface of the bottom guide 377. By being placed on the upper surface of the bottom guide 377, the item Pc is guided by the side guide 378 on its outer surface in the transshipment transport path Td. As a result, the item Pc is pushed by the pusher 371 and guided by the guide section 374 to be transported within the transshipment transport path Td.

[0163] Furthermore, when the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 continue to hold the item Pc in the transfer start area As1, the bottom surface of the item Pc is supported by the first transport support part 221 and the second transport support part 231. Therefore, the item Pc held by the first transport support part 221 and the second transport support part 231 does not come into contact with the side guide 378, and is moved to the return path Tb while being held by the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23.

[0164] By configuring the bottom guide 377 and the side guide 378 of the guide unit 374 as described above, it becomes possible to selectively carry the article Pc into either the return path Tb or the transshipment path Td. Note that the configuration of the guide unit 374 is one example, and other configurations may be used.

[0165] <Regarding the accumulation of items Pc> At the upstream end of the second conveying path Tc2 in the conveying direction Tr, the items Pc are accumulated in the conveying direction Tr. In the conveying device A, four items Pc are accumulated. Note that the number of items Pc accumulated is not limited to four. The number of items Pc accumulated depends on the number of items packed in the boxing section 500 arranged downstream in the conveying direction Tr of the accumulation and conveying section 35, the shape of the box, etc. In the conveying device A of this embodiment, it is also possible to change the number of items Pc accumulated. For example, the accumulated number may be three, four, or more.

[0166] The procedure for accumulating the items Pc on the second conveying path Tc2 will be described. The first accumulation shuttle 32 is stopped at a predetermined position Ps1. This causes the first accumulation engagement portion 321 of the first accumulation shuttle 32 to stop at a predetermined position Ps1 above the accumulation conveying portion 35. At this time, the second accumulation shuttle 33 is placed on standby upstream of the second conveying path Tc2 in the conveying direction at a position that does not interfere with the conveying of the items Pc. When the second accumulation shuttle 33 is on standby, it may be stopped or may be moving at a low speed. Note that the portion of the accumulation rail 31 other than the portion along the second conveying path Tc2 is the standby area where the first accumulation shuttle 32 and the second accumulation shuttle 33 are on standby.

[0167] When the first accumulation engaging portion 321 stops on the accumulation conveying portion 35, the item Pc conveyed on the accumulation conveying portion 35 comes into contact with it. As a result, the movement of the item Pc is restricted by the first accumulation engaging portion 321, that is, the item Pc is stopped. The first accumulation engaging portion 321 may move the upper portion of the accumulation conveying portion 35 at a speed slower than the conveying speed of the item Pc by the accumulation conveying portion 35. Even in this case, the item Pc conveyed by the accumulation conveying portion 35 comes into contact with the first accumulation engaging portion 321 moving at a slow speed. As a result, the movement of the item Pc can be restricted by the first accumulation engaging portion 321. The first accumulation shuttle 32 may continue to move in a decelerated state, or may be stopped after reaching a predetermined position Ps1.

[0168] When the movement of the article Pc is restricted by the first accumulation engagement portion 321, the bottom surface of the article Pc is biased in the conveying direction Tr by the accumulation conveying portion 35. As the article Pc is guided in the conveying direction Tr by the side guide 362, movement of the article Pc in a direction intersecting the conveying direction Tr is suppressed.

[0169] Then, the items Pc supplied from the transfer section 37 come into contact with the items Pc stopped by the first accumulation engagement section 321 and are accumulated on the accumulation conveying section 35. Then, after a predetermined number of items Pc (here, four items) have been accumulated, the second accumulation shuttle 33 is moved from the waiting area from the upstream side in the conveying direction Tr. At this time, the second accumulation shuttle 33 is driven so that the second accumulation engagement section 331 is positioned downstream of the item Pc to be conveyed next to the item Pc most upstream of the accumulated items Pc4 in the conveying direction Tr.

[0170] Then, the second accumulation engagement portion 331 is brought into contact with the upstream side of the accumulated four articles Pc in the conveying direction Tr. As a result, the accumulated four articles Pc are held by the first accumulation shuttle 32 and the second accumulation shuttle 33 from the upstream and downstream sides in the conveying direction Tr.

[0171] The articles Pc4 accumulated in the upstream portion of the second conveying path Tc2 in the conveying direction Tr are conveyed in the second conveying path Tc2 in the conveying direction Tr while their front and rear ends in the conveying direction Tr are held by the first accumulation shuttle 32 and the second accumulation shuttle 33. At this time, the accumulated articles Pc4 move from the upper part of the accumulation conveying section 35 to the upper part of the bottom guide 361. In other words, when the accumulated articles Pc4 move downstream in the conveying direction Tr from the accumulation conveying section 35, their sides are guided by the side guides 362 and their bottoms are guided by the bottom guides 361.

[0172] <Boxing Department 500> 1, a boxing unit 500 that packs items Pc into a storage box Bx is disposed downstream of the accumulation and conveying unit 35 on the second conveying path Tc2 in the conveying direction Tr. The boxing unit 500 packs items Pc into a storage box Bx formed by folding a sheet Sh such as cardboard, and conveys the items Pc to the outside.

[0173] 1, in the boxing section 500, the accumulated four articles Pc are sequentially accommodated as a group in a folded sheet Sh. The boxing section 500 has a box conveying section 51, a first boxing section 52, a second boxing section 53, a sealing section 54, and an inspection section 55.

[0174] <Box conveying section 51> The box conveying section 51 has a box conveying rail 511, a plurality of box conveying shuttles 512, a box conveying linear motor mechanism 513 (see FIG. 2), and a guide rail 514. The box conveying rail 511 is formed in a loop shape by connecting straight rails arranged in parallel above and below and a curved rail connecting both ends of the straight rail. The straight rail of the box conveying rail 511 extends along the box conveying direction Trb. The box conveying rail 511 has the same configuration as the conveying rail 21. Therefore, a detailed configuration of the box conveying rail 511 will be omitted.

[0175] The guide rails 514 are disposed along a straight rail disposed above the box conveying rails 511. The guide rails 514 form a pair with the box conveying rails 511 in between. In the box conveying section 51, the upper surface of the guide rails 514 supports the sheet Sh and guides the movement of the sheet Sh in the box conveying direction Trb.

[0176] <Box Transport Shuttle 512> The box transport shuttle 512 is disposed on the box transport rail 511 and is movable along the box transport rail 511. The box transport shuttle 512 has a structure similar to that of the first accumulation shuttle 32. The box transport shuttle 512 has an arm portion protruding upward. The sheet Sh is folded along the arm portion by adjusting the interval between the box transport shuttles 512. The two box transport shuttles 512 are disposed side by side in the box transport direction Trb and hold both ends of the folded sheet Sh in the box transport direction Trb. The two box transport shuttles 512 transport the folded sheet Sh by moving in the box transport direction Trb.

[0177] <Box transport linear motor mechanism 513> The box transport linear motor mechanism 513 is capable of independently driving each box transport shuttle 512. The box transport linear motor mechanism 513 has a configuration similar to that of the transport linear motor mechanism 24. That is, the box transport linear motor mechanism 513 forms a linear motor with a coil (not shown) arranged on the box transport rail 511 and a magnet (not shown) arranged on the box transport shuttle 512.

[0178] Furthermore, box conveying linear motor mechanism 513 has linear driver 515 (see FIG. 2). Linear driver 515 supplies appropriate current to each coil based on instructions from control unit 600. By supplying current to the coils, a linear motor is formed by the coils and magnets, and box conveying shuttle 512 moves along box conveying rail 511.

[0179] <First boxing section 52, second boxing section 53, sealing section 54, inspection section 55> The first boxing section 52, the second boxing section 53, the sealing section 54 and the inspection section 55 are arranged in this order along the second conveying path Tc2. The four articles Pc accumulated on the second conveying path Tc2 are conveyed to the first boxing section 52 or the second boxing section 53. The first boxing section 52 and the second boxing section 53 are essentially the same in configuration, except for being located in different places.

[0180] The accumulated articles Pc4 are transported to the first boxing section 52 or the second boxing section 53 while being held by the first accumulation shuttle 32 and the second accumulation shuttle 33. The transport of the accumulated articles Pc4 is determined by the boxing operation in the first boxing section 52 and the second boxing section 53.

[0181] For example, when the first boxing section 52 and the second boxing section 53 simultaneously or substantially simultaneously pack the stacked items Pc4 in the boxing operation, the stacked items Pc4 are transported to the second boxing section 53 downstream of the conveying direction Tr, and then the items Pc are transported to the first boxing section 52. When the first boxing section 52 and the second boxing section 53 alternately pack the stacked items Pc4 in the boxing section where the packing is performed, the stacked items Pc4 are transported. Furthermore, when the number of stacked items Pc packed in the first boxing section 52 is different from the number of stacked items Pc packed in the second boxing section 53, the respective stacked numbers and stacked items Pc4 are transported to the corresponding boxing sections. In the boxing section 500 of this embodiment, the same number of stacked items Pc4 are packed in both the first boxing section 52 and the second boxing section 53 at the same time.

[0182] In the first boxing section 52 and the second boxing section 53, for example, a pushing device (neither shown) having an articulated arm is disposed. The pushing device moves the side of all the accumulated articles Pc4 facing the first linear accumulation rail 311 in a direction away from the first linear accumulation rail 311, and stores them on top of the folded sheet Sh. After a predetermined number of accumulated articles Pc4 are stored in the folded sheet Sh in the first boxing section 52 and the second boxing section 53, they are sent to the box sealing section 54 by the movement of the box conveying shuttle 512 by the box conveying linear motor mechanism 513.

[0183] In the first boxing section 52 and the second boxing section 53, the sheet Sh containing a predetermined number of items Pc is sent to the sealing section 54. In the sealing section 54, for example, a sealing device having a multi-joint arm robot (both not shown) having a multi-joint arm is disposed. The sealing device folds the unfolded part of the sheet Sh containing the accumulated items Pc4, and fixes the folded part by a fixing method such as adhesion. In this way, a storage box Bx containing a predetermined number of items Pc and sealed is formed. Note that adhesion is given as a method for fixing the sheet Sh, but this is not limited thereto, and for example, a method using an adhesive tape, a method using a stapler, or other fixing methods that can obtain a degree of rigidity that makes the storage box Bx less likely to collapse during transportation and can protect the items Pc inside can be widely adopted.

[0184] Thereafter, the box conveying shuttle 512 is moved by the box conveying linear motor mechanism 513, and the storage box Bx is sent to the inspection unit 55 further downstream in the box conveying direction Trb. The inspection unit 55 has an appearance information acquisition unit 551 (see FIG. 2) that acquires information on the appearance of the storage box Bx. As the appearance information acquisition unit 551, for example, a configuration including an imaging element such as a camera can be given, but is not limited thereto.

[0185] The appearance information acquisition unit 551 is connected to the control unit 600 and sends appearance information of the storage box Bx to the control unit 600. Examples of the appearance information include, but are not limited to, a captured image. Based on the appearance information, the control unit 600 checks whether the storage box Bx has sufficient rigidity as described above, and if it is determined that the storage box Bx has sufficient rigidity, it transports (ships) the storage box Bx to the outside, and if it is determined that the rigidity is insufficient, it removes the storage box Bx as a defective product. For example, when the appearance information includes a captured image, the control unit 600 can determine the adhesive state of the storage box Bx by image processing. Alternatively, the determination may be made by other methods.

[0186] In the present embodiment, the inspection unit 55 of the packing unit 500 judges whether the rigidity of the storage box Bx satisfies a predetermined standard, but is not limited to this. For example, the inspection unit 55 may detect the printing on the exterior of the storage box Bx, stickers attached to the exterior, etc., and distinguish between good and bad products based on the design of the exterior of the storage box Bx or the display state of the mandatory display contents (presence or absence of display, display position, etc.).

[0187] <Sub-carrier unit 700> Fig. 15 is a plan view showing the first transport section 200 and the sub transport section 700. Fig. 16 is a plan view showing a state in which the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23, and the first sub transport shuttle 72 and the second sub transport shuttle 73 simultaneously hold an article Pc. Fig. 17 is a rear view of the article Pc shown in Fig. 15. Fig. 18 is a plan view showing the state after the article Pc has moved to the sub transport section 700. In the state shown in Fig. 15, the article Pc is held by the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23.

[0188] 1, 15 to 18, etc., the sub-conveyor section 700 is disposed adjacent to the first sub-conveyor section 200. The sub-conveyor section 700 has a sub-conveyor rail 71, a first sub-conveyor shuttle 72, a second sub-conveyor shuttle 73, and a sub-conveyor linear motor mechanism 74 (see FIG. 2).

[0189] The auxiliary transport rail 71 and the auxiliary transport linear motor mechanism 74 have substantially the same configuration as the transport rail 21 and the accumulation linear motor mechanism 34 of the first transport section 200. Therefore, each part of the accumulation rail 31 and the accumulation linear motor mechanism 34 is compared with the corresponding parts of the transport rail 21 and the transport linear motor mechanism 24, and detailed explanations are omitted.

[0190] <Sub-transport rail 71> The auxiliary conveyor rail 71 has a first straight sub conveyor rail 711, a second straight sub conveyor rail 712, a first curved sub conveyor rail 713 and a second curved sub conveyor rail 714 corresponding to the first straight sub conveyor rail 211, the second straight sub conveyor rail 212, the first curved sub conveyor rail 213 and the second curved sub conveyor rail 214, respectively. The auxiliary conveyor rail 71 is formed in a loop shape with the first straight sub conveyor rail 711, the first curved sub conveyor rail 713, the second straight sub conveyor rail 712 and the second curved sub conveyor rail 714 connected in this order counterclockwise in a plan view. The portion adjacent to the outside of the auxiliary conveyor rail 71 is the auxiliary conveyor path Tf.

[0191] 17, the auxiliary transport rail 71 has a main rail portion 715, a grooved rail portion 716, and a flat rail portion 717 which correspond to the main rail portion 215, the grooved rail portion 216, and the flat rail portion 217, respectively. A gap 718 is formed between the main rail portion 715 and the grooved rail portion 716. The gap 718 corresponds to the gap 718. In addition, a groove portion 719 is formed on the outer surface of the grooved rail portion 716. The groove portion 719 corresponds to the groove portion 719.

[0192] <Sub-transport linear motor mechanism 74> 2 and 17, the sub-transport linear motor mechanism 74 has a coil 741, a magnet 742, and a linear driver 743 corresponding to the coil 241, the magnet 242, and the linear driver 243. The linear driver 743 is connected to the control unit 600 (see FIG. 2), and supplies an appropriate current to each coil 741 based on an instruction from the control unit 600. The coil 741 is disposed within the main rail portion 715 of the accumulation rail 31. The magnet 742 is disposed in the first sub-transport shuttle 72 and the second sub-transport shuttle 73.

[0193] <First sub-transport shuttle 72 and second sub-transport shuttle 73> 15 to 18, the first sub-transport shuttle 72 and the second sub-transport shuttle 73 are disposed on the outer surface of the sub-transport rail 71 and are movable along the sub-transport rail 71. The first sub-transport shuttle 72 and the second sub-transport shuttle 73 have the same configuration as the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23. For the parts of the first sub-transport shuttle 72 and the second sub-transport shuttle 73 that are the same as the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23, only the corresponding parts are shown and detailed explanations are omitted.

[0194] 17, the first sub-transport shuttle 72 and the second sub-transport shuttle 73 have a common configuration and include a main body 720, an upper roller 723, a lower roller 724, and a convex portion 729. The main body 720 corresponds to the main body 220 of the first transport shuttle 22. The upper roller 723 and the lower roller 724 correspond to the upper roller 223 and the lower roller 224 of the first transport shuttle 22. The convex portion 729 corresponds to the convex portion 229.

[0195] The first sub-transport shuttle 72 has a first sub-transport support portion 721 that corresponds to the first transport support portion 221 of the first transport shuttle 22, and two first sub-transport engagement portions 722 that correspond to the first transport engagement portions 222. The first sub-transport support portion 721 has a corner portion 725 that corresponds to the corner portion 225 of the first transport support portion 221.

[0196] The two first sub-conveyor engagement parts 722 have arm main parts 726 , claw parts 727 and presser parts 728 which correspond to the arm main parts 226 , claw parts 227 and presser parts 228 of the first transporter engagement part 222 .

[0197] The second sub-transport shuttle 73 has a second sub-transport support portion 731 corresponding to the second transport support portion 231 of the second transport shuttle 23, and two second sub-transport engagement portions 732 corresponding to the second transport engagement portions 232. The second sub-transport support portion 731 has a corner portion 735 corresponding to the corner portion 235 of the second transport support portion 231.

[0198] The two second sub-conveyor engagement parts 732 have arm main parts 736 , claw parts 737 and pressing parts 738 which correspond to the arm main parts 236 , claw parts 237 and pressing parts 238 of the second transporter engagement parts 232 .

[0199] 15 and other drawings, in the sub-conveyor section 700, the first straight sub-conveyor rail 711 is disposed in parallel to and facing the first straight conveyor rail 211 across the first conveyor path Tc1 of the first conveyor section 200. The upstream side of the first straight conveyor rail 211 in the conveying direction Tr is the straight conveying section 210, and the portion of the first straight sub-conveyor rail 711 facing the straight conveying section 210 is the straight sub-conveyor section 710.

[0200] In the transport device A of this embodiment, the sub-transport unit 700 is arranged close to the first transport path Tc1 of the first transport unit 200, but is not limited thereto. It may be arranged close to a curved portion. In this case, it may be curved along the curved rail of the first transport unit 200.

[0201] As shown in Figs. 16 to 18, the first sub-conveyor shuttle 72 and the second sub-conveyor shuttle 73 support the bottom surface of the article Pc at the corner 725 of the first sub-conveyor support portion 721 and the corner 735 of the second sub-conveyor support portion 731. Then, the pressing portion 728 engages with the front end in the conveying direction of the surface of the article Pc facing the main body portion 720, and the claw portion 727 engages with the front end in the conveying direction of the surface on the opposite side. Also, the arm main body portion 736 comes into contact with the front surface in the conveying direction. As a result, the first sub-conveyor engagement portion 722 of the first sub-conveyor shuttle 72 engages with the front portion in the conveying direction of the article Pc.

[0202] Similarly, the pressing portion 738 engages with the front end of the surface of the article Pc facing the main body 720 in the conveying direction, and the claw portion 737 engages with the rear end of the opposite surface in the conveying direction. Also, the arm main body 736 comes into contact with the rear surface in the conveying direction. This causes the second sub-conveyor engagement portion 732 of the second sub-conveyor shuttle 73 to engage with the front part of the article Pc in the conveying direction.

[0203] That is, the front and rear of the article Pc are held in the conveying direction Tr while the bottom surface is supported by the first sub-conveyor shuttle 72 and the second sub-conveyor shuttle 73. As described above, by using the first sub-conveyor shuttle 72 and the second sub-conveyor shuttle 73, even if the article Pc is soft and easily damaged, such as a paper container containing liquid therein, the front and rear of the article Pc can be held reliably and safely in the conveying direction Tr.

[0204] <Regarding acquisition of location information of item PC> For example, in the first conveying section 200, when the item Pc is in the first conveying path Tc1, it is processed by processing sections such as the straw attachment section 25 and the defective item removal section 26. Therefore, the control section 600 needs to obtain the exact position of the item Pc on the first conveying path Tc1.

[0205] The control unit 600 acquires the positions of the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 from the exciting coil information Im acquired from the linear driver 243 of the transport linear motor mechanism 24. Then, the position of the article Pc is acquired from the positions of the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23. Details of the procedure by which the control unit 600 acquires the position of the article Pc will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 19 is a flowchart showing the procedure by which the control unit 600 acquires position information of the article Pc.

[0206] The control unit 600 acquires exciting coil information Im from the linear driver 243 (step S101). The exciting coil information Im includes information on the power (voltage, current) supplied to the coil 241 and the position of the coil 241 on the transport rail 21.

[0207] 19, the control unit 600 checks whether the excited coil 241 is in the main transport area 21m based on the obtained excitation coil information Im (step S102). If the excited coil 241 is not in the main transport area 21m (No in step S102), the control unit 600 discards the current excitation coil information (step S109) and resumes obtaining another excitation coil information Im (return to step S101). If it is determined that the excited coil 241 is in the main transport area 21m (Yes in step S102), the control unit 600 checks whether the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 are holding the article Pc based on the relative position of the currently excited coil 241 (step S103).

[0208] When the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 are holding an item Pc, the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 are spaced apart at a constant distance. Using this, the control unit 600 determines that the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 are holding an item Pc when, for example, the distance between the excited coils 241 is within a constant range. Note that the determination of whether or not an item Pc is being held is not limited to this. For example, if the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 are configured to always receive an item Pc from the transfer device 400, the step of determining whether or not an item is present (step S103) may be omitted.

[0209] When it is determined that the item Pc is not being held (No in step S103), the control unit 600 discards the acquired exciting coil information Im (step S109), and acquires another exciting coil information Im (return to step S101).

[0210] When it is determined that the item Pc is being held (Yes in step S103), the control unit 600 acquires the position of the item Pc on the first transport path Tc1 from the excitation coil information Im (step S104). The control unit 600 then controls the operation of the straw attachment unit 25 and the defective item removal unit 26 so that the item Pc is appropriately processed (step S105). In this way, the control unit 600 can accurately acquire the position of the item Pc and control the processing unit to appropriately process the item Pc.

[0211] Depending on the processing of the processing section, it may be necessary to slow down the conveying speed of the items Pc. If the conveying speed of the items Pc is slowed down, there is a risk that the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23 will become congested in the first conveying path Tc1. Therefore, the control unit 600 controls the conveying device A to adjust the number of items Pc in the first conveying path Tc1. That is, the control unit 600 obtains the number of items Pc in the first conveying path Tc1 from the positions of the multiple items Pc (step S106). Then, the control unit 600 checks whether the number Nb of items Pc in the first conveying path Tc1 is greater than a predetermined number Nth (step S107).

[0212] If the number Nb is less than the number Nth (No in step S107), the control unit 600 determines that it is acceptable to put more articles Pc into the first conveying path Tc1, and acquires another exciting coil information Im while continuing the current operation (return to step S101). If the number Nb is greater than the number Nth (Yes in step S107), the control unit 600 controls the nip roller 12 to reduce the number of articles Pc carried into the first conveying unit 200 (step S108). Thereafter, the control unit 600 discards the current exciting coil information Im (step S109) and acquires exciting coil information Im (return to step S101).

[0213] As described above, the control unit 600 can obtain the exact number of articles Pc within a predetermined range by accurately obtaining the positions of the articles Pc from the excitation coil information Im, which is information about the excited coil 241. Furthermore, by obtaining the exact number of articles Pc within a predetermined range, it is possible to prevent the articles Pc from being excessively supplied.

[0214] In the above example, the exciting coil information Im includes information on the power (voltage, current) supplied to the coil 241 and the position of the coil 241 on the transport rail 21, but is not limited to this. For example, if the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 are supplied with power in different ways, the exciting coil information Im may include information on whether the supplied current drives the first transport shuttle 22 or the second transport shuttle 23. The exciting coil information Im may also include information other than these for acquiring the position of the article Pc.

[0215] As described above, since the control unit 600 can accurately obtain the position of the article Pc from the exciting coil information Im, there is no need to provide a separate detection unit such as an optical sensor to confirm the position of the article Pc. Therefore, the configuration of the conveying device A can be simplified.

[0216] In the above description, the control unit 600 detects the position of the item Pc moving in the first transport path Tc1 of the first transport unit 200 from the excitation coil information Im, but this is not limited to this. In addition, the position and number of items Pc in the second transport path Tc2 may be detected based on the excitation coil information Im from the linear driver 343 arranged in the second transport unit 300. In the second transport path Tc2, four items are accumulated and transported as an accumulated item Pc4. Therefore, the control unit 600 obtains the position of the four accumulated items Pc4 from the excitation coil information Im.

[0217] In addition, the positions and number of articles Pc on the sub-conveyor path Tf may be detected based on exciting coil information Im from a linear driver 743 arranged in the sub-conveyor section 700.

[0218] <Operation of the Sub-Carrier Unit 700> 17, the first sub-transport engaging portion 722 of the first sub-transport shuttle 72 and the first transport engaging portion 222 of the first transport shuttle 22 are misaligned in the vertical direction. In addition, the second sub-transport engaging portion 732 of the second sub-transport shuttle 73 and the second transport engaging portion 232 of the second transport shuttle 23 are misaligned in the vertical direction.

[0219] Therefore, as shown in Figures 15 to 18, when the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 are in the straight transport section 210 and the first sub-transport shuttle 72 and the second sub-transport shuttle 73 are in the straight sub-transport section 710, it is possible for the item Pc held by the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 to be held simultaneously by the first sub-transport shuttle 72 and the second sub-transport shuttle 73.

[0220] For example, as shown in Fig. 15, when the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 holding the article Pc are moving along the straight transport section 210, the first sub transport shuttle 72 moving along the straight sub transport section 710 is caused to approach the article Pc from the downstream side in the transport direction Tr. Also, the second sub transport shuttle 73 is caused to approach the article Pc from the upstream side in the transport direction Tr. As a result, as shown in Figs. 16 and 17, the first sub transport shuttle 72 and the second sub transport shuttle 73 simultaneously hold the article Pc held by the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23.

[0221] 18, the first transport shuttle 22 is moved downstream in the transport direction Tr so as to move away from the article Pc. Also, the second transport shuttle 23 is moved upstream in the transport direction Tr so as to move away from the article Pc. In this way, the article Pc can be transferred from the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 to the first sub-transport shuttle 72 and the second sub-transport shuttle 73.

[0222] Conversely, when the first sub-conveyor shuttle 72 and the second sub-conveyor shuttle 73 holding the article Pc are moving along the sub-conveyor straight section 710, the first conveyor shuttle 22 arranged on the straight conveyor section 210 is caused to approach the article Pc from the downstream side in the conveying direction Tr. Also, the second conveyor shuttle 23 is caused to approach the article Pc from the upstream side in the conveying direction Tr, and the first conveyor shuttle 22 and the second conveyor shuttle 23 hold the article Pc.

[0223] Thereafter, the first sub-conveyor shuttle 72 is moved downstream in the conveying direction Tr so as to move away from the article Pc. Also, the second sub-conveyor shuttle 73 is moved upstream in the conveying direction Tr so as to move away from the article Pc. In this manner, the article Pc can be transferred from the first sub-conveyor shuttle 72 and the second sub-conveyor shuttle 73 to the first conveyor shuttle 22 and the second conveyor shuttle 23.

[0224] It is preferable that the article Pc is transported at a constant or approximately constant speed while being transported along the first transport path Tc1. Therefore, when approaching the article Pc from the downstream side in the transport direction Tr, the first transport shuttle 22 or the first sub-transport shuttle 72 can be decelerated. Also, when moving away from the article Pc to the downstream side in the transport direction Tr, the first transport shuttle 22 or the first sub-transport shuttle 72 can be accelerated.

[0225] Furthermore, when approaching the article Pc from the upstream side in the conveying direction Tr, the second conveyor shuttle 23 or the second sub-conveyor shuttle 73 can be accelerated. When moving away from the article Pc to the upstream side in the conveying direction Tr, the second conveyor shuttle 23 or the second sub-conveyor shuttle 73 can be decelerated.

[0226] By providing an auxiliary conveyor section 700 configured in this manner, it is possible to send the items Pc to the auxiliary conveyor section 700 without stopping the items Pc being conveyed within the first conveyor section 200, and further while suppressing deceleration of the items Pc. It is also possible to send the items Pc to the first conveyor shuttle 22 and the second conveyor shuttle 23 without stopping the items Pc being conveyed within the first conveyor section 200.

[0227] For example, when randomly sampling and investigating the items Pc being transported in the first transport section 200, the items Pc can be sent to the sub-transport section 700 and extracted while being transported without slowing down or stopping the items Pc. Therefore, it is possible to perform a sampling and investigating of the items Pc at any time while the items Pc are being transported.

[0228] The box packing section 500 also has an inspection section 55. The inspection section 55 judges whether there is a defect in the storage box Bx. For example, if the inspection section 55 judges that there is a defect in the storage box Bx, the storage box Bx is discharged to the outside from the conveying path. Even if there is a defect in the storage box Bx, the contained items Pc may not be defective.

[0229] In such a case, the storage box Bx that is determined to be a defective product is disassembled, and the proper items Pc stored therein are removed. The items Pc removed from the storage box Bx can then be returned to the first transport section 200 using the sub-transport section 700.

[0230] For example, the article Pc taken out from the storage box Bx is delivered to the first sub-conveyor shuttle 72 and the second sub-conveyor shuttle 73 which move on the second straight sub-conveyor rail 712 of the sub-conveyor section 700. Although not shown, a device for delivering the article Pc to the first sub-conveyor shuttle 72 and the second sub-conveyor shuttle 73 may be provided.

[0231] The article Pc is transported through the sub-conveyor path Tf of the sub-conveyor section 700 while being held by the first sub-conveyor shuttle 72 and the second sub-conveyor shuttle 73. When the first sub-conveyor shuttle 72 and the second sub-conveyor shuttle 73 holding the article Pc reach the sub-conveyor straight section 710 of the first straight sub-conveyor rail 711, the article Pc they are holding is handed over to the first conveyor shuttle 22 and the second conveyor shuttle 23 moving on the conveyor rail 21 of the first conveyor section 200 in the above-mentioned manner. The control section 600 adjusts the carry-in section 100, the transfer device 400 and the conveyor linear motor mechanism 24 so that the first conveyor shuttle 22 and the second conveyor shuttle 23 not holding the article Pc are sent to the conveyor straight section 210 at a fixed timing.

[0232] In this way, it is not necessary to stop the movement of the articles Pc in the first conveying section 200. This makes it possible to smoothly and easily return the defect-free articles Pc taken out of the disassembled storage boxes Bx to the conveying device A while reducing unnecessary stop time of the conveying device A.

[0233] The articles Pc after being packed in a box have straws Th attached thereto. On the other hand, when a sampling inspection is to be performed, the articles Pc before the straws Th are attached thereto are sent to the sub-conveyor section 700.

[0234] As described above, the control unit 600 acquires the position of the item Pc from the excitation coil information. The position of the item Pc is also acquired by acquiring the position of the item Pc on the sub-conveyor path Tf. Therefore, depending on the transport state of the item Pc until it is sent to the sub-conveyor unit 700, information on whether or not a straw Th is attached to the item Pc returning from the sub-conveyor path Tf to the first transport path Tc1 can be acquired.

[0235] As a result, when the object Pc is returned from the sub-transport path Tf to the first transport path Tc1, if a straw Th is attached to the object Pc, the control unit 600 controls not to operate the straw attachment unit 25. Conversely, if a straw Th is not attached to the object Pc, the control unit 600 controls to operate the straw attachment unit 25. In other words, by the control unit 600 accurately recognizing the position of the object Pc, it is possible to prevent the problem of excessive attachment of straws Th.

[0236] <Return control> As shown in Fig. 1, the straw attachment unit 25 performs a process of attaching a straw Th to an object Pc conveyed along the first conveying path Tc1. However, there are cases where the straw attachment unit 25 has a malfunction, such as running out of spare straws Th or becoming clogged with straws Th. In such a case, it is necessary to perform an inspection of the straw attachment unit 25 after an emergency stop of the processing by the processing unit.

[0237] Furthermore, in the defective product removal unit 26, when the number of defective products in a certain period of time exceeds a certain number, it is determined that a malfunction has occurred upstream of the defective product removal unit 26 in the conveying direction Tr, and it is necessary to bring each processing unit to an emergency stop and inspect each processing unit. Furthermore, even in the case of a configuration that includes processing units other than these, there are cases in which processing by the processing units is brought to an emergency stop.

[0238] In this way, when processing by the processing section is stopped, it is preferable to also stop the transport of the items Pc in the transport device A (hereinafter referred to as an emergency stop). However, the device upstream of the transport device A (here, the filling device) may suppress malfunctions such as clogging of the items Pc inside. Therefore, even if it is desired to make an emergency stop of the transport device A, it may be difficult to immediately stop the filling device, and a certain number of items Pc may be supplied to the transport device A. In other words, even when an emergency stop is made of the transport device A, a certain number of items Pc may be supplied to the loading section 100.

[0239] In order to prevent the articles Pc from overflowing or clogging the receiving section 100, a certain number of articles Pc are carried in from the receiving section 100 to the first transport section 200 when the transport device A is stopped in an emergency.

[0240] Here, the operation at the time of emergency stop will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 20 is a flow chart showing an example of return control. As shown in Fig. 20, the control unit 600 waits until the need to perform an emergency stop occurs (repeated until Yes is determined in step S201). An emergency stop becomes necessary when, for example, a malfunction related to the processing unit occurs as described above.

[0241] When an emergency stop is required (Yes in step S201), the control unit 600 stops the operation of the transfer unit 37 (step S202). Then, the control unit 600 continues the operation of the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 (step S203). That is, the control unit 600 performs return control at the time of the emergency stop. At this time, the pusher 371 of the transfer unit 37 is disposed at a position retreated from the first transport path Tc1.

[0242] Then, the control unit 600 checks whether the loading unit 100 can be stopped (step S204). The control unit 600 checks whether a certain amount of time has passed since the emergency stop to check whether the loading unit 100 can be stopped. Note that the check whether the loading unit 100 can be stopped may be performed based on the number of items Pc carried into the loading unit 100 after the emergency stop is executed.

[0243] The control unit 600 continues the operation of the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 until the loading unit 100 can be stopped (while the answer is No in step S204) (step S203). Then, when the loading unit 100 can be stopped (if the answer is Yes in step S204), the control unit 600 stops the loading unit 100 (step S205) and continues the operation of the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 until a certain time has elapsed (step S206).

[0244] As a result, the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23 holding the item Pc move to the return path Tb while still holding the item Pc, without transferring the item Pc to the transfer section 37. In other words, the control section 600 moves the item Pc that was not processed in the processing section into the return path Tb while being held by the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23.

[0245] The control unit 600 controls the transport linear motor mechanism 24 to stop the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 (step S207). In this manner, the control unit 600 performs return control to operate the transport linear motor mechanism 24 so as to move the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23, which are holding the article Pc, to the return region 21n.

[0246] When the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23 holding the item Pc move to the return region 21n, the control unit 600 controls the conveying linear motor mechanism 24 so that the first conveying shuttle 22 and the second conveying shuttle 23 stop in the return region 21n.

[0247] In this way, by the control unit 600 performing return control during an emergency stop, it is possible to receive the articles Pc from the filling device, which is the upper device of the conveying device A, and prevent the articles Pc from remaining on the first conveying path Tc1. As a result, during an emergency stop, the articles Pc do not get in the way when performing maintenance on the straw attachment unit 25, which is a processing unit arranged close to the first conveying path Tc1, or maintenance on the conveying device A including the first conveying path Tc1 based on information from the defective product removal unit 26, which is a processing unit.

[0248] Then, when the emergency stop is released, the control unit 600 drives the transport linear motor mechanism 24 to move the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 in the return region 21n in the transport direction Tr. As a result, the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 holding the item Pc move to the main transport region 21m. As a result, the item Pc that was retreated to the return path Tb due to the emergency stop is sent back to the first transport path Tc1 again by the resumption of operation of the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23, and is transported within the first transport path Tc1.

[0249] It is preferable that the control unit 600 moves the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 as far downstream as possible in the transport direction Tr and stops them after a certain number of articles Pc have been carried in from the carry-in unit 100. By doing so, it is possible to quickly move the articles Pc on the return path Tb to the first transport path Tc1 after the emergency stop is released.

[0250] In this way, the return path Tb required for returning the first transport shuttle 22 and the second transport shuttle 23 of the first transport section 200 is used as an evacuation area for evacuating the items Pc in the event of an emergency stop. In other words, there is no need to provide a separate area for evacuating the items Pc within the transport path. This makes it possible to shorten the transport path for the items Pc in the transport device A, reduce the installation area of ​​the transport device A, or increase the freedom of layout of the transport device A.

[0251] In addition, when the first conveying section 200 has the sub-conveying section 700 as in the conveying device A according to the present embodiment, when an emergency stop as described above is performed, at least a part of the items Pc may be sent to the sub-conveying section 700. In this way, an area for evacuating the items Pc can be secured, and the items Pc can be evacuated more reliably.

[0252] In addition, due to reasons such as delays in processing in the processing section, more than a predetermined number of items Pc may be transported along the first transport path Tc1. In such a case, there is a risk that the processing of the items Pc may be delayed, and transport may be halted. In such a case, the control unit 600 may perform return control so as to send more than the predetermined number of items Pc to the return path Tb.

[0253] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the item Pc is moved to the return path Tb based on the operation of the straw attachment unit 25 and the defective product removal unit 26, which are processing units arranged in the first conveying unit 200. However, this is not limited to this. For example, there are cases where the item Pc cannot be transferred from the first conveying unit 200 to the second conveying unit 300 due to a malfunction of the stacking device, boxing unit, etc. arranged upstream of the second conveying path Tc2 of the second conveying unit 300 arranged at the rear of the first conveying unit 200 in the conveying direction Tr. In such a case, the first conveying unit 200 may perform return control to return the item Pc to the return path Tb. This allows the stacking and boxing processes to be stopped and the state to be checked.

[0254] In the conveying device A according to the present embodiment, the first conveying section 200 and the second conveying section 300 are provided, and the article Pc moves between the two conveying sections. However, the present invention is not limited to this. More conveying sections may be provided depending on the number of processing sections that process the article Pc. In this case, a processing section may be provided for each conveying section. By configuring in this way, when a malfunction occurs in a processing section, the control section 600 can respond by performing partial return control in the conveying section to which the processing section with the malfunction is provided. As a result, when a malfunction occurs in a processing section, the conveying shuttle holding the article is moved to the return area of ​​each conveying section, so that the time required to return to normal operation can be shortened.

[0255] In this embodiment, when performing return control, the pusher 371 of the transfer unit 37 is placed at a position retreated from the first transport path Tc1, but this is not limited thereto. A configuration in which the entire transfer unit 37 is retreated may also be used. A wide variety of configurations can be adopted that do not interfere with the articles Pc moving on the first transport path Tc1.

[0256] 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]

[0257] 100 Loading section 11. Loading conveyor 111 Conveyor motor 12 Nip roller 121 Roller motor 13. Pusher 200 First conveyor section 21 Transport rail 210 Straight conveying section 211 First straight conveyor rail 212 Second straight conveyor rail 213 First curved conveyor rail 214 2nd curved conveyor rail 215 Main rail section 216 Grooved rail section 217 Flat rail section 218 Gap 219 Groove 21m Main transport area 21n Return Area 22 First Transport Shuttle 220 Main body 221 First conveyor support section 222 First conveying engagement portion 223 Upper Roller 224 Lower Roller 225 Corner 226 Arm body 227 Claw 228 Presser 229 Convex 23 Second Transport Shuttle 220 Main body 231 Second conveyor support section 232 Second conveying engagement portion 235 Corner 236 Arm body 237 Claw 238 Presser 24. Linear motor mechanism for conveying 241 Coil 242 Magnet 243 Linear Driver 25 Straw attachment section 26 Defective product exclusion section 261 Rejection Conveyor 300 Second conveyor section 31 Accumulation rail 311 First straight stacking rail 312 Second straight stacking rail 313 First curved integrated rail 314 2nd curved integrated rail 315 Main rail section 316 Grooved rail section 317 Flat rail section 318 Gap 319 Groove 32 First Collection Shuttle 320 Main body 321 First accumulation engagement portion 323 Upper Roller 324 Lower Roller 325 Second integrated contact surface 329 Convex 33 Second Collection Shuttle 320 Main body 331 Second accumulation engagement portion 335 First integrated contact surface 34 Integrated Linear Motor Mechanism 341 Coil 342 Magnet 343 Linear Driver 35 Accumulation and transport section 36 Guide part 361 Bottom guide 362 Side guide 37 Transshipment Department 371 Pusher 372 Retaining member 373 Drive motor 374 Guide part 375 First Push Section 376 Second Push Section 377 Bottom guide 378 Side guide 400 Transfer Device 41 Pusher 411 First Push Section 412 Second Push Section 413 Side holding part 42 Retaining member 420 Mounting part 421 Internal gear 43 Moving mechanism 431 Drive motor 432 Drive shaft 433 Pinion Gear 44 Guide part 441 Bottom guide 442 Side guide 45 Lid 400a Transfer device 41a Pusher 500 Packing Department 51 Box conveyor 511 Box transport rail 512 Box Transport Shuttle 513 Box Transport Linear Motor Mechanism 514 Guide rail 515 Linear Driver 52 1st packaging department 53 2nd packaging department 54 Sealing Department 55 Inspection Department 551 Appearance Information Acquisition Department 600 Control section 601 Processing Circuit 602 Memory circuit 700 Sub-transport unit 71 Sub-transport rail 710 Sub-conveyor straight section 711 First straight sub-transport rail 712 Second straight sub-conveyor rail 713 1st curved secondary conveyor rail 714 2nd curved secondary conveyor rail 715 Main rail section 716 Grooved rail section 717 Flat rail section 718 Gap 719 Groove 72 First Auxiliary Transport Shuttle 720 Main unit 721 First Sub-Transport Support Section 722 First sub-conveyor engagement portion 723 Upper roller 724 Lower Roller 725 Corner 726 Arm body 727 Claw 728 Presser 729 Convex 73 Second Auxiliary Transport Shuttle 731 Second Sub-Transport Support Section 732 Second sub-conveyor engagement portion 735 Corner 736 Arm body 737 Claw 738 Presser 74 Sub-transport linear motor mechanism 741 Coil 742 Magnet 743 Linear Driver A Conveyor device Bx storage box C1 center axis C2 center axis Im Excitation coil information Nb number Nth number PC goods Sh sheet Ta1 Transfer route Ta2 migration route Tb Return path Tc1 First transport route Tc2 Second transport route Td Transport Path Tf sub-transport pathway Th straw Tr Transport direction Trb Box conveying direction

Claims

1. A transfer device for moving an article along an arc-shaped transfer path to transfer the article, a plurality of pushers movably disposed along a circumferential movement path that partially overlaps with the transfer path and that push the article along the transfer path; a plurality of holding members each independently holding a plurality of the pushers and rotatable about a central axis of the circumferential movement path; A moving mechanism that moves each of the plurality of holding members independently; A guide portion that supports at least a portion of a radially outer side of the article in the arc-shaped transfer path while the article moves along the transfer path, the pusher contacts at least a portion of a rear surface of the article in a conveying direction when the article moves along the transfer path; The moving mechanism moves the plurality of holding members so that the articles are delivered at regular intervals; The guide portion is a transfer device formed integrally with the pusher.

2. The transfer device according to claim 1 , wherein the pusher contacts at least a portion of a radially inner surface of the article in the transfer path.

3. the plurality of holding members are annular members arranged side by side in a direction along the central axis, and each holding member has an attachment portion arranged on an outer circumferential surface thereof to which the pusher is attached; The transfer device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pushers attached to the attachment parts are positioned at the same position in the direction of the central axis.

4. An internal gear is formed on the inner surface of each of the plurality of holding members, The moving mechanism includes: a plurality of pinion gears meshing with the internal gears of the respective holding members; The transfer device according to claim 3 , further comprising: a plurality of motors for rotating the plurality of pinion gears, respectively.

5. A transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, A conveyor rail is disposed along a conveyor route along which an article is transferred from the transfer device; a first transport shuttle and a second transport shuttle disposed on the transport rail so as to be movable along the transport path; a transport linear motor mechanism capable of independently driving the first transport shuttle and the second transport shuttle, the first transport shuttle has a first transport engagement portion that engages with a front side of the article in a transport direction, the second transport shuttle has a second transport engagement portion that engages with a rear side of the article in the transport direction, An article transport device, wherein the first transport engagement portion and the second transport engagement portion engage with portions of the article that are different from the pusher and the guide portion in the vertical direction.

Images