Food and drink conveying equipment

Abstract

To provide a food and drink conveyance device capable of causing a folding lane to be operated automatically.SOLUTION: A food and drink conveying device (1) includes a folding lane (20), a lane drive motor (13), and gear trains (11,12). The folding lane is attached rotatably between a conveyance position (P1) for conveying food and drink and a non-conveyance position (P2) where conveyance of food and drink is not executed with respect to a device body (10). The lane drive motor is attached to the device body and drives the folding lane. The gear train each transmit rotational force of the lane drive motor to the folding lane to rotate the folding lane.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a collapsible food and drink conveying device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a short-circuit device for a rotary feeder for sushi and the like. The short-circuit device has two short-circuit plate guides rotatably attached to the machine frame, and the short-circuit plate guides can rotate between a position arranged along the horizontal direction and a position arranged along the vertical direction. The short-circuit plate guides are provided with a drive motor for driving the short-circuit conveyor belt.

[0003] Patent Document 2 describes a bypass conveying device in a circulating conveying path. The bypass conveying device has two bypass conveyors, which can swing between a position where they are arranged along a horizontal direction and a position where they are arranged along a vertical direction. In addition, an endless flat belt provided on the bypass conveyors is made to run by driving a motor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Jpn. Jpn. Published No. 61-44695 [Patent Document 2] JP 2000-255766 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] According to Patent Document 1, the short circuit plate guide needs to be rotated manually, which is troublesome, because the short circuit plate guide needs to be rotated manually every time short circuiting is performed or stopped. Also in Patent Document 2, the bypass conveyor body needs to be swung by manual operation, which is troublesome, because the bypass conveyor body needs to be manually operated every time the bypass conveyor body is installed horizontally or vertically. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The food and beverage conveying device of the present invention has a retractable lane, a lane drive motor, and a gear train. The retractable lane is attached to the device body so as to be rotatable between a conveying position where food and beverages are conveyed and a non-conveying position where food and beverages are not conveyed. The lane drive motor is attached to the device body and drives the retractable lane. The gear train transmits the rotational force of the lane drive motor to the retractable lane to rotate the retractable lane.

[0007] The collapsible lane can be composed of a drive roller, a driven roller, and a conveyor belt that is stretched across the drive roller and the driven roller and moves in response to the rotation of the drive roller. The device body can be provided with a roller drive motor that drives the drive roller. Here, the drive roller can be disposed on the upper surface of the device body.

[0008] A pair of support arms supporting both sides of the collapsible lane can be rotatably attached to the device body. The gear train can be composed of an output gear attached to an output shaft of the lane drive motor and a transmission gear fixed to one of the pair of support arms and meshing with the output gear. The transmission gear can be formed in a fan shape, and the transmission gear can be prevented from protruding from the top surface of the device body when the collapsible lane rotates between the transport position and the non-transport position.

[0009] An operation switch is connected to the lane drive motor, and the tiltable lane can be rotated to either the conveying position or the non-conveying position by operating the operation switch. The tiltable lane can be provided at a position that bypasses the circulating conveying lane that conveys the food and beverage while circulating it. The tiltable lane can also be provided on the conveying path that conveys the food and beverage. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, the retractable lane can be rotated between the transport position and the non-transport position by driving the lane drive motor, and manual operations such as those in Patent Documents 1 and 2 can be omitted. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the food and beverage conveying device. [Diagram 2] 1 is a side view of the food and beverage conveying device when the collapsible lane is in the conveying position. [Diagram 3] 1 is a side view of the food and beverage conveying device when the collapsible lane is in a non-conveying position. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration in which a food and beverage conveying device is used as a bypass passage for a circulating conveying lane. [Diagram 5] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration in which a food and drink conveying device is arranged on a conveying path (straight line). [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration in which the food and drink conveying device is arranged on a conveying path (L-shaped). [Figure 7] A schematic diagram showing a state in which the food and beverage conveying device is not connected to the circular conveying lane. [Figure 8] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the food and beverage conveying device is connected to a circulating conveying lane. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] (Structure of food and drink conveying device) The structure of the food and drink conveying device of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a plan view of food and drink conveying device 1. Figure 2 is a side view of food and drink conveying device 1 as viewed from the direction of arrow Ds shown in Figure 1, with lane drive motor 13 shown in Figure 1 omitted in Figure 2. In food and drink conveying device 1, a retractable lane 20, which will be described later, can be rotated between a conveying position P1 and a non-conveying position P2.

[0013] An output gear 11 and a transmission gear 12 are rotatably attached to one side of the device body 10. As shown in Fig. 2, the output gear 11 is rotatable in the direction of the arrow D11 or the arrow D12 around the rotation shaft 11a. The transmission gear 12 is rotatable in the direction of the arrow D21 or the arrow D22 around the rotation shaft 12a. The transmission gear 12 is formed in a fan shape, and is disposed above the output gear 11 which is formed in a ring shape, and is in mesh with the output gear 11. The pitch radius of the transmission gear 12 is larger than that of the output gear 11.

[0014] An output shaft of a lane drive motor 13 shown in FIG. 1 is fixed to the output gear 11, and the lane drive motor 13 is a drive source for rotating the collapsible lane 20 as described later. For example, a stepping motor can be used as the lane drive motor 13. An operation switch 15 is connected to the lane drive motor 13 via a cable 14, and the lane drive motor 13 can be driven by an operator operating the operation switch 15. As described later, by driving the lane drive motor 13, the collapsible lane 20 can be rotated between a transport position P1 and a non-transport position P2.

[0015] 1, a pair of support arms 16a, 16b are provided on both side surfaces of the device body 10, and each of the support arms 16a, 16b is rotatable about a rotation axis R. The support arm 16a is fixed to the transmission gear 12 and rotates together with the transmission gear 12. Here, the rotation axis R is positioned coaxially with the above-mentioned rotation axis 12a. The support arm 16b is rotatably attached to one side surface of the device body 10.

[0016] The pair of support arms 16a, 16b are fixed at their tips to both side surfaces of the collapsible lane 20. The collapsible lane 20 has a pair of lane bodies 21a, 21b, which support an endless conveyor belt 22. Specifically, the pair of lane bodies 21a, 21b are disposed inside the endless conveyor belt 22, and the conveyor belt 22 moves along the upper surfaces of the lane bodies 21a, 21b and the lower surfaces of the lane bodies 21a, 21b.

[0017] The conveyor belt 22 is stretched around a drive roller 23 and a driven roller 24, and the conveyor belt 22 moves as the drive roller 23 and the driven roller 24 rotate. The driven roller 24 is rotatably attached to the pair of lane bodies 21a, 21b. The drive roller 23 is rotatably attached to the upper surface of the device body 10, and a part of the conveyor belt 22 is located on the upper surface of the device body 10. As described below, the drive roller 23 rotates, causing the conveyor belt 22 to move, and the driven roller 24 rotates in conjunction with the movement of the conveyor belt 22.

[0018] By moving conveyor belt 22 in this manner, it is possible to convey food and drink (not shown) placed on conveyor belt 22. Here, by changing the rotation direction of drive roller 23, it is possible to change the movement direction of conveyor belt 22, and therefore the conveying direction of food and drink.

[0019] Specifically, by rotating drive roller 23 forward, food and drink can be transported by conveyor belt 22 from the left side to the right side in Fig. 1. By rotating drive roller 23 in the reverse direction, food and drink can be transported by conveyor belt 22 from the right side to the left side in Fig. 1. Note that "food and drink" here refers to containers (such as plates) in which food and drink are stored, and trays on which containers in which food and drink are stored are placed.

[0020] Next, the mechanism for rotating the drive roller 23 will be described below.

[0021] 2, a roller drive motor 31 for driving the drive roller 23 is disposed in the device body 10. A drive pulley 32 is fixed to the output shaft of the roller drive motor 31. A power transmission belt 34 is stretched between the drive pulley 32 and the driven pulley 33. The drive pulley 32 receives a rotational force from the roller drive motor 31 and can rotate in the direction of the arrow D31 or the arrow D32.

[0022] When the driving pulley 32 rotates in the direction of arrow D31, the power transmission belt 34 moves in the direction of arrow D33, causing the driven pulley 33 to rotate in the direction of arrow D34. When the driving pulley 32 rotates in the direction of arrow D32, the power transmission belt 34 moves in the direction of arrow D35, causing the driven pulley 33 to rotate in the direction of arrow D36.

[0023] 1, the driven pulley 33 is connected to the driving roller 23 via a power transmission mechanism (not shown). Therefore, the driving roller 23 can be rotated in response to the rotation of the driven pulley 33. Here, by switching the rotation direction of the driven pulley 33 (the direction of the arrow D34 or the arrow D36 shown in FIG. 2), the rotation direction of the driving roller 23 (the forward rotation or reverse rotation described above) can be switched.

[0024] The device body 10 is provided with a controller 40 that controls the drive of the roller drive motor 31, and the controller 40 controls the drive of the roller drive motor 31, thereby controlling the rotation speed and rotation direction of the drive roller 23. By controlling the rotation speed of the drive roller 23, the conveying speed of the food and drink by the conveyor belt 22 can be controlled. Also, by controlling the rotation direction of the drive roller 23, the conveying direction of the food and drink by the conveyor belt 22 can be controlled.

[0025] (Operation of food and drink conveying device 1) Next, the operation of food and drink conveying device 1 will be described.

[0026] Fig. 2 shows the state when the collapsible lane 20 is at the transport position P1, and Fig. 3 shows the state when the collapsible lane 20 is at the non-transport position P2. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, when the collapsible lane 20 is at either the transport position P1 or the non-transport position P2, the transmission gear 12 does not protrude from the top surface of the device body 10. In addition, as described below, even while the collapsible lane 20 rotates between the transport position P1 and the non-transport position P2, the transmission gear 12 does not protrude from the top surface of the device body 10.

[0027] When the reclining lane 20 is at the conveying position P1, the food and drink placed on the conveying belt 22 can be conveyed by the conveying belt 22. When the food and drink is conveyed by the conveying belt 22, the driving of the roller drive motor 31 is controlled as described above. In order to convey the food and drink, the reclining lane 20 is arranged substantially horizontally at the conveying position P1. On the other hand, when the food and drink is not being conveyed by the conveying belt 22, the reclining lane 20 can be rotated to the non-conveying position P2.

[0028] When rotating the collapsible lane 20 from the transport position P1 to the non-transport position P2, an operator operates the operation switch 15 to drive the lane drive motor 13. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 2, the lane drive motor 13 is driven so that the output gear 11 rotates in the direction of the arrow D11. As the output gear 11 rotates in the direction of the arrow D11, the transmission gear 12 rotates in the direction of the arrow D21.

[0029] Since the tiltable lane 20 is connected to the transmission gear 12 via the support arm 16a, when the transmission gear 12 rotates in the direction of the arrow D21, the tiltable lane 20 rotates in the direction of the arrow D41 toward the non-transport position P2. Here, since the transmission gear 12 rotates in the direction of the arrow D21 from the position shown in FIG. 2, no part of the transmission gear 12 protrudes from the top surface of the device body 10.

[0030] By controlling the rotation angle of the output gear 11 by the lane drive motor 13, the retractable lane 20 can be stopped at the non-conveying position P2. This brings the food and beverage conveying device 1 into the state shown in FIG. 3. When the retractable lane 20 is in the non-conveying position P2, the retractable lane 20 is arranged along the vertical direction (the up-down direction in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3), and the tip of the retractable lane 20 faces downward. Note that the position of the retractable lane 20 at the non-conveying position P2 does not have to be along the vertical direction. For example, it is sufficient that the tip of the retractable lane 20 faces downward, and the retractable lane 20 may be inclined with respect to the vertical direction. Here, the inclination angle of the retractable lane 20 can be determined appropriately.

[0031] 1, a part of the conveyor belt 22 (the side of the drive roller 23) is located on the upper surface of the device body 10. Therefore, when the collapsible lane 20 rotates from the conveying position P1 to the non-conveying position P2, the conveyor belt 22 is adapted to bend along the outer surface of the device body 10. Here, the conveyor belt 22 is made of a deformable material, and therefore can bend along the outer surface of the device body 10.

[0032] When rotating the collapsible lane 20 from the non-transport position P2 to the transport position P1, an operator operates the operation switch 15 to drive the lane drive motor 13. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, the lane drive motor 13 is driven so that the output gear 11 rotates in the direction of the arrow D12. As the output gear 11 rotates in the direction of the arrow D12, the transmission gear 12 rotates in the direction of the arrow D22.

[0033] Since the tiltable lane 20 is connected to the transmission gear 12 via the support arm 16a, when the transmission gear 12 rotates in the direction of the arrow D22, the tiltable lane 20 rotates in the direction of the arrow D42 toward the transport position P1. Here, since the transmission gear 12 rotates in the direction of the arrow D22 from the position shown in FIG. 3, no part of the transmission gear 12 protrudes from the top surface of the device body 10.

[0034] The retractable lane 20 can be stopped at the conveying position P1 by controlling the rotation angle of the output gear 11 by the lane drive motor 13. This brings the food and drink conveying device 1 into the state shown in FIG.

[0035] According to this embodiment, the collapsible lane 20 can be rotated between the conveying position P1 and the non-conveying position P2 by driving the lane drive motor 13. This eliminates the need to manually rotate the collapsible lane 20 as in Patent Documents 1 and 2.

[0036] In this embodiment, since the lane drive motor 13 and the roller drive motor 31 are attached to the device body 10, the structure of the collapsible lane 20 can be simplified compared to when the lane drive motor 13 and the roller drive motor 31 are attached to the collapsible lane 20. This allows the collapsible lane 20 to rotate smoothly between the transport position P1 and the non-transport position P2. In addition, by utilizing the holding torque of the lane drive motor 13, the collapsible lane 20 can be continuously held at the transport position P1 or the non-transport position P2.

[0037] In this embodiment, as described above, the pitch circle radius of the transmission gear 12 is made larger than the pitch circle radius of the output gear 11, so that the output gear 11 and the transmission gear 12 form a reduction mechanism. This makes it possible to increase the torque of the transmission gear 12, and to easily rotate the collapsible lane 20. Here, if the transmission gear 12 is formed in a ring shape instead of a fan shape, a part of the transmission gear 12 will protrude from the top surface of the device body 10, and interference with this protruding part will be a problem.

[0038] In this embodiment, the transmission gear 12 is formed in a fan shape so that the transmission gear 12 does not protrude from the upper surface of the device body 10 when the collapsible lane 20 rotates between the transport position P1 and the non-transport position P2. As a result, while the output gear 11 and the transmission gear 12 constitute a speed reduction mechanism as described above, it is possible to prevent a part of the transmission gear 12 from protruding from the upper surface of the device body 10 and interfering with it.

[0039] (Application example of food and drink conveying device 1) Next, application examples of the food and drink conveying device 1 will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 8. Note that the application examples described below are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these.

[0040] In the example shown in FIG. 4, food and drink conveying device 1 is applied to a circulating conveying lane 100. Circulating conveying lane 100 circulates food and drink while conveying them, and can be constructed, for example, of a known crescent chain. Two guide members 110 are provided in a portion of circulating conveying lane 100. Each guide member 110 is rotatable about a rotation axis 111, and can rotate between a position where it enters circulating conveying lane 100 (hereinafter referred to as an "entry position") and a position where it retreats from circulating conveying lane 100 (hereinafter referred to as an "retraction position").

[0041] A food and beverage conveying apparatus 1 is provided near the rotation axis 111 of the guide member 110, and two food and beverage conveying apparatuses 1 are arranged between the two guide members 110. Here, the food and beverage conveying apparatus 1 is arranged so that food and beverage can move from the circulating conveying lane 100 to the conveying belt 22 of the food and beverage conveying apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. 4, by arranging two food and beverage conveying apparatuses 1 side by side, a passage that bypasses the circulating conveying lane 100 can be formed by the two food and beverage conveying apparatuses 1.

[0042] When the two guide members 110 are in the retracted positions, the food and drink moves along the circulating conveyor lane 100. At this time, in the food and drink conveying device 1, the retractable lane 20 can be rotated to the non-conveying position P2.

[0043] When the two guide members 110 are in the entry position, the retractable lane 20 can be rotated to a conveying position P1 in the food and beverage conveying apparatus 1. As a result, food and beverage moving along the circulating conveying lane 100 comes into contact with one of the guide members 110 (the left side in FIG. 4) and is guided to the food and beverage conveying apparatus 1. The food and beverage is conveyed by the conveyor belt 22 located on the left side of FIG. 4, and then moves to the conveyor belt 22 located on the right side of FIG. 4, and is conveyed by this conveyor belt 22. Here, the conveying direction of the conveyor belt 22 located on the left side of FIG. 4 and the conveying direction of the conveyor belt 22 located on the right side of FIG. 4 are opposite to each other.

[0044] Food and beverage conveyed by conveyor belt 22 located on the right side of Fig. 4 comes into contact with the other guide member 110 (on the right side of Fig. 4) located at the entry position and is guided to circulating conveyor lane 100. This allows food and beverage to be conveyed by two food and beverage conveying devices 1, bypassing circulating conveyor lane 100. Note that the direction of the arrow shown in Fig. 4 indicates the conveying direction of food and beverage, but food and beverage can also be conveyed in the opposite direction to the arrow shown in Fig. 4.

[0045] Next, in the example shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 6, the food and beverage conveying device 1 is arranged on the food and beverage conveying path. Fig. 5 shows a straight conveying path, and Fig. 6 shows an L-shaped conveying path. At both ends in the longitudinal direction of the conveying belt 22 of the food and beverage conveying device 1, other conveying belts 210, 220 are provided. That is, when the collapsible lane 20 of the food and beverage conveying device 1 is at the conveying position P1, the conveying belt 22 of the food and beverage conveying device 1 is located between the two conveying belts 210, 220, and the conveying belts 210, 220 and the conveying belt 22 form one conveying path. On the other hand, when the collapsible lane 20 is at the non-conveying position P2, the conveying belt 22 is not located between the two conveying belts 210, 220, and the conveying path by the conveying belts 210, 220 is blocked.

[0046] When one conveying path is formed by conveyor belts 210, 220 and conveyor belt 22, for example, after conveyor belt 210 conveys food and drink in the direction indicated by the arrow, the food and drink is transferred from conveyor belt 210 to conveyor belt 22. Then, after conveyor belt 22 conveys food and drink in the direction indicated by the arrow, the food and drink is transferred from conveyor belt 22 to conveyor belt 220. In this way, the food and drink can be conveyed along one conveying path.

[0047] 5 and 6, by rotating the reclining lane 20 to the non-conveying position P2, the space when the reclining lane 20 is at the conveying position P1 can be used as a passageway for workers. In this case, the conveying of food and drink by the conveyor belts 210 and 220 can be stopped.

[0048] Next, in the example shown in Figures 7 and 8, the food and drink conveying device 1 is applied to two circulating conveying lanes 310, 320. The circulating conveying lanes 310, 320 can be configured, for example, by a known crescent chain. Two food and drink conveying devices 1 are arranged side by side between the circulating conveying lanes 310, 320.

[0049] A pair of guide members 311 are provided in the circulating conveyor lane 310, and the guide members 311 are rotatable around a rotation shaft 312. A pair of guide members 321 are provided in the circulating conveyor lane 320, and the guide members 321 are rotatable around a rotation shaft 322. The guide members 311 are rotatable between a position retreated from the circulating conveyor lane 310 as shown in FIG. 7 (hereinafter referred to as the "retracted position") and a position entered into the circulating conveyor lane 310 as shown in FIG. 8 (hereinafter referred to as the "entered position"). The guide members 321 are rotatable between a position retreated from the circulating conveyor lane 320 as shown in FIG. 7 (hereinafter referred to as the "retracted position") and a position entered into the circulating conveyor lane 320 as shown in FIG. 8 (hereinafter referred to as the "entered position").

[0050] As shown in Fig. 7, when guide members 311, 321 are in the retracted position, food and beverage moves along circulating conveyor lane 310 or along circulating conveyor lane 320. In this case, conveyor belt 22 of food and beverage conveying apparatus 1 is not driven. For this reason, retractable lane 20 of food and beverage conveying apparatus 1 can be rotated to non-conveying position P2. Note that, although the conveying direction of food and beverage by circulating conveyor lanes 310, 320 is shown by the arrow direction in Fig. 7, food and beverage can also be conveyed in the opposite direction to the arrow direction.

[0051] As shown in Fig. 8, when guide members 311, 321 are in the entry position, collapsible lane 20 of food and beverage conveying apparatus 1 is located at conveying position P1. In the conveying path located at the top of Fig. 8, food and beverage conveyed by circulating conveying lane 310 comes into contact with guide member 311 and is guided to food and beverage conveying apparatus 1, and is then conveyed by conveyor belt 22 of food and beverage conveying apparatus 1. Then, the food and beverage comes into contact with guide member 321 and is guided to circulating conveying lane 320, and is then conveyed by circulating conveying lane 320.

[0052] Furthermore, in the conveying path located at the bottom of Fig. 8, food and beverage conveyed by circulating conveying lane 320 comes into contact with guide member 321 and is guided to food and beverage conveying device 1, and is then conveyed by conveying belt 22 of food and beverage conveying device 1. The food and beverage then comes into contact with guide member 311 and is guided to circulating conveying lane 310, and is then conveyed by circulating conveying lane 310. Note that in Fig. 8, the conveying direction of food and beverage by circulating conveying lanes 310, 320 and conveying belt 22 of food and beverage conveying device 1 is shown by the direction of the arrow, but food and beverage can also be conveyed in the opposite direction to the direction of the arrow. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 1: food and beverage conveying device, 10: device body, 11: output gear, 12: transmission gear, 13: lane drive motor, 15: operation switch, 16a, 16b: support arms, 20: collapsible lane, 22: conveyor belt, 23: driving roller, 24: driven roller, 31: roller drive motor, 100, 310, 320: circulation conveying lane, P1: conveying position, P2: Non-transport position

Claims

1. a collapsible lane attached to the device body so as to be rotatable between a conveying position for conveying food and beverages and a non-conveying position for not conveying food and beverages; a lane drive motor attached to the device body and configured to drive the collapsible lane; a gear train that transmits a rotational force of the lane drive motor to the foldable lane to rotate the foldable lane; The collapsible lane has a conveyor belt that moves around a pair of rollers, A food and beverage conveying device characterized in that one of the rollers is positioned at a position different from the rotation axis of the retractable lane and at a position that positions a portion of the conveying belt on the upper surface of the device body.

2. The pair of rollers is a drive roller and a driven roller, The conveyor belt moves in response to the rotation of the drive roller, The food and drink conveying device according to claim 1 , further comprising a roller drive motor provided in the device body for driving the drive roller.

3. A pair of support arms are provided to support both sides of the collapsible lane and are rotatably attached to the device body, The gear train includes: an output gear attached to an output shaft of the lane drive motor; The food and beverage conveying device according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a transmission gear fixed to one of the pair of support arms and meshing with the output gear.

4. The food and beverage conveying device of claim 3, characterized in that the transmission gear is formed in a fan shape and does not protrude from the top surface of the device body when the collapsible lane rotates between the conveying position and the non-conveying position.

5. A food and beverage conveying device as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it has an operating switch connected to the lane drive motor and operated to rotate the collapsible lane to either the conveying position or the non-conveying position.

6. 6. The food and drink conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the collapsible lane is provided at a position that bypasses a circulating conveying lane that conveys the food and drink while circulating it.

7. 6. The food and drink conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the tiltable lane is provided on a conveying path for conveying food and drink.

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