Material Handling System

Abstract

To provide an article conveyance system that can form an assembly article according to various required specifications without increasing the size of the entire device.SOLUTION: In an article conveyance system, a first article A and a second article B of different types which have been conveyed separately by a first conveyor 12 and a second conveyor 22 are taken up together by a first array input device 15 and a second array input device 25 and placed together on a conveyance surface 32 of a merging conveyor 31. A first specified number of the first article A and a second specified number of the second article B are placed in a state assembled in a row and a column in a first placement area P1 and a second placement area P2, respectively. Transfer means 35 transfers the first article A and the second article B to a predetermined position spaced apart from the merging conveyor 31 so as to form an assembly article W according to a packaging specification. The article conveyance system can form various placement patterns for the assembly article W by changing the number of the row and / or the number of the column of the first article A and the second article B in the first placement area P1 and the second placement area P2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an article transport system. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a technique for packing different kinds of articles, which have been transported from processing machines such as manufacturing machines and packaging machines via their respective transport paths, into one container or the like using a transfer device such as a robot. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a boxing device that transports different kinds of articles manufactured by each manufacturing machine using a conveyor and two robots, and then uses another robot to pick up the different kinds of articles one by one and pack them into a box. It is shown that this boxing device has a simplified structure by pooling articles on each pool conveyor so that a single container's worth of assorted products can be prepared even if there is a large difference in the supply amount of different kinds of articles. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-66447 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the packing device described in Patent Document 1 is not simplified as a device that can meet various required specifications, such as changing the distribution ratio of different types of items in a collection of items, or increasing or decreasing the total number of items.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an article transport system capable of forming assembled products in accordance with various required specifications without increasing the size of the entire apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the article transport system of the present invention takes the following measures. First, the invention according to claim 1 comprises a first conveyor (12) for transporting a first article (A), a first arrangement input device (15) for collectively picking up a plurality of the first articles (A) from the first conveyor (12), a second conveyor (22) for transporting a second article (B) of a different type from the first article (A), a second arrangement input device (25) for collectively picking up a plurality of the second articles (B) from the second conveyor (22), and a repeating device for collectively placing the plurality of first articles (A) picked up by the first arrangement input device (15). a merging conveyor (31) having a conveying surface (32) including a first placement area (P1) in which a first specified number of the first articles (A) are gathered and placed by a repeating operation of placing together the plurality of second articles (B) picked up by the second arrangement input device (25); and a second placement area (P2) in which a second specified number of the second articles (B) are gathered and placed by a repeating operation of placing together the plurality of second articles (B) picked up by the second arrangement input device (25); The first article (A) and the second article (B) are picked up together by suction. The first arrangement input device (15) repeats the operation of placing the multiple first articles (A) so that they are lined up in a left-right direction intersecting the conveying direction and so that the first articles (A) are spaced apart front-to-back in the conveying direction, thereby placing the first specified number of the first articles (A) in the first loading area (P1) so that they form multiple columns and rows, and the second arrangement input device (25) repeats the operation of placing the first articles (A) in each row placed in the first loading area (P1) so that they are lined up along each row of the first articles (A) and adjacent to the first articles (A) either front-to-back in the conveying direction, thereby placing the second specified number of the second articles (B) in the second loading area (P2) at least partially overlapping the first loading area (P1) so that they form multiple columns and rows. and the transfer means (35) is arranged to correspond to each suction position where the second article (B) is suctioned. The second article (B) is placed on it.

[0007] According to the invention of claim 1, the article transport system includes a first conveyor (12) and a second conveyor (22), and a junction conveyor (31) that collects and places first articles (A) and second articles (B) of different types that have been separately transported by these conveyors (12, 22) in the number contained in one package. A first placement area (P1) and a second placement area (P2) that at least partially overlaps the first placement area (P1) are set on the transport surface (32) of the junction conveyor (31). The first articles (A) are transported by the first conveyor (12) and placed in the first placement area (P1) in groups of several by the first arrangement input device (15). Then, the operation of placing the first articles (A) in groups of several is repeated so that the first articles (A) are spaced apart forward and backward in the transport direction. As a result, a first specified number of first items (A) are gathered in the first loading area (P1) and are arranged in multiple rows and columns. The second items (B) are transported by the second conveyor (22) and placed in the second loading area (P2) in groups of multiple items by the second arrangement input device (25). At this time, the operation of placing multiple second items (B) in groups is repeated so that the second items (B) are aligned along the rows of the first items (A) and adjacent to the first items (A) that are spaced apart from each other in the front and rear of the transport direction. As a result, a second specified number of second items (B) are placed in the second loading area (P2). The plates are assembled in a number of rows and columns, and are arranged in a manner corresponding to the positions where the plates are attracted by the transfer means (35). Then, a first specified number of first articles (A) and a second specified number of second articles (B) are placed in a state of being gathered within a predetermined range. The first articles (A) and second articles (B) gathered and placed on the conveying surface (32) are transferred by the transfer means (35). The pieces are picked up together by suction, and then transferred to a predetermined position away from the junction conveyor (31) so as to form a collective product (W) according to packaging specifications. With these configurations, various placement patterns of the collective item (W) can be formed by changing the number of rows and / or the number of columns of the first item (A) and the second item (B) in the first placement area (P1) and the second placement area (P2). In other words, collective items (W) that meet various required specifications can be formed without changing the arrangement configuration of the devices related to the item conveying system or increasing the number of devices.

[0008] next, Claim 2 The invention relates to a first conveyor (12) for transporting a first object (A), a first arrangement input device (15) for picking up a plurality of the first objects (A) from the first conveyor (12) in a lump, a second conveyor (22) for transporting a second object (B) of a different type from the first object (A), a second arrangement input device (25) for picking up a plurality of the second objects (B) in a lump from the second conveyor (22), and a first predetermined number of the first objects (A) by repeating the action of placing the plurality of first objects (A) picked up by the first arrangement input device (15) in a lump. the merging conveyor (31) has a conveying surface (32) including a first placement area (P1) where items (A) are collected and placed, and a second placement area (P2) where a second specified number of second items (B) are collected and placed by a repeated action of placing the plurality of second items (B) picked up by the second arrangement input device (25) together; and a transfer means (35) for transferring the first specified number of first items (A) and the second specified number of second items (B) so that they are collected at a predetermined position spaced from the merging conveyor (31); The first conveyor (12) conveys irregularly the materials from the upstream processing device. The abovea bucket conveyor that travels intermittently each time it receives a first article (A) and transports the first article (A) from the side of the merging conveyor (31) toward the merging conveyor (31), and the first arrangement input device (15) is By repeating the operation of placing the plurality of first articles (A) so that they are lined up in a left-right direction intersecting the conveying direction and so that the first articles (A) are spaced apart front to back in the conveying direction, the first articles (A) are placed in the first placement area (P1) so that the first specified number of the first articles (A) form a plurality of columns and rows; When the first conveyor (12) reaches its capacity limit for the first articles (A), a predetermined number of the first articles (A) placed on the first conveyor (12) are placed on a first buffer conveyor (14) disposed adjacent to the first conveyor (12) along the running direction of the first conveyor (12), and the second conveyor (22) carries the first articles (A) irregularly transported from an upstream processing device. The above a bucket conveyor that travels intermittently each time it receives a second article (B) and transports the second article (B) from the side of the merging conveyor (31) toward the merging conveyor (31), and the second arrangement input device (25) is When each row of the first items (A) placed in the first loading area (P1) is transported, the operation of placing the second items (B) along each row of the first items (A) and adjacent to the first items (A) either before or after the first items (A) in the transport direction is repeated, thereby placing the second items (B) in the second loading area (P2) that at least partially overlaps the first loading area (P1) so that the second specified number of the second items (B) form multiple columns and rows; When the second conveyor (22) reaches its carrying limit for the second items (B), a predetermined number of the second items (B) placed on the second conveyor (22) are placed on a second buffer conveyor (24) arranged adjacent to the second conveyor (22) along the running direction of the second conveyor (22).

[0009] According to the invention of claim 2, The first object (A) is transported by the first conveyor (12) and placed in the first placement area (P1) in a group by the first arrangement insertion device (15). Then, the operation of placing the first objects (A) in a group is repeated so that there is a gap between the first objects (A) in the front and rear of the conveying direction. As a result, a first specified number of first objects (A) are collected in the first placement area (P1) and placed in a group and in a number of rows and columns. The second object (B) is transported by the second conveyor (22) and placed in the second placement area (P2) in a group by the second arrangement insertion device (25). At this time, the operation of placing the second objects (B) in a group is repeated so that the second objects (B) are adjacent to the first objects (A) along the row of the first objects (A) and adjacent to the first objects (A) with a gap between them in the front and rear of the conveying direction. As a result, a second specified number of second items (B) are collected in the second placement area (P2) and placed in a plurality of rows and columns. Then, the first specified number of first items (A) and the second specified number of second items (B) are placed in a collected state within a predetermined range. The first items (A) and second items (B) collected and placed on the conveying surface (32) are transferred by the transfer means (35) to a predetermined position away from the junction conveyor (31) so as to form a collected item (W) according to the packaging specifications. With these configurations, by changing the number of rows and / or the number of columns of the first items (A) and second items (B) in the first placement area (P1) and the second placement area (P2), various placement patterns of the collected items (W) can be formed. In other words, collected items (W) according to various required specifications can be formed without changing the arrangement configuration of the devices related to the item conveying system or increasing the number of devices. Furthermore,The first item (A) and the second item (B) are transported intermittently toward the merging conveyor (31) by the bucket conveyors, the first conveyor (12) and the second conveyor (22). This allows the first conveyor (12) and the second conveyor (22) to reliably accommodate and transport the first item (A) and the second item (B) that are transported irregularly from the upstream processing device. In addition, a first buffer conveyor (14) is disposed adjacent to the first conveyor (12) along the running direction, and a second buffer conveyor (24) is disposed adjacent to the second conveyor (22) along the running direction. When the first conveyor (12) and the second conveyor (22) reach their respective limits for the number of first items (A) or second items (B), the first items (A) are placed on these buffer conveyors (14, 24) by the first arrangement input device (15) and the second items (B) are placed on these buffer conveyors (14, 24) by the second arrangement input device (25). This prevents the first items (A) or second items (B) transported on the first conveyor (12) and the second conveyor (22), respectively, from overflowing, and allows spares of the first items (A) or second items (B) to be stocked on the buffer conveyors (14, 24).

[0010] next, Claim 3 The invention relates to a first conveyor (12) for transporting a first object (A), a first arrangement input device (15) for picking up a plurality of the first objects (A) from the first conveyor (12) in a lump, a second conveyor (22) for transporting a second object (B) of a different type from the first object (A), a second arrangement input device (25) for picking up a plurality of the second objects (B) in a lump from the second conveyor (22), and a first predetermined number of the first objects (A) by repeating the action of placing the plurality of first objects (A) picked up by the first arrangement input device (15) in a lump. the merging conveyor (31) has a conveying surface (32) including a first placement area (P1) where items (A) are collected and placed, and a second placement area (P2) where a second specified number of second items (B) are collected and placed by a repeated action of placing the plurality of second items (B) picked up by the second arrangement input device (25) together; and a transfer means (35) for transferring the first specified number of first items (A) and the second specified number of second items (B) so that they are collected at a predetermined position spaced from the merging conveyor (31); The first conveyor (12) conveys irregularly the materials from the upstream processing device. The above a bucket conveyor that travels intermittently each time it receives a first article (A) and transports the first article (A) from the side of the merging conveyor (31) toward the merging conveyor (31), and the first arrangement input device (15) is By repeating the operation of placing the plurality of first articles (A) so that they are lined up in a left-right direction intersecting the conveying direction and so that the first articles (A) are spaced apart front to back in the conveying direction, the first articles (A) are placed in the first placement area (P1) so that the first specified number of the first articles (A) form a plurality of columns and rows; When picking up a plurality of the first articles (A) from the first conveyor (12) at once, if the number of the first articles (A) on the first conveyor (12) is insufficient, the first articles (A) stored on a first buffer conveyor (14) arranged adjacent to the first conveyor (12) along the running direction of the first conveyor (12) are picked up to make the number of the plurality of first articles (A) uniform, and the first articles (A) are placed on the first placement area (P1) of the junction conveyor (31). The second conveyor (22) picks up the first articles (A) that are irregularly transported from a processing device on the upstream side. The above a bucket conveyor that travels intermittently each time it receives a second article (B) and transports the second article (B) from the side of the merging conveyor (31) toward the merging conveyor (31), and the second arrangement input device (25) is When each row of the first items (A) placed in the first loading area (P1) is transported, the operation of placing the second items (B) along each row of the first items (A) and adjacent to the first items (A) either before or after the first items (A) in the transport direction is repeated, thereby placing the second items (B) in the second loading area (P2) that at least partially overlaps the first loading area (P1) so that the second specified number of the second items (B) form multiple columns and rows; When picking up multiple second items (B) from the second conveyor (22) at once, if there is an insufficient number of second items (B) on the second conveyor (22), the second items (B) stored in a second buffer conveyor (24) arranged adjacent to the second conveyor (22) along the running direction of the second conveyor (22) are picked up to make the number of the multiple second items (B) equal, and the second items (B) are placed in the second placement area (P2) on the merging conveyor (31).

[0011] According to the invention of claim 3, The first object (A) is transported by the first conveyor (12) and placed in the first placement area (P1) in a group by the first arrangement insertion device (15). Then, the operation of placing the first objects (A) in a group is repeated so that there is a gap between the first objects (A) in the front and rear of the conveying direction. As a result, a first specified number of first objects (A) are collected in the first placement area (P1) and placed in a group and in a number of rows and columns. The second object (B) is transported by the second conveyor (22) and placed in the second placement area (P2) in a group by the second arrangement insertion device (25). At this time, the operation of placing the second objects (B) in a group is repeated so that the second objects (B) are adjacent to the first objects (A) along the row of the first objects (A) and adjacent to the first objects (A) with a gap between them in the front and rear of the conveying direction. As a result, a second specified number of second items (B) are collected in the second placement area (P2) and placed in a plurality of rows and columns. Then, the first specified number of first items (A) and the second specified number of second items (B) are placed in a collected state within a predetermined range. The first items (A) and second items (B) collected and placed on the conveying surface (32) are transferred by the transfer means (35) to a predetermined position away from the junction conveyor (31) so as to form a collected item (W) according to the packaging specifications. With these configurations, by changing the number of rows and / or the number of columns of the first items (A) and second items (B) in the first placement area (P1) and the second placement area (P2), various placement patterns of the collected items (W) can be formed. In other words, collected items (W) according to various required specifications can be formed without changing the arrangement configuration of the devices related to the item conveying system or increasing the number of devices. Furthermore, When the number of first items (A) stored on the first conveyor (12) is insufficient, the first items (A) stored on the first buffer conveyor (14) are picked up by the first arrangement input device (15) to make up for the shortage, and are placed on the conveying surface (32) of the merging conveyor (31). When the number of second items (B) stored on the second conveyor (22) is insufficient, the second items (B) stored on the second buffer conveyor (24) are picked up by the second arrangement input device (25) to make up for the shortage, and are placed on the conveying surface (32) of the merging conveyor (31). As a result, even if there is a difference in the number of first articles (A) and second articles (B) being conveyed toward the merging conveyor (31) or if both are insufficient, the number of first articles (A) and second articles (B) required to form a collective product (W) can be aligned and placed on the conveying surface (32) of the merging conveyor (31), thereby preventing a decrease in the efficiency of article conveyance. Effect of the Invention

[0012] The present invention can provide an article transport system capable of forming collective articles according to various required specifications without increasing the size of the entire apparatus. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of each device constituting an item transport system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a first robot picking up a first item from a first bucket conveyor. [Diagram 3] 13 is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the third robot transfers the first and second articles from the merging conveyor to the supply conveyor, as viewed from the rear side in the transport direction of the merging conveyor. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the placement pattern of a first article and a second article on a merging conveyor and a supply conveyor. [Diagram 5] 13 is a diagram showing a placement pattern of a first article and a second article in another example. FIG. [Figure 6] 13 is a diagram showing a placement pattern of a first article and a second article in another example. FIG. [Figure 7] 13 is a diagram showing a placement pattern of a first article and a second article in another example. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] The present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The article conveying system according to the present embodiment is an article conveying system that places a first article A and a second article B of different types, which have been pillow-packaged (processed) by a vertical bag-making and filling machine (not shown) and conveyed separately, together on the conveying surface 32 of a merging conveyor 31, and then transfers them to a predetermined position for further packaging as a single product to form an aggregated article W. The conveying direction of the merging conveyor 31 is the front-rear direction, and the direction intersecting the conveying direction of the merging conveyor 31, i.e., the width direction of the conveying surface 32, is the left-right direction, as shown in the drawings.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the article conveying system includes a first conveying mechanism 10 for conveying a first article A and a second conveying mechanism 20 for conveying a second article B. The first conveying mechanism 10 includes a first bucket conveyor 12 (first conveyor), a first buffer conveyor 14, a first robot 15 (first arrangement input device), a first conveying conveyor 18, and a first relay conveyor 19. Four vertical bag form-fill-seal machines (not shown) are arranged upstream of the first conveying mechanism 10 as processing devices for the first article A. The second conveying mechanism 20 includes a second bucket conveyor 22 (second conveyor), a second buffer conveyor 24, a second robot 25 (second arrangement input device), a second conveying conveyor 28, and a second relay conveyor 29. Four vertical bag form-fill-seal machines (not shown) are arranged upstream of the second conveying mechanism 20 as processing devices for the second article B.

[0016] The article transport system also includes a junction conveyor 31, a third robot 35 (transfer means), and a control unit (not shown). The junction conveyor 31 crosses the first bucket conveyor 12 and the second bucket conveyor 22 at an intersection and is disposed so as to be located below these bucket conveyors 12, 22. In terms of the transport direction of the junction conveyor 31, the first bucket conveyor 12 is located on the upstream side, and the second bucket conveyor 22 is located on the downstream side.

[0017] A first robot 15 is disposed above the position where the first bucket conveyor 12 and the merging conveyor 31 intersect, and a second robot 25 is disposed above the position where the second bucket conveyor 22 and the merging conveyor 31 intersect. The first robot 15 and the second robot 25 are disposed between the first bucket conveyor 12 and the second bucket conveyor 22 so as to face each other. A supply conveyor 38 is disposed downstream of the merging conveyor 31 along the transport direction of the merging conveyor 31. A third robot 35 is disposed above the position where the merging conveyor 31 and the supply conveyor 38 are aligned.

[0018] The first conveying mechanism 10 conveys the first object A. The first bucket conveyor 12 is a conveyor that travels intermittently every time it receives the first object A irregularly conveyed from the upstream vertical bag making and filling machine (processing device), and conveys the first object A from the side of the merging conveyor 31 toward the merging conveyor 31. Referring to FIG. 2, the first bucket conveyor 12 is configured such that the storage sections 13 capable of storing the first object A are arranged at regular intervals on the outer periphery of an endless cord (chain) that travels in a circular motion. In addition, a receiving section 17 that guides the arriving first object A to the storage section 13 is arranged on the upstream side of the first bucket conveyor 12 in the conveying direction. The conveying surface of the receiving section 17 is configured to convey the first object A while sucking it. The receiving section 17 is provided with an object detection means (not shown). The first bucket conveyor 12 is driven and controlled by the control unit to perform intermittent running such that, when a first article A is detected by the article detection means and the first article A is received into a storage section 13, the first bucket conveyor 12 travels the distance of one storage section 13 and stops to align with the position of the receiving section 17 of the adjacent empty storage section 13. The storage positions and number of items stored in the first bucket conveyor 12 are grasped and controlled by the control unit.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 1, the first buffer conveyor 14 is disposed adjacent to the first bucket conveyor 12 along the running direction of the first bucket conveyor 12. The first buffer conveyor 14 is configured so that the conveying surface on which the first object A is placed runs in a circular motion along the horizontal direction. The first buffer conveyor 14 functions as a conveyor that stocks the first object A as a spare when the number of the first objects A accommodated in the first bucket conveyor 12 approaches the limit number that can be accommodated.

[0020] The first robot 15 (first array input device) is a parallel link robot suspended above the first bucket conveyor 12 and the merging conveyor 31 near their intersection. Referring to FIG. 2, the first robot 15 is equipped with a hand unit 16 having a plurality of (four in this embodiment) suction devices 16a arranged in a row, and is configured to be able to suction and hold a plurality of articles. The first robot 15 can use the hand unit 16 to pick up a plurality of (four in this embodiment) first articles A collectively from the first bucket conveyor 12 and transfer them to the transport surface 32 of the merging conveyor 31. Specifically, the first robot 15 repeats the operation of placing multiple first items A so that they are lined up in a left-right direction intersecting the conveying direction and so that there is space between the first items A front to back in the conveying direction, thereby placing the first items A in a first placement area P1 on the merging conveyor 31 described later so that a first specified number of first items A form multiple columns and rows.

[0021] When the first bucket conveyor 12 reaches its carrying limit for the first items A, the first robot 15 places a predetermined number of the first items A placed on the first bucket conveyor 12 onto the first buffer conveyor 14. For example, before the first items A overflow from the conveying end of the first bucket conveyor 12, the first robot 15 is operated by a command from a control unit (not shown) and transfers the first items A to the first buffer conveyor 14.

[0022] Furthermore, when the first robot 15 picks up a plurality of first objects A from the first bucket conveyor 12 at once, if there is an insufficient number of first objects A on the first bucket conveyor 12, the first robot 15 picks up the first objects A stocked on the first buffer conveyor 14 to make the number of the plurality of first objects A uniform, and places the first objects A in the first placement area P1 on the junction conveyor 31. For example, when the arrival of the first objects A from the upstream processing device to the first bucket conveyor 12 is temporarily stopped, causing a shortage of the total number of first objects A accommodated by the first bucket conveyor 12, the first robot 15 is operated by a command from the control unit, and transfers the first objects A placed on the first buffer conveyor 14 to the junction conveyor 31.

[0023] A recovery conveyor (not shown) is connected to the end of the first bucket conveyor 12. The recovery conveyor is configured to recover the first object A when the number of first objects A received by the first bucket conveyor 12 continues to exceed the number of objects discharged, causing the first object A to overflow from the end of the conveyor. For example, when the operation timing of the first robot 15 is not synchronized or when a predetermined number of first objects A are placed on the first buffer conveyor 14, the first object A may overflow from the end of the conveyor of the first bucket conveyor 12 and be recovered by the recovery conveyor.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, a conveying path is formed upstream of the first bucket conveyor 12 to convey the first object A individually packaged (processed) by the vertical bag filler to the receiving section 17. Specifically, a first conveyor 18 is provided in which the conveying direction of the first object A is changed by rotating 90 degrees along the horizontal direction midway, and a first relay conveyor 19 is provided to receive the object from the first conveyor 18 and send the object toward the first bucket conveyor 12. The first conveyor 18 is a belt conveyor whose conveying surface curves from a left-right direction intersecting with the conveying direction of the merging conveyor 31 to a direction along the conveying direction (front-back direction) of the merging conveyor 31. As a result, the direction of each first object A is changed so that its longitudinal direction faces the conveying direction of the merging conveyor 31, and the first object A is conveyed toward the first relay conveyor 19.

[0025] The first relay conveyor 19 is disposed in a left-right direction intersecting the conveying direction of the merging conveyor 31, in other words, along the running direction of the first bucket conveyor 12. As a result, the first object A moves from the first transport conveyor 18 to the conveying surface of the first relay conveyor 19 with its longitudinal direction facing the conveying direction of the merging conveyor 31. The first object A is sent toward the first bucket conveyor 12 with its longitudinal direction oriented along the width direction of the first relay conveyor 19. With this configuration, after each first object A is processed by the vertical bag form-fill-seal machine, its orientation is changed so that its longitudinal direction faces the conveying direction of the merging conveyor 31, and it is stored in each storage section 13 (bucket) of the first bucket conveyor 12 via the receiving section 17.

[0026] The second conveying mechanism 20 conveys the second item B. The second item B is a different type of item from the first item A and is to be processed by a different vertical form-fill-seal machine from the first item A. The second bucket conveyor 22 is a conveyor that travels intermittently to convey the second item B from the side of the merging conveyor 31 toward the merging conveyor 31 every time it receives the second item B irregularly conveyed from the upstream vertical form-fill-seal machine (processing machine). In addition, a receiving section 27 that guides the arriving second item B to a storage section is disposed on the upstream conveying side of the second bucket conveyor 22. The second buffer conveyor 24 is disposed adjacent to the second bucket conveyor 22 along the traveling direction. The configurations of the second bucket conveyor 22, the second buffer conveyor 24, and the receiving section 27 are similar to the configurations of the first bucket conveyor 12, the first buffer conveyor 14, and the receiving section 17, respectively, and therefore description thereof will be omitted. In addition, a recovery conveyor (not shown) is connected to the transfer terminal end of the second bucket conveyor 22.

[0027] The second robot 25 (second array input device) is a parallel link robot suspended above the second bucket conveyor 22 and the merging conveyor 31 near their intersection. Like the first robot 15, the second robot 25 is equipped with a hand unit (not shown) having a row of multiple (four in this embodiment) suction devices (not shown), and is configured to be able to suction and hold a plurality of articles. The second robot 25 can use the hand unit to pick up a plurality of second articles B (four in this embodiment) from the second bucket conveyor 22 all at once, and transfer them so as to be adjacent to the first article A on the transport surface 32 of the merging conveyor 31. Specifically, when a first specified number of first articles A in each row placed in the first placement area P1 are transported, the second robot 25 repeats the operation of placing the first articles A along each row and adjacent to either the front or rear of the first articles A in the transport direction, thereby placing a second specified number of second articles B in a second placement area P2 in a merging conveyor 31 described later so that the second articles B form a plurality of columns and rows. That is, in this embodiment, the second robot 25 is equipped with a hand unit having the same structure as the hand unit 16 of the first robot 15.

[0028] When the second bucket conveyor 22 reaches its carrying limit for the second items B, the second robot 25 places a predetermined number of the second items B placed on the second bucket conveyor 22 onto the second buffer conveyor 24. Furthermore, when picking up multiple second items B from the second bucket conveyor 22 at once, if the number of second items B on the second bucket conveyor 22 is insufficient, the second robot 25 picks up second items B stored on the second buffer conveyor 24 to make up the number of multiple second items B, and places the second items B in the second placement area P2 on the junction conveyor 31.

[0029] A conveying path is formed upstream of the second bucket conveyor 22 to convey the second article B, which has been individually packaged (processed) by the vertical form-fill-seal machine, to the receiving section 27. Specifically, a second conveyor 28 is provided, in which the conveying direction of the second article B is changed by rotating 90 degrees along the horizontal direction midway, and a second relay conveyor 29 is provided to receive the article from the second conveyor 28 and send it out to the second bucket conveyor 22. The configurations of the second conveyor 28 and the second relay conveyor 29 are similar to those of the first conveyor 18 and the first relay conveyor 19, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0030] The merging conveyor 31 is a belt conveyor in which a conveying surface 32 consisting of an endless belt located below the first bucket conveyor 12 and the second bucket conveyor 22 extends in a direction (front-rear direction) intersecting the conveying direction of the first bucket conveyor 12 and the second bucket conveyor 22. In this embodiment, the merging conveyor 31 is configured to run intermittently, and stops running when the number of either the first articles A or the second articles B is not the specified number.

[0031] The conveying surface 32 of the junction conveyor 31 includes a first placement area P1 and a second placement area P2. The first placement area P1 is an area where a first specified number of first objects A are collected and placed by a repeated operation of placing a plurality of first objects A picked up by the first robot 15 together within a specified range. The second placement area P2 is an area where a second specified number of second objects B are collected and placed by a repeated operation of placing a plurality of second objects B picked up by the second robot 25 together within a specified range, and partially overlaps with the first placement area P1. The first specified number is the number of first objects A included in one package of the product, and is set according to the type (specification) of the product. Similarly, the second specified number is the number of second objects B included in one package of the product, and is set according to the type of the product.

[0032] The third robot 35 (transfer means) is a parallel link robot suspended above and downstream of the position where the second article B is placed on the conveying surface 32 of the junction conveyor 31. Referring to FIG. 3, the third robot 35 is equipped with a hand unit 36 ​​having a plurality of suction devices 36a, and is configured to be able to suction and hold a plurality of articles. In this embodiment, eight suction devices 36a are arranged in two rows of four, and each suction device 36a is disposed at intervals from each other in the front-rear and left-right directions. The intervals between each suction device 36a correspond to the intervals between the first article A and the second article B placed on the right blocks C1 and C2 described later, and also correspond to the intervals between the first article A and the second article B placed on the left blocks D1 and D2 described later (see FIG. 4). In other words, the second robot 25 is configured to place a plurality of second objects B at positions adjacent to a plurality of first objects A placed on the conveying surface 32 by the first robot 15 so as to correspond to the positions of the respective suction tools 36a of the hand unit 36 ​​loaded on the third robot 35. The third robot 35 transfers the first specified number of first objects A and the second specified number of second objects B so as to be collected at a predetermined position away from the merging conveyor 31. In this embodiment, the third robot 35 functions as an accumulation and input device that picks up a plurality (eight in this embodiment) of first objects A and second objects B together from the merging conveyor 31 by the hand unit 36 ​​and stacks them in multiple stages on the conveying surface of the supply conveyor 38.

[0033] The supply conveyor 38 is a belt conveyor for sending out an aggregated product W of a first item A and a second item B toward the horizontal form-fill-seal machine. The first item A and the second item B are stacked as an aggregated product W on the supply conveyor 38, which is in an intermittent running stopped state, so as to have a loading pattern according to the packaging specifications, and are then packaged together by the horizontal form-fill-seal machine.

[0034] An example of a placement pattern for placing the first object A and the second object B on the conveying surface 32 of the junction conveyor 31 and the supply conveyor 38 will be described. In this embodiment, referring to FIG. 4, in the width direction (left-right direction) of the conveying surface 32 of the junction conveyor 31, the first object A is arranged in a row of four, and the second object B is placed in a row of four along the row of the first object A. That is, four objects are placed together in one row, and the rows of the first object A and the rows of the second object B are placed alternately in the conveying direction (front-back direction). For example, two rows of the first object A and the second object B, and eight first object A and eight second object B, totaling 16 objects, are set as one package. In other words, the first specified number and the second specified number are set to eight, and are placed as a group to form a collective product W.

[0035] 4, among the first object A in the first placement area P1 and the second object B in the second placement area P2 on the conveying surface 32 of the junction conveyor 31, the two columns on the right side of the conveying surface 32 (the right half of each row of the first object A and the second object B) are called right blocks C1 and C2, and the two columns on the left side (the left half of each row of the first object A and the second object B) are called left blocks D1 and D2. The third robot 35 picks up the first object A and the second object B in the right blocks C1 and C2 with the hand unit 36, and places a total of four objects consisting of the first object A and the second object B in the front block C1 (first row) of the right block on the supply conveyor 38 as the first tier, and then places a total of four objects consisting of the first object A and the second object B in the rear block C2 (second row) of the right block on top of the first tier as the second tier. After the third robot 35 has placed the right blocks C1 and C2 on the supply conveyor 38, the third robot 35 then picks up the first items A and second items B from the left blocks D1 and D2 with the hand unit 36, and places a total of four items consisting of the first items A and second items B from the front block D1 (first row) of the left blocks on the second row as the third row, and then places a total of four items consisting of the first items A and second items B from the rear block D2 (second row) of the left blocks on the third row as the fourth row. In this way, the third robot 35 transfers the first items A and second items B from the junction conveyor 31 to the supply conveyor 38 so as to form a placement pattern according to the packaging specifications, thereby forming a collective product W. In addition, when the third robot 35 picks up the first item A and the second item B in each block C1, C2, D1, D2 from the merging conveyor 31 and transfers them to the supply conveyor 38, the orientation (angle) of the hand portion 36 relative to the front-to-back and left-to-right directions of the merging conveyor 31 is always maintained.

[0036] The placement pattern of the first item A and the second item B can be changed according to the first and second specified numbers included in one package. For example, as shown in Fig. 5, when a total of 12 items W2, consisting of six first items A and six second items B, are packaged in one package, the first item A and the second item B are placed in groups of four in the first row and two in the second row in the first placement area P1 and the second placement area P2 of the junction conveyor 31.

[0037] For example, as shown in Figure 6, when a package W3 is made up of 10 items, consisting of five first items A and five second items B, the first items A and second items B are placed in groups of three in the first row and two in the second row in the first loading area P1 and second loading area P2 of the merging conveyor 31, respectively.

[0038] Furthermore, when a total of 15 items W4, consisting of eight first items A and seven second items B, are packaged together as shown in Figure 7, the first items A are placed in groups of four in the first and second rows in the first loading area P1 of the merging conveyor 31, and the second items B are placed in groups of four in the first row and three in the second row in the second loading area P2.

[0039] The control unit stores and updates information such as the travel position of each of the items A and B stored in each of the bucket conveyors 12 and 22, obtained from the detection information by each item detection means (not shown) and the encoder pulses attached to each of the bucket conveyors 12 and 22, as needed. The control unit also issues a travel drive command (control) to the first bucket conveyor 12 and the second bucket conveyor 22 based on the detection information by each item detection means (not shown). Furthermore, the control unit also stores and updates information such as the first item A and the second item B discharged from each of the bucket conveyors 12 and 22 by the first robot 15, the second robot 25, etc., information such as which storage section 13 in each of the bucket conveyors 12 and 22 stores the first item A and the second item B, the number of items stored, etc. as needed. The control unit also issues a travel drive command (control) to each of the buffer conveyors 14 and 24. Information on the positions and numbers of the first and second items A and B accommodated on each of the buffer conveyors 14, 24 is stored and updated as needed.

[0040] The control unit issues a travel drive command (control) to the junction conveyor 31 based on information on whether the first robot 15 can transfer the first item A to the junction conveyor 31 and information on whether the second robot 25 can transfer the second item B to the junction conveyor 31. The control unit receives operation information from the control unit of the first robot 15 and the control unit of the second robot 25, and issues operation commands to the first robot 15 and the second robot 25. The control unit also stores and updates position information of the first item A and the second item B placed on the junction conveyor 31 as needed based on an encoder pulse attached to the junction conveyor 31. Then, it issues a command to the third robot 35 to transfer the first item A and the second item B.

[0041] Next, the flow of transport of each item by the above-mentioned item transport system will be described. Upstream of the first transport mechanism 10 and the second transport mechanism 20, first items A and second items B of different types are processed by four vertical form-fill-seal machines, respectively. As shown in FIG. 1, the first items A are sequentially sent from the vertical form-fill-seal machines to the first bucket conveyor 12, and the second items B are sequentially sent from the vertical form-fill-seal machines to the second bucket conveyor 22. The first items A are converted in direction by the first transport conveyor 18 and the first relay conveyor 19 so that the longitudinal direction of the first items A faces the transport direction of the merging conveyor 31, and are stored in each storage section 13 (buckets) of the first bucket conveyor 12. Similarly, the second item B is transported via the second transport conveyor 28 and the second relay conveyor 29, and its orientation is changed so that the longitudinal direction of the second item B faces the transport direction of the merging conveyor 31, and the second item B is stored in each storage section (bucket) of the second bucket conveyor 22.

[0042] Based on the detection information from each object detection means (not shown), the control unit issues a travel drive command (control) to the first bucket conveyor 12 and the second bucket conveyor 22, and the first bucket conveyor 12 and the second bucket conveyor 22 each travel intermittently. The first robot 15 picks up multiple (four) first objects A from the first bucket conveyor 12 in a batch in response to a drive command from the control unit, and places them on the conveying surface 32 of the junction conveyor 31. The multiple first objects A are placed so that they are lined up in the left-right direction intersecting the conveying direction, and so that the intervals between the first objects A in each row are widened in the front-rear direction of the conveying direction. The first robot 15 repeats this operation, and a first specified number (eight) of first objects A are placed in the first placement area P1 so as to form multiple rows and columns.

[0043] When the first specified number of first objects A are placed in the first placement area P1, the merging conveyor 31 runs intermittently in response to a travel command from the control unit. When the first objects A placed in the first placement area P1 are transported near the second bucket conveyor 22, the second robot 25 picks up multiple (four) second objects B from the second bucket conveyor 22 in response to a drive command from the control unit, and places them adjacent to the first objects A on the conveying surface 32 of the merging conveyor 31. The second objects B are placed along each row of the first objects A and adjacent to the first objects A in the front and rear of the conveying direction. The second robot 25 repeats this operation, so that a second specified number (eight) of second objects B are placed in the second placement area P2 in multiple rows and columns.

[0044] When it is detected that the number of first objects A placed in the first placing area P1 and the number of second objects B placed in the second placing area P2 are enough for one package (16 in total), a running command from the control unit causes the junction conveyor 31 to run intermittently to transport one package of first objects A and second objects B. Then, a drive command from the control unit causes the third robot 35 to transfer one package of first objects A and second objects B to the supply conveyor 38. The first objects A and second objects B are stacked on the conveying surface of the supply conveyor 38. The stacked collective product W of the first objects A and second objects B is sent to the horizontal form-fill-seal machine and packaged collectively.

[0045] The respective storage positions and storage numbers of the first item A and the second item B are grasped and controlled by the control unit. When the number of items stored in the first bucket conveyor 12 or the second bucket conveyor 22 is insufficient, the conveyance by the junction conveyor 31 is stopped by a command from the control unit based on the detection information. When a difference occurs between the storage numbers of the first item A and the second item B, for example, when the number of second items B in the second bucket conveyor 22 and the second buffer conveyor 24 is insufficient and the number of first items A in the first bucket conveyor 12 increases, the first robot 15 picks up the first item A from the first bucket conveyor 12 and transfers it to the first buffer conveyor 14 by a command from the control unit. This allows spare first items A to be stocked. Note that when the number of first items A received by the first bucket conveyor 12 continues to exceed the number of items discharged, causing the first items A to overflow from the end of the conveyance, the excess first items A are collected by the collection conveyor.

[0046] In addition, if there is an insufficient number of first items A on the first bucket conveyor 12, when the first items A are stocked on the first buffer conveyor 14, the first robot 15, upon command from the control unit based on the detection information, picks up multiple first items A from the first buffer conveyor 14 at once and places them on the conveying surface 32 of the merging conveyor 31.

[0047] The article transport system according to the above embodiment has the following advantages. (1) The above-mentioned article transport system includes a first bucket conveyor 12 (first conveyor) and a second bucket conveyor 22 (second conveyor), and a junction conveyor 31 that collects and places first articles A and second articles B of different types that have been transported separately by these bucket conveyors 12 and 22 in the number contained in one package. A first placement area P1 and a second placement area P2 that at least partially overlaps the first placement area P1 are set on the transport surface 32 of the junction conveyor 31. The first articles A are transported by the first bucket conveyor 12, and are placed in the first placement area P1 in groups of multiple articles by the first robot 15 (first arrangement input device). Then, the operation of placing multiple first articles A in groups is repeated so that the first articles A are spaced apart in the front and rear of the transport direction. As a result, a first specified number of first articles A are collected in the first placement area P1, and are placed in a number of rows and columns. The second objects B are transported by the second bucket conveyor 22, and are placed in the second placement area P2 by the second robot 25 (second arrangement input device). At this time, the operation of placing the second objects B in a group is repeated so that the second objects B are arranged along the row of the first objects A and adjacent to the first objects A with a gap in the front and rear of the conveying direction. As a result, the second specified number of second objects B are collected in the second placement area P2 and placed in a plurality of rows and columns. Then, the first specified number of first objects A and the second specified number of second objects B are placed in a state of being collected within a predetermined range. The first objects A and the second objects B collected and placed on the conveying surface 32 are transferred to a predetermined position away from the junction conveyor 31 by the third robot 35 (transfer means). The third robot 35 places the first objects A and the second objects B in a predetermined position so as to form a collective product W according to the packaging specifications. With these configurations, by changing the number of rows and / or the number of columns of the first object A and the second object B in the first placement area P1 and the second placement area P2, various placement patterns of the collective object W can be formed. In other words, collective object W according to various required specifications can be formed without changing the arrangement configuration of the devices related to the item conveying system or increasing the number of devices. (2) The first item A and the second item B are transported intermittently toward the junction conveyor 31 by the first or second bucket conveyor 12, 22, respectively. This allows the first bucket conveyor 12 and the second bucket conveyor 22 to reliably accommodate and transport the first item A and the second item B that are irregularly transported from the upstream processing device, respectively. In addition, a first buffer conveyor 14 is disposed adjacent to the first bucket conveyor 12 along the running direction, and a second buffer conveyor 24 is disposed adjacent to the second bucket conveyor 22 along the running direction. On these buffer conveyors 14, 24, the first item A is placed by the first robot 15, and the second item B is placed by the second robot 25, respectively, when the capacity of the first bucket conveyor 12 and the second bucket conveyor 22 reaches its limit. This prevents the first item A or the second item B being transported on the first bucket conveyor 12 and the second bucket conveyor 22, respectively, from overflowing, and allows spares of the first item A or the second item B to be stocked on the first and second buffer conveyors 14, 24. (3) When the number of first items A stored in the first bucket conveyor 12 is insufficient, the first items A stocked in the first buffer conveyor 14 are picked up by the first robot 15 to make up for the shortage and placed on the conveying surface 32 of the merging conveyor 31. When the number of second items B stored in the second bucket conveyor 22 is insufficient, the second items B stocked in the second buffer conveyor 24 are picked up by the second robot 25 to make up for the shortage and placed on the conveying surface 32 of the merging conveyor 31. As a result, even if there is a difference in the number of first items A and second items B transported toward the merging conveyor 31 or both are insufficient, the number of first items A and second items B required to form a collective product W can be made up and placed on the conveying surface 32 of the merging conveyor 31. This makes it possible to suppress a decrease in the efficiency of item transport. (4) The first transport conveyor 18 upstream of the first bucket conveyor 12 is curved midway and is arranged so that the first article A is conveyed by changing its direction so as to rotate 90 degrees along the horizontal direction. That is, the direction of the first article A is changed so that the longitudinal direction of the first article A faces the conveying direction of the merging conveyor 31. As a result, the first article A is received in the storage section 13 of the first bucket conveyor 12 with its width direction facing the running direction of the first bucket conveyor 12. That is, since the width direction of the first article A is conveyed in a direction along the longitudinal direction of the first bucket conveyor 12, the length of the first bucket conveyor 12 can be further shortened, and the device can be made more compact. Furthermore, when the first articles A are placed together on the conveying surface 32 of the merging conveyor 31, the width direction of the first articles A is aligned with the width direction of the merging conveyor 31, and the width of the merging conveyor 31 can be further narrowed, and the device can be made more compact. Moreover, the second transport conveyor 28 upstream of the second bucket conveyor 22 also provides the same operational effect. (5) The above-mentioned article conveying system is configured to convey the first article A and the second article B that have been processed by four vertical form-fill-seal machines, stack them as a collective article W for collective packaging, and send them out toward the horizontal form-fill-seal machine. In other words, the article conveying system can convey articles that have been processed by multiple processing devices on the upstream side. As a result, even when articles are conveyed using a device with a relatively low processing capacity such as a vertical form-fill-seal machine, multiple vertical form-fill-seal machines can be arranged to efficiently accept and convey more articles. (6) In the above-described article transport system, the first robot 15 places a predetermined number of first articles A in a line along the left-right direction of the junction conveyor 31 on the transport surface 32 of the junction conveyor 31, and the second robot 25 places second articles B in a line along the left-right direction of the junction conveyor 31 adjacent to the placed first articles A on the transport surface 32 of the junction conveyor 31. This can reduce the number of times that the first robot 15 and the second robot 25 move back and forth between the first bucket conveyor 12, the second bucket conveyor 22, and the junction conveyor 31. In other words, the takt time when the first articles A and the second articles B are transferred to the junction conveyor 31 can be shortened. (7) The third robot 35 can reduce the number of times it moves back and forth between the junction conveyor 31 and the supply conveyor 38 by picking up the first item A and the second item B from each of two blocks (blocks C1 and C2 or blocks D1 and D2) that are placed on the conveying surface 32 of the junction conveyor 31 and are aligned along the conveying direction. In other words, the takt time required to transfer the first item A and the second item B to the supply conveyor 38 can be shortened. (8) Since the first robot 15 and the second robot 25 place the first item A and the second item B on the conveying surface 32 of the merging conveyor 31 so as to correspond to the position of each suction device 36a arranged on the hand unit 36 ​​of the third robot 35, there is no need to provide a mechanism for adjusting the spacing between each suction device 36a on the hand unit 36, and the hand unit 36 ​​can be made lighter. (9) Furthermore, since the hand unit 36 ​​of the third robot 35 picks up the first item A and the second item B of multiple blocks (blocks C1 and C2 or blocks D1 and D2) placed along the conveying direction (front-to-back direction) of the junction conveyor 31, it is only necessary to constantly maintain the orientation (angle) of the hand unit 36 ​​with respect to the front-to-back and left-to-right directions of the junction conveyor 31 while transferring the first item A and the second item B in each of blocks C1, C2, D1, and D2 from the junction conveyor 31 to the supply conveyor 38. Therefore, there is no need to provide an actuator for changing the orientation of the hand unit 36, and the weight of the hand unit 36 ​​can be reduced.

[0048] <Example of change> The present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modifications, additions, and deletions are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. (1) In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which a collective product W in which a first item A and a second item B are stacked and assembled is packaged collectively using a horizontal form-fill-seal packaging machine. However, this is not limited to this, and the collective product W may also be packed into a box, for example. (2) In the above embodiment, the first object A and the second object B are placed on the junction conveyor 31 in a horizontal row (four objects each) to form pairs, forming a collective item W included in one product package. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the number of first objects A and second objects B included in one package may be different by setting different numbers of either the first objects A or the second objects B in some horizontal rows. Note that the meaning of "picking up" or "placing" the first objects A together by the first robot 15 also includes technology in which the timing of suction start or release of suction of each suction device 16a is different. 4, in this embodiment, after releasing the suction of the suction tool 16a corresponding to block C1 (or C2), the hand unit 16 is moved slightly leftward and then the suction of the suction tool 16a corresponding to block D1 (or D2) is released, thereby widening the gap between block C1 (or C2) and block D1 (or D2), thereby including a technique for avoiding interference between the first object A and the second object B of block D1 and block D2 when the third robot 35 picks up the first object A and the second object B of block C1 and block C2. The meaning of "all at once" in the second robot 25 is the same as that in the first robot 15. (3) In the above embodiment, an example of a parallel link robot that can pick up the first item A or the second item B and move it freely in three-dimensional space is shown as the first array feeding device, the second array feeding device, and the transfer means, but this is not limited to this and may be configured, for example, as an actuator that can move linearly in each of the up / down, left / right, and front / back directions. (4) In the above embodiment, the first and second conveyors are bucket conveyors, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various types of conveyors such as belt conveyors may be used. In addition, the present invention is not limited to an intermittent conveyor, and a conveyor that runs at a low speed within a range in which the articles can be transferred may be used. (5) The item transport system may be configured such that while the junction conveyor 31 is running, the first and second arrangement input devices place the first item A and the second item B on the junction conveyor 31, and the transfer means transfers the items from the junction conveyor 31. (6) The control program of the control unit may be configured to be able to be changed by switching settings so that the junction conveyor, the transfer means, and the processing devices downstream thereof continue to operate until the first item A and the second item B placed on the junction conveyor become a collective item W, even when production by the upstream processing device reaches the planned quantity and the supply of items to the junction conveyor from the first and second array feeding devices has ceased. (7) In the above embodiment, the second object B is placed in a row on the merging conveyor 31 behind the first object A in the conveying direction of the merging conveyor 31 to form a pair with the first object A, but the second object B may be placed in front of the first object A in the conveying direction of the merging conveyor 31. That is, the second object B may be placed adjacent to the first object A either before or after the conveying direction of the merging conveyor 31, in other words, the first placement area P1 and the second placement area P2 may be at least partially overlapping each other, and various placement patterns may be adopted. (8) In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the hand unit 16 of the first robot 15 and the hand unit of the second robot 25 each picked up four items at a time. However, it is also possible to provide multiple suction devices in the hand unit so as to accommodate the specification change that maximizes the number of items to be picked up at a time, and to configure the operation control programs of the first robot 15, the second robot 25, and each hand unit to be able to be switched in response to the specification change. (9) In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the hand unit 36 ​​of the third robot 35 picked up the first item A and the second item B from two blocks (right-side blocks C1 and C2), and the first item A and the second item B from two blocks (left-side blocks D1 and D2), respectively, all at once. However, this can be achieved by configuring the hand unit 36 ​​to pick up three or more blocks all at once and programming the number of first items A and second items B to be picked up by the third robot 35 and the transfer operation pattern. Also, the number of rows in one block made up of the first item A and the second item B may be, for example, two rows of the first item A and one row of the second item B, for a total of three rows. In that case, this can be realized by further programming the transfer operation patterns of the first robot 15 and the second robot 25. In addition, the number of rows in one block made up of first items A and second items B may be configured so that the hand unit 36 ​​of the third robot 35 picks up three or more rows of first items A and second items B at a time. (10) In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the second robot 25 transfers the second specified number of second items B to the merging conveyor 31 after the first robot 15 has finished transferring all of the first specified number of first items A to the merging conveyor 31. However, if it is determined that the first specified number of first items A is reached by the first items A stored in the first bucket conveyor 12 and the first buffer conveyor 14 before the transfer of the first items A to the merging conveyor 31 is completed, the second robot 25 may begin the operation of transferring the second items B to the merging conveyor 31 in parallel with the transfer operation of the first robot 15. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] A: First item B: Second item P1: First placement area P2: Second placement area W: Collection 12: 1st bucket conveyor (1st conveyor) 14: 1st buffer conveyor 15: First robot (first array input device) 22: Second bucket conveyor (second conveyor) 24: Second buffer conveyor 25: Second robot (second array input device) 31: Merging conveyor 32: Transport surface 35: Third robot (transfer means) 38: Supply conveyor

Claims

1. a first conveyor configured to convey a first item; a first arrangement input device that picks up a plurality of the first articles from the first conveyor at once; a second conveyor for conveying a second article of a different type than the first article; a second arrangement input device that picks up a plurality of the second articles from the second conveyor at once; a merging conveyor having a conveying surface including a first placement area in which a first specified number of first items are collected and placed by a repeated action of placing the plurality of first items picked up by the first arrangement input device together, and a second placement area in which a second specified number of second items are collected and placed by a repeated action of placing the plurality of second items picked up by the second arrangement input device together; a transfer means for suctioning, picking up and transferring the first and second articles together so that the first specified number of the first articles and the second specified number of the second articles are gathered at a predetermined position away from the junction conveyor, the first arrangement insertion device repeats the operation of placing the first articles so that the first articles are lined up in a left-right direction intersecting the conveying direction and so that the first articles are spaced apart front to back in the conveying direction, thereby placing the first articles in the first placement area so that the first specified number of the first articles form a plurality of columns and rows; The second array input device repeats the operation of placing the first items in each row placed in the first loading area so that the first items are placed along each row of the first items and adjacent to the first items either in front of or behind the first items in the transport direction when the first items are transported, thereby placing the second items in the second loading area at least partially overlapping the first loading area so that the second specified number of second items form multiple columns and rows and correspond to each suction position where the transfer means suctions the second items.

2. A first conveyor for transporting a first item; a first arrangement input device that picks up a plurality of the first articles from the first conveyor at once; a second conveyor for conveying a second article of a different type than the first article; a second arrangement input device that picks up a plurality of the second articles from the second conveyor at once; a merging conveyor having a conveying surface including a first placement area in which a first specified number of first items are collected and placed by a repeated action of placing the plurality of first items picked up by the first arrangement input device together, and a second placement area in which a second specified number of second items are collected and placed by a repeated action of placing the plurality of second items picked up by the second arrangement input device together; A transfer means is provided for transferring the first specified number of the first articles and the second specified number of the second articles so that they are gathered at a predetermined position separated from the junction conveyor, the first conveyor is a bucket conveyor that travels intermittently each time it receives the first article that is irregularly transported from an upstream processing device, and transports the first article from a side of the merging conveyor toward the merging conveyor, The first array input device is By repeating the operation of placing the plurality of first articles so that they are lined up in a left-right direction intersecting the conveying direction and so that the first articles are spaced apart front-to-back in the conveying direction, the first articles are placed in the first placement area so that the first specified number of the first articles form a plurality of columns and rows; When the first conveyor reaches its capacity limit for the first articles, a predetermined number of the first articles placed on the first conveyor are placed on a first buffer conveyor disposed adjacent to the first conveyor along a running direction of the first conveyor; the second conveyor is a bucket conveyor that travels intermittently each time it receives the second article irregularly transported from an upstream processing device, and transports the second article from a side of the merging conveyor toward the merging conveyor, The second arrangement input device is When the first items of each row placed in the first loading area are transported, the operation of placing the first items along each row of the first items and adjacent to the first items either before or after the first items in the transport direction is repeated, thereby placing the second items in the second loading area at least partially overlapping the first loading area so that the second specified number of the second items form multiple columns and rows; An item transport system in which, when the second conveyor reaches its capacity limit for the second items, a predetermined number of the second items placed on the second conveyor are placed on a second buffer conveyor arranged adjacent to the second conveyor along the running direction of the second conveyor.

3. A first conveyor for transporting a first item; a first arrangement input device that picks up a plurality of the first articles from the first conveyor at once; a second conveyor for conveying a second article of a different type than the first article; a second arrangement input device that picks up a plurality of the second articles from the second conveyor at once; a merging conveyor having a conveying surface including a first placement area in which a first specified number of first items are collected and placed by a repeated action of placing the plurality of first items picked up by the first arrangement input device together, and a second placement area in which a second specified number of second items are collected and placed by a repeated action of placing the plurality of second items picked up by the second arrangement input device together; A transfer means is provided for transferring the first specified number of the first articles and the second specified number of the second articles so that they are gathered at a predetermined position separated from the junction conveyor, the first conveyor is a bucket conveyor that travels intermittently each time it receives the first article that is irregularly transported from an upstream processing device, and transports the first article from a side of the merging conveyor toward the merging conveyor, The first array input device is By repeating the operation of placing the plurality of first articles so that they are lined up in a left-right direction intersecting the conveying direction and so that the first articles are spaced apart front-to-back in the conveying direction, the first articles are placed in the first placement area so that the first specified number of the first articles form a plurality of columns and rows; When picking up a plurality of the first items from the first conveyor at once, if the number of the first items on the first conveyor is insufficient, the first items stored on a first buffer conveyor arranged adjacent to the first conveyor along the running direction of the first conveyor are picked up to make the number of the plurality of first items uniform, and the first items are placed in the first placement area of ​​the merging conveyor; the second conveyor is a bucket conveyor that travels intermittently each time it receives the second article irregularly transported from an upstream processing device, and transports the second article from a side of the merging conveyor toward the merging conveyor, The second arrangement input device is When the first items of each row placed in the first loading area are transported, the operation of placing the first items along each row of the first items and adjacent to the first items either before or after the first items in the transport direction is repeated, thereby placing the second items in the second loading area at least partially overlapping the first loading area so that the second specified number of the second items form multiple columns and rows; An item transport system in which, when picking up multiple second items from the second conveyor at once, if the number of second items on the second conveyor is insufficient, the second items stored on a second buffer conveyor arranged adjacent to the second conveyor along the running direction of the second conveyor are picked up to make the number of the multiple second items equal, and the second items are placed in the second loading area of ​​the merging conveyor.

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