Mounting Structure of Conveyor Roller, Conveyor Device, and Method of Mounting Conveyor Roller

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of facilitating assembly work of a conveyor device where power is transmitted by a gear.SOLUTION: In a fitting structure of a conveyor roller, a frame member has a frame side engagement part 38, and a roller member 2 has a roller main body 15 and a shaft part 21. The shaft part 21 includes a gear fixing part where a gear member 6 is attached. A fitting member 5 has: a shaft supporting part 51a where the shaft 21 is inserted and supported; and fitting side engagement parts 55, 56 that are engaged with the frame side engagement part 38. In such a condition as the shaft part 21 is inserted into the shaft supporting part 51a and the roller main body 2 and the gear fixing parts are positioned on both sides across the fitting member 5, the fitting member 5 can be inserted into the frame member 3 from the upward or the downward. Due to being inserted into the frame member 3, the fitting side engagement parts 55, 56 are engaged with the frame side engagement part 38, allowing the shaft part 21 to be supported by the frame member via the fitting member 5.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a structure for mounting a conveyor roller in a conveyor device, to a conveyor device having a conveyor roller mounted thereon by the conveyor roller mounting structure, and to a method for mounting the conveyor roller. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conveyor devices are used to transport goods on product assembly lines and at collection points for home delivery services. Examples of such conveyor devices include belt conveyors and roller conveyors. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses such a roller conveyor. The roller conveyor of Patent Document 1, like a general roller conveyor, has a frame member consisting of a pair of left and right side frames arranged in parallel, and multiple conveyor rollers (transport rollers), each of which is supported by two side frames. In detail, the shaft portion located on one side of the conveyor roller in the longitudinal direction is inserted into the bearing hole of one side frame, and the shaft portion located on the other side is inserted into the bearing hole of the other side frame. The main body of the conveyor roller rotates between the two side frames.

[0003] One of the conveyor rollers is a motorized roller that acts as a drive roller, and the other conveyor rollers are freely rotating driven rollers. Adjacent conveyor rollers are wrapped with a transmission belt, and all of the driven rollers rotate when the drive roller rotates. This roller conveyor is provided with a stopper member having a roller portion that functions as a conveyor roller.

[0004] Patent Document 2 also discloses a roller type conveyor (roller conveyor) having multiple rollers. In this roller type conveyor, each roller has a roller portion and a gear portion, which rotate together. Another gear attached to the frame is located between the gear portions of two adjacent rollers. In other words, in the roller type conveyor of Patent Document 2, power is transmitted between adjacent rollers by the gears, and the adjacent rollers rotate in conjunction with each other.

[0005] In the roller-type conveyor of the first embodiment in Patent Document 2, the guide pins that form the shafts of the rollers are placed on the support parts that are part of the frame, and a cover is attached to the frame. At this time, the guide pins are held down by the recesses formed on the lower edge of the cover, and the rollers are attached to the frame. In the roller-type conveyor of the second embodiment in Patent Document 2, a roller having a roller portion and a gear portion is inserted into a bearing hole formed in a wall portion of a frame, so that the roller portion is disposed inside the wall portion of the frame and the gear portion is disposed outside the wall portion of the frame. This roller is supported by only one of the frames extending in parallel. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-70123 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2001-171816 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The present inventors conceived of transmitting power between adjacent conveyor rollers by gears, rather than by a transmission belt, in a conveyor device such as that disclosed in Patent Document 1. Then, when they actually prototyped such a conveyor device, they found that the assembly of the conveyor device was very complicated. That is, in such a conveyor device, after the conveyor roller is attached by inserting the shaft of the conveyor roller into the bearing hole of the frame member, the gear member must be attached to the shaft of the conveyor roller from the outside of the frame member. However, when the conveyor device is constructed in a narrow space, the assembly work is difficult and the assembly takes time.

[0008] In addition, in the roller-type conveyor of embodiment 1 in the above-mentioned Patent Document 2, the shaft portion of the roller must be aligned and placed on the support portion, and further, when attaching the cover, the recess of the cover must be aligned over the shaft portion of the roller, making the assembly work difficult. Furthermore, in the roller type conveyor of the embodiment 2 in the above-mentioned Patent Document 2, since the roller is inserted into the bearing hole from the inside of the frame, the size of the gear part needs to be large enough to pass through the bearing hole. In other words, there is a problem that the degree of freedom of the size of the gear that can be adopted is low. Also, in the case of a structure in which one conveyor roller is supported by two side frames as in Patent Document 1, the work of inserting the end of the roller into the bearing hole becomes extremely difficult, which in turn makes the assembly work difficult.

[0009] That is, in the conventional conveyor device, there is room for improvement in terms of facilitating the assembly work of the conveyor device, especially in the case where the work of attaching a gear separately formed on the shaft part of the conveyor roller (roller member) is required, there is room for improvement in facilitating the assembly work of the conveyor device.

[0010] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique that can facilitate the assembly work of a conveyor device that transmits power using gears. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] One aspect of the present invention for solving the above problem is to A conveyor roller mounting structure for mounting a roller member to a frame member in a conveyor device, the roller member being mounted to the frame member via a mounting member, comprising: The frame member has a first side frame portion and a second side frame portion, The first side frame portion has a frame side engagement portion, The second side frame portion has a shaft insertion hole, The roller member has a roller body and a shaft portion, the shaft portion includes a gear fixing portion to which a gear member is attached, and the shaft portion and the gear member rotate together; The mounting member has a shaft support portion through which the shaft portion is inserted and supported, and a mounting side engaging portion that engages with the frame side engaging portion, The shaft portion includes a first shaft portion located on one side in the longitudinal direction and a second shaft portion located on the other side, the second shaft portion is inserted into the shaft insertion hole, the first shaft portion is inserted into the shaft support portion, and the roller body and the gear fixing portion are positioned on either side of the mounting member, the mounting member can be inserted into the frame member from above or below, This is a mounting structure for a conveyor roller in which, when inserted into the frame member, the mounting side engagement portion engages with the frame side engagement portion, and the first shaft portion is supported by the frame member via the mounting member. In addition, one aspect of the related invention related to the present invention is: In a conveyor device formed by attaching a roller member to a frame member, a mounting structure for a conveyor roller is provided in which the roller member is attached to the frame member via a mounting member, the frame member having a frame side engagement portion, the roller member having a roller body and a shaft portion, the shaft portion having a gear fixing portion to which a gear member is attached, and the shaft portion and the gear member rotate together, the mounting member has a shaft support portion through which the shaft portion is inserted and supported, and a mounting side engagement portion that engages with the frame side engagement portion, the shaft portion is inserted into the shaft support portion and the mounting member can be inserted into the frame member from above or below with the roller body and the gear fixing portion positioned on either side of the mounting member, and when inserted into the frame member, the mounting side engagement portion engages with the frame side engagement portion, and the shaft portion is supported by the frame member via the mounting member.

[0012] According to the conveyor roller mounting structure of this aspect, the gear member can be attached to the shaft portion of the roller member in advance at a place where it is easy to work, and the roller member can be mounted to the frame member with the gear member attached to the roller member. In addition, by inserting the mounting member into the frame member from above or below, the shaft portion of the roller member is supported by the frame member, so alignment is easier than a structure in which the shaft portion of the roller member is supported by sandwiching it between recesses formed in the upper and lower members. These factors make it easier to assemble the conveyor device. Also, there is no need to insert the shaft portion with the gear member attached into the shaft hole of the frame member, so there is a high degree of freedom in the size of the gear member to be mounted.

[0013] In the above-mentioned aspect, it is preferable that the mounting member has an engagement groove portion as one of the mounting side engagement portions, and that the engagement groove portion is a groove portion formed in an edge portion of the mounting member, and is a groove portion formed on one or more of three sides consisting of the lower side and both sides of the mounting member. In this preferable aspect, it is further preferable that the engagement groove portion is a groove portion formed on three sides including the lower side and both sides of the mounting member.

[0014] According to this preferred aspect, the mounting member and the frame member can be engaged with each other with a simple structure, and the mounting member engaged with the frame member can be prevented from accidentally shifting.

[0015] In the above-mentioned aspect, it is preferable that the mounting member has an engaging claw portion as one of the mounting side engaging portions, the engaging claw portion having a cantilevered support portion and a locking portion formed on the tip side of the support portion, and elastically deforms when inserted into the frame member.

[0016] According to this preferred aspect, it is possible to firmly engage the mounting member with the frame member.

[0017] In the above aspect, it is preferable that the shaft support portion is formed by a bearing member provided integrally with the periphery.

[0018] In this preferred aspect, the shaft portion of the roller member is supported by the frame member by the mounting member in which the surrounding main body portion and the bearing member are integrated, which is preferable because it does not require a separate mounting operation for a bearing or the like.

[0019] Another aspect of the present invention is a conveyor apparatus in which the roller members are mounted to the frame member by the conveyor roller mounting structure described above.

[0020] The conveyor device of this aspect is easy to assemble.

[0021] The above-mentioned aspect preferably has a plurality of the conveyor rollers, the gear member being attached to each of the conveyor rollers, and the two gear members respectively attached to the two conveyor rollers being interlocked via one or more interlocking gear members provided therebetween, thereby transmitting power between the two conveyor rollers.

[0022] The above-mentioned aspect preferably has a plurality of the conveyor rollers, and the conveyor rollers preferably include a drive roller that serves as a power source, and a driven roller that rotates together with the drive roller.

[0023] In this preferable aspect, there is no need to provide a separate power source such as a motor around the transport path, such as below the transport path, and it is possible to ensure a large space around the transport path.

[0024] The above aspect preferably has a cover member attached to the frame member, with at least a portion of the cover member located adjacent to and above the attachment member.

[0025] In this preferred aspect, rattling of the mounting member during operation can be prevented.

[0026] Another aspect of the present invention is a method for mounting a conveyor roller to a frame member using the above-mentioned conveyor roller mounting structure, wherein the conveyor roller has a first shaft portion and a second shaft portion that form the shaft portion, and the frame member has a pair of a first side frame portion and a second side frame portion, and the method for mounting the first shaft portion and the second shaft portion to the first side frame portion and the second side frame portion, respectively, includes a first step of inserting the first shaft portion into the shaft support portion and mounting the gear member to the gear fixing portion of the first shaft portion, a second step of inserting the second shaft portion into the shaft insertion hole of the second side frame portion, and a third step of inserting the mounting member into the first side frame portion after the first and second steps.

[0027] In this aspect, the assembly work of the conveyor device can be simplified. Also, there is a high degree of freedom in the size of the gear member to be attached. Effect of the Invention

[0028] According to the present invention, the assembly work of a conveyor device in which power is transmitted by gears can be simplified. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0029] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a conveyor device according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a perspective view, and FIG. 1B is a side view seen from a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic mechanical diagram showing the drive roller in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 2 is a perspective view showing an upper first frame portion in FIG. 1, with a part thereof being shown enlarged. [Figure 4] 2A and 2B are perspective views showing the mounting member of FIG. 1, in which FIG. 2A is a perspective view seen from the front side, and FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the mounting member turned upside down and seen from the rear side. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the mounting member of FIG. [Figure 6] 1A shows how to insert the shaft portion at one end of the conveyor roller into the shaft hole of the upper second frame portion, and how to attach a mounting member and a gear member to the shaft portion at the other end of the conveyor roller. FIG. 1B shows how to engage the mounting member with the upper first frame portion following FIG. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are explanatory views showing a schematic view of a state in which the mounting member is engaged with the upper first frame portion, in which the gear member is omitted, and the engagement is performed in the order of (a) and (b). [Figure 8] 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a schematic view of the state in which the mounting member is engaged with the upper first frame portion following FIG. 7, in which the gear member is omitted, and the engagement is performed in the order of (a) to (c). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0030] Hereinafter, the conveyor device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0031] The conveyor device 1 of this embodiment is a so-called roller conveyor, and as shown in Fig. 1(a), it includes a plurality of conveying rollers 2 (roller members) and a frame member 3. And, although it will be described in detail later, the fixed shaft of the conveying roller 2 is supported by the frame member 3 via the mounting member 5 (see Fig. 6 etc.). Also, the plurality of conveying rollers 2 are arranged in parallel at intervals, and a gear member 6 is attached to one side shaft of each conveying roller 2 (see Fig. 1(b)). From this, as shown in Fig. 1(b), the plurality of gear members 6 are also arranged in parallel at intervals in the conveying direction. Here, in the gear train constituted by the plurality of gear members 6, two adjacent gear members 6 mesh with an interlocking gear member 7 located between them.

[0032] That is, the first gear member 6 from the upstream side in the conveying direction and the second gear member 6 mesh with the first interlocking gear member 7 from the upstream side in the conveying direction. Similarly hereinafter, the second gear member 6 and the third gear member 6 mesh with the second interlocking gear member 7, and the third gear member 6 and the fourth gear member 6 mesh with the third interlocking gear member 7, and so on. That is, when any one of the conveying rollers 2 rotates, power is transmitted by the gear train constituted by the gear member 6 and the interlocking gear member 7, and the other conveying rollers 2 also rotate in the same direction.

[0033] In this embodiment, the plurality of conveying rollers 2 include a driving roller 10 (roller member) that serves as a power source as shown in Fig. 1(a), and the others are driven rollers 11 (roller members) that rotate freely.

[0034] 2, the drive roller 10 has a motor 16, a reducer 17, a circuit board, etc. (not shown) built in a roller body 15. The roller body 15 is a metallic cylindrical body that is open at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and the both ends are closed by closing members 19 and 20. A first fixed shaft 21 (shaft portion, first shaft portion) and a second fixed shaft 22 (shaft portion, second shaft portion) are attached to the two blocking members 19, 20, respectively. That is, the drive roller 10 has two fixed shafts (first fixed shaft 21, second fixed shaft 22) at both ends of the roller body 15 in the longitudinal direction. Each of the two fixed shafts protrudes axially outward from the end of the roller body 15 in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, the roller body 15 is located between the part of the first fixed shaft 21 exposed to the outside and the part of the second fixed shaft 22 exposed to the outside.

[0035] Here, in the drive roller 10 of this embodiment, the two blocking members 19, 20 are attached in a state in which they do not rotate relative to the roller body 15. The first fixed shaft 21 and the second fixed shaft 22 are fixed in a state in which they do not rotate relative to the other blocking members 19, 20, respectively. In other words, the two fixed shafts are structured not to rotate relative to the roller body 15 and the two blocking members 19, 20, and when the motor 16 operates and the roller body 15 rotates, the two fixed shafts also rotate together.

[0036] In a typical motor-incorporated roller, the two fixed shafts are rotatably attached to the blocking member via bearings, and are rotatable relative to the blocking member. For this reason, when a typical motor-incorporated roller is supported by two side frames and the motor is operated, the roller body rotates but the two fixed shafts do not rotate. That is, the driving roller 10 of this embodiment differs from a typical motor-incorporated roller in that the two fixed shafts rotate together with the roller body 15 as the motor 16 operates.

[0037] The driven roller 11 of this embodiment also has a cylindrical roller body and two fixed shafts (shaft portion, first shaft portion, second shaft portion) located at both ends of the roller body, and each of the two fixed shafts is fixed to the roller body via a blocking member (detailed illustration is omitted). The two blocking members are fixed to the roller body in a state where they do not rotate relative to each other, and the fixed shafts are fixed to each of the two blocking members in a state where they do not rotate relative to each other. In other words, the driven roller 11 also has a structure in which the two fixed shafts do not rotate relative to the roller body but rotate together. Therefore, when one fixed shaft of the driven roller 11 rotates, the roller body and the other fixed shaft rotate accordingly. In other words, the roller body rotates when at least one fixed shaft rotates. Note that, of the two fixed shafts, it is sufficient that the fixed shaft to which the above-mentioned gear member 6 is attached rotates together with the roller body, and the other fixed shaft may rotate relative to the blocking member.

[0038] 1(a), the frame member 3 has an upper frame portion 3a and a lower frame portion 3b. The frame member 3 is assembled by placing the upper frame portion 3a on the lower frame portion 3b and fixing the upper frame portion 3a and the lower frame portion 3b together.

[0039] The upper frame portion 3a has a pair of side frames, that is, an upper first frame portion 30 (first side frame portion) and an upper second frame portion 31 (second side frame portion), and a cover member 32. As shown in FIG. 3, the upper first frame portion 30 has a side wall forming portion 35, an upper plate portion 36, and a lower plate portion 37.

[0040] The side wall forming portion 35 is an elongated member extending in the conveying direction, and is a vertical plate-like portion having a thickness in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. The side wall forming portion 35 is provided with a plurality of roller attachment portions 38 (frame side engagement portions). The plurality of roller attachment portions 38 are formed so as to be arranged in parallel at intervals in the conveying direction.

[0041] The roller attachment portion 38 is a notched groove-shaped portion, and is a missing portion formed by removing a part of the side wall forming portion 35. In other words, the roller attachment portion 38 penetrates the side wall forming portion 35 in the thickness direction.

[0042] The roller attachment portion 38 has an attachment groove portion 40 and a locking portion 41 . The mounting groove portion 40 is a notched groove-like portion that has a width in the transport direction and extends downward from the upper end of the side wall forming portion 35. The mounting groove portion 40 in this embodiment has a substantially rectangular (substantially quadrangular) outer shape in a plan view with the thickness direction of the side wall forming portion 35 as the viewing direction. The mounting groove 40 in this embodiment is a groove that is open at the top and extends to the middle in the height direction of the side wall forming portion 35. The mounting groove 40 also has, at its inner periphery, side wall surfaces 40a, 40b that face each other and are spaced apart in the conveying direction, and a lower surface 40c that extends between them.

[0043] Here, two corners that form the boundaries between the mounting groove 40 and the upper surface of the sidewall forming portion 35 (boundaries between the sidewall surfaces 40a, 40b and the upper surface of the sidewall forming portion 35) are rounded. In addition, a corner located on the lower side of the mounting groove 40 (a corner that forms the boundary between the lower surface 40c and the sidewall surfaces 40a, 40b) is also rounded.

[0044] The locking portion 41 is composed of two small grooves 41a that form a pair. The two small grooves 41a are formed at positions spaced apart in the conveying direction, and both are missing portions that are continuous with the mounting groove 40 and extend in directions away from each other. In detail, one small groove 41a is a portion that is continuous with the side wall surface 40a, and extends from the mounting groove 40 (side wall surface 40a) to the upstream side in the conveying direction. The other small groove 41a is a portion that is continuous with the side wall surface 40b, and extends from the mounting groove 40 (side wall surface 40b) to the downstream side in the conveying direction. The conveying direction is also a direction intersecting with the extending direction (vertical direction) of the mounting groove portion 40. Here, the two small grooves 41a are formed at the same height and are spaced apart from each other in the conveying direction. That is, the two small grooves 41a extend in directions away from each other in a middle portion (between the upper and lower ends of the mounting groove 40) in the extension direction of the mounting groove 40. In this embodiment, the small groove 41a has a substantially quadrangular (substantially square) outer shape in a plan view with the thickness direction of the sidewall forming portion 35 as the viewing direction.

[0045] The upper plate portion 36 and the lower plate portion 37 are both flat plate-shaped portions that are continuous with the upper end portion and the lower end portion, respectively, of the side wall forming portion 35. In other words, they are formed by bending the upper end portion and the lower end portion of the side wall forming portion 35 inward. A plurality of upper plate portions 36 are provided and arranged in parallel at intervals in the conveying direction. The upper plate portions 36 are portions on which the cover member 32 (see FIG. 1(a)) is placed, and are provided with mounting holes for mounting the cover member 32.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 1( a ), the upper second frame portion 31 has a side wall forming portion 43 , an upper plate portion 44 , and a lower plate portion 45 .

[0047] The side wall forming portion 43 is an elongated member extending in the conveying direction, and is a vertical plate-like portion having a thickness in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. The side wall forming portion 43 differs from the side wall forming portion 35 of the upper first frame portion 30 described above in that a shaft hole 43a (shaft insertion hole, see FIG. 6) is provided in the side wall forming portion 43 instead of the roller attachment portion 38 described above. The shaft hole 43a is a hole that penetrates the side wall forming portion 43 in the thickness direction, and is a hole into which the fixed shaft (second fixed shaft 22) of the conveying roller 2 can be inserted almost exactly. A plurality of shaft holes 43a are provided and are arranged in parallel at intervals in the conveying direction.

[0048] The upper plate portion 44 and the lower plate portion 45 are both flat plate-shaped portions, and are respectively continuous with the upper end portion and the lower end portion of the side wall forming portion 43. That is, they are formed by bending inward the upper end portion and the lower end portion of the side wall forming portion 43. In addition, a plurality of upper plate portions 44 are provided, and are arranged in parallel with intervals in the conveying direction.

[0049] 1(a), the cover member 32 is a flat member that is placed on an upper plate portion 36 (see FIG. 3) and is attached integrally to the upper plate portion 36 via a temporary fastening element or the like. Note that the "temporary fastening element" referred to here is a type of fastening element that can be removed in principle without being destroyed, such as a screw or a bolt-nut combination. When the cover member 32 is attached to the upper first frame portion 30, a part of the cover member 32 is disposed in a position adjacent to the upper side of the roller attachment portion 38 and the attachment member 5, as shown in Fig. 1(b). Another part of the cover member 32 protrudes outward (protrudes in a cantilevered manner) in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, as shown in Fig. 1(a). In other words, a part of the cover member 32 is disposed above the gear train formed by the gear member 6 and the interlocking gear member 7, like a canopy.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 1(a), the lower frame portion 3b has a pair of a lower first frame portion 47 and a lower second frame portion . The lower first frame portion 47 has a lower sidewall forming portion 47a in the form of an upright wall, and a lower placement plate portion 47b in the form of a flat plate.

[0051] The lower sidewall forming portion 47a is an upright portion having a thickness in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. The lower placement plate portion 47b is a portion continuing from the upper end of the lower sidewall forming portion 47a, and is formed by bending the upper end portion of the lower sidewall forming portion 47a inward. The lower placement plate portion 47b is a portion on which the upper first frame portion 30 (lower plate portion 37) is placed.

[0052] A plurality of interlocking gear members 7 are rotatably supported on the lower sidewall forming portion 47a. As described above, the interlocking gear member 7 is disposed between the two gear members 6 and transmits the power of one gear member 6 to the other gear member 6. The multiple interlocking gear members 7 are disposed on the outside (outside in the thickness direction) of the lower sidewall forming portion 47a and are arranged in parallel with a gap therebetween. The rotation axes of the interlocking gear members 7 extend in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. In other words, the rotation axes of the interlocking gear members 7 and the rotation axes of the gear members 6 extend in the same direction.

[0053] The lower second frame portion 48 also has a vertical lower sidewall forming portion 48a and a flat lower placement plate portion 48b. The lower sidewall forming portion 48a is a vertical portion having a thickness in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, and is disposed so as to face the above-mentioned lower sidewall forming portion 47a at a distance. The lower placement plate portion 48b is a portion that is continuous with the upper end of the lower sidewall forming portion 48a, and is formed by bending the upper end portion of the lower sidewall forming portion 48a inward. This lower placement plate portion 47b is a portion on which the upper second frame portion 31 is placed.

[0054] Next, the mounting member 5 will be described. In the following description, the conveying direction is also referred to as the left-right direction, the upstream side of the conveying direction is also referred to as the left side, and the downstream side of the conveying direction is also referred to as the right side. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction is also referred to as the front-rear direction, and the outer side of the upper first frame portion 30 is also referred to as the front side, and the inner side is also referred to as the rear side.

[0055] 4 and 5, the mounting member 5 is formed integrally with a synthetic resin body 50 and a bearing member 51. The bearing member 51 is a bearing, and has a shaft hole 51a (shaft support portion) into which the fixed shaft of the conveying roller 2 is inserted. This shaft hole 51a is a portion that penetrates the mounting member 5 in the thickness direction.

[0056] The mounting member 5 is a thick plate-like member having a thickness in the front-rear direction. The length of the mounting member 5 in the width direction (left-right direction) of the upper part of the main body 50 is shorter than the length of the lower part in the width direction. The mounting member 5 has two paired engaging claws 55 (mounting side engaging parts) provided on the upper part of the main body 50, and an engaging groove 56 (mounting side engaging part) provided on the lower part of the main body 50.

[0057] One of the two engaging claw portions 55 is provided near one end (left end) of the mounting member 5 in the left-right direction, and the other is provided near the other end (right end) of the mounting member 5 in the left-right direction. The engaging claw portion 55 is formed at a position adjacent to the outer side (outer side in the left-right direction) of the slit portion 60 extending in the up-down direction. Although not particularly limited, the groove width (length in the left-right direction) of the lower portion of the slit portion 60 narrows downward as shown in FIG.

[0058] One of the engaging claws 55 is formed at a position adjacent to and above one side portion 56a (see FIG. 4(b) for details, which will be described later) of the engaging groove portion 56, and the other is formed at a position adjacent to and above the other side portion 56b (see FIG. 4(a) for details, which will be described later). Each is formed so as to extend upward in a cantilever manner.

[0059] In detail, the engaging claw portion 55 is a part formed integrally with a support plate portion 55a (support portion) and a protrusion portion 55b (locking portion) located on the tip side of the support plate portion 55a, and the tip side is elastically deformable so as to bend. The support plate portion 55a is an upright portion having a generally trapezoidal outer shape in a side view (plan view with the line of sight in the left-right direction). In detail, the length of the upper portion is shorter than the length of the lower portion in a side view. The protrusion 55b is a protruding (lump-like) portion that is partly located above the support plate 55a and partly protrudes further outward than the outer surface (outer surface in the left-right direction) of the support plate 55a. The protrusion 55b has an inclined surface 63 on the lower side. The inclined surface 63 is a downward surface whose lower end portion is continuous with the upper end portion of the outer surface of the support plate 55a, and is a surface that inclines (extends) so as to face outward in the left-right direction as it extends upward.

[0060] As shown in Fig. 4, the engagement groove 56 is a groove formed in the lower peripheral portion of the main body 50, and is formed between two groove wall forming portions 65, 66. Here, the lower portion of the main body 50 is a portion that has a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the front. The engagement groove 56 and the two groove wall forming portions 65, 66 extend from one side (left) in the left-right direction of the lower peripheral portion of the main body 50, downward, and to the other side (right). In other words, they extend across three sides of the periphery.

[0061] That is, the engagement groove 56 has a one-side lateral portion 56a and an other-side lateral portion 56b located at both ends in the left-right direction, and a lower portion 56c. Here, the groove bottom of the engagement groove 56 has an inclined surface 70 at a position that is a boundary between the one-side lateral portion 56a and the lower portion 56c, and at a position that is a boundary between the other-side lateral portion 56b and the lower portion 56c (one of the inclined surfaces is not shown, see FIG. 4(b)). The two groove wall forming parts 65, 66 are two protruding parts (raised parts). Here, the corner parts located at both ends in the left and right direction of the lower part of the main body part 50 are rounded. In other words, the outer surfaces located at the protruding ends of the two groove wall forming parts 65, 66 have a curved surface at the boundary between the part located to the side and the part located below, and are continuous via this curved surface.

[0062] For the above reasons, the groove bottom of the engagement groove 56 is a corner portion where the inclined surface 70 is formed, and both ends in the left and right direction on the lower side are chamfered (C-chamfered). The two groove wall forming parts 65, 66 also have both ends in the left and right direction on the lower end side chamfered (R-chamfered).

[0063] Next, a procedure for supporting the transport roller 2 on the frame member 3 via the mounting member 5 and assembling the conveyor device 1 will be described. First, a plurality of conveying rollers 2 are attached to the upper first frame portion 30 and the upper second frame portion 31 (see FIG. 1(a)) of the upper frame portion 3a.

[0064] 6(a), the attachment member 5 and the gear member 6 are attached to one fixed shaft (first fixed shaft 21) of the conveying roller 2 (first step). Then, the other fixed shaft (second fixed shaft 22) of the conveying roller 2 is inserted into the shaft hole 43a of the upper second frame portion 31 (second step). In detail, the fixed shaft (first fixed shaft 21) of the conveying roller 2 is inserted into the shaft hole 51a of the mounting member 5. Furthermore, the portion of the fixed shaft (first fixed shaft 21) that protrudes outward from the shaft hole 51a of the mounting member 5 is inserted into the shaft hole of the gear member 6. In other words, the portion of the fixed shaft (first fixed shaft 21) near its protruding end becomes a gear fixing portion to which the gear member 6 is attached. This gear fixing portion is a portion of the fixed shaft that is located outside the mounting member 5 (outside the portion that is fitted inside the shaft hole 51a). In this way, the mounting member 5 and the gear member 6 are attached to this fixed shaft (first fixed shaft 21) in this order from the inside.

[0065] Next, as shown in Fig. 6(b), with the mounting member 5 and gear member 6 attached to the conveying roller 2, the periphery of one end of the conveying roller 2 is moved linearly from above to below. Then, as shown in Figs. 7(a) and 7(b), the mounting member 5 is inserted into the mounting groove 40 (roller mounting portion 38) from above (third step) so that a part of the mounting member 5 is inserted into the mounting groove 40. In other words, the mounting member 5 is moved relatively to the roller mounting portion 38 and brought close to it, thereby engaging the engagement groove 56 (see Fig. 6(b) etc.) of the mounting member 5 with the mounting groove 40.

[0066] When a part of the mounting member 5 is fitted into the mounting groove 40, a part of the side wall forming portion 35 adjacent to the mounting groove 40 is fitted into the engagement groove 56 (see FIG. 4) of the mounting member 5. In other words, a part of the side wall forming portion 35 is sandwiched between two groove wall forming portions 65, 66 (see FIG. 4) from both sides in the thickness direction. Note that at this time, the side wall forming portion 35 may be fitted almost exactly between the two groove wall forming portions 65, 66, or a small gap may be formed between at least one of the groove wall forming portions 65, 66 and the side wall forming portion 35.

[0067] Here, the widthwise length L1 of the portion of the mounting member 5 where the protrusion 55b is provided is longer than the widthwise length L2 of the mounting groove 40 (see FIG. 7(a)). For this reason, as shown in FIG. 8(a), when the mounting member 5 is moved downward, the inclined surface portions 63 of the two engaging claws 55 come into contact with the corner portions located at the boundary between the mounting groove 40 and the upper surface of the side wall forming portion 35. Then, when the mounting member 5 is further moved downward, the two engaging claws 55 are elastically deformed as shown in Fig. 8(b). Specifically, the tip ends of the two engaging claws 55 move toward each other. That is, the tip ends of the respective engaging claws 55 are on the inside in the width direction (left-right direction) and move toward the adjacent slit portion 60.

[0068] Next, when the mounting member 5 is further moved downward, the two protrusions 55b move away from each other and enter different small grooves 41a, as shown in Fig. 8(c). That is, the two engaging claws 55 are engaged with the locking portion 41. Furthermore, a part of the side wall forming portion 35 (a part adjacent to the lower side of the mounting groove 40) fits into the lower part 56c (see FIG. 4(b)) of the engagement groove 56. Then, the mounting member 5 is placed on the lower surface 40c of the mounting groove 40 (see FIG. 3).

[0069] As a result, one side of the fixed shaft (first fixed shaft 21) of the conveying roller 2 is supported by the frame member 3 (upper first frame portion 30) via the mounting member 5. In this state, the side wall forming portion 35 is located adjacent to three sides of the periphery of the mounting member 5 (both sides in the width direction and the lower side), and the three sides of the mounting member 5 are surrounded by the side wall forming portion 35. Then, on the three sides of the periphery, the side wall forming portion 35 is sandwiched between two groove wall forming portions 65, 66 (see FIG. 4), and the engagement groove portion 56 of the mounting member 5 engages with the mounting groove portion 40. In this way, the two engagement portions consisting of a pair of engagement claw portions 55 and engagement groove portion 56 of the mounting member 5 engage with the mounting groove portion 40 and the locking portion 41 of the frame member 3 at different positions, so that the mounting member 5 is firmly attached to the frame member 3.

[0070] After all of the conveying rollers 2 are supported by the upper first frame portion 30 and the upper second frame portion 31, the cover member 32 is attached to the upper first frame portion 30. In this embodiment, as described above, the cover member 32 is located above the mounting member 5, so that rattling of the mounting member 5 and, in turn, rattling of the gear member 6 during operation of the conveyor device 1 can be prevented. Then, the upper frame portion 3a to which the transport rollers 2 and the cover members 32 are attached is placed on the lower frame portion 3b, and the upper frame portion 3a is fixed to the lower frame portion 3b. As a result, the gear member 6 of the upper frame portion 3a meshes with the interlocking gear member 7 of the lower frame portion 3b, and the conveyor device 1 is assembled.

[0071] In the above embodiment, the conveyor roller (transport roller 2) has two fixed shafts. That is, one fixed shaft is provided on each end of the roller body. However, the transport roller is not limited to this. For example, one fixed shaft may extend through the roller body, in which case a portion of the fixed shaft located at one end of the roller body in the longitudinal direction serves as the fixed shaft on one side (shaft portion, first fixed shaft), and a portion of the fixed shaft located at the other end serves as the fixed shaft on the other side (shaft portion, second fixed shaft).

[0072] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the mounting groove 40 is open at the top and the mounting member 5 is inserted from above, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the mounting groove may be open at the bottom and the mounting member 5 may be inserted from below. In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which one interlocking gear member 7 is disposed between the two gear members 6, but a plurality of interlocking gear members 7 may be disposed between the two gear members 6. For example, three interlocking gear members 7 may be disposed between the two gear members 6, and the power of one gear member 6 may be transmitted to the other gear member 6.

[0073] In the above embodiment, the support plate portion 55a has a substantially trapezoidal shape in side view, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the support plate portion 55a may have a substantially rectangular shape in side view, without inclined surfaces at the front and rear ends. In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the fixed shaft of the transport roller 2 is supported via the mounting member 5 on the frame member 3 of the conveyor device (transport device) that transports an object in one direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a fixed shaft of a conveyor roller may be supported via a mounting member on a frame member of a conveyor device that can selectively convey (move) an object to be conveyed in either of two (multiple) directions and is known as a transfer device. The roller member that supports the fixed shaft is not necessarily limited to the conveyor roller that forms the conveying surface, and may be, for example, a roller member that is provided to supply power to the conveyor roller. In other words, it is sufficient that the member (roller) has a roller body and an axle and is supported by the frame of the conveyor device.

[0074] In the above embodiment, an example was described in which the engagement groove portion 56 is a single groove extending across three sides of the periphery, but the present invention is not limited to this. It is sufficient that the groove is formed in one or more portions among the lower portion, one side (left) in the left-right direction, and the other side (right). For example, the engagement groove may be a groove provided on the lower part of the mounting member, that is, a single groove formed in one of the lower part and both side parts. Alternatively, it may be two grooves provided on both sides in the left-right direction. Furthermore, it may be a groove provided across either one of the left-right direction and the lower side. In other words, it may be one or two grooves formed in two parts, the lower part and both sides. However, from the viewpoint of firmly engaging the mounting member with the frame member 3, it is preferable to form a groove extending across three directions as described above. That is, it is preferable to form grooves in three parts: downward, one side in the left-right direction, and the other side. Note that the groove formed in one part as described above may extend discontinuously. That is, the number of grooves provided in one part may be one or two or more.

[0075] In the embodiment described above, the mounting member 5 has two engaging claw portions 55. Also, the roller mounting portion 38 of the frame member 3 has two locking portions 41. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The engaging claw portion 55 of the mounting member 5 and the locking portion 41 of the roller mounting portion 38 do not necessarily have to be provided. In other words, the engaging claw portion 55 and the locking portion 41 may not be provided, and the mounting member may be attached to the frame member by engaging the engaging groove portion 56 of the mounting member with the mounting groove portion 40 of the roller mounting portion and pressing the mounting member from above with the cover member 32. However, from the viewpoint of more firmly fixing the mounting member to the frame member, the above-mentioned configuration is preferable. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1 Conveyor equipment 2 Conveyor roller (roller member) 3 Frame members 5 Mounting material 6 Gear parts 7 Interlocking gear parts 10 Drive roller (roller member) 11 Driven roller (roller member) 15 Roller body 21 First fixed shaft (shaft, first shaft) 22 Second fixed shaft (shaft, second shaft) 30 Upper first frame portion (first side frame portion) 31 Upper second frame portion (second side frame portion) 32 Cover member 38 Roller mounting portion (frame side engagement portion) 43a Shaft hole (shaft insertion hole) 51 Bearing materials 51a Shaft hole (shaft support part) 55 Engagement claw portion (mounting side engagement portion) 55a Support plate part (support part) 55b Projection (locking part) 56 Engagement groove portion (mounting side engagement portion)

Claims

1. A conveyor roller mounting structure for mounting a roller member to a frame member in a conveyor device, the roller member being mounted to the frame member via a mounting member, comprising: The frame member has a first side frame portion and a second side frame portion, The first side frame portion has a frame side engagement portion, The second side frame portion has a shaft insertion hole, The roller member has a roller body and a shaft portion, the shaft portion includes a gear fixing portion to which a gear member is attached, and the shaft portion and the gear member rotate together; The mounting member has a shaft support portion through which the shaft portion is inserted and supported, and a mounting side engaging portion that engages with the frame side engaging portion, The shaft portion includes a first shaft portion located on one side in the longitudinal direction and a second shaft portion located on the other side, the second shaft portion is inserted into the shaft insertion hole, the first shaft portion is inserted into the shaft support portion, and the roller body and the gear fixing portion are positioned on either side of the mounting member, the mounting member can be inserted into the frame member from above or below, A mounting structure for a conveyor roller, in which the mounting side engagement portion engages with the frame side engagement portion when inserted into the frame member, and the first shaft portion is supported by the frame member via the mounting member.

2. The mounting member has an engagement groove portion as one of the mounting side engagement portions, 2. The conveyor roller mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the engagement groove portion is a groove portion formed in an edge portion of the mounting member, and is a groove portion formed in at least one of three sides consisting of the lower side and both sides of the mounting member.

3. An installation structure as described in Claim 2, wherein the engagement groove portion is a groove portion formed on three sides, including the lower side and both sides of the front installation member.

4. The mounting member has an engagement claw portion as one of the mounting side engagement portions, 4. The conveyor roller mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the engaging claw portion has a support portion extending in a cantilever shape and a locking portion formed on a tip side of the support portion, and is elastically deformed by being inserted into the frame member.

5. 5. The conveyor roller mounting structure according to claim 1, wherein the shaft support portion is constituted by a bearing member provided integrally with a periphery thereof.

6. A conveyor apparatus, wherein the roller members are attached to the frame member by a conveyor roller mounting structure according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. a plurality of the conveyor rollers, each of the conveyor rollers being attached with the gear member; 7. The conveyor device according to claim 6, wherein the two gear members attached to the two conveyor rollers, respectively, are interlocked with each other via one or more interlocking gear members provided therebetween, thereby transmitting power between the two conveyor rollers.

8. 8. The conveyor device according to claim 6, further comprising a plurality of the conveyor rollers, the conveyor rollers including a drive roller serving as a power source and a driven roller rotating together with the drive roller.

9. a cover member attached to the frame member; 9. The conveyor apparatus according to claim 6, wherein at least a portion of the cover member is located adjacent to and above the mounting member.

10. A method for mounting a conveyor roller, comprising the steps of: mounting the conveyor roller to the frame member by a mounting structure for the conveyor roller; The conveyor roller mounting structure is a conveyor device formed by mounting a roller member to a frame member, the roller member being mounted to the frame member via a mounting member, The frame member has a frame side engagement portion, The roller member has a roller body and a shaft portion, the shaft portion includes a gear fixing portion to which a gear member is attached, and the shaft portion and the gear member rotate together; The mounting member has a shaft support portion through which the shaft portion is inserted and supported, and a mounting side engaging portion that engages with the frame side engaging portion, the shaft portion is inserted into the shaft support portion, and the mounting member can be inserted into the frame member from above or below in a state in which the roller body and the gear fixing portion are positioned on both sides of the mounting member, a mounting structure for a conveyor roller in which the mounting-side engaging portion engages with the frame-side engaging portion by being inserted into the frame member, and the shaft portion is supported by the frame member via the mounting member, The conveyor roller has a first shaft portion and a second shaft portion that serve as the shaft portion, The frame member has a pair of first and second side frame portions, A mounting method for mounting the first shaft portion and the second shaft portion to the first side frame portion and the second side frame portion, respectively, comprising the steps of: a first step of inserting the first shaft portion into the shaft support portion and attaching the gear member to the gear fixing portion of the first shaft portion; a second step of inserting the second shaft portion into the shaft insertion hole of the second side frame portion; The method for mounting a conveyor roller includes, after the first step and the second step, a third step of inserting the mounting member into the first side frame portion.

Images