Shutter opening and closing device

Abstract

A shutter opening / closing device (1) comprises: a pair of side surface plates (11); a shutter (20) provided between the pair of side surface plates (11); a pair of shutter support mechanisms (30) that attach the shutter (20) to the pair of side surface plates (11); and a linear body (40) for moving the shutter (20). The shutter support mechanism (30) includes: a long hole (31) that penetrates the side surface plates (11) and is long in the vertical direction; a movable shaft (32) that is rotatably and slidably inserted in the long hole (31) and integrally turns with the shutter (20); an arm (33) that extends out from the movable shaft (32) and has a linear body attachment part (33a) at the tip; and a coil spring (34) having an upper end attached to a site different than the movable shaft (32) of the arm (33), and a lower end attached to the side surface plate (11), the coil spring energizing the movable shaft (32) downward through the arm (33). The linear body (40) is attached to the linear attachment part (33a) from above.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a shutter opening / closing device that opens and closes a space above a conveying path at an opening in a wall through which a bar conveyor passes. [Background technology]

[0002] Many poultry farms use bar conveyors to transport eggs. Some bar conveyors pass through openings in the walls of the facility. When eggs are not being transported by the bar conveyor, it is desirable to keep these openings closed. In particular, in the case of openings in walls separating the inside and outside of a building, there is a high need to keep the openings closed because there is a risk that foreign objects such as dust or small animals may enter the building through the openings.

[0003] Therefore, the applicant of the present application has proposed a shutter opening and closing device 100 that can easily close the space above the conveyance path of a bar conveyor 120, as shown in Fig. 7 (see Patent Document 1). To explain the configuration of Patent Document 1 in detail, a pair of shutter supports 103 are provided on a pair of side panels 101, each supporting a shutter 102. Each shutter support 103 comprises a first arm 105 whose base end is pivotally supported on the side panel 101 by a first fixed shaft 104; a coil spring 106 whose upper end is fixed to the tip of the first arm 105 and whose lower end is fixed to the side panel 101 below the first fixed shaft 104; a second arm 108 whose upper end is pivotally supported by a first pin 107 near the center of the first arm 105 and has a long hole 108h in the longitudinal direction; a third arm 110 whose upper end is pivotally supported by a second pin 109 between the first fixed shaft 104 and the first pin 107 of the first arm 105; and a fourth arm 114 whose one end is pivotally supported on the lower end of the third arm 110 by a third pin 111 and whose other end is pivotally supported slidably within the long hole 108h by a fourth pin 112 and whose middle is pivotally supported on the side panel 101 by a second fixed shaft 113. The shutter 102 is then attached to a second arm 108 .

[0004] In the shutter opening / closing device 100 of Patent Document 1, as shown in Fig. 7(a), when the shutter 102 is in a state where it closes the space above the conveying path (closed state), the lower end of the shutter 102 attached to the second arm 108 interferes with the stationary bar 121. The tip of the first arm 105 is urged downward by the coil spring 106. Therefore, the shutter 102 is pressed against the bar 121 from above via the second arm 108 by the urging force of the coil spring 106, and the shutter 102 is stably maintained in the closed state.

[0005] When the bar 121 moves downstream due to the operation of the bar conveyor 120, the lower end of the shutter 102 is pushed by the bar 121 and moves downstream. This causes the second arm 108 to which the shutter 102 is attached to rotate about the first pin 107 (rotating clockwise in the drawing). Then, as the bar 121 moves downstream, the lower end of the shutter 102 separates from the bar 121, and the shutter 102 can no longer be pressed against the bar 121. Therefore, the biasing force of the coil spring 106 causes the first arm 105 to rotate all at once about the first fixed shaft 104 so that its tip moves downward.

[0006] As a result, the second pin 109 attached to the first arm 105 descends, causing the third arm 110 to descend, and the fourth arm 114 rotates around the second fixed shaft 113 via the third pin 111. As a result, the second arm 108 rotates upward around the first pin 107 while causing the fourth pin 112 to slide along the elongated hole 108h in a direction approaching the first pin 107. Therefore, the shutter 102 rotates around the first pin 107 together with the second arm 108, and the shutter 102 enters a state (open state) in which the space above the conveying path is open (see FIG. 7(b)).

[0007] The shutter opening and closing device 100 of Patent Document 1 includes a pair of support members 115, each of whose lower ends is attached to a pair of side panels 101 and extends upward beyond the side panels 101, a beam member 116 connecting the upper ends of the pair of support members 115, a pulley 117 attached to the center and one end of the beam member 116, a connecting arm (not shown) connecting the tips of the pair of first arms 105, and a wire 118 fastened to the center of the connecting arm (see FIG. 7(a)). The wire 118 extends upward from the connecting arm and is wound around the pulley 117 in the center of the beam member 116, and then wound around a pulley at the end of the beam member 116 and extends downward, with a grip (not shown) attached to its lower end.

[0008] To switch from the open state to the closed state, the grip attached to the lower end of the wire 118 is grasped and pulled downward, causing the first arm 105 to rotate about the first fixed shaft 104 so that the tip moves upward via the wire 118 and the connecting arm. This causes the opposite operation to that described above, resulting in the closed state in which the lower end of the shutter 102 is inserted between adjacent bars 121. In this way, the technology of Patent Document 1 makes it possible to easily close off the space above the transport path in the bar conveyor 120.

[0009] In the technology of Patent Document 1, first pin 107 is provided near the center between the tip of first arm 105, which has coil spring 106 fixed to its tip, and second pin 109 is provided between first pin 107 and first fixed shaft 104. Therefore, due to the principle of leverage, a force at least twice as strong as the biasing force of coil spring 106 acts on first pin 107 and second pin 109, and this force opens shutter 102. Also, in the technology of Patent Document 1, shutter 102 is rotated by a link mechanism formed by first arm 105, second arm 108, third arm 110, and fourth arm 114. For this reason, in order to change shutter 102 from an open state to a closed state, a force significantly stronger than the biasing force of coil spring 106 must be applied, which may make it difficult for some operators to close the shutter. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6472542 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a shutter opening and closing device that can be easily closed with a relatively weak force. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In order to solve the above problems, the shutter opening and closing device according to the present invention is "A pair of side panels, a shutter provided between the pair of side plates; a pair of shutter support mechanisms that respectively mount the shutters on the pair of side plates; a linear body for moving the shutter by the pair of shutter support mechanisms; Equipped with Each of the shutter support mechanisms includes: a vertically long hole penetrating the side panel; a movable shaft that is rotatably and slidably inserted into the elongated hole and is fixed to a side edge of the shutter so as to rotate integrally with the shutter; an arm extending from the movable shaft along the side plate and having a linear object attachment portion at a tip thereof remote from the movable shaft; a coil spring having an upper end attached to a portion of the arm between the movable shaft and the linear object attachment portion and a lower end attached to a portion of the side panel below the elongated hole, and urging the movable shaft downward via the arm, The linear body is attached to each of the pair of linear body attachment portions from above. It is characterized by:

[0013] In the following, the state in which the lower end of the shutter is inserted between two adjacent bars on the bar conveyor, i.e., the state in which the lower end of the shutter interferes with the bars and the space above the conveying path is closed by the shutter, will be referred to as the "closed state," and the state in which the shutter is separated from the bars and the space above the conveying path is open will be referred to as the "open state."

[0014] In this configuration, when the shutter is in the closed state, the biasing force of the coil spring via the arm positions the movable shaft at the lower end of the elongated hole. The upper end of the coil spring is attached to a portion of the arm between the tip of the arm and the movable shaft, so a force acts to rotate the movable shaft in a direction that moves the tip of the arm downward. At this time, the lower end of the shutter, which rotates integrally with the movable shaft, is inserted between the two bars. Therefore, even if the shutter attempts to rotate around the movable shaft, it abuts against the bar downstream in the conveying direction and is prevented from rotating. This ensures a stable closed state.

[0015] On the other hand, when the bar conveyor is operating and the bar in the transport path moves downstream, a force acting on the shutter via the arm to rotate the shutter due to the biasing force of the coil spring causes the shutter to rotate around the movable shaft so that the lower end moves downstream as the bar moves. Then, when the bar moves further downstream and the lower end of the shutter separates from the bar, the biasing force of the coil spring causes the arm to rotate so that the tip moves downward, and the shutter rotates around the movable shaft so that the lower end faces upward, entering the open state.

[0016] To change from the open state to the closed state, the linear body is pulled. More specifically, the linear body is attached from above to the linear body attachment portion of the arm. Therefore, when the linear body is pulled against the biasing force of the coil spring, the movable shaft rotates in a direction that moves the tip of the arm upward. The shutter, which rotates integrally with the movable shaft as it rotates, rotates so that its lower end faces downward. When the lower end of the shutter then abuts against the bar, the shutter's rotation is prevented. When the linear body is further pulled in this state, the movable shaft slides upward within the elongated hole via the arm. As the shutter slides upward, the portion of the lower end of the shutter that abuts against the bar moves, and as it moves, the shutter rotates around the movable shaft. When the movable shaft slides further upward and the lower end of the shutter separates from the bar, the shutter further rotates and stabilizes in a substantially vertical position.

[0017] When the linear body is returned in this state, the biasing force of the coil spring causes the movable shaft to slide downward within the elongated hole, and the shutter moves downward together with the movable shaft. This inserts the lower end of the shutter between the two bars. Then, when the lower end of the shutter is pressed against the bar, or when the movable shaft slides to the bottom end of the elongated hole, it cannot slide downward any further but can still rotate, and the biasing force of the coil spring causes the movable shaft to rotate so that the tip of the arm moves downward. This rotation of the movable shaft rotates the shutter so that its lower end moves upward, and when the lower end abuts against the downstream bar, the shutter's rotation is restricted and it enters the closed state.

[0018] According to this configuration, the upper end of the coil spring is attached to the arm fixed to the shutter via the movable shaft, and the shutter is biased toward the open state with a force substantially equal to the biasing force of the coil spring. Furthermore, when the shutter is closed, the linear body attached to the linear body attachment portion of the arm is pulled up, so it can be pulled up by simply applying a force slightly stronger than the biasing force of the coil spring. In other words, it is not necessary to apply a force significantly stronger than the biasing force of the coil spring, as in the conventional shutter. This makes it possible to easily close the shutter with a relatively weak force, and even an operator with weak strength can reliably close the shutter. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a shutter opening and closing device that can be easily closed with a relatively weak force. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing a shutter opening / closing device according to an embodiment of the present invention in a closed state, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing the shutter opening / closing device in an open state in FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the state of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the state of FIG. [Figure 4] (a) is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the shutter is in the middle of rotating from an open state to a closed state, (b) is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the shutter has further rotated and risen from the state in (a), and (c) is a cross-sectional view showing the shutter having been lowered from the state in (b) to the closed state. [Figure 5] 2 is an explanatory diagram showing, in cross section, the range of movement of a bar that can bring the shutter opening and closing device of FIG. 1 into a closed state. FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which an electric closing mechanism is attached to the shutter opening and closing device of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 1(b) is an explanatory diagram showing a conventional shutter opening / closing device in a closed state, and FIG. 1(a) is an explanatory diagram showing a conventional shutter opening / closing device in an open state. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] A shutter opening and closing device 1, which is a specific embodiment of the present invention, will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 5. The shutter opening and closing device 1 is a device that opens and closes a space 66 above a conveying path 64 in a bar conveyor 60 that passes through an opening 71 in a wall 70. Here, an example is shown in which the shutter opening and closing device 1 is attached to a bar conveyor 60 used in a poultry farm, and the objects to be conveyed by the bar conveyor 60 are eggs E, but the place of use is not limited to poultry farms, and the objects to be conveyed are not limited to eggs E.

[0022] First, the bar conveyor 60 will be described. The bar conveyor 60 includes a pair of conveyor frames 61 elongated in the conveying direction, a pair of endless chains 62 wound around a pair of sprockets (not shown) between the pair of conveyor frames 61, and multiple bars 63 suspended at regular intervals between the pair of endless chains 62. The multiple bars 63 move as the pair of endless chains 62 move in the same direction at the same speed. In the circulating bar conveyor 60, the multiple bars 63 move from the sprocket around which the bars 63 revolve from bottom to top toward the sprocket around which the bars 63 revolve from top to bottom (in the direction of arrow A in the figure), forming a conveying path 64 on which eggs E are placed and transported. Meanwhile, the multiple bars 63 moving in the opposite direction (in the direction of arrow B in the figure) form a return path 65. The bar conveyor 60 shown in this embodiment is a horizontally installed type. Note that FIG. 1 illustrates only a portion of the long bar conveyor 60 near the wall 70. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, the terms "upstream" and "downstream" refer to the upstream and downstream of the transport path 64, respectively.

[0023] The shutter opening / closing device 1 comprises a device main body 10 attached to a bar conveyor 60, a shutter 20 arranged inside the device main body 10, a shutter support mechanism 30 attaching the shutter 20 to the device main body 10, and a linear body 40 for moving the shutter 20 by the shutter support mechanism 30.

[0024] The device body 10 includes a pair of side panels 11, a top panel 12 connecting the upper edges of the pair of side panels 11, a lower wall panel 13 connecting the lower parts of the pair of side panels 11, and a middle wall panel 14 provided between the top panel 12 and the lower wall panel 13 so as to connect the pair of side panels 11.

[0025] The device main body 10 further includes a pair of mounting members 15 attached to the top plate 12, a pair of upper guide members 16 attached to each of the pair of mounting members 15, a pair of lower guide members 17 attached to the lower parts of the pair of side plates 11, a pair of horizontal plates 18 attached to the pair of side plates 11, and an upper plate 19 attached to the top plate 12.

[0026] The pair of side plates 11 are formed so that the vertical dimensions of each are longer than the vertical dimensions of the conveyor frame 61. The pair of side plates 11 are attached to the outer surfaces of the pair of conveyor frames 61 with their upper end edges protruding upward beyond the conveyor frame 61 and their lower end edges protruding downward beyond the conveyor frame 61.

[0027] The top plate 12 is a rectangular flat plate that is long in the direction in which the pair of side plates 11 are spaced apart. Two long sides of the top plate 12 are bent downward. An upper wall plate 12a with a crank-shaped cross section is attached to the underside of the top plate 12.

[0028] The lower wall plate 13 has a C-channel-like cross section that opens downward. The lower wall plate 13 passes under the bar conveyor 60 and is attached to the pair of side plates 11, with part of the upper surface protruding downward between the pair of conveyor frames 61. In this embodiment, the lower wall plate 13 is formed so that it can be separated into two halves at the center in the conveying direction.

[0029] The middle wall plate 14 has an inverted L-shaped cross section and is attached to the side plate 11 so as to sandwich the conveyor frame 61. The middle wall plate 14 is attached so that the horizontally extending part of the L-shape is located within the closable range L of the shutter 20, which will be described later.

[0030] The pair of mounting members 15 correspond to portions of the side panel 11 extending upward near the upstream edge of the top panel 12 in the conveying direction. The upper guide member 16 has an annular portion 16a. The upper guide member 16 is mounted to the mounting member 15 so that the central axis of the annular portion 16a faces the vertical direction and overlaps with an arm 33, which will be described later. The lower guide member 17 has an annular portion 17a. The lower guide member 17 is mounted to a lower corner of the side panel 11 (here, the lower corner on the downstream side in the conveying direction) with the central axis of the annular portion 17a facing the vertical direction. The annular portions 16a and 17a are what are known as eyebolt heads.

[0031] The pair of side plates 18 are flat plates extending outward in a direction perpendicular to the side plates 11, and also extend upward beyond the side plates 11. The pair of side plates 18 are attached so as to coincide with the upstream edge of the side plates 11 in the conveying direction. The top plate 19 is attached to the top plate 12 and the pair of side plates 18 so as to connect the portions of the pair of side plates 18 that extend upward beyond the side plates 11.

[0032] The shutter 20 is flat. The lower end of the shutter 20 is curved in a U-shape toward the downstream side in the conveying direction. The diameter of the curved U-shape (semicircular arc shape) at the lower end of the shutter 20 is larger than the distance between two adjacent bars 63. This prevents the lower end of the shutter 20 from passing downward through the bars 63. In this embodiment, the lower end of the U-shape of the shutter 20 is polygonal, but it may also be a smooth semicircular shape. The upper end of the shutter 20 is bent at a right angle toward the downstream side in the conveying direction. The shutter 20 has a pair of shaft fixing pieces 20a extending from near the upper ends of both sides in the opposite direction (upstream side in the conveying direction) to the direction in which the lower end is curved. A movable shaft 32, which will be described later, is fixed to the shaft fixing pieces 20a.

[0033] The shutter support mechanism 30 is provided on each of the pair of side plates 11. In other words, there are a pair of shutter support mechanisms 30. The shutter support mechanism 30 includes an elongated hole 31 that penetrates the side plate 11 and is long in the vertical direction, a movable shaft 32 that is rotatably and slidably inserted into the elongated hole 31, an arm 33 that extends from the movable shaft 32 along the side plate 11, and a coil spring 34 that urges the movable shaft 32 downward via the arm 33.

[0034] The elongated hole 31 is formed near the upper end of the side panel 11, toward the upstream side with respect to the center in the conveying direction. One end of the movable shaft 32 is fixed to a shaft fixing piece 20a provided on the side edge of the shutter 20 inside the pair of side panels 11 so as not to rotate relative to the shaft, and the opposite end protrudes through the elongated hole 31 to the outside of the side panel 11. In other words, the shutter 20 rotates integrally with the movable shaft 32 about the axis of the movable shaft 32. A disk-shaped closing plate 35 that abuts against the outer surface of the side panel 11 and can close the elongated hole 31 is inserted into the movable shaft 32. This closing plate 35 slides up and down together with the movable shaft 32 while keeping the elongated hole 31 closed, preventing foreign objects, small animals, etc. from entering the building through the elongated hole 31.

[0035] The arm 33 is fixed to the movable shaft 32 at a portion thereof that protrudes outward from the side panel 11 so as to rotate integrally therewith. The arm 33 extends from the movable shaft 32 toward the upstream side in the conveying direction, and has a linear object attachment portion 33a at its tip that is far from the movable shaft 32. The arm 33 is fixed so that, with the shutter 20 held vertical, a line extending from the movable shaft 32 side to the tip extends obliquely upward at an angle of approximately 30 degrees relative to the horizontal.

[0036] The coil spring 34 has its upper end attached to a position on the arm 33 between the movable shaft 32 and the linear object attachment portion 33a, and its lower end attached to a position on the side panel 11 below the elongated hole 31. In addition to biasing the movable shaft 32 downward via the arm 33, the coil spring 34 has its upper end attached to a position on the arm 33 upstream of the movable shaft 32 in the conveying direction, so that in the closed state, the coil spring 34 biases the shutter 20 in a direction in which the lower end of the shutter 20 moves upward downstream of the movable shaft 32 in the conveying direction (clockwise in FIG. 2 etc.). The length of the coil spring 34 is set so that in the open state, the lower end is located between the conveying path 64 and the return path 65 of the bar conveyor 60. Note that if a stopper is provided to prevent the shutter 20 from rotating upward beyond the open state, the length of the coil spring 34 may be shorter than the above, and the biasing force of the coil spring 34 may cause the shutter 20 to abut against the stopper, maintaining the open state.

[0037] One end of the linear body 40 passes through the annular portion 16a of one of the pair of upper guide members 16 and is attached to the linear body attachment portion 33a of the arm 33 that extends downward, and the other end passes through the annular portion 16a of the other upper guide member 16 and is attached to the linear body attachment portion 33a of the arm 33 that extends downward. In other words, the pair of arms 33 are connected by a single linear body 40 that passes above the top plate 12. Therefore, when the center of the linear body 40 is pulled, the pair of arms 33 can be pulled upward. The linear body 40 can be, for example, a string, a rope, or a wire.

[0038] However, if the bar conveyor 60 is installed at a high position, it becomes difficult to pull the linear object 40 if the linear object 40 passes above the top plate 12. Therefore, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1(b), the linear object 40 may be configured to pass below the lower wall panel 13. In this example, the linear object 40 extends upward from below through the annular portion 17a of the lower guide member 17, and is then attached to the linear object attachment portion 33a of the arm 33 from above through the annular portion 16a of the upper guide member 16. In addition, a grip 41 for pulling the linear object 40 is provided at the center of the linear object 40. As a result, by grasping and pulling the grip 41, the pair of arms 33 can be pulled upward via the lower guide member 17 and the upper guide member 16. Therefore, when applied to a bar conveyor 60 installed at a high position, the grip 41 for pulling the linear object 40 is provided below the bar conveyor 60, making it easy to pull the linear object 40.

[0039] The shutter opening and closing device 1 of this embodiment is attached to the bar conveyor 60 by attaching the pair of side plates 11 to the outer surfaces of the pair of conveyor frames 61. The shutter opening and closing device 1 can close the area around the bar conveyor 60 in the opening 71 by attaching the lower wall plate 13, the pair of side plates 18, and the top plate 19 of the device main body 10 to the bar conveyor 60 with them abutting against the wall 70. Note that the pair of side plates 18 and the top plate 19 may be fastened to the wall 70 with screws after being abutted against the wall 70.

[0040] When this shutter opening and closing device 1 is attached to the bar conveyor 60, a space 66 above the transport path 64 is surrounded by the pair of side plates 11 and the top plate 12, and this space 66 can be opened and closed by the shutter 20. Furthermore, when the shutter opening and closing device 1 is attached to the bar conveyor 60, the space below the return path 65 is closed by the bottom wall plate 13, and the space between the transport path 64 and the return path 65 is closed by the middle wall plate 14.

[0041] Next, the opening and closing operation of the shutter 20 in the shutter opening / closing device 1 of this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, when the shutter 20 is in the closed state, as shown in FIG. 2, the movable shaft 32 is positioned near the lower end of the elongated hole 31 due to the biasing force of the coil spring 34 via the arm 33. The upper end of the coil spring 34 is attached to a portion between the tip of the arm 33 and the movable shaft 32, so a force acts to rotate the movable shaft 32 in a direction that moves the tip of the arm 33 downward. At this time, the lower end of the shutter 20, which rotates integrally with the movable shaft 32, is inserted between the two bars 63. Therefore, even if the shutter 20 attempts to rotate around the movable shaft 32, it abuts against the bar 63 on the downstream side in the conveying direction, preventing the rotation. As a result, the closed state is stably maintained.

[0042] On the other hand, in the operation from the closed state to the open state, when the bar 63 in the transport path 64 moves downstream due to the operation of the bar conveyor 60, a force that tries to rotate about the movable shaft 32 acts on the shutter 20 via the arm 33 due to the biasing force of the coil spring 34, so that the shutter 20 rotates about the movable shaft 32 so that the lower end moves downstream as the bar 63 moves. Then, when the bar 63 moves further downstream and the lower end of the shutter 20 separates from the bar 63, the biasing force of the coil spring 64 rotates the arm 33 so that the tip moves downward, and the lower end of the shutter 20 rotates about the movable shaft 32 so that it faces upward, entering the open state (see FIG. 3).

[0043] To change from the open state to the closed state, the operator manually pulls the linear body 40. More specifically, both ends of the linear body 40 are attached from above to linear body attachment portions 33a of the arms 33, which are respectively provided on the outer sides of the pair of side panels 11. Therefore, when the center of the linear body 40 is pulled against the biasing force of the coil springs 34, the movable shaft 32 rotates in a direction in which the tip of each arm 33 moves upward. The shutter 20, which rotates integrally with the rotation of the movable shaft 32, rotates so that its lower end faces downward (see FIG. 4(a)).

[0044] Thereafter, when the lower end of the shutter 20 abuts against the bar 63, the shutter 20 is prevented from rotating. When the linear body 40 is further pulled in this state, the movable shaft 32 slides upward within the elongated hole 31 via the arm 33 (see FIG. 4(b)). As the shutter 20 slides upward, the portion of the lower end of the shutter 20 that abuts against the bar 63 moves, and as the portion moves, the shutter 20 rotates around the movable shaft 32. When the movable shaft 32 slides further upward and the lower end of the shutter 20 separates from the bar 63, the shutter 20 rotates further and stabilizes in a substantially vertical state.

[0045] When the linear body 40 is returned (released) in this state, the biasing force of the coil spring 34 causes the movable shaft 32 to slide downward within the elongated hole 31, and the shutter 20 moves downward together with the movable shaft 32. As a result, the lower end of the shutter 20 is inserted between the two bars 63 (see FIG. 4(c)). Then, when the lower end of the shutter 20 is pressed against the bar 63, or when the movable shaft 32 slides to the lower end of the elongated hole 31, the shutter 20 cannot slide downward any further but can still rotate, and therefore the biasing force of the coil spring 34 causes the movable shaft 32 to rotate so that the tip of the arm 33 moves downward. This rotation of the movable shaft 32 rotates the shutter 20 so that the lower end moves upward, and the lower end abuts against the downstream bar 63, restricting the rotation of the shutter 20 and bringing it into a closed state.

[0046] As described above, the shutter 20 is biased by the coil spring 34 to rotate toward the open state, but rotation to the open state is restricted while the lower end of the shutter 20 inserted between two bars 63 is in contact with the downstream bar 63. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the closable range L in which the lower end of the shutter 20 abuts against the bar 63 is set to be at least twice the distance between adjacent bars 63. Therefore, regardless of the timing at which the bar conveyor 60 is stopped, the shutter 20 can be closed. In other words, there is no need to adjust the timing at which the bar conveyor 60 is stopped in order to close the space 66 above the transport path 64, and the shutter can be reliably closed.

[0047] In the above embodiment, the shutter opening and closing device 1 is attached to the downstream side of the wall 70 in the conveying direction of the bar conveyor 60 that penetrates the wall 70, but the shutter opening and closing device 1 may also be attached to the upstream side of the wall 70 in the conveying direction. In this case, the pair of side plates 18 and top plate 19 are attached so as to coincide with the downstream edge of the side plate 11 and top plate 12 in the conveying direction. In addition, the lower guide member 17 is attached to the lower corner of the side plate 11 on the upstream side in the conveying direction. As a result, for example, when the bar conveyor 60 penetrates a building of a poultry farm, the shutter opening and closing devices 1 provided on both the entrance and exit sides of the bar conveyor 60 can both be installed inside the building.

[0048] As described above, according to the shutter opening / closing device 1 of this embodiment, the upper end of the coil spring 34 is attached to the arm 33 fixed to the shutter 20 via the movable shaft 32, so that the shutter 20 is urged toward the open state with a force substantially equal to the urging force of the coil spring 34. When the shutter 20 is to be closed, the linear body 40 attached to the linear body attachment portion 33a of the arm 33 is pulled up, so that it is possible to pull it up by applying a force slightly stronger than the urging force of the coil spring 34. In other words, it is not necessary to apply a force significantly stronger than the urging force of the coil spring 34 as in the conventional case. This makes it possible to easily close the shutter with a relatively weak force, so that even an operator with weak strength can reliably close the shutter.

[0049] In addition, the upper end of the coil spring 34 is attached to the arm 33 fixed to the shutter 20 to rotate the shutter 20, and since the number of parts is smaller than that of the conventional shutter opening / closing device 100 which requires multiple arms, from the first arm 105 to the fourth arm 114, to rotate the shutter 102, the cost of the shutter opening / closing device 1 can be reduced.

[0050] Incidentally, the conventional shutter opening and closing device 100 opens and closes the shutter 102 using a link mechanism with multiple arms, first arm 105 to fourth arm 114. Therefore, when attempting to use it with a bar conveyor 120 with a different inclination angle, the length of each arm must be changed to match the inclination angle, and the parts could not be reused. In contrast, the shutter opening and closing device 1 of this embodiment opens and closes the shutter 20 with the elongated hole 31 and the arm 33 fixed to the movable shaft 32, so it can be used with a bar conveyor 60 with a different inclination angle without having to modify the arm 33, etc. In other words, it can be used with a horizontally installed bar conveyor 60 and an inclined installed bar conveyor, and can flexibly respond to changes in the construction environment.

[0051] Furthermore, the conventional shutter opening and closing device 100 has two pulleys 117 attached to a beam 116 provided above the pair of side panels 101, and the shutter 102 is rotated to the closed state by a wire 118 wound around the pulleys 117. This resulted in a large size of the shutter opening and closing device 100, requiring a large space for installation. Furthermore, the conventional shutter opening and closing device 100 was attached to the wall of the poultry farming facility. For these reasons, the conventional shutter opening and closing device 100 sometimes interfered with the ceiling, beams, etc. of the poultry farming facility and could not be installed. In contrast, the shutter opening and closing device 1 of this embodiment does not have the support member 115 extending above the side panels 101, or the beam 116 and pulley 117 provided above the side panels 101, as in the conventional shutter opening and closing device 100, and is therefore smaller in size than the conventional shutter opening and closing device 100. Furthermore, the shutter opening and closing device 1 of this embodiment is attached to the bar conveyor 60, so it can be installed in any installation position, even in a narrow space.

[0052] The present invention has been described above by citing preferred embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various improvements and design changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0053] For example, in the above embodiment, the linear body 40 is manually pulled by an operator to close the door, but this is not limited to this, and an electric closing mechanism 50 for pulling the linear body 40 may be provided, as shown in Figure 6. The electric closing mechanism 50 includes a rotating plate 51 arranged above the top plate 12 with its rotation axis facing in the direction in which the pair of side plates 11 are separated, a motor 52 for rotating the rotating plate 51, a bracket 53 supporting the rotating plate 51 and the motor 52 and attached to the device body 10, a first rotating shaft 54 ​​attached to the bracket 53 above the rotating plate 51, a first arm 55 supported near its base end by the first rotating shaft 54 ​​and whose tip extends upstream in the conveying direction, a second rotating shaft 56 attached to the tip of the first arm 55, a second arm 57 supported by the second rotating shaft 56, a spring 58 biasing the base end of the second arm 57 closer to the second rotating shaft 56 toward the first rotating shaft 54, and a third arm 59 connecting the base end of the first arm 55 on the opposite side from the tip of the first rotating shaft 54 ​​to an eccentric shaft 51a that is eccentric from the center of rotation of the rotating plate 51. In the electric closing mechanism 50 , the central portion of the linear body 40 is attached to the tip of the second arm 57 .

[0054] When the shutter 20 is in the open state, the electric closing mechanism 50 has the eccentric shaft 51a positioned near the top dead center of the rotating plate 51. In this state, the base end of the first arm 55 is positioned above the first rotating shaft 54 ​​by the third arm 59 attached to the eccentric shaft 51a, and the opposite tip is positioned below the first rotating shaft 54 ​​and close to the top plate 12. In addition, the tip of the second arm 57 is positioned above the extension line of the first arm 55 due to the biasing force of the spring 58. In this closed state, the tip of the second arm 57 is not pulling on the linear body 40, and the linear body 40 is slack.

[0055] When switching from the open state to the closed state, motor 52 rotates rotary plate 51, which causes eccentric shaft 51a, which is near top dead center, to move downward toward bottom dead center, and the base end of first arm 55 moves downward via third arm 59 attached to eccentric shaft 51a. As a result, first arm 55 rotates about first rotating shaft 54 ​​in a direction in which the tip moves upward, and second arm 57 also moves upward together with the tip of first arm 55. As second arm 57 moves upward, the slack in linear body 40 decreases, and eventually linear body 40 becomes taut and is pulled upward (shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 6).

[0056] The upward movement of second arm 57 pulls linear body 40, causing shutter 20 to rotate from the open state to the closed state against the biasing force of coil spring 34 and then slide upward along elongated hole 31. When eccentric shaft 51a passes bottom dead center and moves toward top dead center due to the rotation of rotary plate 51, second arm 57 moves downward by the reverse of the above operation, returning linear body 40. As a result, shutter 20 slides downward due to the biasing force of coil spring 34, and then rotates around movable shaft 32 until the lower end of shutter 20 abuts against downstream bar 63, thereby closing the shutter. When eccentric shaft 51a reaches near top dead center, the rotation of rotary plate 51 by motor 52 stops. A sensor may be provided to detect the rotational position of rotary plate 51 and the rotational position of first arm 55, etc., to stop the rotation of motor 52.

[0057] Incidentally, when linear body 40 is attached to the tip of first arm 55, if movable shaft 32 abuts against the upper end of elongated hole 31 while the tip of first arm 55 is rising and linear body 40 becomes taut, linear body 40 may hinder the lifting of the tip of first arm 55, which may result in damage to first arm 55. In contrast, in this embodiment, linear body 40 is attached to the tip of second arm 57, and therefore, if the tip of first arm 55 further rises while linear body 40 is taut, second arm 57 rotates about second rotation shaft 56 against the biasing force of spring 58. This allows the tip of first arm 55 to rise, and first arm 55 will not be damaged.

[0058] The electric closing mechanism 50 can also be installed upside down below the lower wall panel 13. This allows the electric closing mechanism 50 to pull the linear object 40 even when the linear object 40 passes below the lower wall panel 13.

[0059] In this way, by providing the electric closing mechanism 50, it is possible to close the shutter 20 in conjunction with the stopping of the bar conveyor 60, thereby automating the equipment. Furthermore, if the electric closing mechanism 50 does not operate due to a malfunction, power outage, or the like, the shutter can be closed by an operator pulling the linear body 40 as described above, making it possible to respond to emergencies. Furthermore, as described above, since the shutter can be closed with less force than before, a smaller motor 52 can be used, and costs can be reduced.

[0060] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, both ends of a single linear body 40 are attached to the linear body attachment portions 33a of a pair of arms 33, respectively, but this is not limited to this. The ends of two separate linear bodies 40 may be attached to the linear body attachment portions 33a of a pair of arms 33, and the two linear bodies 40 may be bundled and pulled together.

Claims

[Claim 1] A pair of side panels; a shutter provided between the pair of side plates; a pair of shutter support mechanisms that respectively mount the shutters on the pair of side plates; a linear body for moving the shutter by the pair of shutter support mechanisms; Equipped with Each of the shutter support mechanisms includes: a vertically long hole penetrating the side panel; a movable shaft that is rotatably and slidably inserted into the elongated hole and is fixed to a side edge of the shutter so as to rotate integrally with the shutter; an arm extending from the movable shaft along the side plate and having a linear object attachment portion at a tip end remote from the movable shaft; a coil spring having an upper end attached to a portion of the arm between the movable shaft and the linear object attachment portion and a lower end attached to a portion of the side panel below the elongated hole, and urging the movable shaft downward via the arm, The linear body is attached to each of the pair of linear body attachment portions from above. A shutter opening and closing device characterized by:

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