Transfer device

Abstract

To achieve high efficiency of a transfer apparatus by simultaneously handling one or more cargoes.SOLUTION: A transfer apparatus 10 includes: a gripping part 20 which grips one or more cargoes together at a gripping position and can release gripping at a gripping releasing position; a gripping part movement device 21 which moves the gripping part 20 under no gripped cargo state to the gripping position and moves the gripping part 20 under a gripped cargo state to the gripping releasing position. The gripping part 20 includes: a sucking part which can advance toward a cargo, can suck one or more cargoes together in an advance state and can retreat along with the cargo while sucking one or more cargoes together; and a lower supporting part which can place one or more cargoes sucked and retreated by the sucking part together.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a transfer device for transferring cargo loaded in a container such as a truck bed or loading cargo into the container. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a technology for automatically removing and transporting cargo loaded in a container such as the back of a truck (see Patent Document 1). There is also known a technology for automatically loading cargo transported by a conveyor or the like into a container (see Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6172293 [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 8-15950 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the above-mentioned prior art assumes handling of one piece of luggage at a time, and does not disclose handling of multiple pieces of luggage at the same time. When transporting a large number of packages, work efficiency can be improved if multiple packages can be handled simultaneously. However, conventional technology has made it difficult to handle multiple packages at once.

[0005] The present invention focuses on this point and aims to improve the efficiency of the transfer device by making it possible to handle one or more pieces of luggage at the same time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above object, a transfer device according to a first aspect of the present invention is a transfer device for loading and unloading cargo into and from a container, comprising: a gripping unit capable of gripping one or more cargoes at a gripping position and releasing the grip at a release position; a gripping unit moving device that moves the gripping unit to grip the gripping position and release the grip at the release position; and a control device having a moving gripping control unit that controls the gripping unit and the gripping unit moving device, wherein the gripping unit is capable of advancing toward an appropriate transfer position for the cargoes and is capable of sucking in one or more cargoes at a time while advancing and retreating together with the cargoes; and a lower support unit on which one or more cargoes that have been sucked in and retreated by the suction unit can be placed collectively. With this configuration, the transfer device can handle one or more cargoes at a time when loading and unloading cargoes into and from a container, thereby improving work efficiency and enabling downstream work to proceed smoothly.

[0007] A transfer device according to a second aspect of the present invention is the transfer device according to the first aspect, characterized in that the transfer device is for removing cargo from a container, and further includes a holding and discharging unit that temporarily holds the cargo released at the release position and sequentially discharges it at predetermined time intervals, and the control device includes a time interval control unit that controls the holding and discharging unit. With this configuration, the transfer device can handle one or more cargoes simultaneously when removing them from a container, thereby improving work efficiency and allowing downstream work to proceed smoothly.

[0008] A third aspect of the present invention is a transfer device according to the second aspect, characterized in that the holding and discharging unit includes a holding conveyor on which the loads are placed and which is driven intermittently. With this configuration, it is possible to realize a holding and discharging unit that temporarily holds loads that have been released at the release position and sequentially discharges them at predetermined time intervals.

[0009] A fourth aspect of the present invention is a transfer device according to the second or third aspect, characterized in that the holding and discharging unit is provided with a gate that intermittently allows and blocks the passage of the loads. With this configuration, it is possible to realize a holding and discharging unit that temporarily holds loads that have been released at the release position and sequentially discharges them at predetermined time intervals.

[0010] A fifth aspect of the present invention is a transfer device according to any one of the second to fourth aspects, characterized in that the holding and discharging unit discharges the loads onto an external conveyor for transporting the loads. With this configuration, the transfer device can handle one or more loads simultaneously and can sequentially discharge the loads onto the external conveyor at predetermined time intervals.

[0011] A sixth aspect of the present invention is a transfer device according to the first aspect, characterized in that the transfer device is for loading cargo into a container and further includes a holding unit that temporarily holds the transported cargo at the gripping position. With this configuration, when loading cargo into a container, the transfer device can handle one or more cargoes at the same time, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0012] A seventh aspect of the present invention is a transfer device according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, characterized in that the control device includes at least one joystick for operating the gripper and the gripper moving device. This configuration makes it possible to easily operate the gripper and the gripper moving device.

[0013] The transfer device according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is the transfer device according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, characterized in that the control device further comprises an alarm processing unit that issues an abnormality alarm if there is no input from the operator for a predetermined period of time. With this configuration, safety can be ensured in the event of an abnormality, such as an abnormality in the operator's health. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to this invention, the transfer device can handle one or more loads at the same time, thereby improving the efficiency of the transfer device. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a transfer device according to a first embodiment of the present invention and its peripheral components. [Figure 2] 2 is an elevation view schematically showing a state in which the transfer device of FIG. 1 is installed on the bed of a truck and cargo is carried out from the bed. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an elevation view schematically showing the transfer device of FIGS. 1 and 2; [Figure 4] 4 is an elevation view schematically showing the details of the gripping unit of FIG. 3, illustrating a state in which the suction unit has been advanced toward and approached the baggage to be gripped. FIG. [Figure 5] 5 is a diagram showing a state in which the suction unit is retracted together with the luggage after the state in FIG. 4, and the luggage is placed on the platform. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is an elevation view schematically showing a situation in which a transfer device according to a second embodiment of the present invention is installed on the loading platform of a truck and cargo is carried into the loading platform. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an elevation view schematically showing the transfer device of FIG. 6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Hereinafter, a transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, the same or similar parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted. [First embodiment] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a transfer device according to a first embodiment of the present invention and its peripheral components. Fig. 2 is an elevation view showing a state in which the transfer device of Fig. 1 is installed on the loading platform of a truck and cargo is carried out from the loading platform. Fig. 3 is an elevation view showing the transfer device of Fig. 1 and Fig. 2.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 2, the transfer device 10 of this embodiment transfers luggage 13 loaded on a loading platform 12 (container) of a truck 11 parked in a parking space E to an unloading conveyor 14. The luggage 13 is then transferred by the unloading conveyor 14 to a working conveyor 15 installed on a platform P of a warehouse or the like.

[0018] The cargo 13 loaded on the loading platform 12 is each contained in, for example, a cardboard box, and can be stacked. However, the cargo does not necessarily have to be standardized to the same shape and size. It can also be a bag-shaped item such as a bag containing grain.

[0019] The unloading conveyor 14 shown in FIG. 2 has a telescopic structure that is extendable and retractable, but it need not have such a structure, and it need not be extendable and retractable.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the transfer device 10 includes a gripping unit 20, a gripping unit moving device 21, a holding and discharging unit 22, and a control device 24.

[0021] The gripper moving device 21 moves the gripper 20 to a desired position and moves the gripper 20 in a desired direction.

[0022] The gripping unit 20 grips the luggage 13 at the gripping position and releases the gripped luggage 13 at the release position. The gripping unit 20 is configured to be able to grip a plurality of luggage 13 simultaneously. The gripping unit 20 includes a suction unit 30, a side support unit 31, and a lower support unit 32. The suction unit 30, the side support unit 31, and the lower support unit 32 may be detachable so that appropriate units can be used depending on the shape, dimensions, weight, etc. of the luggage 13.

[0023] The suction unit 30 sucks the luggage 13 upward from the top surface of the luggage 13, lifting it up, or pulls the luggage 13 horizontally from the front toward the user. However, if a heavy luggage 13 is to be gripped using only this mechanism, the top or front of the container, such as a cardboard box, containing the luggage 13 may be destroyed by the weight of the luggage 13. The side support units 31 hold the luggage 13 by sandwiching it from both sides and using friction. However, if multiple luggage 13 are to be gripped using only this mechanism, sufficient holding force may not be obtained, and the luggage 13 may fall due to loss of balance. The lower support units 32 support the bottom surface of the luggage 13. However, before supporting the luggage 13, the lower support units 32 must be inserted under the bottom surface of the luggage 13. If there is no clearance on the bottom surface of the luggage 13, it may be difficult to insert the lower support units 32.

[0024] In this embodiment, by combining two or three of the three types of parts that make up the gripping section 20, namely the suction section 30, the side support section 31, and the lower support section 32, multiple pieces of luggage 13 can be easily gripped simultaneously.

[0025] An example of the gripping part 20 in which the suction part 30 and the lower support part 32 are combined will be described later with reference to FIGS.

[0026] The holding and discharging section 22 receives one or more packages 13 simultaneously gripped by the gripping section 20, temporarily holds them, and then sequentially discharges them one by one at desired time intervals onto the discharge conveyor 14. The holding and discharging section 22 includes a transfer conveyor 22a, a holding conveyor 22b, and a gate 22c.

[0027] The multiple packages 13 that were gripped by the gripping unit 20 are released onto the transfer conveyor 22a and received by the transfer conveyor 22a. The transfer conveyor 22a is constantly driven, and the packages 13 on the transfer conveyor 22a are sent to the holding conveyor 22b. The holding conveyor 22b is driven intermittently, and the packages 13 on the holding conveyor 22b are temporarily held on the holding conveyor 22b. The holding conveyor 22b is driven intermittently to discharge the packages 13 one by one at desired time intervals. The gate 22c is opened in time with the discharge of the packages 13 from the holding conveyor 22b.

[0028] In another embodiment, gate 22c can be omitted if the timing of the on / off driving of holding conveyor 22b can be appropriately controlled. In yet another embodiment, conversely, holding conveyor 22b can be continuously driven, and packages 13 can be discharged one by one from holding and discharging section 22 simply by controlling the opening and closing of gate 22c.

[0029] 1, the control device 24 includes a control unit 40, an alarm processing unit 41, and an input / output unit 42. The control unit 40 includes a moving / holding control unit 43 and a time interval control unit 44. The input / output unit 42 includes a touch panel 45 and a joystick 46.

[0030] The transfer device 10 has a seat 50 (FIG. 3) where an operator sits, and a seat switch 51 (FIG. 1). The seat switch 51 is automatically turned on when the operator sits in the seat 50, and is automatically turned off when the operator leaves the seat 50. The transfer device 10 can be controlled by the operator sitting in the seat 50 through the input / output unit 42.

[0031] The moving grip control unit 43 controls the grip unit 20 and the grip unit moving device 21. The operator operates the moving grip control unit 43 using a touch panel 45 and a joystick 46. For example, initial settings are performed using the touch panel 45. There are two joysticks 46, one for the right hand and one for the left hand. For example, the left-hand joystick is mainly used to operate the grip unit moving device 21, and performs operations such as moving the grip unit 20 forward, backward, and up and down. The right-hand joystick is mainly used to operate the grip unit 20, and performs operations such as gripping and releasing the grip.

[0032] It is also possible for the moving grip control unit 43 to partially or completely automate the control of the grip unit 20 and the grip unit moving device 21 .

[0033] When an operator sits on the seat 50, a seat switch 51 is turned on, and when the operator leaves the seat 50, the seat switch 51 is turned off, so that it is possible to prevent the transfer device 10 from moving due to a malfunction when the operator leaves the seat 50.

[0034] Furthermore, if an operator is sitting in the seat 50 and there is no input operation from the operator for a predetermined time, it is possible that some abnormality has occurred in the operator's body, and an abnormality alarm can be issued by the alarm processing unit 41. The abnormality alarm can be displayed on the screen, an alarm sound is emitted, an alarm light is turned on, etc. Furthermore, it is also possible to set the transfer device 10 to be forcibly stopped if the abnormality continues for a long period of time.

[0035] The time interval control unit 44 controls the timing of driving and stopping the holding conveyor 22b and opening and closing the gate 22c.

[0036] As shown in Fig. 3, the transfer device 10 has wheels 55. This allows the transfer device 10 to move progressively further inside the loading platform 12 as the number of packages 13 loaded inside the loading platform 12 decreases. At this time, the extendable unloading conveyor 14 can also be extended as the transfer device 10 moves further inside the loading platform 12.

[0037] [Example of a gripping unit that combines a suction unit and a lower support unit] Here, a specific example of the gripping part 20 in which the suction part 30 and the lower support part 32 are combined will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0038] Figure 4 is an elevation view showing the details of the gripping unit in Figure 3, and shows the state in which the suction unit has been advanced toward and approached the luggage to be gripped, and Figure 5 shows the state in which the suction unit has been retracted together with the luggage after the state in Figure 4, and the luggage has been placed on the lower support unit.

[0039] The gripping unit 20 includes a suction unit 30 and a lower support unit 32. The lower support unit 32 has a horizontally extending placement surface 32a on which the load 13 can be placed. A plurality of suction units 30 are arranged per lower support unit 32 so that a single gripping unit 20 can handle a plurality of loads 13. The plurality of suction units 30 and a plurality of loads 13 are arranged in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in Figures 4 and 5.

[0040] Each suction unit 30 has a suction cup 30a and a suction cup movement mechanism 30b. The suction cup 30a has a suction surface facing the load 13 and can be moved relative to the lower support unit 32 by the suction cup movement mechanism 30b, and can move forward to the left in Figures 4 and 5 toward the load 13 to be gripped, and can move backward to the right in Figures 4 and 5 together with the gripped load 13.

[0041] A suction pipe (not shown) is connected to the suction cup 30a, and the opposite side of the suction cup 30a is connected to a vacuum source (e.g., a vacuum pump) (not shown). The suction pipe may be, for example, a flexible hose. An on-off valve (not shown) is provided on the suction pipe, allowing the suction of the suction cup 30a to be turned on and off as needed.

[0042] To grip multiple loads 13, the gripper moving device 21 (FIGS. 1 and 3) moves the gripper 20 to the position of the load 13 to be gripped, as shown in FIG. 4, and the suction cup moving mechanism 30b moves the suction cup 30a forward, bringing the suction cup 30a closer to the load 13 to be gripped. Then, the opening / closing valve of the suction pipe is opened to allow the suction cup 30a to suck in the load 13, so that the load 13 is attracted to the suction cup 30a. Then, the suction cup moving mechanism 30b moves the suction cup 30a backward, and the load 13 is placed on the lower support part 32, as shown in FIG. 5.

[0043] After the load 13 is placed on the lower support part 32, the gripper moving device 21 changes the orientation or moves the gripper 20 while gripping the load 13. At that time, the load of the load 13 is supported by the lower support part 32, so the frequency of damage to the container of the load 13 can be reduced compared to when the load is supported by suction only.

[0044] In order to prevent the load 13 from falling due to inertial forces such as centrifugal force when the gripping part 20 is changed in orientation or moved while gripping the load 13, it is preferable to incline the lower support part 32 so that the outside is higher when the lower support part 32 rotates.

[0045] According to this embodiment, the gripping unit 20 can grip multiple units of luggage 13 loaded on the loading platform 12 at once, thereby improving work efficiency. Moreover, the luggage 13 to be discharged is discharged one by one onto the carry-out conveyor 14 at desired time intervals by the operation of the holding and discharging unit 22. As a result, the luggage 13 is sent one by one onto the working conveyor 15 at desired time intervals. This allows work on the working conveyor 15 and downstream thereof to be carried out smoothly and without delay.

[0046] In the above embodiment, the holding and discharging section 22 is a combination of the transfer conveyor 22a, the holding conveyor 22b, and the gate 22c, but the present invention is not limited to this structure. The holding and discharging section 22 may be any structure that can temporarily hold multiple units that have been gripped and released by the gripping section 20 and sequentially discharge them at predetermined time intervals. For example, the holding and discharging section 22 may be structured to temporarily place the multiple released units on a suitable table.

[0047] [Second embodiment] Fig. 6 is an elevation view showing a state in which a transfer device according to a second embodiment of the present invention is installed on the bed of a truck and an article is carried into the bed. Fig. 7 is an elevation view showing the transfer device of Fig. 6.

[0048] The transfer device according to the second embodiment is a modification of the transfer device according to the first embodiment, and is used when carrying luggage onto the bed of a truck. Hereinafter, a duplicated description of the same parts as in the first embodiment will be omitted, and only the parts that differ from the first embodiment will be described.

[0049] In this second embodiment, the cargo 13 is transferred from a work conveyor 15 installed on a platform P of a warehouse or the like to a carry-in conveyor 14a, and then loaded onto a loading platform 12 by a transfer device 10a.

[0050] The carry-in conveyor 14a may have the same structure as the carry-out conveyor 14 in the first embodiment, but since the direction in which the cargo 13 is conveyed is reversed, the installation direction is reversed.

[0051] The transfer device 10a may be similar to the transfer device 10 in the first embodiment, but the gate 22cInstead, the positional relationship between the transfer conveyor 22a and the holding conveyor (holding section) 22b is reversed. As a result, the cargo 13 transported by the carry-in conveyor 14a is placed on the transfer conveyor 22a and transported downstream (to the left in the figure). The cargo 13 transported by the transfer conveyor 22a is placed on the holding conveyor 22b downstream of that. A stopper 22d is arranged at the downstream (left) end of the holding conveyor 22b, and the cargo 13 is held on the holding conveyor 22b.

[0052] The luggage 13 held on the holding conveyor 22b is held in groups of several by the gripping unit 20, moved by the operation of the gripping unit moving device 21, and sequentially released from gripping and loaded onto the loading platform 12. The structures of the gripping unit 20 and the gripping unit moving device 21 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0053] [Other embodiments] In the above embodiment, the transfer devices 10, 10a transport out cargo loaded on the loading platform 12 of the truck 11, and conversely, load cargo onto the loading platform 12 of the truck 11. In this invention, the place where the cargo is placed is not limited to the loading platform 12 of the truck 11, and may be other containers.

[0054] The embodiments described above are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to them. Various modifications may be made to the present invention within the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 10, 10a...Transfer device 11...Truck 12...Container 13...Luggage 14...Export conveyor 14a...Loading conveyor 15...Work conveyor 20...Gripping part 21...Gripping part moving device 22...Holding and discharging section 22a...Transfer conveyor 22b...Holding conveyor 22c...Gate 22d...Stopper 24...Control device 30…Suction part 30a...suction cup 30b…Sucker moving mechanism 31...Side support part 32...Lower support part 32a...Placement surface 40...Control unit 41...Alarm processing unit 42…Input / output section 43…Movement grip control unit 44...Time interval control section 45...Touch panel 46...Joystick 50 seats 51...Seat switch 55...Wheel

Claims

1. a gripping unit that can grip one or more pieces of luggage together at a gripping position and release the gripping at a release position; a gripping portion moving device that moves the gripping portion to grip at the gripping position and release at the release position; a control device including a moving gripping control unit that controls the gripping unit and the gripping unit moving device; A transfer device for loading and unloading cargo into and from a container, comprising: The gripping portion is a suction unit that is capable of advancing toward an appropriate position for transferring the loads, and that is capable of sucking one or more loads together in a collectively in a state of advancing, and then moving backward together with the loads; a lower support portion on which one or more of the luggage that has been sucked back by the suction portion can be placed together; Equipped with The load is sucked by the suction unit and placed on the lower support unit. The load is moved by the gripping unit moving device in a gripped state, and the control unit controls the load to be released from gripping by the gripping unit after the movement. The transfer device is characterized by:

2. The transfer device is for removing cargo from a container, a holding and discharging section that temporarily holds the baggage released at the release position and sequentially discharges the baggage at predetermined time intervals; the control device includes a time interval control unit that controls the holding and discharging unit; The transfer device according to claim 1 .

3. 3. The transfer device according to claim 2, wherein the holding and discharging section includes a holding conveyor on which the cargo is placed and which is intermittently driven.

4. 4. The transfer device according to claim 2, wherein the holding and discharging section is provided with a gate that intermittently allows and blocks the passage of the cargo.

5. 5. The transfer device according to claim 2, wherein the holding and discharging section discharges the load onto an external conveyor for transporting the load.

6. The transfer device is for loading cargo into a container, Further, the robot has a holding section that temporarily holds the transported luggage at the gripping position. The transfer device according to claim 1 .

7. 7. The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the control device includes at least one joystick for operating the gripper and the gripper moving device.

8. 8. The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the control device further comprises an alarm processing unit that issues an abnormality alarm when there is no input from an operator for a predetermined period of time.

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