Conveyor System

Abstract

To adjust intervals between multiple pieces of luggage conveyed by a conveyor system and be able to smoothly perform operations downstream the conveyor system.SOLUTION: A conveyor system 100 includes: a base conveyor 60 that has a base leg part and a base conveyor part that can be fixed on the top of the base leg part and can convey multiple pieces of luggage in a series of determined directions; movable conveyors 70,80 that have a movable leg part, and movable conveyor parts fixed on the top of the movable leg part and conveying luggage 13 in predetermined directions, the movable conveyors configured able to be at least partially stored inside the base conveyor 60, and such that when the base conveyor 60 is pulled out, the base conveyor part and the movable conveyor parts are connected; and a holding and discharge part that temporarily holds luggage 13 and discharges them at a predetermined time interval.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveyor system, and more particularly to a conveyor system suitable for loading and unloading cargo onto truck beds and the like. [Background technology]

[0002] There is known a technology for automatically removing cargo loaded on the bed of a truck or in a container and transporting it to the outside (see Patent Document 1). There is also known a technology for automatically loading cargo transported by a conveyor or the like onto the bed of a truck or 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, with the above-mentioned conventional technology, if the intervals between multiple transported packages fluctuate over time, it becomes difficult to carry out work in a timely manner on the downstream side that receives those packages, which may result in packages being backed up or the packages not being able to be processed properly or smoothly. Also, depending on the work content on the downstream side, it may be desirable for multiple packages to be discharged to a certain extent together.

[0005] The present invention focuses on this point and aims to adjust the spacing between multiple transported packages to enable smooth operation of work processes downstream of the conveyor system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the conveyor system of the first aspect of the present invention comprises a base conveyor having a base leg and a base conveyor section fixed to the upper part of the base leg and capable of transporting multiple loads sequentially in a predetermined direction, at least one movable conveyor having a movable leg and a movable conveyor section fixed to the upper part of the movable leg and transporting the loads in the predetermined direction, the movable conveyor being at least partially storable inside the base conveyor and configured so that the base conveyor section and the movable conveyor section are connected when pulled out from inside the base conveyor, and a holding and discharging section that temporarily holds the loads and discharges them sequentially at predetermined time intervals.

[0007] According to a conveyor system having such a configuration, even if the intervals between multiple transported packages fluctuate over time, work processes downstream of the conveyor system can be carried out smoothly.

[0008] A conveyor system according to a second aspect of the present invention is the conveyor system according to the first aspect, characterized in that the holding and discharging section includes a holding conveyor on which the cargo is placed and which is driven intermittently. With this configuration, it is possible to realize a holding and discharging section that temporarily holds cargo and sequentially discharges it at predetermined time intervals.

[0009] A conveyor system according to a third aspect of the present invention is the conveyor system according to the first or second aspect, wherein the movable conveyor includes first and second movable conveyors, the first movable conveyor having a first movable leg and a first movable conveyor section fixed to an upper part of the first movable leg and transporting the load in the predetermined direction, the second movable conveyor having a second movable leg and a second movable conveyor section fixed to an upper part of the second movable leg and transporting the load in the predetermined direction, and the first movable conveyor is positioned at least inside the base conveyor. the first movable conveyor can be at least partially stored inside the first movable conveyor and is configured so that the base conveyor section and the movable conveyor section are connected when the second movable conveyor is pulled out from inside the first movable conveyor, and the second movable conveyor can be at least partially stored inside the first movable conveyor and is configured so that the first movable conveyor section and the second movable conveyor section are connected when the second movable conveyor is pulled out from inside the first movable conveyor, and the conveyor system further comprises a synchronization section that synchronizes the pulling out amount and the pushing back amount of the first and second movable conveyors.

[0010] According to the conveyor system having such a configuration, it is possible to simplify the work of pulling out and pushing back the first and second movable conveyors from the base conveyor.

[0011] A fourth aspect of the present invention is a conveyor system according to any one of the first to third aspects, characterized in that an inclined plate is provided between the base conveyor and the movable conveyor. With this conveyor system, cargo can be moved smoothly between the base conveyor and the movable conveyor.

[0012] A conveyor system according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the conveyor system according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, further comprising a gripping unit capable of gripping a plurality of units at a predetermined gripping position and releasing the grip at a predetermined release position, and a gripping unit moving device that moves the gripping unit when not gripping a unit to the gripping position and moves the gripping unit when gripping a unit to the release position. A conveyor system configured in this way can handle a plurality of units at the same time, thereby improving work efficiency and allowing downstream work to proceed smoothly.

[0013] A sixth aspect of the present invention is a conveyor system according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, characterized in that the conveyor system is configured so that the loads discharged from the holding and discharging section are transferred to the base conveyor, and the loads transported by the base conveyor are transferred to the at least one movable conveyor. With this configuration, the loads discharged from the holding and discharging section can be smoothly transferred from the base conveyor to the movable conveyor.

[0014] A seventh aspect of the present invention is a conveyor system according to the sixth aspect, characterized in that the holding and discharging section includes a gate that intermittently allows and blocks the passage of the cargo. This configuration makes it possible to realize a holding and discharging section that temporarily holds cargo and sequentially discharges it at predetermined time intervals.

[0015] A conveyor system according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is the conveyor system according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, characterized in that the conveyor system is configured so that the loads discharged from the holding and discharging section are transferred to the base conveyor, and the loads transported by the base conveyor are transferred to the at least one movable conveyor. With this configuration, the loads discharged from the holding and discharging section can be smoothly transferred from the base conveyor to the movable conveyor. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the conveyor system of the present invention, even if the intervals between multiple transported packages fluctuate over time, work processes downstream of the conveyor system can be carried out smoothly. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is an elevation view schematically showing a situation in which a conveyor system according to a first embodiment of the present invention is installed on a truck bed and cargo is being carried out from the bed. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the conveyor system of FIG. 1 and its peripheral components. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an elevation view schematically showing the conveying device of FIGS. 1 and 2. [Figure 4] 1 is an elevational view showing an extended state of an extension conveyor of a conveyor system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a side view of the telescopic conveyor of FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an elevational view showing the telescopic conveyor of FIGS. 4 and 5 in a retracted state. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is an elevation view schematically showing a situation in which a conveyor system according to a second embodiment of the present invention is installed on the bed of a truck and cargo is carried into the bed. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an elevation view schematically showing the transport device of FIG. 7. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] Next, a conveyor system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Here, identical or similar parts are designated by common reference numerals and redundant description will be omitted. [First embodiment] Fig. 1 is an elevation view showing a conveyor system according to a first embodiment of the present invention installed on the bed of a truck and transporting luggage from the bed. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the conveyor system of Fig. 1 and its peripheral components. Fig. 3 is an elevation view showing the conveying device of Figs. 1 and 2.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1 , the conveyor system 100 of this embodiment transfers cargo 13 loaded on the loading platform 12 of a truck 11 parked in a parking space E to a working conveyor 15 installed on a platform P of a warehouse or the like. The conveyor system 100 has a transport device 10 and an extendable conveyor 14. The transport device 10 is installed on the loading platform 12 of the truck 11 and transfers the cargo 13 loaded on the loading platform 12 to the extendable conveyor 14. The cargo 13 transferred to the extendable conveyor 14 is further transferred to the working conveyor 15.

[0020] 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. The telescopic conveyor 14 has a telescopic structure and is extendable and retractable, as will be described in detail later.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the transport device 10 includes a gripping unit 20, a gripping unit moving device 21, a holding and discharging unit 22, and a control device 24.

[0022] The gripper moving device 21 moves the gripper 20 to a desired position and moves the gripper 20 in a desired direction.

[0023] 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 vacuum suction unit 30, a side support unit 31, and a lower support unit 32. The vacuum 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.

[0024] The vacuum 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 this alone, 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 this alone, 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 of the luggage 13. However, before supporting the luggage 13, the lower support units 32 must be inserted under the bottom of the luggage 13. Inserting the lower support units 32 may be difficult if there is no clearance at the bottom of the luggage 13.

[0025] In this embodiment, by combining two or three of the three types of parts that make up the gripping section 20, namely the vacuum suction section 30, the side support section 31, and the lower support section 32, multiple pieces of luggage 13 can be easily gripped simultaneously.

[0026] The holding and discharging section 22 receives and temporarily holds multiple packages 13 simultaneously gripped by the gripping section 20, and then sequentially discharges them one by one at desired time intervals onto the extendable 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] As a modified example, if the timing of the on / off driving of the holding conveyor 22b can be appropriately controlled, the gate 22c can be omitted. Also, as a further modified example, the holding conveyor 22b can be continuously driven, and the packages 13 can be discharged one by one from the holding and discharging section 22 only by controlling the opening and closing of the gate 22c.

[0029] 2, 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 transport device 10 has a seat 50 (FIG. 3) where an operator sits, and a seat switch 51 (FIG. 2). 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 transport 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 transport device 10 from moving due to a malfunction when the operator leaves the seat 50.

[0034] Furthermore, if an operator is seated 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 can be emitted, an alarm light can be turned on, etc. Furthermore, it is also possible to set the transport 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 Figure 3, the conveying device 10 has wheels 55. This allows the conveying device 10 to move gradually further inside the loading platform 12 as the number of packages 13 loaded inside the loading platform 12 decreases. At this time, the extendable conveyor 14 can also be extended as the conveying device 10 moves further inside the loading platform 12.

[0037] Next, the telescopic conveyor 14 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0038] Figure 4 is an elevational view showing the extension state of the telescopic conveyor of the conveyor system according to the first embodiment of the present invention, Figure 5 is a side view of the telescopic conveyor of Figure 4, and Figure 6 is an elevational view showing the retracted state of the telescopic conveyor of Figures 4 and 5.

[0039] The telescopic conveyor 14 includes a base conveyor 60, a first movable conveyor 70, and a second movable conveyor 80. The base conveyor 60 includes a base leg 61 and a base conveyor section 62 fixed to the upper part of the base leg 61 and transporting the cargo 13 in a predetermined direction (to the right in FIG. 4). Similarly, the first movable conveyor 70 includes a first movable leg 71 and a first movable conveyor section 72 fixed to the upper part of the first movable leg 71 and transporting the cargo 13 in the predetermined direction. Similarly, the second movable conveyor 80 includes a second movable leg 81 and a second movable conveyor section 82 fixed to the upper part of the second movable leg 81 and transporting the cargo 13 in the predetermined direction.

[0040] The movable legs 71, 81 are equipped with casters, for example, as shown in the figure. Instead of casters, rollers, wheels, or a low-friction material such as fluororesin or polyethylene resin may be used to make the bottom surface more slippery. Furthermore, like the movable legs 71, 81, the base leg 61 is also preferably movable using casters or the like.

[0041] The first movable conveyor 70 can be stored inside the base conveyor 60 and can be pulled out in the luggage conveying direction. The second movable conveyor 80 can be stored inside the first movable conveyor 70 and can be pulled out in the luggage conveying direction.

[0042] 5, the base conveyor 60 is fixed to the upper portions of four base legs 61 at four points on a frame 63 constituting a base conveyor section 62, forming a table-like structure that is long in the conveying direction. The four base legs 61 support the load of the cargo 13 being conveyed.

[0043] The base conveyor section 62 employs a roller conveyor system with a plurality of roller elements 64 arranged adjacent to each other along the longitudinal direction (the direction in which the cargo 13 is conveyed) of a frame 63. Alternatively, a belt conveyor system may be employed, which rotates in a predetermined direction via a drive device.

[0044] The base legs 61 may be simply pipe-shaped as long as they can withstand the load of the cargo 13, but considering the movement of the entire telescopic conveyor 14, it is preferable that they are movable as shown in the figure. In this case, it is preferable that at least the movable parts of the base conveyor 60, such as the casters, are equipped with stopper mechanisms (not shown).

[0045] The first movable conveyor 70 has a first movable conveyor section 72 that transports the cargo 13 in a predetermined direction, fixed to the upper part of the first movable leg section 71. When contracted, the first movable conveyor 70 is stored inside the base conveyor 60, i.e., inside the base leg section 61 and inside (below) the base conveyor section 62. When extended, the first movable conveyor 70 can be pulled out by rotating the casters, etc.

[0046] In addition, the second movable conveyor 80 has a second movable conveyor section 82 that transports the luggage 13 in a predetermined direction, which is fixed to the upper part of the second movable leg section 81, and is stored inside the first movable leg section 71 and the first movable conveyor section 72 so that it can be pulled out.

[0047] As shown in the figure, each movable conveyor 70, 80 is fixed to the upper part of four movable legs 71, 81 at four points on each frame 73, 83 that constitutes the movable conveyor section 72, 82, and is configured in a stretcher style (telescopic style) that is long in the conveying direction, with the four movable legs 71, 81 supporting the load on the cargo 13 being conveyed.

[0048] The number of (movable) base legs 61 and movable legs 71, 81 can be changed depending on the length (transport length) of the conveyor sections 62, 72, 82, the weight of the cargo 13 expected in advance, etc. Also, the (movable) base legs 61 and movable legs 71, 81 may adopt a foldable system that allows them to be folded down so as to fit along the bottom surfaces of the conveyor sections 62, 72, 82.

[0049] The illustrated movable conveyors 70, 80 employ the two-tier configuration described above (a three-tier configuration overall when the base conveyor 60 is included), with the first movable conveyor 70 housed inside the base conveyor 60 in a retractable manner, and the second movable conveyor 80 housed inside the first movable conveyor 70 in a retractable manner. As a modified example, a further movable conveyor (not shown) may be housed inside the second movable conveyor 80. Furthermore, the widths and lengths of the conveyor sections 62, 72, 82, as well as the number of conveyor sections, may be changed in various ways.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 4, inclined plate portions 65, 75 are provided between the base conveyor 60 and the first movable conveyor 70, and between the first movable conveyor 70 and the second movable conveyor 80, respectively.

[0051] The first movable conveyor 70 is stored in the base conveyor 60 so as to be retractable, and the second movable conveyor 80 is stored in the first movable conveyor 70 so as to be retractable. As a result, steps are generated between the upper surface of the base conveyor section 62 and the upper surface of the first movable conveyor section 72, and between the upper surface of the first movable conveyor section 72 and the upper surface of the second movable conveyor section 82. These steps may cause loads 13 to fall and cause impacts when being handed over during conveyor transport. The provision of the inclined plate sections 65, 75 can mitigate the impacts caused by the steps.

[0052] The telescopic conveyor 14 needs to be extended or retracted depending on the amount of cargo 13 loaded inside the loading platform 12. In this case, the first and second movable conveyors 70, 80 may synchronize their extension and push-back amounts. Also, the first and second movable conveyors 70, 80 may extend or retract in stages, with priority given to either the extension or push-back amount.

[0053] When extending and retracting in this stepwise manner, the first movable conveyor 70 on the upper side must be pulled out first from the base conveyor 60 during the pull-out operation, and the second movable conveyor 80 on the lower side must be pushed back before the first movable conveyor 70 during the push-back operation.

[0054] Therefore, if the pull-out and push-back amounts of each movable conveyor 70, 80 are synchronized, there is no need to use different pull-out and push-back orders for the upper and lower levels, which can contribute to simplifying the manual extension work by workers.

[0055] Next, we will explain how the extendable conveyor 14 is used when loading and unloading the cargo 13 inside the loading platform 12. In this case, it is more convenient to use the extendable conveyor 14 if the conveying surface thereof becomes lower as the conveying direction of the cargo 13 moves downstream.

[0056] As shown in Figure 1, when cargo 13 is loaded and unloaded sequentially from the front side of the loading platform 12, at least a portion of the downstream side of the movable conveyor 80 in the conveying direction is positioned on the platform P, and the base conveyor 60, movable conveyor 70, and movable conveyor 80 are pulled out in that order from a storage state (contracted state) in which the base conveyor 60 and movable conveyor 70 are pushed in (minimally contracted) as the load of cargo 13 decreases.

[0057] In this way, the telescopic conveyor 14 is arranged so as to straddle the upper surface of the platform P and the upper surface of the loading platform 12, so there is no need to place a dedicated conveying device between the loading platform 12 of the truck 11 and the platform P, and there is only enough space between them to prevent them from interfering with each other.

[0058] Therefore, there is no need to secure a space for placing the conveying device between the loading platform 12 of the truck 11 and the platform P, separate from the truck parking space E, which makes it less likely that restrictions will be imposed on the usage environment and improves versatility.

[0059] Furthermore, at least the movable conveyors 70 and 80 of the conveyors 60, 70, and 80 can be easily moved using casters or the like, so even when a single worker is loading and unloading the cargo 13, the conveyors 60, 70, and 80 can be extended and retracted simply by relatively pulling out and pushing in the conveyors 60, 70, and 80. This not only simplifies the work of loading and unloading the cargo 13, but also contributes to shortening the work time, despite the simple configuration.

[0060] Moreover, since the conveyor sections 62, 72, 82 are supported individually by the legs 61, 71, 81, it is possible to ensure load resistance with a simple configuration.

[0061] According to the first embodiment described above, 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 extendable 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.

[0062] In the above description, 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.

[0063] In the above description, the holding and discharging unit 22 is arranged upstream of the extendable conveyor 14, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, the holding and discharging unit 22 may be arranged downstream of the extendable conveyor 14 or midway along the extendable conveyor 14.

[0064] Furthermore, the gripping unit 20 can also have the accumulation function (a function of temporarily retaining multiple pieces of cargo sent in and discharging them at preferred time intervals), which is a function of the holding and discharging unit 22.

[0065] [Second embodiment] Fig. 7 is an elevation view showing a state in which a conveyor system according to a second embodiment of the present invention is installed on the bed of a truck and cargo is carried into the bed. Fig. 8 is an elevation view showing the conveying device of Fig. 7.

[0066] The conveyor system 100a of this embodiment transfers cargo 13 loaded on a working conveyor 15 installed on a platform P of a warehouse or the like to a loading platform 12 of a truck 11. The conveyor system 100a has a transport device 10a and an extendable conveyor 14. The extendable conveyor 14, when extended, transfers the cargo 13 placed on the working conveyor 15 to the transport device 10a. The transport device 10a is disposed within the loading platform 12 and stacks the cargo 13 transported by the extendable conveyor 14 onto the loading platform 12.

[0067] The telescopic conveyor 14 is the same as that described in the first embodiment, except that the base conveyor 60 is installed adjacent to the working conveyor 15 on the platform P, and the second movable conveyor 80 is positioned adjacent to the transport device 10a in the loading platform 12.

[0068] The conveying device 10a has a configuration similar to that of the conveying device 10 of the first embodiment (FIG. 3), but the transfer conveyor 22a and the holding conveyor 22b are arranged in the opposite direction. A stopper 22d is attached downstream of the holding conveyor 22b (on the left side in FIG. 8). There is no gate 22c (FIG. 3). However, the gate 22c may be included if it is kept open at all times.

[0069] In this second embodiment, the extendable conveyor 14 transfers the cargo 13 loaded on the working conveyor 15 to the transfer conveyor 22a of the holding and discharging section 22 of the transport device 10a. The cargo 13 placed on the transfer conveyor 22a is transferred to the holding conveyor 22b, stopped by a stopper 22d, and temporarily retained on the holding conveyor 22b. By the operation of the gripper 20 and the gripper moving device 21, the cargo 13 on the holding conveyor 22b is gripped and stacked on the loading platform 12.

[0070] At this time, it is possible to improve the work efficiency by arranging a plurality of loads 13 adjacent to each other on the holding conveyor 22b and simultaneously gripping the plurality of loads 13 together with the gripping section 20.

[0071] According to the second embodiment described above, the luggage 13 on the working conveyor 15 is transported to the transport device 10a by the extendable conveyor 14, and the luggage 13 can be efficiently loaded onto the loading platform 12 by the gripper 20 and the gripper moving device 21. In this case, even if the intervals between the luggage 13 carried out from the working conveyor 15 are irregular, the accumulation function of the holding and discharging unit 22 of the transport device 10a allows the luggage 13 to be gripped and loaded at desired time intervals. Furthermore, multiple luggage 13 can also be gripped and loaded collectively.

[0072] As a modification of the above embodiment, a unit equivalent to the holding and discharging unit 22 having an accumulation function may be further added upstream of the extendable conveyor 14 or midway along the extendable conveyor 14.

[0073] [Other embodiments] 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.

[0074] For example, the features of the above embodiments can be combined to form other embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0075] 10, 10a...Transport device 11...Truck 12...Cargo bed 13...Luggage 14...Extendable 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...Vacuum suction part 31...Side support part 32...Lower support part 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 60...Base conveyor 61...Base leg 62...Base conveyor section 63...Frame 64...Roller body 65…Slanted plate part 70...First movable conveyor 71...First movable leg 72...First movable conveyor section 73...Frame 75…Slanted plate part 80...Second movable conveyor 81...Second movable leg 82...Second movable conveyor section 83...Frame 100,100a...Conveyor system

Claims

1. a base conveyor including a base leg and a base conveyor fixed to an upper portion of the base leg and capable of sequentially conveying a plurality of loads in a predetermined direction; at least one movable conveyor including a movable leg portion and a movable conveyor portion fixed to an upper portion of the movable leg portion for transporting the load in the predetermined direction, the movable conveyor being at least partially storable inside the base conveyor and configured such that the base conveyor portion and the movable conveyor portion are connected when the movable conveyor is pulled out from inside the base conveyor; a holding and discharging section that temporarily holds the cargo and discharges it at predetermined time intervals, and that is provided with a gate that intermittently allows and blocks the passage of the cargo; A conveyor system comprising:

2. 2. The conveyor system according to claim 1, wherein the holding and discharging section includes a holding conveyor on which the cargo is placed and which is intermittently driven.

3. the movable conveyors include first and second movable conveyors; the first movable conveyor includes a first movable leg portion and a first movable conveyor portion fixed to an upper portion of the first movable leg portion and transporting the load in the predetermined direction; the second movable conveyor includes a second movable leg portion and a second movable conveyor portion fixed to an upper portion of the second movable leg portion and transporting the load in the predetermined direction; the first movable conveyor is at least partially retractable within the base conveyor, and is configured such that when the first movable conveyor is pulled out from the inside of the base conveyor, the base conveyor section and the movable conveyor section are connected; the second movable conveyor is at least partially retractable within the first movable conveyor, and is configured such that when the second movable conveyor is pulled out from within the first movable conveyor, the first movable conveyor section and the second movable conveyor section are connected; 3. The conveyor system according to claim 1, further comprising a synchronization unit that synchronizes the amounts of extension and pushback of the first and second movable conveyors.

4. 4. The conveyor system according to claim 1, wherein an inclined plate portion is provided between the base conveyor and the movable conveyor.

5. a gripping unit that can grip a plurality of the packages together at a predetermined gripping position and release the grip at a predetermined release position; a gripper moving device that moves the gripper when not gripping the load to the gripping position and moves the gripper when gripping the load to the grip release position; 5. The conveyor system of claim 1, further comprising:

6. A conveyor system as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that luggage discharged from the holding and discharge section is transferred to the base conveyor, and luggage transported by the base conveyor is transferred to the at least one movable conveyor.

7. 6. A conveyor system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the cargo transported by the base conveyor is transferred to the at least one movable conveyor, and the cargo transported by the at least one movable conveyor is transported to the holding and discharge section.

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