Pushing device, transporting device and transporting method

Abstract

To provide a pushing and sending device capable of reducing an occupied space in the vertical direction, to provide a transfer device including the same, and to provide a transfer method using the same.SOLUTION: A pushing and sending device 200 includes: a pushing part 205 standing in the vertical direction VT and capable of coming into contact with part of a stacked article XA1; a drive part 206 for allowing the pushing part 205 to advance / retreat in the pushing and sending direction T along the moving direction of an article XA2 on a sending-out part 103; and a pushing and sending control part 520 for controlling the operation of the pushing part 205 and the drive part 206. The pushing and sending control part 520 includes: a retreat processing part 522 for allowing at least part of the pushing part 205 to retreat to a position that does not hinder conveyance of the article XA2 on the sending-out part 103 in the case where the pushing part 205 is not pushing and sending the stacked article XA1; and a pushing and sending time processing part 521 for restoring at least part of the pushing part 205 retreated by the retreat processing part 522 and for pushing and sending the stacked article XA1. The pushing and sending device pushes and sends the stacked article XA1 to the downstream step.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a pushing device, a transfer device and a transfer method for pushing an article to a downstream process. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a packing device is known that stacks (layers) multiple individually transported items (product packages) in an accumulation section to form a product package group, pushes the product package group with an insertion pusher, and packs it into a packaging box (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The boxing device described in Patent Document 1 aligns multiple product packages, which are transported one by one by a product package supply conveyor, on a product package alignment table, and then uses a lifter to push up the row of product packages and stack them on the top surface of a stacking table. Once a predetermined number of packages have been stacked, the lifter lifts the group of product packages to approximately the same height as the connecting plate. The group of product packages is then slid sideways as a whole by the pressure of an insertion pusher waiting above the product packages (product package supply conveyor), and inserted into the opening of an empty packaging box, where they are packed.

[0004] 11 is a schematic side view showing another example of a conventional packing device 600. As a packing device 600 for stacked articles XA1, for example, a known device is one in which pushers (a first pusher 602 and a second pusher 603) are arranged in two tiers, one above the other in the vertical direction VT, sandwiching a send-out section (conveyance path) 601 for articles XA2 as a pushing device 650.

[0005] In the example of Figure 11, item XA2 is pushed from upstream, for example, by first pusher 602, and is placed on loading section 604.As loading section 604 is lowered, it receives and stacks multiple items XA2, and the stacked group of items (stacked items XA1) is pushed together by second pusher 603 located below first pusher 602.

[0006] 11(A) shows a state in which the first article XA2 to be stacked on the delivery section 601 is being pushed by a first pusher 602. Downstream of the delivery section 601 is provided a placement section 604 that can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction VT. When the placement section 604 is waiting to transport the first tier of article XA2, it is at a position at approximately the same height as the delivery section 601. Also, below the delivery section 601, a second pusher 603 is waiting.

[0007] As shown in Figure 11 (B), when item XA2 is transferred to the placement section 604 by the first pusher 602, the first pusher 602 moves upstream to push the next item XA2, and the placement section 604 descends one step, the height H0 of item XA2.

[0008] As shown in the same figure (C), the second tier of items XA2 pushed by the first pusher 602 is placed on top of the first tier of items XA2, thereby preparing a set (two tiers in this example) of stacked items XA1.

[0009] When stacked article XA1 is prepared, as shown in the same figure (D), the mounting table 604 is further lowered by the height H0 of one stack of article XA2. This height (height in the vertical direction VT) is lower than the height of the delivery section 601, as shown in the same figure (E). Thereafter, the second pusher 603, which has been waiting below the delivery section 601, advances in a direction parallel to the pushing direction T of article XA2, pushing out and delivering stacked article XA1 on the mounting table 604. Then, as shown in the same figure (F), it is stored in box B through the side opening of box B. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0010] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3088942 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] However, for example, the conventional packing device 600 shown in Fig. 11 has a problem in that it occupies a large space in the vertical direction VT. Specifically, in the example of Fig. 11, a space of height H0 at least equal to the number of tiers of articles XA2 to be pushed (for example, one tier) is required above the delivery section 601, and further, a space of at least the height of stacked articles XA1 (in this example, the height of two tiers of articles XA2, H0 x 2) is required below the delivery section 601.

[0012] That is, the stacking height Hx required for stacking the items XA2 in the packing device 600 (the height from the lowered position PU (bottom surface) when the loading platform 604 is moved to the lowest position to the top surface of the items XA2 being transported on the delivery section 601) must be at least the total height (height H0 x 3 in this example) of the number of tiers of the items XA2 pushed to the stacking position (loading section 604) and the number of tiers of the stacked items XA1, and if there is no room in the vertical direction VT in the area where the packing device 600 is placed, there is a problem that the placement of the device is restricted. Alternatively, measures such as reducing the number of tiers must be taken, which results in a problem of reduced line efficiency.

[0013] These problems are not limited to the case packing apparatus, but also occur when the stacked articles XA1 are transferred to a downstream process (for example, supplied to a downstream packaging machine, etc.).

[0014] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a pushing device, a transfer device equipped with the same, and a transfer method that can reduce the vertical space occupied. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] The present invention is a pushing device for pushing stacked articles to a downstream process, wherein the stacked articles are formed by stacking a plurality of articles moving on a delivery section in a vertical direction at a stacking position provided downstream of the delivery section, and the device has a pushing section that stands up vertically and can abut against a portion of the stacked articles, a drive section that moves the pushing section back and forth in a pushing direction that is along the movement direction of the articles on the delivery section, and a pushing control section that controls the operation of the pushing section and the drive section, When the stacked articles are being pushed, at least a portion of the pushing section is positioned so as to overlap the articles moving on the sending section in the vertical direction, The pushing control section includes a retraction processing section that retracts at least a part of the pushing section to a position that does not interfere with the movement of the articles on the sending section when the pushing section is not pushing the stacked articles, and a retraction processing section that returns at least a part of the pushing section retracted by the retraction processing section to a position that does not interfere with the movement of the articles on the sending section. Let them touch The present invention relates to a pushing device characterized by having a pushing time processing unit that pushes the object.

[0016] The present invention also relates to a transfer device comprising the above-mentioned pushing device, the sending-out section, and a loading section that can be raised and lowered vertically, and which moves the items from a supply position located upstream of the sending-out section to the loading section and stacks them in the loading section, wherein the pushing device is disposed below the sending-out section, the evacuation processing section folds down the upper part of the pushing section so that it is aligned with the lower end of the sending-out section, and the stacking processing section uses the sending-out section and the upper part to move the items to the loading section.

[0017] The present invention also provides a method for transferring a plurality of articles moving on a delivery section by stacking them vertically at a stacking position provided downstream of the delivery section to form stacked articles, and transferring the stacked articles to a downstream process, the method comprising: a transfer device configured to move forward and backward in a pushing direction along the moving direction of the articles on the delivery section; The stacked articles can be pushed by the pusher, and when the stacked articles are pushed, at least a portion (hereinafter referred to as a "specific portion") of the stacked articles is in a position (hereinafter referred to as a pushing position) that overlaps with the articles moving on the sending section in the vertical direction. The apparatus includes a pushing section, the sending section, and an article stacking section including a placing section that can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction, and the pushing section The specific portiona stacking process step of moving the stacked articles to the stacking section and lowering the stacking section as the number of the articles placed on the stacked articles increases; and a stacking process step of moving the stacked articles to the stacked articles on the downstream side of the feed section. The specific portion Restore In a vertically upright position, The stacked articles are pushed forward in the pushing direction. Let them touch The present invention relates to a transportation method characterized by having a pushing processing step during pushing. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a pushing device, a transfer device including the same, and a transfer method that can reduce the space occupied in the vertical direction. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the overall configuration of a packing device according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which (A) is a top view and (B) is a side view. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side schematic view illustrating the pushing device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a side schematic view illustrating the pushing device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the packing device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are schematic side views illustrating the operation of the packing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are schematic side views illustrating the operation of the packing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are schematic side views illustrating the operation of the packing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the pushing device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the pushing device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 10]FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the pushing device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional technique. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In this drawing and the following drawings, some components are omitted as appropriate to simplify the drawings. In this drawing and the following drawings, the size, shape, thickness, etc. of components are exaggerated as appropriate.

[0021] <Transfer device / overall configuration> Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a transfer device 100 equipped with a pushing device 200 according to this embodiment. Fig. 1(A) is a top view of the transfer device 100, and Fig. 1(B) is a side view.

[0022] Hereinafter, in the description of this embodiment, the directions are defined as follows: the first direction in which stacked article XA2 moves from upstream (supply position P1) to downstream (stacking position P2) is the pushing direction T; the second direction perpendicular to the pushing direction T is the pushing width direction W; and the third direction perpendicular to the pushing direction T and the pushing width direction W is the pushing height direction H. Here, the pushing height direction H is the vertical direction VT, and the pushing direction T and the pushing width direction W are the horizontal direction HR. Figure 1(B) is a side view of Figure 1(A) viewed from the pushing width direction W.

[0023] The transfer device 100 of this embodiment has an article stacking section 101, a control section 500, and a pushing device 200, and stacks a plurality of articles XA2 in the vertical direction VT (pushing height direction H) to form stacked articles XA1, and transfers the stacked articles XA1 to a downstream process. Here, an example will be described in which the transfer device 100 is a box packing device. The transfer device (box packing device) 100 is equipped with a box conveying means 210 that conveys a box B downstream of the pushing device 200, and is a device in which the pushing device 200 pushes the stacked articles XA1 and stores them in the box B.

[0024] The article stacking section 101 includes, for example, an article moving section 102 and an elevating lift 108. The article moving section 102 is a means for moving the article XA2 from the supply position P1 to the stacking position P2, and in this example includes a sending section 103 and a first pusher 104. The sending section 103 is, for example, a plate-shaped member that serves as a movement path (conveyance path) for the article XA2 from the supply position P1 toward the stacking position P2. In this embodiment, as an example, the article XA2 is conveyed from upstream to downstream (from top to bottom in FIG. 1(A)) by an article conveying means 300 (for example, a belt conveyor) arranged upstream of the packing device 100, and is supplied to the packing device 100. The conveying surface 301 of the conveying means 300 extends in the second direction (the pushing width direction W in the packing device 100), and at its downstream end is provided a sending section 103 extending in the first direction (the pushing direction T in the packing device 100). The downstream end of the conveying means 300 (conveying surface 301) and the upstream end of the sending section 103 (overlap) form a supply position P1 for the item XA2.

[0025] The first pusher 104 has a first pushing section 105, which is, for example, a plate-shaped member that stands in the pushing height direction H (vertical direction VT), and a first driving section 106 that moves the first pushing section 105 back and forth in the pushing direction T on the delivery section 103.

[0026] First drive unit 106 is, for example, an actuator including support 107 that holds first pushing unit 105. As a result, first pusher 104 is conveyed on conveying surface 301 of conveying means 300, and first pushing unit 105 abuts against the side of article XA2 that is to be supplied to supply position P1, and first drive unit 106 advances first pushing unit 105 in pushing direction T, thereby pushing article XA2 to stacking position P2.

[0027] In this way, the item stacking section 101 moves the item XA2 on the sending section 103 by the first pusher 104 (first pushing section 105). The item moving section 102 may be any means for moving the item XA2 from the supply position P1 to the stacking position P2. For example, the item moving section 102 may be a conveying means or a transferring means such as a belt conveyor or a finger conveyor, in which case the sending section 103 serves as the conveying surface or the transferring surface thereof.

[0028] The lifting lift 108 is provided at the downstream end of the delivery section 103, and has a placement section 109 and a lifting drive means 110 (such as an air cylinder) for the placement section 109. By raising and lowering the placement section 109 using the lifting drive means 110, multiple articles XA2 are stacked in the pushing height direction H to form stacked articles XA1. In other words, in this example, the position of the placement section 109 in a planar view is the stacking position P2.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 1(B), in this example, the pushing device 200 is provided below the article moving section 102 (sending section 103) in the pushing height direction H, and includes a second pusher 204 including a second pushing section 201 and a second driving section 203, and a pushing control section. The pushing control section will be described later, and is included in the control section 500. The pushing device 200 pushes stacked articles XA1 consisting of multiple articles XA2 stacked on the placement section 109 in the pushing height direction H so that they are stored in a downstream box B. Details of the pushing device 200 will be described later.

[0030] A box conveying means 210 is provided downstream of the article stacking section 101. The box conveying means 210 has a box conveying surface 211 and is, for example, a belt conveyor that continuously conveys boxes B from upstream to downstream (from bottom to top in FIG. 1(A)) along a second direction (the pushing width direction W in the packing device 100). Boxes B are, for example, hexahedral cardboard boxes, and have two side faces facing the pushing width direction W and two side faces facing the pushing direction T. Of the two side faces facing the pushing direction T, at least the side face upstream in the pushing direction T is open (open) and is conveyed from upstream of the box conveying means 210. Then, at stacking position P2 (downstream of the lift 108), stacked articles XA1 pushed by the pushing device 200 are received through the opening.

[0031] The control unit 500 is composed of a CPU, storage means (RAM, ROM, etc.), etc., and controls the operation of each part of the packing device 100 in cooperation with the hardware that constitutes each part of the packing device 100 (packing control is performed). The CPU is a so-called central processing unit, and executes various programs to realize various functions. The RAM is used as a working area for the CPU. The ROM stores the basic OS and programs executed by the CPU. Packing control by the control unit 500 will be described later.

[0032] <Pushing device> The pushing device 200 will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2(A) is a side view seen from the pushing width direction W, showing the state in which the pushing device 200 is pushing stacked article XA1, and Figure 2(B) is a side view showing the state in which the pushing device 200 is not pushing stacked article XA1. Figure 3 is a side view showing the vicinity of the second pushing section 205 of the pushing device 200.

[0033] The pushing device 200 has a second pusher 204. The second pusher 204 has a second pushing section 205 made of a plate-like member that can stand up in the pushing height direction H (vertical direction VT), and a second driving section 206 that moves the second pushing section 205 forward and backward in the pushing direction T. At least a part of the second pushing section 205 is configured to be movable relative to the fixedly arranged sending section 103.

[0034] The second driving unit 206 is, for example, an actuator having a support 207 that holds the second pushing unit 205 and a motor (neither of which is shown) connected to the support 207 via a transmission mechanism, and is configured to convert the rotational motion of the motor into linear motion and transmit it to the support 207. This causes the second pushing unit 205 to advance and retreat in the pushing direction T. Note that an air cylinder may be used instead of the motor.

[0035] 2(A), the pushing device 200 of this embodiment advances in the pushing direction T downstream of the delivery section 103, with the second pushing section 205 in a state that prevents the movement of the item XA2 on the delivery section 103 (a state that would cause interference if the item XA2 were moving on the delivery section 103). In this example, the second pushing section 205 is in a state that extends from above to below the delivery section 103 along the pushing height direction H (vertical direction VT). Here, "a state in which the second pushing section 205 extends from above to below the delivery section 103 along the pushing height direction H (vertical direction VT)" refers to a state in which the upper end 205T of the second pushing section 205 is above the upper surface of the delivery section 103 in the pushing height direction H (the height shown by the dashed line in the same figure (A)), and the lower end 205D of the second pushing section 205 is below the delivery section 103 in the pushing height direction H. When the second pushing section 205 is in this state, if item XA2 moves on the delivery section 103, it will interfere with the second pushing section 205. In this state, the stacked item XA1 is pushed, and the stacked item XA1 is pushed toward the inside of box B, not shown here.

[0036] 2(B), when the second pushing section 205 is not pushing the stacked item XA1, the pushing device 200 retracts at least a portion of the second pushing section 205 to a position that does not interfere with the transport of the item XA2 on the sending section 103. The second pushing section 205 is configured so that at least a portion of it is movable relative to the sending section 103.

[0037] Specifically, as shown in Fig. 3, the second pushing section 205 is configured to be deformable, for example, and by deforming, a portion of it is retracted to a position that does not interfere with the transport of the article XA2 on the sending section 103. As an example, the second pushing section 205 is configured so that at least a portion thereof can be folded down from an upright state in the pushing height direction H as shown by the dashed line. The second pushing sections 205 are, for example, substantially rectangular plate-like members, and have an upper pushing section 205A that is the upper portion in the pushing height direction H, and a lower pushing section 205B that is the lower portion in the pushing height direction H. The upper pushing section 205A and the lower pushing section 205B are connected by a hinge 205C or the like so that they can be folded down so that one is perpendicular to the other. More specifically, in this example, the upper pushing portion 205A is configured to be able to fold down from an upright state at approximately a right angle to the upstream side in the pushing direction T (so that the upper end 205T in the upright state moves upstream in the pushing direction T). Furthermore, when the upper pushing portion 205A is in the folded down state, it is configured to be aligned in height with the downstream end of the feed-out portion 103 in the pushing height direction H. Here, "aligned in height in the pushing height direction H" means that the height of the upper surface of the folded down upper pushing portion 205A is equal to or slightly lower than the height of the upper surface of the downstream end of the feed-out portion 103 (the height of the upper surface of the upper pushing portion 205A does not exceed the height of the upper surface of the downstream end of the feed-out portion 103).

[0038] As an example, hinge 205C is configured to be openable and closable by a motor or the like (not shown), and control unit 500 detects the state of stacked article XA1 (stacking height, weight, etc.) by a sensor or the like and automatically operates hinge 205C to raise or fold upper pusher 205A. Alternatively, support body 207 and upper pusher 205A may be connected by a slider and a driven link (neither of which are shown) or the like to form a link mechanism, and upper pusher 205A may be raised or folded by the link mechanism in conjunction with the advancement and retreat of second pusher 204.

[0039] The pushing device 200 is configured to be able to move the second pusher 204 (second pushing section 205) forward and backward in the pushing direction T, independently of or in conjunction with the raising and folding action of the upper pushing section 205A.

[0040] In this example, the most upstream position of the second pushing section 205 in the pushing direction T is the pushing start position P3 shown in Figure 3, and further upstream movement is restricted. The pushing start position P3 is a position between the downstream end of the delivery section 103 and the placement section 109. The most downstream position of the second pushing section 205 in the pushing direction T is the pushing end position, which is a position inside the box, and this will be described later.

[0041] When the upper pushing section 205A is folded down and at the pushing start position P3, the upper pushing section 205A (upper end 205T) and the sending section 103 (lower end) are close to each other. The distance L1 between them when they are closest is smaller than the length L2 of the article XA2 along the pushing direction T. With this configuration, when the upper pushing section 205A is folded down, the upper pushing section 205A, together with the sending section 103, functions as a movement path (conveyance path) for the article XA2.

[0042] Furthermore, when the upper pushing section 205A is in the upright state, the second pushing section 205 is configured to be able to abut against a part of the stacked article XA1, specifically against the side surface on the upstream side in the pushing direction T (see FIG. 2(A)). Then, the pushing device 200 pushes the stacked article XA1 accumulated at the stacking position P2 in the pushing direction T and stores it in the downstream box B.

[0043] Continuing to refer to FIG. 3, the lifting lift 108 is provided downstream of the delivery section 103 and has a placement section 109 and a lifting drive means 110 (e.g., an air cylinder) for the placement section 109. The placement section 109 is raised and lowered in the pushing height direction H by the lifting drive means 110, thereby stacking multiple items XA2 in the pushing height direction H to form stacked items XA1. Specifically, at the start of stacking, the placement section 109 is moved to an elevated position P5, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 3. In this case, the upper surface of the placement section 109 is at a height equal to or lower than the upper surface of the delivery section 103 (and the upper surface of the upper pusher 205A). The placement section 109 then receives the first layer of items XA2 pushed by the first pusher 104. Thereafter, the lift 108 lowers the placement section 109 by the height of one item XA2 in the direction of the pushing height H, as shown by the dashed line (FIG. 2(B)). In this example, the stacked items XA1 are made up of two items XA2 (two tiers). In other words, the lowered position of this placement section 109 becomes the lowered position P6 of the placement section 109. Then, the second tier of items XA2 pushed by the first pusher 104 is received on top of (over) the first tier of items XA2 (FIG. 2(A)).

[0044] <Packing Control Section> FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram illustrating the functions of the packing device 100 of this embodiment. The packing device 100 performs packing processing through cooperation between the various hardware described above and software included in the control unit 500. The packing processing of this embodiment includes, for example, stacking processing, box conveying processing, push processing, and evacuation processing. Specifically, a packing program stored in the storage means is executed by the CPU. Execution of the packing program causes part of the control unit 500 to function as a packing control unit 510.

[0045] The packing control unit 510 includes a stacking processing unit 511 that realizes a stacking processing function, a box conveyance processing unit 512 that realizes a box conveyance processing function, and a pushing control unit 520. The pushing control unit 520 includes a pushing time processing unit 521 that realizes a pushing time processing function, and an evacuation processing unit 522 that realizes an evacuation processing function.

[0046] The functional blocks of the packing control unit 510 shown in Fig. 4 can also be said to be functional blocks of a packing program, but these functions are realized not only by the software of the packing program but also by cooperation with the various units (hardware) of the above-mentioned packing device 100. Alternatively, some or all of the functional blocks shown in Fig. 4 may be realized solely by software or solely by hardware.

[0047] Furthermore, while the functional blocks shown in FIG. 4 are divided into multiple blocks for the sake of convenience of explanation, at least one of the stacking processing unit 511, the box conveying processing unit 512, the pushing processing unit 521, and the evacuation processing unit 522 may be configured as an integrated unit. For example, they may be configured as a single packing program, or the packing program may be configured as a collection of multiple programs. Furthermore, for example, the packing device 100 of this embodiment includes the pushing device 200, but it is also possible to separate the pushing device 200 from the packing device 100 and use it alone (for example, in a different device). In this case, the pushing device 200 will be equipped with a pushing control unit 520 that is separate (separate) from the packing control unit 510 of the packing device 100. On the other hand, in the case of a packing device 100 including a pushing device 200, the pushing control unit 520 does not have to be separate from the packing control unit 510, and may be configured as one or more control units that realize the functions of the stacking processing unit 511, box conveying processing unit 512, pushing processing unit 521, and evacuation processing unit 522 described below.

[0048] The following description will also refer to Figure 1. The stacking processing unit 511 moves items XA2 supplied to the supply position P1 of the packing device 100 to the placement unit 109 using the item moving unit 102, and as the number of items XA2 placed increases, lowers the placement unit 109 to form stacked items XA1 consisting of a predetermined number of items XA2. When moving items XA2, the stacking processing unit 511 uses the delivery unit 103 and a part (upper pushing unit 205A) of the second pushing unit 205 of the pushing device 200 as a movement path (conveying path) for the items XA2, and moves the items XA2 to the stacking position P2 (placement unit 109).

[0049] When the stacking processing unit 511 has completed stacking a predetermined number of articles XA2 and stacked articles XA1 have been prepared at stacking position P2, the pushing processing unit 521 of the pushing control unit 520 advances the second pushing unit 205 of the second pusher 204 in the pushing direction T. At this time, the pushing processing unit 521 places the second pushing unit 205 downstream of the delivery unit 103 (the pushing start position P3) in a state ranging from above to below in the pushing height direction H of the delivery unit 103. Specifically, when pushing stacked articles XA1, the pushing processing unit 521 raises the upper pushing unit 205A. As a result, the upper pushing unit 205A is positioned above the delivery unit 103, and the lower pushing unit 205B is positioned below the delivery unit 103. As a result, the second pushing unit 205 is in a state ranging from above to below the delivery unit 103. This pushes stacked item XA1 and pushes it through the opening of box B into box B (see FIG. 2(A)). Pushing process section 521 moves second pushing section 520 to pushing end position P4 (see FIG. 1(B)).

[0050] When the second pushing section 205 is not pushing the stacked item XA1 (when it enters a non-pushing state), the evacuation processing section 522 moves the second pushing section 205 to the pushing start position P3 and retracts at least a portion of the second pushing section 205 to a position that does not interfere with the transport of the item XA2 on the feed section 103. Specifically, when the pushing process section 521 stores the stacked item XA1 in the box B and the second pushing section 205 enters a state where it is not pushing the stacked item XA1, the evacuation processing section 522 deforms at least a portion of the second pushing section 205. In this example, the evacuation processing section 522 folds down the upper pushing section 205A toward the upstream side in the pushing direction T and moves the second pushing section 205 to the pushing start position P3. When the second pushing section 205 is moved to the pushing start position P3 with the upper pushing section 205A folded down, the upper pushing section 205A is aligned close to the downstream end of the delivery section 103 and is aligned in the pushing height direction H (see Figure 2 (B)).

[0051] The evacuation processing section 522 folds down and evacuates the upper pushing section 205A so that it is aligned with the lower end of the sending section 103 while the stacking processing section 511 is stacking the items XA2 that make up a set of stacked items XA1.

[0052] Then, the pushing process section 521 pushes the stacked article XA1 by returning at least a portion of the pushing section that was retracted by the evacuation process section 522. That is, as described above, when pushing the stacked article XA1, the pushing process section 521 raises the upper pushing section 205A.

[0053] The box conveying processing unit 512 conveys boxes B supplied to the box conveying means 210 shown in Figure 1 from upstream to downstream. The boxes B are supplied to the box conveying means 210 with the side facing upstream in the pushing direction T open. The box B then receives stacked goods XA1 pushed by the pushing device 200, and conveys the boxes B containing the stacked goods XA1 downstream. Alternatively, the boxes B may be supplied to the box conveying means 210 in a folded state, and then folded to receive the stacked goods XA1.

[0054] In this way, the packing device 100 of this embodiment is configured so that a part of the second pushing section 205 (in this example, the upper pushing section 205A) is foldable, and while item XA2 is being pushed on the item moving section 102 (the period during which items XA2 that make up a set of stacked items XA1 are being stacked by the stacking processing section 511), the upper pushing section 205A is folded down and retracted (with respect to the sending section 103) so as not to interfere with the movement of item XA2 on the sending section 103.

[0055] Therefore, a space corresponding to a height H3 of the upper pushing section 205A in the pushing height direction H can be shared with the article moving section 102. Therefore, even though the second pusher 204 of the pushing device 200 is disposed below the article moving section 102 (sending section 103) and the first pusher 104 and second pusher 204 of the article moving section 102 move forward and backward in the same pushing direction T, the space occupied in the pushing height direction H (vertical direction VT) can be reduced.

[0056] Specifically, assuming the same conditions as the conventional configuration shown in Figure 11, i.e., the height H of the article XA2 in the pushing height direction is the same as the height H0 of the conventional configuration shown in Figure 11, the number of tiers of articles XA2 moved by the first pusher 104 is 1, and the number of tiers of stacked articles XA1 on the loading table 109 is 2, the required stacking height Hx required for stacking articles XA2 in the packing device 100 (the height from the lowered position P6 (bottom surface) when the loading table 109 is moved to the lowest position to the top surface of article XA2 transported on the delivery section 103) is 2 x H0. In other words, it can be lowered by one tier of articles XA2 compared to the conventional configuration.

[0057] As a result, even on a line with limited space in the vertical direction VT, it is possible to pack stacked articles XA1 into boxes without reducing efficiency.

[0058] Furthermore, the upper surface of upper push-in section 205A in the folded state is set to be at the same height as the upper surface of feed-out section 103 (a height that does not exceed the upper surface of feed-out section 103), and is placed in standby for pushing close to the downstream end of feed-out section 103. This allows upper push-in section 205A to be used as a transport path for article XA2 when moving article XA2 to feed-out section 103.

[0059] <Packing control (packing method)> Next, we will explain the packing method (packing program) by the packing device 100. The packing method includes an evacuation processing step, a stacking processing step, a pushing processing step, and a box conveying processing step.

[0060] In the evacuation processing step, during the period when the second pusher 204 is not pushing the stacked item XA1, at least a part of the second pushing section 205 (upper pushing section 205A) is retracted to a position that does not interfere with the movement of the item XA2 on the delivery section 103.

[0061] In the stacking process, items XA2 supplied from the upstream process to the supply position P1 are moved to the loading section 109 of the lifting lift 108 by the first pusher 104, and as the number of items XA2 loaded increases, the loading section 109 is lowered to form stacked items XA1.

[0062] In the pushing processing step, the stacked item XA1 is pushed by the second pusher 204. Specifically, downstream of the delivery section 103, at least a portion of the retracted second pushing section 205 is returned and advanced in the pushing direction T. Here, the second pushing section 205 of the second pusher 204 is in a state extending from above to below the delivery section 103. This pushes the stacked item XA1, pushing it through the opening of box B into box B and storing it therein.

[0063] In the box conveying process, boxes B supplied from an upstream process are conveyed by box conveying means 210, stacked articles XA1 pushed by second pushing section 205 of pushing device 200 are received, and boxes B containing stacked articles XA1 are conveyed downstream. The process will be described below in chronological order with reference to Figures 5 to 7.

[0064] First, as shown in FIG. 1(A), item XA2 is transported by item conveying means 300 (e.g., a belt conveyor) arranged upstream of packing device 100. Item XA2 is handed over to packing device 100 at supply position P1 provided at the downstream end of item conveying means 300. That is, as shown in FIG. 5(A), stacking processing unit 511 pushes item XA2 in pushing direction T using first pusher 104 of item moving unit 102. Stacking processing unit 511 abuts first pushing unit 105 against the side of item XA2, and advances first pushing unit 105 in pushing direction T using first driving unit 106, thereby pushing item XA2 to stacking position P2 (FIG. 2(B)).

[0065] At this time, the pushing device 200 is in a state where it is not pushing stacked item XA1 (a period where it is not pushing stacked item XA1). The evacuation processing unit 522 moves the second pushing unit 205 to the pushing start position P3 and folds the upper pushing unit 205A upstream in the pushing direction T, retracting it to a position where it does not interfere with the movement of item XA2 on the delivery unit 103. The folded upper pushing unit 205A is close to the downstream end of the delivery unit 103. Furthermore, the upper surface of the folded upper pushing unit 205A and the upper surface of the delivery unit 103 are aligned in the pushing height direction H (the upper surface of the upper pushing unit 205A is at a height that does not exceed the upper surface of the delivery unit; the same applies below). As a result, the upper surface of the upper pushing unit 205A, together with the delivery unit 103, becomes a conveying path for item XA2.

[0066] The stacking processing unit 511 uses the first pusher 104 to move the first layer of article XA2 over the delivery unit 103 and the upper push-in unit 205A, and places it on the placement unit 109 of the lifting lift 108 at the stacking position P2. When the stacking processing unit 511 places the first layer of article XA2 on the placement unit 109, it positions the placement unit 109 at the raised position P5. The raised position P5 is a position where the top surface of the placement unit 109 is at the same height as (but not higher than) the delivery unit 103 and the upper push-in unit 205A.

[0067] As a result, as shown in Figure 5(B), the first pusher 104 places the first layer of article XA2 on the placement unit 109. After placing the first layer of article XA2 on the placement unit 109, the stacking processing unit 511 returns the first pusher 104 (first pushing unit 105) upstream of the supply position P1. Then, the placement unit 109 is lowered by one layer of article XA2, the height H0.

[0068] 5(C), when the placement unit 109 descends by one level of the height H0 of the article XA2, it is located at the lowered position P6. At this time, the upper surfaces of the delivery unit 103, the upper surface of the upper push-in unit 205A, and the upper surface of the first level of the article XA2 are all at roughly the same height (the upper surface of the article XA2 is at a height that does not exceed the upper surface of the upper push-in unit 205A).

[0069] As shown in Figure 6(A), the stacking processing unit 511 moves the second tier of item XA2 over the sending section 103 and the upper pushing section 205A using the first pusher 104, and places it above the first tier of item XA2 on the placement section 109 at the stacking position P2.

[0070] 6(B), when the stacking processing unit 511 places the second layer of article XA2 on the placement unit 109, it returns the first pusher 104 (first pusher 105) upstream of the supply position P1. The stacked article XA1 is placed at the stacking position P2.

[0071] Furthermore, when stacked article XA1 is prepared at stacking position P2, pushing process section 521 of pushing device 200 advances second pushing section 205 of second pusher 204 in pushing direction T. At this time, downstream of delivery section 103 (push start position P3), pushing process section 521 places second pushing section 205 in a state ranging from above to below in the pushing height direction H of delivery section 103. In other words, upper pushing section 205A, which had been folded down, stands up and transforms into second pushing section 205 whose surface is aligned with lower pushing section 205B in the pushing height direction H. Upper pushing section 205A is located above delivery section 103, and lower pushing section 205B is located below delivery section 103. The height of second pushing section 205 is set to be approximately the same as the height of stacked article XA1.

[0072] As shown in Figure 6 (C), the pushing process section 521 advances the second pushing section 205 in the pushing direction T using the second drive section 206, abuts the second pushing section 205 against the side of the stacked item XA1 (the upstream side in the pushing direction T), and pushes the stacked item XA1 into the box B through the opening of the box B (towards the pusher).

[0073] As shown in Figure 7(A), the second pushing section 205 moves to the pushing end position P4 within the box B. Once the stacked item XA1 is stored within the box B, the pushing device 200 again enters a state (period) in which it does not push the stacked item XA1.

[0074] 7(B) and 7(C), the evacuation processing unit 522 moves the second pushing unit 205 to the pushing start position P3 and folds down the upper pushing unit 205A upstream in the pushing direction T, and evacuates it to a position that does not interfere with the movement of the article XA2 on the delivery unit 103. The folding down operation of the upper pushing unit 205A may be performed before, during, or after the movement to the pushing start position P3.

[0075] In this way, in the packing method, the evacuation process is carried out during at least a part of the stacking process, specifically, during the period when the stacked article XA1 is not being pushed. This process is repeated until the packing is carried out.

[0076] In this way, according to the packing method (packing program) of this embodiment, multiple items XA2 moving on the discharge section 103 are stacked in the pushing height direction H at a stacking position P2 located downstream of the discharge section 103 to form stacked items XA1, and the stacked items XA1 are stored in a downstream box B.

[0077] In addition, a part (upper pushing section 205A) of the second pushing section 205 of the second pusher 204 is made foldable, and except when (during) the period in which stacked item XA1 is being pushed (while waiting to be pushed), the upper pushing section 205A is folded down (retracted) to the upstream side of the pushing direction T, and the second pushing section 205 is made to wait at the downstream end of the delivery section 103.

[0078] By doing this, the required stacking height Hx can be reduced by the height in the pushing height direction H when the upper pushing section 205A is upright (for example, a height equivalent to the height H0 of the item XA2), thereby saving space in the vertical direction VT of the packing device 100.

[0079] Furthermore, the upper surface of upper push-in section 205A in the folded state is set to be at the same height as the upper surface of feed-out section 103 (a height that does not exceed the upper surface of feed-out section 103), and it waits to be pushed close to the lower end of feed-out section 103. This allows upper push-in section 205A to be used as a transport path for article XA2 when moving article XA2 to feed-out section 103.

[0080] <Modification> 8 to 10, other examples of the second pushing section 205 will be described. The second pushing section 205 is not limited to the above example, and may be configured such that when the second pushing section 205 is not pushing stacked item XA1 (hereinafter referred to as "not pushing"), at least a portion of the second pushing section 205 is deformed to retreat to a position that does not interfere with the movement of item XA2 on the feed section 103, and when pushing stacked item XA1, the second pushing section 205 extends from above to below the feed section 103. An example of a deformation of the second pushing section 205 is shown below.

[0081] 8(A) to 8(C) show an example in which the entire second pushing section 205 is folded down. FIG. 8(A) shows a state in which the second pushing section 205 pushes stacked article XA1. In this example, as shown in FIG. 8(A), the second pushing section 205 is made up of a single plate-like member, and the entire member is folded down toward the upstream side in the pushing direction T. In this example, the support body 207 of the second pusher 204 (second driving section 206) is made up of a fixed section 207A and a tiltable section 207B. The fixed section 207A is fixed to the main body of the second driving section 206 so as to be able to move only forward and backward in the pushing direction T, and the tiltable section 207B is rotatably attached to the tip on the downstream side in the pushing direction T via a pivot shaft 207C. The tiltable section 207B and the second pushing section 205 are fixed so as to be substantially perpendicular to each other and not to be able to move relative to each other.

[0082] When not being pushed, as shown in FIG. 8(B), the retraction processing section 522 folds up the tiltable section 207B in this example along the pushing height direction H. Accordingly, the second pushing section 205 in the upright state is tilted down so that its upper end 205T faces upstream in the pushing direction T. In this case, too, the upper surface of the tilted second pushing section 205 and the upper surface of the feed-out section 103 are set to approximately the same height. In other words, the second pushing section 205 is retracted to a position that does not interfere with the movement of the article XA2 on the feed-out section 103. In this case, the lower end 205D of the second pushing section 205 is configured not to interfere with the placement section 109, etc., when it rotates (swings) around the rotation axis 207C.

[0083] 8(C) shows an example in which the tiltable section 207B in FIG. 8(A) is fixed near the lower end 205D of the second pushing section 205. When not pushing, as shown by the solid line, the retraction processing section 522 folds up the tiltable section 207B in this example along the pushing height direction H. Accordingly, the upright second pushing section 205 is retracted as shown by the dashed line so that its upper end 205T faces upstream in the pushing direction T. In this case as well, the upper surface of the retracted second pushing section 205 and the upper surface of the delivery section 103 are set at approximately the same height, and the second pushing section 205 is retracted to a position that does not interfere with the movement of the article XA2 on the delivery section 103.

[0084] 8(D) to 8(F) show an example of a configuration in which the support body 207 does not have a tiltable portion, and the second pushing unit 205 is tilted relative to the support body 207. FIG. 8(D) shows a state in which the second pushing unit 205 pushes stacked article XA1. As shown in FIG. 8(D), the support body 207 is fixed to the main body of the second drive unit 206 so as to be able to move back and forth only in the pushing direction T, and the lower end 205D of the second pushing unit 205 is rotatably attached to the downstream tip in the pushing direction T via a rotating shaft 207C. One end of the driven link 207D is fixed to a lateral end, for example, near the center, of the second pushing unit 205, and the other end of the driven link 207D is fixed to a slider 207E attached to the support body 207. The slider 207E is fixed so as to be able to move back and forth relative to the support body 207 in the pushing direction T.

[0085] When not pushing, the retraction processing unit 522 moves the slider 207E upstream in the pushing direction T, as shown in (E) and (F) of the same figure. As a result, the second pushing unit 205 in the upright state is tilted down around the rotation shaft 207C so that its upper end 205T faces upstream in the pushing direction T. In this case, for example, the upper surface of the tilted second pushing unit 205 is set to be positioned below the delivery unit 103. The rotation shaft 207C may be provided in the middle of the second pushing unit 205.

[0086] In both configurations of Figure 8, when in an upright state (when stacked item XA1 is being pushed), the second pushing section 205 extends from above to below the delivery section 103 in the pushing height direction H, and when in a collapsed state (when not being pushed), the second pushing section 205 retracts to a position that does not interfere with the movement of item XA2 on the delivery section 103.

[0087] Furthermore, either of the configurations in Figure 8 may be configured to detect the state of stacked item XA1 using a sensor or the like and automatically rotate rotating shaft 207C to raise or lower second pushing section 205, or may be configured to raise or lower second pushing section 205 by operating rotating shaft 207C or driven link 207D in conjunction with the advancement and retreat of second pusher 204.

[0088] FIG. 9 shows an example of a configuration in which at least a portion of the second pushing section 205 moves in the pushing height direction H. For example, in the configuration shown in FIGS. 9(A) and 9(B), a single plate-shaped second pushing section 205 is attached to the downstream end of the support body 207 in the pushing direction T so as to be approximately perpendicular to the extension direction of the support body 207. The second pushing section 205 is attached to the support body 207 so as to be able to slide freely in the pushing height direction H. When pushing, as shown in FIG. 9(A), it is in a state ranging from above to below the delivery section 103 in the pushing height direction H. When not pushing, as shown in FIG. 9(B), the entire second pushing section 205 slides downward in the pushing height direction H. At this time, the upper end 205T of the second pushing section 205 moves to a position lower than the upper surface of the delivery section 103 and retreats to a position that does not interfere with the movement of the article XA2 on the delivery section 103. A rotating body may be provided at the upper end 205T of the second pushing section 205 to reduce frictional resistance with the article XA2.

[0089] 9(C) to 9(F) show a configuration in which a part of the second pushing section 205 moves in the pushing height direction H, resulting in a change in the shape (expansion or reduction of the area) of the second pushing section 205. Figures 9(C) and 9(D) are side views seen from the pushing width direction W, and Figures 9(E) and 9(F) are front views seen from the pushing direction T.

[0090] As shown in FIG. 9(C), the second pushing section 205 has, for example, an upper pushing section 205A and a lower pushing section 205B. The upper pushing section 205A is made up of a plurality of rectangular members, for example, as shown in FIG. 9(E) and FIG. 9(F), and is configured to be able to be stored inside the lower pushing section 205B (or on the front or rear surface in the pushing direction T). When stacked article XA1 is being pushed, as shown in FIG. 9(C) and FIG. 9(E), the upper pushing section 205A protrudes from the lower pushing section 205B in the pushing height direction H, and the second pushing section 205 extends from above to below the sending section 103. When not being pushed, the upper pushing section 205A is stored inside the lower pushing section 205B, as shown in FIG. 9(D) and FIG. 9(F). The upper end 205T of the second pushing section 205 moves to a position lower than the upper surface of the delivery section 103 and retreats to a position that does not interfere with the movement of the article XA2 on the delivery section 103. In this case, the upper pushing section 205A may be a single plate member with no gaps (which can be housed inside (or on the front or rear surface of) the lower pushing section 205B).

[0091] Note that the upper pushing section 205A is not limited to a configuration in which multiple strip-shaped members are used, and for example, the upper pushing section 205A and the lower pushing section 205B may be comb-shaped members (finger plates) that interlock with each other. That is, the upper pushing section 205A and the lower pushing section 205B each have multiple fingers that face each other, and one finger is arranged so that it can be inserted between the other fingers. In this case, the height of the second pushing section 205 may be changed according to (matching) the height of the stacked article XA1.

[0092] 9 detects the state of stacked article XA1 using a sensor or the like, and automatically moves at least a portion of second pushing section 205. However, without being limited to this, a configuration may also be possible in which at least a portion of second pushing section 205 moves in pushing height direction H in conjunction with the advancement and retreat of second pusher 204, for example, by a link mechanism (not shown).

[0093] 10 shows a configuration in which the second pusher 204 is provided above the delivery section 103 (first pusher 104) in the pushing height direction H. FIG. 10(A) shows a configuration in which a part of the second pushing section 205 is folded down, similar to FIG. 3, for example. The configuration in this case is upside down compared to FIG. 3, etc., and explanation will be omitted, but the lower pushing section 205B is configured to be foldable.

[0094] When the second pushing section 205 pushes the accumulated article XA1, the lower pushing section 205B is in an upright position (hanging down from the upper pushing section 205A) as shown by the dashed line. In this case, the upright lower pushing section 205B obstructs the movement of the article XA2 on the sending section 103 (interferes with the article XA2).

[0095] Thus, in this embodiment, when the second pushing section 205 pushes stacked item XA1, it is sufficient that it is in a state that prevents the movement of item XA2 on the discharge section 103 (a state that would cause interference if item XA2 were moving on the discharge section 103), and the second pushing section 205 does not have to be in a state that extends from above to below the discharge section 103 along the pushing height direction H (vertical direction VT).

[0096] On the other hand, when not being pushed, the lower pushing portion 205B is folded down so that its lower end 205D moves upstream in the pushing direction T, and retreats to a position that does not interfere with the movement of the item XA2 on the delivery section 103.

[0097] 10(B) shows a configuration in which the entire second pushing section 205 slides in the pushing height direction H, similar to FIGS. 9(A) and 9(B). When pushing stacked item XA1, the second pushing section 205 slides downward in the pushing height direction H, to put it in a state in which it interferes with the movement of item XA2 on the delivery section 103 (a state in which it would interfere if item XA2 were moving on the delivery section 103). When not pushing, the second pushing section 205 slides upward in the pushing height direction H, to retract the second pushing section 205 to a position in which it does not interfere with the movement of item XA2 on the delivery section 103.

[0098] Although FIG. 10 shows one example, in all of the configurations of the above-described embodiments, a configuration in which the second pusher 204 is provided above the delivery section 103 (first pusher 104) in the pushing height direction H is applicable.

[0099] In any of the above embodiments, the entire second pushing section 205 in the upright state must reach the pushing end position P4 (inside box B), that is, the second pushing section 205 is set to a size that allows its entirety to be accommodated inside box B.

[0100] In the above embodiment, when a portion of second pushing section 205 is deformed, the configuration is described as being divided into two sections, upper pushing section 205A and lower pushing section 205B. However, this is not limiting, and second pushing section 205 may be divided into three or more sections, for example. Furthermore, when second pushing section 205 is divided into three or more sections, the number of divided pushing sections that fold (fall down) or move may be any number greater than or equal to one.

[0101] Specifically, for example, the second pushing section 205 is divided into three sections in the pushing height direction H: an upper pushing section 205A, a middle pushing section 205B, and a lower pushing section 205C. If the second pushing section 205 is foldable, only the upper pushing section 205A may be folded down, or the upper pushing section 205A and the middle pushing section 205B may be folded down, or all of the upper pushing section 205A, the middle pushing section 205B, and the lower pushing section 205C may be folded down.

[0102] Furthermore, the lift 106 may be configured to be motor-driven, for example, so that the lowered position P6 is lower than the box conveying surface 211 and the lift 106 can be lifted up to the box conveying surface 211 before being pushed. By doing so, the installation height of the send-out section 103 relative to the box conveying surface 211 can be set arbitrarily within the size that can be accommodated inside the box B. In other words, even when changing the number of stacked layers from the above embodiment (where the number of stacked layers of the article XA2 is two) to three, the three layers can be stacked (while maintaining) the installation height of the send-out section 103 relative to the box conveying surface 211 the same as when the number of stacked layers was two.

[0103] In the above, in this embodiment, the transfer device 100 has been described as a case where it is a boxing device, but the transfer device 100 is not limited to this example. For example, the transfer device 100 may be a device that includes a packaging device (e.g., a pillow packaging machine or a deep-draw packaging machine) in a downstream process of the pushing device 200, and pushes the stacked articles XA1 by the pushing device 200 and supplies them to the packaging device.

[0104] As described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the spirit and technical concept of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 100 Boxing equipment 101 Goods stacking section 102 Goods movement department 103 Sending section 107 Support 108 Lift 109 Placement section 110 Lifting drive means 200 Pushing device 205 Push-in section 205A Upper push part 205B Lower push part 205C Rotating shaft 205T top end 205D bottom end 207 Support 207A Fixed part 207B Folding part 207C Rotating shaft 207D Follower link 207E Slider 210 Box transport means 211 Box conveying surface 300 Transportation 500 control section 510 control section 511 Stacking processing section 512 Box transport processing section 520 Push control unit 521 Transport Processing Unit 522 Evacuation processing section B box P1 supply position P2 stacking position P3 Push start position P4 Push end position P5 Evacuation position T Pushing direction W Extrusion width direction VT vertical direction XA1 Stacked articles XA2 Goods

Claims

1. A pushing device that pushes stacked articles to a downstream process, The stacked articles are a plurality of articles moving on a delivery section, stacked vertically at a stacking position provided downstream of the delivery section, a push-in portion that stands up vertically and can abut against a portion of the stacked articles; a drive unit that moves the pushing unit back and forth in a pushing direction along the movement direction of the article on the sending unit; a pushing control unit that controls the operation of the pushing unit and the drive unit, When the stacked articles are being pushed, at least a portion of the pushing section in the vertical direction (hereinafter referred to as the "specific portion") is in a position (hereinafter referred to as the pushing position) where it overlaps with the articles moving on the sending section, The pushing control unit an evacuation processing section that, when the pushing section is not pushing the stacked articles, evacuates the specific portion of the pushing section to a position that does not interfere with the movement of the articles on the sending section; a pushing processing section that returns the specific part evacuated by the evacuation processing section to the pushing position and pushes it in contact with the plurality of articles that constitute the stacked articles; having A pushing device characterized by:

2. The pushing portion is configured to be deformable, The retraction processing section deforms at least a part of the push-in section.

2. The pushing device according to claim 1 .

3. The pushing portion is configured so that at least a portion of the pushing portion can be tilted from a vertically standing state.

2. The pushing device according to claim 1 .

4. the retraction processing unit folds down at least a part of the push-in unit and moves the push-in unit so as to align with a downstream end of the delivery unit.

4. The pushing device according to claim 3.

5. The pushing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, an article stacking section including the delivery section and a placement section that can be raised and lowered in a vertical direction, which moves the articles from a supply position provided upstream of the delivery section to the placement section and stacks the articles on the placement section, The pushing device is disposed below the sending section, the specific portion of the pressing portion is an upper portion, The retraction processing section folds down the upper portion so as to be aligned with the lower end of the delivery section, The article stacking section moves the article to the placement section by using the delivery section and the upper portion. A transfer device characterized by:

6. A transfer method using a transfer device, which stacks a plurality of articles moving on a delivery section in a vertical direction at a stacking position provided downstream of the delivery section to form stacked articles, and transfers the stacked articles to a downstream process, comprising: The transfer device is a pusher section that can push the stacked articles by moving back and forth in a pushing direction along the moving direction of the articles on the sending section, and that is in a position (hereinafter, a pushing position) where at least a portion (hereinafter, a "specific portion") of the stacked articles overlaps with the articles moving on the sending section in the vertical direction when the stacked articles are being pushed; The system includes the delivery unit and an article stacking unit including a placement unit that can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction, a retraction process step of retracting the specific portion of the push-in section to a position that does not interfere with the movement of the articles on the delivery section during a period when the stacked articles are not being pushed; a stacking process step of moving the articles supplied to the supply position to the placement section, and lowering the placement section as the number of articles placed thereon increases to form the stacked articles; and a pushing processing step of returning the retracted specific part downstream of the sending section to a vertically upright state, and advancing the specific part in the pushing direction to abut against the plurality of articles constituting the stacked articles and push them. A transfer method characterized by:

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