Input device

Abstract

To provide an input device capable of simultaneously inputting articles into a plurality of packaging containers, limited in constraint of an installation space as it is low in height, and easily cleaned.SOLUTION: Two conveyance units 8 (8a, 8b) are arranged on the conveyance surface 17 of a base 16 having an input hole 19 formed through an input position P3. Each conveyance unit 8 includes a holder 9 that has a holding hole 12 vertically formed through, and a container 11 formed vertically through and inserted into the holding hole 12. The two conveyance units 8a, 8b move on the conveyance surface in order of positions P1, P2, P3, P4, and P5 by drive means A1, A2, B1, B2, and B3. At the reception position P1, an article is input into each container 11 of the conveyance unit 8. At the input position P2, the article in the container of the conveyance unit is dropped down from the input hole 19 of the base 16 to be fed to a tray.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a compact loading device that can load multiple items into multiple packaging containers set at the loading positions at once by receiving items supplied from a previous device into multiple containers and then moving the multiple containers to set them at predetermined loading positions. [Background technology]

[0002] As shown in FIG. 1, the sorting device described in Patent Document 1 below includes a sorting section 5 that sorts and drops articles onto trays T, located between an input chute 2 into which weighed articles are input, a quality sorting section 4 below the chute 2, and trays T arranged on a conveyor 10 into which the articles are input. This sorting section 5 is made up of an upper sorting section 5A and a lower sorting section 5B. The upper sorting section 5A (see FIG. 4) moves two penetrating cups 20 and a slide plate 24 with three openings in different directions while in contact with each other, causing the articles to drop into the lower sorting section 5B. The lower sorting section 5B (see Figure 5) has three cups 30, 31, 32 arranged in a row that penetrates vertically, and a slide plate 34 having three openings 34a, 34b, 34c arranged in the same direction as the cups, which move in the same direction while in contact with each other, thereby allowing the items supplied from the upper sorting section 5A to drop downward in groups of three; by repeating this operation, the items can be placed into a total of six trays T in two rows and three columns. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-39409 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] According to the sorting device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the sorting section 5 that sorts and drops items onto the tray T is composed of two stages, an upper sorting section 5A and a lower sorting section 5B, as described above. The upper sorting section 5A has a structure in which cups 20, 21 and a chute 29 are arranged above and below, sandwiched between slide plate 24, and the lower sorting section 5B has a structure in which cups 30, 31, 32 and chutes 7A, 7B are arranged above and below, sandwiched between slide plate 34, and overall, it has a vertically long structure in which at least four cylindrical members are stacked one on top of the other.

[0005] Therefore, with the conventional sorting device, the height of the entire device is relatively large compared to the height of the ceiling, which can make it difficult to install in a factory where installation space is limited.

[0006] In addition, the system has a two-stage configuration consisting of an upper sorting section 5A and a lower sorting section 5B, each of which has a complex structure with many parts, combining multiple cups, chutes, slide plates, etc., making operation complicated, requiring the operator to be highly skilled in operation, and also resulting in problems such as long cleaning times.

[0007] Currently, there are still many companies that manually weigh and supply goods in the manufacturing and packaging processes, but with the recent labor shortage, there is an increasing demand for automation in the market for goods sorting and feeding devices.In order to meet this demand for automation, taking into account the various issues mentioned above, it is necessary to simplify the configuration and operation, accommodate limited installation space, make operation and cleaning easier, and enable a highly versatile line configuration.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the problems with the conventional technology described above, and aims to provide a compact feeding device that can feed items into multiple packaging containers simultaneously with a simple structure and operation, that can be easily installed in places with limited installation space due to its low height, that does not require a high level of skill on the part of the operator, and that is easy to clean. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] Claim 1 The described dosing device 3 is A loading device that receives an article at a predetermined receiving position (P1), moves the received article, and drops it at a predetermined loading position (P3), a plurality of containers (11) each having a vertical opening for receiving an article; a holder (9) having a plurality of holding holes (12) that penetrate vertically and hold a plurality of the containers; a base (16) on which the holder is movably placed, and which has, at the loading position, a plurality of loading holes (19) that are vertically penetrating and communicate with the plurality of holding holes of the holder set at the loading position; driving means (A1, A2, B1, B2, B3) for circulating the holder between at least the receiving position and the input position on the base; Equipped with The holder (9) holds the plurality of containers (11) in a row in a predetermined parallel direction, The drive means (A1, A2, B1, B2, B3) intermittently moves the holder in the parallel direction so that the plurality of containers held by the holder stop at the receiving position (P1), and after the articles are stored in the containers held by the holder, moves the holder in a direction intersecting the parallel direction to set the containers at the loading position (P3). It is characterized by the fact that

[0012] Claim 2 The dosing device according to claim 1 In the feeding device 3 described in The two holders 9 for holding the containers 11 are placed on the base 16, The driving means A1, A2, B1, B2, B3 are characterized by circulating the two holding bodies 9, 9 between the receiving position P1, where the holding body 9 moves intermittently, the input position P3, and waiting positions P4, P5 located between the receiving position P1 and the input position P3.

[0013] Claim 3 The insertion device 3 described in claim 1 or 2 In the feeding device 3 described in A feature of this arrangement is that the container 11 is held in the holding hole 12 of the holder 9 so that it can move up and down along the shape of the conveying surface 17 when the holder 9 holding the container 11 moves along the conveying surface 17 of the base 16. The insertion device 3 described in claim 4 is A loading device that receives an article at a predetermined receiving position P1, moves the received article, and drops it at a predetermined loading position P3, a plurality of containers 11 each having a vertical opening for receiving an article; a holder 9 having a plurality of holding holes 12 penetrating vertically to hold a plurality of the containers; a base 16 on which the holder is movably placed, and which has, at the loading position, a plurality of loading holes 19 that are vertically penetrating and communicate with the plurality of holding holes of the holder set at the loading position; driving means A1, A2, B1, B2, B3 for circulating the holder between at least the receiving position and the input position on the base; Equipped with A feature of this structure is that when the holder 9 holding the container 11 moves along the conveying surface 17 of the base 16, the container is held in the holding hole 12 of the holder so that the container can move up and down along the shape of the conveying surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] Claim 1 According to the feeding device described in the above, articles dropped at the receiving position are received by a plurality of containers held by a holder. A driving means moves the holder along the upper surface of the base and sets it at the feeding position, causing the articles received in the plurality of containers to drop through the feed holes of the base and be fed all at once to a feeding target below. By preparing a plurality of storage containers in a downstream device, articles can be fed into each of the plurality of storage containers at the same time. A driving means circulates the holder holding the containers along the upper surface of the base between the receiving position and the feeding position at an appropriate time, thereby efficiently and repeatedly receiving articles into the plurality of containers and feeding them all at once to the downstream device.

[0016] Claim 1 According to the loading device described in the publication, in order to have multiple containers in a holder receive articles at the receiving positions, a drive means intermittently moves the holder in the direction in which the containers are aligned so that each of the multiple containers stops directly below the receiving positions. The containers stopped at the receiving positions receive articles that have dropped from a preceding device. After all of the multiple containers held by the holder are filled with articles, the drive means moves the holder in a direction intersecting the alignment direction to set it at the loading position. As a result, the articles stored in the multiple containers held by one holder pass through the multiple loading holes in the base and fall all at once, and are loaded into a subsequent device below. Because the multiple containers receive the articles at the receiving positions and move the multiple containers to the loading positions over the shortest distance on the base, the efficiency of the batch supply operation to the subsequent device can be further improved.

[0017] Claim 2 and claims According to the loading device described in 4, the drive means can move two holders placed on a base in a circular manner between a receiving position where the holders move intermittently, a loading position where items are loaded into a subsequent device, and a waiting position between the receiving position and the loading position, thereby reducing the time that the previous device must wait for the holders to return to the receiving position, and making the reception of items using multiple containers and the simultaneous supply operation to the subsequent device more efficient.

[0018] Claim 3 and claim 4 According to the feeding device described in

[2012] , even if the conveying surface of the base on which the holder holding the container slides is distorted due to warping of the components, each container is held in the holder hole so that it can move up and down, and when the drive means moves the holder, each container can move up and down along the shape of the conveying surface of the base. Therefore, no large gap is created between the bottom end of the container and the surface of the base, and there is little risk of the items inside the container falling out onto the conveying surface. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1]FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of an item packaging system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic plan view of an input device that is part of an item packaging system according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a perspective view of an input device that is part of an embodiment of an item packaging system. [Figure 4] 1 is a partially enlarged oblique view of a base and a feeding container in a feeding device that is part of an embodiment of an item packaging system. [Figure 5] FIG. 1A is a partially enlarged front view of a base and a feeding container in a feeding device that is part of the article packaging system of the embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a partially enlarged right side view of the same. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic plan view showing the continuous operation of an insertion device that is part of an embodiment of an item packaging system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] An embodiment of an item packaging system 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. Figure 1 is a front view of the entire product packaging system 1. This product packaging system 1 has a weighing device 2 that weighs products into blocks of a predetermined weight and drops and feeds them, a feeding device 3 that receives the products fed from the weighing device 2, moves them, and then drops them into a packaging container below, a conveying device 4 that conveys the packaging container, and a packaging device 5 that seals the packaging container into which the products have been fed.

[0021] First, referring to FIG. 1, an outline of the configuration of each device that constitutes the item packaging system 1 will be described, and then the item feeding device 3 will be described in detail.

[0022] The weighing device 2 is mounted and fixed on a raised floor structure 6 installed on the floor surface GL, and is a device that weighs items and drops them downward from a chute 2a in chunks of a predetermined mass to discharge them. In this embodiment, the weighed items that are discharged and dropped from the weighing device 2 are a collection of many small items, but the small items are not strongly adhered to each other, but are in a loosely gathered state. The appearance or state of such a weighed chunk of items is referred to as a "chunk" in this specification.

[0023] The feeding device 3 is provided below the weighing device 2, i.e., directly below the raised floor structure 6, and is a device for simultaneously feeding lump-shaped articles one by one into multiple trays of a packaging container (not shown) provided below the feeding device 3. In this embodiment, the packaging container has an integrated structure of seven trays lined up in a row, and the feeding device 3 has the function of receiving the seven lump-shaped articles sequentially from the weighing device 2 at receiving position P1, moving them to feeding position P3, and dropping them all at once from a chute 7, so that they are simultaneously stored in the seven trays (not shown) of the packaging container below.

[0024] The conveying device 4 is provided below the feeding device 3, particularly at a height directly below the chute 7 of the feeding device 3. In FIG. 1, the conveying device 4 extends from the right outer side of the raised floor structure 6, passing directly below the feeding device 3 located below the raised floor structure 6, and further to the left outer side of the raised floor structure 6, and has the function of conveying the above-mentioned packaging containers (not shown) from right to left. The conveyed empty packaging container stops below the feeding position P3 of the above-mentioned feeding device 3, receives a supply of articles, and then is conveyed to the left side of the raised floor structure 6.

[0025] The packaging device 5 is installed on the floor surface GL on the left side of the raised floor structure 6 so as to cover the left end of the conveying device 4 or adjacent to the left end of the conveying device 4. When a packaging container with seven trays filled with articles is carried into the packaging device 5 by the conveying device 4, the packaging device 5 seals the openings of each tray of the packaging container by applying film-like packaging material to the openings using a mechanism not shown, and then discharges the container to a subsequent stage. Note that the seven trays with the sealed articles are integrated, but they may then be separated into individual trays at a subsequent stage to form individual products, or may not be separated into individual trays to form a single product of seven trays. In the item packaging system 1 described above, the weighing device 2, the feeding device 3, the conveying device 4, and the packaging device 5 are configured to operate in coordination with each other by exchanging necessary signals with each other.

[0026] Next, the structure of the feeding device 3 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. The feeding device 3 is provided with two conveying units 8 (a first conveying unit 8a and a second conveying unit 8b) which are devices for separately holding and conveying a plurality of block-shaped articles.

[0027] As shown in Figures 2 to 5, the conveying unit 8 includes a rectangular thick plate-shaped holder 9, a rectangular thin plate-shaped holder plate 10 arranged parallel to and spaced apart above the holder 9, and a container 11 held by the holder 9 and the holder plate 10.

[0028] As shown in Figures 2 to 5, the holder 9 is provided with seven through-holes 12 at equal intervals along the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, two locking portions 13 are provided on the upper surface of both longitudinal ends of the holder 9 along a direction parallel to the short sides. These locking portions 13 are portions to which an operating portion of a driving means, which will be described later, is connected when the transport unit 8 is moved.

[0029] 3 to 5, seven second retaining holes 14 having the same diameter as the first retaining holes 12 are provided at equal intervals along the longitudinal direction of the retaining plate 10 so as to correspond to the first retaining holes 12 of the retaining body 9. Also, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the two long sides of the retaining plate 10 are bent downward to form operation pieces 15 to which a driving force from a driving means described later is applied.

[0030] The container 11 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 is cylindrical and open at the top and bottom. Its outer diameter is slightly smaller than the inner diameters of the first retaining holes 12 in the holder 9 and the second retaining holes 14 in the retaining plate 10, and its height is slightly longer than the distance between the bottom surface of the holder 9 and the top surface of the retaining plate 10. Therefore, when the transport unit 8 is placed on a flat surface, the open bottom end of the container 11 is positioned approximately flush with the bottom surface of the holder 9, and the open top end of the container 11 protrudes above the second retaining holes 14 in the retaining plate 10. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, seven containers 11 are provided per transport unit 8, and one container 11 is inserted into and held by each of seven pairs of first retaining holes 12 in the holder 9 and second retaining holes 14 in the retaining plate 10. In the following description, the distance between the center of a container 11 and the center of an adjacent container 11 is referred to as the container pitch.

[0031] As is clear from the structure described above, in the conveying unit 8, the seven containers 11 can slide up and down relative to the first holding holes 12 of the holder 9 and the second holding holes 14 of the holding plate 10. Therefore, when the conveying unit 8 is moved along the conveying surface, each container 11 can move up and down by its own weight along the first holding holes 12 and the second holding holes 14, following the shape of the conveying surface. Therefore, when the conveying unit 8 is placed on the conveying surface and moved, the openings at the bottom ends of the containers 11 always remain in contact with the conveying surface, so that the items stored inside the containers 11 do not fall out. Even if the conveying surface is partially distorted or uneven, when the conveying unit 8 is moved on the conveying surface, the containers 11 can move up and down along the first holding holes 12 and the second holding holes 14, following the shape of the conveying surface. Therefore, the openings at the bottom ends of the containers 11 will not be significantly separated from the conveying surface for a long period of time, and the items will not fall out in this case either.

[0032] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the loading device 3 is equipped with a base 16 that provides a conveying surface or moving surface along which the conveying unit 8 moves. The base 16 is a rectangular, plate-shaped platform, and its longitudinal dimension is slightly more than twice the longitudinal length of the conveying unit 8, and its lateral dimension is slightly more than twice the lateral length of the conveying unit 8. The conveying surface 17 (upper surface) of the base 16 along which the conveying unit 8 moves is flat and smooth, and its four outer peripheries are formed with frame-shaped guide edges 18 that rise vertically upward. The guide edges 18 guide the conveying unit 8 as it moves on the conveying surface 17 along the longitudinal and lateral directions of the base 16, and also serve as an enclosure to prevent the conveying unit 8 from falling outside the base 16.

[0033] Furthermore, if the holder 9 and container 11 of the aforementioned conveying unit 8 and the base 16 that provides the conveying surface 17 of the conveying unit 8 are made of metal, there is a possibility that metal powder will be generated due to sliding when the conveying unit 8 moves, so in order to prevent metal powder from getting mixed into the article, it is preferable that the holder 9, container 11 and base 16 are made of resin.

[0034] 2 and 3, two movable guides 20 (a first movable guide 20a and a second movable guide 20b) that can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction are provided above the base 16. As shown in the plan view of Fig. 2, these movable guides 20 are provided at positions that coincide with a center line (not shown) that is parallel to the longitudinal direction of the base 16 (the left-right direction in the figure), and are provided at two positions in the longitudinal direction of the base 16, approximately in the right half and approximately in the left half of the figure.

[0035] The first movable guide 20a on the right in FIG. 2 has approximately the same length as the transport unit 8, while the second movable guide 20b on the left in FIG. 2 is longer than the transport unit 8. As shown in FIG. 3, both movable guides 20 are plate-like members having a plate surface perpendicular to the transport surface 17 of the base 16. The first and second movable guides 20a and 20b are connected to two drive cylinders (not shown) facing downward above them, allowing them to move vertically. In FIG. 2, two black dots in the diagram of each movable guide indicate the connection 21 between the actuator of the drive cylinder and the movable guide. By driving the drive cylinders, the movable guide 20 is set to a height that contacts the side of the holder 9 of the transport unit 8 or the operation piece 15 of the transport unit 8 (see FIG. 3, referred to as the guide position), and functions as a guide when moving the transport unit 8 along the longitudinal direction of the transport unit 8 and the longitudinal direction of the base 16. Furthermore, by driving the drive cylinder and setting the moving guide to a position (referred to as the retracted position) that is farther from the conveying surface 17 of the base 16 than the height of the conveying unit 8, it will no longer interfere with the conveying unit 8, and the conveying unit 8 can be moved along the conveying surface 17 of the base 16 in the short direction of the base 16.

[0036] 1 and 2, directly below the chute 2a of the weighing device 2 is receiving position P1 where the insertion device 3 receives articles from the weighing device 2. In FIG. 2, the containers 11 of the transport unit 8 located at this receiving position P1 are shaded. As shown in FIG. 2, the direction in which the transport unit 8 moves leftward in the longitudinal direction on the transport surface 17 of the base 16 is referred to as the +X direction, the opposite direction is referred to as the -X direction, and the direction in which the transport unit 8 moves downward in the lateral direction is referred to as the +Y direction, and the opposite direction is referred to as the -Y direction. The transport unit 8 moves as follows by a driving means, which will be described later.

[0037] In Figure 2, it moves from the first waiting position P4 (transport unit 8 is not shown) at the bottom right corner in the -Y direction to the second waiting position P5 (transport unit 8 is not shown) at the top right corner, moves in the +X direction to pass the receiving position P1, is set at the input waiting position P2 (transport unit 8 is not shown) at the top left corner, and then moves further in the +Y direction to be set at the input position P3 at the bottom left corner.

[0038] 2 and 3, seven through-holes 19 are formed in the base 16 so as to communicate with the seven containers 11 of the transport unit 8 at the loading position P3 (not shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 because they are located below the transport unit 8; see FIG. 6(1)). The loading position P3 is a position corresponding to the chute 7 of the loading device 3 shown in FIG. 1, and in FIG. 2, the containers 11 of the transport unit 8 at this loading position P3 are marked with two sectorial diagonal lines with a central angle of 45 degrees.

[0039] As shown in Figure 2, after the transport unit 8 has loaded an item at the loading position P3 and is now empty, it moves in the -X direction and returns to the first waiting position P4 (transport unit 8 not shown) at the bottom right corner, where it waits to receive the next item.

[0040] 2, the drive means for moving the transport unit 8 in a circular manner on the transport surface 17 of the base 16 as described above will be described. The drive means for the transport unit 8 of the input device 3 is a total of five devices: a first pressing device A1 (pressing in the -Y direction), a first moving device B1 (pressing in the +X direction), a second moving device B2 (pulling in the -X direction), a second pressing device A2 (pressing in the +Y direction), and a third moving device B3 (pressing in the -X direction).

[0041] The first pressing device A1 and the second pressing device A2 have the same structure and include a bifurcated pressing rod 22 and a drive cylinder 23 that moves the pressing rod 22 back and forth, and the pressing rod 22 can be used to press and move two points on the operating piece portion 15 of the conveying unit 8 on the base 16.

[0042] 2, the first pressing device A1 is disposed adjacent to the first standby position P4 of the base 16, and presses the transport unit 8 at the first standby position P4 in the -Y direction to move it to the second standby position P5. The second pressing device A2 is disposed adjacent to the input standby position P2 of the base 16 in FIG. 2, and presses the transport unit 8 at the input standby position P2 in the +Y direction to move it to the input position P3.

[0043] The first moving device B1, the second moving device B2, and the third moving device B3 have substantially the same structure, but differ in that they act on the transport unit 8 by either pressing or pulling, and also by the distance they move the transport unit 8. Each moving device B has a common structure comprising a motor M and moving rail 24 installed at a predetermined position, a drive shaft 25 arranged parallel to the moving rail 24 and rotated by the motor M, and an operating arm 26 connected to a nut member (not shown) screwed onto the drive shaft 25, and moved on the base 16 along the moving rail 24 by the drive of the motor M. Although not shown in detail, a locking device 27 is provided at the tip of each operating arm 26. The locking device 27 detachably locks onto two locking portions 13 provided at both longitudinal ends of the transport unit 8, and when locked, transmits the driving force of the operating arm 26 in the X direction to the transport unit 8.

[0044] 2, the first moving device B1 is disposed adjacent to the second standby position P5 of the base 16 and is capable of pushing a transport unit 8 at the second standby position P5 in the +X direction and transporting it until it passes the receiving position P1. The second moving device B2 is disposed adjacent to the input standby position P2 of the base 16 and is capable of locking a transport unit 8 that has passed the receiving position P1, pulling it in the +X direction, and transporting it to the input standby position P2. The third moving device B3 is disposed adjacent to the input position P3 of the base 16 and is capable of pushing an empty transport unit 8 that has been set at the input position P3 and has inserted an article downward in the -X direction and transporting it to the first standby position P4.

[0045] The operation of the feeding device 3 will be described with reference to the respective sub-diagrams (1) to (10) in Fig. 6. For components mentioned in the explanation of the operation that are not shown in Fig. 6, please refer to Fig. 2 or Fig. 3, etc.

[0046] FIG. 1 shows the first transport unit 8a, which was set at the second standby position P5, being pushed by the first operating arm 26 of the first moving device B1 and beginning intermittent movement in the +X direction at container pitch intervals. The leftmost container 11 in the first transport unit 8a, indicated by the black dotted line in the figure as having an item inserted, is set at the receiving position P1. At this time, the first and second moving guides 20a and 20b are in their guide positions. The transport unit 8a is long and slender, and if it is pushed from one end to move in the longitudinal direction (X direction), it may bend in a direction different from the pushing direction. However, because the first and second moving guides 20a and 20b are in their guide positions, the transport unit 8a can accurately move container pitch intervals. At this time, the empty second transport unit 8b is waiting at the first standby position P4. Furthermore, since the first operating arm 26 of the first moving device B1 securely engages the first conveying unit 8a with the locking device 27, the movement at each container pitch is accurate, each container 11 is reliably positioned at the receiving position P1, and the items dropped from the weighing device 2 are reliably placed into each container 11.

[0047] FIG. 2B shows the first transport unit 8a being intermittently pushed in the +X direction by the first operating arm 26 of the first moving device B1, and showing that the leftmost to third containers 11 have been loaded into the first transport unit 8a. That is, the leftmost to third containers 11 in the first transport unit 8a are set to receiving position P1. At this time, the second operating arm 26 of the second moving device B2 has begun to move from its leftmost position to the right. The first moving guide 20a and the second moving guide 20b are in their guide positions. The empty second transport unit 8b is waiting at the first waiting position P4.

[0048] FIG. 3 shows the state where, after the leftmost container 11 through the fourth container 11 of the first transport unit 8a have been loaded with articles, the second operating arm 26 of the second moving device B2 engages the first transport unit 8a and begins pulling it in the +X direction, and the leftmost container 11 through the fifth container 11 of the first transport unit 8a are set to receiving position P1 and the articles are loaded into them. After the second moving device B2 takes over the movement of the first transport unit 8a in the +X direction, the first operating arm 26 of the first moving device B1 immediately returns in the -X direction and waits at the rightmost position. The reason for selectively using the first moving device B1 and the second moving device B2 in this way is as follows. If the transport distance in the X direction of the first moving device B1 were increased so that the first transport unit a8 could be moved to the loading standby position P2, it would take a long time to return the first operating arm 26 from the leftmost position on the base 16 to the rightmost position after the first transport unit 8a has been moved to the loading standby position P2, and the second transport unit 8b, which is waiting at the first standby position P4, would not be able to be moved immediately to the second standby position P5. The first moving guide 20a and the second moving guide 20b are in their guide positions. The empty second transport unit 8b is waiting at the first standby position P4.

[0049] FIG. 4 shows the state where the second operating arm 26 of the second moving device B2 has set the first transport unit 8a to the loading standby position P2. After this, the first moving guide 20a and the second moving guide 20b are set to their retracted positions, and the second transport unit 8b, which was at the first standby position P4, is pressed in the -Y direction by the first pressing device A1 and set to the second standby position P5. As explained above, the first operating arm 26 of the first moving device B1 is already waiting at the rightmost position, so it does not obstruct the movement of the second transport unit 8b to the second standby position P5.

[0050] FIG. 5(5) shows the first conveying unit 8a, which is set at the input standby position P2, being pushed in the +Y direction by the second pressing device A2 to set it at the input position P3. Because the second moving guide 20b is in the retracted position, the movement of the first conveying unit 8a from the input standby position P2 to the input position P3 is not obstructed. At the input position P3, the items stored in the seven containers 11 of the first conveying unit 8a are input into the seven trays of the packaging container 11 below the input device 3 via the input holes 19 of the base 16 and the chute 7. The first moving guide 20a and the second moving guide 20b are again set to the guide positions, and the second conveying unit 8b, which was at the second standby position P5, begins intermittent movement in the +X direction by the first operating arm 26 of the first moving device B1.

[0051] FIG. 6 shows the second transport unit 8b, set at the second standby position P5, being pushed by the first operating arm 26 of the first moving device B1 and beginning intermittent movement in the +X direction by one container pitch at a time. The leftmost container 11 in the second transport unit 8b, indicated by the black box in the figure as having an item inserted, is set at the receiving position P1. Also, immediately after the operation of the second transport unit 8b, the empty first transport unit 8a, which is at the insertion position P3, is pushed in the -X direction by the second operating arm 26 of the third moving device B3 and set at the first standby position P4. Naturally, this movement in the -X direction does not have to be an intermittent push. After being set at the first standby position P4, the second operating arm 26 of the third moving device B3 returns to its leftmost position.

[0052] FIG. 7 shows the second transport unit 8b being intermittently pushed in the +X direction by the first operating arm 26 of the first moving device B1, and the state in which the leftmost to third containers 11 in the second transport unit 8 have been loaded with items. That is, the leftmost to third containers 11 in the second transport unit 8 are set to receiving position P1. At this time, the second operating arm 26 of the second moving device B2 has begun to move from its leftmost position to the right. The first moving guide 20a and the second moving guide 20b are in their guide positions. The empty first transport unit 8a is waiting at the first waiting position P4.

[0053] FIG. 8 shows the state where, after items have been placed into the leftmost to fourth containers 11 of the second transport unit 8b, the second operating arm 26 of the second moving device B2 engages the first transport unit 8 and begins pulling it in the +X direction. The leftmost to fifth containers 11 of the second transport unit 8b are set to receiving position P1 and items are placed into them. At this time, the first operating arm 26 of the first moving device B1 returns in the -X direction and waits at the rightmost position. The first moving guide 20a and the second moving guide 20b are in their guide positions. The empty first transport unit 8a waits at the first waiting position P4.

[0054] FIG. 9 shows the second operating arm 26 of the second moving device B2 setting the second transport unit 8b to the loading standby position P2. After this, the first moving guide 20a and the second moving guide 20b are set to their retracted positions, and the first transport unit 8a, which was at the first standby position P4, is pressed in the -Y direction by the first pressing device A1 and set to the second standby position P5. As explained above, the first operating arm 26 of the first moving device B1 is already waiting at the rightmost position, so it does not obstruct the first transport unit 8a's movement to the second standby position P5.

[0055] FIG. 10 shows the second conveying unit 8b, which was set at the input standby position P2, being pushed in the +Y direction by the second pressing device A2 to set it at the input position P3. Because the second moving guide 20b is in the retracted position, the movement of the second conveying unit 8b from the input standby position P2 to the input position P3 is not obstructed. At the input position P3, the items stored in the seven containers 11 of the second conveying unit 8b are inserted into the seven empty trays of the packaging container 11 newly brought below the input device 3 via the input holes 19 of the base 16 and the chute 7. The first moving guide 20a and the second moving guide 20b are again set to the guide positions, and the first conveying unit 8a, which was at the second standby position P5, begins intermittent movement in the +X direction by the first operating arm 26 of the first moving device B1.

[0056] Thereafter, the first conveying unit 8a and the second conveying unit 8b return to FIG. 1 and continue operation, continuing to feed articles into the trays of packaging containers while moving circulating on the base 16. This allows the weighing of articles to continue with a minimum waiting time, and also allows the packaging containers with articles fed into them to be sent one after another to the packaging device 5, enabling packaged products to be produced with high efficiency.

[0057] As described above, according to the feeding device 3 of this embodiment and the item packaging system 1 using it, when a continuous packaging container made up of any number of trays (seven in this embodiment) is used, a conveying unit 8 is prepared in which the same number of containers 11 as the number of trays are mounted on a common holder 9, and two conveying units 8 are used in cycles on a common base 16, so that the operation of simultaneously feeding items into each tray of the continuous packaging container can be performed one after another, minimizing the need to wait for the weighing device 2 to drop and supply the items, thereby achieving extremely high work efficiency.

[0058] Furthermore, as described above, the transport unit 8 that moves the articles is a relatively thin plate about the height of the container 11, and the base 16 that provides the transport surface 17 of the transport unit 8 is also a plate-shaped member, so the feeding device 3 has a flat outer shape with a small vertical dimension (height) as a whole. For this reason, the feeding device 3 of this embodiment can be easily installed in places where the installation space (particularly the vertical dimension) is limited, and a high degree of freedom is possible in the layout of peripheral devices such as the weighing device 2 placed in the preceding stage and the packaging device 5 placed in the subsequent stage.

[0059] Furthermore, the container 11 that stores items in the conveying unit 8 can be easily attached and detached to the holder 9 and the holding plate 10, so not only is the container 11 itself easy to clean, but the holder 9 and the holding plate 10 are also highly easy to clean, reducing the maintenance burden. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1. Product packaging system 2...Weighing device, which is the device before the feeding device 3...Insertion device 4...Transportation device, which is the device after the loading device 5...Packaging device, which is the device after the feeding device 8...Transport unit 8a...First transport unit 8b...Second transport unit 9...Holding body 10...Holding plate 11...Container 12...First retaining hole of retainer 14...Second retaining hole of retaining plate 16...Foundation 17...Transport surface of base 19...Inlet hole of base 20...Transportation Guide 20a…1st Travel Guide 20b...Second Mobile Guide A1...First pressing device as driving means A2: Second pressing device as driving means B1...First moving device as driving means B2: Second moving device as driving means B3: Third moving device as driving means P1: Receiving position P2…Holding standby position P3…Insertion position P4…1st standby position P5…Second standby position

Claims

1. A loading device that receives an article at a predetermined receiving position (P1), moves the received article, and drops it at a predetermined loading position (P3), a plurality of containers (11) each having a vertical opening for receiving an article; a holder (9) having a plurality of holding holes (12) penetrating vertically to hold a plurality of the containers; a base (16) on which the holder is movably placed, and on which a plurality of input holes (19) are provided at the input position, the input holes communicating with the plurality of holding holes of the holder set at the input position and penetrating vertically; driving means (A1, A2, B1, B2, B3) for circulating the holder between at least the receiving position and the input position on the base; Equipped with The holder (9) holds the plurality of containers (11) in a row in a predetermined parallel direction, The driving means (A1, A2, B1, B2, B3) intermittently moves the holder in the parallel direction so that the multiple containers held by the holder stop at the receiving position (P1), and after items are stored in the containers held by the holder, moves the holder in a direction intersecting the parallel direction to set it at the loading position (P3).

2. The two holders (9, 9) for holding the containers (11) are placed on the base (16), The feeding device (3) described in claim 1, characterized in that the driving means (A1, A2, B1, B2, B3) circulates the two holding bodies between the receiving position (P1) where the holding bodies move intermittently, the feeding position (P3), and waiting positions (P4, P5) located between the receiving position and the feeding position.

3. The feeding device (3) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the container (11) is held in the holding hole (12) of the holder so that when the holder (9) holding the container (11) moves along the conveying surface (17) of the base (16), the container can move up and down along the shape of the conveying surface.

4. A loading device that receives an article at a predetermined receiving position (P1), moves the received article, and drops it at a predetermined loading position (P3) to load it, a plurality of containers (11) each having a vertical opening for receiving an article; a holder (9) having a plurality of holding holes (12) penetrating vertically to hold a plurality of the containers; a base (16) on which the holder is movably placed, and on which a plurality of input holes (19) are provided at the input position, the input holes communicating with the plurality of holding holes of the holder set at the input position and penetrating vertically; driving means (A1, A2, B1, B2, B3) for circulating the holder between at least the receiving position and the input position on the base; Equipped with The feeding device (3) is characterized in that the container (11) is held in the holding hole (12) of the holder so that when the holder (9) holding the container (11) moves along the conveying surface (17) of the base (16), the container can move up and down along the shape of the conveying surface.

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