Vacuum conveyor chains and vacuum conveyor devices

Abstract

To provide a vacuum conveyor chain capable of reducing sagging due to its own weight when not in suction.SOLUTION: A vacuum conveyor chain (41) includes a placement surface (F) on which an object to be conveyed is placed, a back surface (B) opposite to the placement surface (F), a plurality of suction holes (H) formed so as to penetrate from the placement surface (F) to the back surface (B), and a restricting portion (420) that engages with a fixing member (450) to restrict movement of the chain (41) in a first direction (D1), when a direction from the back surface (B) toward the placement surface (F) is defined as the first direction (D1) and a direction from the placement surface (F) toward the back surface (B) is defined as a second direction (D2). The restricting portion (420) is located on a downstream side of the placement surface (F) in the second direction (D2).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vacuum conveyor chain and a vacuum conveyor device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a work sorting device has been devised in which the downstream end of a first vacuum transport device in the work transport direction, in which the work placement surface faces upward, and the upstream end of a second vacuum transport device in the work transport direction, in which the placement surface faces downward, are arranged to overlap in the work transport direction, and the device sucks up the work transported by the first vacuum transport device and transfers it to the second vacuum transport device while transporting it (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2022 / 254968 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In this way, by transporting a workpiece while switching between the first and second vacuum transport devices, which have different orientations of the loading surface, the front surface of the workpiece can be inspected while it is being transported by the first vacuum transport device, and the back surface of the workpiece can be inspected while it is being transported by the second vacuum transport device.

[0005] However, in order to smoothly transfer workpieces between the vacuum transport devices, the distance between the first vacuum transport device and the second vacuum transport device must be maintained appropriately, making it important to adjust the distance between the devices. This adjustment of the distance between the devices is performed when no workpieces are being transported, but because the suction by the suction chamber is released when no workpieces are being transported, the conveyor chain of the second vacuum transport device mentioned above sags downward due to its own weight.

[0006] As a result, the distance between the devices differs by the amount of the chain sagging from when the device is being sucked into the suction chamber and conveyed, making it difficult to adjust the distance between the devices.

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a vacuum conveyor chain and a vacuum conveyor device that can reduce sagging due to its own weight when not in suction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is a vacuum conveyor chain for transporting an object while suctioning it, comprising: a loading surface on which the object is placed; a back surface opposite the loading surface; a plurality of suction holes formed through the loading surface from the loading surface to the back surface; and a regulating portion that engages with a fixed member to regulate movement of the chain in the first direction when the direction from the back surface side toward the loading surface side is defined as a first direction and the direction from the loading surface side toward the back surface side is defined as a second direction, and is characterized in that the regulating portion is located downstream of the loading surface in the second direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the sagging of the chain due to its own weight when suction is not being applied. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a workpiece sorting device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] (a) A perspective view of a vacuum conveyor chain viewed from the back side, (b) a schematic diagram of a vacuum conveyor chain in a driven state viewed from the running direction, and (c) a schematic diagram of a vacuum conveyor chain in a non-driven state viewed from the running direction. [Figure 3] FIG. 1A is a perspective view showing a chain link when the attachment part is not attached, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing a chain link when the attachment part is attached. [Figure 4] FIG. 10( a ) is a schematic diagram showing an attachment portion of a chain body, and FIG. 10( b ) is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of the attachment portion. [Figure 5] Schematic diagrams showing the attachment, where (a) is a perspective view seen from diagonally above, (b) is a plan view, (c) is a perspective view seen from diagonally below, (d) is a front view, and (e) is a side view. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the state in which the attachment is attached. [Figure 7] Schematic diagrams showing modified examples of the attachment, including (a) an attachment in which the locking portion is directly fixed to the arm portion, (b) an attachment in which the arm portion extends only to one side in the width direction, and (c) a diagram showing the attachment shown in Figure 7(b) in use. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] <Configuration of workpiece sorting device> A work sorting device 1 equipped with a vacuum transport device 40 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. As shown in Fig. 1, the work sorting device (transported object sorting device) 1 is configured by a first inspection unit 2 that inspects the work (transported object) W from the front (top) side, a second inspection unit 3 that inspects the work W from the back (bottom) side, and a transport unit 4 that transports the sorted work W, all of which are arranged along the work transport direction.

[0012] The first inspection unit 2 includes a first vacuum transport device 10 as a vacuum conveyor device, and a first inspection device 20. The first vacuum transport device 10 has a vacuum conveyor chain 11, which has one or more suction holes formed on its surface, which is the surface on which the workpiece W is placed, wound around a sprocket 12, and a suction chamber 13 is provided on the back side of the vacuum conveyor chain 11 opposite to the front surface. The suction chamber 13 is formed with an open top surface facing the back surface (inner peripheral surface) of the vacuum conveyor chain 11, and is connected to a blower 15 as a suction device that reduces the pressure inside the suction chamber 13.

[0013] The first inspection device 20 is an inspection camera provided opposite the first vacuum transport device 10, and captures images of the surfaces of the works W that have been placed on the loading surface of the vacuum conveyor chain 11 and transported. The first inspection device 20 is also connected to the control device 30 of the work sorting device 1 so as to be able to communicate with each other, and the images captured by the first inspection device 20 are inspected by the control device 30, which serves as an information processing device, to determine whether there are any problems.

[0014] The second inspection unit 3 is disposed downstream of the first inspection unit 2 in the conveying direction of the workpiece W, and is equipped with a second vacuum transport device 40 as a vacuum conveyor device, and a second inspection device 50. The second vacuum transport device 40 has a vacuum conveyor chain 41, which has a plurality of suction holes formed on its surface, which is the surface on which the workpiece W is placed, wound around sprockets 44, 48, and, unlike the first vacuum transport device 10, is configured so that the surface on which the workpiece W is placed faces downward in the direction of gravity.

[0015] A suction chamber 42 is provided on the back side of the vacuum conveyor chain 41, opposite the front side. The suction chamber 42 is formed with an open bottom surface facing the back side (inner peripheral surface) of the vacuum conveyor chain 41. Unlike the first vacuum transport device 10, the suction chamber 42 is divided into multiple sections, and in this embodiment, includes a first suction chamber 42a, a second suction chamber 42b, and a third suction chamber 42c. First, second, and third air blowers 43a, 43b, and 43c are connected to the first, second, and third suction chambers 42a, 42b, and 42c, respectively, so that the pressure in each suction chamber can be independently reduced. The second suction chamber 42b can be switched on and off to adsorb the workpiece W.

[0016] Furthermore, the second vacuum transport device 40 is equipped with a lifting device 500 as an inter-device distance adjustment device, and the entire device can be raised and lowered to adjust the inter-device distance between the second vacuum transport device 40 and the first vacuum transport device 10 or the transport unit 4.

[0017] The second inspection device 50 is an inspection camera provided upstream of the second suction chamber 42b in the conveying direction of the workpiece W, facing the second vacuum conveying device 40, and captures an image of the back surface of the workpiece W that has been placed on the loading surface of the vacuum conveyor chain 41 and conveyed. The second inspection device 50 is also connected to the control device 30 of the workpiece sorting device 1 so as to be able to communicate with each other, and the image captured by the second inspection device 50 is inspected by the control device 30 to determine whether there are any problems.

[0018] The transport unit 4 is provided downstream of the second inspection unit 3 in the work transport direction, and is configured by a conveyor device that does not suction the work W. The inspected work W is transported by this conveyor device.

[0019] As the workpiece sorting device 1 is configured in this manner, the workpieces W manufactured upstream of the workpiece sorting device 1 are transported while being sucked onto a placement surface from below by the first vacuum transport device 10, and an image of the surface is taken by the first inspection device 20 during transport by the first vacuum transport device 10. The control device 30 determines whether the taken surface image is a good product or a defective product.

[0020] When the workpiece W is transported to the terminal end (downstream end in the workpiece transport direction) of the first vacuum transport device 10, which overlaps vertically with the starting end (upstream end in the workpiece transport direction) of the second vacuum transport device 40, the top surface (front surface) of the workpiece W is adsorbed by the second vacuum transport device 40, and the workpiece W is transferred from the first vacuum transport device 10 to the second vacuum transport device 40. When the workpiece W is transferred to the second vacuum transport device 40, it is transported while being adsorbed by its top surface, and an image of the back surface of the workpiece W is captured by the second inspection device 50. The captured image of the back surface is used by the control device 30 to determine whether it is a good product or a defective product.

[0021] Then, a workpiece W that is determined to be a non-defective in both the front and back surface inspections is sucked by the second vacuum transport device 40 and transported to the end, where it is handed over to the transport unit 4. On the other hand, when a workpiece W' that is determined to be a defective in either the front or back surface inspection is transported to a position corresponding to the second suction chamber 42b, the control device 30 releases the suction hold of the workpiece W' by the second suction chamber 42b, and the workpiece W' on the second vacuum transport device 40 (on the moving body) falls downward due to gravity. In this way, the workpiece sorting device 1 sorts non-defective workpieces W and defective workpieces W' by switching on and off the suction of the workpieces by the second suction chamber 42b.

[0022] <Vacuum conveyor chain configuration> Next, the configuration of a vacuum conveyor chain (hereinafter simply referred to as a chain) that transports workpieces (transported objects) while suctioning them will be described. Since the above-mentioned vacuum conveyor chains 11 and 41 have the same configuration, the following description will only discuss the configuration of the vacuum conveyor chain 41, and will omit a description of the configuration of the vacuum conveyor chain 11. In the following description, the back side of the chain 41 will be referred to as the upper side, the front side as the lower side, the direction from the back side toward the front (placing surface) side as the first direction D1, and the direction from the front side toward the back side as the second direction D2. The first direction D1 and the second direction D2 will also be collectively referred to as the up-down direction, the width direction as the horizontal direction or the left-right direction, and the running direction as the vertical direction or the front-back direction.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 2(a), the chain 41 includes a chain main body 410 and an attachment portion 420. The chain main body 410 is an endless plastic chain, and is configured by connecting multiple links 411 made of injection-molded synthetic resin (e.g., POM) in the width direction (horizontal direction) and running direction (vertical direction) with pins (not shown). As shown in FIG. 3(a), the link 411 includes a plate portion 412 having a flat surface F (see FIGS. 2(b) and 2(c)) that forms a workpiece placement surface, a first connecting portion 413 provided at the upstream end of the plate portion 412 in the running direction, a second connecting portion 414 provided at the downstream end of the plate portion 411a in the running direction, and an attachment portion 415.

[0024] The first and second connecting portions 413, 414 are provided in plurality at predetermined intervals in the width direction, and each has pin holes 413a, 414a for inserting the pin. The first and second connecting portions 413, 414 are alternately arranged so that their widthwise positions are offset from each other when viewed from the running direction, and the links 411 are connected by interlocking the first and second connecting portions 413, 414 arranged like comb teeth (see also FIG. 2(a)). More specifically, the links 411 are aligned in the width direction according to the chain width, and are aligned in the running direction such that the second connecting portion 414 of the adjacent link 411 on the upstream side in the running direction is fitted into the space ES1 between the first connecting portions 413, and the first connecting portion 413 of the adjacent link 411 on the downstream side in the running direction is fitted into the space ES2 between the second connecting portions 414. The links 411 are connected in the width direction and the running direction by inserting pins into the pin holes 413a, 414a of the first and second connecting parts 413, 414 aligned in the width direction. The width direction length of the links 411 connected by the pins may vary depending on the required width of the vacuum conveyor chain 41. In other words, the chain main body 410 may be configured by combining multiple types of links 411 that differ only in width direction length.

[0025] The front surface F of the plate portion 412 is provided with tapered suction holes H (see FIGS. 2(b) and 2(c)) that are formed with a larger diameter on the front surface side, and the rear surface thereof is provided with hollow cylindrical portions 416 at positions corresponding to the suction holes H. The cylindrical portions 416 are formed to protrude a predetermined length from the rear surface of the plate portion 412 in the second direction D2, and are configured so that the openings on the rear surface side of the suction holes H, which are formed with a smaller diameter, connect with hollow portions 416a of the cylindrical portion 416, which are formed with the same diameter. As a result, the suction holes H have a large opening on the front surface side where the workpiece is placed, and can firmly suction the workpiece. Furthermore, the suction holes H open on the rear surface side opposite the suction chamber 42 via the small-area hollow portions 416a of the cylindrical portion 416, and therefore the pressure drop in the suction chamber 42 (the difference from atmospheric pressure) can be reduced.

[0026] Furthermore, ribs 417 and 418 are provided on the back surface of the plate portion 412 so as to protrude in the second direction D2 and connect the widthwise ends of the first connecting portion 413 and the second connecting portion 414, thereby forming recesses 419 on the back surface of the plate portion 412 at each connecting portion. The recesses 419 are partitioned in the widthwise direction of the back surface of the link 411, and the above-mentioned cylindrical portions 416 are positioned at predetermined intervals within the recesses 419, with the remaining recesses being empty. The recesses 419a having the cylindrical portions 416 and the empty recesses 419b are aligned in the running direction, and sprocket teeth engage with predetermined rows of the empty recesses 419b to drive the chain 41 (see also FIG. 2(a)).

[0027] The attachment portion 415 is provided in the widthwise center on the back side of the link 411. More specifically, it is integral with ribs 430, 431 that form the central recess among the plurality of recesses 419 aligned in the widthwise direction. As shown in FIG. 4(a), these ribs 430, 431 are formed to protrude more than the ribs 417, 418 that form the other recesses, and form a pair of side walls (side surfaces) that face each other in the widthwise direction and are parallel to the running direction. Furthermore, a rib 432 stands upright on the upstream side of the ribs 430, 431 in the running direction. This rib 432 extends in the widthwise direction so as to connect the upstream ends of the ribs 430, 431 in the running direction, and forms the rear wall of the attachment portion 415.

[0028] Furthermore, a bottom surface portion 433 is formed between the ribs 430, 431, facing parallel to the plate portion 412 above the recess 419. Additionally, upper end portions 430a, 431a of the ribs 430, 431 are bent in an L-shape in the width direction when viewed from the running direction, and the upper end portions 430a, 431a of these ribs 430, 431 form an upper surface portion 434 facing parallel to the bottom surface portion 433. Note that, in the upper surface portion 434, a groove portion 434a of a predetermined width is formed extending in the running direction between the left and right upper end portions 430a, 431a.

[0029] The mounting part 415 defines a storage space 435 that is open to the downstream side in the running direction by the side walls 430, 431, rear wall 432, bottom surface 433, and top surface 434. As shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b), this storage space 435 is configured to store the lower end 421b1 of the leg part 421 of the attachment part 420, and the attachment part 420 is attached to the chain main body 410 by inserting the lower end 421b1 of the leg part 440 into the storage space 435 from the downstream side to the upstream side in the running direction (the direction of the arrow D3 in the figure).

[0030] <Attachment configuration> Next, the configuration of the attachment unit 420 will be described in detail. As described above, when the vacuum conveyor chain is driven to transport workpieces (during transport), the suction chamber on the back side is under negative pressure, so the chain is rotated while being sucked into the suction chamber. On the other hand, when the chain is not driven (not transporting) and no workpieces are being transported, the negative pressure state in the suction chamber is released, so the chain is not sucked by the suction chamber. If the chain is rotated while being too tensioned, friction with the sprockets, etc. increases and power transmission efficiency decreases, so the chain has a moderate amount of slack. However, in the above-mentioned non-driven state, suction by the suction chamber is released, so the chain sags by its own weight by the amount of the slack.

[0031] When workpieces are transferred between vacuum transport devices as in this embodiment, it is necessary to adjust the distance between these two vacuum transport devices (for example, the distance G between the placement surface of the chain 11 of the first vacuum transport device 10 and the placement surface of the chain 41 of the second vacuum transport device 40 in FIG. 1) to an appropriate distance. This adjustment of the distance between the vacuum transport devices is performed in a non-driven state, so if the chain sags as described above, the distance between the vacuum transport devices will differ from when they are driven. This makes it difficult to adjust the distance between the vacuum transport devices. In this embodiment, the attachment unit 420 is provided to reduce this sagging of the chain when not driven.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 2(a), the attachment portion 420 of the chain 41 is made of synthetic resin such as POM and is configured to engage with a rail 450, which serves as a fixed member provided on the device body 40a (see FIG. 1) of the vacuum conveying device 40. The rail 450 is disposed on the back side of the chain 41 and extends along the travel line of the chain 41 around the entire circumference of the chain 41 in the traveling direction. The rail 450 also includes a pair of rail members 451 and 452 that are spaced apart in the width direction and face each other at a predetermined interval. These rail members 451 and 452 each have an L-shaped cross section when viewed from the traveling direction. That is, the rail members 451 and 452 each include support portions 451a and 452a that have a predetermined width in the width direction of the chain 41 and wall portions 451b and 452b that stand in the second direction D2 from the outer ends of the support portions 451a and 452a in the width direction.

[0033] The attachment portion 420 has a T-shape when viewed from the traveling direction, and includes a leg portion 421 and an arm portion 422. The leg portion 421 is a mounting portion for mounting the attachment portion 420 to the chain main body 410, with one end (lower end) of the leg portion 421 mounted to the chain main body 410 and the other end (upper end) connected to the center of the arm portion 422 in the width direction. The arm portion 422 is an engaging portion that engages with the rail 450, and the attachment portion 420 is mounted to the rail 450 with the arm portion 422 positioned between the wall portions 451b, 452b of the rail 450 and the leg portion 421 positioned in the groove between the support portions 451a, 452a.

[0034] 2(b), when driven, the chain 41 is sucked by the suction chamber 42 and moves in the second direction D2, so that the attachment portion 420 rotates together with the chain main body 410 with the arm portions 422 spaced apart from the support surfaces (rear side surfaces) 451a2, 452a2 of the support portions 451a, 452a. At this time, the chain 41 is guided by its rear surface B contacting the bottom surfaces (front side surfaces) 451a1, 452a1 of the support portions 451a, 452a of the rail 450, and is rotated while its widthwise position is guided (regulated) via the arm portions 422 by the left and right wall portions 451b, 452b of the rail 450, which function as regulating surfaces.

[0035] On the other hand, when the chain 41 is not driven, the suction by the suction chamber 42 is released and the chain 41 attempts to move downward under its own weight, but as shown in Fig. 2(c), the arm portion 422 of the attachment portion 420 is supported by the support surfaces 451a2, 452a2 of the support portions 451a, 452a. This restricts the movement of the chain 41 in the first direction D1 (the direction from the back surface side toward the placement surface side), and keeps the amount of downward sagging of the chain 41 small.

[0036] Next, a detailed configuration of the attachment unit 420, which serves as a restricting unit for restricting movement of the chain 41 in the first direction D1, will be described. As shown in FIGS. 5(a) to 5(c), the arm unit 422 of the attachment unit 420 is a rectangular plate-like member that is longer in the width direction than in the running direction. A rib 422a extending in the width direction and a rib 422b extending in the running direction are provided on the surface of this plate-like arm unit 422. In this embodiment, one rib 422a is provided in the center of the running direction, and multiple ribs 422b are provided at predetermined intervals in the width direction. Furthermore, upstream and downstream end portions 422b1 and 422b2 of the rib 422b in the running direction are each chamfered (e.g., R-chamfered or C-chamfered), allowing the attachment unit 420 to smoothly pass over joints of the rail 450.

[0037] 5(c) to 5(e), the leg portion 421 includes a plate-shaped portion 421a having a predetermined width in the running direction extending downward from the arm portion 422, and a plurality of ribs 421b1 to 421b3 protruding in the width direction from the plate-shaped portion 421a. These ribs 421b1 to 421b3 are aligned with predetermined gaps in the extending direction (vertical direction) of the leg portion 421, and rib 421b1 located at the lower end, which is the distal end of the leg portion 421, serves as a locking portion that is locked to the attachment portion 415 of the chain main body 410. Furthermore, rib 421b2 adjacent to locking portion 421b1 in the extending direction serves as a pressing portion, which will be described in detail later, and in this embodiment, two ribs 421b3 are provided between this pressing portion 421b2 and the arm portion 422.

[0038] The locking portion 421b1 protrudes more in the width direction than the rib 421b3, and as shown in Fig. 6, is inserted into the accommodation space 435 of the attachment portion 415 of the chain main body 410. Also, as shown in Fig. 5(c), a groove 451 is provided on the underside of the locking portion 421b1, and a convex portion 452 is formed in the middle of this groove in the running direction. That is, the groove 451 is partitioned by the convex portion 452, and a concave portion 453 is formed by the part of the groove 451 partitioned by the convex portion.

[0039] 4(a), a convex portion 454 protrudes in the second direction D2 (direction from the front surface side to the back surface side) on the bottom surface 433 of the attachment part 415. The concave portion 453 of the locking part 421b1 and the bottom surface 433 and convex portion 454 of the attachment part 415 form a fixed fit structure or a snap-fit ​​structure, and as shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), when the locking part 421b1 of the attachment part 420 is inserted into the accommodation space 435 from the downstream side in the traveling direction, the bottom surface 433 is elastically deformed, and the convex portion 452 climbs over the convex portion 454 and engages with the concave portion 453 (convex portion 452). When the convex portion 452 and the concave portion 453 are engaged, even if the locking portion 421b1 of the attachment part 420 tries to move downstream in the running direction, the convex portion 452 interferes with the convex portion 454 and becomes immovable, and even if the locking portion 421b1 tries to move upstream in the running direction, the locking portion 421b1 interferes with the rear wall portion 432 of the mounting part 415 and becomes immovable. In other words, the locking portion 421b1 of the attachment part 420 is locked in the running direction.

[0040] 4(b), the snap-fit ​​structure may be configured such that a notch is provided in the vicinity of the protrusion 454 of the bottom surface portion 433, so that the bottom surface portion 433 is easily elastically deformed when engaged with the locking portion 421b1 of the attachment portion 420. Furthermore, if a notch is provided, the bottom surface portion 433 having the protrusion 454 as a claw member as described above is easily elastically deformed, which also makes it easier to detach the attachment portion 420 from the chain main body 410, for example.

[0041] 6 shows a state in which locking portion 421b1 is attached to mounting portion 415, and in this attached state, locking portion 421b1 is sandwiched in the vertical direction between bottom surface portion 433 and top surface portion 434 of mounting portion 415. Therefore, even if attachment portion 420 attempts to move in the vertical direction, locking portion 421b1 interferes with bottom surface portion 433 or top surface portion 434, and remains integrated with mounting portion 415, and is locked in the vertical direction as well.

[0042] Furthermore, in the attached state, the pressing portion 421b2 of the attachment portion 420 is located downstream in the second direction D2 of the top surface portion 434 of the mounting portion 415, and is configured so that its widthwise length is longer than the locking portion 421b1 and is substantially the same as that of the top surface portion 434 of the mounting portion 415. Therefore, the pressing portion 421b2, together with the locking portion 421b1, sandwiches the top surface portion 434 from above and below. Here, when the chain 41 is not driven, the chain main body 410 attempts to move downward due to its own weight, so that the top surface portion 434 of the mounting portion 415 comes into contact with the locking portion 421b1 of the attachment portion 420 engaged with the rail 450 and is pressed upward. For this reason, stress acts on top surface portion 434 from locking portion 421b1 to deform it upward, but this deformation of top surface portion 434 in the upward direction (second direction D2) is restricted by retaining portion 421b2, and top surface portion 434 is configured not to deform beyond the elastic deformation region. In particular, top surface portion 434 is provided with groove portion 434a into which constricted portion 421a1 between locking portion 421b1 and retaining portion 421b2 of leg portion 421 is inserted, which reduces its strength, but even in this case, retaining portion 421b2 prevents plastic deformation.

[0043] <Summary> [Configuration 1] A vacuum conveyor chain (41) for conveying an object (W) while suctioning it, a loading surface (F) on which the transported object (W) is placed; a back surface (B) opposite to the mounting surface (F); a plurality of suction holes (H) formed penetrating from the mounting surface (F) to the back surface (B); a restricting portion (420) that engages with a fixing member (450) to restrict movement of the chain (41) in the first direction (D1), when a direction from the back surface (B) side toward the placement surface (F) side is defined as a first direction (D1) and a direction from the placement surface (F) side toward the back surface (B) side is defined as a second direction (D2); The restricting portion (420) is located downstream of the placement surface (F) in the second direction (D2). A vacuum conveyor chain (41) characterized by the above.

[0044] [Configuration 2] The restricting portion (420) is fixed to the back surface (B). A vacuum conveyor chain (41) according to configuration 1.

[0045] As described above, the vacuum conveyor chain 41 includes the restricting portion 420 that restricts movement of the chain 41 in the first direction D1. Even if the chain 41 attempts to sag downward due to its own weight when suction is stopped while the chain 41 is not driven, the restricting portion 420 engages with the fixed member 450 to support the chain 41, thereby reducing the sagging of the chain 41. This reduces the difference in the gap G between the vacuum transport devices when driven and when not driven, making it easier to adjust the gap G between the vacuum transport devices. Note that, as the width of the vacuum conveyor chain 41 increases, the amount of downward sagging at the center of the width increases. Therefore, it is more preferable for the restricting portion 420 to support the weight of the chain 41 at least at the center of the width of the chain 41. Of course, supporting the weight of the chain 41 at multiple locations in the width direction and travel direction is more preferable because it allows the weight of the chain 41 to be distributed.

[0046] Furthermore, since the restricting portion 420 is located downstream of the placement surface F in the second direction D2, it does not interfere with the conveying surface F of the chain 41. This allows the conveying surface of the chain 41 to be wide. Furthermore, the chain 41 can be configured without increasing its size in the width direction. While it is preferable to configure the restricting portion 420 to be fixed to the back surface as described above, the restricting portion may also be configured by, for example, a protruding portion protruding from the side surface of the chain. In this case, this protruding portion is configured to engage with a fixed member, such as a rail, provided on the outer side of the chain in the width direction. In the above-described embodiment, the rail 450 was described as an example of a fixed member. However, the fixed member may have any configuration as long as it is configured to engage with the restricting portion 420 and support the weight of the chain 41 when the chain 41 is not driven.

[0047] In the above-described embodiment, the restricting portion 420 is configured to have a substantially T-shape when viewed from the traveling direction. However, this is not limiting. For example, as shown in FIG. 7(a), the restricting portion 420 may be configured such that the locking portion 421b1 is directly fixed to the arm portion 422 without providing the leg portion 421. In this case, since the support portion 451a' of the rail 450 is thin, a connecting portion connecting the arm portion 422 and the locking portion 421b1 can be omitted. Furthermore, since the arm portion 422 and the locking portion 421b1 sandwich the upper surface portion 434 when the rail 450 is attached, the arm portion 422 functions as a restricting portion 421b2 that restricts deformation of the upper surface portion 434. Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 7(b) and 7(c), when the distance between the rail members 451 and 452 is wide, the arm portion 422A may be configured to extend from the leg portion 421 to only one side in the width direction.

[0048] [Configuration 3] The restricting portion (420) includes an engaging portion (422) that engages with the fixing member (450) and an attached portion (421) that is attached to the back surface (B), The back surface (B) has an attachment portion (415) for attaching the attachment portion (421), The attached portion (421) includes a locking portion (421b1) that is locked to the attachment portion (415) and a pressing portion (421b2), the attachment portion (415) has an abutment portion (434) that is located downstream of the locking portion (421b1) in the second direction (D2) when the locking portion (421b1) is attached, and abuts against the locking portion (421b1) to restrict movement of the locking portion (421b1) in the second direction (D2); The suppressing portion (421b2) is located downstream of the contact portion (434) in the second direction (D2) when the locking portion (421b1) is attached to the attachment portion (415), and restricts the amount of deformation of the contact portion (434) in the second direction (D2). A vacuum conveyor chain (41) according to configuration 2.

[0049] In this way, by configuring the retaining portion 421b2 to restrict the amount of deformation of the contact portion 434, it is possible to prevent plastic deformation of the contact portion 434, which is subjected to a large load when supporting the weight of the chain 41 when not in drive. In other words, it is possible to limit deformation of the contact portion 434 to the range of elastic deformation. Furthermore, by configuring the restricting portion 420 separately from the chain main body 410, it is possible to easily manufacture the restricting portion 420 by injection molding or the like.

[0050] [Configuration 4] The restricting portion (420) has a snap-fit ​​structure (433, 453, 454) for fixing the restricting portion (420) to the back surface (B). A vacuum conveyor chain (41) according to configuration 2.

[0051] In this way, the restricting portion 420 can be easily attached to the chain 41 by the snap-fit ​​structure.

[0052] [Configuration 5] The restricting portion (420) includes an engaging portion (422) that engages with the fixing member (450) and an attached portion (421) that is attached to the back surface (B), The back surface (B) has an attachment portion (415) for attaching the attachment portion (421), the snap-fit ​​structure (433, 453, 454) comprises a recess (453) provided in the attached portion (421) and a protrusion (454) provided in the attachment portion (415) and engaging with the recess (453); The mounting portion (415) has a notch (433a) provided in the vicinity of the protrusion (454). A vacuum conveyor chain (41) according to configuration 4, characterized in that:

[0053] By forming the notch 433a in the vicinity of the protrusion 454 in this way, elastic deformation is facilitated during snap-fit ​​engagement, and the protrusion 454 and the recess 453 can be easily engaged with each other.

[0054] [Configuration 6] A vacuum conveyor chain (41) according to any one of configurations 1 to 5; a suction chamber (42) provided on the back side of the vacuum conveyor chain (41); and a rail (450) as the fixing member that engages with the regulating portion (420) of the vacuum conveyor chain (41). A vacuum conveyor device (40) characterized by:

[0055] In the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the first vacuum transport device 10 and the second vacuum transport device 40 face each other in the vertical direction, but the arrangement of the vacuum transport devices may be any arrangement in which the transport surfaces face each other (i.e., an arrangement in which the transported objects can be transferred), and for example, the transport surfaces extending in the vertical direction may face each other in the front-rear direction. Also, the above-described inventions may be combined in any manner. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 41: Vacuum conveyor chain 420: Regulator (attachment) 450: Fixed member (rail) B: Back side F: Placement surface H: Adsorption hole W: Transported item

Claims

1. A vacuum conveyor chain for transporting objects while suctioning them, a placement surface on which the transported object is placed; a back surface opposite to the mounting surface; a plurality of suction holes formed penetrating from the mounting surface to the back surface; a restricting portion that engages with a fixing member to restrict movement of the chain in a first direction, the first direction being a direction from the back surface side toward the placement surface side, and the second direction being a direction from the placement surface side toward the back surface side, The restriction portion is located downstream of the placement surface in the second direction. A vacuum conveyor chain characterized by the above.

2. The restricting portion is fixed to the rear surface.

2. The vacuum conveyor chain according to claim 1, wherein the chain is a tubular member.

3. the restricting portion includes an engaging portion that engages with the fixing member and an attached portion that is attached to the back surface, the rear surface includes an attachment portion for attaching the attachment portion, The attached portion includes a locking portion that is locked to the attaching portion and a pressing portion, the attachment portion has an abutment portion that is located downstream of the locking portion in the second direction when the locking portion is attached, the locking portion comes into contact with the abutting portion when the chain attempts to move in the first direction due to its own weight, thereby restricting the movement of the chain in the first direction; the suppressing portion is located downstream of the abutting portion in the second direction when the locking portion is attached to the mounting portion, and when the locking portion and the abutting portion abut against each other and a stress acts on the abutting portion to deform the abutting portion in the second direction, the suppressing portion abuts against the abutting portion to restrict the amount of deformation of the abutting portion in the second direction.

3. The vacuum conveyor chain according to claim 2, wherein the chain is a tubular member.

4. A snap-fit ​​structure is provided to fix the restricting portion to the rear surface.

3. The vacuum conveyor chain according to claim 2, wherein the chain is a tubular member.

5. the restricting portion includes an engaging portion that engages with the fixing member and an attached portion that is attached to the back surface, the rear surface includes an attachment portion for attaching the attachment portion, the snap-fit ​​structure includes a recess provided in the mounted portion and a protrusion provided in the mounting portion that engages with the recess, The mounting portion has a notch provided in the vicinity of the protrusion.

5. The vacuum conveyor chain according to claim 4, wherein the chain is a tubular member.

6. A vacuum conveyor chain according to any one of claims 1 to 5; a suction chamber provided on the back side of the vacuum conveyor chain; a rail as the fixed member that engages with the regulating portion of the vacuum conveyor chain; A vacuum conveyor device characterized by the above.

Images