Conveyor

Abstract

To provide a conveying apparatus that conveys articles by pushing means and placing means, which prevents the articles from falling from gaps between pieces of the placing means and enables reliable conveyance of the articles, even if a configuration allows for changes in size of articles to be conveyed by doubling a pitch between pieces of the pushing means.SOLUTION: A conveying apparatus 1 includes pushing means 2 that runs at a predetermined pitch in a carrying direction T of an article XA1 and can push the article XA1. The pushing means 2 is attachable and detachable, and the pitch of the pushing means 2 arranged in the carrying direction T can be changed by attaching and detaching the pushing means 2. The conveying apparatus further includes pieces of placing means 3 that are spaced apart in the carrying direction T and can support the article XA1 from below while traveling with the pushing means 2; and rails 7 arranged between pieces of the placing means 3 separated at least in the carrying direction T.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a conveying device that conveys an article using a placing means and a pushing means. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a conveying device (finger conveyor) has been known in which a conveying path (conveying surface) is formed by arranging multiple rails with a predetermined gap between them along the width direction of the conveying path, and multiple pushing means (scrapers, fingers) attached to a moving part that moves below the rails protrude upward from the gaps in the rails to push articles (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-265022 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, since conventional conveying devices are configured to slide articles on rails, it is difficult to stably convey some articles.

[0005] Specifically, for example, if the article is in the form of a flexible sheet and contains a particularly large amount of moisture (for example, a fiber material impregnated with a liquid (specifically, a cosmetic face pack)), if it is pushed with fingers and conveyed by sliding it on a rail that serves as the conveying surface, the friction between the article and the rail will increase, causing the article to deform (causing wrinkles, sagging, etc.) and be conveyed in this state to a downstream process where, for example, packaging is performed, resulting in problems such as the article getting caught or being poorly packaged.

[0006] Therefore, when transporting such articles, it is conceivable to provide a finger conveyor with, for example, a flat-plate-shaped placing means (placing section) and place the articles on the placing section for transport. In this way, the articles can be transported without moving relative to the placing section they abut, and friction with the transport surface will not occur.

[0007] 7 is a plan view showing an example of a finger conveyor 500 with a mounting section. (A) and (B) are plan views, and (C) and (D) are partial cross-sectional views taken along line YY in (B).

[0008] As shown in FIG. 1A, finger conveyor 500 has a plurality of fingers 510 and placement units 520 that correspond to fingers 510 and move together with fingers 510. The configuration for running fingers 510 and placement units 520 is known and not shown, but includes a circular chain 530 provided below placement unit 520, a plurality of sprockets, a power source, and the like. Rotational motion of the power source is transmitted to circular chain 530 via the sprockets, thereby transporting article XA1 placed on placement unit 520 in the conveying direction indicated by the arrow. Placement units 520 are configured as flat plates (tray-like) corresponding to the size of predetermined article XA1 (e.g., a face mask impregnated with a liquid) so that they can reliably support the article XA1 from below, and are arranged at a predetermined interval.

[0009] In this case, since the article XA1 is transported by the moving placement section 520, the fingers 510 function primarily as a positioning means when placing the article XA1 on the placement section 520. That is, by supplying the article XA1 at the upstream end of the finger conveyor 500 (the supply section of the article XA1) using the fingers 510 as a reference (aligning it with this), i.e., by supplying the article XA1 so that its end contacts the fingers 510, the article XA1 can be transported to the downstream process at an accurate position (at a predetermined pitch). Each finger 510 is configured to be detachable from the circular chain 530. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1B, by removing every other finger 510 and setting the spacing between the front and rear fingers 510 at twice the pitch (double pitch) of FIG. 1A, the article XA1 can be transported by being stretched across multiple (in this case, two) placement sections 520 lined up front and back in the transport direction. In other words, even with a single finger conveyor 500, articles XA1 of multiple different sizes can be transported.

[0010] However, as shown in FIG. 1B, when the front and rear fingers 510 are doubled in pitch, stable transport becomes difficult depending on the size of the article XA1 being transported. For example, as shown in FIG. 1C, placing the article XA1 across two placement sections 520 makes it possible to support a large article XA1, but a gap G is created between the placement sections 520. Therefore, if the article XA1 is flexible, especially if it is impregnated with a liquid, its own weight can cause it to fall downward through the gap G as shown in FIG. 1D. Furthermore, if the length of the article XA1 is longer than the placement sections 520 and one tip is positioned in the gap G in FIG. 1D, the downstream tip will sag downward, causing the article XA1 to bend when transferred to a downstream process.

[0011] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a conveying device that conveys items using a pushing means and a loading means, which can prevent items from falling through the gaps between the loading means and can reliably transport items, even if the device is configured to accommodate changes in the size of the items being transported by doubling the pitch between the pushing means. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] The present invention is a device that travels along the conveying direction of an article and can push the article. Multiple Pushing means and a predetermined pitch between the pushing means arranged in the conveying direction. A device that is spaced apart and can support the article from below while traveling together with the pushing means. Multiple A mounting means; Equipped with , the pushing means The number of the placing means disposed between the pushing means can be changed by separating a part of the placing means, and at least in the conveying direction Between the spaced apart placement means The rails were placed The present invention relates to a conveying device characterized by the above. The present invention also relates to a conveying device comprising a plurality of pushing means that run along the conveying direction of the articles and are capable of pushing the articles, a plurality of placing means that are arranged at a distance in the conveying direction and are capable of supporting the articles from below while running together with the pushing means, and rails that are arranged at least between the spaced-apart placing means, wherein the plurality of pushing means are configured to be able to change the pitch in the conveying direction, and the rails are arranged so that the upper surfaces of the rails are lower than the placing surfaces of the placing means in at least a part of the conveying direction. The present invention also relates to a conveying device having a plurality of pushing means that run along the conveying direction of the articles and can push the articles, the conveying device comprising: placement means that are arranged at a distance in the conveying direction and that can support the articles from below while running together with the pushing means; and rails that extend from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction so as to be arranged between the spaced apart placement means, the pitch of the pushing means that are lined up in the conveying direction can be changed; the placement means have a storage section for the rails; and the rails are displaced so that near the upstream end in the conveying direction, the upper surface of the rail is higher than the placement surface of the placement means, and near the downstream end in the conveying direction, the upper surface of the rail is displaced so that it is lower than the placement surface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, in a conveying device that conveys items using a pushing means and a loading means, even if the configuration is such that the pitch between the pushing means is doubled to accommodate changes in the size of the items being conveyed, it is possible to provide a conveying device that can prevent items from falling through the gaps between the loading means and can reliably transport items. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing an outline of a conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of a conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1A to 1C are diagrams showing an outline of a conveying device according to the present embodiment, in which (A) is a plan view, (B) is a side view, and (C) is a plan view. [Figure 4] 1A to 1C are diagrams showing an outline of a conveying device according to the present embodiment, in which (A) to (C) are front views, (D) is a side view, and (E) is a side view. [Figure 5] 1A to 1E are front views and FIG. 1F is a plan view showing a conveying device according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] 1 is a plan view showing an outline of a conveying device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 7] 1A to 1D are diagrams for explaining the prior art, in which (A) is a plan view, (B) is a plan view, (C) is a cross-sectional view, and (D) is a cross-sectional view. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] The conveying device 1 according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an outline of the entire conveying device 1, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of the entire conveying device 1. Note that in this figure and the following figures, some components are omitted as appropriate to simplify the drawings. Furthermore, in this figure and the following figures, the size, shape, thickness, etc. of components are appropriately exaggerated. FIG. 1(A) shows a state in which a small item XA1 is being conveyed, and FIG. 1(B) shows a state in which a large item XA1 is being conveyed. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross section taken along line XX in FIG. 1(B). Note that for ease of explanation, the scales of FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 are different, and the same applies to the following figures.

[0016] The conveying device 1 of this embodiment shown in Figure 1 is a conveyor device with a pushing means, which pushes articles XA1 sequentially supplied at the upstream end downstream using the pushing means 2. The pushing means 2 pushes the articles by contacting a part of the articles XA1, and is, for example, a finger (pushing finger). The conveying device 1 of this embodiment also has a placement means (placement section) 3 that moves together with the finger 2 and on whose upper surface the articles XA1 can be placed. In other words, the conveying device 1 is, for example, a finger conveyor with a placement section, and will hereinafter be referred to simply as a "finger conveyor."

[0017] For ease of explanation, the various directions in the finger conveyor (conveying device) 1 are defined as follows: the direction in which the item XA1 moves from upstream (left in Figure 1) to downstream (right in Figure 1) is called the conveying direction T; the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction T in the horizontal plane is called the conveying width direction W; and the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction T and the conveying width direction W (vertical direction) is called the conveying height direction H.

[0018] Referring to FIG. 1, finger conveyor 1 continuously conveys articles XA1 along conveying direction T to a downstream device (e.g., a packaging machine, not shown) located downstream of finger conveyor 1. Specifically, finger conveyor 1 has a plurality of pushing means (fingers) 2, a plurality of placing means (placement sections) 3, circular chains (or circular belts, the same applies hereinafter) 4A, 4B, a plurality of sprockets 6 (see FIG. 2), rails 7, a power source (e.g., a servo motor), a control unit, etc., not shown. The control unit is composed of a CPU, RAM, ROM, etc., and performs various controls.

[0019] 2, a plurality of sprockets 6 are arranged under a machine base F that supports the entire device, and a circular chain 4 (4A, 4B) is stretched across them. The rotational motion of a power source (not shown) is transmitted from a shaft 9 to the circular chain 4 through the sprockets 6 fixed to the shaft 9.

[0020] 1 again, the multiple fingers 2 are attached to the circular chain 4 at a predetermined pitch and run at the predetermined pitch along the conveying direction T of the article XA1 as the circular chain 4 rotates (runs). Some of the multiple fingers 2 are detachable from the circular chain 4, and the pitch between the fingers 2 can be widened by removing some of the fingers 2.

[0021] The article XA1 is preferably, for example, a flexible and relatively heavy sheet-like article, and in this case, it is a sheet-like article (for example, a face pack or face mask for cosmetic purposes) made of a fibrous material impregnated with a liquid or a fibrous material to which a gel-like substance has been applied or stuck.

[0022] The multiple placement sections 3 are spaced apart at a predetermined pitch and attached to a circular chain 4 (4A, 4B), and travel at a predetermined pitch along the conveying direction T of the article XA1 as the circular chain 4 rotates (travels).

[0023] 1(A), the plurality of placement units 3 are provided corresponding to the plurality of fingers 2, respectively, and are located close to the fingers 2 and travel together with the fingers 2. The placement units 3 are made of, for example, flat plate-like members that can support the article XA1 from below. In other words, the upper surface of the placement unit 3 in the conveying height direction H becomes the placement surface 30 for the article XA1.

[0024] Furthermore, the finger conveyor 1 can transport articles XA1 of multiple sizes by removing the fingers 2 at predetermined intervals while leaving the placement sections 3 in place. For example, as shown in FIG. 1(A), a finger 2 is arranged for each placement section 3, but as shown in FIG. 1(B), every other finger 2 is removed and two placement sections 3 are arranged between each finger 2 (each finger 2 is associated with two placement sections 3 downstream of it). This allows for transport with the spacing (pitch) between the fingers 2 doubled, making it possible to transport larger-sized articles XA1 using multiple (e.g., two) placement sections 3. The pitch of the fingers 2 can also be changed to more than double.

[0025] The rails 7 are arranged at least between the plurality of placement sections 3 spaced apart in the conveying direction T, and prevent the article XA1 from falling downward from between the placement sections 3.

[0026] 1, the rails 7 preferably have a length in the conveying direction T that is sufficiently longer than the length in the conveying width direction W, for example, a length equal to or greater than the length of the conveying area of ​​the finger conveyor 1 (from the supply section IN to the discharge section OUT of the article XA1). Also, preferably, a plurality of rails 7 (three in this example) are provided in parallel in the conveying width direction W. The rails 7 are spaced apart in the conveying width direction W, and the fingers 2 are arranged between them.

[0027] Moreover, the rail 7 extends above the mounting unit 3 along the conveying direction T from the upstream end to the downstream end in the conveying direction T. More specifically, the mounting unit 3 has a rail accommodating portion 32 that can accommodate a portion of the rail 7, and the rail 7 is disposed above (so as to overlap with) the rail accommodating portion 32.

[0028] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view corresponding to the cross section of line XX in Figure 1(B), and both Figure 2(A) and Figure 2(B) are configured to transport large-sized items XA1 using multiple loading sections 3 by detaching some of the fingers 2 to increase the spacing (pitch) between the fingers 2. 2(A) and 2(B) show different installation states of the rail 7, with 2(A) being an example in which the rail 7 is arranged approximately horizontally (without intentionally tilting from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction T) with respect to the surface (floor) of the machine frame F. Also, 2(B) is an example in which the rail 7 is arranged so that the height H of the rail 7 in the conveying direction is lower downstream in the conveying direction T than upstream.

[0029] The finger 2 is capable of traveling between the rails 7 with a part of the finger 2 protruding in the conveying height direction H to a position higher than the upper surface 70 of the rail 7 .

[0030] As will be described in detail later, the rail accommodating section 32 is configured to have a generally concave shape when viewed from the front in the conveying direction T, and its bottom is located below the mounting surface 3A of the mounting section 3 in the conveying height direction H. The cross section of Figure 2 is a view of the side portion of the rail accommodating section 32 from inside the rail accommodating section 32.

[0031] That is, in Fig. 1A, when the rails 7 overlap the placement unit 3, they are all accommodated in the rail accommodating sections 32, and the upper surfaces 70 of the rails 7 are positioned below the placement surface 30 in the conveying height direction H. In this case, the placement unit 3 moves relative to the rails 7 while accommodating the rails 7 in the rail accommodating sections 32.

[0032] According to this configuration, the item XA1 is transported by the loading section 3 (the transport surface (loading surface 30) moves together with the item XA1), so even if the item XA1 is flexible and relatively heavy, friction with the transport surface is reduced, enabling reliable transport.

[0033] Furthermore, rails 7 are always present below the article XA1 (the article XA1 is transported above and along the rails 7). In other words, even when the spacing (pitch) of the fingers 2 is widened to transport a large-sized article XA1, the rails 7 can cover (support) the gaps G between the mounting sections 3, preventing the article XA1 from falling through the gaps G.

[0034] Note that there are cases where the article XA1 bends and enters the gap G, causing it to come into contact with the rail 7, but since the leading edge (downstream end) of the article XA1 in the conveying direction T is placed on the placement section 3, it is possible to suppress deformation of the article XA1 due to friction between the article XA1 and the rail 7. Furthermore, friction can be further reduced by appropriately selecting the conveying speed, etc. to minimize friction.

[0035] In the configuration of Fig. 1(A), the rail 7 is fixed to the machine base F so that its conveying height direction H does not displace across the conveying direction T (for example, so that it can maintain horizontality with respect to the floor or the surface of the machine base F). Alternatively, the rail 7 may bend due to its own weight and not be able to maintain horizontality across the conveying direction T. Even if the rail 7 bends, this does not pose a problem because the rail 7 is supported by (the bottom of) the rail accommodating portion 32 and the gap G can be covered.

[0036] FIG. 2(B) further shows a configuration in which the receiving position of the article XA1 can be reliably aligned in the supply section IN for the article XA1 from the upstream process.

[0037] In the finger conveyor 1, the fingers 2 and the placement section 3 run simultaneously (integrally). In this configuration, the supply position of the article XA1 may be shifted in the supply section IN, and the fingers 2 and the article XA1 may not come into contact with each other. If this happens, the fingers 2 do not move relative to the placement section 3, and the article XA1 will be transported downstream without being aligned with the fingers 2, which can cause the article XA1 to get caught when it is delivered to a downstream process (such as a packaging machine).

[0038] Therefore, in the present embodiment shown in FIG. 2(B), the article XA1 is reliably aligned with the finger 2 in the supply unit IN (the article XA1 is placed on the placement unit 3 based on the finger).

[0039] Specifically, the rail 7 is displaced so that the upper surface 70 of the rail 7 is higher than the placement surface 30 of the placement section 3 at and near the upstream end (left side in the figure) of the conveying direction T including the supply section IN, and lower than the placement surface 30 of the placement section 3 at and near the downstream end (right side in the figure) of the conveying direction T. This allows the supply position of the article XA1 to be aligned with the finger reference during conveyance, even if it is not in contact with the finger 2 (even if it is not aligned with the finger reference) in the supply section IN.

[0040] The relationship between the rail 7 and the placement unit 3 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3(A) is a plan view showing the vicinity of the upstream side of the finger conveyor 1, Figure 3(B) is a side view of the upstream end as seen from the upstream side in the conveying direction T, and Figure 3(C) is an enlarged plan view of the placement unit 3. Also, Figures 4(A) to 4(C) are front views showing an overview of the positional relationship between a set of placement units 3 and rails 7 moving from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction T, and Figures 4(D) and 4(E) are side views showing the relationship between the rail 7 and placement unit 3 moving from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction T from the downstream side, and correspond to Figure 3(B).

[0041] As shown in Figure 3(A), a rail support part 10 is provided at the upstream end of the machine F in the conveying direction T. The upstream end of the rail 7 is fixed to this rail support part 10 and supported in a cantilevered manner (see Figure 1(B)). In other words, the upstream end of the rail 7 is the fixed end, and the downstream end is the free end, so that the rail 7 bends under its own weight and gradually descends from the upstream end toward the downstream end (see Figure 2(B)).

[0042] In this example, each mounting section 3 is configured by arranging a plurality of (four in this example) thin rectangular column members 31 along the conveying direction T to form a flat plate-like member. The mounting section 3 (thin rectangular column members 31) has a rail accommodating section 32 formed by cutting out a portion of its upper surface (mounting surface 30) (FIGS. 3(B) and 3(C)).

[0043] The rail receiving section 32 of the placement unit 3 is positioned so as to overlap the rail 7 in the conveying height direction H. In this example, fingers 2 are arranged on both sides of the central rail 7. That is, as shown in FIG. 3(B), fingers 2 (2A) and placement unit 3 (3A) are attached to the circular chain 4A, and fingers 2 (2B) and placement unit 3 (3B) are attached to the circular chain 4B. In other words, a pair of placement units 3A and 3B constitutes a placement surface 30 (conveying surface) for one item XA1. By dividing one placement unit 3 into two by a center line along the conveying direction T and configuring it as a pair of placement units 3A and 3B (and further providing fingers 2A and 2B corresponding to them), even if adjustments (such as adjustments for twisting and elongation) of the two rows of circular chains 4A and 4B are required, the adjustment work can be easily performed. That is, four thin rectangular column members 31 aligned in the conveying direction T are also provided for each placement unit 3A and 3B. The mounting portion 3 is made of a resin material such as ABS resin.

[0044] In this example, the rail accommodating section 32 includes a rail accommodating section 321 that is a concave groove and a rail accommodating section 322 that is an L-shaped step when viewed in cross section in the conveying width direction W. The rail accommodating sections 321 are provided independently on each of the placement sections 3A and 3B, and can each accommodate one rail 7 (on both sides in the conveying width direction W). The rail accommodating sections 322 are provided on the opposing surfaces of the paired placement sections 3A and 3B, and form a single concave groove on the placement section 3A side and the placement section 3B side, which can accommodate the central rail 7.

[0045] In both rail accommodating sections 32 (321, 322), the length 32W in the conveying width direction W and the depth 32T in the conveying height direction T (FIG. 3(B)) of the rail accommodating section 32 are shaped to completely accommodate the rail 7. In particular, the depth 32T of the rail accommodating section 32 is greater than the thickness D (length in the conveying height direction H) of the rail 7. The rail 7 is made of, for example, stainless steel.

[0046] The rail 7 is cantilevered at its upstream end fixed to the rail support part 10, and gradually descends toward the downstream end due to its own weight, but a loading part 3 (rail accommodating part 32) is located below it in the conveying height direction H, and the descent is restricted at a predetermined height (at the bottom of the rail accommodating part 32).

[0047] In this embodiment, at a first point P1 located at the upstream end of the rail 7 shown in Fig. 1(B), an upper surface 70 of the rail 7 is set to be higher than an upper surface A of the mounting section 3. Fig. 3(B) is a side view of the first point P1 as seen from the downstream side in the conveying direction T, and Fig. 4(A) is a side schematic view of the vicinity of the first point P1.

[0048] The supply unit IN is located at or near the first point P1 (for example, upstream of the first point P1). Note that the position of the rail 7 in FIG. 3(B) is an example, and it is sufficient that the upper surface 70 of the rail 7 is located above the placement surface 30 at the first point P1, and the lower surface of the rail 7 may be housed in the rail housing unit 32.

[0049] The rail 7 then gradually descends downstream and gradually sinks into the rail storage section 32 (the amount stored increases). That is, as shown in Figures 1(B) and 4(B), at a second point P2 midway from upstream to downstream, the height of the upper surface 70 of the rail 7 and the height of the loading surface 30 of the loading section 3 become equal. Figure 4(D) is a side view of the second point P2 as seen from the upstream side in the conveying direction T.

[0050] From the second point P2 onwards, the upper surface 70 of the rail 7 becomes lower than the placement surface 30, and the amount of rail 7 that can be accommodated in the rail storage section 32 increases. As shown in Figures 1(B) and 4(C), at the downstream end (third point P3) of the rail 7, the placement surface 30 of the placement section 3 becomes higher than the upper surface 70 of the rail 7. The discharge section OUT for the article XA1 is located at or near the third point P3.

[0051] Thus, upstream of the second point P2, the finger conveyor 1 has an area (first conveying area 21 shown in FIG. 1(B)) where the upper surface 70 of the rail 7 is higher than the loading surface 30 of the loading section 3 and where the article XA1 is mainly supported by the rail 7 and conveyed. The amount of protrusion of the rail 7 from the loading surface 30 at the first point P1 (the distance to the upper surface 70) is selected appropriately depending on the shape, size, weight, conveying speed, etc. of the article XA1, but is, for example, 2 mm to several mm.

[0052] Further, downstream of the second point P2, there is an area (second conveying area 22 shown in FIG. 1(B)) where the upper surface 70 of the rail 7 is lower than the loading surface 30 of the loading section 3 and where the article XA1 is conveyed by the loading section 3. The amount of immersion of the rail 7 from the loading surface 30 (the distance to the upper surface 70) is selected appropriately depending on the shape, size, weight, conveying speed, etc. of the article XA1, but is, for example, 2 mm to several mm.

[0053] In this way, in the finger conveyor 1 of this embodiment, not only the placement surface 30 of the placement section 3 but also the upper surface 70 of the rail 7 functions as a conveying surface for the article XA1.

[0054] 5A to 5E are front views showing the state of conveyance of article XA1 by finger conveyor 1. FIG. 5F is a conceptual diagram comparing rail 7 as a conveyance surface with placement unit 3.

[0055] As already mentioned, the rail 7 gradually descends along the conveying direction T so that its upper surface 70 is higher than the placement surface 30 at the upstream end (first point P1) and lower than the placement surface 30 at the downstream end (third point P3). Note that, since the long member is cantilevered, the rail 7 does not necessarily slope linearly from the first point P1 to the third point P3, and any bending may occur along the way.

[0056] As shown in FIG. 1A, article XA1 supplied to the upstream end of rail 7 (supply section IN, first point P1) is placed on the upper surface 70 of rail 7. Here, the case is shown in which article XA1 is placed at an arbitrary position in supply section IN that is not based on finger 2. Then, while stopped on rail 7, it waits for finger 2 approaching from the upstream side. Finger 2 travels with a portion of it protruding above rail 7 in the conveying height direction H, but placement section 3 travels below rail 7.

[0057] As shown in the same figure (B), when the finger 2 immediately upstream abuts against the item XA1, the item XA1 is pushed downstream by the finger 2. At this timing, the placement section 3 is positioned below the rail 7 and can travel without placing the item XA1 on it. This ensures that the item XA1 abuts against the finger 2, and the position of the item XA1 is aligned with the finger 2 (finger 2 becomes the reference point). At this timing, the upper surface 70 of the rail 7 protrudes above the placement surface 30 of the placement section 3 in the conveying height direction H, and the item XA1 slides on the rail 7.

[0058] In other words, in the state shown in Figures (A) and (B), the mounting section 3 is movable relative to the item XA1, but the amount of protrusion of the rail 7 from the mounting section 3 and the movement speed of the mounting section 3 are appropriately selected so that the mounting section 3 can contact the item XA1 to an extent that does not affect the position of the item XA1 due to friction caused by the contact and can support it from below.

[0059] After the first point P1, the height of the rail 7 gradually decreases, and as shown in the same figure (C), at the second point P2 the height of the rail 7 and the height of the placement section 3 become equal, and then their heights are reversed. In other words, the item XA1 that was being pushed along the rail 7 is gradually transferred to the placement surface 30 of the placement section 3, which rises relative to the item XA1, and is supported by the placement section 3. Thereafter, as shown in the same figure (D), the item XA1 is transported by the placement section 3 and reaches the downstream end (third point P3).

[0060] In this way, at least at the first point P1, the rail 7 mainly supports the item XA1 in place of the placement surface 30 and serves as a conveying surface. Then, from the first point P1 to the second point P2, the rail 7 mainly serves as a placement surface to convey the item XA1. However, in this section, the rail 7 also gradually descends (especially if the item XA1 is flexible and bends), so the placement section 3 may also come into contact with the item XA1, and the placement section 3 may also function as a conveying surface together with the rail 7 (the rail 7 is not necessarily the only conveying surface).

[0061] When the heights of the upper surface 70 of the rail 7 and the placement surface 30 of the placement section 3 become equal at the second point P2, both of them become a conveying surface in that section, and the article XA1 is conveyed.

[0062] From the second point P2 to the third point P3, the placement unit 3 mainly supports the article XA1 and serves as the conveying surface. However, even in this section, the article XA1 may bend and part of it may hang down from the gap G of the placement unit 3. In other words, the rail 7 may also come into contact with the article XA1, and the rail 7 may also function as a conveying surface together with the placement unit 3 (it is not necessarily the case that the placement unit 3 alone serves as the conveying surface).

[0063] With this configuration, immediately after supply from the upstream process, the finger 2 and the placement section 3 are movable relative to the item XA1, which is placed and stopped on the rail 7, making it possible to reliably align the item XA1 relative to the finger 2 (using finger 2 as the reference).

[0064] On the other hand, when the finger 2 pushes the item XA1 along the rail 7, friction increases, causing deformation of the item XA1 (creating wrinkles and sagging). For this reason, before deformation of the item XA1 occurs, the item XA1 is switched to be transported by the placement unit 3, which moves together with the finger 2. In other words, both the rail 7 and the placement unit 3 function as the transport surface for the item XA1, and the transport surface switches from the rail 7 to the placement unit 3 during the transport of the item XA1.

[0065] Once the article XA1 has been positioned relative to the finger 2, it is desirable to transport the article XA1 thereafter using the placement unit 3 to prevent deformation of the article XA1. In other words, it is desirable to minimize friction between the rail 7 and the article XA1.

[0066] Therefore, as shown in the same figure (F), it is desirable that the total area S1 of the contact area between the rail 7 and the item XA1 in the area (first conveying area 21) where the upper surface 70 of the rail 7 is higher than the loading surface 30 is smaller than the total area S2 of the contact area between the loading surface 30 and the item XA1 in the area (second conveying area 22) where the upper surface 70 is lower than the loading surface 30.

[0067] The length of the first conveying area 21 (the position of the second point P2 which is the boundary between the first conveying area 21 and the second conveying area 22) is appropriately selected and set depending on the shape (size, weight, material, etc.) of the item XA1 to be conveyed, the frictional force with the rail 7, the degree of deflection of the rail 7, the material of the rail 7 and the placement section 3, etc.

[0068] This configuration allows reliable alignment with respect to finger 2 (using finger 2 as a reference) when supplying article XA1.

[0069] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the long rail 7 is cantilevered at its upstream end, and the placement section 3 is arranged below the rail 7, so that the rail 7 gradually sinks into the placement section 3. This allows the conveying surface to be switched continuously and gradually from the rail 7 to the placement section 3 automatically while the item XA1 is being conveyed, i.e., without having to change hands and transfer the item XA1 using a gripping means or the like.

[0070] The rail 7 of this embodiment does not have to be configured to descend (incline) from the upstream end toward the downstream end. If the rail 7 is accommodated in the rail accommodation section 32 of the placement unit 3, and the placement unit 3 is configured to be able to run below the rail 7, then even if the pitch of the fingers 2 in the conveying direction T is widened, article XA1 can be prevented from falling (FIG. 2(A)).

[0071] By having the rail 7 protrude beyond the loading section 3 at the upstream end and positioned below the loading surface 30 at the downstream end, the item XA1 can be aligned based on the finger 2 when being supplied, allowing the item XA1 to be transported more accurately and reliably (Figure 2(B)).

[0072] <Modification> A modification of this embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 6, the mounting section 3 may be independent across the rail 7 without having the rail accommodating section 32. Even in this case, if the rail 7 is to be inclined from the upstream end to the downstream end, it is advisable to provide a support means for supporting the rail 7 from below.

[0073] Although not shown in the drawings, the thickness of the rail 7 in the first conveying area 21 may be increased so that the upper surface 70 of the rail 7 in the first conveying area 21 is higher than the placement surface 30 of the placement unit 3. The rail 7 may also be bent so that the upper surface 70 of the rail 7 on the upstream side is higher than the placement unit 3.

[0074] Furthermore, the fingers 2 are not limited to being detachable, and the pitch may be changed by, for example, tilting them down at predetermined intervals. The interval (pitch) between the fingers 2 may be increased by three times or more.

[0075] Although the above description has been given using fingers as an example of the pushing means, the pushing means is not limited to fingers as long as it comes into contact with a part of the article XA1 to push the article.

[0076] Furthermore, rails 7 may be arranged below the placement sections 3, which can prevent the articles XA1 from falling between the placement sections 3. In this case, the rails 7 may be arranged continuously in the conveying direction T. Also, there may be only one rail.

[0077] 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]

[0078] 1 Finger conveyor (transport device) 2 Pushing means (finger) 3. Placement means (placement section) 3A, 3B Placement section 30 Placement surface 4, 4A, 4B circular chain 6 sprockets 7 Rail 70 Top 9 Shaft 10 Rail support 21 First conveying area 22 Second conveying area 31 Thin rectangular column members 32, 321, 322 Rail storage section G Gap IN supply section P1 First Point P2 Second Point P3 Third Point

Claims

1. a plurality of pushing means that travel along the conveying direction of the articles and are capable of pushing the articles; a plurality of placing means arranged at a predetermined pitch between the pushing means arranged in the conveying direction and capable of supporting the articles from below while traveling together with the pushing means; The number of the placing means arranged between the pushing means can be changed by detaching a part of the pushing means, a rail is disposed between the placing means spaced apart at least in the conveying direction; A conveying device characterized by:

2. A plurality of pushing means that travel along the conveying direction of the articles and are capable of pushing the articles; a plurality of placing means arranged at intervals in the conveying direction and capable of supporting the article from below while traveling together with the pushing means; and a rail disposed at least between the spaced apart placement means, The plurality of pushing means are configured to be able to change the pitch in the conveying direction, The rail is provided so that an upper surface of the rail is lower than a placement surface of the placement means in at least a part of the conveying direction. A conveying device characterized by:

3. A conveying device having a plurality of pushing means that travel along the conveying direction of an article and can push the article, a loading means arranged apart in the conveying direction and capable of supporting the article from below while traveling together with the pushing means; a rail extending from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction so as to be disposed between the spaced apart placing means, The pitch of the pushing means arranged in the conveying direction can be changed, the mounting means has a receiving portion for the rail, the rail is displaced so that an upper surface of the rail is higher than a placement surface of the placement means near an upstream end in the conveying direction, and the upper surface is displaced so that the upper surface is lower than the placement surface near a downstream end in the conveying direction. A conveying device characterized by:

4. The rail extends from an upstream end to a downstream end in the conveying direction.

3. The conveying device according to claim 1 or 2.

5. The mounting means has a receiving portion for the rail.

3. The conveying device according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The relative height of the rail with respect to the placement means varies gradually in the conveying direction.

4. The conveying device according to claim 3.

7. the rail is provided continuously in the conveying direction and is cantilevered at its upstream end.

3. The conveying device according to claim 1 or 2.

8. a total contact area between the rail and the object in a region where the upper surface of the rail is higher than the placement surface is smaller than a total contact area between the placement surface and the object in a region where the upper surface is lower than the placement surface; 4. The conveying device according to claim 3.

9. The article pushed by the pushing means is a flexible sheet-like article.

9. The conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the conveying device is a conveying device for conveying a plurality of objects.

Images