Cleaning equipment

Abstract

To provide a compact washing device.SOLUTION: A washing device (1) includes a supply part (10) for supplying an object group (Sb) where washing objects are stacked, to a separation part (30) for sequentially sending individual washing objects toward a washing part (40), wherein the supply part has a conveyor (moving conveyor 11), and a turning part (12) for turning a conveyor around a vertical axis which is positioned in a direction different from a conveyance direction outside the conveyor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a cleaning device. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Cleaning devices are known that automatically clean and dry a large number of objects to be cleaned, such as pallets, in sequence. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-223991 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Such a cleaning device is composed of a cleaning section that cleans the object to be cleaned, a drying section that dries the object after cleaning, and modules that perform various pre- and post-processing such as receiving the object to be cleaned and sending it to the cleaning section.

[0005] For cleaning objects that are generally transported in a stacked state, such as pallets, returnable boxes, and shopping baskets, a module (separation unit) is required to remove each item from the stack and send it to the cleaning unit one by one. A module (accumulation unit) may also be required to stack the individual items after the required processing is completed. Therefore, cleaning equipment equipped with a module for de-stacking, etc., tends to be long and bulky, and a cleaning equipment that can be installed compactly is required. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A cleaning device according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a cleaning section for cleaning objects to be cleaned, a separation section for receiving a group of objects consisting of a plurality of objects stacked on top of each other and sequentially sending each of the objects to be cleaned toward the cleaning section, and a supply section for supplying the group of objects to the separation section, wherein the supply section has a conveyor capable of transporting the group of objects, and a rotating section for rotating the conveyor around a vertical axis located outside the conveyor and in a direction different from the conveying direction of the conveyor. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a cleaning device that can be installed compactly while having a disassembly function can be realized. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic plan view of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the vicinity of a supply unit of the cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a main part of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, viewed from the front of a separation unit. FIG. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are diagrams for explaining an operation example 1 of a cleaning device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] 5 is a diagram illustrating a first operational example of the cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, following FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 6] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating a first operational example of the cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining a second example of operation of the cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 8 is a diagram illustrating a second operation example of the cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure, following FIG. 7. FIG. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining an operation example 3 of the cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 10]9A to 9C are diagrams illustrating a third example of operation of the cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining an operation example 4 of the cleaning device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] [Embodiment] An embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 1 to 11. A cleaning device 1 according to the embodiment is a cleaning device that automatically cleans and dries a plurality of objects to be cleaned. In the following description, a well-known shopping basket used in stores will be used as an example of the objects to be cleaned.

[0010] However, the objects to be cleaned by the cleaning device to which the present disclosure is applied are not limited to shopping baskets. For example, the present disclosure can be applied to any object to be cleaned that can be stacked for transport, such as a transport pallet or a transport returnable box.

[0011] <Configuration overview of cleaning equipment 1> The washing device 1 according to the embodiment receives a group of shopping baskets Sb (group of objects) in which multiple shopping baskets B (objects to be washed) are stacked, and washes and dries each shopping basket B. The washing device 1 also prepares the processed shopping baskets B so that they can be carried out as a group of multiple stacked shopping baskets Sb.

[0012] Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a cleaning apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. That is, Fig. 1 is a view of the cleaning apparatus 1 installed on the floor, seen from above. The cleaning apparatus 1 includes a group of conveyors 20 (transport section), a supply section 10, a separation section 30, a cleaning section 40, a drying section 50, a stacking section 60, and a removal section 70. The cleaning apparatus 1 also includes a control section (not shown).

[0013] The conveyor group 20 is configured by fixed conveyors 21 that are fixed to the floor surface and arranged in series. The separation unit 30, washing unit 40, and drying unit 50 are arranged in a line in this order parallel to the conveyor group 20. The supply unit 10 is arranged to transfer the shopping basket group Sb from the conveyor group 20 to the separation unit 30. The removal unit 70 is arranged to transfer the shopping basket group Sb from the accumulation unit 60 to the conveyor group 20. The shopping baskets B are transported from the separation unit 30 to the accumulation unit 60 in this order.

[0014] <Conveyor Group 20> The conveyor group 20 is a module group for transporting the shopping cart group Sb substantially parallel to the floor surface. A carry-in area A1 and a carry-out area A2 are set near the center of the conveyor group 20. The carry-in area A1 is located downstream of the carry-out area A2 in the conveyor group 20.

[0015] The carry-in area A1 is an area where an operator places the shopping basket group Sb on the fixed conveyor 21 and delivers the shopping baskets B to be washed to the washing device 1. The shopping basket group Sb placed on the fixed conveyor 21 in the carry-in area A1 is transported in order by a plurality of fixed conveyors 21 arranged in series and delivered to the supply unit 10.

[0016] The unloading area A2 is an area where an operator picks up the shopping basket group Sb from the fixed conveyor 21 and unloads the shopping baskets B that have been cleaned or otherwise processed by the cleaning device 1. The shopping basket group Sb handed over from the removal unit 70 is transported in order by multiple fixed conveyors 21 arranged in series, and reaches the unloading area A2.

[0017] Each fixed conveyor 21 is appropriately provided with a sensor, such as a photoelectric sensor, for detecting the shopping cart group Sb, and the operation of each fixed conveyor 21 is appropriately controlled based on the detection results of each sensor. In this way, the transportation of the shopping cart group Sb on the conveyor group 20 is realized.

[0018] 1, in the conveyor group 20, the fixed conveyor 21 may be disposed continuously between the carry-in area A1 and the carry-out area A2, or may be interrupted between the carry-in area A1 and the carry-out area A2 so that the shopping cart group Sb cannot be transported. Also, instead of workers placing the shopping cart group Sb on the fixed conveyor 21 and picking it up from the fixed conveyor 21, a separate device may be provided to perform such work.

[0019] In this way, the conveyor group 20 is used to deliver the shopping basket group Sb consisting of shopping baskets B before cleaning from the outside to the cleaning device 1, and also to deliver the shopping basket group Sb consisting of cleaned shopping baskets B from the cleaning device 1 to the outside. The conveyor group 20 is arranged in parallel with the main parts of the cleaning device 1, which are lined up in a row from the separating section 30 to the accumulating section 60. This allows the cleaning device 1 to be realized with each module compactly arranged, without increasing the length of the cleaning device 1.

[0020] Further description will be given of the individual fixed conveyors 21 constituting the group of conveyors 20 with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the vicinity of the supply unit 10 of the cleaning apparatus 1. Figure 2 also shows the separation unit 30, as well as a portion of the fixed conveyor 21 located at the end of the group of conveyors 20 and a portion of the separation unit 30.

[0021] The fixed conveyor 21 has a frame 211, an endless belt 213, a pair of guides 214, a pair of guide fixtures 215, and one or more photoelectric sensors 216. The fixed conveyor 21 is a conveyor that is used in a fixed state, with the frame 211 not moving relative to the floor surface. The endless belt 213, also called a conveyor belt, conveys the placed objects as the endless belt 213 rotates.

[0022] 2, the fixed conveyor 21 in which the loading surface of the endless belt 213 is close to the floor surface facilitates loading and unloading of the shopping cart group Sb in the carry-in area A1 or the carry-out area A2. Note that the fixed conveyor 21 is not limited to a belt conveyor having the endless belt 213, and a chain conveyor or a roller conveyor may also be used.

[0023] The guides 214 are members that guide the movement of the shopping basket group Sb, which are the objects to be transported, as they are transported by the rotation of the endless belt 213. A pair of guides 214 are provided on both sides of the endless belt 213. The shopping basket group Sb may be transported on the conveyor group 20 so that the direction of transport is along the short side of the shopping basket B, which is approximately rectangular in plan view. In this case, the pair of guides 214 are arranged at a distance slightly wider than the long side of the shopping basket B, which is approximately rectangular in cross section in plan view, at the height of the guides 214.

[0024] The guide fixing device 215 is a member that fixes the guide 214 to the frame 211. The photoelectric sensor 216 is a sensor that detects the presence or absence of a transported object on its optical axis. In the fixed conveyor 21, the transmitter and receiver that constitute the photoelectric sensor 216 are arranged so that the optical axis straddles the endless belt 213 and is perpendicular to the transport direction.

[0025] <Supply section 10> The supply unit 10 is composed of a moving conveyor 11 (conveyor) and a turning unit 12. The moving conveyor 11 is a conveyor that can move on the floor surface with the shopping basket group Sb placed on it. The turning unit 12 is a mechanism that moves the moving conveyor 11 so that it turns around a vertical axis.

[0026] The moving conveyor 11 has a frame 111, a plurality of casters 112, an endless belt 113, a pair of guides 114, a pair of guide fixing devices 115, and one or more photoelectric sensors 116. The casters 112 are fixed to the frame 111 near the four corners of the frame 111, and enable the moving conveyor 11 to move on the floor surface.

[0027] The endless belt 113, also called a conveyor belt, transports the placed shopping basket group Sb as it rotates. The length of the moving conveyor 11 in the transport direction of the moving conveyor 11 is suitably relatively short, about two to three times the length of the short side of the shopping basket B, which is roughly rectangular in plan view. The length of the moving conveyor 11 is approximately equal to the length of the surface of the endless belt 113 on which the transported items are placed. Note that the fixed conveyor 21 is not limited to a belt conveyor having an endless belt 213, and a chain conveyor or roller conveyor may also be used.

[0028] The guides 114 are members that guide the movement of the shopping basket group Sb, which are the objects to be transported, as they are transported by the rotation of the endless belt 113. A pair of guides 114 are provided on both sides of the endless belt 113. The guide fixing members 115 are members that fix the guides 114 to the frame 111. The photoelectric sensor 116 is a sensor that detects the presence or absence of objects to be transported on its optical axis. In the moving conveyor 11, the transmitter and receiver that make up the photoelectric sensor 116 are arranged so that the optical axis straddles the endless belt 113 and is perpendicular to the transport direction.

[0029] The swivel unit 12 has a rotary shaft 121, a detection cam 122, multiple photointerrupters 123, a drive unit 124, and a swivel arm 125. The rotary shaft 121 is driven by the drive unit 124 to rotate about a vertical axis. That is, the vertical axis coincides with the rotation center of the rotary shaft 121. The swivel arm 125 is connected to the rotary shaft 121 and the frame 111 of the moving conveyor 11, and rotates the moving conveyor 11 about the vertical axis as the rotary shaft 121 rotates.

[0030] The positional relationship between the moving conveyor 11 and the vertical axis is as follows. The vertical axis is located outside the moving conveyor 11 and, as viewed from the moving conveyor 11, in a direction different from the conveying direction of the moving conveyor 11. In particular, from the viewpoint of transferring the shopping cart group Sb between the conveyor group 20 arranged as described above and the separation unit 30 by the operation of the moving conveyor 11, it is preferable that the following relationship exists.

[0031] In a plan view, it is preferable that the center line of the endless belt 113, which is parallel to the conveying direction of the moving conveyor 11, intersects perpendicularly with the radial direction about the vertical axis on the endless belt 113 at each turning position of the moving conveyor 11. Alternatively, it is preferable that the moving conveyor 11 is configured to turn so that the center line of the endless belt 113, which is parallel to the conveying direction of the moving conveyor 11, is approximately tangent to a circle about the vertical axis.

[0032] The detection cam 122 is a disk-shaped member attached to the rotary shaft 121 and rotates together with the rotary shaft 121. The detection cam 122 is used in combination with a photointerrupter 123 to detect whether the rotary shaft 121 is at a predetermined rotation position, that is, whether the moving conveyor 11 is at a predetermined rotation position.

[0033] The position where the movable conveyor 11 is abutted against the most downstream fixed conveyor 21 in the conveyor group 20 due to the rotation is defined as the first position. By operating the fixed conveyor 21 and the movable conveyor 11 while the movable conveyor 11 is rotated to the first position, the shopping cart group Sb can be transferred from the fixed conveyor 21 to the movable conveyor 11. The detection cam 122 is configured so that at least one of the photointerrupters 123 can detect that the movable conveyor 11 is at the first position.

[0034] Furthermore, the position where the moving conveyor 11 is at least partially inserted into the separation section 30 by rotating and can hand over the shopping cart group Sb to the separation section 30 is defined as the second position. The handover operation of the shopping cart group Sb at the second position will be described later. The detection cam 122 is configured so that at least one of the photointerrupters 123 can detect that the moving conveyor 11 is at the second position.

[0035] The moving conveyor 11 can rotate within a range from a first position to a second position. Between the first and second positions, the moving conveyor 11 rotates about a vertical axis by an angle of approximately 180 degrees. In other words, the second position is a position where the moving conveyor 11 has rotated approximately half a circle from the first position.

[0036] The supply unit 10, with the above-described configuration, is compact yet capable of conveying items by changing the route direction 180 degrees between the conveyor group 20 and the separation unit 30 arranged as described above. For example, if a curved conveyor is used to convey items between the conveyor group 20 and the separation unit 30, the shopping cart group Sb must turn around on the conveyor, and it is not easy to achieve a small radius of curvature. This poses a problem of the size of the conveyor route between the conveyor group 20 and the separation unit 30.

[0037] Furthermore, supply unit 10 has the advantage of being simple because the movement of moving conveyor 11 can be controlled only by the turning angle of moving conveyor 11 controlled by turning unit 12.

[0038] <Separation unit 30 (de-stacking module)> The configuration of the separation unit 30 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a front view showing the main parts of the separation unit 30. The separation unit 30 is a module that receives the shopping basket group Sb from the supply unit 10 and sequentially delivers the shopping baskets B one by one to the cleaning unit 40. The work performed by the separation unit 30 is also generally referred to as disassembly.

[0039] The separator 30 has a frame 31, forks 32, a fork lifting mechanism 33, rails 34, a traveling vehicle 35, and a gripper 36. The forks 32 are tools that scoop up the shopping basket group Sb from the movable conveyor 11 that is in the second position. The forks 32 engage with flanges around the opening of the lowest shopping basket B in the shopping basket group Sb in three directions, and are able to scoop up the shopping basket group Sb. The supply unit 10 transports the shopping basket group Sb to a position where the forks 32 will scoop up the shopping basket group Sb from the movable conveyor 11, thereby executing delivery from the supply unit 10.

[0040] In plan view, the forks 32 are disposed on the endless belt 113 of the moving conveyor 11 in the second position, at a position downstream in the conveying direction of the moving conveyor 11. The fork lifting mechanism 33 is a mechanism that raises and lowers the forks 32, thereby enabling the forks 32 to scoop up the shopping basket group Sb and also enabling the scooped up shopping basket group Sb to be raised and lowered.

[0041] Rails 34 on which traveling vehicles 35 travel are installed horizontally near the top of frame 31. A gripping unit 36 ​​is suspended from traveling vehicle 35 so that it can be raised and lowered. Grip unit 36 ​​can pick up and hold the top shopping basket B of shopping basket group Sb. The separating unit 30 performs the clearing operation as follows.

[0042] The fork lifting mechanism 33 raises the forks 32 to scoop up the shopping basket group Sb from the moving conveyor 11, and also raises the forks 32 to an appropriate height depending on the height of the shopping basket group Sb. A gripper 36 suspended from the traveling cart 35 descends from the traveling cart 35 which has moved above the forks 32. When the gripper 36 reaches the top shopping basket B of the shopping basket group Sb, it grips the shopping basket B.

[0043] The gripping unit 36 ​​gripping the shopping basket B rises to a predetermined position. After that, the traveling vehicle 35 moves horizontally together with the gripping unit 36 ​​gripping the shopping basket B. Next, the gripping unit 36 ​​appropriately descends, releases the shopping basket B, and hands it over to a transport mechanism such as a conveyor (not shown) that transports the shopping basket B into the cleaning unit 40. The gripping unit 36 ​​repeatedly grips the top shopping basket B of the shopping basket group Sb and hands it over to the transport mechanism, and each shopping basket B is sent to the cleaning unit one by one.

[0044] <Cleaning section 40, drying section 50> The cleaning unit 40 is a module that cleans the shopping basket B using cleaning liquid. High-pressure cleaning may be used for cleaning in the cleaning unit 40. The drying unit 50 is a module that removes liquid from the shopping basket B that has been cleaned in the cleaning unit 40. Drying in the drying unit 50 may be performed by blowing gas into the shopping basket B.

[0045] <Collecting section 60 (stacking module), removing section 70> The accumulating unit 60 is a module that receives and stacks the shopping baskets B that are sequentially sent from the drying unit 50, and delivers them to the removal unit 70 as a group of shopping baskets Sb. The operation performed by the accumulating unit 60 is generally referred to as stacking. The accumulating unit 60 may have the same modular configuration as the separating unit 30, and may perform the same operations as the separating unit 30 in the reverse order.

[0046] The take-out section 70 is composed of a moving conveyor 71 and a turning section 72. The moving conveyor 71 may have the same configuration as the moving conveyor 11 of the supply section 10, and the turning section 72 may have the same configuration as the turning section 12 of the supply section 10. The take-out section 70 receives the shopping basket group Sb from the accumulation section 60 and transfers the shopping basket group Sb to the fixed conveyor 21, which is the most upstream of the conveyor group 20.

[0047] <Control unit> The control unit is a functional block that controls each unit of the cleaning apparatus 1. As hardware for realizing the control unit, the cleaning apparatus 1 includes a computer having at least one control device (e.g., a processor) and at least one storage device (e.g., a memory).

[0048] The control unit can be realized by a computer and a program that causes the computer to function to control each unit of the cleaning apparatus 1. The program may be stored in a storage device. The control unit may be realized by a computer physically housed in a single housing, or may be realized by multiple computers. Furthermore, an industrial device called a programming logic controller (PLC) may be used as such a computer.

[0049] <Example of operation of cleaning device 1> 4 to 10 are schematic plan views illustrating the operation of the supply unit 10 transferring the shopping basket group Sb to the fixed conveyor 21 or the separation unit 30. Below, examples of characteristic operations related to these operations performed by the cleaning device 1 according to the embodiment will be described as Operation Example 1 to Operation Example 4.

[0050] 4 to 10 schematically illustrate the fixed conveyor 21 near the most downstream position in the conveyor group 20, the movable conveyor 11 of the supply section 10, and the separation section 30. In addition, the vertical axis 12C, which is the central axis of rotation of the movable conveyor 11, is indicated by a black dot, and the range in which the movable conveyor 11 rotates is indicated by a dashed arc.

[0051] The optical axis positions of multiple photoelectric sensors 216 installed along the conveying direction in conveyor group 20 are indicated by dashed dotted lines. Photoelectric sensor 216 is installed near the downstream end of the most downstream fixed conveyor 21, and its optical axis position is indicated as detection position 21P. Furthermore, the optical axis position of photoelectric sensor 116 installed on movable conveyor 11 is indicated by dashed dotted lines as detection position 11P. Detection position 11P is located slightly before the receiving end of movable conveyor 11, more than the length of one shopping cart B, in the discharge direction.

[0052] The optical axis position of the photoelectric sensor installed in the separator 30 is indicated by a dashed line as a detection position 30P. The detection position 30P corresponds to the innermost position of the forks 32 that receive the shopping basket group Sb, that is, the photoelectric sensor at the detection position 30P detects whether the shopping basket group Sb is in a position where it can be sufficiently grasped by the forks 32.

[0053] The washing device 1 according to the embodiment can supply shopping basket groups Sb to the separation unit 30 in a timely manner by performing at least one of the following operation examples 1 to 4. Since the interruption of the shopping baskets B sent from the separation unit 30 to the washing unit 40 and the like is suppressed, the washing device 1 can efficiently process the shopping baskets B.

[0054] <Example 1> Step F10 (FIG. 4): Step F10 is the initial state of Operation Example 1. Shopping cart group Sb is detected at detection position 21P, and shopping cart group Sb is placed on the downstream end of the most downstream fixed conveyor 21 (hereinafter referred to simply as fixed conveyor 21). At this time, fixed conveyor 21 is not operating. In other words, endless belt 213 is not rotating. Shopping cart group Sb is not detected at detection position 11P, and shopping cart group Sb is not on movable conveyor 11. The rotating position of movable conveyor 11 within the rotating range is arbitrary.

[0055] The shopping cart group Sb is not detected at the detection position 30P, and the shopping cart group Sb is not set in the separation unit 30. In the operation example 1, since the shopping cart group Sb is not set in the separation unit 30 in the initial state, the control unit determines to perform the operation of supplying the shopping cart group Sb to the separation unit 30.

[0056] Step F11 (FIG. 4): The control unit controls the supply unit 10 to rotate the moving conveyor 11 toward the first position.

[0057] Step F12 (FIG. 4): When the moving conveyor 11 reaches the first position, this is detected by the photointerrupter 123, and the control unit stops the moving conveyor 11 from rotating.

[0058] Step F13 (FIG. 5): The control unit controls fixed conveyor 21 to operate fixed conveyor 21 to carry out transportation (rotate endless belt 213). The control unit also controls supply unit 10 to operate movable conveyor 11 to carry out transportation (rotate endless belt 113). Then, shopping basket group Sb is transferred from fixed conveyor 21 to movable conveyor 11.

[0059] Step F14 (FIG. 5): When it is detected that the shopping cart group Sb has reached the detection position 11P, the control unit stops the operation of the fixed conveyor 21 and the movable conveyor 11. Then, the shopping cart group Sb is placed in the rear region of the endless belt 113 of the movable conveyor 11 in the conveying direction.

[0060] Step F15 (FIG. 5): Next, the control unit controls the supply unit 10 to rotate the moving conveyor 11 toward the second position.

[0061] Step F16 (FIG. 5): When the moving conveyor 11 reaches the second position, this is detected by the photointerrupter 123, and the control unit stops the moving conveyor 11 from rotating.

[0062] Step F17 (FIG. 6): The control unit controls the supply unit 10 to operate the moving conveyor 11 to carry out transportation (rotate the endless belt 113). Then, the group of shopping baskets Sb is carried on the moving conveyor 11 and moves in the direction of the forks 32 of the separation unit 30.

[0063] Step F18 (FIG. 6): When it is detected that the shopping cart group Sb has reached the detection position 30P, the control unit stops the operation of the moving conveyor 11. This causes the shopping cart group Sb to be placed on the front area in the conveying direction of the endless belt 113 of the moving conveyor 11. At this point, the shopping cart group Sb is fully inserted into the forks 32, and the shopping cart group Sb has been handed over from the supply unit 10 to the separation unit 30. The separation unit 30 is now ready to perform the task of unstacking the shopping cart group Sb.

[0064] <Example 2> Step F20 (FIG. 7): Step F20 is the initial state of Operation Example 2. The shopping cart group Sb is detected at detection position 21P, and the shopping cart group Sb is placed on the downstream end of fixed conveyor 21. At this time, fixed conveyor 21 is not operating. In other words, endless belt 213 is not rotating.

[0065] In operation example 2, it is not necessary that shopping cart group Sb is not detected at detection position 21P in the initial state. Shopping cart group Sb is detected at detection position 11P, and shopping cart group Sb is placed in the rear area in the conveying direction of endless belt 113 of moving conveyor 11. The turning position of moving conveyor 11 within the turning range is arbitrary.

[0066] The shopping cart group Sb is not detected at the detection position 30P, and the shopping cart group Sb is not set in the separation unit 30. In the operation example 2, since the shopping cart group Sb is not set in the separation unit 30 in the initial state, the control unit determines to perform the operation of supplying the shopping cart group Sb to the separation unit 30.

[0067] Step F21 (FIG. 7): Since the group of shopping baskets Sb is on the moving conveyor 11, the control unit controls the supply unit 10 to rotate the moving conveyor 11 toward the second position.

[0068] Step F22 (FIG. 7): When the moving conveyor 11 reaches the second position, this is detected by the photointerrupter 123, and the control unit stops the rotation of the moving conveyor 11. Note that the operations from step F22 to step F24 in Operation Example 2 are the same as the operations from step F16 to step F18 in Operation Example 1.

[0069] Step F23 (FIG. 8): The control unit controls the supply unit 10 to operate the moving conveyor 11 to carry out transportation (rotate the endless belt 113). Then, the group of shopping baskets Sb is carried on the moving conveyor 11 and moves in the direction of the forks 32 of the separation unit 30.

[0070] Step F24 (FIG. 8): When it is detected that the shopping cart group Sb has reached the detection position 30P, the control unit stops the operation of the moving conveyor 11. As a result, the shopping cart group Sb is placed on the front area in the conveying direction of the endless belt 113 of the moving conveyor 11. At this point, the shopping cart group Sb is fully inserted into the forks 32, and the shopping cart group Sb is delivered from the supply unit 10 to the separation unit 30. The separation unit 30 is now ready to perform the task of unstacking the shopping cart group Sb.

[0071] <Example 3> Step F30 (FIG. 9): Step F30 is the initial state of Operation Example 3. Shopping cart group Sb is detected at detection position 21P, and shopping cart group Sb is placed on the downstream end of fixed conveyor 21. At this time, fixed conveyor 21 is not operating. In other words, endless belt 213 is not rotating. Shopping cart group Sb is not detected at detection position 11P, and shopping cart group Sb is not on movable conveyor 11. The rotating position of movable conveyor 11 within the rotating range is arbitrary.

[0072] The shopping cart group S is detected at the detection position 30P, and the shopping cart group Sb is set in the separation unit 30. In the operation example 3, the shopping cart group Sb is set in the separation unit 30 in the initial state, and the control unit determines to move the shopping cart group Sb to a standby position for supplying the shopping cart group Sb to the separation unit 30.

[0073] Step F31 (FIG. 9): The control unit controls the supply unit 10 to rotate the moving conveyor 11 toward the first position. Note that the operations from step F31 to step F36 in Operation Example 3 are the same as the operations from step F11 to step F16 in Operation Example 1.

[0074] Step F32 (FIG. 9): When the moving conveyor 11 reaches the first position, this is detected by the photointerrupter 123, and the control unit stops the moving conveyor 11 from rotating.

[0075] Step F33 (FIG. 10): The control unit controls fixed conveyor 21 to operate fixed conveyor 21 to carry out transportation (rotate endless belt 213). The control unit also controls supply unit 10 to operate movable conveyor 11 to carry out transportation (rotate endless belt 113). Then, shopping basket group Sb is transferred from fixed conveyor 21 to movable conveyor 11.

[0076] Step F34 (FIG. 10): When it is detected that the shopping cart group Sb has reached the detection position 11P, the control unit stops the operation of the fixed conveyor 21 and the movable conveyor 11. Then, the shopping cart group Sb is placed on the rear region of the endless belt 113 of the movable conveyor 11 in the conveying direction.

[0077] Step F35 (FIG. 10): Next, the control unit controls the supply unit 10 to rotate the moving conveyor 11 toward the second position.

[0078] Step F36 (FIG. 10): When moving conveyor 11 reaches the second position, this is detected by photointerrupter 123, and the control unit stops the rotation of moving conveyor 11. At this time, the group of shopping baskets Sb held by forks 32 of separator 30 is located in the forward area in the conveying direction of moving conveyor 11 at the second position, and therefore will not interfere with the group of shopping baskets Sb being transported by moving conveyor 11.

[0079] The control unit then causes the movable conveyor 11, which is loaded with the shopping cart group Sb, to wait at a second position where the shopping cart group Sb can be immediately handed over to the separation unit 30. Furthermore, when the shopping cart group Sb is no longer detected at the detection position 30P, the control unit controls the supply unit 10 to operate the movable conveyor 11 to transport the shopping cart group Sb and hand over the shopping cart group Sb to the separation unit 30. The operation in this case is the same as steps F17 to F18 in operation example 1. Note that the notification from the photoelectric sensor installed in the separation unit 30 that the shopping cart group Sb is no longer detected can be considered as a request from the separation unit 30 to the control unit to hand over the shopping cart group Sb.

[0080] <Example 4> Step F40 (FIG. 11): Step F40 is the initial state of Operation Example 4. The shopping cart group Sb is detected at detection position 21P, and the shopping cart group Sb is placed on the downstream end of fixed conveyor 21. At this time, fixed conveyor 21 is not operating. In other words, endless belt 213 is not rotating.

[0081] In operation example 4, it does not matter if shopping cart group Sb is not detected at detection position 21P in the initial state. Shopping cart group Sb is detected at detection position 11P, and shopping cart group Sb is placed in the rear area in the conveying direction of endless belt 113 of moving conveyor 11. The turning position of moving conveyor 11 within the turning range is arbitrary.

[0082] The shopping cart group S is detected at the detection position 30P, and the shopping cart group Sb is set in the separation unit 30. In the fourth operational example, the shopping cart group Sb is set in the separation unit 30 in the initial state, and the control unit determines to move the shopping cart group Sb to a standby position for supplying the shopping cart group Sb to the separation unit 30.

[0083] Step F41 (FIG. 11): Since the group of shopping baskets Sb is on the moving conveyor 11, the control unit controls the supply unit 10 to rotate the moving conveyor 11 toward the second position.

[0084] Step F42 (FIG. 11): When moving conveyor 11 reaches the second position, this is detected by photointerrupter 123, and the control unit stops the rotation of moving conveyor 11. At this time, the group of shopping baskets Sb held by forks 32 of separator 30 is located in the forward area in the conveying direction of moving conveyor 11 at the second position, and therefore will not interfere with the group of shopping baskets Sb being transported by moving conveyor 11.

[0085] The control unit then causes the movable conveyor 11, which is loaded with the shopping basket group Sb, to wait at a second position where the shopping basket group Sb can be immediately handed over to the separation unit 30. Furthermore, when the shopping basket group Sb is no longer detected at the detection position 30P, the control unit controls the supply unit 10 to operate the movable conveyor 11 to transport the shopping basket group Sb and hand over the shopping basket group Sb to the separation unit 30. The operation in this case is the same as steps F17 to F18 in the first operational example.

[0086] <Modification> In Operation Examples 3 and 4, the standby position of the moving conveyor 11 carrying the shopping basket group Sb before transferring the shopping basket group Sb to the separation unit 30 is the second position. However, the standby position is not limited to the second position. For example, it may be a rotation position between the first position and the second position.

[0087] 〔summary〕 The cleaning device of aspect 1 of the present disclosure comprises a cleaning section that cleans objects to be cleaned, a separation section that receives a group of objects consisting of a plurality of objects to be cleaned stacked on top of each other and sequentially sends each of the objects to the cleaning section, and a supply section that supplies the group of objects to the separation section, wherein the supply section has a conveyor that can transport the group of objects, and a rotating section that rotates the conveyor around a vertical axis located outside the conveyor and in a direction different from the conveying direction of the conveyor.

[0088] According to the above aspect, a cleaning device that can be installed compactly while having a disassembly function can be realized.

[0089] The cleaning apparatus of Aspect 2 of the present disclosure is the same as Aspect 1 above, wherein the conveyor in the supply unit rotates between a first position for receiving the group of objects and a second position for delivering the group of objects to the separation unit. According to the above aspect, a cleaning apparatus that can efficiently supply the group of objects to the separation unit can be realized.

[0090] The cleaning device of Aspect 3 of the present disclosure is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned Aspect 2, the supply unit operates the conveyor at the first position when the group of objects is not placed on the conveyor, thereby placing the group of objects on the conveyor. According to the above-mentioned aspect, the group of objects can be transferred to a rotating movable conveyor.

[0091] The cleaning apparatus of aspect 4 of the present disclosure is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned aspect 2 or 3, when the conveyor is at a position different from the first position and the group of objects is not placed on the conveyor, the supply unit moves the conveyor to the first position and operates the conveyor at the first position to place the group of objects on the conveyor. According to the above-mentioned aspect, a cleaning apparatus can be realized that can supply the group of objects to the separation unit even when the rotating movable conveyor is at a position different from the first position.

[0092] The cleaning apparatus of aspect 5 of the present disclosure is any one of aspects 2 to 4, further comprising a transport unit that delivers the group of objects to the supply unit. According to the above aspect, a cleaning apparatus can be realized that can automatically transfer the group of objects onto a rotating, movable conveyor.

[0093] A cleaning apparatus according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure is characterized in that, in any one of the above-mentioned second to fifth aspects, the supply unit operates the conveyor at the second position to transfer the group of objects placed on the conveyor to the separation unit. According to the above-mentioned aspect, the group of objects can be transferred from the rotating, movable conveyor to the separation unit.

[0094] The cleaning apparatus of aspect 7 of the present disclosure is characterized in that, in any one of aspects 2 to 6 above, when the separation unit holds at least some of the objects to be cleaned among the group of objects received, the supply unit causes the conveyor to wait at the second position with the group of objects to be next supplied to the separation unit placed on the conveyor. According to the above aspect, when the group of objects set in the separation unit runs out, the group of objects can be immediately replenished.

[0095] The cleaning apparatus of aspect 8 of the present disclosure is characterized in that, in any of aspects 2 to 6 above, when the separation unit holds at least some of the objects to be cleaned among the group of objects received, the supply unit causes the conveyor to wait at a position different from the second position with the group of objects to be next supplied to the separation unit placed on the conveyor. According to the above aspect, when the group of objects set in the separation unit runs out, the group of objects can be replenished early.

[0096] A cleaning apparatus according to a ninth aspect of the present disclosure is characterized in that, in the eighth aspect, when the supply unit receives a request to transfer the group of objects from the separation unit, the supply unit moves the conveyor to the second position and operates the conveyor at the second position to transfer the group of objects to the separation unit. According to the above aspect, the group of objects can be transferred from a rotating, movable conveyor to the separation unit.

[0097] The cleaning device of aspect 10 of the present disclosure is characterized in that, in any one of aspects 2 to 9, the second position is a position where the conveyor has rotated approximately half a circle from the first position. According to the above aspect, a cleaning device that can be installed more compactly can be realized.

[0098] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] 1 Cleaning equipment 10 Supply section 11 Moving conveyor (conveyor) 111 frames 112 Caster 113 endless belt 114 Guide 115 Guide Fixture 116 Photoelectric Sensor 12 Swivel section 12C vertical axis 121 Rotation axis 122 Detection cam 123 Photointerrupter 124 Drive unit 125 Swivel arm 20 Conveyor group (transport section) 21 Fixed conveyor 211 frames 213 endless belt 214 Guide 215 Guide Fixture 216 Photoelectric Sensor 30 Separation part 31 frames 32 Fork 33 Fork lifting mechanism 34 Rail 35 Traveling Vehicles 36 Gripping part 40 Cleaning section 50 Drying section 60 Accumulation section 70 Removal section 71 Moving Conveyor 72 Swivel section A1 Loading area A2 Unloading area B Shopping basket (object to be cleaned) Sb Shopping basket group (object group) 11P, 21P, 30P detection position

Claims

1. a cleaning unit that cleans the object to be cleaned; a separating unit that receives a group of objects formed by stacking a plurality of the objects to be cleaned and sequentially sends out each of the objects to be cleaned toward the cleaning unit; a supply unit that supplies the group of objects to the separation unit, The supply unit includes: a conveyor capable of transporting the group of objects; a rotating unit that rotates the conveyor around a vertical axis that is located outside the conveyor and in a direction different from the conveying direction of the conveyor, The separation unit is a gripping unit configured to grip the topmost object to be cleaned from the group of objects delivered from the supply unit in order to sequentially send out the individual objects to be cleaned toward the cleaning unit; A cleaning device in which, in a plan view, the supply section is configured to deliver the group of objects to the separation section on the conveyor at a position where the gripping section grips the objects to be cleaned.

2. A cleaning device as described in Claim 1, wherein the separation unit has a photoelectric sensor that detects that the group of objects is at the position where the supply unit will hand them over.

3. 2. The cleaning apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conveyor in the supply section rotates between a first position for receiving the group of objects and a second position for delivering the group of objects to the separation section.

4. The cleaning apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising a transport unit that delivers the group of objects to the supply unit.

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