Item transport device and item transport method

Abstract

To provide an article conveyance device and an article conveyance method capable of accumulating an article in a dense state in a desired area on a conveyance route without excessively accumulating the article.SOLUTION: An article conveyance device 1 according to the present invention is a device for conveying an article along a conveyance route R having a conveyance surface in contact with the article, and includes a plate-shaped deceleration member 40 installed on the conveyance route R and extending in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction of the article. The deceleration member 40 has: a lower surface disposed at a height position away from the conveyance surface; and an upper surface as a frictional resistance surface that allows the article to ride on the article and move a downstream side in a state where the article rides on the article.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an article transport apparatus and an article transport method, and more particularly to an article transport apparatus and an article transport method for transporting an article along a transport path having a transport surface that comes into contact with the article. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, there have been known article transport devices provided with operating devices such as a pick-and-place device that picks out articles along a transport path along which the articles are transported, and an inspection device that judges whether an article is good or defective.

[0003] Generally, such a work device is configured to perform a predetermined task (for example, picking or inspecting) on ​​items that are sequentially supplied to a range where the device can operate on the conveyance path (hereinafter referred to as the "work area"). In this regard, from the perspective of improving the work efficiency of the work device, it is desirable that the work area always satisfy the following conditions: (1) items are supplied without excess or shortage, and (2) items are in a stagnant state or a state close to that.

[0004] However, depending on the supply equipment that inputs (supplies) the items onto the conveyance path, and the shape and size of the items, it is not rare for the items to be conveyed in an unevenly scattered state along the conveyance path. In such cases, for example, in the case of picking work, the waiting time of the pick-and-place device increases, and in the case of inspection work, problems arise in that inspection efficiency decreases.

[0005] Therefore, in order to solve such problems, various kinds of article transport devices have been proposed, for example, the device described in Patent Document 1.

[0006] The article transport device described in Patent Document 1 is provided with a width shifting device that displaces articles in the width direction of the transport device between the pick setting range of an upstream pick and place device and the pick setting range of a downstream pick and place device so that the articles enter a transport path toward the pick setting range of the downstream pick and place device. With this type of article transport device, it is possible to supply articles to the work area without shortage and to supply them in a distributed manner. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-026966 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] However, the article transport device described in Patent Document 1 is configured to, so to speak, forcibly change the flow direction of articles transported along the transport path using a shifting device. As a result, with the article transport device described in Patent Document 1, depending on the amount of articles shifted by the shifting device, there is a risk that the articles will be supplied in an excessively piled state in the work area, for example, in a state where the articles are tangled together. In such cases, not only will the work efficiency of the work device be significantly reduced, but the articles may also be broken or damaged.

[0009] In this regard, it is difficult to say that the article transport device described in Patent Document 1 adequately controls the amount of articles supplied to the work area, and there is still room for improvement. Furthermore, as mentioned above, in the work area, it is desirable for items to be in a stagnant state or a state close to that in order to improve the work efficiency of the work device, but the item transport device described in Patent Document 1 does not take this into consideration at all.

[0010] The present invention is directed to providing an article transport apparatus and an article transport method that can overcome the drawbacks of the prior art described above. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The present invention relates to an article transport device that transports an article along a transport path having a transport surface that contacts the article. The item transport device is provided with a plate-shaped deceleration member that is installed on the transport path and extends in a direction intersecting the transport direction of the items, and the deceleration member has a lower surface that is positioned at a height away from the transport surface, and an upper surface that serves as a friction resistance surface that allows the items to climb up and move downstream in the transport direction while in a climbed state.

[0012] The present invention relates to an article transport method using an article transport device that transports articles along a transport path having a transport surface that comes into contact with the articles. The article transport device includes a plate-shaped deceleration member that is installed on the transport path and extends in a direction intersecting the article transport direction. The deceleration member has a lower surface that is positioned at a height that is spaced apart from the transport surface, and an upper surface that serves as a friction resistance surface that allows articles to climb up onto the deceleration member and move downstream in the transport direction while climbing up onto the deceleration member. The article transport method includes an article retention step of temporarily retaining the articles transported along the transport path upstream of the deceleration member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] The article transport device and article transport method of the present invention have a simple configuration, yet are capable of storing articles in a dense state in a desired area on the transport path without excessive accumulation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining an overview of an article transport device according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the operating state of the article transport apparatus of FIG. [Figure 3]3 is an enlarged plan view of a main part of the article transport device of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the arrow BB in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing the criteria for determining the size of the gap formed between the conveying surface and the lower surface of the deceleration member in relation to the article, and the distance between the conveying surface and the upper surface of the deceleration member. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of the moderator member of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] An article transport apparatus and an article transport method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram illustrating an overview of the article transport apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, and FIG. 2 shows an explanatory diagram illustrating the operating status of the article transport apparatus 1. For ease of explanation, the direction in which articles are transported will be referred to as the transport direction, and the opposite direction will be referred to as the counter-transport direction. Hereinafter, the upstream side in the transport direction will also be referred to as the upstream side, and the downstream side in the transport direction will also be referred to as the downstream side. Furthermore, the left and right sides in the following description refer to the left and right sides when viewed from the upstream side to the downstream side.

[0016] [Configuration of item transport device 1] 1 and 2, the article conveying apparatus 1 according to this embodiment mainly comprises a supply conveying device 10 that conveys articles M along a conveying path R, a pick-and-place device 20 that performs a picking operation to remove articles M from the conveying path R and a placing operation to lower the removed articles M to a destination, an unloading conveying device 30 that is the destination, and a deceleration member 40 that is installed on the conveying path R. Note that, in the following, a dip-tube pump cap will be described as an example of the article M handled by the article conveying apparatus 1 (see FIGS. 2 to 5), but the article M is not limited to this and may also be other articles, such as a dip-tube-equipped trigger cap, a screw-on or drive-in type cap, a bottle, a hollow molded product, or a resin molded product.

[0017] [Supply conveying device 10] First, the supply conveying device 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, the supply conveying device 10 according to this embodiment is configured by a belt conveyor provided with an endless belt as a conveying surface S. The belt conveyor itself is already known, so a detailed description will be omitted, but in this embodiment, as in known belt conveyors, the endless belt is stretched over a plurality of rotatably supported pulleys (not shown) and is rotationally driven by a drive source such as a motor.

[0018] The supply conveying device 10 is not limited to a belt conveyor, and may be, for example, a top chain conveyor, a roller conveyor, or a linear conveying system. As will be described in detail later, considering the ease of installation of supporting the speed reducing member 40 in a cantilevered manner relative to the partition wall 11, the supply conveying device 10 is preferably a belt conveyor or a top chain conveyor, and more preferably a belt conveyor. In this case, the material of the endless belt or the like constituting the conveying surface S can be appropriately selected depending on the shape and material of the article M and the frictional force generated between the conveying surface S and the article M. The material constituting such a conveying surface S is preferably a material that generates a certain degree of frictional force with the article M, such as a material with an uneven surface, a polymer gel material, a synthetic resin, or an adhesive material such as natural rubber. Note that, when a material with an uneven surface is used as the material constituting the conveying surface S, the frictional force generated between the article and the conveying surface S can be adjusted. Specifically, to increase the frictional force generated between the article and the conveying surface S, the spacing between the unevenness can be increased to make it easier for the article M to be caught on the surface. Conversely, to decrease the frictional force generated between the article and the conveying surface S, the spacing between the unevenness can be narrowed.

[0019] Although details will be described later, in this embodiment, the deceleration member 40 is configured to be able to store the articles M in a dense state on the upstream side thereof without excessive accumulation. The conveying member may be designed to generate a corresponding frictional force depending on the conveying state of the conveyed articles, and may be replaced accordingly. For example, when conveying articles M in a dense state, i.e., when a relatively large amount of articles M is distributed on the supply conveying device 10, it is desirable to sequentially move the articles M downstream of the deceleration member 40 to prevent excessive accumulation of the articles M on the upstream side. In such a case, in order to increase the amount of articles M passing through the deceleration member 40, it is preferable to select a material that generates a relatively large frictional force between the articles M and the conveying surface S as a material for the conveying surface S. On the other hand, when conveying articles M in a sparse state, i.e., when a relatively small amount of articles M is distributed on the supply conveying device 10, it is desirable to accumulate articles M as much as possible on the upstream side of the deceleration member 40. In such a case, in order to reduce the amount of articles M passing through the deceleration member 40, it is preferable to select a material that generates a relatively small frictional force between the articles M and the conveying surface S as a material for the conveying surface S.

[0020] The supply conveying device 10 conveys items M supplied via an item input device such as a chute (not shown) from upstream to downstream along the conveying path R. In this embodiment, the items M are supplied by dropping them onto the conveying path R using a chute. In this embodiment, the items M supplied to the conveying surface S via the item input device are conveyed along the conveying path R in an unevenly scattered state, i.e., the items M are not cohesive but randomly distributed on the conveying surface S (see FIG. 2). The item input device may also be a device that intermittently supplies a large amount of items M.

[0021] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the conveying path R of the article conveying device 1 is partitioned by partitions 11, 11 (left partition 11L and right partition 11R) erected on both the left and right sides. The heights of the left partition 11L and the right partition 11R are preferably set to be higher than the height of the article M placed on the conveying surface S (see Figure 4). This makes it possible to prevent the article M from accidentally falling off the conveying path R during conveying.

[0022] In this embodiment, the width between the left partition 11L and the right partition 11R is configured to narrow stepwise from the upstream side to the downstream side. Specifically, the conveying path R is provided with the widest conveying section CP1, the conveying section CP2 that gradually narrows toward the downstream side, and the narrowest conveying section CP3, which are arranged successively in that order from the upstream side to the downstream side. As a result, in this embodiment, as the articles M are conveyed downstream, they are collected in the width direction, in this embodiment, at the center of the width direction. In this regard, the left partition 11L and the right partition 11R in this embodiment can be said to have the function of guiding the articles M in the width direction in addition to preventing them from falling from the conveying path R.

[0023] Each of the transport sections CP1 to CP3 has a plurality of working areas where picking work is performed by the pick and place device 20 (arm sections 21A, 21B and arm sections 22A, 22B, which will be described later). Specifically, a working area WA1 for arm section 21A is set in the transport section CP1, a working area WA2 for arm section 21B is set in the transport section CP2, and a working area WA3 for arm section 22A and a working area WA4 for arm section 22B are set in the transport section CP3.

[0024] The conveying speed of the supply conveying device 10 can be appropriately selected depending on the shape and size of the item M and the picking performance such as the speed at which the pick and place device 20 takes out the item M. If the conveying speed is too slow for the picking performance of the pick and place device 20, waiting time occurs, making it impossible to perform the picking work efficiently. Conversely, if the conveying speed is too fast for the picking performance of the pick-and-place device 20, the picking operation by the pick-and-place device 20 cannot keep up, and the items M are likely to be discharged from the downstream side of the conveying path R. Note that the items M discharged from the downstream side of the conveying path R can also be returned (hereinafter referred to as "return") to the above-mentioned item insertion device (not shown) by a transfer device (not shown). In such a case, if a large amount of items M are discharged from the downstream side of the conveying path R, the items M will be resupplied to the conveying path R via the item insertion device more frequently, which can easily cause problems such as unnecessary damage to the items M.

[0025] From this point of view, the conveying speed of the supply conveying device 10 is preferably 5 m / min or more and 40 m / min or less. Incidentally, an inertial force acts on the item M during transport as the transport surface S moves, and depending on the inertial force acting on the item M, the posture of the item M on the transport surface S may change, which may reduce the work efficiency (efficiency of the picking work) of the pick and place device 20. From the viewpoint of improving work efficiency, the transport speed of the supply transport device 10 is preferably 4 m / min or more, more preferably 5 m / min or more, and also preferably 15 m / min or less, more preferably 10 m / min or less, and also preferably 4 m / min or more and 15 m / min or less, more preferably 5 m / min or more and 10 m / min or less.

[0026] [Pick and place device 20] Next, the pick-and-place device 20 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the pick and place device 20 is a device for performing a picking operation to remove an item M from the conveying route R and a placing operation to place the item M onto the destination conveying device 30 for discharge. The pick and place device 20 according to this embodiment has an upstream pick and place device 21 and a downstream pick and place device 22, which are arranged along the conveying route R.

[0027] The upstream pick-and-place device 21 has a plurality of ("two" in this embodiment) arm units 21A, 21B that pick up items M on the conveying path R, and the arm units 21A, 21B are arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side. Similarly, the downstream pick-and-place device 22 has arm units 22A, 22B that pick up items M on the conveying path R, and the arm units 22A, 22B are arranged in this order from the upstream side to the downstream side.

[0028] An article holding device 23 is provided at each tip of the arm units 21A, 21B and the arm units 22A, 22B (see FIG. 2). The article holding device is not particularly limited, but may hold an article using, for example, known means such as gripping with claws, suction with vacuum pads, air-operated open / close chucks, and electric open / close chucks. The arm units 21A, 21B and the arm units 22A, 22B hold the article M on the conveying path R with the article holding device 23, and perform a placing operation by lifting and horizontally moving (transporting) the article M, changing the orientation of the article M as desired, and placing the article M on the conveying surface of the discharging conveying device 30. Note that any article M not picked up by the arm units 21A, 21B and the arm units 22A, 22B is discharged from the downstream side of the conveying path R. Note that the article M discharged from the downstream side of the conveying path R can be returned to the article input device (not shown) as described above.

[0029] In plan view, arm units 21A, 21B and arm units 22A, 22B each have a work area set therein, which is the range in which work can be performed on conveying route R, i.e., a picking operation to remove items M from conveying route R. Fig. 1 shows the ranges (working areas WA1 to WA4) of picking operation performed by each of arm units 21A, 21B and arm units 22A, 22B.

[0030] The working area WA1 of arm unit 21A and the working area WA2 of arm unit 21B are each set in a range between the center in the width direction and the left end in the width direction of the conveying path R in the direction intersecting the conveying direction (hereinafter referred to as the "width direction"), and are set, for example, to the maximum range in which picking work can be performed in the conveying direction. The working area WA3 of arm unit 22A and the working area WA4 of arm unit 22B are set in the width direction to the full width of the conveying path R, and are set, for example, to the above-mentioned maximum range in the supplying direction.

[0031] The pick and place device 20 (upstream pick and place device 21 and downstream pick and place device 22) can be, for example, a mechanical device that combines a cam or link mechanism and a pneumatic or electric cylinder, a robot that repeats a predetermined operation, or a robot that can change its operation based on a command signal. When a robot is used as the pick and place device 20, for example, a serial type vertical articulated robot, a SCARA robot, or a link type robot can be used. In this embodiment, a vertical articulated robot that can change the pick and place operation for each operation is used.

[0032] Control of the picking operation and the like by the pick-and-place device 20 (arm units 21A, 21B and arm units 22A, 22B) can be performed using known image recognition technology. In this case, for example, this can be achieved by following the steps of: (1) capturing an image of the item M in the work area (work areas WA1 to WA4) using an imaging device (e.g., a camera, not shown) installed near the item holding device 23 (see FIG. 2), (2) recognizing the position, orientation, etc. of the item M from the image data captured by the imaging device using a known image recognition device (e.g., a PC: personal computer, not shown), and (3) determining the operation of the pick-and-place device 20 based on the recognition result by the image recognition device.

[0033] From the viewpoint of improving work efficiency, the time required for one cycle of pick-and-place operation by the pick-and-place device 20 is preferably 2 seconds or more and 3 seconds or less, and more preferably 1 second or more and 2.5 seconds or less. For example, when the conveying speed of the pick-and-place device 20 per minute of articles M is 100 BPM (Bottles Per Minute), the above-mentioned required time is 1.2 seconds or less when two parallel robots are used, and 2.4 seconds or less when two dual-arm robots having two arms are used. The workload (number of items picked up) in the pick-and-place device 20 varies depending on the shape and size of the items M, but for example, when the items M are dip-tube pump caps or equivalent items (see FIGS. 2 to 5), the workload is preferably 100 items / minute or more, and more preferably 150 items / minute or more. In this case, the recognition speed for image recognition of the items M is preferably less than 0.2 seconds.

[0034] [Discharge conveying device 30] 1, the discharge conveying device 30 is a device for conveying the article M picked up from the conveying path R by the pick-and-place device 20 to a work location where the next process is performed, etc. The discharge conveying device 30 is configured, for example, by a belt conveyor provided with an endless belt, similar to the supply conveying device 10. Note that the discharge conveying device 30 is not limited to the belt conveyor described above, and for example, a top chain conveyor, a roller conveyor, a linear conveying system, a vibrating feeder, etc. can also be used.

[0035] [Deceleration member 40] The supply conveying device 10 according to this embodiment is provided with a deceleration member 40, which is a characteristic feature of the present invention. The deceleration member 40 will be described below with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 , the deceleration member 40 is a member that temporarily stops the movement of an item M or reduces its movement speed when the item M being conveyed along the conveying path R comes into contact with the deceleration member 40. As will be described in detail later, in this embodiment, by providing the deceleration member 40 on the conveying path R, the items M can be accumulated in a dense state upstream of the deceleration member 40 without excessive accumulation. This reduces the occurrence of waiting time when the pick-and-place operation by the pick-and-place device 20 is not performed because the item M to be picked up is not present in the work area, thereby improving the efficiency of the picking operation. Furthermore, it is possible to reduce damage and breakage of the items M that may occur when the items M are excessively accumulated, for example, when the items M overlap each other.

[0036] 3 to 5, the deceleration member 40 has a thin plate shape and extends in a cantilevered manner in the width direction from the partition wall 11. One end of the deceleration member 40 is fastened to a mounting portion 12 provided inside the partition wall 11 by a bolt or the like.

[0037] The deceleration member 40 has a rectangular cross section and a lower surface 40a that is disposed with a substantially constant gap G from the conveying surface S, and an upper surface 40b that serves as a frictional contact surface that is disposed at a height that allows the article M conveyed along the conveying path R to move up and over it. The lower surface 40a and the upper surface 40b both have a flat shape and are disposed substantially parallel to the conveying surface S. Note that the above-mentioned "movement up and over" includes not only the article M climbing up but also its movement downstream while in a climbed state. By positioning the flat lower surface 40a approximately parallel to the conveying surface S with a gap G therebetween, it is possible to prevent contact between the conveying surface S and the lower surface 40a even when the endless belt is driven to rotate by a drive source.

[0038] In addition, when using the image recognition technology described above to control pick-and-place operations, etc. by the pick-and-place device 20, it is preferable that the deceleration member 40 be a non-reflective color in order to prevent erroneous detection, etc., and it is more preferable that the deceleration member 40 be a color that is different from that of the item M and is less reflective, and it is even more preferable that the deceleration member 40 be a color that is the same as that of the conveying surface S and is less reflective.

[0039] The gap G formed between the lower surface 40a of the deceleration member 40 and the conveying surface S, and the distance W (see Figure 6) between the upper surface 40b of the deceleration member 40 and the conveying surface S can be set appropriately depending on the shape and size of the article M, the cross-sectional shape of the deceleration member 40, etc. For example, when the cross section of the deceleration member 40 is rectangular, the size of the gap G and the distance W can be set based on the following guidelines (see FIG. 6).

[0040] As a guideline for setting the size of the gap G formed between the lower surface 40a of the deceleration member 40 and the conveying surface S, the gap G should be less than the minimum outer diameter dimension Mmin of the components that make up the article M (see FIG. 6). This makes it possible to prevent problems such as the article M getting caught in the gap G during conveyance.

[0041] Furthermore, as a guideline for setting the distance W between the upper surface 40b of the deceleration member 40 and the conveying surface S, the distance W should be 1 / 5 or less of the vertical distance Vc between the horizontal surface and the center of gravity Mc of the article M when the article M is placed on the horizontal surface (see FIG. 6). This value of 1 / 5 or less was obtained as a result of a test to determine the height of the upper surface 40b of the deceleration member 40, and was found to be the optimal value that allows the article M to move up and move in the conveying direction while in contact with the upper surface 40b without getting stuck on the deceleration member 40.

[0042] For example, if the article M is a dip-tube pump cap with a minimum outer dimension Mmin of 5 mm and a vertical distance Vc of 25 mm between the center of gravity Mc and the horizontal plane when placed on a horizontal surface, the gap G can be set to 0.5 mm and the distance W to 2.0 mm (the plate thickness T of the deceleration member 40 is 1.5 mm). In this case, the width of the deceleration member 40 in the conveying direction can be set to 30 mm or more.

[0043] The material for the deceleration member 40 having such a thin plate shape is preferably a material with sufficient rigidity to not easily bend or deform even when an object M is placed on the upper surface 40b, such as a metal such as stainless steel or aluminum, or a synthetic resin such as epoxy resin.

[0044] 3 and 4, if the gap G and distance W are set in accordance with the above guidelines, when the conveyed article M1 comes into contact with the deceleration member 40, it becomes possible to temporarily stop the article M1 with a portion of the article M1 riding on the upper surface 40b. In this case, a frictional force F1 in the conveying direction occurs at the portion of the article M1 that contacts the conveying surface S, and a frictional force F2 in the opposite conveying direction occurs at the portion of the article M1 that contacts the upper surface 40b of the deceleration member 40.

[0045] In this state, when the following item M2 comes into contact with the stopped item M1, a pressing force P in the same direction as the frictional force F1 is applied to the frictional force F1. As a result, the item M moves up in the conveyance direction against the frictional force F2 generated at the part of the item M that contacts the upper surface 40b.

[0046] Even if the gap G and distance W are set within the above-mentioned range, depending on the material of the upper surface 40b of the deceleration member 40, it is possible that the article M (e.g., "article M3" in FIG. 3) may come into contact with the deceleration member 40, climb up onto the upper surface 40b, and then continue to climb up and move in the conveying direction. In this case, the frictional force F1 generated between the article M1 and the conveying surface S and the frictional force F2 generated between the article M1 and the upper surface 40b are such that the frictional force F1 is greater than the frictional force F2.

[0047] Generally, if the upper surface 40b of the deceleration member 40 is highly smooth, the frictional force F2 will be small, making it difficult to effectively reduce the moving speed of the article M in the conveying direction. In this regard, it is preferable that the upper surface 40b of the deceleration member 40 is made of a material that generates a certain degree of frictional force F2 when it comes into contact with the article M. For example, if the upper surface 40b of the deceleration member 40 is made of a material with a high degree of smoothness, such as a metal material such as aluminum or stainless steel, it may be subjected to a processing treatment such as the application of a coating paint.

[0048] To sum up, it is preferable that the deceleration member 40 is configured so that, after the article M comes into contact with the deceleration member 40 and rides up onto the upper surface 40b to stop, it cannot move up in the conveying direction unless a pressure force P is applied by a subsequent article M (for example, "article M3" in FIG. 3). In this case, as described above, if the friction force in the conveying direction generated between the article M and the conveying surface S is "friction force F1," the friction force in the counter-conveying direction generated between the article M and the upper surface 40b of the deceleration member 40 is "friction force F2," and the pressure force in the conveying direction by the subsequent article M ("article M2" in FIG. 3) is "pressure force P," then (1) "Friction force F2" > "Friction force F1" (state of "item M3" in Figure 3) (2) "Frictional force F2" < "Frictional force F1" + "Pressure force P" (state of "item M1" in Figures 3 and 4) The materials and surface shapes of the upper surface 40b of the deceleration member 40 and the conveying surface S may be appropriately selected depending on the material of the article M, etc., so as to satisfy any of the above formulas.

[0049] It is preferable that the width of the deceleration member 40 in the conveying direction be determined in accordance with the pressure P applied by the following article M. For example, when the number of articles transported along the transport route R (number of articles being transported) is small, the number of subsequent articles M (e.g., "article M2" in FIG. 4) pressing against the article M (e.g., "article M1" in FIG. 4) is likely to be small, and the above-mentioned pressure force P is likely to decrease. In this case, if the width of the deceleration member 40 is set relatively wide, there is a risk that the pressure force P will be insufficient and the article M will not be able to climb up and move on the deceleration member 40. For this reason, when the number of articles M being transported is small, it is preferable to set the width of the deceleration member 40 relatively narrow.

[0050] Conversely, when a large number of articles M are being conveyed, the pressure P applied by the following articles M is large, so the width of the deceleration member 40 can be widened, for example, to a size that allows the articles M to come to rest on the upper surface 40b of the deceleration member 40. Note that in this embodiment, the shape of the deceleration member 40 in plan view is rectangular, but it is also possible to form it in other shapes, such as an ellipse or a trapezoid.

[0051] In this way, in this embodiment, when an item M being transported along the transport path R comes into contact with the deceleration member 40, the movement of the item M is temporarily stopped or the item M is moved up and moved at a reduced speed.

[0052] That is, in this embodiment, when an article M ("article M1" in FIG. 4) comes into contact with the deceleration member 40 and stops, a pressing force P (see FIG. 4) from the succeeding article M ("article M2" in FIG. 4) acts on the article M, causing it to move up in the conveying direction. At this time, the article M ("article M1" in FIG. 4) coming into contact with the deceleration member 40 moves up in the conveying direction against a frictional force F2 (see FIG. 4) generated between the article M and the upper surface 40b, and therefore its moving speed can be made slower than the moving speed of the conveying surface S.

[0053] For this reason, in this embodiment, the amount of overhanging movement of the articles M moving downstream via the deceleration member 40 can be made smaller than the amount of movement of the articles M conveyed on the upstream side of the deceleration member 40 (before being retained), making it possible to effectively accumulate a plurality of articles M in a dense state on the upstream side of the deceleration member 40. Moreover, the articles M accumulated on the upstream side of the deceleration member 40 are subjected to the pressing force P (see FIG. 4) of the succeeding articles M, causing them to sequentially overhang and move downstream of the deceleration member 40, making it possible to effectively prevent the articles M from becoming excessively piled up, for example, from overlapping or becoming tangled with each other.

[0054] As described above, according to this embodiment, even with a simple configuration, the articles M can be accumulated in a dense state on the upstream side of the deceleration member 40 without excessive accumulation. Note that the above-mentioned phrase "moving at a reduced moving speed" assumes a case where the articles M are densely packed on the upstream side of the deceleration member 40 and are continuously transported toward the deceleration member 40. In this case, a pressing force P (see FIGS. 3 and 4) in the conveying direction is continuously applied to the densely packed articles M, so the articles P accumulated upstream of the deceleration member 40 are moved at a reduced moving speed, one after another, over and over the deceleration member 40 without stopping.

[0055] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as described above, the articles M accumulated on the upstream side of the deceleration member 40 are configured to climb over the deceleration member 40 and be gradually discharged downstream. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the articles M are supplied via an article input device (not shown), the articles M are unevenly distributed on the conveying path R, but by passing them through the deceleration member 40, the degree of unevenness can be alleviated.

[0056] As will be described in more detail later, when multiple deceleration members 40 are installed on the conveying route R as in this embodiment, the articles M are uniformly distributed as they are conveyed downstream, and it is possible to accumulate a larger number of articles M in a dense state, particularly at the downstream deceleration member 40 (for example, "deceleration member 40D" in FIG. 1). As a result, it is possible to perform the picking operation by the pick and place device 20 more efficiently.

[0057] 1, in this embodiment, a plurality of deceleration members 40 (four locations in this embodiment) are installed corresponding to the working areas of arm sections 21A, 21B and arm sections 22A, 22B. The plurality of deceleration members 40A to 40D are provided so as to be located downstream of working area WA1 of arm section 21A, working area WA2 of arm section 21B, working area WA3 of arm section 22A, and working area WA4 of arm section 22B, respectively.

[0058] Each of the deceleration members 40A to 40C extends from the left partition wall 11L toward the widthwise center (right side), with its free end (tip) positioned slightly to the left of the widthwise center of the conveying path R. On the other hand, the deceleration member 40D includes a left deceleration member 40Da that extends from the left partition wall 11L toward the widthwise center (right side) with its free end (tip) positioned slightly to the left of the widthwise center of the conveying path R, and a right deceleration member 40Db that is located on an extension of the left deceleration member 40Da, extends from the right partition wall 11R toward the widthwise center (left side), with its free end (tip) positioned slightly to the right of the widthwise center of the conveying path R. In other words, the deceleration members 40Da and 40Db are in a mirror image relationship with the widthwise center of the conveying path R as the center.

[0059] In the conveying route R according to this embodiment, non-installed areas NA1 to NA4, where no deceleration members 40 are installed, are formed on extension lines of the deceleration members 40A to 40D, respectively. Specifically, the non-installed areas NA1 to NA3 are all formed to the right of the widthwise center of the conveying route R, while the non-installed area NA4 is formed near the widthwise center of the conveying route R and is of a size that makes it impossible or difficult for the article M to pass through without coming into contact with the deceleration members 40D (left deceleration member 40Da and right deceleration member 40Db).

[0060] That is, in this embodiment, an item M supplied to the right of the widthwise center of the conveying path R via an item input device (not shown) is mainly transported along a line to the right of the widthwise center of the conveying path R (hereinafter referred to as the "right-side line RR"), on which vacant areas NA1 to NA3 are formed. On the other hand, an item M supplied to the left of the widthwise center via an item input device (not shown) is transported along a line to the left of the widthwise center of the conveying path R (hereinafter referred to as the "left-side line RL"), on which deceleration members 40A to 40C are installed.

[0061] [Operation of item transport device 1] Next, the operation of the article transport device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. In this embodiment, the transport conditions of the item M differ when the item M is transported along the left line RL and when the item M is transported along the right line RR, so the following explanation will be given for each case.

[0062] First, the conveyance state when an article M is conveyed along the left line RL will be described with reference to Fig. 1. As described above, the deceleration members 40A-40D are all installed on the left line RL and are arranged in this order from upstream to downstream. Furthermore, the deceleration members 40A-40D are respectively arranged downstream of the working area WA1 of arm section 21A, the working area WA2 of arm section 21B, the working area WA3 of arm section 22A, and the working area WA4 of arm section 22B.

[0063] For this reason, in this embodiment, when an article M is supplied to the left side of the widthwise center of the conveying path R via an article input device (not shown), most of the article M is first stopped or decelerated by the deceleration member 40A. As a result, the article M conveyed along the left line RL first starts from the upstream side of the deceleration member 40A, i.e., the downstream side of the working area WA1 of the arm portion 21A, and remains within the working area WA1.

[0064] As described above, the deceleration member 40A can accumulate items M being transported along the transport path R on its upstream side in a densely packed state, i.e., in a state in which the items M are distributed approximately uniformly, so that these densely packed items M can be continuously and efficiently removed by the arm portion 21A.

[0065] Furthermore, the articles M accumulated in the working area WA1 are continuously (uninterruptedly) removed by the arm section 21A, and any articles M that are not removed are transported (discharged from the working area WA1) downstream along the transport path R, overcoming the deceleration member 40A, as described above. In this manner, in this embodiment, the articles M accumulated in the working area WA1 are sequentially removed or discharged, making it possible to effectively prevent excessive accumulation of the articles M within the working area WA1.

[0066] After climbing over the deceleration member 40A, the article M is then conveyed toward the deceleration member 40B. Since the deceleration member 40B has a similar configuration to the deceleration member 40A, the items M transported toward the deceleration member 40B accumulate in the working area WA2 in a dense state, i.e., with the items M distributed approximately uniformly, starting from the upstream side of the deceleration member 40B, similar to the working area WA1 described above. Therefore, in the working area WA2, the articles M accumulated in the area can be continuously and efficiently removed by the arm unit 21B. Moreover, the articles M not removed by the arm unit 21B are transported toward the working area WA3 (deceleration member 40C) via the deceleration member 40B, so that in the working area WA2, as in the working area WA1, excessive accumulation of the articles M can be effectively suppressed.

[0067] In this way, when the item M being transported along the left line RL passes through the working area WA2, it has already been removed from the conveying path R by the two arm units 21A and 21B, so it is possible to reduce the amount of item M being transported toward the next deceleration member 40C (working area WA3 of arm unit 22A).

[0068] As will be described in more detail below, the working area WA3 of the arm section 22A is configured to transport not only the articles M discharged from the working area WA2, but also the articles M transported along the right-side line RR. In this embodiment, the transport path R (transport section CP2) between the working areas WA2 and WA3 is configured to gradually narrow toward the center in the width direction toward the downstream side, and the working area WA3, which is provided downstream of the transport section CP2, is set across the entire width of the transport path R in the width direction. For this reason, the working area WA3 is an area where articles M gather from both the left-side line RL and the right-side line RR.

[0069] That is, although the amount of articles M transported through the left line RL may be small in the working area WA3, the amount of articles M transported through the right line RR is relatively large, so that overall, there is a sufficient amount of articles M that can be continuously picked up by the arm section 22A. The transport status of articles M in the working areas WA3 and WA4 will be described later.

[0070] Next, a description will be given of the conveyance state when the article M is conveyed along the right line RR. As shown in Figure 1, on the right line RR, from upstream to downstream, there are arranged, in this order: an uninstalled area NA1 where the deceleration member 40A is not installed; an uninstalled area NA2 where the deceleration member 40B is not installed; an uninstalled area NA3 where the deceleration member 40C is not installed (working area WA3 of the arm section 22A); and a right deceleration member 40Db (working area WA4 of the arm section 22B).

[0071] Because the right-side line RR is configured in this manner, when an item M is supplied to the right side of the widthwise center of the conveying path R via an item input device (not shown), most of the item M passes through the uninstalled area NA1 (conveying section CP1) and the uninstalled area NA (conveying section CP2) and is transported to the working area WA3 (conveying section CP3) of the arm section 22A.

[0072] As described above, the conveying section CP2 is configured so that the conveying path R gradually narrows toward the center in the width direction toward the downstream side, and the working area WA2 of the arm unit 21B is set on the left line RL. Therefore, in the working area WA3 of the arm unit 22A, articles M conveyed along the right line RR and articles M discharged from the working area WA2 of the arm unit 21B are conveyed in a mixed state.

[0073] Meanwhile, as described above, the deceleration member 40C is installed on the left line RL downstream of the working area WA3. Therefore, on the left line RL of the working area WA3, starting from the upstream side of the deceleration member 40C, the articles M can be accumulated in a dense state (a state in which the articles M are distributed approximately uniformly) without excessive accumulation. As a result, similar to the working areas WA1 and WA2 described above, the articles M accumulated on the left line RL of the working area WA3 can be continuously and efficiently removed by the arm unit 22A.

[0074] On the other hand, unlike the left line RL, the right line RR in the working area WA3 does not have a deceleration member 40C installed, so the items M on the right line RR are transported to the working area WA4 of the arm unit 22B via the non-installation area NA3. Note that the items M that accumulate upstream of the deceleration member 40C are pushed by the following items M, causing them to move up the deceleration member 40C and be transported toward the working area WA4 of the arm unit 22B. In other words, the items M on the left line RL (those that were not picked up) are transported to the working area WA4 of the arm unit 22B after the items M on the right line RR that were supplied at the same time.

[0075] The working area WA4 of the arm section 22B is located at the most downstream side of the working areas WA1 to WA4, and is set across the entire width of the conveying route R. In addition, downstream of the working area WA4, deceleration members 40D (left deceleration member 40Da and right deceleration member 40Db) having an un-installed area NA4 of a size that makes it impossible or difficult for items M to pass through are installed across almost the entire width of the conveying route R. For this reason, all items M that have passed through the working area WA3 are allowed to accumulate in the working area WA4 across the entire width of the conveying route R, starting from the upstream side of the deceleration members 40D.

[0076] Note that, when the range of the non-installed area NA4 is increased or decreased depending on the shape and size of the article M, for example, when changing the non-installed area NA4 to a form similar to the non-installed area NA3 (working area WA3), the right deceleration member 40Db can be removed. Also, the arrangement range (widthwise length) of the left deceleration member 40Da and / or the right deceleration member 40Db may be changed as appropriate.

[0077] The items M that accumulate in working area WA4 are items M that were not picked up in the picking operations by arm unit 21A (working area WA1), arm unit 21B (working area WA2), and arm unit 22A (working area WA3), and therefore the amount of items M is kept low. Therefore, although deceleration member 40D is installed in working area WA4 across substantially the entire width of conveying path R, unlike deceleration members 40A to 40C, similar to working areas WA1 to WA3, items M can be accumulated in a dense state without excessive accumulation, i.e., in a state where items M are distributed substantially uniformly.

[0078] As a result, even in the working area WA4, the items M can be continuously and efficiently removed during the picking operation by the arm unit 22B. The amount of items M accumulated in the working area WA4 can be adjusted appropriately by changing the amount of items M supplied to the conveying route R from the item input device (not shown) and the picking performance of the arm units 21A, 21B and 22A.

[0079] As described above, the articles M that accumulate on the upstream side of the deceleration member 40D are pushed by the following articles M, causing them to move up the deceleration member 40D and be discharged from the downstream side of the conveying path R. Note that the articles M discharged from the downstream side of the conveying path R can be returned to the article input device (not shown) as described above.

[0080] As described above, in this embodiment, multiple deceleration members 40A to 40D are provided so as to be located downstream of working area WA1 of arm section 21A, working area WA2 of arm section 21B, working area WA3 of arm section 22A, and working area WA4 of arm section 22B, respectively. Also, as described above, on the upstream side of deceleration members 40, articles M conveyed along conveying path R can be accumulated in a dense state without excessive accumulation. In other words, items M can be accumulated sequentially in working areas WA1 to WA4, starting from the downstream side where deceleration member 40 is installed, so that items M can be continuously and efficiently picked up in each picking operation by arm sections 21A, 21B and arm sections 22A, 22B.

[0081] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the items M accumulated in the working areas WA1 to WA4 are transported downstream in sequence over the deceleration members 40A to 40D, and are sequentially removed by the picking operations of the arm sections 21A, 21B and the arm sections 22A, 22B, so that excessive accumulation of items M does not occur in each of the working areas WA1 to WA4.

[0082] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the most downstream deceleration members 40D (left deceleration member 40Da and right deceleration member 40Db) are configured to be installed across substantially the entire width of the conveying path R. Therefore, the most downstream working area WA4 corresponding to the deceleration members 40D can accumulate all of the articles M that have passed through the working area WA3 on the upstream side thereof. That is, in this embodiment, since a relatively large amount of items M transported to the most downstream working area WA4 can be more efficiently removed, it is possible to reduce the amount of items M discharged from the conveying route R (supply conveying device 10). Note that, as described above, if the items M discharged from the conveying route R are configured to be returned to the item input device (not shown), it is possible to reduce the frequency of this. As a result, it is possible to reduce situations where the items M are broken or damaged.

[0083] [Other embodiments] Another embodiment will be described below, focusing on the differences from the above-described embodiment (this embodiment, hereinafter referred to as "first embodiment"). Note that in the following description, only the configurations that are different from the first embodiment will be described, and similar configurations will be assigned the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0084] [Second embodiment] In the first embodiment, the most downstream reduction member 40D is made up of two members, the left reduction member 40Da and the right reduction member 40Db, but in the second embodiment, it is made up of one member. Specifically, in the second embodiment, the deceleration member 40D, like the left deceleration member 40Da and the right deceleration member 40Db, is formed as a thin plate and is horizontally mounted between the left bulkhead 11L and the right bulkhead 11R. This configuration not only reduces the number of components but also enables the deceleration member 40D to be firmly attached to the left bulkhead 11L and the right bulkhead 11R. That is, the deceleration member 40D, which was cantilevered in the second embodiment, can now be supported on both sides. As a result, the deceleration member 40D of the second embodiment does not easily flex and deform even if it does not have the same material strength as the deceleration member 40D of the first embodiment, thereby increasing the flexibility in material selection. The deceleration member 40D may be cantilevered. Furthermore, when the most downstream deceleration member 40D is constructed from a single member, for example, the extension length of the deceleration member 40D may be formed to be the width between the left partition 11L and the right partition 11R minus the width in the width direction of the non-installation area NA4, and the deceleration member 40D may be attached in a cantilever manner to either the left partition 11L or the right partition 11R.

[0085] [Third embodiment] In the third embodiment, the extension length of the deceleration members 40 (deceleration members 40A to 40D) is different from that shown in the first and second embodiments (the installation position, extension length, shape, etc. of the deceleration members 40). Specifically, in the third embodiment, the deceleration member 40C is changed to a configuration similar to that of the deceleration member 40D shown in Fig. 1 (left deceleration member 40Da and right deceleration member 40Db), or changed as in the second embodiment described above. With this configuration, in the working area WA3 where the deceleration member 40C is installed, as in the working area WA4, more articles M can be taken out by the arm section 22A, thereby further reducing the amount of articles M discharged from the conveying route R.

[0086] [Fourth embodiment] In the fourth embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the deceleration member 40 is different from the cross-sectional shapes of the first and second embodiments (see FIG. 4). Specifically, in the fourth embodiment, the cross-sectional shape of the speed reduction member 40 is formed such that the upper corner on the upstream side is curved, as shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(d). In this case, the angle between the lower surface 40a and the upstream side surface may be a substantially right angle (see Figure 7(a)), or an acute angle (see Figure 7(d)). Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape of the deceleration member 40 is not limited to the cross-sectional shapes shown in Figures 7(a) and (d), and it is also possible to form it into a shape that slopes upward from a lower corner on the upstream side toward the downstream side (tapered shape) (see Figures 7(b) and (c)). In this case, the cross-sectional shape of the deceleration member 40 may be formed into a triangular shape (see Figure 7(b)), or it may also be formed into a trapezoidal shape (see Figure 7(c)).

[0087] When the cross-sectional shape of the deceleration member 40 is formed as shown in FIGS. 7(a) to 7(d), the article M generates a frictional force F2 (see FIGS. 3 and 4) between the deceleration member 40 and the curved or tapered portion, and is guided well by this portion, enabling the article M to climb onto the upper surface 40b. That is, when the cross-sectional shape of the deceleration member 40 is formed as shown in FIGS. 7(a) to 7(d), compared to when the deceleration member 40 is formed into a rectangular shape, a situation in which the article M has difficulty climbing onto the upper surface 40b of the deceleration member 40 is suppressed, even if the thickness of the deceleration member 40 is increased. For example, if the article M is a dip-tube pump cap (see FIG. 4) or an equivalent, the thickness T of the deceleration member 40 is approximately 1.5 mm when the cross-sectional shape of the deceleration member 40 is rectangular, but the thickness T can be approximately 5 mm when the deceleration member 40 has a tapered shape as shown in FIGS. 7(b) and 7(c).

[0088] [Fifth embodiment] In the fifth embodiment, the deceleration member 40 is configured to be movable. Specifically, the fifth embodiment is configured by attaching the fixed end side of the deceleration member 40 to the rotation shaft of a drive source such as a motor (for example, the "mounting portion" in FIG. 3). In this case, the deceleration member 40 may be configured to be able to pivot between a restricting position (the position of the "deceleration member 40" shown in FIG. 3) where it restricts the movement of the article M being conveyed when driven by the drive source, and a storage position where it is stored in the storage space 13 (see FIG. 3) formed in the partition wall 11. With this configuration, for example, when performing maintenance or repair work on the supply conveying device 10, the deceleration member 40 can be easily moved to the storage position, making it possible to carry out the work smoothly.

[0089] In this case, the deceleration member 40 can be displaced depending on the number of items M being conveyed along the conveying path R. For example, the number of conveyed items M can be detected, and if the detected number is smaller than a predetermined value (hereinafter referred to as the "first reference value"), the deceleration member 40 can be positioned at the restricting position. Conversely, if the number of conveyed items M is larger than a predetermined value (hereinafter referred to as the "second reference value"), the deceleration member 40 can be positioned at the storage position. Note that the second reference value may be the same as the first reference value, but is preferably larger than the first reference value. By doing so, when the number of conveyed items M is small, the items M can be retained in the working areas WA1 to WA4, thereby improving work efficiency. In this case, the upstream working device (e.g., the upstream pick-and-place device 21) can complete the work for all the items M. When the number of conveyed items M is large, the work can be distributed to the downstream working device (e.g., the downstream pick-and-place device 22). The position of the deceleration member 40 may be different between the upstream working area (e.g., working areas WA1 and WA2) and the downstream working area (e.g., working areas WA3 and WA4). Also, the first reference value and the second reference value may be different for each of the working areas WA1 to WA4. Note that, for example, when image recognition technology using an imaging device, an image recognition device, or the like is employed in controlling a picking operation or the like by the pick-and-place device 20, such control may be realized by controlling a drive source that changes the position of the deceleration member 40 based on the recognition results of the image recognition device. In this case, if the degree of accumulation of the articles M upstream of the deceleration member 40 is smaller than a predetermined value (hereinafter referred to as a "third reference value"), the deceleration member 40 may be placed in the restricting position, and if the degree of accumulation of the articles M is greater than a predetermined value (hereinafter referred to as a "fourth reference value"), the deceleration member 40 may be placed in the storing position. The degree of accumulation may be determined by the number or density of the articles M accumulated upstream of the deceleration member 40. Note that the fourth reference value may be the same as the third reference value, but is preferably greater than the third reference value. The method for changing the position of the deceleration member 40 is not limited to a means using an electric drive source such as a motor, but may also use compressed air as a drive source, or may be manual.

[0090] In relation to the above-described fifth embodiment, the present invention further discloses the following article transport apparatus. <1> An article transport device that transports an article along a transport path having a transport surface that contacts the article, a plate-shaped deceleration member that is installed on the conveying path and extends in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the article; The deceleration member has a lower surface positioned at a height away from the conveying surface, and an upper surface acting as a friction resistance surface that allows items to climb up and move downstream in the conveying direction while in the climbed state. <2> The conveying machine further includes a work device that performs a predetermined work on the items conveyed along the conveying path, The deceleration member is provided on the downstream side in the conveying direction of a work area where work is performed by the work device. <1> The article transport device described in <3> a plurality of the work devices are provided along the conveying path; <2> The article transport device described in <4> the deceleration member is movable between a first position extending in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the article and a second position where the deceleration member is stored in a storage space provided outside the conveying path, a moving means for moving the deceleration member between the first position and the second position, <1> ~ <3> 10. An article transport device according to claim 1, wherein: <5> a control means for controlling the moving means; and a detection means for detecting the number of articles conveyed along the conveying path. The control means a determination unit that compares the number of conveyed articles detected by the detection means with a first reference value and a second reference value that is greater than the first reference value; When the determination unit determines that the number of conveyed articles is smaller than the first reference value, the deceleration member is positioned at the first position; When the determination unit determines that the number of conveyed articles is greater than the second reference value, the deceleration member is positioned at the second position. <4> The article transport device described in <6> a control means for controlling the moving means; and a detection means for detecting the degree of accumulation of items in the work area. The control means a determination unit that compares the degree of accumulation of articles detected by the detection means with a third reference value and a fourth reference value that is greater than the third reference value, When the determination unit determines that the degree of accumulation of the articles is smaller than the third reference value, the deceleration member is positioned at the first position; When the determining unit determines that the degree of accumulation of the articles is greater than the fourth reference value, the deceleration member is positioned at the second position. <4> The article transport device described in

[0091] [Sixth embodiment] In the sixth embodiment, the number of work areas WA1 to WA4 (work areas where picking work is performed) shown in the first to fifth embodiments is changed. Specifically, in the sixth embodiment, the number of work areas where picking operations are performed is three or less, or five or more. In this case, as in this embodiment, it is preferable to provide a deceleration member (deceleration members 40A to 40D) for each work area (work areas WA1 to WA4). Note that, as in this embodiment, it is preferable to install the deceleration member 40 downstream of the work area (work areas WA1 to WA4), but it is also possible to install it in another location, for example, at the center of the work area in the supply direction. In other words, the ranges upstream and downstream of the deceleration member 40 may be defined as the work area. Furthermore, the deceleration member may be installed offset upstream or downstream from the center of the work area in the supply direction. In addition, when the number of items being transported is small, all items can be picked up in the upstream working area, and the downstream working area can be left unused, and when the number of items being transported increases, the pick-up work can be distributed to the downstream working area.

[0092] [Seventh embodiment] In the seventh embodiment, the mode of attachment of the deceleration member 40 is different from that of the first to sixth embodiments described above. Specifically, in the first embodiment and the like, the deceleration member 40 is attached in a cantilevered manner to the partition wall 11, but in the seventh embodiment, it is hung from the ceiling or the like via a hanging member or the like. Note that, when a roller conveyor is used as the supply transport device 10, for example, the deceleration member 40 can also be attached so as to be supported from below the rollers as the transport surface S via a support member disposed between the rollers.

[0093] [Eighth embodiment] In the eighth embodiment, the work performed in the work areas WA1 to WA4 is different from the work performed in the first to seventh embodiments. In the first to seventh embodiments described above, the picking work of the item M was performed in the working areas WA1 to WA4, but in the eighth embodiment, the inspection work of good and defective products is performed in at least one of the working areas WA1 to WA4. In this case, inspection work may be performed in one of the work areas, for example. For example, it is possible to make the most upstream work area WA1 the full width of the conveying route R and employ an inspection device that determines whether the item M is good or defective. With this configuration, the picking work of the item M and the inspection work for determining whether it is good or defective can be performed in the same process, thereby improving work efficiency. Furthermore, if the inspection work is performed in the most upstream work area WA1, it is possible to prevent the removal of defective items during the picking work in the downstream work areas WA2 to WA4, thereby improving the quality of the item M. Furthermore, only inspection work may be performed as a predetermined task, or picking work and inspection work may be performed in the same work area. When picking work and inspection work are performed in the same work area, multiple item transport devices 1 would normally be required to perform these tasks, but in this case, only one item transport device 1 is required, thereby saving space. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 1. Item transport device 10. Supply conveying device 11 Bulkhead 11L Left side bulkhead 11R Right side bulkhead 12 Mounting part 13 Storage space 20 Pick and place device (work device) 21 Upstream pick and place device 21A, 21B Arm section 22 Downstream pick and place device 22A, 22B Arm section 23 Article holding device 30 Discharge conveying device 40, 40A, 40B, 40C, 40D Deceleration member 40Da Left side reduction member 40Db Right side reduction member 40a Bottom side 40b Top side M,M1~M3 Goods Mmin Minimum outer diameter Mc center of gravity position G Gap T plate thickness D distance VC vertical distance R Transport route RL Left Line RR right line S conveying surface CP1~CP3 transport section WA1~WA4 working areas NA1~NA4 Uninstalled area F1,F2 Friction force P Pressure force

Claims

1. An article transport device that transports an article along a transport path having a transport surface that contacts the article, a plate-shaped deceleration member that is installed on the conveying path and extends in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the article; the deceleration member has a lower surface disposed at a height position spaced apart from the conveying surface, and an upper surface serving as a friction resistance surface that allows articles to ride up on it and to move downstream in the conveying direction while in the riding state, The conveying machine further includes a work device that performs a predetermined work on the items conveyed along the conveying path, the deceleration member is provided downstream in the conveying direction of a work area where work is performed by the work device, the predetermined operation is a pick operation performed by a pick-and-place device, a plurality of deceleration members each having the working area on the upstream side in the conveying direction are provided at intervals along the conveying path, An article conveying device in which at least one of the deceleration members other than the deceleration member at the most downstream side in the conveying direction is configured so that some of the articles that have climbed onto the upper surface of the deceleration member can be pressed by other articles conveyed from the upstream side in the conveying direction and move to a working area downstream in the conveying direction.

2. An article conveying device as described in claim 1, wherein the conveying surface is a horizontal plane.

3. the transport path includes an un-installed area where the deceleration member is not installed on an extension line of the deceleration member in a plan view, 3. An article transport device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein at least one of the deceleration member located most downstream in the transport direction and the deceleration member located upstream of the most downstream deceleration member is installed across approximately the entire width of the transport path.

4. An item conveying device as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the distance between the upper surface of the deceleration member and the conveying surface is less than 1 / 5 of the vertical distance between the center of gravity of the item and the horizontal plane when the item is placed on the horizontal plane.

5. 1. An article transport method using an article transport device that transports an article along a transport path having a transport surface that contacts the article, The article transport device is a plate-shaped deceleration member that is installed on the conveying path and extends in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the article; the deceleration member has a lower surface disposed at a height position separated from the conveying surface, and an upper surface serving as a friction resistance surface that allows articles to ride up and move downstream in the conveying direction while in a riding-up state, The article conveying method includes: an article retention step of temporarily retaining the article being conveyed along the conveyance path on an upstream side of the deceleration member in the conveyance direction, the article transport device further includes a work device that performs a predetermined operation on the article transported along the transport path, the deceleration member is provided downstream in the conveying direction of a work area where work is performed by the work device, The item transport method further includes a work step of performing the predetermined work using the work device on the items in the work area that have been retained by performing the item retention step, the predetermined operation is a pick operation performed by a pick-and-place device, a plurality of deceleration members each having the working area on the upstream side in the conveying direction are provided at intervals along the conveying path, An article transport method in which at least one of the deceleration members other than the deceleration member at the most downstream side in the transport direction is configured so that some of the articles that have climbed onto the upper surface of the deceleration member can be pressed by other articles transported from the upstream side in the transport direction and move to a working area downstream in the transport direction.

6. An article transporting method as described in claim 5, wherein the distance between the upper surface of the deceleration member and the transport surface is 1 / 5 or less of the vertical distance between the center of gravity of the article and the horizontal plane when the article is placed on the horizontal plane.

Images