Plate stacking device

Abstract

To provide a dish stacking device capable of efficiently stacking dishes delivered continuously from an automatic machine.SOLUTION: A dish stacking device which stacks dishes for eating includes: a plurality of pushing-up devices provided at a plurality of places along a conveyance path on which dishes are conveyed piece by piece, and for pushing up the dish from the lower side of a first conveyance path; and a plurality of dish holding devices provided at places corresponding to each of the plurality of places, and for stacking the dishes on the conveyance path to a holding part arranged above the conveyance path sequentially from below. When a predetermined number of dishes are stacked in the holding part, the dish holding device transfers the dishes in a stacked state to a predetermined transfer destination from the holding part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a dish stacking device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, it has become socially difficult to secure workers, and automated machines such as conveying equipment that transports used tableware from customer seats to the kitchen have become widespread in restaurants (see, for example, Patent Documents 1-3). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-290623 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-287651 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-33446 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When plates are continuously dispensed from various automatic machines, such as dishwashers that wash dishes or dish manufacturing machines that shape dishes, it is conceivable to organize the plates by stacking them in a predetermined number to make them easier to handle in the next process. However, when the plates continuously dispensed from the automatic machine are automatically stacked by a machine, there is a limit to the height to which the plates can be stacked, so even if the automatic machine is capable of continuously dispensing plates, there may inevitably be cases where the automatic machine must be temporarily stopped to stack the plates.

[0005] Therefore, the present application discloses a plate stacking device that can efficiently stack plates continuously fed from an automatic machine. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, in the present invention, a plurality of plate holding devices that stack plates from the bottom up are provided along a conveying path along which plates are conveyed one by one in order.

[0007] In detail, the present invention is a plate stacking device for stacking plates for eating and drinking, and comprises a plurality of push-up devices provided at multiple locations along a conveying path along which plates are conveyed one by one in sequence, and which push up plates from the underside of a first conveying path, and a plurality of plate holding devices provided at locations corresponding to each of the multiple locations, and which stack plates on the conveying path in sequence from the bottom up onto a holding section positioned above the conveying path, and when a predetermined number of plates have been stacked on the holding section, the plate holding device transfers the stacked plates from the holding section to a predetermined destination.

[0008] In the above-described plate stacking device, multiple plate holding devices are installed along the conveying path along which the plates are conveyed in order, stacking the plates from the bottom up in a holding section located above the conveying path. Therefore, when a predetermined number of plates have been stacked in one of the plate holding devices, the other plate holding devices can continue to stack the plates being conveyed one after another in order from the bottom up in the holding sections. The stacked plates are then transferred to a predetermined destination by the plate holding device. Therefore, with the above-described plate stacking device, plates fed from the automatic machine can be stacked in the holding sections while the automatic machine is operating continuously without stopping.

[0009] The predetermined transfer destination may be a second transport path provided along the plurality of plate holding devices. In this way, the dishes do not accumulate at the predetermined transfer destination, and the dish holding devices can easily transfer the dishes. It can be quickly moved to the designated destination.

[0010] Furthermore, while one of the plurality of plate holding devices is transferring a predetermined number of plates stacked in the holding section to a predetermined destination, the push-up device corresponding to one of the plurality of plate holding devices may stop pushing up plates, and the push-up device corresponding to another of the plate holding devices may start pushing up plates. This allows plates delivered from the automatic machine to be stacked in the holding section while the automatic machine is operating continuously without stopping.

[0011] Furthermore, when a predetermined number of plates are stacked in the holding section, the plate holding device may lift the stacked plates with arms surrounding the stacked plates from both sides while supporting them from below with claws, and then transfer them from the holding section to a predetermined destination. This allows the stacked plates to be moved by the arms. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] The above-described plate stacking device can efficiently stack plates continuously fed from an automatic machine. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a plate supply system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of the dish washing device. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of the plate stacking device. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a push-up device provided in the plate holding device. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the push-up device. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of the lifting device, which is the main body of the dish holding device. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a first diagram showing the operation of the plate holding device. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a second view showing the operation of the dish holding device. [Figure 9]FIG. 9 is a first diagram illustrating the operation of the transfer device. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a second diagram showing the operation of the transfer device. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a first diagram showing the movement of plates in the plate supply system. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a second diagram showing the movement of plates in the plate supply system. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the transfer device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The following describes embodiments of the present invention. The embodiments described below are merely examples of the present invention and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention. The following embodiments and variations are suitable for restaurants that serve a variety of foods and drinks, such as sushi, beverages, rice bowls such as soba and udon, fried chicken, tempura, and grilled meat.

[0015] 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a plate supply system 1 according to an embodiment. The plate supply system 1 supplies washed tableware D to staff S in a kitchen area 2, and is mainly equipped with an ordered food and drink conveying device 4, a tableware recovery device 6, a pre-processing device 8, a dish washing device 9, a plate stacking device 10, and an empty plate conveying device 15.

[0016] The ordered food and drink conveying device 4 is a device that conveys tableware D of food and drink prepared by staff S in response to an order from a customer C from the kitchen area 2 to a dining table 5 in the seating area 3. As shown in FIG. 1, the ordered food and drink conveying device 4 is a belt conveyor that forms a conveying path that passes beside each dining table 5 where a customer C eats and drinks. The device for transporting D is not limited to a belt conveyor such as the ordered food and drink transport device 4. The device for transporting tableware D from the kitchen area 2 to the customer seating area 3 may be, for example, an ordered food and drink transport device that moves a cart capable of carrying tableware D back and forth between the kitchen area 2 and the dining tables 5 in the customer seating area 3, or it may be a food and drink transport device that forms an endless circular transport path. In addition, above or below the ordered food and drink transport device 4, a food and drink circulating transport device that circulates and transports food and drink, or other ordered food and drink transport device may be provided. In addition, above or below the ordered food and drink transport device 4, shelves, storage boxes, or storage spaces for placing teacups, condiments, menus, etc. may be provided.

[0017] The tableware recovery device 6 is a device that forms a conveying path at a lower position than the ordered food and drink conveying device 4 and the empty plate conveying device 15, and conveys bus boxes 7 containing used tableware D from inlets provided at multiple locations in the customer seating area 3 to the vicinity of the pre-processing device 8 in the kitchen area 2. The tableware recovery device 6 is basically a device that forms a conveying path that extends along the wall W that is the boundary between the kitchen area 2 and the customer seating area 3, but it may also form a conveying path along each food and drink table 5 similar to the one formed by the ordered food and drink conveying device 4 in the customer seating area 3, also below the ordered food and drink conveying device 4.

[0018] In this embodiment, a dish recovery device 6 is exemplified that transports bus boxes 7 into which used dishes are placed, but the device for recovering used dish plates D is not limited to a device that uses bus boxes 7. The device for recovering used dish plates D may also be a device that transports dish plates D using thin trays or various other means instead of bus boxes 7. Furthermore, the device for recovering used dish plates D may form a non-linear transport path with a curve.

[0019] In a store where a dish collection device 6 is installed, after a customer C finishes eating and places the used dishes D remaining on the dining table 5 into a bus box 7, the bus box 7 is placed into the dish collection device 6 through an opening in the wall W, and transported toward the pre-processing device 8. The dish collection device 6 is designed so that the transport surface of the dish collection device 6 is relatively close to the floor, making it easy to load the bus boxes 7. Therefore, in the customer seating area 3, the bus boxes 7 can be easily loaded onto the dish collection device 6. On the other hand, at the end of the dish collection device 6, it is necessary to lift the bus box 7 and place the dishes D into the pre-processing device 8. Therefore, a lifting device for raising and lowering the bus box 7 may be installed at the end of the dish collection device 6. If such a lifting device is installed at the end of the dish collection device 6, it is possible to further reduce the workload of staff S.

[0020] The pre-treatment device 8 automatically supplies the dishes D to the dishwashing device 9, which washes the dishes D. The pre-treatment device 8 has a water tank into which the dishes D are placed, a conveyor that lifts the dishes D one by one from the water tank, and an inversion mechanism that turns the dishes D upside down when they are lifted up from the water tank by the conveyor, and supplies the dishes D placed in the water tank one by one in the correct orientation to the dishwashing device 9. The pre-treatment device 8 then stacks the dishes D one by one at a dish intake port provided in the dishwashing device 9. The pre-treatment device 8 also automatically stops when a sensor detects that the dishes D have piled up to a predetermined height at the dish intake port of the dishwashing device 9.

[0021] The dishwashing device 9 washes and discharges the dishes D supplied from the pre-treatment device 8 one by one. The dishwashing device 9 has a dish inlet on the top surface of a roughly rectangular parallelepiped housing, and a dish outlet on the side of the housing for discharging the dishes D on the first conveying path 11 of the dish stacking device 10. Thus, unwashed dishes D used in eating and drinking are stacked at the dish inlet of the dishwashing device 9 by the pre-treatment device 8, while washed dishes D washed in the dishwashing device 9 are discharged from the dish outlet.

[0022] The plate stacking device 10 stacks the dishes D discharged one by one from the dish washing device 9 and places them on the empty plate transport device 15. The plate stacking device 10 includes a first transport path 11 that transports the washed dishes D delivered one by one from the dish discharge outlet of the dish washing device 9 in order, a plurality of dish holding devices 13A-C that are installed along the transport path of the first transport path 11 and take in the dishes D on the transport path of the first transport path 11 and hold them in a stacked state, a second transport path 12 that forms a transport path along the dish holding devices 13A-C and transfers the stacked dishes D transferred from the dish holding devices 13A-C, and a transfer device 14 that transfers the stacked dishes D on the transport path of the second transport path 12 to a circulation path formed in the kitchen area 2 by the empty plate transport device 15.

[0023] The empty plate conveying device 15 is a circulating conveying device that forms a circulation path using an endless crescent chain. The empty plate conveying device 15 circulates and conveys stacked dishes D at a position higher than the work table 16 where the staff member S is working, thereby supplying washed dishes D to the staff member S working at the work table 16. This allows the staff member S working at the work table 16 to prepare food and drink using the washed dishes D that are being circulated and conveyed by the empty plate conveying device 15, and then serve the food and drink to the table 5 where the customer C is sitting using the ordered food and drink conveying device 4.

[0024] Next, the dish washing device 9 will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the internal configuration of the dish washing device 9. FIG. 2 shows how dishes D are washed inside the dish washing device 9. Dishes D enter the housing through the dish inlet 91 and are slid laterally one by one by a pair of conveying screws 96, 96 arranged in parallel from the dish inlet 91 to the dish discharge outlet 92, and reach the dish discharge outlet 92. The pair of conveying screws 96, 96 have spiral grooves formed in different directions. Dishes D are dropped into the dish inlet 91 one by one by a drop device provided at the dish inlet 91 and fit into the grooves of each conveying screw 96, 96. Furthermore, the dishes D dropped into the dish inlet 91 are supported by rails (not shown) provided inside the pair of conveying screws 96, 96. Therefore, when the pair of conveying screws 96, 96 rotate in opposite directions while fitted in the groove of the conveying screw 96, the dish plates D slide sideways along the rails. In Figure 2, the dish inlet 91 is shown on the left side of the device and the dish outlet 92 is shown on the right side of the device, so the dish plates D move from left to right inside the dish washing device 9.

[0025] Within the dish washing device 9, a washing liquid nozzle 93, a washing brush 94, and a drying nozzle 95 are provided along the path along which the dish plates D slide. The washing liquid nozzle 93 sprays washing water onto the dish plates D. The washing brush 94 brushes the dish plates D to remove solid matter adhering to the dish plates D, and is rotated by the power of a motor (not shown). The washing brush 94 is a roughly cylindrical rotating brush with bristles that stand up from the outer surface of a rotating shaft whose central axis intersects laterally with the sliding direction of the dish plates D. The drying nozzle 95 blows air onto the dish plates D to blow away moisture adhering to the dish plates D.

[0026] Therefore, as the pair of conveying screws 96, 96 rotate and slide the dish D placed in the dish inlet 91 to the dish outlet 92, the dish D is washed by the washing liquid nozzle 93 and the washing brush 94, and dried by the air blown out of the drying nozzle 95, becoming clean. The cleaned dish D is transferred to the conveyor 11A at the dish outlet 92.

[0027] Next, the plate stacking device 10 will be described in detail. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the overall configuration of the plate stacking device 10. As shown in Figure 3, the plate stacking device 10 is equipped with a first transport path 11 that transports the dishes D that enter through the dish inlet 91, are washed one by one, and are then discharged from the dish discharge outlet 92. As shown in Figure 3, the first transport path 11 is made up of conveyors 11A, 11B, and 11C. A portion of the conveyor 11A is connected to the dish discharge outlet 92. Conveyor 11A is a chain-type belt conveyor that is installed in a manner that allows it to enter the housing of dish washing device 9 from the front. Conveyor 11C is a chain-type belt conveyor that extends in the left-right direction of dish washing device 9 on the rear side of dish washing device 9. Conveyor 11B is a chain-type belt conveyor that connects the end of conveyor 11A to the start of conveyor 11C. Movable transfer devices that push dishes D onto the adjacent belt conveyor are appropriately provided at each end of conveyor 11A and conveyor 11B to allow dishes D to transfer smoothly to the adjacent belt conveyor. The transfer devices will be described later.

[0028] The second transport path 12 is a chain-type belt conveyor that extends parallel to the conveyor 11C, but is located at a lower position than the transport path formed by the conveyor 11C. This is to ensure that the second transport path 12 has a height difference that allows it to transport the dishes D stacked inside the plate holding devices 13A-C while keeping them stacked. However, depending on the design of the kitchen area 2, the second transport path 12 may be located at the same height as the conveyor 11C, or may be located at a higher position than the conveyor 11C.

[0029] Plate holding device 13A pushes up and lifts plates D conveyed one by one by conveyor 11C from below, and stacks them from the bottom up on a holder located above conveyor 11C. When a predetermined number of plates D held in the holder have been stacked, plate holding device 13A moves the plates D in their stacked state to second conveying path 12. Plate holding devices 13B and 13C are similar to plate holding device 13A.

[0030] The transfer device 14 lifts the stacked dish plates D transported by the second transport path 12 from the second transport path 12 at the end of the second transport path 12 while still in the stacked state, and places them on the empty plate transport device 15.

[0031] The plate holding devices 13A-C will be described in detail. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing push-up devices 131A-C provided in the plate holding devices 13A-C. As shown in FIG. 4, the push-up devices 131A-C are equipped with push-up members 133 that push up from below the dish plates D transported by the conveyor 11C. The push-up members 133 are raised and lowered by a drive unit 134. The push-up members 133 are members that contact the thread-cut portions of the dish plates D to push up the dish plates D, and are provided on both the left and right sides of the conveyor 11C. The push-up members 133 are raised and lowered in response to instructions from a control device that controls the plate supply system 1. The control device determines which of the push-up devices 131A-C to raise and lower based on the number of dish plates D held by each push-up device 131A-C.

[0032] Additionally, push-up devices 131A-C are provided with movable support claws 132 that protrude above conveyor 11C into a space for holding plates D. Support claws 132 retract when they come into contact with a plate D being pushed up from below by push-up member 133, but do not retract when they come into contact with a plate D moving downward. Therefore, even when drive unit 134 lowers push-up member 133 to its original position, plates D pushed up by push-up member 133 will not come down and be placed back on conveyor 11C.

[0033] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of push-up devices 131A-C. When a dish plate D carried by conveyor 11C reaches an appropriate position at any one of push-up devices 131A-C, push-up member 133 is pushed up by drive unit 134 (from (A) to (B) in FIG. 5). During this time, conveyor 11C continues to operate, but dish plate D is stopped by contact with a protruding stopper provided on push-up member 133, so it continues to slide on the conveying surface of conveyor 11C. Then, when dish plate D is pushed up by push-up member 133, dish plate D is placed on support claw 132 (from (B) to (C1) in FIG. 5). Thereafter, drive unit 134 lowers push-up member 133, but dish plate D remains on support claw 132. (From (C1) to (D1) in FIG. 5). Also, for example, when passing a dish plate D through the push-up devices 131A and B, the drive unit 134 lowers the push-up member 133 so that the protruding stopper provided on the push-up member 133 does not come into contact with the dish plate D, allowing the dish plate D to pass, and then raises the push-up member 133 after the dish plate D has passed (From (C2) to (D2) in FIG. 5). Note that when passing a dish plate D, the push-up devices 131A-C may leave the push-up member 133 lowered in advance, rather than raising and lowering the push-up member 133 each time a dish plate D passes. Also, since the conveyor 11C basically continues to operate, it is preferable that the conveying surface of the conveyor 11C be a smooth conveying surface on which the dish plate D can easily slide.

[0034] Next, we will explain the main body parts of dish holding devices 13A to C. Figure 6 is a configuration diagram of lifting device 135, which is the main body part of dish holding devices 13A to C. Figure 6(A) shows a front view of lifting device 135, and Figure 6(B) shows a side view of lifting device 135.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 6, the lifting device 135 has a holding arm 136 configured to surround the stacked dishes D from both sides. The lower end of the holding arm 136 is provided with a holding claw 137 that supports the stacked dishes D from below. The holding arm 136 is suspended from a horizontal rail 138, which allows the holding arm 136 to slide horizontally. The holding arm 136 is connected to a slide belt 140 via a fastener 139. The slide belt 140 is driven by power transmitted from a motor 149 via a drive belt 142 and a drive shaft 141. Therefore, when the motor 149 is activated, the holding arm 136 slides horizontally along the horizontal rail 138.

[0036] Furthermore, the horizontal rail 138 is fixed to a frame 150. The frame 150 is a member that is raised and lowered along a frame 143 that extends in the vertical direction. The frame 150 is connected to a lifting belt 145 via a fastener 144. The lifting belt 145 is a belt that is hung in the vertical direction along the longitudinal direction of the frame 143, and is driven by power transmitted from a motor 147 via a drive belt 148 and a drive shaft 146. Therefore, when the motor 147 operates, the holding arm 136, which is suspended from the horizontal rail 138 fixed to the frame 150, moves up and down together with the frame 150.

[0037] Fig. 7 is a first diagram showing the operation of dish holding devices 13A to C. Fig. 8 is a second diagram showing the operation of dish holding devices 13A to C. Each of dish holding devices 13A to C is provided with a lifting device 135, but for ease of understanding, Figs. 7 and 8 illustrate the operation of lifting device 135 of dish holding device 13C.

[0038] When the push-up operation is repeated in the push-up device 131C and a predetermined number of plates D are piled up on the support claws 132 of the push-up device 131C, the control device of the plate supply system 1 operates the lifting device 135 of the push-up device 131C as follows: That is, the control device of the plate supply system 1 activates the motor 149 of the lifting device 135, which has been in standby mode, to move the holding arm 136 horizontally toward the push-up device 131C (from (A) to (B) in Figure 7). As a result, the pair of holding arms 136 clamp the plate D, and the holding claws 137 at the lower end of each holding arm 136 enter a state below the plate D stacked on the push-up device 131C.

[0039] Next, the control device of the plate supply system 1 slightly operates the motor 147 to raise the holding arm 136 (from (B) to (C) in FIG. 7). As a result, the dishes D that had been stacked on the push-up device 131C are lifted up from the support of the push-up device 131C while remaining stacked. It is lifted from the holding claw 132.

[0040] Next, the control device of the plate supply system 1 activates the motor 149 to move the holding arm 136 horizontally to directly above the second conveying path 12 (from FIG. 7(C) to FIG. 8(A)). Next, the control device of the plate supply system 1 activates the motor 147 to lower the holding arm 136, and place the stack of plates D held by the holding arm 136 onto the second conveying path 12 (from FIG. 8(A) to (B)). Next, the control device of the plate supply system 1 activates the motor 149 to move the holding arm 136 slightly toward the push-up device 131C, and retract the holding claws 137 from directly below the plates D (from FIG. 8(B) to (C)). Then, the control device of the plate supply system 1 activates the motor 147 slightly to raise the holding arm 136, and place the lifting device 135 back into standby mode (from FIG. 8(C) to FIG. 7(A)).

[0041] The above is the operation of lifting / lowering device 135. Although the above describes the operation of lifting / lowering device 135 of dish holding device 13C, the same applies to lifting / lowering device 135 of dish holding device 13A and lifting / lowering device 135 of dish holding device 13B.

[0042] Next, the operation of the transfer device 14 will be described. FIG. 9 is a first diagram showing the operation of the transfer device 14. FIG. 10 is a second diagram showing the operation of the transfer device 14. The configuration and operation of the transfer device 14 are similar to those of the plate holding devices 13A-C. That is, the transfer device 14 waits at the end of the second conveying path 12 (FIG. 9(A)). Then, when the stacked dish plates D arrive at the end of the second conveying path 12 and the second conveying path 12 stops (FIG. 9(B)), the transfer device 14 lifts the stacked dish plates D to a position higher than the conveying surface of the empty plate conveying device 15 (FIG. 9(C)). Then, the transfer device 14 moves the dish plates D laterally to directly above the empty plate conveying device 15 (FIG. 10(A)). The transfer device 14 then lowers the dish plate D and places it on the conveying surface of the empty plate conveying device 15 (Figure 10(B)), and then retreats from above the empty plate conveying device 15 (Figure 10(C)). The transfer device 14 then waits again at the end of the second conveying path 12 (Figure 9(A)). The transfer device 14 checks for available space on the empty plate conveying device 15 using an optical sensor or the like to avoid contact with the dish plate D placed on the empty plate conveying device 15, and then begins the series of operations to place the dish plate D on the empty plate conveying device 15.

[0043] The plate supply system 1 of this embodiment has the above-described device configuration, and therefore can perform the following operations, for example. Fig. 11 is a first diagram showing the movement of dish plates D in the plate supply system 1. Fig. 12 is a second diagram showing the movement of dish plates D in the plate supply system 1.

[0044] As shown in Figure 11(A), when dishes D are inserted into dish inlet 91 of dish washing device 9, dish washing device 9 washes the dishes D piled up at dish inlet 91 one by one. Then, dishes D washed by dish washing device 9 are fed out one by one from dish outlet 92 on conveyor 11A and transported to dish holding devices 13A-C via first transport path 11. Then, the dishes D are pushed up and held at one of dish holding devices 13A-C. Figure 11(A) shows how dishes D are pushed up at the position of dish holding device 13A and held by dish holding device 13A.

[0045] As shown in Figure 11(B), as the dishes D are washed sequentially in the dish washing device 9 and the dishes D are repeatedly pushed up at the position of the dish holding device 13A, the number of dishes D held in the dish holding device 13A eventually reaches a predetermined number. Then, as shown in Figure 11(C), the control device of the dish supply system 1 stops the pushing up of the dishes D in the dish holding device 13A and moves the stacked dishes D held in the dish holding device 13A to the second conveying path 12. Because the pushing up of the dishes D in the dish holding device 13A has stopped, the dishes D are not transported to the first conveying path 11. The following dish D is pushed up at the position of dish holding device 13B or dish holding device 13C. Figure 11(C) shows how the following dish D being carried to the first conveying path 11 is pushed up at the position of dish holding device 13B and is held by dish holding device 13B.

[0046] After the plate holding device 13A moves the dish plates D to the second conveying path 12, the control device of the plate supply system 1 operates the conveyor of the second conveying path 12 to move the dish plates D to the terminal portion of the second conveying path 12, as shown in Figure 11(D). Then, the control device of the plate supply system 1 causes the transfer device 14 to place the stacked dish plates D that have moved to the terminal portion of the second conveying path 12 onto the empty plate conveying device 15 (Figure 12(A)). While the dish plates D held by the plate holding device 13A are being transferred to the empty plate conveying device 15 via the second conveying path 12, the dish washing device 9 continues to wash the dish plates D, so the washed dish plates D are piled up on the plate holding device 13B.

[0047] As shown in FIG. 12(A), as dishes D are washed sequentially in the dish washing device 9 and the dishes D are repeatedly pushed up at the position of the dish holding device 13B, the number of dishes D held in the dish holding device 13B eventually reaches a predetermined number. Then, as shown in FIG. 12(B), the control device of the dish supply system 1 stops the pushing up of the dishes D in the dish holding device 13B and moves the stack of dishes D held in the dish holding device 13B to the second conveying path 12. Because the pushing up of the dishes D in the dish holding device 13B has ended, subsequent dishes D carried to the first conveying path 11 are pushed up at the position of the dish holding device 13A or the dish holding device 13C. FIG. 12(B) shows the subsequent dishes D carried on the first conveying path 11 being pushed up at the position of the dish holding device 13C and being held by the dish holding device 13C.

[0048] After the plate holding device 13B moves the dish plates D to the second conveying path 12, the control device of the plate supply system 1 operates the conveyor of the second conveying path 12 to move the dish plates D to the terminal portion of the second conveying path 12, as shown in FIG. 12(C). Then, the control device of the plate supply system 1 causes the transfer device 14 to place the stacked dish plates D that have moved to the terminal portion of the second conveying path 12 onto the empty plate conveying device 15 (FIG. 12(D)). While the dish plates D held by the plate holding device 13B are being transferred to the empty plate conveying device 15 via the second conveying path 12, the dish washing device 9 continues to wash the dish plates D, so that the washed dish plates D are piled up in the plate holding device 13C. Then, the same operations as those of the plate holding devices 13A and 13B are performed in the plate holding device 13C, and the stacked dish plates D held by the plate holding device 13C are moved to the empty plate conveying device 15.

[0049] The transfer device of the first conveying path 11 will now be described in detail. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the transfer device. The transfer device 11N is appropriately installed at the connection (corner) between the conveyors 11A and 11B of the first conveying path 11 and at the connection (corner) between the conveyors 11B and 11C of the first conveying path 11. The transfer device 11N is equipped with a sensor 11S that detects the approach of a dish D, a guide 11G that stops the dish D from moving straight, a lever 11L for pushing the dish D, and a motor 11M for moving the lever 11L. As shown in FIG. 13(A), when the sensor 11S detects that the dish D has approached the corner, the motor 11M is activated, and the dish D, which has come into contact with the guide 11G and stopped moving straight, is pushed by the lever 11L to the next conveyor (FIG. 13(B)). When the plate D is pushed by the lever 11L, it transfers to the next conveyor (Fig. 13(C)). Because such transfer devices 11N are appropriately provided on the first conveying path 11, the plate D can be transferred smoothly between conveyors even if there are right-angle corners or the like.

[0050] In the plate supply system 1, by repeating the above series of operations, used dishes D used by a customer C at a dining table 5 are transported to a pre-processing device 8 via a dish recovery device 6, washed by a dish washing device 9, and then, once washed, are transported to an empty plate transporting device 10 via a dish stacking device 10. Therefore, staff S can pick up washed dishes D supplied by the dish supply system 1 from the empty dish conveying device 15 and supply dishes D with food and drink to customers C one after another using the ordered food and drink conveying device 4, without having to perform various actions such as washing and transporting the dishes and drink D.

[0051] The plate supply system 1 of the above embodiment washes used dishes D used by customers C at dining tables 5 one after another and stacks them on the empty plate conveying device 15, thereby reducing the number of dishes D that need to be kept in the entire store compared to when dishes D are transported and washed manually. Also, since dishes D washed by the dish washing device 9 are stacked on the empty plate conveying device 15 without manual intervention, it is extremely hygienic compared to stacking dishes D manually.

[0052] It should be noted that the plate supply system 1 is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the plate supply system 1 is not limited to one equipped with a plate stacking device 10 having three plate holding devices 13A-C, but may be one equipped with a plate stacking device 10 having two plate holding devices, or one equipped with a plate stacking device 10 having four or more plate holding devices.

[0053] Furthermore, the plate supply system 1 is not limited to a configuration in which washed dish plates D are supplied to staff S by an empty plate conveying device 15 that forms a circulating conveying path. The plate supply system 1 may, for example, supply washed dish plates D to staff S by a belt conveyor. Furthermore, the empty plate conveying device 15 may be positioned lower than the work table 16, and the transfer device 14 may place dish plates D on the conveying path of the empty plate conveying device 15, which is positioned lower than the second conveying path 12.

[0054] Furthermore, the plate stacking device 10 can be applied to applications other than the plate supply system 1. The plate stacking device 10 can be applied to locations where plate holding devices 13A-C take in and stack plate D flowing one by one on a conveyor, and send the plate D in a stacked state to the next process. If only one of the plate holding devices 13A-C is provided, it is difficult to continuously take in and stack plate D flowing one after another on the conveyor. However, if there are multiple devices that take in and stack plate D, such as the plate holding devices 13A-C, it is possible to continuously take in and stack plate D flowing one after another on the conveyor. In addition to the above embodiment, application forms of such a plate stacking device 10 include, for example, taking in and stacking plate D fed one after another from a plate manufacturing machine and transported by a conveyor in a plate manufacturing factory.

[0055] Furthermore, the plate supply system 1 employs a configuration in which the dish plates D are placed in the empty spaces of the empty plate conveying device 15 by the transfer device 14, but it is also possible to adjust the spacing between the dish plates D placed on the empty plate conveying device 15. For example, the plate supply system 1 may adjust the timing of operating the transfer device 14 so that the dish plates D placed on the empty plate conveying device 15 are spaced at roughly equal intervals.

[0056] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the explanation was given under the assumption that the types of dishes D were uniform, but the dish supply system 1 may also be configured so that various types of dishes D are sorted by type and held by the dish holding devices 13A-C. In this case, for example, the dish stacking device 10 may be provided with a sensor that identifies the type of dish D by an electronic tag or the color of the dish, and the dish holding devices 13A-C may be configured to sort the dishes by setting which of the dish holding devices 13A-C to take in for each type of dish D.

[0057] In addition, the above-described embodiment can be modified as appropriate within the scope that does not change the gist of the invention disclosed in this application. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] D··Dishes S. Staff C··Customers W··Wall 1. Plate supply system 2. Kitchen area 3. Seating area 4. Ordered food and drink conveying device 5. Dining table 6. Tableware collection device 7. Bus box 8. Pretreatment equipment 9. Dishwashing equipment 10. Plate stacking device 11. First transport route 11A, 11B, 11C Conveyor 11N Transfer device 11S··Sensor 11G Guide 11L··Lever 11M··motor 12. Second transport route 14. Transfer device 15. Empty tray transport device 16. Work table 91...Dish inlet 92...Plate outlet 93 Cleaning fluid nozzle 94 Cleaning brush 95 Drying nozzle 96··Conveyor screw 13A,13B,13C...Dish holding device 131A, 131B, 131C··Thrust-up device 132...Support claw 133 Push-up member 134 Drive unit 135··Lifting device 136··Holding arm 137...Holding claw 138··Horizontal rail 139,144··Fastener 140··Slide belt 141,146··Drive shaft 142,148··Drive belt 143,150··frames 145··Lifting belt 147,149··Motor

Claims

1. A plate stacking device for stacking plates for eating and drinking, a plurality of push-up devices provided at a plurality of locations along a first conveying path along which the dishes are conveyed one by one in order, and which push up the dishes from below the first conveying path; a plurality of plate holding devices provided at locations corresponding to the plurality of locations, and stacking plates on the first conveying path from the bottom up onto a holding section disposed above the first conveying path; When a predetermined number of plates are stacked in the holding section, the plate holding device transfers the stacked plates from the holding section to a predetermined destination. Plate stacking device.

2. The predetermined transfer destination is a second transport path provided along the plurality of plate holding devices.

2. The dish stacking device of claim 1.

3. While any one of the plurality of plate holding devices transfers a predetermined number of plates stacked in the holding section to the predetermined transfer destination, the plurality of push-up devices stop pushing up the plates by the push-up device corresponding to the any one of the plurality of plate holding devices, and the push-up device corresponding to any other one of the plate holding devices pushes up the plates.

3. A dish stacking device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. When a predetermined number of plates are stacked on the holding section, the plate holding device lifts the stacked plates with arms surrounding the stacked plates from both sides while supporting the stacked plates with claws from below, and transfers them from the holding section to the predetermined destination. A dish stacking device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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