Goods stacking device, boxing device, and container boxing device

Abstract

To provide an article accumulation device capable of easily carrying out attitude control of articles to be laminated and capable of flexibly coping with articles with different weights and shapes.SOLUTION: An article accumulation device 100 comprises a conveyance part 110 and an attitude change part 120. The conveyance part 110 conveys an article A loaded on a conveyance surface 110f. The attitude change part 120 applies a force from a lower side to the downstream side in a conveyance direction Dc of the article A conveyed by the conveyance part 110 to separate it from the conveyance surface 110f. The article accumulation device 100 superimposes an end part Ae on the downstream side in the conveyance direction Dc of a second article A conveyed subsequently to a first article A on the first article A conveyed by the conveyance part 110.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] It relates to an article stacking device.

Background Art

[0002] There is known an article stacking device that stacks a plurality of conveyed articles side by side in a partially overlapping state. Patent Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2011-225243) discloses an article stacking device (product stacking device) including a supply conveyor that supplies articles (products) and an assembly table provided partially overlapping the supply conveyor below the supply conveyor. In the product stacking device of Patent Document 1, the supply conveyor sequentially drops articles and supplies them to the assembly table. The assembly table intermittently changes the position for receiving articles dropped from the supply conveyor.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] In the technology of Patent Document 1, it may be difficult to control the posture of articles dropped from the supply conveyor to the assembly table depending on the weight and shape. Further, in order to control the posture of articles when dropping onto the assembly table, it is necessary to change the vertical distance between the supply conveyor and the assembly table and the position where the assembly table receives products according to the weight and shape of the articles, and there may be cases where flexible response to changes in the weight and shape of the articles cannot be achieved.

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide an article stacking device in which it is easy to control the posture of stacked articles and flexible response is possible even for articles having different weights and shapes.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] An article stacking device according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a conveying unit and a posture changing unit. The conveying unit conveys articles placed on a conveying surface. The posture changing unit applies a force from below to the downstream side in the conveying direction of the article being conveyed by the conveying unit, thereby separating it from the conveying surface. The article stacking device places the downstream end in the conveying direction of a second article, which is conveyed following the first article, on top of the first article conveyed by the conveying unit.

[0006] An article stacking device according to a second aspect of the present invention is an article stacking device according to a first aspect, wherein the attitude changing unit has an air nozzle that blows an air jet toward the articles.

[0007] An article stacking device according to a third aspect of the present invention is an article stacking device according to a second aspect, wherein the air jet is blown out toward the upstream side in the conveying direction in a plan view. Furthermore, the air jet is blown out upward such that, when viewed from the horizontal direction, it forms an angle of 20° or more and less than 90° with a plane perpendicular to the conveying direction.

[0008] An article stacking device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention is an article stacking device according to the first, third, or fourth aspect, wherein the conveying section includes a first belt conveyor and a second belt conveyor positioned downstream of the first belt conveyor in the conveying direction. The upper surface of the first belt conveyor and the upper surface of the second belt conveyor form a conveying surface along the same plane. The attitude changing section is positioned between the first belt conveyor and the second belt conveyor, below the conveying surface.

[0009] The article stacking device according to the fifth aspect of the present invention is the article stacking device according to the fourth aspect, wherein the coefficient of friction of the belt of the first belt conveyor is greater than the coefficient of friction of the belt of the second belt conveyor.

[0010] An article stacking device according to the sixth aspect of the present invention is any article stacking device according to the first aspect or the fifth aspect, further comprising a first regulating member disposed above the conveying section and the attitude changing section, which regulates the distance at which the downstream end of an article separates from the conveying surface.

[0011] The article stacking device according to the seventh aspect of the present invention is any of the article stacking devices according to the first aspect or the sixth aspect, wherein the magnitude of the force applied to the article by the posture changing unit is variable.

[0012] The article stacking device according to the eighth aspect of the present invention is any of the article stacking devices according to the first aspect to the seventh aspect, wherein the attitude changing unit does not apply force to the article that is first transported by the transport unit among a group of articles consisting of a predetermined number of articles that are continuously transported by the transport unit.

[0013] A boxing apparatus according to the ninth aspect of the present invention comprises either an article stacking device according to the first or eighth aspect, and a boxing section for boxing a plurality of articles stacked by the article stacking device.

[0014] A container packing device according to the tenth aspect of the present invention comprises any of the article stacking devices according to the first aspect to the eighth aspect, and a container transfer unit for moving a plurality of articles stacked by the article stacking device into a container. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of the boxing device 1. [Figure 2] This is a side view of the item stacking device 100. [Figure 3] This is a plan view of the item stacking device 100. [Figure 4] This is a block diagram of the control unit 400. [Figure 5A] This is a side view of the item stacking device 100 for illustrating stacking operation. [Figure 5B] This is a side view of the item stacking device 100 for illustrating stacking operation. [Figure 5C] This is a side view of the item stacking device 100 for illustrating stacking operation. [Figure 5D] This is a side view of the article stacking device 100 to illustrate the movement of the second restricting member 150 in the third phase of the stacking operation. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0016] Regarding the article stacking device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the boxing device 1 including the article stacking device 100 will be described by way of example. The embodiments described below are one of the specific examples of the present invention and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0017] (1) Overall configuration The boxing device 1 is a device for boxing a plurality of stacked articles A into a cardboard box B. The article A is not limited, but for example, is a bag containing a relatively lightweight product such as confectionery. The boxing device 1 mainly includes an article stacking device 100, a boxing unit 200, an operation unit 300, and a control unit 400.

[0018] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the overall configuration of the boxing device 1. FIG. 2 is a side view of the article stacking device 100. FIG. 3 is a plan view of the article stacking device 100. FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the control unit 400. In the following description, the six directions consisting of "front", "rear", "top", "bottom", "left", and "right" are defined as shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3. FIG. 2 is a side view of the article stacking device 100 seen from the left side. In each figure, the direction in which the article A moves is indicated by an arrow with hatching.

[0019] (2) Detailed configuration (2-1) Article stacking device The article stacking device 100 is a device that stacks a predetermined number (in this embodiment, five) of articles A and moves them to the boxing unit 200. Here, stacking means a state in which the downstream end (hereinafter simply referred to as the downstream side) in the conveyance direction Dc (in this embodiment, the front-rear direction) of another article A conveyed following the article A is overlapped on the article A. Hereinafter, for convenience, the predetermined number of articles A stacked by the article stacking device 100 may be collectively referred to as an article group Ag. Note that the number of articles A stacked by the article stacking device 100 is not limited to five, and may be either two or three, or six or more.

[0020] The article stacking device 100 mainly includes a conveying unit 110, a posture changing unit 120, a detection unit 130, a first regulating member 140, two second regulating members 150, and a first driving mechanism 160.

[0021] (2-1-1) Conveying unit The conveying unit 110 has a conveying surface 110f and conveys the article A supplied from an article supply unit (not shown) and placed on the conveying surface 110f. In the present embodiment, the conveying surface 110f is formed parallel to the horizontal plane. The conveying direction Dc of the article A is formed along the front-rear direction from the front to the rear. In other words, in the present embodiment, the upstream of the conveying direction Dc is the front, and the downstream of the conveying direction Dc is the rear.

[0022] The conveying unit 110 has a first belt conveyor 111 and a second belt conveyor 112. The first belt conveyor 111 is arranged upstream of the second belt conveyor 112 in the conveying direction Dc. The upper surface 111u of the first belt conveyor 111 and the upper surface 112u of the second belt conveyor 112 constitute the conveying surface 110f along the same plane. A gap Gc in which the posture changing unit 120 of the posture changing unit 120 is arranged is formed between the first belt conveyor 111 and the second belt conveyor 112. The distance of the gap Gc in the conveying direction Dc is preferably formed narrower than the length La1 of the article A placed on the conveying surface 110f in the conveying direction Dc. The article supply unit (not shown) supplies the articles A to the first belt conveyor 111 one by one. The first belt conveyor 111 and the second belt conveyor 112 are each controlled by the control unit 400.

[0023] The friction coefficient of the belt of the first belt conveyor 111 is larger than the friction coefficient of the belt of the second belt conveyor 112.

[0024] (2-1-2) Posture changing unit The posture changing unit 120 temporarily changes the posture of the item A being transported by the transport unit 110. More specifically, upon receiving instructions from the control unit 400, the posture changing unit 120 applies a downward force to the downstream side of the item A being transported by the transport unit 110, causing it to move away from the transport surface 110f.

[0025] The attitude changing unit 120 mainly comprises an air nozzle 121 and an air supply unit 122.

[0026] The air nozzle 121 blows an air jet J toward the downstream side of article A. The air jet J blown by the air nozzle 121 applies a downward force toward the downstream side of article A. The air nozzle 121 is positioned in the gap Gc between the first belt conveyor 111 and the second belt conveyor 112, below the conveying surface 110f. In a plan view, the air jet J is blown toward the upstream side of the conveying direction Dc. Furthermore, it is preferable that the air jet J is blown upward such that, when viewed from the horizontal direction, it forms an angle θ of 20° or more and less than 90° with the plane Sc perpendicular to the conveying direction Dc (see Figure 2).

[0027] The air supply unit 122 supplies compressed air to the air nozzle 121. The air supply unit 122 is connected to the air nozzle 121 via a tube 123. The air supply unit 122 is controlled by the control unit 400. The air supply unit 122 is, but is not limited to, an air solenoid valve.

[0028] The distance at which the downstream side of item A separates from the conveying surface 110f is controlled by changing the magnitude of the force applied to item A by the attitude changing unit 120. For this reason, it is preferable that the magnitude of the force applied to item A by the attitude changing unit 120 is variable. In this embodiment, the magnitude of the force applied to item A by the attitude changing unit 120 is changed by the control unit 400 changing the amount of compressed air supplied by the air supply unit 122 based on the set value of the airflow rate of the air jet J received by the operation unit 300.

[0029] (2-1-3) Detection Unit The detection unit 130 detects that item A is in a predetermined detection position. The detection unit 130 has a first detection unit 130a and a second detection unit 130b.

[0030] The first detection unit 130a detects that item A is in a predetermined first detection position P1. The first detection position P1 is the position where the control unit 400 causes the attitude change unit 120 to begin applying force to the downstream side of item A (see Figure 2). When the detection unit 130 detects that item A is in the first detection position P1, it notifies the control unit 400 that it has detected item A. The detection unit 130 is located above the first belt conveyor 111, at a predetermined distance upstream from the downstream end of the first belt conveyor 111. The detection unit 130 is, but is not limited to, a photoelectric sensor, for example.

[0031] The second detection unit 130b detects that item A is at a predetermined second detection position P2. The second detection position P2 is the upstream end of the second belt conveyor 112 (see Figure 2). When the second detection unit 130b detects that item A is at the second detection position P2, it notifies the control unit 400 that item A has been detected. The second detection unit 130b is positioned above the upstream end of the second belt conveyor 112. The second detection unit 130b is, but is not limited to, a photoelectric sensor.

[0032] (2-1-4) First regulating member The first regulating member 140 regulates the orientation of article A when the orientation changing unit 120 applies force. More specifically, the first regulating member 140 regulates the distance at which the downstream side of article A separates from the transport surface 110f, thereby preventing article A from inverting during transport (so that its bottom surface faces upward) due to the applied force.

[0033] The first regulating member 140 is a strip-shaped member. The first regulating member 140 is positioned above the conveying section 110 and the attitude changing section 120. More specifically, the first regulating member 140 is positioned so that its longitudinal direction is along the conveying direction Dc and its main surface 140s is perpendicular to the vertical direction. The vertical distance Dv (see Figure 2) between the conveying surface 110f and the main surface 140s is set to a distance that allows the downstream side of article A to be separated from the conveying surface 110f to a degree that it can be stacked on a preceding article A, while preventing article A from being reversed due to being separated too far from the conveying surface 110f. Specifically, the distance Dv is formed to be wider than the vertical thickness Ta of article A and narrower than the length La1 in the conveying direction Dc.

[0034] (2-1-5) Second regulating member The second restricting member 150 restricts the position of article A on the conveying surface 110f after the attitude changing unit 120 has applied force. More specifically, the second restricting member 150 restricts the position of article A on the second belt conveyor 112 to which force has been applied, arranging multiple articles A along the conveying direction Dc on the second belt conveyor 112. For convenience, below, the second restricting member 150 located on the left of the two second restricting members 150 will be called the second restricting member 150a, and the second restricting member 150 located on the right of the two second restricting members 150 will be called the second restricting member 150b. When referring to both the second restricting member 150a and the second restricting member 150b collectively, they will be called the second restricting member 150.

[0035] The second restricting member 150 is a strip-shaped member. The second restricting member 150 is positioned above the second belt conveyor 112, with its longitudinal direction aligned with the conveying direction Dc and its main surface 150s perpendicular to the left-right direction. The second restricting member 150a is positioned near the left edge of the second belt conveyor 112. The second restricting member 150b is positioned near the right edge of the second belt conveyor 112. A gap narrower than the vertical thickness of article A is formed between the upper surface 112u of the second belt conveyor 112 and the lower edge of the second restricting member 150. The left-right distance Gr between the second restricting member 150a and the second restricting member 150b is set to be slightly wider than the left-right length La2 of article A placed on the conveying surface 110f (see Figure 3).

[0036] As will be described in more detail later, in this embodiment, the second regulating member 150 also has the function of moving the group of articles Ag on the second belt conveyor 112 to the boxing section 200.

[0037] (2-1-6) First drive mechanism The first drive mechanism 160 drives the second restricting member 150. More specifically, the first drive mechanism 160 moves the second restricting member 150a from above the left edge of the second belt conveyor 112 to above the left edge of the mounting platform 210 (described later) of the boxing section 200, thereby moving the group of items Ag on the second belt conveyor 112 to the boxing section 200. A detailed explanation is omitted, but the first drive mechanism 160 is composed of a combination of well-known mechanisms such as a servo motor and an air cylinder. The first drive mechanism 160 is controlled by the control unit 400. The detailed operation of the second restricting member 150 will be described later.

[0038] The first drive mechanism 160 may change the distance Gr between the second restricting member 150a and the second restricting member 150b in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the first drive mechanism 160 changes the distance Gr based on the set value of the size of article A received by the operating unit 300.

[0039] (2-2) Packing department The packing unit 200 packs the item group Ag into cardboard box B. In this embodiment, the packing unit 200 packs two item groups Ag into cardboard box B. The number of item groups Ag that the packing unit 200 packs into cardboard box B is not limited to this; it may be one or three or more.

[0040] The boxing unit 200 includes a mounting table 210, a moving member 220, a second drive mechanism 230, and a boxing mechanism 240.

[0041] (2-2-1) Mounting platform The mounting platform 210 is a platform on which the group of items Ag, which has been moved from the second transport surface 112f, is placed.

[0042] The platform 210 has a rectangular platform 210s on which the group of articles Ag is placed. The platform 210s is formed parallel to the horizontal plane at the same height as the second conveying surface 112f. The width of the platform 210s in the front-to-back direction is approximately the same as the length of the second belt conveyor 112 in the front-to-back direction. The width of the platform 210s in the left-to-right direction is long enough to arrange at least the number of articles Ag that can be packed into a cardboard box B at one time in the left-to-right direction. The platform 210 is located to the right of the second belt conveyor 112.

[0043] (2-2-2) Movable Member The moving member 220 moves the group of articles A placed on the mounting table 210 to the boxing mechanism 240. The moving member 220 is a rectangular plate-shaped member. The moving member 220 is positioned above the mounting table 210, with its longitudinal direction aligned with the front-to-back direction and its main surface 220s perpendicular to the left-to-right direction. A gap narrower than the vertical thickness of article A is formed between the mounting surface 210s and the lower edge of the moving member 220.

[0044] (2-2-3) Second drive mechanism The second drive mechanism 230 drives the moving member 220. More specifically, the second drive mechanism 230 moves the moving member 220 from the left edge of the group of articles Ag on the mounting surface 210s toward the right edge of the mounting surface 210s. As a result, the group of articles Ag on the mounting surface 210s moves toward the boxing mechanism 240. A detailed explanation is omitted, but the second drive mechanism 230 is constructed by combining well-known mechanisms such as a servo motor and an air cylinder. The second drive mechanism 230 is controlled by the control unit 400. The detailed operation of the moving member 220 will be described later.

[0045] (2-2-4) Packing mechanism The packing mechanism 240 packs the group of items Ag moved by the moving member 220 into cardboard boxes B. The packing mechanism 240 is positioned to the right of the mounting table 210. The packing mechanism 240 holds the cardboard boxes B supplied from a cardboard box supply unit (not shown) to the right of the mounting table 210. At this time, the cardboard boxes B are held with their tops open, and this opening is positioned below the mounting surface 210s. The packing mechanism 240 receives the group of items Ag moved by the moving member 220 from the mounting table 210 and packs them into cardboard boxes B. The packing mechanism 240 is controlled by the control unit 400.

[0046] (2-3) Operation section The operation unit 300 is an input device that accepts various settings related to the boxing device 1. The operation unit 300 is not limited to, but for example, a touch panel display. The operation unit 300 accepts settings related to the boxing device 1, such as, for example, the size of item A (length La1, La2, thickness), the number of item A and item group Ag to be packed into cardboard box B, the arrangement of item A and item group Ag within cardboard box B, the airflow rate of the air jet J, the time from when the first detection unit 130a detects item A until the air supply unit 122 supplies compressed air, and the transport speed of the transport unit 110. These settings accepted by the operation unit 300 are stored in the ROM and RAM of the control unit 400. Note that the operation unit 300 is not shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3.

[0047] (2-4) Control Unit The control unit 400 is a computer composed of a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. (all not shown). The control unit 400 is built into the boxing device 1 and is connected to the transport unit 110 (first belt conveyor 111 and second belt conveyor 112), the attitude change unit 120 (air supply unit 122), the detection unit 130 (first detection unit 130a and second detection unit 130b), the first drive mechanism 160, the second drive mechanism 230, the boxing mechanism 240, and the operation unit 300. Based on the settings received by the operation unit 300, the control unit 400 controls the transport unit 110, the attitude change unit 120, the detection unit 130, the first drive mechanism 160, the second drive mechanism 230, and the boxing mechanism 240 to perform the operation of the boxing device 1 described below.

[0048] (3) Operation of the boxing machine The operation of the boxing device 1 performed by the control unit 400 consists of stacking operations performed by the item stacking device 100 and boxing operations performed by the boxing unit 200.

[0049] (3-1) Stacked operation In the stacking operation, the article stacking device 100 stacks the downstream end Ae of another article A that was transported following article A on top of article A transported by the transport unit 110. The stacking operation includes a first phase, a second phase, and a third phase. Throughout the stacking operation, the control unit 400 continues to drive the first belt conveyor 111. For convenience, the five articles A included in article group Ag will be referred to as article A1, article A2, article A3, article A4, and article A5 in the order in which they are transported by the transport unit 110.

[0050] Figures 5A to 5C are side views of the article stacking device 100 to illustrate the stacking operation. Figure 5D is a side view of the article stacking device 100 to illustrate the movement of the second restricting member 150 in the third phase of the stacking operation. Figure 5D is a side view of the article stacking device 100 viewed from the rear.

[0051] (3-1-1) Phase 1 In the first phase, the item stacking device 100 places item A1 onto the second belt conveyor 112. In the first phase, the control unit 400 does not operate the posture changing unit 120.

[0052] When the item supply unit (not shown) supplies item A1 to the first belt conveyor 111, the first belt conveyor 111 transports item A1 downstream in the transport direction Dc. Once transported to the downstream end of the first belt conveyor 111, item A1, due to the inertia during transport, passes over the gap Gc and lands on the upstream end of the second belt conveyor 112. Since the orientation change unit 120 is not operating, item A1 passes over the gap Gc without its orientation being changed and lands on the second belt conveyor 112 (see Figure 5A).

[0053] (3-1-2) Phase 2 In the second phase, the control unit 400 stacks the downstream end Ae of item A2, which was transported following item A1, on top of item A1. In the second phase, the control unit 400 activates the attitude changing unit 120.

[0054] When the item supply unit (not shown) supplies item A2 to the first belt conveyor 111, the first belt conveyor 111 transports item A2 downstream in the transport direction Dc. When item A2 reaches the first detection position P1, the first detection unit 130a, which detects that item A2 is at the first detection position P1, notifies the control unit 400 that it has detected item A2. Upon receiving the notification from the first detection unit 130a, the control unit 400 instructs the attitude change unit 120 to apply force to item A. Upon receiving the instruction from the control unit 400, the attitude change unit 120 causes the air supply unit 122 to supply compressed air to the air nozzle 121, causing the air jet J to be blown out of the air nozzle 121.

[0055] When item A2 is transported to the downstream end of the first belt conveyor 111, it exceeds the gap Gc due to the inertia during transport. Just before exceeding the gap Gc, item A2 receives an air jet J on its downstream side at the downstream end of the first belt conveyor 111 (in other words, a force is applied to the downstream side from below). As a result, the orientation of item A2 temporarily changes. Specifically, the downstream side of item A2 temporarily separates from the transport surface 110f (the upper surface 111u of the first belt conveyor 111).

[0056] Item A2, with its downstream side temporarily separated from the conveying surface 110f, passes through the gap Gc and lands on the upstream end of the second belt conveyor 112 while its downstream side remains separated from the conveying surface 110f. As a result, the downstream side of item A2 overlaps with the upstream end of item A1, which is placed on the upstream end of the second belt conveyor 112 (see Figure 5B).

[0057] In this case, the distance at which the downstream side of article A2 is separated from the conveying surface 110f is restricted by the first regulating member 140. More specifically, the distance at which the downstream side of article A2 is separated from the conveying surface 110f does not exceed the distance Dv. Therefore, the applied force prevents article A from turning over during conveyance.

[0058] Subsequently, when the second detection unit 130b detects that item A is at the second detection position P2 and notifies the control unit 400 of the result, the control unit 400 drives the second belt conveyor 112 to create a space on the upstream side of the second belt conveyor 112 for placing item A. As a result, a space for placing the next item to be conveyed, item A3, is created on the upstream side of the second belt conveyor 112 for item A2 (in other words, at the upstream end of the second belt conveyor 112).

[0059] When the downstream side of item A2 is stacked on item A1, the control unit 400 repeats the operation of the second phase for the remaining items A (items A3, A4, and A5) (not shown). As a result, a group of items Ag is formed on the second belt conveyor 112, with items A1, A2, A3, A4, and A5 stacked in this order from downstream to upstream (see Figure 5C).

[0060] In this case, the positions of articles A1, A2, A3, A4, and A5 on the second belt conveyor 112 are restricted by the second restricting member 150. More specifically, articles A1, A2, A3, A4, and A5 are aligned along the transport direction Dc between the second restricting member 150a and the second restricting member 150b, which are arranged parallel to each other above the second belt conveyor 112 in the left-right direction, and between the left-right spacing Gr of the two second restricting members 150. As a result, articles A1, A2, A3, A4, and A5 can be aligned along the transport direction Dc on the second belt conveyor 112 (see Figure 3).

[0061] (3-1-3) Phase 3 In the third phase, the control unit 400 moves the group of items Ag on the second belt conveyor 112 to the boxing unit 200.

[0062] Next, the first drive mechanism 160 drives the second restricting member 150 to move the group of articles Ag on the second belt conveyor 112 to the boxing section 200. More specifically, the first drive mechanism 160 moves the second restricting member 150b above the right edge of the second belt conveyor 112. The first drive mechanism 160 also moves the second restricting member 150a horizontally from above the left edge of the second belt conveyor 112 to above the left edge of the mounting platform 210 of the boxing section 200, passing below the second restricting member 150b. As a result, the group of articles Ag is pushed by the second restricting member 150a and moves onto the mounting platform 210 of the boxing section 200 (see Figure 5D).

[0063] The control unit 400 repeats the stacking operation described above a number of times corresponding to the number of item groups Ag to be packed into the cardboard box B (in this embodiment, twice). As a result, two item groups Ag are placed side by side on the mounting table 210 in the left-right direction.

[0064] At the beginning of the third phase, the second belt conveyor 112 may move the group of items Ag so that it is located in the center in the conveying direction Dc of the second belt conveyor 112.

[0065] (3-2) Operation of the boxing section During the boxing operation, the control unit 400 packs the group of items Ag on the mounting table 210 into cardboard box B.

[0066] First, the second drive mechanism 230 drives the moving member 220 to move it to the left edge of the two article group Ag on the mounting surface 210s.

[0067] Next, the second drive mechanism 230 drives the moving member 220, causing it to move toward the right edge of the mounting surface 210s. As a result, the group of articles Ag on the mounting surface 210s moves to the boxing mechanism 240.

[0068] Finally, the packing mechanism 240 packs the two item groups Ag into cardboard box B.

[0069] (4) Features (4-1) The article stacking device 100 comprises a transport unit 110 and a posture changing unit 120. The transport unit 110 transports article A placed on the transport surface 110f. The posture changing unit 120 applies a force from below to the downstream side in the transport direction Dc of article A being transported by the transport unit 110, causing it to move away from the transport surface 110f. The article stacking device 100 places the downstream end Ae in the transport direction Dc of a second article A, which is transported following the first article A, on top of the first article A transported by the transport unit 110.

[0070] For an item A whose downstream side in the transport direction Dc is separated from the transport surface 110f, the upstream side in the transport direction Dc is in contact with the transport surface 110f. This allows the item stacking device 100 to easily control the orientation of the item A being transported via the transport unit 110. Even if the weight or shape of the item A changes, the item stacking device 100 can easily control the orientation of the item A by changing the transport speed of the transport unit 110. Therefore, the item stacking device 100 can flexibly handle items A with different weights and shapes. Consequently, the item stacking device 100 allows for easy control of the orientation of stacked items A and can flexibly handle items with different weights and shapes.

[0071] (4-2) The article stacking device 100 has an air nozzle 121 in its attitude changing section 120 that blows an air jet J toward article A.

[0072] The item stacking device 100 can apply force to item A using the air jet J.

[0073] (4-3) The item stacking device 100 has an air jet J that is blown out towards the upstream side of the transport direction Dc when viewed from the horizontal. The air jet J is also blown out upward so as to form an angle of 20° or more and less than 90° with the plane Sc perpendicular to the transport direction Dc when viewed from the horizontal.

[0074] (4-4) The article stacking device 100 has a conveying section 110 which includes a first belt conveyor 111 and a second belt conveyor 112 located downstream of the first belt conveyor 111 in the conveying direction Dc. The upper surface 111u of the first belt conveyor 111 and the upper surface 112u of the second belt conveyor 112 form a conveying surface 110f along the same plane. The attitude changing section 120 is located between the first belt conveyor 111 and the second belt conveyor 112, below the conveying surface 110f.

[0075] (4-5) In the item stacking device 100, the coefficient of friction of the belt of the first belt conveyor 111 is greater than the coefficient of friction of the belt of the second belt conveyor 112.

[0076] This prevents the items A on the first belt conveyor 111 from being pushed back downstream in the transport direction Dc by the air jet, thus enabling reliable transport. Furthermore, when the second regulating member 150 is driven to move the group of items Ag on the second belt conveyor 112 to the boxing section 200, the friction generated between the second belt conveyor 112 and the regulating member prevents the posture of the group of items Ag from being disturbed. As a result, the item stacking device 100 can smoothly move the group of items Ag to the boxing section 200.

[0077] (4-6) The article stacking device 100 further includes a first regulating member 140 positioned above the conveying section 110 and the attitude changing section 120, which regulates the distance at which the downstream end Ae of article A is separated from the conveying surface 110f.

[0078] This allows the downstream side of item A to be separated from the transport surface 110f to a degree that it can be stacked on the preceding item A, while preventing item A from reversing due to being separated too far from the transport surface 110f.

[0079] (4-7) The article stacking device 100 has a variable force applied to article A by the attitude changing unit 120.

[0080] This ensures that even if the weight or shape of item A changes, the posture changing unit 120 can reliably separate the downstream side of item A from the conveying surface 110f.

[0081] (4-8) The article stacking device 100 has an orientation changing unit 120 that does not apply force to the article A that is first transported by the transport unit 110, among the article group Ag which consists of a predetermined number of articles A that are transported continuously by the transport unit 110.

[0082] In other words, during the first phase of the stacking operation, the attitude changing unit 120 does not apply force to item A.

[0083] (4-9) The boxing device 1 comprises an article stacking device 100 and a boxing section 200 that boxes the multiple articles A stacked by the article stacking device 100.

[0084] (5) Variant (5-1) Variation A The goods stacking device 100 may also be used in a container packing device (not shown).

[0085] The difference between the box packing device 1 and the container box packing device is that the object to be packed from the group of items Ag is a container. This container box packing device comprises an item accumulation device 100 and a container transfer unit (not shown) that moves the multiple items A accumulated by the item accumulation device 100 into a container. The container transfer unit transfers the group of items Ag formed by the item accumulation device 100 into a container that accommodates multiple groups of items Ag.

[0086] (5-2) Variation B The attitude changing unit 120 can be implemented by means other than the air nozzle 121, air supply unit 122, and tube 123, as long as it can apply a force from below to the downstream side of the item A being conveyed by the conveying unit 110, thereby separating it from the conveying surface 110f. Specifically, the attitude changing unit 120 may be an actuator implemented by a well-known mechanism such as a servo motor or an air cylinder.

[0087] (5-3) Modification C The control unit 400 may drive the second belt conveyor 112 in the second phase. More specifically, the control unit 400 may slightly drive the second belt conveyor 112 when an item A is placed on it, in order to provide space at the upstream end for the item A to be subsequently conveyed. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0088] 1 Packing equipment 100 Item stacking device 110 Conveying section 110f Conveyor surface 111 First Belt Conveyor 112 Second Belt Conveyor 120 Posture change section 121 Air Nozzle 130 Detection unit 140 First Regulating Member 150 Second Regulating Member 160 First drive mechanism 200 Packing Department 210 Mounting platform 220 Moving member 230 Second drive mechanism 240 Packing mechanism 300 Operation section 400 Control Unit A Goods Ae Downstream end of the article Ag article group B Cardboard box Dc Conveying direction [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0089] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2011-225243

Claims

1. A conveying unit that transports items placed on the conveying surface, The conveying unit has a posture changing unit that applies force from below to the downstream side in the conveying direction of the article being conveyed, causing it to move away from the conveying surface. Equipped with, The aforementioned attitude changing unit is It has an air nozzle that blows an air jet toward the aforementioned article, The downstream end in the transport direction of the second article, which is transported following the first article, is placed on top of the first article transported by the transport unit. A device for accumulating goods.

2. The aforementioned air jet is In a plan view, towards the upstream side in the transport direction, When viewed from the horizontal, the material is blown upward so as to form an angle of 20° or more and less than 90° with the plane perpendicular to the conveying surface. The article stacking device according to claim 1.

3. A conveying unit for conveying an article placed on a conveying surface, The conveying unit has a posture changing unit that applies force from below to the downstream side in the conveying direction of the article being conveyed, causing it to move away from the conveying surface. Equipped with, The aforementioned transport unit is The first conveyor belt and A second belt conveyor is positioned downstream of the first belt conveyor in the conveying direction, and It has, The upper surface of the first belt conveyor and the upper surface of the second belt conveyor are, The transport surface is configured along the same plane, The aforementioned attitude changing unit is Between the first belt conveyor and the second belt conveyor, positioned below the conveying surface, The downstream end in the transport direction of the second article, which is transported following the first article, is placed on top of the first article transported by the transport unit. A device for accumulating goods.

4. The coefficient of friction of the belt of the first belt conveyor is, The coefficient of friction of the belt of the second belt conveyor is greater than that of the belt of the second belt conveyor. The article stacking device according to claim 3.

5. The system further includes a first restricting member positioned above the conveying section and the attitude changing section, which restricts the distance at which the downstream end of the article separates from the conveying surface. The article stacking device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The magnitude of the force applied to the article by the posture changing unit is variable. The article stacking device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The aforementioned attitude changing unit is In a group of articles consisting of a predetermined number of articles that the conveying unit continuously conveys, the force is not applied to the article that the conveying unit first conveys. The article stacking device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. An article stacking device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, The article stacking device has a boxing section that packs multiple articles that have been stacked into boxes. Equipped with, Packing equipment.

9. An article stacking device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, The aforementioned item stacking device includes a container transfer unit that moves multiple items that have been stacked into a container. Equipped with, Container packing machine.

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