Transfer device

Abstract

The present invention provides a transfer device with which, even if an object to be conveyed is heavy, it is possible to transfer the same in a stable manner.　The present invention comprises: a main conveyor having a main-conveyance path and a main-conveyance cam follower; an auxiliary conveyor having an auxiliary-conveyance path and an auxiliary-conveyance cam follower; and a lifting mechanism. The main-conveyance path and the auxiliary-conveyance path overlap partially or entirely in plan view. The lifting mechanism comprises a first horizontal movement member having a first linear-motion cam, a second horizontal movement member having a second linear-motion cam, and a drive source. By operating the drive source, it is possible to perform a position change operation in which the main-conveyance cam follower travels on the first linear-motion cam, the auxiliary-conveyance cam follower travels on the second linear-motion cam, and one of the main-conveyance path and the auxiliary-conveyance path rises, with the other dropping down. Rotary shafts of the main-conveyance cam follower and the auxiliary-conveyance cam follower are configured so as to have a portion of overlap with the auxiliary-conveyance cam follower on a projected plane in the vertical direction during the position change operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a transfer device for transferring an object to be conveyed in a plurality of directions.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in a product assembly factory or an article delivery site, a plurality of conveyor lines are installed for conveying articles (objects to be conveyed). At the intersection of the conveyor lines, a transfer device for transferring an article to a desired conveyor line is arranged (for example, Patent Document 1). In the transfer device of Patent Document 1, in a certain planar area, a main conveyance path for conveying downstream of the main conveyor line and a sub-conveyance path for conveying to the sub-conveyor line overlap and are arranged. When conveying from the main conveyor line to the sub-conveyor line, when transferring from the main conveyance path to the sub-conveyance path, the sub-conveyance path is raised above the main conveyance path by a lifting means, and it is possible to transfer from the main conveyance path onto the sub-conveyance path and convey it to the sub-conveyor line by the sub-conveyance path.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, when the transfer device of Patent Document 1 changes from the main conveyance path to the sub-conveyance path, as shown in Fig. 13(a), the horizontal movement member 11 moves in the horizontal direction, and the cam followers 36, 36 of the main conveyor section are placed on the high position portions 7a, 7b of the horizontal movement member. The main conveyor section is supported in a cantilevered manner with one side (the right side in Fig. 13(a)) biased in the conveyance direction of the sub-conveyance path, and a space S1 is formed below the other side (the left side in Fig. 13(a)). Therefore, if heavy objects are unevenly distributed on the other side of the main conveyor section (the left side in Figure 13(a)), the main conveyor section may lose its balance and tilt.

[0005] Furthermore, in the transfer device of Patent Document 1, even when changing from the secondary transport path to the main transport path, as shown in Figure 13(b), the horizontal moving member 11 moves horizontally, and the cam followers 27, 27 of the secondary transport conveyor section are placed on the high-positioned parts 7a, 7b of the horizontal moving member. As a result, the secondary transport conveyor section is supported in a cantilevered manner, biased to the other side (left side in Figure 13(b)) in the transport direction of the secondary transport path, and a space S2 is created below the one side (right side in Figure 13(b)). Therefore, if heavy objects are unevenly distributed on one side of the secondary conveyor section (the right side in Figure 13(b)), the secondary conveyor section may lose its balance and tilt.

[0006] Thus, the transfer device described in Patent Document 1 had the potential for the conveyor section to tilt when the items were heavy, leaving room for further improvement.

[0007] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a transfer device that can stably transfer even heavy objects. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the inventors of the present invention investigated measures to prevent tilting of the main conveyor section and the sub-conveyor section in the transfer device described in Patent Document 1. In other words, in order to prevent tilting of the main conveyor section and the sub-conveyor section in the transfer device of Patent Document 1, it is preferable to position the cam followers 36, 36, 27, 27 so that some or all of them overlap, and to position them as close to both ends as possible. However, in the transfer device of Patent Document 1, since the cam follower 36 of the main conveyor section and the cam follower 27 of the sub-conveyor section are each placed on a single horizontal moving member 11, it is not possible to position the cam followers 36 and 27 so that they overlap. Therefore, the inventors considered that by arranging the cam follower 36 of the main conveying conveyor section and the cam follower 27 of the sub-conveying conveyor section on separate horizontal moving members, and positioning the rotation axis of the cam follower 36 and the rotation axis of the cam follower 27 so that they partially or completely overlap in the direction of movement of the horizontal moving member, it would be possible to suppress the tilting of the main conveying conveyor section and the sub-conveying conveyor section even when transferring heavy objects.

[0009] One aspect of the present invention derived from the above considerations comprises a main conveying section, a secondary conveying section, and a lifting mechanism, wherein the main conveying section has a main conveying path that conveys objects in a predetermined direction and a main conveying cam follower section, the secondary conveying section has a secondary conveying path that conveys objects in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the main conveying path and a secondary conveying cam follower section, the main conveying path and the secondary conveying path overlap in part or all of their areas when viewed from above, and the lifting mechanism comprises a first horizontal moving member, a second horizontal moving member, and a drive source that moves the first horizontal moving member and the second horizontal moving member in the horizontal direction. The transfer device is such that, in the attitude change operation, the main transport cam follower unit travels on the first linear cam unit, the sub-transport cam follower unit travels on the second linear cam unit, and by driving the drive source, the main transport cam follower unit travels on the first linear cam unit, and the sub-transport cam follower unit travels on the second linear cam unit, thereby enabling a posture change operation in which one of the main transport path and the sub-transport path rises and the other transport path descends, and in the attitude change operation, the main transport cam follower unit has an overlapping portion with the sub-transport cam follower unit on the vertical projection plane when viewed from the rotation axis direction of the main transport cam follower unit.

[0010] In this configuration, the main conveying cam follower section and the sub-conveying cam follower section are arranged on separate first and second horizontal moving members, respectively, and the main conveying cam follower section and the sub-conveying cam follower section are arranged so that they partially or completely overlap vertically when viewed from the rotation axis direction of the main conveying cam follower section during the attitude change operation. Therefore, during the attitude change operation, the support positions of the main conveying conveyor section and the sub-conveying conveyor section remain constant, making it difficult for the conveyed object to tilt, and allowing for stable transfer even if the conveyed object is heavy. According to this configuration, the main transport cam follower and the sub-transport cam follower are arranged so that in the attitude change operation, a portion or all of them overlap vertically when viewed from the rotation axis direction of the main transport cam follower. This allows for a reduction in the travel distance on the first linear cam section of the main transport cam follower and the travel distance on the second linear cam section of the sub-transport cam follower required for lifting and lowering. Compared to Patent Document 1, the main transport cam follower and the sub-transport cam follower can be provided on the end side.

[0011] A preferred configuration is that, during the attitude change operation, the rotation axis of the main conveying cam follower and the rotation axis of the sub-conveying cam follower are substantially aligned vertically when viewed from the direction of the rotation axis of the main conveying cam follower.

[0012] In this context, "substantially aligned vertically" means that the objects are roughly aligned in a straight line vertically, and that they are within 1 cm horizontally of a reference axis extending vertically. In other words, "the rotation axis of the main conveying cam follower and the rotation axis of the sub-conveying cam follower are substantially aligned vertically" means that the distance of the rotation axis of the sub-conveying cam follower with respect to the vertical axis passing through the rotation axis of the main conveying cam follower is within 1 cm.

[0013] According to this configuration, during posture change operations, the support positions of the main conveyor and the sub-conveyor remain approximately constant, making it less likely for the conveyed object to tilt, and allowing for stable transfer even of heavy objects.

[0014] A preferred configuration is that the first horizontal moving member is fixed to the second horizontal moving member either directly or by a connecting member, and the first and second horizontal moving members move together horizontally during the attitude change operation.

[0015] According to this configuration, since the first horizontal moving member and the second horizontal moving member are fixed integrally, the first and second horizontal moving members can be moved simultaneously with a single drive source, thereby reducing costs.

[0016] A preferred configuration is that the first linear cam section has a first high position section and a first low position section, the second linear cam section has a second high position section and a second low position section, and when viewed from the direction of the rotation axis of the main transport cam follower section, the second high position section is located above the first low position section, and the first high position section is located above the second low position section.

[0017] According to this configuration, the travel distance on the first linear cam section of the main transport cam follower and the travel distance on the second linear cam section of the sub-transport cam follower can be further reduced.

[0018] A more preferred configuration is that the second elevated portion is provided at the end of the second horizontal moving member in the direction of movement of the second horizontal moving member.

[0019] According to this design, it is possible to raise and lower the structure more stably.

[0020] A preferred configuration is that the first horizontal moving member has a first rack portion, the second horizontal moving member has a second rack portion, and the drive source comprises the first rack portion and the second rack portion, a pinion portion constituting a rack and pinion mechanism, and a motor for rotating the pinion portion.

[0021] According to this configuration, the rotational force of the motor can be more reliably converted into the movement force of the first horizontal moving member and the second horizontal moving member.

[0022] A preferred aspect is that the sub-conveyor section is a roller conveyor in which a plurality of sub-conveyor rollers are arranged in the conveying direction of the sub-conveying path, the main conveyor section has a plurality of main conveyor rollers, and the main conveyor roller rises from between adjacent sub-conveyor rollers in the conveying direction of the sub-conveying path.

[0023] According to this aspect, the size of the planar area can be reduced, and the entire apparatus can be made more compact.

[0024] A preferred aspect is that the posture changing operation changes between a main conveying posture in which the main conveying path is at a higher position than the sub-conveying path and the conveyed object can be conveyed on the main conveying path, and a sub-conveying posture in which the sub-conveying path is at a higher position than the main conveying path and the conveyed object can be conveyed on the sub-conveying path. When changing from the main conveying posture to the sub-conveying posture, the rotation axis of the main conveying cam follower portion descends from a position higher than the rotation axis of the sub-conveying cam follower portion, passes through a position at the same height as the rotation axis of the sub-conveying cam follower portion, and becomes a position lower than the rotation axis of the sub-conveying cam follower portion.

[0025] According to this aspect, the conveyed object can be transferred more stably.

[0026] By the way, in the main conveyor section of Patent Document 1, the rotational force of the belt drive roller is transmitted to the short roller via the belt, and the short roller rotates, enabling the conveyance of the conveyed object. However, in the main conveyor section of Patent Document 1, although tension acts on the belt by the pulley, there is a problem that if slip occurs between the short roller and the belt, a part of the rotational force is lost. In order to efficiently transmit the driving force of the motor of the driving roller to the roller, it is conceivable to transmit it by a gear mechanism that does not cause slip. By doing so, it can be transmitted more efficiently than when the driving roller and the short roller are interlocked by a belt. However, as described in Patent Document 1, when the main transport path and the secondary transport path move up and down relative to each other, if the short roller and the drive roller are linked by a gear mechanism, as the main transport path rises, the gear portion on the short roller side and the gear portion on the drive roller side will separate. Once the gear portion on the short roller side and the gear portion on the drive roller side are completely separated, even if the main transport path descends again, the gear portion on the short roller side and the gear portion on the drive roller side may not mesh.

[0027] Therefore, a preferred configuration is one in which the posture change operation changes between a main transport posture in which the main transport path is at a higher position than the secondary transport path and the transported object can be transported on the main transport path, and a secondary transport posture in which the secondary transport path is at a higher position than the main transport path and the transported object can be transported on the secondary transport path, and the main transport drive motor has a drive-side gear section, the main transport conveyor section has a plurality of main transport rollers and a conveyor-side gear section that is interlocked with the main transport rollers, in the secondary transport posture the tip circle of the conveyor-side gear section is inside the tip circle of the drive-side gear section, but the pitch circle of the drive-side gear section and the pitch circle of the conveyor-side gear section are separated, and as the posture is changed from the secondary transport posture to the main transport posture the pitch circle of the drive-side gear section and the pitch circle of the conveyor-side gear section come closer together.

[0028] According to this configuration, the main conveyor roller and the main conveyor drive motor are linked by a gear mechanism, allowing the power of the main conveyor drive motor to be transmitted to the main conveyor roller more efficiently. According to this configuration, as the posture changes from the secondary transport posture to the primary transport posture, the conveyor-side gear and the drive-side gear are always meshed, so the conveyor-side gear and the drive-side gear do not come apart, allowing for a more stable posture change.

[0029] A more preferable feature is that, in the main conveying position, the tip circle of the drive-side gear portion is located within the pitch circle of the conveyor-side gear portion.

[0030] According to this configuration, the power of the main transport drive motor can be transmitted to the main transport roller more efficiently in the main transport position.

[0031] A more preferable feature is that, in the sub-conveying position, the tip circle of the drive-side gear is separated from the pitch circle of the conveyor-side gear.

[0032] A more preferable configuration is that the main conveying roller has a roller-side gear section, the main conveying conveyor section has an inter-roller interlocking gear section that meshes with the roller-side gear section and interlocks adjacent main conveying rollers in the conveying direction of the main conveying path, and the inter-roller interlocking gear section meshes with the conveyor-side gear section.

[0033] According to this configuration, power is transmitted from the drive-side gear section to the roller-side gear section via the interlocking gear section between the rollers, thus enabling more stable power transmission from the drive-side gear section to the roller-side gear section.

[0034] One aspect of the present invention comprises a main conveying conveyor section, a secondary conveying conveyor section, and a lifting mechanism, wherein the main conveying conveyor section has a main conveying path that conveys objects in a predetermined direction, and the secondary conveying conveyor section has a secondary conveying path that conveys objects in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the main conveying path, and the main conveying path and the secondary conveying path overlap in part or all of their areas when viewed from above, and the main conveying path is at a higher position than the secondary conveying path and there is a main conveying posture in which the objects can be conveyed by the main conveying path, and the secondary conveying path is at a higher position than the main conveying path and there is a secondary conveying posture in which the objects can be conveyed by the secondary conveying path This transfer device is capable of performing a posture change operation to change between a transport posture and a secondary transport posture, and has a main transport drive motor with a drive-side gear section, the main transport conveyor section having a plurality of main transport rollers and a conveyor-side gear section that is interlocked with the main transport rollers, in the secondary transport posture the tip circle of the conveyor-side gear section is inside the tip circle of the drive-side gear section, but the pitch circle of the drive-side gear section and the pitch circle of the conveyor-side gear section are separated, and as the posture is changed from the secondary transport posture to the main transport posture the pitch circle of the drive-side gear section and the pitch circle of the conveyor-side gear section come closer together.

[0035] According to this configuration, the main conveyor roller and the main conveyor drive motor are linked by a gear mechanism, allowing the power of the main conveyor drive motor to be transmitted to the main conveyor roller more efficiently. According to this configuration, as the posture changes from the secondary transport posture to the primary transport posture, the conveyor-side gear and the drive-side gear are always meshed, so the conveyor-side gear and the drive-side gear do not come apart, allowing for a more stable posture change. [Effects of the Invention]

[0036] According to the transfer device of the present invention, even heavy objects can be transferred stably. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0037] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a conveyor line equipped with a transfer device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the transfer device. [Figure 3] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the transfer device. [Figure 4] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the main conveyor section. [Figure 5] Figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the roller unit. [Figure 6] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the secondary conveyor section. [Figure 7] Figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the base section. [Figure 8] Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of the guide member. [Figure 9] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of the transfer device in the main transport position, where (a) is a side view showing the state of the main transport conveyor section, (b) is a side view showing the state of the secondary transport conveyor section, and (c) is a side view showing the state of the base section. [Figure 10] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of the transfer device for an intermediate position, changing from the main transport position to the secondary transport position. (a) is a side view showing the state of the main transport conveyor section, (b) is a side view showing the state of the secondary transport conveyor section, and (c) is a side view showing the state of the base section. [Figure 11]Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of the transfer device in the secondary transport position, where (a) is a side view showing the state of the main transport conveyor section, (b) is a side view showing the state of the secondary transport conveyor section, and (c) is a side view showing the state of the base section. [Figure 12] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of the main parts of the transfer device, where (a) is a side view showing the positional relationship between the conveyor-side gear section and the drive-side gear section in the main transport position, and (b) is a side view showing the positional relationship between the conveyor-side gear section and the drive-side gear section in the secondary transport position. [Figure 13] These are explanatory diagrams of the transfer device described in Patent Document 1, where (a) is a diagram of Figure 7(c) with added processing to represent space, and (b) is a diagram of Figure 8(c) with added processing to represent space. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0038] The following describes a transfer device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] The transfer device 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention is suitably used in automated warehouses, logistics centers, etc., and as shown in Figure 1, is installed at the branching point from the main conveying line 201 to the secondary conveying line 202 for transporting goods 200 (transported items). In the following explanation, for the sake of clarity, the upstream side of the main conveying line 201 will be referred to as the upstream conveying line 203, and the downstream side of the main conveying line 201 will be referred to as the downstream conveying line 205, with the transfer device 1 as the reference point.

[0040] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the transfer device 1 comprises a main conveying conveyor section 2, a secondary conveying conveyor section 3, a base section 5, a drive source 6 for conveying, and a drive source 7 for changing. The transfer device 1 can perform a posture change operation, which involves changing the posture between the main transport posture and the secondary transport posture, by driving the change drive source 7. The main conveying position is as shown in Figure 9, in which the main conveying path 27 of the main conveying conveyor section 2 rises and the secondary conveying path 43 of the secondary conveying conveyor section 3 descends, with the main conveying path 27 at a higher position than the secondary conveying path 43, and in which the goods 200 can be conveyed by the main conveying path 27. In the secondary transport position, as shown in Figure 11, the main transport path 27 of the main transport conveyor section 2 is lowered and the secondary transport path 43 of the secondary transport conveyor section 3 is raised, so that the secondary transport path 43 is at a higher position than the main transport path 27 and the goods 200 can be transported by the secondary transport path 43.

[0041] The main conveying conveyor section 2 is a conveyor unit that transports articles 200 transported from the upstream conveyor line 203 to the downstream conveyor line 205. As shown in Figure 4, the main conveyor section 2 is equipped with multiple roller units 10a, 10b, connecting frames 11a, 11b, and regulating plates 12a to 12d. The roller units 10a and 10b are elongated members that, when viewed from above, have a width in the vertical direction Y (horizontal direction) and extend in the horizontal direction X (horizontal direction), and are used to transport the article 200 in the horizontal direction X. As shown in Figure 5, the roller units 10a and 10b are equipped with a support frame 20, main conveying rollers 21a to 21e, inter-roller interlocking gear sections 22a to 22d, and a conveyor-side gear section 23. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the support frame 20 is a member that supports the main conveying rollers 21a to 21e, the inter-roller interlocking gear sections 22a to 22d, and the conveyor-side gear section 23, and is a long frame extending in the lateral direction X. The support frame 20 is composed of a pair of frame bodies 24a and 24b.

[0042] The main conveyor rollers 21a to 21e are conveyor rollers for conveying the article 200, and are arranged side by side in the lateral direction X, and are pivotally supported between a pair of frame bodies 24a and 24b. As shown in Figure 5, the main conveying rollers 21a to 21e are equipped with a roller section 25 and a roller-side gear section 26, and the top of the roller section 25 forms a conveying surface, and the main conveying conveyor section 2 is configured as a main conveying path 27 capable of conveying articles 200 by the conveying surfaces of the main conveying rollers 21a to 21e. The main transport path 27 transports the goods 200 in the transport direction of the main transport conveyor line 201. That is, the main transport path 27 transports in a straight line from the upstream conveyor line 203 to the downstream conveyor line 205.

[0043] The main conveying rollers 21a to 21e have the roller section 25 and the roller-side gear section 26 coaxial. As shown in Figure 5, the roller portion 25 has a larger outer diameter than the roller-side gear portion 26, and as shown in Figure 4, it is exposed upward from the opening 28 of the support frame 20. As shown in Figure 5, the inter-roller interlocking gear sections 22a to 22d are each provided between the main conveying rollers 21a to 21e and are pivotally supported between a pair of frame bodies 24a and 24b. In other words, the inter-roller interlocking gear sections 22a to 22d are arranged side by side in the lateral direction X. The inter-roller interlocking gear sections 22a to 22d mesh with the roller-side gear sections 26 of the main conveying rollers 21a to 21e, and are the parts that interlock the roller-side gear sections 26, 26 of the main conveying rollers 21a to 21e that are adjacent in the lateral direction X. The conveyor-side gear section 23 is the part that meshes with the inter-roller interlocking gear section 22b, and is supported by being sandwiched between a pair of frame bodies 24a and 24b.

[0044] The connecting frames 11a and 11b extend in the vertical direction Y and connect the roller units 10a and 10b, and as shown in Figure 4, they are equipped with main conveying cam follower sections 30a and 30b. The main conveying cam follower sections 30a and 30b are rollers whose axis of rotation is parallel to the axis of rotation of the main conveying rollers 21a to 21e. The main transport cam follower sections 30a and 30b are located below the connecting frames 11a and 11b and inside the connecting frames 11a and 11b, and are provided near both ends of the connecting frames 11a and 11b in the longitudinal direction (vertical direction Y). Looking at the main conveying conveyor section 2 as a whole, it is equipped with four main conveying cam follower sections 30a, 30b, 30a, and 30b, each of which is located near one of the four corners.

[0045] The regulating plates 12a to 12d are components that restrict the movement direction of the main conveying section 2 to only the vertical direction. In other words, the regulating plates 12a to 12d make it possible to raise and lower the main conveying section 2 in a straight line in the vertical direction. The regulatory plates 12a to 12d are provided on the lower surfaces of the connecting frames 11a and 11b. When viewed from above, the regulating plates 12a to 12d are provided at both ends of the main conveying rollers 21a to 21e of the connecting frames 11a and 11b in the parallel arrangement direction (lateral direction X), and are located inward from the roller units 10a and 10b in the vertical direction Y. The regulating plates 12a to 12d are elastic leaf springs that are easily bent in the thickness direction and resistant to twisting. As shown in Figure 3, the regulating plates 12a to 12d extend inclined from the connecting frames 11a and 11b so that their thickness direction is oriented vertically, and are cantilevered to the connecting frames 11a and 11b.

[0046] The secondary conveying conveyor section 3 is a conveyor unit that transports the goods 200 transported from the upstream conveyor line 203 to the secondary conveying conveyor line 202. As shown in Figure 6, the auxiliary conveyor section 3 is a roller conveyor comprising a frame member 40, auxiliary conveyor rollers 41a to 41h, and regulating plates 42a to 42d, with the auxiliary conveyor rollers 41a to 41h arranged in parallel in the vertical direction Y. The secondary conveying conveyor section 3 has a conveying surface formed by the tops of the secondary conveying rollers 41a to 41h, and a secondary conveying path 43 capable of conveying the articles 200 is formed by the conveying surface. The secondary transport path 43 transports the articles 200 in a direction that intersects (orthogonal in this embodiment) with respect to the transport direction (first transport direction) of the main transport path 27 of the main transport conveyor section 2. As shown in Figure 6, the frame member 40 comprises a pair of support frames 45a, 45b and connecting frames 46a, 46b. The support frames 45a and 45b extend in the vertical direction Y and are support members that pivotally support both ends of each sub-conveyor roller 41a to 41h in the longitudinal direction.

[0047] The connecting frames 46a and 46b are connecting members that extend in the lateral direction X and connect the ends of the support frames 45a and 45b. The connecting frames 46a and 46b are equipped with sub-transport cam follower sections 50a and 50b. The auxiliary transport cam follower sections 50a and 50b are rollers whose axis of rotation is parallel to the axis of rotation of the main transport cam follower sections 30a and 30b. The auxiliary transport cam follower sections 50a and 50b are located below the connecting frames 46a and 46b, inside the connecting frames 46a and 46b, and are provided near both ends of the connecting frames 46a and 46b in the longitudinal direction (lateral direction X). Looking at the sub-conveyor section 3 as a whole, it is equipped with four sub-conveyor cam follower sections 50a, 50b, 50a, and 50b, each of which is located near one of the four corners.

[0048] As shown in Figure 6, the auxiliary conveying rollers 41a to 41h are pivotally supported by support frames 45a and 45b so that their main bodies can rotate, and are arranged in the conveying direction (second conveying direction) of the auxiliary conveying path 43 with a certain gap between them. Of the auxiliary conveyor rollers 41a to 41h, one or more are motor-integrated rollers, with the motor and reduction gear built into the roller body. The roller body of the auxiliary conveyor roller is made rotatable by power supplied to the motor. On the other hand, of the auxiliary conveying rollers 41a to 41h, the remaining auxiliary conveying rollers are driven rollers, and a belt 48 is suspended between them and the motor-integrated rollers described above, allowing the roller body to rotate by receiving power transmission from the motor-integrated rollers. In this embodiment, the auxiliary conveyor roller 41e is a drive roller and has a built-in motor, while the remaining auxiliary conveyor rollers 41a to 41d, 41f to 41h are driven rollers that rotate by receiving power from the auxiliary conveyor roller 41e. Furthermore, any of the auxiliary transport rollers 41a to 41h may be motor-integrated rollers.

[0049] The restricting plates 42a to 42d are components that restrict the movement direction of the sub-conveyor section 3 to only the vertical direction. In other words, the restricting plates 42a to 42d make it possible to raise and lower the sub-conveyor section 3 in a straight line in the vertical direction. The regulating plates 42a to 42d are provided on the lower surfaces of the support frames 45a and 45b, as shown in Figure 6. The regulating plates 42a to 42d are provided at the intermediate points in the parallel arrangement direction (vertical direction Y) of the auxiliary conveying rollers 41a to 41h of the support frames 45a and 45b. The regulating plates 42a to 42d are elastic leaf springs that are easily bent in the thickness direction and resistant to twisting. The regulating plates 42a to 42d extend inclined from the support frames 45a and 45b so that their thickness direction is oriented vertically, and are cantilevered to the support frames 45a and 45b.

[0050] As shown in Figure 7, the base section 5 comprises a base body section 60, guide members 61a and 61b, and support members 62a and 62b. The base body 60 is the part that is placed on the ground (installation surface) and is a vertically elongated rectangular plate. The guide members 61a and 61b are elongated bodies with a width in the vertical direction Y and extending in the horizontal direction X, and are members that guide the main conveying conveyor section 2 and the sub-conveying conveyor section 3 in the vertical direction. As shown in Figure 8, the guide members 61a and 61b are equipped with a first horizontal moving member 65, a second horizontal moving member 66, a connecting member 67, and a guide roller 68, with the first horizontal moving member 65 and the second horizontal moving member 66 being integrated with the connecting member 67 in between.

[0051] The first horizontal moving member 65 is a long plate with thickness in the vertical direction Y and length in the horizontal direction X, and is capable of reciprocating movement only in the direction of extension (horizontal direction X). As shown in Figure 8, the first horizontal moving member 65 includes first linear cam sections 70a and 70b and a first rack section 71.

[0052] The first linear cam sections 70a and 70b are parts that function as linear cams and are provided on the upper surface of the first horizontal moving member 65. The first linear cam sections 70a and 70b include first high-position sections 75a and 75b and first low-position sections 76a and 76b in the longitudinal direction (lateral direction X). The first elevated sections 75a and 75b are the highest parts on the upper surface of the first horizontally moving member 65. The first low-position sections 76a and 76b are the parts on the upper surface of the first horizontally moving member 65 that are lower than the first high-position sections 75a and 75b. The first low position portion 76a of the first linear motion cam portion 70a and the first high position portion 75b of the first linear motion cam portion 70b are formed at both ends of the first horizontal movement member 65 in the longitudinal direction (lateral direction X).

[0053] As shown in Figure 7, the first rack section 71 engages with the pinion section 96a of the change drive source 7, which will be described later, and constitutes a rack and pinion mechanism. As shown in Figure 8, the first rack section 71 is provided in the middle of the first horizontal moving member 65 in the longitudinal direction (lateral direction X), and has multiple rack teeth formed on it.

[0054] The second horizontal moving member 66 is a long plate with thickness in the vertical direction Y and length in the horizontal direction X, and is capable of reciprocating movement only in the direction of extension (horizontal direction X). As shown in Figure 8, the second horizontal moving member 66 includes a second linear cam section 80a, 80b and a second rack section 81.

[0055] The second linear cam sections 80a and 80b are parts that function as linear cams and are provided on the upper surface of the second horizontal moving member 66. The second linear cam sections 80a and 80b have a different shape from the first linear cam sections 70a and 70b of the first horizontal moving member 65, and include second high-position sections 85a and 85b and second low-position sections 86a and 86b. The second elevated sections 85a and 85b are the highest parts on the upper surface of the second horizontally moving member 66. The second low-position sections 86a and 86b are the parts on the upper surface of the second horizontally moving member 66 that are lower than the second high-position sections 85a and 85b. The second high position portion 85a of the second linear motion cam portion 80a and the second low position portion 86b of the second linear motion cam portion 80b are formed at both ends of the second horizontal movement member 66 in the longitudinal direction (lateral direction X).

[0056] As shown in Figure 7, the second rack section 81 engages with the pinion section 96b of the change drive source 7, which will be described later, and constitutes a rack and pinion mechanism. As shown in Figure 8, the second rack section 81 is provided in the middle of the second horizontal moving member 66 in the longitudinal direction (lateral direction X), and has multiple rack teeth formed on it. The rack teeth of the second rack section 81 have the same shape as the rack teeth of the first rack section 71.

[0057] The connecting member 67 is a member that connects the first horizontal moving member 65 and the second horizontal moving member 66, and is sandwiched between the first horizontal moving member 65 and the second horizontal moving member 66, and is a spacing maintenance member that maintains the distance between the first horizontal moving member 65 and the second horizontal moving member 66.

[0058] The guide rollers 68 are rollers that guide the guide members 61a and 61b in the lateral direction X, and in this embodiment, the guide members 61a and 61b are each equipped with four guide rollers 68.

[0059] As shown in Figure 7, the support members 62a and 62b are attached to the base body 60 and support the motor-integrated roller 90 of the transport drive source 6 and the geared motor 95 of the change drive source 7. The support members 62a and 62b are provided on the outside of the guide members 61a and 61b in the vertical direction Y, and also serve as restricting members that restrict the outward movement of the guide members 61a and 61b.

[0060] As shown in Figure 7, the transport drive source 6 includes a motor-integrated roller 90 (main transport drive motor) and drive-side gear sections 91a and 91b. The motor-integrated roller 90 has a motor and a gearbox built into the roller body, and the roller body can rotate when power is supplied to the motor. The drive-side gear sections 91a and 91b are attached to the outer circumference of the roller body of the motor-integrated roller 90 and transmit the rotational force of the motor-integrated roller 90 to the conveyor-side gear section 23.

[0061] The drive source 7 for modification includes a geared motor 95 and pinion sections 96a, 96b, 96a, 96b. The geared motor 95 consists of a motor and a reduction gear, and the output shaft can rotate when power is supplied to the motor. The pinion sections 96a and 96b are attached to a power transmission shaft that is directly or indirectly connected to the output shaft of the geared motor 95, and engage with the rack sections 71 and 81 to form a rack and pinion mechanism, transmitting the rotational force of the geared motor 95 to the horizontal moving members 65 and 66.

[0062] Next, the positional relationships of each component in the main transporting posture of the transfer device 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0063] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the transfer device 1 has a base section 5, a main conveying section 2, and a secondary conveying section 3 arranged in a single planar area 100, and within the planar area 100, the base section 5, the main conveying section 2, and the secondary conveying section 3 are stacked in this order from bottom to top. As shown in Figure 2, the roller units 10a and 10b of the main conveying conveyor section 2 have their roller sections 25 of the main conveying rollers 21a to 21e exposed between the sub-conveying rollers 41a and 41b and between the sub-conveying rollers 41g and 41h of the sub-conveying conveyor section 3.

[0064] The transfer device 1 consists of main transport cam follower sections 30a, 30b, first linear cam sections 70a, 70b of the first horizontal moving member 65, sub-transport cam follower sections 50a, 50b, and second horizontal moving member 66, which constitute the lifting mechanism for the main transport conveyor section 2 and the sub-transport conveyor section 3. As shown in Figure 9, in the main conveying conveyor section 2, the main conveying path 27, which is composed of the tops of the main conveying rollers 21a to 21e, is positioned higher than the secondary conveying path 43, which is composed of the tops of the secondary conveying rollers 41a to 41h. The main transport cam follower sections 30a and 30b are mounted on the first high-position sections 75a and 75b of the first horizontal moving member 65, as shown in Figure 9(a), and the sub-transport cam follower sections 50a and 50b are mounted on the second low-position sections 86a and 86b of the second horizontal moving member 66, as shown in Figure 9(b). As shown in Figure 9(c), when viewed from the side from the vertical direction Y, the main transport cam follower sections 30a and 30b are located above the sub-transport cam follower sections 50a and 50b, and their rotation axes are aligned in a straight line perpendicular to the rotation axes of the sub-transport cam follower sections 50a and 50b.

[0065] Each of the regulatory plates 12a to 12d has one end fixed to the connecting frames 11a and 11b, and the other end fixed to the base portion 5. The regulating plates 12a to 12d all have their thickness direction oriented vertically. In other words, the movement direction of the main conveyor section 2 is restricted vertically by the restricting plates 12a to 12d.

[0066] Each of the regulating plates 42a to 42d has one end fixed to the support frames 45a and 45b, and the other end fixed to the base portion 5. The regulating plates 42a to 42d all have their thickness direction oriented vertically. In other words, the movement direction of the auxiliary conveyor section 3 is restricted vertically by the restricting plates 42a to 42d.

[0067] As shown in Figure 9(a), the drive-side gear sections 91a and 91b of the transport drive source 6 mesh with the conveyor-side gear section 23 of the main transport conveyor section 2, enabling the rotational force of the motor-integrated roller 90 to be transmitted to the conveyor-side gear section 23. Specifically, the tip circle C1 of the drive-side gears 91a and 91b extends into the tip circle C2 of the conveyor-side gear 23, as shown in Figure 12(a), and also extends into the pitch circle C4 of the conveyor-side gear 23. The pitch circles C3 of the drive-side gear sections 91a and 91b are located within the tip circle C2 of the conveyor-side gear section 23, and are in contact with or close to the pitch circle C4 of the conveyor-side gear section 23. In other words, the tip circle C1 of the drive-side gears 91a and 91b is located closer to the center of the conveyor-side gear 23 than the pitch circle C4 of the conveyor-side gear 23, and the tip circle C2 of the conveyor-side gear 23 is located closer to the center of the drive-side gears 91a and 91b than the pitch circle C3 of the drive-side gears 91a and 91b. As shown in Figure 9, the drive source 7 for changing gears has pinion sections 96a and 96b that mesh with rack sections 71 and 81, enabling it to transmit the rotational force of the geared motor 95 to the rack sections 71 and 81.

[0068] Next, we will describe the case in which the orientation is changed from the main transport orientation to the secondary transport orientation using the transfer device 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention, and the goods are transported from the main transport conveyor line 201 to the secondary transport conveyor line 202.

[0069] When the item 200 passes through the upstream conveyor line 203 and reaches the planar area 100 where the transfer device 1 is located, the geared motor 95 of the change drive source 7 is rotated in the forward direction, and the rack and pinion mechanism between the pinion sections 96a, 96b and the rack sections 71, 81 moves the guide members 61a, 61b in one direction in the extension direction (lateral direction X). As shown in Figure 10(a), as the guide members 61a and 61b move, the main transport cam follower sections 30a and 30b travel on the first linear cam sections 70a and 70b, and move from the first high position sections 75a and 75b of the first horizontal moving member 65 toward the first low position sections 76a and 76b. Similarly, as shown in Figure 10(b), as the guide members 61a and 61b move, the sub-transport cam follower sections 50a and 50b travel on the second linear cam sections 80a and 80b, moving from the second low position sections 86a and 86b of the second horizontal moving member 66 towards the second high position sections 85a and 85b.

[0070] At this time, as the main conveying cam follower sections 30a and 30b travel on the first linear cam sections 70a and 70b, the main conveying conveyor section 2 descends, and as the sub-conveying cam follower sections 50a and 50b travel on the second linear cam sections 80a and 80b, the sub-conveying conveyor section 3 rises. In addition, the rotation axes of the main conveying cam follower sections 30a and 30b and the rotation axes of the sub-conveying cam follower sections 50a and 50b always move up and down while remaining at a constant position in the lateral direction X.

[0071] As the guide members 61a and 61b move, the conveyor sections 2 and 3 move up and down. As shown in Figure 10, when the main conveying path 27 of the main conveyor section 2 and the secondary conveying path 43 of the secondary conveyor section 3 are at the same height, the articles 200 are transferred from the main conveying path 27 of the main conveyor section 2 to the secondary conveying path 43 of the secondary conveyor section 3. The main conveyor section 2 then descends further, and the secondary conveyor section 3 rises further.

[0072] As shown in Figure 12, when the transport drive source 6 changes its orientation from the main transport orientation to the secondary transport orientation, the pitch circle C3 of the drive-side gear sections 91a and 91b moves away from the pitch circle C4 of the conveyor-side gear section 23.

[0073] Then, when the transfer device 1 is in the secondary transport position, the goods 200 are transported to the secondary transport conveyor line 202 via the secondary transport path 43 of the secondary transport conveyor section 3.

[0074] At this time, as shown in Figure 11(c), the auxiliary conveying section 3 has an auxiliary conveying path 43, which is formed by the tops of the auxiliary conveying rollers 41a to 41h, at a higher position than the main conveying path 27, which is formed by the tops of the main conveying rollers 21a to 21e. The main transport cam follower sections 30a and 30b are mounted on the first low-position sections 76a and 76b of the first horizontal moving member 65, as shown in Figure 11(a), and the sub-transport cam follower sections 50a and 50b are mounted on the second high-position sections 85a and 85b of the second horizontal moving member 66, as shown in Figure 11(b). As shown in Figure 11(c), when viewed from the side from the vertical direction Y, the main transport cam follower sections 30a and 30b are located below the sub-transport cam follower sections 50a and 50b, and their rotation axes are aligned in a straight line perpendicular to the rotation axes of the sub-transport cam follower sections 50a and 50b. As shown in Figure 11(a), the drive-side gears 91a and 91b of the transport drive source 6 mesh with the conveyor-side gear 23 of the main transport conveyor section 2, but the distance between the drive-side gears 91a and 91b and the conveyor-side gear 23 is greater than in the main transport position. Specifically, the tip circles C1 of the drive-side gears 91a and 91b are positioned within the tip circle C2 of the conveyor-side gear 23, as shown in Figure 12(b), and are either in contact with or outside the pitch circle C4 of the conveyor-side gear 23. The pitch circles C3 of the drive-side gear sections 91a and 91b are located outside the pitch circle C4 of the conveyor-side gear section 23, and further outside the tip circle C2 of the conveyor-side gear section 23. In other words, the tip circle C1 of the drive-side gears 91a and 91b is located on the center side of the tip circle C2 of the conveyor-side gear 23, but is far from the pitch circle C4 of the conveyor-side gear 23 and does not intersect with the pitch circle C4. The tip circle C2 of the conveyor-side gear 23 is located on the center side of the tip circle C1 of the drive-side gears 91a and 91b, but is far from the pitch circle C3 of the drive-side gears 91a and 91b and does not intersect with the pitch circle C3. The pitch circle C3 of the drive-side gears 91a and 91b does not intersect with the pitch circle C4 of the conveyor-side gear 23. As shown in Figure 11, the drive source 7 for changing the gear ratio has pinion sections 96a and 96b that mesh with rack sections 71 and 81, enabling it to transmit the rotational force of the geared motor 95 to the rack sections 71 and 81.

[0075] When an item 200 is transported from the planar area 100 to the secondary transport conveyor line 202, its orientation changes from the secondary transport orientation to the main transport orientation. In other words, the geared motor 95 of the drive source 7 for modification is rotated in reverse, and the rack and pinion mechanism between the pinion sections 96a, 96b and the rack sections 71, 81 moves the guide members 61a, 61b in the opposite direction of extension. As the guide members 61a and 61b move, the main transport cam follower sections 30a and 30b travel on the first linear cam sections 70a and 70b, and move from the first low position section 76a and 76b to the first high position section 75a and 75b of the first horizontal moving member 65. Similarly, as the guide members 61a and 61b move, the sub-transport cam follower sections 50a and 50b travel on the second linear cam sections 80a and 80b, moving from the second high position sections 85a and 85b of the second horizontal moving member 66 to the second low position sections 86a and 86b, changing the posture from sub-transport to main transport posture.

[0076] At this time, as the main conveying cam follower sections 30a and 30b travel on the first linear cam sections 70a and 70b, the main conveying conveyor section 2 rises, and as the sub-conveying cam follower sections 50a and 50b travel on the second linear cam sections 80a and 80b, the sub-conveying conveyor section 3 descends. As the transport drive source 6 changes its orientation from the secondary transport position to the main transport position, the pitch circle C3 of the drive-side gear sections 91a and 91b approaches the pitch circle C4 of the conveyor-side gear section 23. Furthermore, the rotation axes of the main transport cam follower sections 30a and 30b, and the rotation axes of the sub-transport cam follower sections 50a and 50b, move up and down while always remaining at a constant position in the lateral direction X.

[0077] When the transfer device 1 is in its main transport position, subsequent items 200 from the upstream conveyor line 203 can be received by the main transport path 27 of the main transport conveyor section 2.

[0078] Furthermore, if the goods 200 are to be transported on the main conveyor line 201 as is, the goods 200 will be transported on the main conveying path 27 in the main conveying position without changing to the secondary conveying position.

[0079] According to the transfer device 1 of this embodiment, as shown in Figures 9, 10, and 11, the main transport cam follower sections 30a, 30b and the sub-transport cam follower sections 50a, 50b are arranged on separate first horizontal moving members 65 and second horizontal moving members 66, respectively. When viewed from the direction of the rotation axis of the main transport cam follower sections 30a, 30b, the rotation axes of the main transport cam follower sections 30a, 30b and the rotation axes of the sub-transport cam follower sections 50a, 50b are substantially aligned vertically during the posture change operation. Therefore, during the posture change operation, the support positions of the main transport conveyor section 2 and the sub-transport conveyor section 3 remain constant, making it difficult for the article 200 to tilt, and allowing for stable transfer even if the article 200 is heavy.

[0080] According to the transfer device 1 of this embodiment, the rotation axes of the main transport cam follower sections 30a, 30b and the rotation axes of the sub-transport cam follower sections 50a, 50b are substantially aligned vertically in the attitude change operation when viewed from the direction of the rotation axis of the main transport cam follower sections 30a, 30b. Therefore, the travel distance on the first linear cam sections 70a, 70b of the main transport cam follower sections 30a, 30b and the travel distance on the second linear cam sections 80a, 80b of the sub-transport cam follower sections 50a, 50b required for lifting and lowering can be shortened, and the main transport cam follower sections 30a, 30b and the sub-transport cam follower sections 50a, 50b can be provided on both ends of the guide members 61a, 61b.

[0081] According to the transfer device 1 of this embodiment, the main transport cam follower sections 30a, 30b and the sub-transport cam follower sections 50a, 50b are arranged on separate first horizontal moving members 65 and second horizontal moving members 66, respectively, allowing for a wide spacing between the main transport cam follower sections 30a, 30b and the sub-transport cam follower sections 50a, 50b. Therefore, even if the article 200 is heavy and is placed in an off-center position in the longitudinal direction of the guide members 61a, 61b, the main transport conveyor section 2 and the sub-transport conveyor section 3 can be prevented from tilting, and the main transport path 27 and the sub-transport path 43 can be maintained horizontally.

[0082] According to the transfer device 1 of this embodiment, since the horizontal moving members 65 and 66 are fixed integrally, the horizontal moving members 65 and 66 can be moved simultaneously with a single change drive source 7. In addition, the relative heights of each cam follower section 30a, 30b, 50a, and 50b can be fixed.

[0083] According to the transfer device 1 of this embodiment, when viewed from the rotation axis direction of the main transport cam follower sections 30a, 30b, the second high-position sections 85a, 85b are located above the first low-position sections 76a, 76b, and the first high-position sections 75a, 75b are located on the second low-position sections 86a, 86b. Therefore, the travel distance on the first linear cam sections 70a, 70b of the main transport cam follower sections 30a, 30b and the travel distance on the second linear cam sections 80a, 80b of the sub-transport cam follower sections 50a, 50b can be shortened.

[0084] According to the transfer device 1 of this embodiment, a rack and pinion mechanism is formed by the pinion sections 96a, 96b and the rack sections 71, 81, so that the rotational force of the geared motor 95 can be converted into the lateral movement force X of the horizontal moving members 65, 66.

[0085] In the transfer device 1 of this embodiment, the main conveyor rollers 21a to 21e of the main conveyor section 2 move up and down through the gap between the adjacent sub-conveyor rollers 41a and 41b (41g and 41h) of the sub-conveyor section 3. As a result, the size of the planar area 100 can be reduced, making the entire device more compact.

[0086] According to the transfer device 1 of this embodiment, when changing from the main transport posture to the sub-transport posture during posture change operation, the rotation axes of the main transport cam follower sections 30a and 30b descend from a position higher than the rotation axes of the sub-transport cam follower sections 50a and 50b, passing through a position at the same height as the rotation axes of the sub-transport cam follower sections 50a and 50b, and then settling at a position lower than the rotation axes of the sub-transport cam follower sections 50a and 50b. As a result, the article 200 can be smoothly transferred from the main transport path 27 to the sub-transport path 43.

[0087] According to the transfer device 1 of this embodiment, the main conveying rollers 21a to 21e and the motor-integrated rollers 90 are linked by a gear mechanism consisting of conveyor-side gear sections 23, 23 and drive-side gear sections 91a, 91b. Therefore, the power of the motor-integrated rollers 90 can be transmitted to the main conveying rollers 21a to 21e more efficiently. According to the transfer device 1 of this embodiment, the conveyor-side gears 23, 23 and the drive-side gears 91a, 91b are constantly meshed when changing the posture from the secondary transport posture to the main transport posture. Therefore, the conveyor-side gears 23, 23 and the drive-side gears 91a, 91b do not disengage, allowing for more stable posture changes.

[0088] In the transfer device 1 of this embodiment, the tooth tip circles C1 of the drive-side gear sections 91a and 91b are located within the pitch circle C4 of the conveyor-side gear section 23 in the main conveying position. Therefore, in the main conveying position, the power of the motor-integrated roller 90 can be transmitted more efficiently to the main conveying rollers 21a to 21e.

[0089] In the transfer device 1 of this embodiment, the tip circles C1 of the drive-side gears 91a and 91b are separated from the pitch circle C4 of the conveyor-side gear 23 in the secondary transport position. Therefore, the distance between the drive-side gears 91a and 91b and the conveyor-side gear 23 can be increased in the secondary transport position.

[0090] According to the transfer device 1 of this embodiment, power is transmitted from the drive-side gear sections 91a and 91b to the roller-side gear sections 26 of each main conveyor roller 21a to 21e via the interlocking gear sections 22a to 22d between the rollers. Therefore, power can be transmitted more stably from the drive-side gear sections 91a and 91b to the roller-side gear sections 26 of each main conveyor roller 21a to 21e.

[0091] According to the transfer device 1 of this embodiment, the height of the follower sections 30a, 30b, 50a, 50b changes due to the uneven shape of the linear cam sections 70a, 70b, 80a, 80b, and the heights of the cam follower sections 30a, 30b, 50a, 50b of each conveyor section 2, 3 remain the same. Therefore, there is no variation in the height of the conveyor sections 2, 3.

[0092] In the embodiment described above, the main conveying section 2 was provided with two roller units 10a and 10b, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The main conveying section 2 may be provided with three or more roller units.

[0093] In the embodiments described above, the case where the conveying conveyor sections 2 and 3 are roller conveyors was explained, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The conveying conveyor sections 2 and 3 may be other conveyors such as belt conveyors or roller conveyors.

[0094] In the embodiment described above, the main conveying rollers 21a to 21e of the main conveying conveyor section 2 were linked by gear sections 22a to 22d and 26, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The main conveying rollers 21a to 21e of the main conveying conveyor section 2 may also be linked by a belt.

[0095] In the embodiment described above, the auxiliary conveyor section 3 was operated by a belt 48 suspended from the auxiliary conveyor rollers 41a to 41h, but the present invention is not limited to this. The auxiliary conveyor section 3 may be operated by a gear mechanism, similar to the main conveyor section 2, so that each of the auxiliary conveyor rollers 41a to 41h is operated in conjunction with the others.

[0096] In the embodiment described above, the main conveying conveyor section 2 is provided on the main conveying conveyor line 201 and the secondary conveying conveyor section 3 is provided on the secondary conveying conveyor line 202, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The conveying conveyor section 2 may be provided on the secondary conveying conveyor line 202 and the secondary conveying conveyor section 3 may be provided on the main conveying conveyor line 201. In other words, the transfer device 1 may be used after being rotated 90 degrees in plan view.

[0097] In the embodiment described above, a connecting member 67 was interposed between the horizontal moving members 65 and 66, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The horizontal moving members 65 and 66 may be directly connected.

[0098] In the embodiment described above, the horizontal moving members 65 and 66 were connected by a connecting member 67 that does not have a rotation function, but the present invention is not limited thereto. A guide roller 68 may be interposed between the horizontal moving members 65 and 66 as the connecting member of the present invention, and the horizontal moving members 65 and 66 may be connected by the guide roller 68. In this case, the guide roller 68 may be provided on the outside of the horizontal moving members 65 and 66, or it may be omitted.

[0099] In the embodiment described above, the pinion section of the change drive source 7 was composed of two pinion sections 96a and 96b, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The pinion section of the change drive source 7 may be composed of a single pinion section.

[0100] In the embodiments described above, the case in which the diameters of the main transport cam follower sections 30a and 30b and the diameters of the sub-transport cam follower sections 50a and 50b are the same was explained, but the present invention is not limited to this. The diameters of the main transport cam follower sections 30a and 30b and the diameters of the sub-transport cam follower sections 50a and 50b may be different.

[0101] In the embodiments described above, the case where the heights of the main transport cam follower sections 30a and 30b and the heights of the sub-transport cam follower sections 50a and 50b are the same was explained, but the present invention is not limited to this. The heights of the main transport cam follower sections 30a and 30b and the heights of the sub-transport cam follower sections 50a and 50b may be different.

[0102] In the embodiments described above, the main transport cam follower sections 30a, 30b and the sub-transport cam follower sections 50a, 50b had their respective rotation axes substantially aligned vertically during attitude change operations, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The main transport cam follower sections 30a, 30b and the sub-transport cam follower sections 50a, 50b may be horizontally offset within a range where they overlap vertically when viewed from the rotation axis direction of the main transport cam follower section 30a. That is, they may be horizontally offset within a range where the sub-transport cam follower sections 50a, 50b are located on the vertical projection plane of the main transport cam follower sections 30a, 30b.

[0103] In the embodiments described above, the components can be freely substituted or added between each embodiment, as long as they fall within the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0104] 1 Transfer equipment 2. Main conveyor section 3. Sub-conveyor section 7. Changeable drive source (drive source) 21a~21e Main conveyor rollers 22a~22d Interlocking gear section between rollers 23 Conveyor-side gear section 26 Roller-side gear section 27 Main transport path 30a, 30b Main conveying cam follower section 41a~41h Sub-conveyor rollers 43. Secondary transport route 50a, 50b Sub-transport cam follower section 65 First horizontal moving member 66 Second horizontal moving member 67 Connecting Member 70a, 70b First linear cam section 71. First Rack Section 75a,75b 1st high position part 76a,76b 1st low position part 80a, 80b Second linear cam section 81. Second Rack Section 85a,85b 2nd high position part 86a,86b 2nd low position part 90. Motor-integrated roller (main transport drive motor) 91a, 91b Drive-side gear section 95 Geared motor (motor) 96a, 96b Pinion section 100 plane area 200 items (transported goods)

Claims

1. It has a main conveyor section, a secondary conveyor section, and a lifting mechanism. The main conveying conveyor section has a main conveying path that conveys the conveyed object in a predetermined direction and a main conveying cam follower section. The aforementioned auxiliary conveyor section includes an auxiliary conveying path that conveys the conveyed objects in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the main conveying path, and an auxiliary conveying cam follower section. When viewed from above, the main transport path and the secondary transport path overlap in part or all of their respective regions. The lifting mechanism includes a first horizontal moving member, a second horizontal moving member, and a drive source for moving the first horizontal moving member and the second horizontal moving member in the horizontal direction. The first horizontal moving member has a first linear cam portion, The second horizontal moving member has a second linear cam portion, By driving the aforementioned drive source, the main transport cam follower unit travels on the first linear cam unit, and the sub-transport cam follower unit travels on the second linear cam unit, enabling a posture change operation in which one of the transport paths, the main transport path or the sub-transport path, rises and the other transport path descends. The transfer device wherein, in the attitude change operation, the main transport cam follower section has an overlapping portion with the sub-transport cam follower section on the vertical projection plane when viewed from the rotation axis direction of the main transport cam follower section.

2. The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the rotation axis of the main transport cam follower and the rotation axis of the sub-transport cam follower are substantially aligned vertically when viewed from the rotation axis direction of the main transport cam follower during the attitude change operation.

3. The first horizontal moving member is fixed to the second horizontal moving member either directly or by sandwiching a connecting member between them. The transfer device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first horizontal moving member and the second horizontal moving member move together horizontally during the attitude change operation.

4. The first linear cam section has a first high position section and a first low position section. The second linear cam section has a second high position section and a second low position section. The transfer device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, when viewed from the direction of the rotation axis of the main transport cam follower, the second high-position portion is located above the first low-position portion, and the first high-position portion is located above the second low-position portion.

5. The transfer device according to claim 4, wherein the second elevated portion is provided at the end of the second horizontal moving member in the direction of movement of the second horizontal moving member.

6. The first horizontal moving member has a first rack section, The second horizontal moving member has a second rack section, The transfer device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the drive source comprises the first rack section and the second rack section, a pinion section constituting a rack and pinion mechanism, and a motor for rotating the pinion section.

7. The aforementioned auxiliary conveyor section is a roller conveyor in which a plurality of auxiliary conveyor rollers are arranged in the conveying direction of the auxiliary conveying path. The transfer device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the main conveying conveyor section has a plurality of main conveying rollers, and the main conveying rollers rise from between adjacent sub-conveying rollers in the conveying direction of the sub-conveying path.

8. The aforementioned posture change operation involves changing between a main transport posture in which the main transport path is at a higher position than the secondary transport path and the transported object can be transported on the main transport path, and a secondary transport posture in which the secondary transport path is at a higher position than the main transport path and the transported object can be transported on the secondary transport path. The transfer device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when changing from the main transport position to the sub-transport position, the rotation axis of the main transport cam follower section descends from a position higher than the rotation axis of the sub-transport cam follower section, passes through a position at the same height as the rotation axis of the sub-transport cam follower section, and then settles at a position lower than the rotation axis of the sub-transport cam follower section.

9. The aforementioned posture change operation involves changing between a main transport posture in which the main transport path is at a higher position than the secondary transport path and the transported object can be transported on the main transport path, and a secondary transport posture in which the secondary transport path is at a higher position than the main transport path and the transported object can be transported on the secondary transport path. It has a main transport drive motor with a drive-side gear section, The main conveying section has a plurality of main conveying rollers and a conveyor-side gear section that is interlocked with the main conveying rollers. In the sub-conveying position, the tip circle of the conveyor-side gear is contained within the tip circle of the drive-side gear, but the pitch circle of the drive-side gear and the pitch circle of the conveyor-side gear are separated, and as the posture is changed from the sub-conveying position to the main conveying position, the pitch circle of the drive-side gear and the pitch circle of the conveyor-side gear come closer together, as described in claim 1 or 2.

10. The transfer device according to claim 9, wherein the tip circle of the drive-side gear portion is located within the pitch circle of the conveyor-side gear portion in the main transport position.

11. The transfer device according to claim 9, wherein the tip circle of the drive-side gear portion is separated from the pitch circle of the conveyor-side gear portion in the sub-transporting position.

12. The main conveying roller has a roller-side gear section, The main conveying section has a roller interlocking gear section that meshes with the roller-side gear section and interlocks the main conveying rollers adjacent to each other in the conveying direction of the main conveying path. The transfer device according to claim 9, wherein the interlocking gear section between the rollers meshes with the conveyor-side gear section.

13. It has a main conveyor section, a secondary conveyor section, and a lifting mechanism. The main conveying section has a main conveying path that conveys the conveyed objects in a predetermined direction. The aforementioned secondary conveying conveyor section has a secondary conveying path that conveys the conveyed objects in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the main conveying path, When viewed from above, the main transport path and the secondary transport path overlap in part or all of their respective regions. The system is capable of performing a posture change operation to switch between a main transport posture in which the main transport path is at a higher position than the secondary transport path and the transported object can be transported on the main transport path, and a secondary transport posture in which the transported object can be transported on the secondary transport path and the secondary transport path is at a higher position than the main transport path. It has a main transport drive motor with a drive-side gear section, The main conveying section has a plurality of main conveying rollers and a conveyor-side gear section that is interlocked with the main conveying rollers. In the aforementioned secondary transport position, the tip circle of the conveyor-side gear is contained within the tip circle of the drive-side gear, but the pitch circle of the drive-side gear and the pitch circle of the conveyor-side gear are separated, and as the posture is changed from the secondary transport position to the main transport position, the pitch circle of the drive-side gear and the pitch circle of the conveyor-side gear come closer together, in a transfer device.

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