Material handling equipment

Abstract

To provide an article conveyance device capable of efficiently conveying articles along a linear conveying passage without holding an interval, between respective pairs of movable elements adjacent to each other, more than necessary.SOLUTION: Each of a pair of movable elements 21a, 21b is provided with a rotation support member 11 which is attached rotatably around a support part rotation shaft 11a vertical to a conveying plane surface P for supporting a gripper part 16. The pair of rotation support members 11 are mutually connected to each other via a connection member 12 attached between them. A pair of connection leg parts 13a, 13b of the connection member 12 are, by connecting one end parts 13c to each other rotatably around a leg part rotational connection shaft 14 vertical to a conveying direction X, and connecting each of the other end parts 13d to the rotation support member 11 rotatably around a central shaft 15 parallel to the leg part rotational connection shaft 14, connected to each other via the connection member 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an article conveying device, and more particularly to an article conveying device including a linear conveying path and a mover, and capable of conveying an article in a state of being sandwiched between gripper portions supported by a pair of movers.

Background Art

[0002] For example, in a product manufacturing factory for articles such as daily necessities, a linear conveying device using a linear motor may be adopted as an article conveying device that enables various work processes to be performed while conveying and moving articles in a predetermined product line (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). The linear conveying device is preferably a known conveying device including a linear conveying path provided with electromagnets along a horizontal conveying plane, and a plurality of movers provided with magnetic bodies that are movable along the linear conveying path. For example, by flowing an electric current through a large number of coils forming the electromagnets, a driving force for the movers is generated, and by controlling the magnetic poles with the current value, each mover can be moved at a predetermined conveying speed preferably in a loop (endless) shape while being guided along the linear conveying path.

[0003] In addition, in a linear conveying device using a linear motor, in order to move each mover preferably in a loop (endless) shape, the linear conveying path is arranged to have a shape including a straight portion and a curved portion, such as an oval shape. The article to be conveyed is held in a state of being sandwiched between a pair of holding members respectively supported and attached to each pair of movers, and moves along the linear conveying path. For this reason, in the straight portion of the linear conveying path, each pair of holding members that were preferably arranged in parallel change to a state of, for example, spreading out when the mover passes through the curved portion (see FIGS. 9(a) and (b)), and the article cannot be continuously held in a stable state.

[0004] Patent Documents 1 and 2 describe methods for ensuring that when a pair of movable elements move from a straight section to a curved section or from a curved section to a straight section in a linear transport path, the pair of holding members do not change to, for example, a flared shape, thereby enabling the transport of an item while maintaining a stable grip (holding). [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2016 / 0176659 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-160909 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] In the linear conveying device described in Reference 1, a pair of holding members, each rotatably supported on a pair of movable elements, are angled by a single connecting rod, so that the pair of holding members remain parallel when the movable elements move, for example, from a straight section to a curved section. While this enables the gripping of articles, the linear conveying device described in Reference 1 cannot change the length of the connecting rod. Therefore, even if the articles gripped by the pair of holding members are small, when multiple pairs of movable elements gripping articles are moved continuously along the linear conveying path, a gap longer than necessary, equal to the length of the connecting rod, is maintained between adjacent pairs of movable elements. As a result, only a limited number of pairs of movable elements can be moved along the linear conveying path, making it difficult to efficiently convey articles.

[0007] Furthermore, in the linear conveying device described in Reference 2, the items to be conveyed are not directly gripped by a pair of holding members supported by a pair of movable elements, but rather are conveyed while placed in a conveying case sandwiched between these elements. As a result, it becomes necessary to change conveying cases of different sizes each time depending on the size of the shape of the items, which again makes it difficult to efficiently convey items along the linear conveying path.

[0008] The present invention relates to an article conveying device that can efficiently and stably convey articles along a linear conveying path without maintaining an excessive gap between adjacent pairs of movable elements, even when gripping small articles, and without using conveying cases that need to be replaced depending on the size and shape of the articles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention relates to an article conveying device comprising a linear conveying path arranged along a conveying plane, having straight and curved sections and equipped with electromagnets, and a movable element equipped with a magnetic material that is movable along the linear conveying path, wherein the article is conveyed in a state in which the article is held between a pair of gripper sections, each supported by a pair of movable elements, wherein the pair of movable elements are provided with a pair of rotatable support members that support the pair of gripper sections, and the pair of rotatable support members are rotatably mounted about a support rotation axis perpendicular to the conveying plane, and the pair of rotatable support members are connected to each other via a connecting member attached between them, the connecting member consists of a pair of connecting legs, the ends of which are rotatably connected to each other about a leg rotation connecting axis perpendicular to the conveying direction by the linear conveying path when viewed from above the conveying plane, and the other ends of which are rotatably connected to each of the rotatable support members about a central axis parallel to the leg rotation connecting axis, thereby the pair of rotatable support members are connected to each other via the connecting member. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the article conveying device of the present invention, even when gripping small articles, articles can be conveyed efficiently and stably along a linear conveying path without maintaining an unnecessary gap between each pair of adjacent movable elements, and without using conveying cases that need to be changed depending on the size of the article. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a partial plan view illustrating an article conveying device according to a preferred first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a partial perspective view illustrating the linear transport path and movable element of an article transport device according to a preferred first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an enlarged view of part A in Figure 1, illustrating the main part of the article conveying device according to a preferred first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a side view of Figure 3, taken from direction B. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the main parts illustrating a pair of movable elements, a rotating support member, and a connecting member that constitute the article transport device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6(a) is a perspective view of the rotating support member constituting the article conveying device according to the first embodiment, and Figure 6(b) is a perspective view of the connecting member. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a perspective view of the main parts illustrating a pair of movable elements, a rotating support member, and a connecting member that constitute the article transport device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 8] Figure 8(a) is a perspective view of the rotating support member constituting the article conveying device according to the second embodiment, and Figure 8(b) is a perspective view of the connecting member. [Figure 9] Figures 9(a) and 9(b) are plan views of key components illustrating the problems that occur when a pair of movable elements transition from a straight section to a curved section in a conventional linear transport system. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] A preferred first embodiment of the present invention, the article conveying device 10 (see Figure 1), is used, for example, in an article manufacturing plant, when manufacturing bottle containers 22 containing liquid detergent or the like as everyday goods, as a conveying device that allows various work processes to be carried out while conveying and moving the articles 22 along a predetermined manufacturing line. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the article conveying device 10 of this first embodiment includes a linear conveying path 20 arranged to form a conveying plane, similar to known linear conveying devices, and a plurality of movable elements 21 designed on the linear conveying path and moving along the conveying plane. Furthermore, by improving the holding mechanism for holding (gripping) the articles 22 with each pair of movable elements 21, each article 22 can be conveyed while being held in a stable state when conveying the articles 22 along the linear conveying path 20.

[0013] In this first embodiment, the linear transport path 20 and the plurality of movable elements 21 that constitute the article transport device 10 are configured such that the linear transport path 20 is equipped with, for example, numerous electromagnets made of coils inside, and preferably the upper surface of the linear transport path 20 is arranged along a transport plane P (see Figure 4) which is a horizontal surface, and by passing current through the numerous coils that form the electromagnets, the propulsive force of each movable element 21 can be generated. Each movable element 21 can move at a predetermined transport speed, preferably in pairs, while being guided by the upper surface and the side surface perpendicular to the loop-shaped (endless) linear transport path 20 which preferably has a straight section 20a and a curved section 20b, for example by controlling the magnetic poles of the electromagnets in the linear transport path 20 with a current value.

[0014] Furthermore, when transporting an article 22 using a conventional linear transport device consisting of a linear transport path 20 and multiple movable elements 21, for example, as shown in Figures 9(a) and (b), the article 22 is gripped and held between a pair of gripper parts (holding members) 16', each supported by a pair of movable elements 21, and the article 22 is transported along the linear transport path 20. When each pair of movable elements 21 passes through the straight section 20a (see Figure 9(a)) of the linear transport path 20 and moves to the curved section 20b (see Figure 9(b)), the pair of gripper parts (holding members) 16' change from, for example, a parallel arrangement to a flared arrangement, making it impossible to continue gripping the article 22 in a stable state.

[0015] The article conveying device 10 of this first embodiment solves the problems of such conventional linear conveying devices. By improving the holding mechanism for holding articles 22 with each pair of movable elements 21, for example, when each pair of movable elements 21 moves from the straight section 20a of the linear conveying path 20 to the curved section 20b, the article 22 can be continuously held by the pair of gripper parts (holding members) 16. In other words, the article conveying device 10 of this first embodiment can efficiently and stably convey articles 22 along the linear conveying path 20 with each pair of movable elements 21.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the article conveying device 10 of the first embodiment includes a linear conveying path 20 having a straight portion 20a and a curved portion 20b and provided with an electromagnet (not shown), and the upper surface portion is disposed along a conveying plane P (see FIG. 4) that is preferably a horizontal plane. The linear conveying path 20 includes a mover 21 (see FIG. 2) that can move along the linear conveying path 20 by including a magnetic body. The mover 21 is used as a pair of movers 21a and 21b that are grouped in pairs of two. An article such as a bottle container 22 can be conveyed in a state where the article 22 is sandwiched between a pair of gripper portions 16 respectively supported by the pair of movers 21a and 21b. As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, each mover 21 constituting the pair of movers 21a and 21b is rotatably attached about a support portion rotation axis 11a perpendicular to the conveying plane P, and each supports a gripper portion 16. A pair of rotation support members 11 are provided. Further, these pair of rotation support members 11 are connected to each other via a connection member 12 attached between the pair of rotation support members 11. The connection member 12 is composed of a pair of connection leg portions 13a and 13b, and the one end portions 13c of these pair of connection leg portions 13a and 13b are each centered on a leg rotation connection axis 14 (see FIG. 5) perpendicular to the conveying direction X by the linear conveying path 20 when viewed from above the conveying plane P. , Are rotatably connected. Further, the other end portions 13d of each are rotatably connected to the respective rotation support members 11 about a central axis 15 (see FIG. 5) parallel to the leg rotation connection axis 14, so that the pair of rotation support members 11 are connected to each other via the connection member 12. Are connected.

[0017] In addition, in the article conveying device 10 of the first embodiment, the connecting member 12 is provided in a state where the leg rotation connecting shaft 14 that connects the pair of connecting leg portions 13a and 13b is disposed above the rotation support member 11 (see FIG. 5). The gripper portion 16, which is a holding portion, is provided so as to project in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction X by the linear conveyance path 20 from each support leg portion 17 erected from the pair of rotation support members 11. In the first embodiment, the gripper portion 16, which is a holding portion, is preferably provided so as to project in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction X outside the loop-shaped conveyance path 20 as a direction intersecting the conveyance direction X by the linear conveyance path 20. The gripper portion 16 can also be provided so as to project inside the loop-shaped conveyance path 20.

[0018] In the article conveying device 10 of the first embodiment, the linear conveyance path 20 is arranged to have a planar shape having a straight portion 20a and a curved portion 20b, preferably an oval planar shape (see FIG. 1). A plurality of pairs of movers 21 are installed on the side surface portion of the linear conveyance path 20 so as to be guided and movable. The bottle container, which is the article 22 to be conveyed, is held (gripped) in a state of being sandwiched between the U-shaped gripping portions 16a of the pair of gripper portions 16, with the pair of gripper portions 16 provided to be supported by each pair of movers 21a and 21b as holding portions, and is conveyed while being guided by the linear conveyance path 20 as the pair of movers 21a and 21b move. Each pair of movers 21a and 21b is attached with the above-described pair of gripper portions 16, the pair of rotation support members 11, and the connecting member 12 that connects the pair of rotation support members 11 as holding (gripping) mechanisms for holding (gripping) the article 22.

[0019] As shown in Figure 6(a), the pair of rotating support members 11 constituting the gripping mechanism each include a support body 18, a support leg 17, and a gripper 16. The support body 18 is a joining portion for integrally joining the rotating support member 11 to the tip (upper end) of the movable element 21, and includes a base portion 18a on which the support rotation axis 11a is provided, and an overhang portion 18b to which the other ends 13d of the connecting leg portions 13a and 13b of the connecting member 12, which will be described later, are connected. In this first embodiment, each overhang portion 18b is preferably provided extending outwards from the base portion 18a on the same side. By joining the support body 18 to the tip of the movable element 21 via the support rotation axis 11a of the base portion 18a, the pair of rotating support members 11 are rotatably attached to the respective movable elements 21a and 21b, with respect to the support rotation axis 11a which is perpendicular to the transport plane P (see Figure 4). Each protruding portion 18b is provided with a pin hole 18c formed through it in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction X by the linear transport path 20.

[0020] The support legs 17 are portions that are preferably erected vertically from the side edges of the base portions 18a of each of the support body portions 18 of the pair of rotating support members 11, at a height of approximately 100 mm. In this first embodiment, each support leg 17 has a roughly triangular front shape, with its width decreasing from the erect base end on the base portion 18a side toward the tip. At the tip of each support leg 17, a gripper portion 16, which serves as a holding portion, is fixed in a state that protrudes toward the side away from the linear transport path 20, for example, by using fixing screws, and is positioned considerably above the linear transport path 20 (for example, approximately 100 mm) (see Figure 4). Because the gripper portion 16, which serves as a holding portion, is positioned above the linear transport path 20 via the support legs 17, the pair of movable elements 21 can switch to another linear transport path (not shown) arranged adjacent to the linear transport path 20, for example.

[0021] In this first embodiment, each of the pair of gripper portions 16 has a bent-shaped gripping portion 16a on the tip side opposite to the fixed base portion 16b of the support leg portion 17. The pair of bent-shaped gripping portions 16a are arranged with their bent recesses facing each other. These bent-shaped gripping portions 16a on the tip side of the gripper portion 16 make it possible to grip the bottle container, which is the article 22, in a more stable manner. Furthermore, it is possible to hold multiple types of containers of different sizes, and also to position (center) the gripped bottle container 22 so that its center position in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction X remains constant, regardless of the size of the gripped bottle container 22.

[0022] Furthermore, an elastic material 16c is preferably attached as an attachment to the inner surface of each angled gripping portion 16a of the pair of gripper portions 16. The elastic material 16c attached as an attachment is made of a material that elastically deforms to easily conform to the outer shape of the article 22, and can be formed using a material such as silicone rubber. The elastic material 16c is preferably shaped to make contact with the article 22 to be held over a surface rather than at a point, and can be, for example, a curved shape with a bulge. In order to facilitate the guidance of the article 22 to a fixed position, preferably in the central part of the angled gripping portion 16a, the elastic material 16c can be made using a low-friction material such as polyethylene, and if it is desired to prevent the gripped article 22 from slipping, it can also be made using a high-friction material.

[0023] As shown in Figure 6(b), the connecting member 12 that connects the pair of rotating support members 11 consists of a pair of connecting legs 13a and 13b, namely a first connecting leg 13a and a second connecting leg 13b. The first connecting leg 13a and the second connecting leg 13b are rotatably connected at one end 13c of each leg, with respect to a leg rotation connecting axis 14 that is perpendicular to the transport direction X by the linear transport path 20 when viewed from above on the transport plane P. That is, in this first embodiment, one end 13c of the first connecting leg 13a is formed as a bifurcated branch, and one end 13c of the second connecting leg 13b is also formed as a bifurcated portion with a spacing width similar to that of the bifurcated portion of the first connecting leg 13a. The bifurcated portion of one end 13c of the second connecting leg 13b is inserted between the bifurcated portions of one end 13c of the first connecting leg 13a, and a pin member is inserted, for example, with the axes of the pin holes formed in these bifurcated portions aligned. Preferably, the pin member is fixed to the outer bifurcated portion, and the inner bifurcated portion is rotatably supported by the pin member, so that the pin member acts as the leg rotation connecting shaft 14, and the first connecting leg 13a and the second connecting leg 13b can be rotatably connected. As for the method of fixing the pin member to the outer bifurcated portion, it is preferable to fix it with a set bolt so that the pin member can be easily replaced, or the pin member may be fixed by processing and assembling so that the diameter of the pin hole in the outer bifurcated portion and the diameter of the pin member are in an interference fit relationship.

[0024] Furthermore, in this first embodiment, a biasing means 19 is provided at the rotatable connecting portion between one end 13c of the first connecting leg 13a and the second connecting leg 13b, which biases the pair of movable elements 21a, 21b (see Figure 5) to narrow the distance between them. In this first embodiment, the biasing means 19 is preferably a torsion spring mounted on the outer circumference of the leg rotation connecting shaft 14. The biasing means 19, consisting of a torsion spring, functions as an angle biasing means that biases the pair of connecting legs 13a, 13b to narrow the distance between them, for example, by biasing the angle between the pair of connecting legs 13a, 13b to become smaller in the leg rotation connecting shaft 14 that connects the pair of connecting legs 13a, 13b.

[0025] The pair of movable elements 21a and 21b are controlled to maintain a constant distance from each other while power is supplied to the device. However, when the power is cut off, this control is lost, and each movable element 21a and 21b receives a reaction force from the article 22 it is gripping, which may cause the distance between them to widen. This can make it difficult to hold the article 22. By providing a biasing means 19 that biases the pair of movable elements 21a and 21b to narrow the distance between them, it becomes possible to continue holding the article 22 even if, for example, the power is cut off and the propulsive force of the pair of movable elements 21a and 21b from the linear transport path 20 is no longer available.

[0026] Furthermore, referring to Figure 6(b), in this first embodiment, the other end 13d of the first connecting leg 13a is a portion that extends linearly and flatly from the portion on the side of the one end 13c, and a pin hole 13e is provided in this other end 13d, which is formed to pass through in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction X by the linear transport path 20 and parallel to the leg rotation connecting shaft 14 of the one end 13c. The other end 13d of the second connecting leg 13b is also provided with a pin hole 13e, which is formed to pass through in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction X by the linear transport path 20 and parallel to the leg rotation connecting shaft 14 of the one end.

[0027] The first connecting leg 13a and the second connecting leg 13b are connected to the support body 18 of the pair of rotating support members 11 by aligning their other ends 13d with the protruding portion 18b of the support body 18 of the pair of rotating support members 11, engaging them from the same side in the transport direction X, and aligning the axis of each pin hole 13e with the axis of the pin hole formed in the protruding portion 18b of the support body 18, and by inserting, for example, a pin member. In this way, the first connecting leg 13a and the second connecting leg 13b of the connecting member 12 are rotatably connected to the support body 18 of the pair of rotating support members 11, with the pin member serving as a central axis 15 (see Figure 5) parallel to the leg rotation connecting axis 14.

[0028] In the article transport device 10 of this first embodiment, which has the above-described configuration, for example, by controlling the magnetic poles of the electromagnets in the linear transport path 20 with a current value, the pair of movable elements 21 can be set to be arranged at a predetermined interval, as shown in Figure 1, thereby gripping the bottle container, which is the article 22, between the pair of gripper parts 16 of the rotating support member 11. In this state, by further controlling the current flowing through the electromagnets, it becomes possible to move and transport the article 22 while guiding it along the linear transport path 20, while keeping it gripped (held) between the pair of gripper parts 16.

[0029] In the article conveying device 10 of this first embodiment, each of the pair of movable elements 21a and 21b is provided with a pair of rotatable support members 11 that are rotatable about a support rotation axis 11a perpendicular to the conveying plane P, and the pair of rotatable support members 11 are connected to each other via a connecting member 12 attached between them. The pair of connecting legs 13a and 13b of the connecting member 12 are rotatably connected at one end 13c of each leg about a leg rotation connecting axis 14 perpendicular to the conveying direction X by the linear conveying path 20. The other end 13d of each leg is similarly rotatably connected to each rotatable support member 11 about a central axis 15 (see Figure 5) perpendicular to the conveying direction X and parallel to the leg rotation connecting axis 14, so that the pair of rotatable support members 11 are connected to each other via the connecting member 12.

[0030] As a result, according to the article conveying device 10 of this first embodiment, when the pair of movable elements 21 holding the article 22 move along the linear conveying path 20, for example, from a straight section 20a to a curved section 20b, the pair of gripper parts 16, which were preferably arranged parallel to each other in the straight section 20a, can be held in the same state in the curved section 20b without changing to a flared state as shown in Figure 3, thereby enabling the article 22 to be held in a stable state.

[0031] Furthermore, according to the article conveying device 10 of this first embodiment, the pair of rotating support members 11 that support the gripper portion 16 are connected via connecting members 12 attached to the portion between them. Even when the distance between the pair of movable members 21a, 21b is changed depending on the size of the article 22 gripped by the pair of gripper portions 16, the change in the distance between the pair of movable members 21 is absorbed by changing the angle of the rotatably connected connecting legs 13a, 13b of the connecting member 12 attached between the pair of rotating support members 11. As a result, even when gripping small articles, it is possible to efficiently convey the articles 22 in a stable state along the linear conveying path 20 without maintaining an unnecessary distance between each pair of adjacent movable members 21, and without the need to change the conveying case depending on the size of the article 22.

[0032] Furthermore, according to the article conveying device 10 of this first embodiment, the pair of gripper sections 16 are each supported and attached to a pair of rotating support members 11, and the connecting member 12 for maintaining the relative angle of the pair of gripper sections 16 preferably parallel is an independent member from the pair of rotating support members 11. Therefore, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom of part layout without depending on the position of the gripper sections 16. Also, since the opening and closing operation of the pair of gripper sections 16 is linear motion, it is easier to eliminate the displacement of the gripping position (vertical displacement) due to the size of the article 22 compared to the second embodiment described later. Furthermore, since the components constituting the device 10, such as the connecting member 12, can be arranged above the conveying plane P, the pair of movable elements 21 can switch to another linear conveying path (not shown) arranged adjacent to the linear conveying path 20, for example.

[0033] Figure 7 is a perspective view of the main parts illustrating a pair of movable elements 21, a rotating support member 31, and a connecting member 32 that constitute an article conveying device according to a preferred second embodiment of the present invention. According to this second embodiment, the linear conveying path 20 (see Figure 1) and the movable elements 21 (see Figure 2) are the same as the linear conveying path 20 and movable elements 21 of the first embodiment described above. On the other hand, the connecting member 32 that connects the pair of rotating support members 31, which constitute a holding (gripping) mechanism for holding (gripping) the article 22, is attached to the portion between these rotating support members 31, and a leg rotation connecting shaft 34 that connects one end 33c of a pair of connecting legs 33a, 33b of the connecting member 32 is provided positioned below the rotating support members 31. In this second embodiment, each leg rotation connecting shaft 34 has the other end 33d, and is connected to a support rod portion 37 that extends upward with the other end 33d as the boundary. Furthermore, each support rod portion 37 is provided with a gripper portion 36. More specifically, the gripper portion 36 is provided extending upward from each of the pair of support rod portions 37, which are provided extending upward from each of the other ends 33d of the pair of connecting leg portions 33a of the connecting member 32, and is provided extending in a direction that intersects with the transport direction X by the linear transport path 20, for example, on the outside of the loop-shaped transport path 20, preferably in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction X.

[0034] In other words, in this second embodiment, the pair of rotating support members 31 constituting the gripping mechanism are, as shown in Figure 8(a), each a thick plate-shaped joining member, and each comprises a base portion 38a on which a support rotation axis 31a is provided, and an overhang portion 38b. The overhang portion 38b forms a recess into which the boundary portion with the support rod portion 37, which is the other end 33d of the connecting leg portions 33a, 33b of the connecting member 32 described later, is attached. In this second embodiment, each overhang portion 38b extends in an L-shape from the side of the base portion 38a, perpendicular to the conveying direction X when viewed from above on the conveying plane P, and is integrally provided with the base portion 38a with a pair of recesses formed by the overhanging L-shape facing each other. The pair of rotating support members 31 are rotatably attached to the respective movable elements 21a and 21b, respectively, by joining the base portion 38a to the tip of the movable element 21 via the support rotation axis 31a. Pin holes 38c are formed through the bent portion at the tip of each protruding portion 38b and the side portion of the base portion 38a, in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction X by the linear transport path 20.

[0035] As shown in Figure 8(b), the connecting member 32 that connects the pair of rotating support members 31 consists of a pair of connecting legs 33a and 33b, namely a first connecting leg 33a and a second connecting leg 33b. The first connecting leg 33a and the second connecting leg 33b are rotatably connected at one end 33c of each, with respect to a leg rotation connecting axis 34 that is perpendicular to the transport direction X by the linear transport path 20 when viewed from above on the transport plane P. That is, in this second embodiment, one end 33c of the first connecting leg 33a is formed in a bifurcated branch shape, and one end 33c of the second connecting leg 33b is formed as a strip-shaped portion with a width similar to the spacing width of the bifurcated portion of one end 33c of the first connecting leg 33a. By inserting the strip-shaped portion of one end 33c of the second connecting leg 33b between the branched bifurcated portion of one end 33c of the first connecting leg 33a, and aligning the axes of the pin holes formed in each of these end 33c, for example, a pin member is inserted and secured in a standard manner to prevent it from coming loose, thereby using the pin member as the leg rotation connecting shaft 34 to rotatably connect the first connecting leg 33a and the second connecting leg 33b. The end 33c of the second connecting leg 33b can also be formed as a bifurcated portion. This allows a biasing means 19, such as a torsion spring, to be attached to the connecting portion between the first connecting leg 33a and the second connecting leg 33b, similar to the first embodiment described above.

[0036] Furthermore, in this second embodiment, a pair of support rod portions 37 are provided, extending upward from the other end 33d of the pair of connecting legs 33a and 33b of the connecting member 32, with the other end 33d serving as the boundary. At the tip portions of the pair of support rod portions 37, gripper portions 36, which serve as holding portions, are fixed in a state where they protrude toward the side away from the linear transport path 20, for example, by using fixing screws, and are provided at a considerable distance (for example, about 100 mm) above the linear transport path 20. The pair of gripper portions 36 have a V-shaped gripping portion 36a, similar to the gripper portion 16 of the first embodiment described above. Similar to the gripper portion 16 of the first embodiment described above, an elastically deformable elastic material 36c can preferably be attached as an attachment to the inner surface of each V-shaped gripping portion 36a of the pair of gripper portions 36.

[0037] Furthermore, in this second embodiment, the other end 33d of the pair of connecting legs 33a and 33b of the connecting member 32, which is the boundary portion with the pair of support rod portions 37, is provided with a pin hole 33e formed through it so as to extend parallel to the leg rotation connecting shaft 34 of one end 33c, in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction X by the linear transport path 20. The first connecting leg 33a and the second connecting leg 33b are attached by fitting their other ends 33d into recesses formed by the protruding portions 38b of the pair of rotating support members 31. In detail, the axis of the pin hole 33e is aligned with the axis of the pin hole 38c formed through the tip-side bent portion of the protruding portion 38b and the side surface of the base portion 38a of the rotating support member 31, and the two rotating support members 31 are connected by, for example, inserting a pin member. As a result, the first connecting leg 33a and the second connecting leg 33b of the connecting member 32 are rotatably connected to a pair of rotating support members 31, with the pin member serving as a central axis 35 (see Figure 7) parallel to the leg rotation connecting shaft 34.

[0038] The article conveying device of the second embodiment, having the configuration described above, also provides the same effects and advantages as the article conveying device 10 of the first embodiment when the pair of movable elements 21a and 21b holding the article 22 move along the linear conveying path 20, for example, from the straight section 20a to the curved section 20b.

[0039] Furthermore, in the article conveying device of this second embodiment, since the pair of gripper parts 36 are each supported and attached to a connecting member 32 that connects the pair of rotating support members 31, the pair of gripper parts 36 and the connecting member 32 can be formed as a single integrated part. In addition, by adjusting the position of the pin hole 33e, which serves as the pivot point for rotation, it becomes possible to adjust the lever ratio as needed, and it also becomes possible to open and close the gripper parts 36 by a larger amount than the relative movement of the pair of movable elements 21a and 21b. The gripper parts 36 perform a slight pivoting motion, which may cause a displacement of the gripping position, particularly in the vertical direction, depending on the size of the article 22. However, by attaching an elastic material attachment to the inner surface of the pair of gripper parts 36, for example, it is possible to eliminate the effect of such displacement. The elastic material attachment, as in the first embodiment described above, can preferably have a curved shape with a bulge, so that it can contact the article 22 to be held with a surface rather than a point.

[0040] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and can be modified in various ways. For example, it is not necessarily required that a biasing means be provided to bias the distance between the pair of movable elements to narrow, nor is it necessarily required that an elastically deformable elastic material be attached to the inner surface of each of the gripper parts. The conveying plane may be a plane that is inclined from a horizontal plane. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0041] 10. Material handling equipment 11,31 Rotating support member 11a, 31a Support part rotation shaft 12,32 Connecting members 13a, 33a First connecting leg 13b, 33b Second connecting leg 13c,33c One end 13d,33d Other end 13e, 33e pin holes 14,34 Leg rotation connecting shaft 15,35 center axis 16,36 Gripper section 16a, 36a L-shaped gripping part 16b Fixed proximal end 16c Elastic material (attachment) 17 Support legs 18 Support main body 18a,38a Base part 18b,38b Overhang 18c,38c pin hole 19. Biasing means (torsion spring) 20 Linear transport path 20a Straight section 20b Curve section 21,21a,21b Mover 22. Items (bottle containers) 37 Support rod section P Conveyor Plane X Rear of transport

Claims

1. An article conveying device comprising a linear conveying path having straight and curved sections and equipped with electromagnets, arranged along a conveying plane, and a movable element equipped with a magnetic material that is movable along the linear conveying path, wherein an article is conveyed while being held between a pair of gripper parts, each supported by a pair of movable elements, The pair of movable members are provided with a pair of rotatable support members that support the pair of gripper portions, which are rotatably mounted about a support rotation axis perpendicular to the transport plane, and the pair of rotatable support members are connected to each other via a connecting member installed between the pair of rotatable support members. The connecting member consists of a pair of connecting legs, the pair of connecting legs are rotatably connected at one end each about a leg rotation connecting axis perpendicular to the conveying direction by the linear conveying path when viewed from above on the conveying plane, and the other end each is rotatably connected to the respective rotation support member about a central axis parallel to the leg rotation connecting axis, thereby connecting the pair of rotation support members to each other via the connecting member in an article conveying device.

2. The article conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting member is provided with the leg rotation connecting shaft that connects the pair of connecting legs positioned above the rotation support member, and the pair of gripper portions are provided extending from each of the support legs erected from the pair of rotation support members in a direction intersecting the conveying direction by the linear conveying path.

3. The article conveying device according to claim 1, wherein the connecting member is provided with the leg rotation connecting shaft that connects the pair of connecting legs positioned below the rotation support member, and the pair of gripper portions are provided extending upward from a pair of support rod portions that extend from the other end of each of the pair of connecting legs, in a direction intersecting the conveying direction by the linear conveying path.

4. The article conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a biasing means for biasing the pair of movable elements to narrow the distance between them.

5. The article conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an attachment is mounted on the inner surface of each of the pair of gripper portions.

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