Roller conveyor

Abstract

To provide an improved novel roller conveyor capable of suppressing wear of a transmission belt and easily or quickly replacing the transmission belt.MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM: A roller conveyor according to the present invention comprises: a drive roller and at least one relay roller, each rotating around an axis extending in a first direction intersecting the vertical direction; and a plurality of transport rollers each rotating around an axis extending in the first direction and arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction and also the vertical direction, wherein the relay roller rotates by receiving the rotation of a first main roller which is one of the driving roller and the other relay roller via a first transmission belt which is wound in an oval shape between the relay roller and the first main roller, and the transport roller conveys the article by being rotated when the rotation of a second main roller is transmitted through a second transmission belt wound in an oval shape between the drive roller and the second main roller, which is one of the driving roller and the relay roller.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a roller conveyor. [Background Art]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a roller conveyor in which a transmission belt is wound between each of a plurality of conveyance rollers for conveying articles and one line shaft extending in the conveyance direction, and the plurality of conveyance rollers are rotated via the respective transmission belts by rotating the line shaft (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-326711 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] In the roller conveyor disclosed in Patent Document 1, the rotation shafts of the plurality of conveyance rollers and the rotation shaft of the line shaft are in skewed positional relationship with each other. For this reason, each transmission belt is wound in a twisted state between the conveyance roller and the line shaft. In this case, friction in the twisting direction is generated between the transmission belt, the conveyance rollers and the line shaft, which may easily cause shaving debris from the transmission belt.

[0005] Further, in the roller conveyor of Patent Document 1, all the transmission belts are wound around one line shaft and arranged in series. For this reason, if it becomes necessary to replace a transmission belt located in the middle of the serial arrangement due to deterioration or other causes, it is necessary to remove all other transmission belts located between the transmission belt to be replaced and one longitudinal end of the line shaft, which requires labor and time for replacement and subsequent restoration.

[0006] Therefore, one of the objectives of the present invention is to provide an improved and novel roller conveyor that can, for example, suppress wear on the transmission belt or make the replacement of the transmission belt easier or quicker. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The roller conveyor of the present invention comprises, for example, a drive roller that rotates around an axis extending in a first direction intersecting the vertical direction, at least one intermediate roller that rotates around the axis extending in the first direction, and a plurality of transport rollers located above the drive roller and the intermediate roller, each rotating around an axis extending in the first direction and arranged in a second direction intersecting the first direction and the vertical direction. The intermediate roller rotates by transmitting the rotation of the first drive roller via a first transmission belt wound in an oval shape between it and the drive roller and one of the other intermediate rollers, and the transport roller rotates by transmitting the rotation of the second drive roller via a second transmission belt wound in an oval shape between it and a second drive roller, each of the drive roller and one of the intermediate rollers, to transport articles. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an exemplary and schematic plan view of a roller conveyor according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an exemplary and schematic side view of the drive roller and conveyor roller included in the roller conveyor of the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following describes exemplary embodiments of the present invention. The configurations of the embodiments shown below, as well as the operations and results (effects) obtained from such configurations, are examples only. The present invention can also be realized by configurations other than those disclosed in the following embodiments. Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain at least one of the various effects (including derived effects) that can be obtained by the following configurations.

[0010] In this specification, ordinal numbers may be assigned for convenience to distinguish directions, parts, locations, components, mechanisms, members, etc. Furthermore, ordinal numbers do not indicate priority or order, nor do they specify a number.

[0011] Each figure shows arrows indicating direction. The X, Y, and Z directions intersect and are approximately perpendicular to each other. The X and Y directions intersect with the vertical direction. When item A is transported approximately horizontally, the X and Y directions are approximately along the horizontal direction, and the Z direction is approximately along the vertical upward direction. However, this is just an example, and within the range in which item A can be transported, the X and Y directions may be inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, and the Z direction may also be inclined with respect to the vertical upward direction. The X direction or the direction opposite to the X direction is called the transport direction, the Y direction is called the width direction or axial direction, and the Z direction is called the upward direction.

[0012] [Conveyor rollers, drive rollers, and relay rollers] Figure 1 is a plan view of a roller conveyor 100 according to an embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the roller conveyor 100 is equipped with a plurality of conveying rollers 10. Each of the plurality of conveying rollers 10 extends in the Y direction and has a substantially cylindrical outer surface extending in the Y direction. The plurality of conveying rollers 10 are parallel to each other and rotate around a rotation axis that extends in the Y direction. The plurality of conveying rollers 10 are arranged in the X direction at predetermined intervals in the X direction, for example, at substantially constant intervals. In this configuration, by rotating in the same direction around their respective rotation axes, the plurality of conveying rollers 10 can convey an article A placed on the plurality of conveying rollers 10 in the X direction or the opposite direction of the X direction. The upper ends of both ends in the width direction of the plurality of conveying rollers 10 are covered by covers 111 and 112 that extend in the X direction with a predetermined width in the Y direction. The Y direction is an example of a first direction, and the X direction is an example of a second direction. The spacing between the conveying rollers 10 does not have to be constant.

[0013] In this embodiment, the multiple conveyor rollers 10 are grouped into sets of multiple adjacent rollers. In this embodiment, multiple groups G1 to G3 are set, each containing multiple conveyor rollers 10 adjacent to each other in the X direction. Each group G1 to G3 is rotationally driven by a single drive roller 20 (see Figure 2) which serves as the drive source. In this embodiment, the number of conveyor rollers 10 in each group G1 to G3 is 7, but this is not limited to this, and the number of conveyor rollers 10 can be 2 or more. However, if the number of conveyor rollers 10 is large, the electric motor that serves as the drive source will become larger, and energy loss in power transmission will increase. From this viewpoint, it has been found that in practice, it is preferable to keep the number of conveyor rollers 10 in each group G1 to G3 to 10 or less. Also, the number of conveyor rollers 10 in each group G1 to G3 may be different. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the number of groups G1 to G3 is 3, but this is not limited to this, and the number of groups G1 to G3 may be 2, or 4 or more. The longer the roller conveyor 100, the greater the number of groups G1 to G3.

[0014] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a side view showing the drive roller 20 and the conveyor roller 10. As shown in Figure 2, group G1 includes one drive roller 20 and multiple intermediate rollers 30 in addition to the multiple conveyor rollers 10 described above. The drive roller 20 and the intermediate rollers 30, like the conveyor rollers 10, extend in the Y direction and have a substantially cylindrical outer surface that extends in the Y direction.

[0015] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the transport roller 10 rotates around a rotation axis Ax1 which is roughly aligned with the Y direction. The drive roller 20 rotates around a rotation axis Ax2 which is roughly aligned with the Y direction. Although not shown, the intermediate roller 30 also rotates around a rotation axis which is roughly aligned with the Y direction. In the following, we will mainly describe the configuration and operation of group G1, but groups G2 and G3 have a similar configuration and operate in the same way.

[0016] As shown in Figure 2, each conveyor roller 10 has a fixed part 11 and a rotating part 12 that rotates around the fixed part 11. Each intermediate roller 30 has a fixed part 31 and a rotating part 32 that rotates around the fixed part 31.

[0017] Furthermore, each drive roller 20 has a fixed portion 21 and a rotating portion 22 that rotates around the fixed portion 21. The drive roller 20 is a roller that is rotationally driven by a rotational drive source, such as an electric motor. The drive roller 20 may be a roller that houses the electric motor inside. In that case, the rotating portion 22 is configured as a cylindrical shape with an outer circumferential surface, and the fixed portion 21 is housed within the cylindrical portion of the rotating portion 22. However, the drive roller 20 is not limited to such a roller, and the electric motor may be provided outside the drive roller 20. Also, a reduction mechanism or the like may be provided between the electric motor and the rotating portion 22.

[0018] One drive roller 20 and multiple intermediate rollers 30 are arranged in the X direction at predetermined intervals, for example, at approximately constant intervals. The array of one drive roller 20 and multiple intermediate rollers 30 is located below the array of multiple conveyor rollers 10. The total number of drive rollers 20 and intermediate rollers 30 is the same as the total number of multiple conveyor rollers 10, and each drive roller 20 and intermediate roller 30 is located below one conveyor roller 10 and is aligned with that conveyor roller 10 in the Z direction. Note that the spacing between rollers in the array of one drive roller 20 and multiple intermediate rollers 30 does not have to be constant.

[0019] [Transmission belt] Each first transmission belt 40 is stretched only between two rollers adjacent to each other in the X direction. That is, each first transmission belt 40 is stretched separately between a drive roller 20 and one intermediate roller 30 adjacent to each other in the X direction, and between two intermediate rollers 30 adjacent to each other in the X direction. In this configuration, first, rotational power is transmitted from the drive roller 20 to the two intermediate rollers 30 adjacent to the drive roller 20 via separate first transmission belts 40. Then, from the intermediate rollers 30 to which the rotational power has been transmitted, the rotational power is transmitted to the intermediate rollers 30 located on the opposite side of the intermediate roller 30 from the drive roller 20 via separate first transmission belts 40. In this way, within group G1, the rotational power of one drive roller 20 is sequentially transmitted to intermediate rollers 30 located away from the drive roller 20 via each first transmission belt 40, and finally transmitted to all intermediate rollers 30 included in group G1.

[0020] As described above, the rotation axis Ax2 of the drive roller 20 and the rotation axis of the intermediate roller 30 are approximately parallel to each other and are not in a twisted position. Therefore, the first transmission belt 40 is stretched in an oval shape between the drive roller 20 or the intermediate roller 30 (referred to as the first driving roller) and the intermediate roller 30 adjacent to the first driving roller in the X direction (referred to as the first driven roller) without being twisted.

[0021] Further, in the present embodiment, each second transmission belt 50 is wound only between two rollers adjacent to each other in the Z direction. That is, the second transmission belts 50 are each separately wound between each conveyance roller 10 and the drive roller 20 or relay roller 30 adjacent to said conveyance roller 10 in the Z direction. In this configuration, rotational power is transmitted from each of the drive roller 20 and the relay roller 30 to all of the conveyance rollers 10 included in the group G1 via one second transmission belt 50.

[0022] Here, as described above, the rotation axis Ax1 of the conveyance roller 10 (see FIG. 3), the rotation axis Ax2 of the drive roller 20 (see FIG. 3), and the rotation axis of the relay roller 30 are substantially parallel to each other, and do not have a skewed positional relationship. Accordingly, the second transmission belt 50 is wound in an elliptical shape without being twisted between the drive roller 20 or the relay roller 30 (referred to as a second driving roller) and the conveyance roller 10 (referred to as a second driven roller) adjacent to said second driving roller in the Z direction.

[0023] The first transmission belt 40 and the second transmission belt 50 are, for example, round belts made of a synthetic resin material, an elastomer, or the like and having a circular cross-section.

[0024] [Arrangement of Drive Rollers and Relay Rollers] In the configuration in which rotational power is sequentially transmitted from the drive roller 20 to each relay roller 30 via another relay roller 30 and a plurality of first transmission belts 40 as described above, the greater the number of intervening relay rollers 30 and first transmission belts 40, the greater the loss of rotational power due to slipping between each roller and the first transmission belt 40 and the like. Therefore, the number of first transmission belts 40 interposed between the drive roller 20 and the relay rollers 30, that is, the number of relay rollers 30 to which the rotational power of the drive roller 20 can be transmitted without hindrance, is limited.

[0025] Therefore, if, in an array of one drive roller 20 and multiple intermediate rollers 30 in group G1, the drive roller 20 is located at the end of the array in the X direction or the opposite direction of the X direction, the number of intermediate rollers 30, and consequently the number of conveyor rollers 10, that can be included in group G1 will be reduced. For example, if the maximum number of first transmission belts 40 that can be interposed between the drive roller 20 and the intermediate rollers 30 is 3, then the multiple intermediate rollers 30 will be positioned on only one side of the drive roller 20 in the X direction (for example, only in front in the X direction), so group G1 will include one drive roller 20, three intermediate rollers 30, and four conveyor rollers 10. In this case, the length of group G1 in the X direction will be shorter, and the number of drive rollers 20 per unit length of the roller conveyor 100 will increase, which may lead to increased energy consumption.

[0026] In this embodiment, the drive roller 20 is positioned between two intermediate rollers 30, and the drive roller 20 can rotate multiple intermediate rollers 30 arranged on both sides of the drive roller 20 in the X direction (forward and backward in the X direction). In this case, the number of intermediate rollers 30, and therefore the number of conveyor rollers 10, that can be included in group G1 can be increased. For example, if the maximum number of first transmission belts 40 that can be interposed between the drive roller 20 and the intermediate rollers 30 is 3, then since the multiple intermediate rollers 30 are arranged on both sides of the drive roller 20 in the X direction, group G1 will include one drive roller 20, six intermediate rollers 30, and seven conveyor rollers 10, as shown in Figure 1. Thus, according to this embodiment, the length of group G1 in the X direction can be increased, and the number of drive rollers 20 per unit length of the roller conveyor 100 can be reduced, thereby suppressing energy consumption. In this embodiment, the drive roller 20 is located in the center in the X direction of an array of one drive roller 20 and multiple intermediate rollers 30, and the number of intermediate rollers 30 separated from the drive roller 20 in the X direction (3) is the same as the number of intermediate rollers 30 separated from the drive roller 20 in the opposite direction in the X direction (3). However, the configuration is not limited to this. If group G1 includes two or more intermediate rollers 30, a similar effect can be obtained if the drive roller 20 is located between two intermediate rollers 30.

[0027] [Support structure for base member, roller, and transmission belt] As shown in Figure 3, the roller conveyor 100 includes base members 101 and 102 that extend in the X direction at the Y-direction end and the opposite Y-direction end.

[0028] The conveyor roller 10 is supported at both ends by two base members 101 and 102. On the other hand, the drive roller 20 is cantilevered to one base member 101. Although not shown, multiple intermediate rollers 30 are also cantilevered to the base member 101. Furthermore, all drive rollers 20 and intermediate rollers 30 included in group G1 are cantilevered by the same base member 101. The base members 101 and 102 can also be referred to as support members. Although not shown, the outer surface configuration of the intermediate roller 30 is substantially the same as that of the drive roller 20.

[0029] An annular groove 12a for accommodating the second transmission belt 50 is provided near the end opposite to the Y direction on the outer circumferential surface of the rotating part 12 of the conveyor roller 10. Similarly, an annular groove 22a for accommodating the second transmission belt 50 is provided near the end opposite to the Y direction on the outer circumferential surface of the rotating part 12 of the drive roller 20. Furthermore, an annular groove for accommodating the second transmission belt 50 is also provided on the outer circumferential surface of the rotating part 12 of the intermediate roller 30. The configuration of the groove for accommodating the second transmission belt 50 provided on the intermediate roller 30 is substantially the same as the configuration of the groove 22a provided on the drive roller 20. Also, the positions of the groove 12a on the conveyor roller 10, the groove 22a on the drive roller 20, and the groove for accommodating the second transmission belt 50 on the intermediate roller 30 are substantially the same in the Y direction. In this configuration, all second transmission belts 50 are positioned closer to the base member 101 than to the base member 102, and align with the plane intersecting the Y direction, as shown in Figure 3.

[0030] Furthermore, the outer circumferential surface of the drive roller 20 is provided with two grooves 22b and 22c, each for accommodating the first transmission belt 40. These grooves 22b and 22c are located further from the base member 101 than groove 22a and are spaced apart from each other in the Y direction. One of the two grooves 22b and 22c accommodates the first transmission belt 40 that is stretched between adjacent intermediate rollers 30 in the X direction, and the other groove accommodates the first transmission belt 40 that is stretched between adjacent intermediate rollers 30 in the opposite direction in the X direction. In addition, the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate roller 30 is also provided with two grooves (not shown) for accommodating the first transmission belt 40. The shape and position in the Y direction of these two grooves are the same as those of the grooves 22b and 22c provided on the drive roller 20. In this case, in the array of one drive roller 20 and multiple intermediate rollers 30 of group G1, the first transmission belts 40 that are closer to the base member 101 (rearward in the Y direction) and the first transmission belts 40 that are further away from the base member 101 (forward in the Y direction) can be arranged alternately as we move toward the X direction. This configuration makes it possible to realize a more compact configuration in which each intermediate roller 30 is rotationally driven from one drive roller 20 via one or more first transmission belts 40. In this configuration, all the first transmission belts 40 are also positioned closer to the base member 101 than to the base member 102, and are aligned along a plane intersecting the Y direction, as shown in Figure 3.

[0031] As described above, the first transmission belt 40 is stretched between a cantilevered drive roller 20 or intermediate roller 30 and another cantilevered intermediate roller 30. Therefore, if the first transmission belt 40 needs to be replaced due to deterioration or other reasons, the first transmission belt 40 can be removed from the tip side of the cantilevered drive roller 20 or intermediate roller 30, and the new first transmission belt 40 to be replaced can be installed from the tip side. In other words, this configuration allows the first transmission belt 40 to be replaced more easily or more quickly. If another first transmission belt 40 is located on the tip side of the drive roller 20 or intermediate roller 30 relative to the first transmission belt 40 to be replaced, the other first transmission belt 40 should be removed first.

[0032] Furthermore, the first transmission belt 40 is positioned closer to the tip of the drive roller 20 or intermediate roller 30 than the second transmission belt 50. Therefore, when replacing the first transmission belt 40 from the tip of the cantilevered drive roller 20 or intermediate roller 30, interference with the second transmission belt 50 can be avoided. In other words, the first transmission belt 40 can be replaced without removing the second transmission belt 50. With this configuration, the first transmission belt 40 can be replaced more easily or more quickly.

[0033] The conveyor roller 10 is configured to be elastically expandable and contractible in the Y direction. The conveyor roller 10 is configured so that, when shortened, the fixed portion 11 located at the end opposite to the Y direction can be removed from the base member 101, i.e., the base member 101 that cantilever-supports the drive roller 20 and the intermediate roller 30. Therefore, when replacing the second transmission belt 50, first, the conveyor roller 10 is shortened and the end of the conveyor roller 10 opposite to the Y direction is removed from the base member 101. Next, the second transmission belt 50 is removed from the shortened conveyor roller 10 and dropped onto the drive roller 20 or the intermediate roller 30. Then, the first transmission belt 40 that is stretched across the drive roller 20 or the intermediate roller 30 is removed. This allows the second transmission belt 50 to be removed from the front end of the drive roller 20 or the intermediate roller 30. In other words, with this configuration, the second transmission belt 50 can also be replaced more easily or more quickly.

[0034] It is preferable to keep the second transmission belt 50 out of the area where article A is being transported in order to avoid damage from contact with article A. However, if group G1 included a second transmission belt 50 located near the opposite end of the transport roller 10 in the Y direction, in addition to the second transmission belt 50 located near the end of the transport roller 10 in the Y direction, then in order to avoid interference between article A and these second transmission belts 50, the width over which article A can be transported on the transport roller 10 would be narrowed. In this embodiment, however, all of the multiple second transmission belts 50 included in group G1 are located only near the end opposite to the Y direction of the transport roller 10 rather than the center in the Y direction, that is, near only one end in the width direction. Therefore, a wider width can be secured over which article A can be transported on the transport roller 10.

[0035] [cover] The roller conveyor 100 is equipped with a cover 111 that covers the second transmission belt 50 from above. As shown in Figure 1, the cover 111 extends in the X direction with a predetermined width in the Y direction at the end of the roller conveyor 100 opposite to the Y direction. The cover 111 is fixed to the base member 101. The cover 111 prevents interference between the item A and the second transmission belt 50. In addition, the cover 111 prevents any object from entering between the base member 101 or the fixed part 11 and the rotating part 12 and interfering with the rotation of the rotating part 12.

[0036] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the roller conveyor 100 is equipped with a cover 113 that covers the second transmission belt 50, the first transmission belt 40, the drive roller 20, and the multiple intermediate rollers 30 from below. Like the cover 111, the cover 113 extends in the X direction with a predetermined width in the Y direction at the end of the roller conveyor 100 opposite to the Y direction. The cover 113 is fixed to the base member 101. The cover 113 prevents any object from interfering with the second transmission belt 50, the first transmission belt 40, the drive roller 20, and the multiple intermediate rollers 30 from below.

[0037] Furthermore, the roller conveyor 100 is equipped with a cover 112 that covers the Y-direction end of the conveying roller 10 from above. As shown in Figure 1, the cover 112 extends in the X-direction with a predetermined width in the Y-direction at the Y-direction end of the roller conveyor 100. The cover 112 is fixed to the base member 102. The cover 112 prevents any object from entering between the base member 102 or the fixed part 11 and the rotating part 12 and interfering with the rotation of the rotating part 12.

[0038] As described above, in this embodiment, the first transmission belt 40 is wound in an oval shape between the drive roller 20 or the intermediate roller 30 (first driving roller) and an intermediate roller 30 other than the first driving roller. The second transmission belt 50 is wound in an oval shape between the drive roller 20 or the intermediate roller 30 (second driving roller) and the conveyor roller 10. With this configuration, since the first transmission belt 40 and the second transmission belt 50 are wound in a substantially untwisted state, the amount of debris from the transmission belt due to friction with the rollers can be reduced compared to when they are wound in a twisted state.

[0039] Furthermore, in this embodiment, unlike the configuration described in Patent Document 1, all the transmission belts that transmit rotational power to each conveying roller are wound around a single drive roller that extends long in the conveying direction and arranged in series. Therefore, the first transmission belt 40 and the second transmission belt 50 can be replaced more easily or more quickly.

[0040] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the drive roller 20 and the intermediate roller 30 are aligned in the X direction (second direction). With this configuration, the height of the roller conveyor 100 in the Y direction can be made lower compared to a configuration in which the drive roller 20 and the intermediate roller 30 are offset in the Y direction.

[0041] Although embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated above, these embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, combinations, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, each configuration and specification (structure, type, orientation, model, size, length, width, thickness, height, number, arrangement, position, material, etc.) can be modified as appropriate.

[0042] For example, the number and arrangement of the conveying rollers, drive rollers, and intermediate rollers are not limited to the above embodiment. Furthermore, the roller conveyor may include at least one intermediate roller. Also, the drive rollers and intermediate rollers may be supported by a base member located at the Y-direction end. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0043] 10… Conveyor rollers 11...Fixed part 12... Rotating part 12a...Groove 20… Drive roller 21...Fixed part 22... Rotating part 22a, 22b, 22c…Groove 30…Live broadcast roller 31...Fixed part 32... Rotating part 40…First transmission belt 50...Second transmission belt 100... Roller conveyor 101...Base component 102...Base component 111...cover 112...cover 113...cover A…Goods Ax1... Rotation axis Ax2... Rotation axis Groups G1, G2, G3, etc. X…direction (first direction) Y…direction (second direction) Z…direction

Claims

1. A drive roller that rotates around an axis extending in a first direction intersecting the vertical direction, At least one intermediate roller that rotates around an axis extending in the first direction, A plurality of conveying rollers are located above the drive roller and the relay roller, each rotating around an axis extending in the first direction, and arranged in a second direction that intersects the first direction and the vertical direction, Equipped with, The drive roller and the relay roller are cantilevered and protrude in the same direction. The relay roller rotates when the rotation of the first drive roller is transmitted to it via a first transmission belt that is wound in an oval shape between it and the drive roller and one of the other relay rollers, which is the first drive roller. The conveying rollers are connected to a second driving roller, which is one of the drive rollers and the relay rollers, via a second transmission belt wound in an oval shape between the conveying rollers and the second driving roller, thereby transmitting the rotation of the second driving roller and causing it to rotate and convey the goods.

2. A drive roller that rotates around an axis extending in a first direction intersecting the vertical direction, At least one intermediate roller that rotates around an axis extending in the first direction, A plurality of conveying rollers are located above the drive roller and the relay roller, each rotating around an axis extending in the first direction, and arranged in a second direction that intersects the first direction and the vertical direction, The cover and, Equipped with, The relay roller rotates when the rotation of the first drive roller is transmitted to it via a first transmission belt that is wound in an oval shape between it and the drive roller and one of the other relay rollers, which is the first drive roller. The conveying rollers rotate by transmitting the rotation of the second driving roller, which is one of the drive rollers and the relay rollers, via a second transmission belt wound in an oval shape between them, thereby conveying the articles. The second transmission belt, which is wound around each of the plurality of conveying rollers, is located closer to the end on the same side in the axial direction than to the axial center of the conveying roller. The cover is a roller conveyor that covers the top of the second transmission belt.

3. The roller conveyor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the drive roller and the relay roller are arranged in the second direction.

4. The relay roller comprises two or more of the aforementioned rollers, The roller conveyor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the drive roller is located between two of the intermediate rollers.

5. The roller conveyor according to claim 2, wherein the drive roller and the relay roller are cantilever-supported so as to protrude in the same direction.

6. The roller conveyor according to claim 5, wherein the first transmission belt is located closer to the tip of the drive roller or the intermediate roller than the second transmission belt.

7. The roller conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the second transmission belt, which is wound around each of the plurality of conveying rollers, is located closer to the end on the same side in the axial direction than to the axial center of the conveying roller.

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