Linear transport system

Abstract

To cope with various articles.SOLUTION: A linear carrier device 3 includes a conveyance rail 11 constituting a required conveyance route, a stator 12 provided along the conveyance rail 11, a mover 13 linearly driven by the stator 12, holding means 14 which is provided on the mover 13 and holds an article, and control means C for controlling the stator 12 and moving the mover 13. Opposite surface 15A and rear face 15B in the mover 13 are configured to be linearly driven when being opposite to the stator 12, and first holding means 14A for holding a pouch P when being linearly driven through a surface 15A side (first permanent 16A) of the mover 13, and second holding means 14B for holding a bottle B when being linearly driven through a rear face 15B side (second permanent magnet 16B) of the mover 13 are provided as the holding means 14.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a linear transport device, and more particularly to a linear transport device in which a mover linearly driven by a stator provided on a transport rail is provided with a holding means for holding an article.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, linear transport devices that transport articles using linear drive are known. As such a linear transport device, there is known a device including a transport rail that constitutes a required transport path, a stator provided along the transport rail, a mover linearly driven by the stator, a holding means provided on the mover for holding an article, and a control means for controlling the stator to move the mover (Patent Documents 1 and 2). Among these, in the linear transport device of Patent Document 1, transport is performed while holding a hakama that accommodates an article by arms provided on two movers, whereas in the linear transport device of Patent Document 2, transport is performed while gripping both end portions of a bag-shaped pouch by grip pieces provided on two movers.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In recent years, it has been desired to process multiple types of products with a single apparatus. For example, according to Patent Document 1, different articles can be transported by changing the hakama to be used, and in Patent Document 2, it is possible to hold pouches of different sizes by varying the interval between two movers. However, when processing items that cannot be held by the same holding mechanism, such as pouches and bottles which are completely different items, or bottles that are drastically different in size, it was necessary to replace the entire holding mechanism along with the movable part. In view of these problems, the present invention provides a linear conveying device that can handle a variety of articles. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In other words, the linear conveying device according to claim 1 comprises a conveying rail that constitutes a required conveying path, a stator provided along the conveying rail, a movable element linearly driven by the stator, a holding means provided on the movable element for holding articles, and a control means for controlling the stator to move the movable element, The opposing front and back surfaces of the above-mentioned movable element are configured to be linearly driven when they are positioned facing the above-mentioned stator, The above-mentioned holding means is characterized by having a first holding means for holding an article when linearly driven via the front surface side of the movable element, and a second holding means for holding an article when linearly driven via the back surface side of the movable element. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the invention of claim 1 above, by providing a first and second holding means on a single movable element, it becomes possible to hold different types of articles. Furthermore, by making the front and back surfaces of the movable element equipped with the first and second holding means linearly driveable by stators provided on the transport rail, the first and second holding means can be utilized respectively. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a plan view of the filling system in the first mode according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a plan view of the filling system in the second mode according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] These are side views illustrating the first and second holding means, with Figure 3(a) showing the first mode and Figure 3(b) showing the second mode. [Figure 4] These are plan views illustrating the first and second holding means, with Figure 3(a) showing the first mode and Figure 3(b) showing the second mode. [Figure 5] This is a plan view illustrating the switching mechanism. [Figure 6] This is a plan view illustrating the switching mechanism. [Figure 7] Figures 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views illustrating section AA. [Figure 8] Figures 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views illustrating the BB section. [Figure 9] Figures 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views illustrating the CC section. [Figure 10] This is a plan view illustrating the first and second holding means according to the second embodiment, with Figure 10(a) showing the first mode and Figure 10(b) showing the second mode. [Figure 11] This is a plan view illustrating the first and second holding means according to the third embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] The present invention will now be described with reference to the illustrated embodiments. Figures 1 and 2 show a filling system 1 for filling a pouch P or bottle B, which is an article, with liquid. The filling system 1 of this embodiment can process the pouch P and bottle B by switching between a first mode shown in Figure 1 and a second mode shown in Figure 2. The pouch P described above is a bag-shaped container, and has a structure in which the outer edges of two resin sheets are heat-sealed to form a bag. The filling system 1 is supplied with empty bag-shaped containers whose tops are not heat-sealed. Bottle B described above has a main body that is roughly cylindrical and a neck portion that is provided at the top of the main body and to which a cap is attached. The filling system 1 of this embodiment includes a linear conveying device 2 according to the present invention for transporting pouches P or bottles B, and along the transport path of the linear conveying device 2, there is a supply device 3 for supplying empty pouches P or bottles B, a printing device 4 for printing on pouches P, an opening device 5 for opening the upper opening of pouches P, a filling device 6 for filling pouches P or bottles B with liquid, a sealing device 7 (see Figure 1) for sealing pouches P, a capping device 8 (see Figure 2) for attaching caps to bottles B, a discharge device 9 for discharging pouches P or bottles B, and a switching means 10 for switching between the first mode and the second mode. The filling system 1 is also controlled by a control means C consisting of a computer or the like.

[0009] The linear transport device 2 described above comprises a transport rail 11 having a transport path formed in an annular shape, a stator 12 (not shown in Figures 1 and 2) provided along the transport rail 11, a movable element 13 linearly driven by the stator 12, and a holding means 14 provided on the movable element 13. In this embodiment, two movable elements 13 are moved as a pair, and these movable elements 13 are provided with a holding means 14, which includes a first holding means 14A for holding the pouch P and a second holding means 14B for holding the bottle B. Figures 3 and 4 show side and top views illustrating the first and second holding means 14A and 14B, respectively. Figures 3(a) and 4(a) show the first mode for processing the pouch P, while Figures 3(b) and 4(b) show the second mode for processing the bottle B.

[0010] First, the transport rails 11 and movable elements 13 will be described. In the side view shown in Figure 3, the transport rails 11 are provided along the transport path and are provided parallel to each other at vertically separated positions. Between the upper and lower transport rails 11, a stator 12 is provided, which consists of an electromagnetic coil unit containing multiple electromagnetic coils 12A. The mover 13 includes a case 15 positioned at the same height as the stator 12, a first permanent magnet 16A provided on the opposing surface 15A of the case 15, a second permanent magnet 16B provided on the back surface 15B, and rollers 30 provided above and below the case 15 to roll along the conveyance rail 11. In the filling system 1 of the present embodiment, by reversing the surface 15A and the back surface 15B of the mover 13 with the switching means 10, either the first holding means 14A or the second holding means 14B can be selectively oriented toward the outer side of the conveyance rail 11. That is, in the first mode shown in Fig. 3(a) and Fig. 4(a), the first permanent magnet 16A provided on the surface 15A of the mover 13 is arranged to face the stator 12, so that the first holding means 14A is oriented toward the outer side of the conveyance rail 11. In contrast, in the second mode shown in Fig. 3(b) and Fig. 4(b), the second permanent magnet 16B provided on the back surface 15B of the mover 13 is arranged to face the stator 12, so that the second holding means 14B is oriented toward the outer side of the conveyance rail 11. The electromagnetic coils 12A provided inside the stator 12 are individually excited by the control means C, and perform so-called linear driving that moves the first permanent magnet 16A or the second permanent magnet 16B facing the electromagnetic coils 12A by magnetic force. The control means C is also configured to recognize the position of each mover 13 on the conveyance path, as well as to recognize whether each mover 13 is in the first mode or the second mode. Note that the basic configuration and principle of the linear conveyance device 3 that moves the mover 13 by linear driving are conventionally known, and further detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0011] As described above, in the present embodiment, two movers 13 are moved as one set, and in the first mode, the mover located on the downstream side of the conveyance path is described as the first mover 13A, and the mover located on the upstream side is described as the second mover 13B. The configurations of the first mover 13A and the second mover 13B are identical. As shown in Fig. 3(a) and Fig. 4(a), the first holding means 14A for holding the pouch P includes a downstream grip piece 17a provided above the first mover 13A and an upstream grip piece 17b provided above the second mover 13B in the first mode. In the first mode, a plurality of sets of the first mover 13A and the second mover 13B are arranged alternately in the order of the first mover 13A and the second mover 13B along the conveyance path. At this time, the first permanent magnet 16A provided on the surface 15A side of the first mover 13A and the second mover 13B faces the stator 12 of the conveyance rail 11, and the downstream grip piece 17a and the upstream grip piece 17b protrude to the outer peripheral side relative to the conveyance rail 11. The first holding means 14A is configured to grip both end portions of the pouch P by the downstream grip piece 17a and the upstream grip piece 17b, and the control means C is configured to move the first mover 13A and the second mover 13B while maintaining the interval therebetween.

[0012] Hereinafter, the configurations of the downstream grip piece 17a and the upstream grip piece 17b will be described. The downstream grip piece 17a and the upstream grip piece 17b are constituted by a bracket 21 fixed to the upper portion of the case 15, a fixed gripping piece 22 provided at the distal end portion of the bracket 21, an arm 23 provided to be swingable relative to the bracket 21, a movable gripping piece 24 provided at the distal end of the arm 23, and a swing mechanism 25 for swinging the arm 23. The arm 23 is provided at the distal end portion of the bracket 21 so as to be swingable via a rotation shaft 23a, and the movable gripping piece 24 is provided at one end thereof so as to come into contact with and separate from the fixed gripping piece 22. The rocking mechanism 25 consists of a substantially triangular rocking member 25a that is pivotably mounted on the bracket 21 via a rotation shaft 23a, a link member 25b connected to one of the tops of the rocking member 25a and connected to the arm 23, a cam follower 25c provided on one of the tops of the rocking member 25a, and a spring 25d connected to one of the tops of the rocking member 25a and stretched between it and the bracket 21. The spring 25d, via the swinging member 25a and the link member 25b, constantly biases the arm 23 in the closing direction.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the cam follower 25c is pressed by a cam 26 located at the installation positions of the pouch supply conveyor 3A, which constitutes the supply device 3, and the pouch discharge conveyor 9A, which constitutes the discharge device 9. The cam 26 is driven by a drive means controlled by the control means C, which moves it back and forth in a direction perpendicular to the transport path. When the cam follower 25c is pressed downward as shown in Figure 4, the oscillating member 25a rotates against the biasing force of the spring 25d. Then, the arm 23 swings, causing the movable gripping piece 24 to detach from the fixed gripping piece 22, creating an open state. Subsequently, when the cam 26 retracts, the swinging member 25a rotates in the opposite direction due to the biasing force of the spring 25d, causing the movable gripping piece 24 to close tightly against the fixed gripping piece 22, creating a closed state.

[0014] Next, the second holding means 14B for holding the bottle B in the second mode is composed of a downstream grip piece 27a provided below the second movable element 13B and an upstream grip piece 27b provided below the first movable element 13A. As will be described later, when the switching means 10 switches from the first mode to the second mode, the direction of movement of the first movable element 13A and the second movable element 13B is reversed, so that the first movable element 13A, which was located downstream in the first mode, is located upstream in the second mode, and the second movable element 13B, which was located upstream in the first mode, is located downstream in the second mode. In the second mode, the second movable element 13B and the second permanent magnet 16B located on the back surface 15B of the first movable element 13A face the stator 12 of the transport rail 11, and the downstream grip piece 27a and the upstream grip piece 27b protrude outwards from the outer circumference of the transport rail 11. As shown in Figure 4(b), the second holding means 14B is configured to grip the bottle B from both sides with the downstream grip piece 27a and the upstream grip piece 27b, and the control means C controls the distance between the second movable element 13B and the first movable element 13A, making it possible to transport the bottle B while holding it.

[0015] Furthermore, in order to transport the bottle B in the second mode, the linear transport device 2 of this embodiment is provided with a ferriplate 28 that supports the bottom of the bottle B along the outer circumference of the transport rail 11. The above-mentioned Ferriplate 28 is provided extending from the position where the supply device 3 is installed to the position where the discharge device 9 is installed, and is provided so as to be able to move up and down by a lifting means 28a as shown in Figure 3. When transporting bottle B using the second holding means 14B, as shown in Figure 3(b), the lifting means 28a raises the ferriplate 28 to support bottle B held by the second holding means 14B from below. On the other hand, when transporting the pouch P using the first holding means 14A, the ferriplate 28 is lowered as shown in Figure 3(a) and moved away from the pouch P being held by the first holding means 14A.

[0016] The supply device 3, located adjacent to the linear transport device 2, includes a pouch supply conveyor 3A for supplying the pouches P, a bottle supply conveyor 3B for supplying the bottles B, and a transfer robot (not shown). The pouch supply conveyor 3A is positioned perpendicular to the transport path of the linear transport device 2, and is configured to transport empty pouches P in two rows, with some of them overlapping the subsequent pouches P. When the filling system 1 is operated in the first mode, the control means C stops the two sets of first holding means 14A at a position adjacent to the downstream end of the pouch supply conveyor 3A, and the transfer robot transfers the pouches P that have been transported to the downstream end of the pouch supply conveyor 3A to the first holding means 14A. At that time, the cam 26 provided on the linear transport device 2 is activated, causing the downstream grip piece 17a and the upstream grip piece 17b of the first holding means 14A to open and close, thereby causing the pouch P to be held by the first holding means 14A.

[0017] The bottle supply conveyor 3B is positioned perpendicular to the transport path of the linear transport device 2 and is configured to transport bottles B in an upright position in two rows. When the filling system 1 is operated in the second mode, the control means C stops the two sets of second holding means 14B at a position adjacent to the downstream end of the bottle supply conveyor 3B, and the transfer robot holds the bottles B that have been transported to the downstream end of the bottle supply conveyor 3B and hands them over to the second holding means 14B. In this configuration, the Ferriplate 28 is positioned below the second holding means 14B, and the bottle B is placed between the downstream grip piece 27a and the upstream grip piece 27b. Subsequently, the control means C can bring the second movable element 13B and the first movable element 13A closer together as needed, enabling it to hold the bottle B between the downstream grip piece 27a and the upstream grip piece 27b.

[0018] The printing device 4 described above is used in the first mode and prints the required information on the side of the pouch P held by the first holding means 14A. The opening device 5 described above is used in the first mode and is equipped with suction means (not shown) provided on the inside and outside in the transport direction for the pouch P held by the first holding means 14A. When the pouch P, which is gripped by the first holding means 14A, is stopped by the opening device 5, the control means C uses the pair of suction means to attract the upper part of the pouch P. Subsequently, the control means C separates the suction means and simultaneously brings the downstream movable element 13A and the upstream movable element 13B closer together. This causes an opening to be formed above the empty pouch P. The filling device 6 described above has a configuration that can be used in both the first and second modes, and is configured to fill liquid by inserting the filling nozzle through an opening formed in the upper part of the pouch P or the opening of the bottle B.

[0019] The sealing device 7 for sealing the pouch P and the capping device 8 for attaching a cap to the bottle B are detachably mounted on the linear conveying device 2 and are replaced when switching modes, as shown in Figures 1 and 2. Alternatively, both the sealing device 7 and the capping device 8 may be mounted along the linear conveying device 2. The sealing device 7 used in the first mode described above includes a welding section 7a that heat-seals the upper part of the pouch P in which the opening is formed, and a cooling section 7b that cools the welded portion. The control means C is configured to separate the downstream movable element 13A and the upstream movable element 13B when the first holding means 14A is positioned in the sealing device 7, thereby closing the opening formed in the opening device 5. The capping device 8 used in the second mode described above attaches a cap to the neck of the bottle B that has been transported by the second holding means 14B.

[0020] The discharge device 9 includes a pouch discharge conveyor 9A for discharging the pouch P, which is provided in a direction perpendicular to the transport path of the linear transport device 2; a bottle discharge conveyor 9B for discharging the bottle B, which is provided parallel to the transport path; and a transfer robot (not shown). The pouch discharge conveyor 9A is designed to transport pouches P aligned in the required orientation in two rows. When operating in the first mode, the control means C stops the two sets of first holding means 14A at a position adjacent to the upstream end of the pouch discharge conveyor 9A, and the transfer robot holds the pouches P held by the first holding means 14A and places them on the pouch discharge conveyor 9A. At that time, the cam 26 provided on the linear transport device 2 is activated, causing the downstream grip piece 17a and the upstream grip piece 17b of the first holding means 14A to open and close, thereby removing the pouch P from the first holding means 14A.

[0021] The bottle discharge conveyor 9B described above is designed to transport bottles B in an upright position in a single row. When operated in the second mode, the control means C positions two sets of second holding means 14B between the bottle discharge conveyor 9B and the transport rail 11. The transfer robot then removes the bottles B from the two sets of second holding means 14B and places them on the bottle discharge conveyor 9B, so that the two bottles B are aligned in the conveying direction of the bottle discharge conveyor 9B.

[0022] The switching means 10 described above enables automatic switching between the first mode and the second mode by reversing the front surface 15A and the back surface 15B of the movable element 13 that is moved by the linear transport device 2. The switching means 10 of this embodiment is provided between the discharge device 9 and the supply device 3 in the transport path of the transport rail 11, and includes a branch rail 31 that moves the movable element 13 to a switching position S separated from the transport path, and a merging rail 32 that brings the movable element 13, which has been moved to the switching position S by the branch rail 31, back onto the transport rail 11. In the state where there is no switching between the first and second modes, that is, while the filling process into the pouch P and bottle B is being carried out, the control means C controls the stator 12 of the transport rail 11 so that the movable element 13 passes through the branch rail 31 and the merging rail 32.

[0023] Figures 5 to 9 illustrate the switching mechanism 10 described above. Figure 5 shows the first and second holding means 14A and 14B that move with the movable element 13, and Figure 6 shows the movable element 13 in the same state as in Figure 5. Figures 7 to 9 show cross-sectional views of parts AA, BB, and CC in Figures 5 and 6, respectively. Figures 5 to 9 show the operation when switching from the first mode to the second mode. Specifically, at a position upstream of the branch rail 31, the first holding means 14A faces the outer circumference of the transport path, and the first permanent magnet 16A faces the transport rail 11, which is the first mode. In contrast, when the switching means 10 reverses the configuration and moves to the downstream side of the merging rail 32, the second holding means 14B faces the outer circumference of the transport path, and the second permanent magnet 16B faces the transport rail 11, resulting in a second mode.

[0024] To explain in more detail, the branch rail 31 comprises a branch-side switching section 31A located opposite the transport rail 11, and a branch-side reversal section 31B formed continuously with the branch-side switching section 31A. The branch-side reversal section 31B is located at a switching position S that is separated from the transport path of the transport rail 11. Furthermore, the merging rail 32 includes a merging-side reversal section 32A, which is provided at the switching position S and is located opposite the branch-side reversal section 31B of the branch rail 31, and a merging-side switching section 32B, which is located opposite the transport rail 11. As shown in Figures 7 to 9, the branch rail 31 and the merging rail 32 have the same configuration as the transport rail 11, that is, a stator 12 controlled by the control means C is provided between the branch rail 31 (merging rail 32) and the branch rail 31 (merging rail 32) which are provided above and below each other.

[0025] First, in section AA in Figures 5 and 6, a branching side switching section 31A of the branching rail 31 is provided opposite the transport rail 11. In the first mode, the first holding means 14A moves in the order of the first movable element 13A and the second movable element 13B, and the control means C controls the stator 12 of the transport rail 11 to linearly drive the first and second movable elements 13A and 13B to move them to the branch rail 31 shown in section AA. As shown in Figure 7, the first and second movable elements 13A and 13B are positioned between the branch side switching section 31A and the transport rail 11, with the first permanent magnet 16A facing the stator 12 of the transport rail 11 and the second permanent magnet 16B facing the stator 12 of the branch rail 31. From this state, the control means C stops controlling the stator 12 of the transport rail 11 and starts controlling the stator 12 of the branch rail 31, thereby enabling the first and second movable elements 13A and 13B to be linearly driven along the branch rail 31 via the second permanent magnet 16B.

[0026] Next, the BB section in Figures 5 and 6 is provided at a switching position S that is separated from the transport path of the transport rail 11, and the merging side reversal section 32A of the merging rail 32 is provided at a position opposite the branch side reversal section 31B of the branch rail 31. As the first and second movable elements 13A and 13B, which are linearly driven by the stator 12 of the branch rail 31, move along the branch rail 31 from the branch side switching section 31A to the switching position S, the first and second movable elements 13A and 13B will be positioned between the branch side reversal section 31B and the merging side reversal section 32A of the merging rail 32, as shown in Figure 8. As a result, the first permanent magnet 16A of the first and second movable elements 13A and 13B faces the stator 12 of the merging rail 32, and the second permanent magnet 16B faces the stator 12 of the branching rail 31. From this state, the control means C stops controlling the stator 12 of the branch rail 31 and starts controlling the stator 12 of the merging rail 32, thereby enabling the first and second movable elements 13A and 13B to be linearly driven along the merging rail 32 via the first permanent magnet 16A.

[0027] At the switching position S, the control means C reverses the direction of travel of the first and second movable elements 13A and 13B when performing linear drive along the merging rail 32. As a result, the order of the first movable element 13A, which had been moving downstream on the branch rail 31, and the second movable element 13B, which had been moving upstream, is reversed, and the merging rail 32 will now move in the order of the second movable element 13B followed by the first movable element 13A.

[0028] In the CC section shown in Figures 5 and 6, the transport rail 11 is provided at a position opposite the merging side switching section 32B of the merging rail 32. When the second and first movable elements 13B and 13A, which are linearly driven by the stator 12 of the merging rail 32, are linearly driven along the merging rail 32, the second and first movable elements 13B and 13A will be positioned between the merging side switching section 32B and the transport rail 11, as shown in Figure 9. As a result, the downstream grip piece 27a and the upstream grip piece 27b of the second holding means 14B provided on the second and first movable elements 13B and 13A are positioned facing the outer circumference of the transport rail 11. The control means C then stops controlling the stator 12 of the merging rail 32 and starts controlling the stator 12 of the transport rail 11, thereby switching to a second mode in which the second and first movable elements 13B and 13A are linearly driven via the second permanent magnet 16B.

[0029] On the other hand, when switching the filling system 1 used in the second mode to the first mode, the second holding means 14B faces outward with respect to the transport path of the transport rail 11, and the second and first movable elements 13B and 13A are linearly driven in that order. These second and first movable elements 13B and 13A are then moved to the switching position S along the branch rail 31 and merging rail 32 that constitute the switching means 10. Then, at the switching position S, the direction of travel of the second and first movable elements 13B and 13A is reversed, and the first movable element 13A and the second movable element 13B are returned from the merging rail 32 to the transport rail 11 in that order, thereby switching the first holding means 14A to the first mode in which it faces outward with respect to the transport path.

[0030] The operation of the filling system 1 having the above configuration will be described below. First, the case in which the filling system 1 is operated in the first mode will be described. Here, the control means C has the operation for operating in the first mode pre-registered. At this time, in the linear transport device 2, the first permanent magnets 16A provided on the first movable element 13A and the second movable element 13B face the stator 12 of the transport rail 11, and the downstream grip piece 17a and the upstream grip piece 17b constituting the first holding means 14A face outwards from the transport path. The supply device 3 supplies pouches P in two rows via the pouch supply conveyor 3A, and the linear transport device 2 stops two sets of first holding means 14A at a position adjacent to the downstream end of the pouch supply conveyor 3A. The transfer robot then holds the pouch P on the pouch supply conveyor 3A and has it held by the first holding means 14A. At this time, the control means C operates the cam 26 to open and close the downstream grip piece 17a and the upstream grip piece 17b.

[0031] Subsequently, the control means C moves the first holding means 14A to sequentially move it to the printing device 4, opening device 5, filling device 6, and sealing device 7, where it fills the liquid and seals the pouch P. Subsequently, the control means C stops the first holding means 14A upstream of the pouch discharge conveyor 9A that constitutes the discharge device 9, and the transfer robot transfers the pouch P held by the first holding means 14A to the pouch discharge conveyor 9A. Subsequently, until a predetermined number of pouches P have been processed, the control means C moves the first holding means 14A in a circular motion along the transport rail 11, during which time the first and second movable elements 13A and 13B pass through the branch rail 31 and merging rail 32 that constitute the switching means 10.

[0032] Once the processing of pouch 1A is completed in the first mode, the process switches to the second mode for processing bottle 1B. In this embodiment, the sealing device 7 shown in Figure 1 is replaced with the capping device 8 shown in Figure 2 when switching to the second mode. The control means C moves the first and second movable elements 13A and 13B, which constitute the first holding means 14A, to the branch side switching section 31A (AA section) of the branch rail 31 that constitutes the switching means 10. Next, the control means C controls the stator 12 of the branch rail 31 to move the first and second movable elements 13A and 13B to the switching position S, and move them to the space (BB section) between the branch side reversal section 31B and the merging side reversal section 32A of the merging rail 32. Furthermore, the control means C controls the stator 12 of the merging rail 32 to reverse the direction of travel of the first and second movable elements 13A and 13B, thereby causing the second and first movable elements 13B and 13A to move along the merging rail 32 in that order. When the second and first movable elements 13B and 13A are positioned between the merging switching section 32B and the transport rail 11 (CC section), the downstream grip piece 27a and the upstream grip 27b constituting the second holding means 14B are switched to a second mode in which they face outwards from the transport path. Subsequently, the control means C switches all first holding means 14A located along the transport path to second holding means 14B using the switching means 10.

[0033] When the filling system 1 is changed to the second mode in this way, the supply device 3 supplies bottles B in two rows via the bottle supply conveyor 3B, and the linear transport device 2 stops the two sets of second holding means 14B at a position adjacent to the downstream end of the bottle supply conveyor 3B. The transfer robot then causes the bottle B on the bottle supply conveyor 3B to be held by the second holding means 14B, and subsequently the control means C moves the second holding means 14B to sequentially move to the filling device 6 and the capping device 8, where the liquid is filled and the caps are attached. Subsequently, the control means C stops the second holding means 14B between the bottle discharge conveyor 9B and the transport rail 11 that constitute the discharge device 9, and the transfer robot transfers the bottles B from the second holding means 14B to the bottle discharge conveyor 9B in an aligned state. Subsequently, until a predetermined number of bottles B have been processed, the control means C moves the second holding means 14B in a circular motion along the transport rail 11, during which the second and first movable elements 13A and 13B pass through the branch rail 31 and merging rail 32 that constitute the switching means 10.

[0034] Figures 10 and 11 show other embodiments of the first and second holding means 14A and 14B described above. Figure 10 shows a configuration in which bottles B of different diameters are held by the first and second holding means 14A and 14B, compared to the first embodiment described above. Figure 10(a) shows the first mode for holding a large-diameter bottle B1, and (b) shows the second mode for holding a small-diameter bottle B2. In this embodiment as well, first and second permanent magnets 16A and 16B are provided on the opposing front surface 15A and back surface 15B of each movable element 13, respectively, and are linearly driven by a stator 12 provided on the transport rail 11. In this embodiment, the movable element 13 is formed to be elongated along the transport direction, and in the first mode shown in Figure 10(a), the first holding means 14A is composed of a pair of downstream grip pieces 17a and upstream grip pieces 17b fixed at the furthest apart positions between the adjacent first movable element 13A and second movable element 13B. In contrast, in the second mode shown in Figure 10(b), the second movable element 13B and the first movable element 13A, whose directions of travel are reversed, are composed of a pair of downstream grip pieces 27a and upstream grip pieces 27b fixed at the closest possible positions. With this configuration, the first and second holding means 14A and 14B can hold bottles B1 and B2 of different diameters between the downstream gripper and the upstream gripper, and by varying the distance between the first movable element 13A and the second movable element 13B, it is possible to hold bottles of even different sizes.

[0035] Figure 11 shows a configuration similar to the first embodiment described above, comprising a first holding means 14A for holding the pouch P and a second holding means 14B for holding the bottle B. The first holding means 14A for holding the pouch P is composed of a downstream grip piece 17a and an upstream grip piece 17b provided on the first movable element 13A and the second movable element 13B, similar to the first embodiment, and a detailed explanation will be omitted. On the other hand, the second holding means 14B of this embodiment is composed of a pair of grippers 41 provided on each of the first movable element 13A and the second movable element 13B, and unlike the first embodiment described above, it is possible to hold one bottle B with one movable element 13. In this embodiment, the gripper 41 is fixed to the first movable element 13A and the second movable element 13B, and is set at a distance slightly larger than the diameter of the bottle B to be held. It is also possible to configure it to be constantly biased in the closing direction by a spring biasing force, or to make it openable and closable by an opening and closing mechanism (not shown). In this embodiment, when the second holding means 14B is oriented outward from the transport path in the second mode, the order of the stators 13 does not need to be considered. However, when switching from the second mode to the first mode, it is necessary to move the first and second stators 13A and 13B in that order. Therefore, as in the embodiment described above, it is desirable to treat the first and second stators 13 as a pair and switch the direction of travel using the switching means 10. Alternatively, as the second holding means 14B, a skirt with an opening capable of accommodating the bottle B may be provided instead of the gripper 41.

[0036] In the above embodiments, the first permanent magnet 16A and the second permanent magnet 16B are provided on the front surface 15A and back surface 15B of the movable element 13, respectively. However, a configuration in which one permanent magnet is provided on the case 15 of the stator 12 is also possible. In that case, by positioning the front surface 15A and the back surface 15B of the permanent magnet facing the stator 12 of the transport rail 11, each can be linearly driven using its surface. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the switching means 10 is used to switch between the first holding means 14A and the second holding means 14B, but the switching operation may also be performed by a robot installed adjacent to the transport rail 11, or by a worker. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0037] 1. Filling system 2. Linear conveying device 10 Switching mechanism 11 Conveyor rail 12 Stator 13A 1st mover 13B Second mover 14A First holding means 14B Second holding means 16A First permanent magnet 16B Second permanent magnet, 17A, 27A Downstream grip piece 17B, ​​27B Upstream grip piece 31 Branch rail 31A Branch side switching section 31B Branch side reversal section 32 Confluence Rail 32A Confluence Side Reversal Section 32B Confluence side switching section S Switching position P: Pouch (item) B: Bottle (item)

Claims

1. A linear transport device comprising a transport rail that constitutes a required transport path, a stator provided along the transport rail, a movable element linearly driven by the stator, a holding means provided on the movable element for holding articles, and a control means for controlling the stator to move the movable element, The opposing front and back surfaces of the above-mentioned movable element are configured to be linearly driven when they are positioned facing the above-mentioned stator, A linear conveying device characterized by having, as the holding means, a first holding means for holding an article when linearly driven via the front surface side of the movable element, and a second holding means for holding an article when linearly driven via the back surface side of the movable element.

2. In the middle of the transport path of the transport rail, a branching rail is provided to move the movable element to a switching position separated from the transport path, and a merging rail is provided to bring the movable element located at the switching position back onto the transport rail. Stators are provided on the above-mentioned branching rail and merging rail, respectively, to linearly drive the above-mentioned movable elements. The linear conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means controls the stator of the branch rail to move the movable element to the switching position when the movable element that has moved along the conveying rail is located on the branch rail, and further controls the stator of the merging rail to move the movable element at the switching position to the conveying rail.

3. The linear conveying apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one of the first or second holding means is comprised of a downstream grip piece provided on a downstream movable element that moves along the conveying path and an upstream grip piece provided on an upstream movable element adjacent to the upstream side of the downstream movable element.

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