Tray removal mechanism

Abstract

The present invention mechanizes work to remove a tray from a rack. The present invention is a tray removal mechanism 3 that removes, from a shelf 11, a tray T placed on the shelf 11, said tray removal mechanism 3 comprising: a tray reception unit 31 that is inserted under the tray T and that receives the tray T from the shelf 11; a drive unit 32 that moves the tray reception unit 31 so as to insert the tray reception unit 31 under the tray T; and a support part 33 that supports the tray reception unit 31 which is inserted under the tray T by the drive unit 32, wherein the tray reception unit 31 is configured to tilt about the support part 33 upon receipt of the load of the tray T.

Description

Tray removal mechanism

[0001] The present invention relates to a tray removal mechanism for removing a tray from a rack.

[0002] Conventionally, when transferring trays to a device for the next process, such as transferring multiple trays from an incubator (setter) to an incubator (hatcher), the multiple trays are transferred while stored in a rack. The rack is configured with multiple shelves arranged in the vertical direction, and one or multiple trays are placed on each shelf.

[0003] When removing multiple trays from the rack, the worker inserts a removal plate between the tray and the shelf, places the tray on the removal plate, and then pulls the removal plate together with the trays out of the rack. The worker also adjusts the angle of the removal plate when inserting it to make it easier to insert.

[0004] However, manually removing trays from each of the multiple shelves as described above is extremely hard work and places a heavy burden on the worker.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-145594

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and aims to mechanize the operation of removing trays from racks.

[0007] In other words, the tray removal mechanism of the present invention is a tray removal mechanism that removes a tray placed on a shelf from the shelf, and is characterized in that it comprises a tray receiving section that is inserted under the tray and receives the tray from the shelf, a drive section that moves the tray receiving section and inserts it under the tray, and a support section that supports the tray receiving section that is inserted under the tray by the drive section, and the tray receiving section is configured to tilt around the support section when it receives the load of the tray.

[0008] This tray removal mechanism allows the work of removing trays from shelves, which was previously done manually, to be mechanized.In addition, since the tray receiving section is configured to tilt around the support section when it receives the weight of the tray, the angle of the tray receiving section can be adjusted as it is inserted under the tray.

[0009] It is desirable that the tray receiving section has a contact section that contacts the upper surface of the shelf when tilted around the support section due to the load of the tray. With this configuration, the contact section contacts the upper surface of the shelf, thereby distributing the tray load applied to the tray receiving section to the shelf. Therefore, there is no need to increase the mechanical strength of the tray receiving section, the drive section, etc., and the configuration of the tray receiving section, the drive section, etc. can be simplified and constructed at low cost.

[0010] The tray removal mechanism of the present invention preferably further includes a coupling mechanism that couples the drive unit and the tray receiving unit, and the coupling mechanism transmits the driving force of the drive unit to the tray receiving unit while allowing displacement of the tray receiving unit due to tilting around the support unit. With this configuration, the coupling mechanism can allow displacement due to tilting of the tray receiving unit. Therefore, stress applied to the drive unit due to tilting of the tray receiving unit can be reduced, and breakdown of the drive unit can be prevented.

[0011] According to the present invention configured in this way, the operation of removing trays from the rack can be mechanized.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of a tray transport device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a front view showing the configuration of a rack according to the embodiment; FIG. 3 is a side view schematically showing the configuration of a tray removal mechanism according to the embodiment; FIG. 4 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of a tray removal mechanism according to the embodiment; FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing (a) a state in which the tray receiving section of the tray removal mechanism is not tilted, and (b) a state in which the tray receiving section is tilted, of the tray removal mechanism according to the embodiment; and (a) a state in which the tray receiving section is being inserted, (b) a state in which the tray receiving section has received the tray (tray receiving position P), and (c) a state in which the tray receiving section has removed the tray (retracted position Q) of the tray removal mechanism according to the embodiment.

[0013] An embodiment of a tray transport device equipped with a rack removal mechanism according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that, for ease of understanding, all of the drawings shown below are drawn in a schematic manner, with appropriate omissions or exaggerations. Identical components are designated by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will be omitted where appropriate.

[0014] <Configuration of tray conveying device 100> The tray conveying device 100 of this embodiment removes trays T containing eggs E from racks 10 on which the trays T are placed and conveys them to the next process. Specifically, the tray conveying device 100 removes trays T from racks 10 having egg turning mechanisms 12 used in an incubator (not shown) and conveys them to the next process.

[0015] As shown in Figure 1, this tray conveying device 100 includes a rack installation section 2 in which a rack 10 on which a tray T is placed is installed, a tray removal mechanism 3 that removes the tray T from the rack 10 installed in the rack installation section 2, and an ejection mechanism 4 that ejects the tray T removed by the tray removal mechanism 3.

[0016] First, the rack 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0017] The rack 10 is movable on casters 14 and includes multiple shelves 11 on which trays T are placed, and an egg turning mechanism 12 that changes the inclination of the shelves 11 to turn the eggs. The rack 10 of this embodiment has three shelf rows 11R, each consisting of multiple shelves 11 arranged in the vertical direction. The number of shelf rows 11R provided on the rack 10 is not limited to three, and may be one or more.

[0018] Each shelf 11 is configured so that a tray T can be slid onto it from the front side. Specifically, each shelf 11 is provided with a linear slide portion 11a that slides a convex portion provided on the bottom of the tray T along the front-to-rear direction. Furthermore, each shelf 11 can accommodate multiple trays T in the front-to-rear direction.

[0019] The egg turning mechanism 12 collectively changes the inclination of the multiple shelves 11 in the shelf row 11R. The egg turning mechanism 12 of this embodiment rotates and tilts the tray T around a rotation axis along the front-rear direction.

[0020] Specifically, the egg turning mechanism 12 includes a connecting frame 121 that connects multiple shelves 11 in the shelf row 11R, and a frame driving unit 122 that is connected to the upper end of the connecting frame 121 and drives the connecting frame 121 in the vertical direction to change the inclination of the multiple shelves 11.

[0021] The connecting frame 121 of this embodiment has a pair of connecting frames 121a, 121b connected to both left and right ends of the shelf 11. The pair of connecting frames 121a, 121b are provided at both front and rear ends of the shelf 11, respectively.

[0022] The frame driving unit 122 also includes a connecting member 122a connected to the pair of connecting frames 121a, 121b, and an actuator 122b that rotates the connecting member 122a. The connecting member 122a is rotatably mounted on the main frame 13 by a rotation shaft 10x, and the actuator 122b rotates the connecting member 122a relative to the main frame 13. When the connecting member 122a rotates, the pair of connecting frames 121a, 121b connected to the connecting member 122a slide relative to each other in the vertical direction, thereby changing the inclination of the shelf 11. In this embodiment, in order to change the inclination of the three shelf rows 11R simultaneously, the three connecting members 122a are connected by a link mechanism 122c and are configured to rotate by a common actuator 122b.

[0023] Next, each part of the tray transport device 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0024] The rack installation unit 2 is where the racks 10 are inserted and removed. In the rack installation unit 2, the racks 10 are installed so that the trays T can be removed from the shelves 11 by the tray removal mechanism 3, that is, so that the front of the racks 10 faces the tray removal mechanism 3.

[0025] The rack installation unit 2 may also be provided with a positioning mechanism (not shown) for positioning the rack 10 relative to the tray removal mechanism 3. The positioning mechanism may be a guide rail for guiding the casters 14 of the rack 10, or a guide member that comes into contact with the rack 10 to position it.

[0026] Furthermore, the rack 10 may be inserted or removed from the rack installation section 2 from the rear side, the left side, or the right side of the rack installation section 2.

[0027] The tray removal mechanism 3 removes trays T from the rack 10 installed in the rack installation section 2. The tray removal mechanism 3 is provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and removes trays T from each of the multiple shelves 11 of the rack 10.

[0028] Specifically, the tray removal mechanism 3 has a tray receiving section 31 that receives the tray T from the shelf 11, and a drive section 32 that moves the tray receiving section 31 and inserts it under the tray T. The tray receiving section 31 and the drive section 32 are raised and lowered by an elevation mechanism (not shown) to the height of the shelf 11 from which the tray T is to be removed. The specific configuration of the tray removal mechanism 3 will be described later.

[0029] The carrying-out mechanism 4 carries the tray T removed from the rack 10 by the tray removal mechanism 3 to the next process. In this embodiment, the tray T is carried to a workbench or the like for transferring eggs to a hatcher.

[0030] Specifically, the discharge mechanism 4 has a tray discharge unit 41, which is formed of, for example, a conveyor, for discharging the tray T, and a tray transfer unit 42 that transfers the tray T taken out by the tray takeout mechanism 3 to the tray discharge unit 41. The tray transfer unit 42 moves the tray T on the tray receiving unit 31 to the base end side (front side) of the tray receiving unit and transfers it to the tray discharge unit 41. The tray transfer unit 42 has a pushing member 42a for pushing the tray T on the tray receiving unit 31 toward the tray discharge unit 41, and a drive unit 42b for moving the pushing member 42a toward the tray discharge unit 41. The tray transfer unit 42 waits in a position where it does not interfere with the tray takeout mechanism 3 taking out the tray T, and pushes the tray T toward the tray discharge unit 41 after the tray T has been taken out by the tray takeout mechanism 3.

[0031] <Specific Configuration of Tray Ejection Mechanism 3> Next, we will explain the specific configuration of the tray ejection mechanism 3. As shown in Figures 1 and 3 to 6, the tray ejection mechanism 3 has a tray receiving unit 31 that is inserted under the tray T to receive the tray T from the shelf 11, a drive unit 32 that moves the tray receiving unit 31 to insert it under the tray T, and a support unit 33 that supports the tray receiving unit 31 that is inserted under the tray T by the drive unit 32.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 4 , a tray receiving section 31 is provided corresponding to each of the multiple shelf rows 11R. In this embodiment, since there are three shelf rows 11R, three tray receiving sections 31 are provided. Each tray receiving section 31 is elongated and has multiple (two) receiving plate sections 31a that are inserted into portions of the tray T that do not interfere with the eggs E (recesses between egg seat sections) and contact the underside of the tray T. The multiple receiving plate sections 31a are inserted between the two slide sections 11a of the shelf 11 below the tray T. The leading ends of the multiple receiving plate sections 31a are formed with inclined sections 31c that slope downward toward the leading end (see FIG. 3 ). The lower portions of the multiple receiving plate sections 31a are connected by a bottom plate section 31b (see FIG. 4 ).

[0033] 3 to 6, the drive unit 32 moves the tray receiving unit 31 back and forth in the horizontal direction to insert the tray receiving unit 31 under the tray T. The drive unit 32 in this embodiment is common to the plurality of tray receiving units 31. Note that the plurality of tray receiving units 31 may each be provided with an independent drive unit 32.

[0034] The drive unit 32 moves the tray receiving unit 31 horizontally between a tray receiving position P (see Figure 6(b)) where the tray receiving unit 31 is inserted under the tray T to receive the tray T, and a retracted position Q (see Figures 3 and 4) where the tray receiving unit 31 is retracted to the front of the rack 10.

[0035] Here, the tray receiving position P is a position where the tray receiving section 31 has entered the interior of the shelf 11, and in this embodiment, is a position where the tray receiving section 31 receives all of the multiple trays T on the shelf 11. The retracted position Q is a position where the tray receiving section 31 has been retracted to the outside of the shelf 11. When the tray receiving section 31 has received a tray T, the tray T above the tray receiving section 31 has been removed from the shelf 11, and the retracted position Q becomes the tray removal position (see FIG. 6(c)).

[0036] Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 3 to 6 , the drive unit 32 includes a slider 32a to which the tray receiving unit 31 is connected, a guide rail 32b that guides the slider 32a in the horizontal direction (front-rear direction), and an actuator (not shown) that moves the slider 32a along the guide rail 32b. As shown in FIG. 4 , the slider 32a in this embodiment is elongated and extends in the left-right direction, and is connected to multiple (three) tray receiving units 31, with the base end of each tray receiving unit 31 opposite to its tip end. For example, an air cylinder can be used as the actuator. The actuator may be a linear motor, or a rotary motor and a linear motion conversion mechanism such as a ball screw mechanism.

[0037] 3, 4, and 6, the support section 33 supports the load of the tray receiving section 31 and the tray T on the tray receiving section 31, and is provided in front of the shelf 11 of the rack 10 installed in the rack installation section 2, that is, outside the rack installation section 2. The support section 33 moves up and down together with the tray receiving section 31, etc., by an elevation movement mechanism. The support section 33 is in constant contact with the underside of the tray receiving section 31 to support the tray receiving section 31 while the tray receiving section 31 moves back and forth between the retracted position Q and the tray receiving position P.

[0038] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4 , the support portion 33 contacts the tray receiving portion 31 across the entire width, and in this embodiment, it contacts the bottom plate portion 31b of the tray receiving portion 31 across the entire width. The support portion 33 is made of a rolling element or a sliding element (e.g., a slippery resin (POM, etc.)) that rotates as the tray receiving portion 31 moves. A support portion 33 is provided corresponding to each of the three tray receiving portions 31, and is supported by a common support rod 34 (see FIG. 4 ). The support rod 34 is fixed to a frame member (not shown) on which the tray receiving portion 31, the drive unit 32, etc. are provided. This frame member moves up and down by an elevation movement mechanism.

[0039] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 6(b), the tray receiving section 31 is configured to receive the weight of the tray T and tilt around the support section 33 when inserted under the tray T. Also, as shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 6, the tray receiving section 31 has a contact section 311 that comes into contact with the upper surface of the shelf 11 in a state in which the tray receiving section 31 receives the weight of the tray T and tilts around the support section 33.

[0040] The contact portion 311 is provided at least on the tip side of the tray receiving portion 31. The contact portion 311 is provided to extend outward in the width direction from the receiving plate portion 31a of the tray receiving portion 31 (see FIG. 4), and comes into contact with the upper surface of the slide portion 11a of the shelf 11. The contact portion 311 has a sliding body made of, for example, a slippery resin (POM, etc.).

[0041] The tray receiving portion 31 is configured to be tiltable around the support portion 33, and the tray removal mechanism 3 of this embodiment is equipped with a connecting mechanism 35 that connects the tray receiving portion 31 and the drive portion 32 so that the tray receiving portion 31 can be tilted, as shown in Figures 3 to 6.

[0042] The coupling mechanism 35 couples the base end of the tray receiving portion 31 to the slider 32a of the drive unit 32. In this embodiment, a coupling mechanism 35 is provided corresponding to each of the three tray receiving portions 31. The coupling mechanism 35 transmits the driving force of the drive unit 32 to the tray receiving portion 31, while allowing displacement due to tilting of the tray receiving portion 31 around the support portion 33. More specifically, the coupling mechanism 35 allows displacement of the base end of the tray receiving portion 31 when the tray receiving portion 31 tilts until the contact portion 311 comes into contact with the shelf 11.

[0043] Specifically, the coupling mechanism 35 couples, with some play, the base end of the tray receiving portion 31 to the slider 32a of the drive portion 32. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 6, the coupling mechanism 35 comprises a through hole 31h formed in the base end of the tray receiving portion 31 and a fixing bolt 351 fixed to the slider 32a through the through hole 31h, the through hole 31h having a larger diameter than a threaded portion 351a of the fixing bolt 351, and the distance between a head 351b of the fixing bolt 351 and the fixing surface (upper surface) of the slider 32a is a distance that allows for displacement of the base end of the tray receiving portion 31.

[0044] Next, a description will be given of the operation of the tray transport device 100 of this embodiment. The operation of the tray transport device 100 is controlled by a control device (not shown).

[0045] When the rack 10 is installed in the rack installation section 2, the lifting / moving mechanism moves the tray removal mechanism 3 up and down to the height position of the desired shelf 11. For example, when removing trays T one by one from the rack 10 starting from the bottom, the tray removal mechanism 3 is moved up and down to the height position of the lowest shelf 11. The following tray removal operation is performed for each shelf 11.

[0046] After the tray removal mechanism 3 is moved up and down to the desired height position of the shelf 11, the drive unit 32 moves the tray receiving unit 31 from the retracted position Q toward the tray receiving position P (see FIG. 6A). As a result, the tray receiving unit 31 is inserted under the tray T. The tray receiving unit 31 also moves while contacting the support unit 33.

[0047] When the tray receiving portion 31 is inserted under the tray T, the tray receiving portion 31 receives the weight of the tray T and rotates around the support portion 33, tilting forward (see FIG. 6B). This forward tilting also brings the contact portion 311 of the tray receiving portion 31 into contact with the upper surface of the shelf 11 (the upper surface of the slide portion 11a). The contact of the contact portion 311 with the upper surface of the shelf 11 distributes the load that the tray receiving portion 31 receives from the tray T to the shelf 11. This results in the tray receiving portion 31 being supported at two points: the support portion 33 and the contact point of the contact portion 311 on the shelf 11. Furthermore, due to the rattle caused by the coupling mechanism 35, the tray receiving portion 31 becomes tilted relative to the slider 32a.

[0048] When the drive unit 32 inserts the tray receiving unit 31 into the tray receiving position P, the tray T is placed on the tray receiving unit 31 (see FIG. 6B). The drive unit 32 then moves the tray receiving unit 31 from the tray receiving position P to the retracted position Q (see FIG. 6C). During this movement from the tray receiving position P to the retracted position Q, if the center of gravity of the tray receiving unit 31 and the tray T above it is closer to the rack 10 than the support unit 33, the contact unit 311 is in contact with the top surface of the shelf 11. If the center of gravity of the tray receiving unit 31 and the tray T above it is closer to the slider 32a than the support unit 33, the contact unit 311 is released from the top surface of the shelf 11, and the forward tilt of the tray receiving unit 31 is resolved. At this time, the tray receiving unit 31 is supported at two points: the support unit 33 and the slider 32a.

[0049] When the drive unit 32 moves the tray receiving unit 31 to the retracted position Q, the lifting and moving mechanism lifts and moves the tray removal mechanism 3 to a height corresponding to the tray discharge unit 41. As a result, the tray transfer unit 42 pushes and transfers the tray T on the tray receiving unit 31 to the tray discharge unit 41. The tray discharge unit 41 then carries the tray T out to the next process. When the above operations are completed, the lifting and moving mechanism lifts and moves the tray removal mechanism 3 to the next shelf 11, and the tray T is removed from the next shelf 11.

[0050] <Effects of this embodiment> According to the tray transport device 100 of this embodiment, it is possible to mechanize the work of removing trays T from the shelves 11, which was previously done manually. Furthermore, since the tray receiving section 31 is configured to receive the weight of the tray T and tilt around the support section 33, the angle of the tray receiving section 31 can be adjusted as the tray T is inserted under it.

[0051] In this embodiment, when the tray receiving portion 31 tilts forward due to the load of the tray T, the contact portion 311 comes into contact with the upper surface of the shelf 11, so that the load of the tray T applied to the tray receiving portion 31 can be distributed to the shelf. Therefore, there is no need to increase the mechanical strength of the tray receiving portion 31, the drive portion 32, etc., and the configurations of the tray receiving portion 31, the drive portion 32, etc. can be simplified and constructed at low cost.

[0052] In this embodiment, the play in the connecting mechanism allows displacement due to tilting of the tray receiving section 31, so the simple configuration can reduce the stress applied to the drive section 32 due to tilting of the tray receiving section 31, preventing failure of the drive section 32.

[0053] <Modified Embodiments of the Present Invention> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0054] For example, in the above embodiment, a configuration is provided in which a plurality of (three) tray receiving sections 31 are provided for a plurality of (three) shelf rows 11R, but a configuration may also be provided in which a single tray receiving section 31 is provided for a plurality of shelf rows 11R. In this case, the tray removal mechanism 3 may be configured to move one tray receiving section 31 horizontally between the shelf rows 11R and sequentially remove trays T from each shelf row.

[0055] In addition, in the above embodiment, the tray receiving portion 31 is configured to tilt around the support portion 33 by the connecting mechanism 35, but the tray receiving portion 31 may be provided with a tilting mechanism that tilts the tray receiving portion 31, or the slider 32a may be provided with a tilting mechanism that tilts the tray receiving portion 31.

[0056] When providing the tray receiving portion 31 with a tilting mechanism, it is conceivable to divide the tray receiving portion 31 into two portions (a distal element and a proximal element) in the longitudinal direction, and provide a tilting mechanism having a configuration similar to that of the connecting mechanism 35 of the above embodiment between the distal element and the proximal element. For example, the tilting mechanism may include a through hole formed in the distal element and a fixing bolt fixed to the proximal element through the through hole. The through hole has a larger diameter than the threaded portion of the fixing bolt, and the distance between the head of the fixing bolt and the fixing surface (top surface) of the proximal element is a distance that allows for displacement of the tray receiving portion 31.

[0057] Furthermore, when providing a tilting mechanism to the slider 32a, it is conceivable to vertically divide the slider 32a into two (upper and lower elements) and provide a tilting mechanism between the upper and lower elements, which has a configuration similar to the connecting mechanism of the above-described embodiment. For example, the tilting mechanism may be formed by a through-hole formed in the upper element and a fixing bolt fixed to the lower element through the through-hole. The tray receiving portion 31 is fixed to the upper element. The through-hole has a larger diameter than the threaded portion of the fixing bolt, and the distance between the head of the fixing bolt and the fixing surface (top surface) of the lower element is a distance that allows for displacement of the tray receiving portion 31.

[0058] Furthermore, although the tray receiving section 31 in the above embodiment is configured so that the entire tray receiving section 31 rotates and tilts around the support section 33, it may be configured so that the tray receiving section 31 tilts due to deformation such as bending around the support section 33 when subjected to the load of the tray T. In other words, the tray receiving section 31 is configured so that the tip side of the tray receiving section 31 tilts relative to the support section 33. In this case, the connecting mechanism 35 in the above embodiment may be unnecessary.

[0059] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0060] According to the present invention, the operation of removing trays from racks can be mechanized.

[0061] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 11 shelf T tray 3 tray removal mechanism 31 tray receiving portion 311 contact portion 32 drive portion 33 support portion 35 connection mechanism

Claims

1. A tray removal mechanism that removes a tray placed on a shelf from the shelf, comprising: a tray receiving section that is inserted under the tray to receive the tray from the shelf; a drive section that moves the tray receiving section to insert it under the tray; and a support section that supports the tray receiving section that is inserted under the tray by the drive section, wherein the tray receiving section is configured to tilt around the support section when it receives the load of the tray.

2. A tray removal mechanism according to claim 1, wherein said tray receiving portion has a contact portion that contacts the upper surface of said shelf when tilted about said support portion upon receiving the load of said tray.

3. A tray removal mechanism as described in claim 1 or 2, further comprising a connecting mechanism that connects the drive unit and the tray receiving unit, the connecting mechanism transmitting the driving force from the drive unit to the tray receiving unit while allowing displacement of the tray receiving unit due to tilting around the support unit.

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