Conveyance device

Abstract

The present invention places plates collected in a water tank on a conveyor. This conveyance device that conveys, together with a fluid, plates collected in a water tank has a conveyor and a lifter. The conveyor includes a mounting area located below a floor board provided in the water tank, and conveys plates mounted in the mounting area to a prescribed position. The lifter includes blades that turn between a retreat position where the blades retreat below the floor board and a projection position where the blades project upward from the floor board, and pushes out plates toward the mounting area by the turning of the blades from the retreat position to the projection position.

Description

Carrier device

[0001] The present invention relates to a carrier device for carrying used dishes collected in a water tank.

[0002] In stores where a large number of specific dishes are used (such as conveyor belt sushi restaurants), a dish washer may be installed in the washing area. Here, a carrier device has been developed to collect used dishes and transport them to the dish washer (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] In the dish sorting device described in Patent Document 1, a plurality of food containers collected in a water tank are placed on a conveyor. Specifically, a rod-shaped dish pressing member rotates along the bottom surface of the water tank to generate a water flow in the water tank, and this water flow is used to place the food containers on the conveyor.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-188423

[0005] An object of the present invention (the first invention of the present application described later) is to provide a carrier device that can place the dishes in the water tank on a conveyor by means different from those of Patent Document 1.

[0006] The first invention of the present application is a carrier device for carrying dishes collected in a water tank together with a fluid, and includes a conveyor and a lifter. The conveyor includes a loading area located below a floor plate provided in the water tank, and transports the dishes placed on the loading area to a predetermined position. The lifter includes a blade that rotates between a retracted position where it retracts below the floor plate and a protruding position where it protrudes upward from the floor plate, and by rotating the blade from the retracted position to the protruding position, the dishes are pushed out toward the loading area.

[0007] An inclined guide that inclines from the floor plate toward the loading area can be arranged between the lifter and the loading area. Also, the water tank can collect a plurality of types of dishes having different sizes. Here, a gate can be arranged at a position adjacent to the loading area on the side opposite to the side of the lifter. An opening is formed in the gate to block the passage of the dishes to be transported by the conveyor and allow the passage of the dishes not to be transported.

[0008] A sorting mechanism can be provided to select upright plates from those transported by the conveyor. The sorting mechanism has a pair of support rails and a belt conveyor. The pair of support rails support the upright plates. The belt conveyor is positioned above the pair of support rails and transports the upright plates while pressing them against the support rails.

[0009] A belt conveyor can consist of an endless belt and an extrusion unit. The extrusion unit is provided on the outer surface of the endless belt and, through elastic deformation, contacts the upright-positioned plate and pushes out the upright-positioned plate as the endless belt rotates.

[0010] The sorting mechanism can transport upright plates to the dishwasher's input port. The sorting mechanism is also rotatable, allowing it to move away from the input port. The sorting mechanism can drop plates other than those in an upright position. A chute can be provided to receive the plates dropped from the sorting mechanism and sort them by sliding them.

[0011] The object of the second invention of this application is to provide a sorting mechanism that can sort upright plates from among plates transported from a conveyor.

[0012] The second invention of this application is a sorting mechanism for sorting upright plates from plates transported on a conveyor. The sorting mechanism has a pair of support rails and a belt conveyor. The pair of support rails support the plates in an upright position. The belt conveyor is positioned above the pair of support rails and transports the plates in an upright position while pressing them against the support rails.

[0013] In the second invention of this application, the belt conveyor can consist of an endless belt and an extrusion unit. The extrusion unit is provided on the outer surface of the endless belt and, through elastic deformation, contacts the upright-positioned plate and pushes out the upright-positioned plate in accordance with the rotation of the endless belt.

[0014] In the second invention of this application, the sorting mechanism can transport plates in an upright position to the input port of the dishwasher. The sorting mechanism is also rotatable in a direction that moves it away from the input port. The sorting mechanism can drop plates other than those in an upright position. A chute can be provided to receive the plates that have fallen from the sorting mechanism and sort them while sliding them.

[0015] According to the present invention, by driving the lifter, the plates collected in the water tank can be placed on a conveyor and transported.

[0016] This is a perspective view of the conveying device. This diagram illustrates the structure of each tray. This is a schematic diagram illustrating the conveying path of the trays. This diagram compares the gate opening of the first gate with the size of the trays. This is a perspective view showing the configuration of the lifter. This is a perspective view showing the lifter with its blades raised. This diagram compares the size of the second gate with the size of each tray. This is a perspective view showing the configuration of the belt conveyor. This diagram shows the positional relationship between the trays and the support rails in an upright or inverted position. This is a perspective view showing the configuration of the chute.

[0017] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the conveying device 100. The conveying device 100 collects used plates in the washing area of ​​a store (such as a conveyor belt sushi restaurant) and conveys the plates 11 in an upright position to the intake port 91 of a dishwasher 90 located adjacent to the conveying device 100. Here, the upright position is when the surface on which food and beverages are placed faces upward, and the inverted position is when the surface on which food and beverages are placed faces downward.

[0018] When a certain number of dishes 11 are stacked in the intake port 91, the dishwasher 90 takes the dishes 11 inside and washes them, then stacks the washed dishes 11 in an upright position and discharges them from the discharge port 92. The stacked dishes 11 at the discharge port 92 are then transferred to the conveyor 94 by the transfer mechanism 93.

[0019] The transport device 100 includes a water tank 2, a conveyor 3, a first gate 4, a second gate 5, and a sorting mechanism 6. Although not shown, the transport device 100 also includes a memory, a processor that reads programs from the memory and controls the entire system, a display that shows setting screens, and input units such as buttons and touch panels for giving instructions to the processor.

[0020] The tank 2 is a roughly rectangular box in plan view and is composed of multiple side walls 21. The opening 22 at the top of the tank 2 can be closed with a lid (not shown). Note that the form of the tank 2 in this embodiment is just one example, and the tank 2 can take any form as appropriate, and the presence or absence of a lid can also be decided as appropriate. Hereinafter, in the horizontal plane, directions that are orthogonal to each other will be referred to as the X direction and the Y direction. With respect to the X direction, the lower right direction in Figure 1 will be the +X direction, and the upper left direction will be the -X direction. With respect to the Y direction, the upper right direction in Figure 1 will be the +Y direction, and the lower left direction will be the -Y direction.

[0021] An inlet opening 21a is formed in the side wall 21 located at the +Y end of the tank 2, and a trough 200 is connected to the inlet opening 21a. Used dishes are placed in the trough 200, move along the trough 200, and then move into the interior of the tank 2 through the inlet opening 21a. Here, a fluid (such as water) flows through the trough 200, making it easier for the used dishes to move along the trough 200. A floor plate 23 is installed inside the tank 2, and the floor plate 23 is located above the bottom surface of the tank 2.

[0022] Examples of plates include sushi plates 11 (A), small bowls 12 (B), small plates 13 (C), and irregularly shaped plates 14 (D1, D2), as shown in Figure 2. Hereinafter, some or all of the sushi plates 11, small bowls 12, small plates 13, and irregularly shaped plates 14 may simply be referred to as "plates." These plates move from the trough 200 into the water tank 2. The conveying device 100 is configured to convey the upright plates 11 from among the plates 11 to 14 that have moved into the water tank 2 to the dishwasher 90.

[0023] Figure 2(A) is a side view of the sushi plate 11. The sushi plate 11 is flat and circular in plan view, and has a main body 11a that curves downward in the center and a raised base 11b provided on the lower surface of the main body 11a. The sushi plate 11 has a width W1 and a height H1. Although the sushi plate 11 is circular in plan view, it may have a shape other than circular. Also, in the sushi plate 11 shown in Figure 2(A), the height of the rim of the main body 111 is the same, but the height of the rim can be varied, for example, as in the irregularly shaped plate 14 shown in Figure 2(D1, D2).

[0024] Figure 2(B) is a cross-sectional view of the small bowl 12. Like the sushi plate 11, the small bowl 12 has a main body 12a and a base 12b, as well as a width W2 and a height H2. The width W2 is narrower than the width W1 of the sushi plate 11, and the height H2 is higher than the height H1 of the sushi plate 11.

[0025] Figure 2(C) is a cross-sectional view of the small plate 13. Like the sushi plate 11, the small plate 13 has a main body 13a and a base 13b, as well as a width W3 and a height H3. The width W3 is narrower than the width W1 of the sushi plate 11, and the height H3 is lower than the height H1 of the sushi plate 11.

[0026] Figure 2(D1) is a cross-sectional view of the irregularly shaped plate 14, and Figure 2(D2) is an external perspective view of the irregularly shaped plate 14. The irregularly shaped plate 14 has an irregular shape when viewed from above, and the height of the rim is not uniform. The irregularly shaped plate 14 has a main body 14a and a base 14b, as well as a width W4 and a height H4, similar to the sushi plate 11. The width W4 is narrower than the width W1 of the sushi plate 11, but wider than the width W2 of the small bowl 12 and the width W3 of the small plate 13. The height H4 is higher than the height H1 of the sushi plate 11 and the height 13 of the small plate 13.

[0027] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing the transport path of the conveyor 3. For example, a top chain conveyor consisting of a top plate and a chain can be used as the conveyor 3. Here, protrusions (not shown) can be provided on the surface of the top plate, and these protrusions can be used to facilitate the transport of the plates 11 to 14. The transport path of the conveyor 3 consists of a loading area 31, a connection area 32, and a lifting area 33.

[0028] The mounting area 31 extends in the X direction and is located below the upper surface of the floor plate 23. Between the mounting area 31 and the floor plate 23, there is an inclined guide 24 that slopes downward from the upper surface of the floor plate 23 toward the mounting area 31. On the side opposite to the mounting area 31 from the inclined guide 24, a lifter 7, which will be described later, is positioned.

[0029] The connection area 32 is located between the loading area 31 and the lifting area 33, and extends in the Y direction to change the transport direction of the conveyor 3. The lifting area 33 extends in the X direction and also extends upward from the connection area 32.

[0030] A guide plate 25 is provided on the floor plate 23 of the tank 2, and the guide plate 25 moves the dishes 11 to 14 that flow in from the inlet opening 21a to a position where they do not interfere with the rising region 33 of the conveyor 3. In other words, the dishes 11 to 14 that flow in from the inlet opening 21a move along the guide plate 25 and pass below the rising region 33 of the conveyor 3.

[0031] The first gate 4 is positioned adjacent to the mounting area 31, that is, on the opposite side from the inclined guide 24, and is located along the mounting area 31. The first gate 4 has a plurality of gate openings 41, which are aligned along the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the first gate 4. As shown in Figure 4, the width W5 of the gate opening 41 is wider than the widths W2 and W3 of the plates 12 and 13, and narrower than the widths W1 and W4 of the plates 11 and 14. Also, the height H5 of the gate opening 41 is higher than the heights H1 to H4 of each of the plates 11 to 14.

[0032] The dishes 11 to 14, which flow into the water tank 2 from the inlet opening 21a, move along the floor plate 23 and are guided to the loading area 31 of the conveyor 3. Here, since the fluid that flows in from the inlet opening 21a is flowing toward the first gate 4, the dishes 11 to 14 are moved toward the first gate 4 by the fluid. In addition, since an inclined guide 24 is provided adjacent to the loading area 31, the dishes 11 to 14 can easily move toward the first gate 4 by descending along the inclined guide 24.

[0033] In this embodiment, an inclined guide 24 is provided, but the inclined guide 24 can be omitted. If the inclined guide 24 is omitted, a lifter 7, which will be described later, can be placed adjacent to the mounting area 31. This allows the plates 11 to 14 pushed out by the lifter 7 to be placed on the mounting area 31.

[0034] According to the relationship between the sizes of each of the plates 11-14 and the size of the gate opening 41 described above, plates 12 and 13 pass through the gate opening 41, but plates 11 and 14 do not. In this way, by providing the first gate 4, plates 11 and 14 can be separated from plates 12 and 13.

[0035] The plates 12 and 13 that pass through the gate opening 41 are collected in the storage section A of the water tank 2, so that, for example, employees can retrieve the plates 12 and 13 from the storage section A. The retrieved plates 12 and 13 can be washed manually by workers or by a dishwashing machine (not shown). Alternatively, a passage (not shown) can be connected to the storage section A, and the plates 12 and 13 can be retrieved via the passage.

[0036] Dishes 11 and 14 that do not pass through the gate opening 41 remain in the loading area 31 of the conveyor 3. That is, since the first gate 4 is positioned adjacent to the loading area 31, dishes 11 and 14 that do not pass through the gate opening 41 remain on the loading area 31 of the conveyor 3. Here, when dishes 11 and 14 are transported by the conveyor 3, the first gate 4 can guide the dishes 11 and 14. In addition, since the inclined guides 24 and the first gate 4 are positioned on both sides of the loading area 31 in the Y direction, dishes 11 and 14 are more likely to remain in the loading area 31.

[0037] Next, the structure of the lifter 7 will be explained using Figures 5 and 6. The lifter 7 is used to forcibly push the plates 11 to 14, which are held in place in front of the inclined guide 24, towards the inclined guide 24.

[0038] The lifter 7 has a plurality of blades 71 and a drive mechanism 72 that drives the plurality of blades 71. Each blade 71 is formed in a fan shape, and the plurality of blades 71 are arranged along the mounting area 31 of the conveyor 3. The floor plate 23 is provided with an opening 23a equal to the number of blades 71, and each blade 71 rotates between a position where it is retracted below the upper surface of the floor plate 23 (hereinafter referred to as the retracted position) and a position where it protrudes from the upper surface of the floor plate 23 (hereinafter referred to as the protruding position).

[0039] The drive mechanism 72 is connected to the rotation shafts (not shown) of the multiple blades 71, and the driving force from the drive source included in the drive mechanism 72 is transmitted to the rotation shafts. By controlling the drive of the drive mechanism 72, the multiple blades 71 can be rotated between a retracted position and an extended position. When the multiple blades 71 are in the retracted position, the plates 11 to 14 can move along the upper surface of the floor plate 23. When the plates 11 to 14 are fixed to the upper surface of the floor plate 23, the plates 11 to 14 fixed to the floor plate 23 can be pushed towards the inclined guide 24 by rotating the multiple blades 71 from the retracted position to the extended position.

[0040] After pushing the plates 11-14 toward the inclined guide 24, the multiple blades 71 can be rotated from the protruding position to the retracted position. The timing of rotating the multiple blades 71 from the retracted position to the protruding position can be determined as appropriate. For example, the multiple blades 71 can be rotated at a predetermined cycle, or the multiple blades 71 can be rotated when the sensor detects that the plates 11-14 are resting on the upper surface of the floor plate 23.

[0041] As described above, the loading area 31 of the conveyor 3 will mainly contain plates 11 and 14, but plates 12 and 13 that could not pass through the first gate 4 may also be placed in the loading area 31. Plates 11 to 14 placed on the conveyor 3 in the loading area 31 are then transported by the conveyor 3.

[0042] A second gate 5 is positioned in the upward-moving region 33 of the conveyor belt 3. The second gate 5 is used to drop plates 12 and 14 from the plates 11 to 14 being transported by the conveyor belt 3. The number of second gates 5 and the positions where the second gates 5 are installed can be determined as appropriate.

[0043] Figure 7 shows the positional relationship between the second gate 5 and each of the plates 11 to 14. Regarding the gate opening 5a of the second gate 5, the width of the gate opening 5a (length in the left-right direction in Figure 7) is wider than the widths W1 to W4 of the plates 11 to 14. On the other hand, the height H6 of the gate opening 5a (height from the conveyor 3) is higher than the heights H1 and H3 of the plates 11 and 13, and lower than the heights H2 and H4 of the plates 12 and 14.

[0044] As a result, as shown in FIGS. 7(A) and 7(C), the trays 11 and 13 can pass through the second gate 5, but as shown in FIGS. 7(B) and 7(D), the trays 12 and 14 collide with the second gate 5 and fall from the conveyor 3. Therefore, the trays that pass through the second gate 5 and are guided to the sorting mechanism 6 are mainly the trays 11 and 13.

[0045] In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the second gates 5 are arranged at two positions, and the height H6 of the gate opening 5a can be made different for the two second gates 5. For example, when the relationship of the heights of the trays 11 to 14 is H3 < H1 < H4 < H2, the tray 12 (the highest height H2) can be dropped by the second gate 5 located on the downstream side of the conveyance path of the conveyor 3, and the tray 14 (the second highest height H4) can be dropped by the second gate 5 located on the upstream side of the conveyance path of the conveyor 3.

[0046] Further, the height H6 of the gate opening 5a can be set to a height that allows only one tray 11 or 13 to pass through. Thereby, when a plurality of trays 11 and 13 are stacked on the conveyor 3, only one tray 11 or 13 passes through the second gate 5, and the remaining trays 11 and 13 collide with the second gate 5 and fall from the conveyor 3.

[0047] Next, the structure of the sorting mechanism 6 will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. The sorting mechanism 6 moves only the trays 11 in the upright posture among the trays conveyed from the conveyor 3 to the dishwashing machine 90. The sorting mechanism 6 has a pair of support rails 61 and a belt conveyor 62.

[0048] The pair of support rails 61 are provided at intervals in the Y direction, and each support rail 61 extends in the X direction. The pair of support rails 61 receive the tray 11 from the conveyor 3 and guide the tray 11 toward the intake 91 of the dishwashing machine 90. The width W1 of the tray 11 is wider than the widths W2 to W4 of the trays 12 to 14, and the interval (distance in the Y direction) between the pair of support rails 61 is set to an interval that can support only the tray 11. That is, the interval between the pair of support rails 61 is narrower than the width W1 of the tray 11 and wider than the widths W2 to W4 of the trays 12 to 14.

[0049] The plates 11 transported by the conveyor 3 include plates 11 in an upright position and plates 11 in an inverted position. For plates 11 in an upright position, when the plate 11 is moved from the conveyor 3 to the pair of support rails 61, the upper part of the plate 11 is positioned above the pair of support rails 61, as shown in Figure 9(A), and the plate 11 is supported by the pair of support rails 61.

[0050] In the case of the inverted plate 11, when the plate 11 is moved from the conveyor 3 to the pair of support rails 61, as shown in Figure 9(B), the upper part of the plate 11 will be located below the pair of support rails 61, and the plate 11 cannot be supported by the pair of support rails 61. Therefore, the inverted plate 11 will fall below the pair of support rails 61.

[0051] As described above, the spacing between the pair of support rails 61 is set to a distance that can support only the plate 11. Therefore, if plates 12 to 14 are guided to the sorting mechanism 6, plates 12 to 14 will fall through the gap formed between the pair of support rails 61.

[0052] The belt conveyor 62 is positioned above a pair of support rails 61 and has an endless belt 621 and extrusion sections 622. Multiple extrusion sections 622 are fixed to the outer surface of the endless belt 621, and each extrusion section 622 is elastically deformable. The extrusion sections 622 can be formed from, for example, sponge or urethane.

[0053] As the belt conveyor 62 rotates, the extrusion unit 622 comes into contact with the upright plate 11 that has been transferred from the conveyor 3, and the plate 11 is sandwiched between the multiple extrusion units 622 and the pair of support rails 61. Here, the extrusion units 622 press the plate 11 against the support rails 61 by elastic deformation. The multiple extrusion units 622 transport the plate 11 toward the dishwasher 90 while pressing it against the pair of support rails 61 in accordance with the rotation of the endless belt 621. As a result, the upright plate 11 reaches the intake port 91 of the dishwasher 90.

[0054] As shown in Figure 8, the sorting mechanism 6 is rotatable around the rotation axis 63, and can be rotated in the direction of arrow D (upward) from the state shown in Figure 8. This allows the sorting mechanism 6 to be moved away from the intake port 91 of the dishwasher 90.

[0055] Here, the sorting mechanism 6 is provided with a handle 64, and the operator can rotate the sorting mechanism 6 by holding the handle 64. The sorting mechanism 6 is positioned close to the intake port 91 of the dishwasher 90, but as described above, by rotating the sorting mechanism 6 upward, the operator can handle the dishwasher 90 without interfering with the sorting mechanism 6.

[0056] As described above, the inverted plates 11 and 12-14 are not supported by the pair of support rails 61 and therefore fall from the pair of support rails 61. A chute 8, which will be described later, is located at the point where the plates 11-14 fall, and the plates 11-14 that fall from the conveyor 3 reach the chute 8.

[0057] Next, the structure of the chute 8 will be explained using Figure 10.

[0058] The chute 8 has a main chute 81 and a sub-chute 82. The main chute 81 is inclined with respect to both the X and Y directions. Specifically, the main chute 81 extends in the Y direction and is inclined downward in the Y direction from one end located directly below the support rail 61 to the other end.

[0059] Furthermore, the chute 81 has a pair of guide side walls 81a and 81b on both sides in the width direction (X direction), and the chute 81 is inclined such that the guide side wall 81a is located below the guide side wall 81b. By providing a pair of guide side walls 81a and 81b, it is possible to prevent the plates 11 to 14 from falling out of the chute 81 to unintended positions.

[0060] A sub-chute 82 is connected to the guide side wall 81a of the main chute 81, and two openings 83 and 84 are formed therein. The sub-chute 82 is inclined downward with respect to the X direction from the connection point with the main chute 81. Opening 83 is located upstream of opening 84 in the drop path of the main chute 81. Opening 83 is used to allow the plate 13 to pass through and has a width W7 and height H7 according to the size of the plate 13. Opening 84 is used to allow the plate 11 to pass through and has a width W8 and height H8 according to the size of the plate 11.

[0061] Dishes 11-14 that have fallen from conveyor belt 3 move along the main chute 81. Here, since the main chute 81 is inclined with respect to the X direction, dishes 11-14 move along the guide side wall 81a. Dishes 13 move along the main chute 81 and then move to the sub-chute 82 through opening 83 (and possibly opening 84). Dishes 11 move along the main chute 81 and then move to the sub-chute 82 through opening 84. Dishes 11 and 13 move along the sub-chute 82 and then are returned to the tank 2.

[0062] Of the plates 11 to 14 that fall into the chute 81, plates 12 and 14 that cannot pass through the openings 83 and 84 fall from the other end of the chute 81 in the Y direction. A collection basket 85 is placed at the position where these plates 12 and 14 fall, and the plates 12 and 14 that fall from the chute 81 are collected in the collection basket 85. The collection basket 85 is placed inside the water tank 2, and when the collection basket 85 is full of plates 12 and 14, the worker can remove the collection basket 85 from the water tank 2.

Claims

1. A conveying device for transporting plates collected in a water tank along with a fluid, comprising: a conveyor that transports plates placed in the loading area to a predetermined position, including a loading area located below a floor plate provided in the water tank; and a lifter equipped with blades that rotate between a retracted position where it is retracted below the floor plate and a protruding position where it is protruding above the floor plate, wherein the lifter pushes the plates toward the loading area by rotating the blades from the retracted position to the protruding position.

2. The conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that it has an inclined guide positioned between the lifter and the mounting area and inclined toward the mounting area from the floor plate.

3. The conveying device according to claim 1, characterized in that multiple types of plates of different sizes are gathered in the water tank, and the conveying device has a gate positioned on the opposite side from the lifter and adjacent to the loading area, with an opening formed therein that prevents the passage of plates to be conveyed by the conveyor and allows the passage of plates not to be conveyed.

4. The conveying device according to claim 1, further comprising a sorting mechanism for sorting upright plates from among the plates transported from the conveyor, wherein the sorting mechanism comprises a pair of support rails for supporting the upright plates, and a belt conveyor positioned above the pair of support rails for transporting the upright plates while pressing them against the support rails.

5. The conveying device according to claim 4, wherein the belt conveyor comprises an endless belt and an extrusion section provided on the outer surface of the endless belt, which, through elastic deformation, comes into contact with the upright-positioned plate and pushes out the upright-positioned plate in accordance with the rotation of the endless belt.

6. The conveying device according to claim 4, characterized in that the sorting mechanism conveys the upright plates to the input port of the dishwasher.

7. The conveying device according to claim 6, characterized in that the sorting mechanism is rotatable in a direction that retracts from the input port.

8. The conveying device according to claim 4, characterized in that the sorting mechanism has a chute that drops plates other than the upright plates, receives the plates that have fallen from the sorting mechanism, and sorts the plates while sliding them.

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