JP2001019137A - Housing pocket - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide housing pockets as article housing parts which can convey articles efficiently by a conveyer device which is rotated endlessly while varying the intervals between the neighboring article housing parts, and to provide such a conveyer device. SOLUTION: The housing pockets 13 are operated as the article housing parts used in a conveyer device rotating in the endless condition which furnishes numerous article housing parts continuously, and each housing pocket 13 consists of a tray part 19 to be the receiver pad when an article 14 is housed, and a pair of partition plates 12 projecting to the outer side of the conveyer device from the end edge parts at the upstream side and the downstream side in the conveying direction X of the article 14 in the tray part 19. The housing pockets 13 are installed to the conveyer device to make the intervals of the neighboring housing pockets 13 variable, and following to the variation of the intervals between the housing pockets 13, the opening interval at at least the front end parts of the pair of pertition plates 12 is varied.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a storage pocket serving as an article storage section used in an endlessly rotating transfer apparatus in which a number of article storage sections are arranged in series and a transfer apparatus using the storage pocket.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an endlessly rotating transfer device in which a number of article storage sections are arranged in series, for example, an article described in JP-A-2-43132 is used. Alignment / integration devices are known. According to this aligning / accumulating apparatus, an article storage section is constituted by a large number of receiving blades attached to the endless chain at intervals, and each article is stored in each article storage section, and the article is transported by driving the endless chain. However, the receiving blades are attached to the endless chain at regular intervals, and the intervals between adjacent article storage units cannot be changed as necessary. Therefore, it may not be possible to efficiently store and convey articles in each article storage unit.

On the other hand, for example, a conveying apparatus in which a large number of article placement sections are provided on an endlessly rotating belt and the distance between adjacent article placement sections can be varied is known. The article placement section merely places articles, and does not accommodate each article in each article storage section formed by partitioning the partition.

According to the present invention, there is provided a storage pocket as an article storage section capable of efficiently transporting articles by an endlessly rotating transfer apparatus while varying the distance between adjacent article storage sections, and a storage pocket. It is an object of the present invention to provide a transport device used.

[0005]

According to the present invention, there is provided a storage pocket as the article storage section used in an endlessly rotating transport device in which a plurality of article storage sections are arranged in series, wherein the storage pocket is provided. A tray portion serving as a receiving table for storing articles, and a pair of partition plates each protruding from the upstream and downstream edges of the tray portion in the conveying direction of the articles toward the outside of the conveying device. At the same time, the storage pockets are attached to the transfer device so that the distance between the adjacent storage pockets can be changed, and the opening at at least the distal ends of the pair of partition plates is changed according to the change in the distance between the storage pockets. The object has been achieved by providing accommodation pockets with variable intervals.

Further, the present invention is a transfer device using the storage pockets, wherein a product supplied to each storage pocket at a supply position is counted and accumulated at a discharge position in a predetermined count and discharged. The object has been achieved by providing a transfer device which is a device.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to preferred embodiments. FIG. 1 shows a counting and discharging device 10 as a transfer device employing a storage pocket 13 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. That is, the counting and discharging device 10 is used when, for example, disposable diapers are integrally discharged in a state of predetermined counting and accumulation as articles 14, and are used for storage in a packaging bag. A rotating conveyance belt 11 installed along the looped orbit and rotated endlessly;
And a plurality of storage pockets 13 with an opening and closing mechanism according to the first embodiment, which are arranged continuously around the periphery of the storage unit 1. They are accumulated, extruded by an extruder (not shown), and discharged to an apparatus in the next step.

[0008] The storage pocket 1 of the first embodiment.
Numeral 3 is continuously provided so that the interval in the transport direction X along the rotary transport band 11 can be changed, and the variable interval of the storage pocket 13 is adjusted at the discharge position B and the supply position A. The discharge position rotating cylinder 15 or the supply position rotating cylinder 16 having spiral grooves 21 and 22 formed on the peripheral surface.
Is provided.

As shown in FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b), the rotary transport band 11 to which the storage pocket 13 is attached is composed of a large number of rod plates 17 which are pin-joined at both ends and are connected to bendable. A pair of adjacent rod plates 1
Reference numeral 7 denotes a connecting arm 18 for connecting adjacent storage pockets 13 to each other. That is, the pair of rod plates 17
Has one end pinned to each other, and the other end is pinned to each of the storage pockets 13 on both sides to connect adjacent storage pockets 13 to each other. The distance L between the storage pockets 13 can be changed according to the amount of bending of each connecting arm 18 about one end 30 of the rod plate 17 that is pin-connected to each other.

The first book attached so that the distance L can be varied.
The storage pocket 13 of the embodiment is, as shown in FIG.
A tray 19 serving as a receiving table for accommodating the article 14, and each of the tray 19 protruding from the upstream and downstream edges of the article 14 in the transport direction X toward the outside of the rotary transport band 11. It comprises a pair of rectangular partition plates 12. Further, according to the first embodiment, the expandable and contractible spring 33 is provided inside the tray portion 19, so that the receiving opening interval at the distal end portions of the pair of partition plates 12 is wider than the width of the tray portion 19. Is provided.

That is, according to the first embodiment, the biasing means extends the pair of partitioning plates 12 to the inside of the tray portion 19 and interposes the spring 33 interposed between its ends, A hinge part 34 for supporting the partition plate 12 rotatably at an edge of the tray part 19; a hinge part 34 and a spring 33;
Are arranged in parallel with the spring 33, and both ends of the spring 33 are brought into contact with the inner surfaces of the pair of partition plates 12, respectively.
And a rod-shaped stopper member 35 that limits the expansion of the interval between the receiving openings by the pair of partition plates 12 by regulating the urging in the contraction direction.

Therefore, according to the first embodiment, FIG.
At the supply position A or the transport position of the product 14 as shown in FIG.
The part of the partition plate 12 that protrudes outward from the
The center is biased so as to increase the interval between the receiving openings. At the position where the contraction of the spring 33 is restricted by the stopper member 35, each partition plate 12 is erected slightly inclining outward from the edge of the tray portion 19, so that the receiving opening interval at the distal end portion is set to the tray portion. The state where the article 14 is expanded beyond the width of 19 is maintained, so that the article 14 can be easily received.

On the other hand, at the discharge position B of the article 14 as shown in FIG. 2 (a), when the distance L between the adjacent storage pockets 13 is reduced, the partition plate 12 which has been erected in an inclined position is
The inclination is corrected against the urging force of the spring 33, and it is erected vertically and comes into close contact with each other, so that a predetermined number of products can be easily pushed together.
After the article 14 has been extruded,
Increases the distance L again along the rotary transport belt 11 and automatically inclines the partition plate 12 by the contraction force of the spring 33, so that each storage pocket 13 increases the distance between the receiving openings at the front end, and 14 returns to a state where it is easy to receive (see FIG. 1).

That is, the storage pocket 13 of the first embodiment.
Is provided with an opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing the pair of partition plates 12, and when the interval L between the adjacent storage pockets 13 is reduced, the opening interval of the pair of partition plates 12 at the distal end portion is reduced.

As shown in FIG. 2 (a), the discharge position rotating cylinder 15 which is disposed at the discharge position B of the product 14 and adjusts the variable interval L of the storage pocket 13 has a spiral groove 21 on its peripheral surface. Is formed at the discharge position B, and is disposed along the rotary transport band 11 adjacent to the inside of the rotary transport band 11 moving along the linear track. Then, each of the storage pockets 13 and the rotary transport band 11 can be moved in the transport direction X by being rotated by the drive of the discharge position drive servo motor 23 (see FIG. 1). That is, in the spiral groove 21 formed on the peripheral surface of the discharge position rotating cylindrical body 15, a locking projection 25 projecting from the tray portion 19 of each storage pocket 13 to the inside of the loop-shaped orbit is formed in the spiral groove 21. The protrusion 25 is provided so as to be slidable along the helical groove 21 and is slid along the helical groove 21 by the rotation of the discharge position rotating cylinder 15. Thus, each of the storage pockets 13 and the rotary transport band 11 can be sequentially sent out in the transport direction X.

The spiral groove 21 has a pitch L which is twice as large as the reference pitch P on the upstream side in the transport direction X, with the interval L between the storage pockets 13 when the adjacent storage pockets 13 are brought into close contact with each other as a reference pitch P. On the downstream side, they are formed at the same pitch as the reference pitch P. Further, the spiral grooves 21 having the reference pitch P on the downstream side are formed at least as many as the number of articles 14 to be accumulated.
Therefore, by rotating the discharge position rotating cylinder 15, the predetermined number of storage pockets 13 storing the articles 14 are brought into close contact with the downstream side of the cylinder 15, and the articles 14 are extruded on the downstream side in a state where the articles 14 have been counted and accumulated. The extruding operation by the device (not shown) can be performed integrally.

When the connecting arm 18 is straight without being bent, the interval between the receiving pockets 13 is configured to be twice the reference pitch P. In addition, on a track separated from the discharge position B and the supply position A, each of the storage pockets 1 is generally kept in a state where the connecting arm 18 is linear.
3 moves in the transport direction X.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 2 (b), the supply position rotating cylinder 16 which is disposed at the supply position A of the product 14 and adjusts the variable interval L of the storage pocket 13 has a spiral shape on the peripheral surface. A groove 22 is formed, and is provided along the rotary transport band 11 adjacent to the inside of the rotary transport band 11 that moves along a linear track at the supply position A. And
By rotating the supply position drive servo motor 24 (see FIG. 1), each of the storage pockets 13 and the rotary transport band 11 can be moved in the transport direction X. That is, similarly to the discharge position rotating cylinder 15, the spiral groove 22 formed on the peripheral surface of the supply position rotating cylinder 16 protrudes from the product mounting tray 19 of each storage pocket 13 to the inside of the loop-shaped orbit. Locking projection 25 is provided so as to be slidably locked along the spiral groove 22, and the locking projection 2 locked in the spiral groove 22
5 is turned into a spiral groove 2 by rotation of the supply position rotating cylinder 16.
2, each of the storage pockets 13 and the rotary transport band 11 can be sequentially sent out in the transport direction X.

The spiral grooves 22 are formed at a pitch twice the reference pitch P on the upstream side in the transport direction X and at a pitch 1.5 times the reference pitch P on the downstream side. Such a 1.5-fold pitch on the downstream side allows the articles 14 to be smoothly and quickly fed from the supply device (not shown) into each of the storage pockets 13 without causing interference between the adjacent storage pockets 13. Pitch. Therefore, the supply device is arranged at the start of the spiral groove 22 at a pitch of 1.5 times, so that the article 14 is supplied efficiently.

According to the counting and discharging device 10 shown in FIG. 1, the rotation of the supply position drive servomotor 24 and the discharge position drive servomotor 23 is controlled so that the supply position rotation cylinder 16 and the discharge position rotation cylinder 15 are rotated. The article 14 supplied at the supply position A is rotated while moving in the transport direction X the rotating transport belt 11 and a plurality of storage pockets 13 arranged continuously on the outer circumference of the rotary transport belt 11 along the loop-shaped orbit. The discharge operation is performed in the discharge position B in a state of accumulation.

Here, the supply position rotating cylinder 16 rotates at a constant speed, and on the downstream side thereof, with respect to the storage pocket 13 which moves at an interval of 1.5 times the reference pitch P.
Articles 14 are sequentially supplied from a supply device (not shown). On the other hand, the discharge position rotating cylinder 15 is
The rotation at a rotation speed slightly higher than 6 and the stop state are intermittently repeated. When the number of storage pockets 13 equal to the reference pitch P is brought into close contact with the number of articles 14 to be accumulated on the downstream side of the rotation cylinder 15 at the downstream side thereof by rotation of the rotation cylinder 15 at the discharge position, the rotation cylinder 15 at the discharge position is rotated. The rotation of 15 is temporarily stopped, and the push-out device (not shown) pushes out the articles 14 accumulated at a predetermined count, and discharges them to the next step.

According to the counting / discharging device 10 shown in FIG. 1, the feeding length of the rotary transfer belt 11 by the discharge position rotary cylinder 15 from the time of stop to the next stop, and the supply position rotary cylinder 16 during this time. Transport belt 1 by
The supply position drive servomotor 24 and the discharge position drive servomotor 23 are controlled such that the feed length of the feed roller 1 becomes equal to that of the first feed roller 1 so that an unreasonable tensile load is not applied to the rotating transport belt 11 that rotates. In addition, the slack of the transported rotary conveyance band 11 based on the difference between the rotation speeds of the supply position rotating cylinder 16 and the discharge position rotating cylinder 15 is easily absorbed by the bending of the connecting arm 18.

Then, the storage pocket 1 of the first embodiment
According to 3, the pair of partition plates 12 are urged by the spring 33 so that the interval between the receiving openings at the distal end is wider than the width of the tray 19, so that the interval between the receiving openings is increased at the supply position A of the article 14. In the discharge position B of the article 14, the space between the opened openings is narrowed and the adjacent accommodation pocket 13 can be easily received.
Makes it possible to easily push out a predetermined number of articles 14 integrally. That is, the article can be efficiently transported by the counting and discharging device 10 that rotates endlessly while changing the interval between the adjacent storage pockets 13.

FIG. 4 shows a storage pocket 40 with an opening / closing mechanism according to a second embodiment of the present invention. This second
According to the storage pocket 40 of the embodiment, the pair of partition plates 4
4 is bent vertically inward as a slide piece 42 to extend in the lateral direction, and is inserted into a pair of lateral slide grooves 46 opened on the side of the upper end of the tray portion 43 so as to be able to slide forward and backward. I have. Further, a spring attachment piece 44 is provided at the tip of each slide piece 42 to extend vertically downward from the tip, and a pair of spring attachment pieces 44 is provided.
Both ends are connected to the spring mounting piece 44 and the spring 45 is interposed in a compressed state.

That is, each slide piece 42 slides outward along the lateral slide groove 46 due to the force of the compressed spring 45 to expand, and the receiving opening interval between the distal end portions of the pair of partition plates 41 is reduced. It is urged to expand beyond the width of the tray section 43. When the adjacent storage pockets 40 are brought into close contact with each other, each slide piece 42 slides inward along the lateral slide groove 46 against the urging force of the spring 45, thereby easily narrowing the interval between the receiving openings. You can do it. The storage pocket 40 of the second embodiment is also attached to the counting and discharging device 10 and has the same operation and effect as the storage pocket 13 of the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 shows a storage pocket 50 with an opening / closing mechanism according to a third embodiment of the present invention. This third
According to the storage pocket 50 of the embodiment, the pair of partition plates 5
1, when the space L between the adjacent storage pockets 50 is large, the space between the adjacent receiving pockets 50 is urged by the urging means provided in the tray 52 so that the interval between the receiving openings at the leading end is smaller than the width of the tray 52. As the distance L between the adjacent storage pockets 50 is reduced, the distance between the receiving openings at the distal end is gradually increased, and the distance between the adjacent storage pockets 50 is reduced.
Are in close contact (interval L = reference pitch P), the receiving opening interval is substantially equal to the width of the tray section 52. According to the third embodiment, when transporting the article 53 in a state where the adjacent storage pockets 50 are separated from each other, the article 53 is sandwiched between the pair of partition plates 51 and transported while fixing the article 53. can do.

FIG. 6 shows a storage pocket 60 with an opening / closing mechanism according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. This fourth
According to the storage pocket 60 of the embodiment, the pair of partition plates 6
Reference numerals 1 are fixed to the upstream and downstream edges of the tray portion 62 so as to be erected, and each of the adjacent storage pockets 6
The zero partition plates 61 are joined to each other via a hinge plate 64 at the distal end. The hinge plate 64 is composed of a pair of connecting plates 63 whose one ends are rotatably connected and connected, and the other end of each connecting plate 63 is connected to the leading edge of one partition plate 61 of the adjacent storage pocket 60. Each part is connected rotatably.

Therefore, when the distance L between the adjacent receiving pockets 60 is large, the amount of bending of the pair of connecting plates 63 constituting the hinge plate 64 is small, and is defined by the distance between the connecting portions of the adjacent connecting plates 63. The space between the receiving pockets of the receiving pockets 60 is widened. And, as the distance L between the adjacent storage pockets 60 is reduced,
The amount of bending of the pair of connecting plates 63 increases, and the receiving opening interval gradually narrows. In a state where the adjacent storage pockets 60 are in close contact (interval L = reference pitch P),
The interval between the receiving openings is substantially equal to the width of the tray 62. According to the fourth embodiment, the article 65 can be more reliably accommodated in the accommodation pocket 60, and the interval between the receiving openings at the distal end can be easily adjusted without using the urging means.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, but can be variously modified. For example, the urging means for opening and closing the pair of partition plates does not necessarily need to be configured using a spring. Also, the storage pocket of the present invention,
It is not always necessary to use it by attaching it to the counting and discharging device, but it can also be used by attaching it to other various article conveying devices.

[0030]

According to the storage pocket and the transfer device of the present invention, the storage pocket is attached to the transfer device which rotates endlessly, and transfers the articles efficiently while changing the interval between the adjacent storage pockets. be able to.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a counting and discharging device employing a storage pocket according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2A is a plan view showing a configuration at a discharge position of the counting and supplying device, and FIG. 2B is a plan view showing a configuration at a supply position.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view showing a configuration of a storage pocket according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a configuration of a storage pocket according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a storage pocket according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a storage pocket according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Count discharge apparatus (transport apparatus) 11 Rotation transport belt 12, 41, 51, 61 Partition plate 13, 40, 50, 60 Storage pocket 14 Articles 19, 43, 52, 62 Tray part 33 Spring 34 Hinge part 35 Stopper member A Supply position B Discharge position L Spacing between storage pockets X Transport direction

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A storage pocket as the article storage section used in an endlessly rotating transport device in which a number of article storage sections are arranged in series, wherein the storage pocket is a receiving pocket for storing articles. A tray portion serving as a base, and a pair of partition plates that respectively protrude from the upstream and downstream edges of the tray portion in the transport direction of the articles toward the outside of the transport device, and the storage pockets are each A storage pocket which is attached to a transport device so that a distance between adjacent storage pockets can be changed, and an opening distance at least at a front end portion of the pair of partition plates changes with a change in the distance between the storage pockets. 2. The storage pocket according to claim 1, wherein the pair of partition plates reduce an interval between openings at the distal end portion when a distance between adjacent storage pockets is reduced. 3. The storage pocket according to claim 1, wherein the pair of partition plates increase the opening interval at the distal end when the interval between adjacent storage pockets is reduced. 4. The storage pocket according to claim 1, wherein the partition plates of the adjacent storage pockets are joined to each other at their leading ends. 5. A transport device using the storage pockets according to claim 1, wherein a product supplied to each storage pocket at a supply position is counted and accumulated at a discharge position and discharged. A transport device, which is a counting and discharging device adapted to perform.