JP6919340B2 - Conveyor system and suction conveyor - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a transport system having an upstream conveyor for transporting an object to be transported and a suction conveyor provided downstream of the upstream conveyor, and is particularly used in a step of cleaning and drying a bottomed tubular can body. Concerning transfer systems and suction transfer conveyors suitable for use.

In the can manufacturing process, the can body processed into a bottomed cylinder by squeezing and ironing is then sent to the painting process, but prior to this, in the washing and drying process, the can is transferred on a net conveyor. The coolant adhering to the inner and outer surfaces of the body is washed with a chemical shower, and then the chemical remaining on the inner and outer surfaces of the can body is washed off with a rinse water shower and then dried.
In the washing and drying steps, the can bottom is placed on the upper surface, so that the coolant and washer chemicals adhering to the inner and outer surfaces of the can fall without staying on the inner and outer surfaces of the can. In the can cleaning, the can body is transported on the net conveyor in an inverted state.
If a fallen can occurs during this cleaning and drying process, cleaning with a chemical shower or rinse water shower becomes insufficient, and if this fallen can body (fallen can) is sent to the next process (painting process). In order to cause a problem of coating film peeling, it is known that a suction transport conveyor that sucks cans from above is arranged downstream of the conveyor in the cleaning process so that the fallen cans are not dropped and flowed out to the drying process.

However, since the cans are transported in multiple rows and densely on the net conveyor, if the cans fall during the cleaning process, they will be placed on the inner surface side of the cans when the cans fall or during the subsequent transport process. The remaining cleaning chemical solution and rinse water containing the chemical solution component may be scattered around and adhere to the inner and outer surfaces of the surrounding can body that has not collapsed.
If the cleaning chemical solution or rinse water containing the chemical solution component scatters and adheres, the adhesion of the coating film in the subsequent outer surface coating printing process and inner surface spray coating process deteriorates, which causes the coating film to peel off. It is necessary to reliably eliminate and remove the can body around the fallen can that may be scattered or adhered.
Due to its structure, the suction conveyor can only drop cans and remove them from the line, but the surrounding cans will not fall unless they are collapsed, so cleaning chemicals and chemical components can be applied to the surface of the surrounding cans. Even if the rinse water contained is scattered and adhered, it cannot be removed.

Therefore, conventionally, when a fallen can sensor installed immediately before the suction transfer conveyor detects a fallen can, the person in charge of the process recognizes the occurrence of the fallen can with a buzzer, a patrol light (registered trademark), etc. linked to the fallen can sensor. , The person in charge of the process immediately rushed to the exit conveyor and manually removed the cans around the fallen cans.
In this work, if all the cans to be excluded cannot be removed and the can body is leaked to the subsequent process (painting process), the coating film peels off with a high probability, so this work makes the person in charge of the process nervous. It was a work to be done.
In addition, even during another work, it is necessary to interrupt the work and rush to the exit conveyor, which is the work place for removing the can body around the fallen can, and because it is done manually while the line is in operation, it is safe. There was also the problem of.
In order to automate this, when a fallen can is detected in the cleaning process, the outlet conveyor (delivery conveyor 33) is swung downward at the timing when the fallen can passes, thereby eliminating all the cans around the fallen can. Is known (see Patent Document 1 and the like).

Japanese Patent No. 5103317

In the means known in Patent Document 1, since the outlet conveyor (delivery conveyor 33) is swung downward, a large amount of cans around the fallen cans are eliminated, so that there is a large loss of exclusion of normal cans.
Further, in order to swing the outlet conveyor, it is necessary to provide a large-sized special equipment, and in order to adopt it in the conventional line, it is a heavy burden in terms of space and cost.
The present invention solves such a problem, it is possible to accurately eliminate the transported object to be excluded, reduce the loss of the transported object to be excluded, and easily introduce it with simple equipment. It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple transfer system and a suction transfer conveyor.

The transport system according to the present invention is a transport system having an upstream conveyor for transporting the object to be transported and a suction transfer conveyor provided downstream of the upstream conveyor, and the suction transfer conveyor is the upper part of the object to be transported. It has a suction band having a transport surface for sucking the suction band and a suction unit for sucking the object to be transported from the back surface of the transport surface of the suction band, and the suction unit is on the back surface of the transport surface of the suction band. It has an opening surface facing each other and a negative pressure space for applying a negative pressure to the suction strip from the opening surface, the opening surface has a plurality of individual opening regions, and the suction transfer conveyor is the individual. a negative pressure supplied from the opening region to the suction strips each independently have a plurality of negative pressure control unit for controlling the upstream conveyor has a state detecting means for detecting the state of the object to be conveyed, The negative pressure control unit solves the problem by individually controlling the negative pressure in the individual opening region according to the output of the state detecting means.
The suction transport conveyor according to the present invention is a suction transport conveyor having a suction strip having a transport surface for sucking the object to be transported and a suction unit for sucking the object to be transported from the back surface of the transport surface of the suction band. The suction unit has an opening surface facing the back surface of the transport surface of the suction band, and a negative pressure space for applying negative pressure to the suction band from the opening surface. a plurality of discrete open area said plurality of negative pressure control unit for controlling independently a negative pressure is further perforated to be given to the suction strip from the individual aperture area, and the negative pressure control unit is disposed within negative pressure space of the suction unit, the Rukoto the transported material that is attracted to the conveyor surface is configured to selectively drop corresponding to each of said individual aperture regions, the problems It is the solution.

According to the transfer system and the suction transfer conveyor according to the present invention, the suction unit has an opening surface facing the back surface of the transfer surface of the suction band, and a negative pressure for applying a negative pressure to the suction band from the opening surface. By having a space, the opening surface has a plurality of individual opening regions, and further having a plurality of negative pressure control units that independently control the negative pressure applied to the suction band from the individual opening regions. Since the suction force of only the portion of the suction band portion facing each individual opening region can be controlled, it is possible to accurately eliminate the transported object to be excluded, and it is possible to reduce the loss of the transported object to be excluded. can.
Further, since it is possible to accurately eliminate the transported object to be excluded only by controlling the negative pressure by the negative pressure control unit, it is easy to introduce into the conventional equipment with simple equipment.
Further, according to the transfer system according to the present invention, the upstream conveyor has a state detecting means for detecting the state of the object to be conveyed, and the negative pressure control unit has a negative pressure in the individual opening region according to the output of the state detecting means. By controlling the pressure individually, it becomes possible to more accurately eliminate the transported object to be excluded.

According to the configuration according to claim 2, since the negative pressure control unit is arranged in the negative pressure space of the suction unit, the space is not increased as compared with the conventional equipment, and the introduction can be performed with respect to the conventional equipment. It's even easier.
According to the configuration according to claim 3, the negative pressure control unit is provided in the individual box so as to partition the individual space and the negative pressure space from the individual box forming the individual space corresponding to the individual opening region. By having the member, the negative pressure can be controlled only by the operation of the shutter, which makes the equipment even simpler.
According to the fourth aspect, the shutter member is formed so as to be openable and closable by a hinge, and the negative pressure control unit has an actuator arranged in the negative pressure space for opening and closing the shutter member. Equipment.
According to the configuration according to claim 5, since a plurality of individual opening regions are provided in the width direction of the suction strip, the transported object to be excluded can be divided into a small number of units in the width direction, and the transported object to be excluded can be excluded. The loss of goods can be further reduced.

According to the configuration according to claim 6, the object to be transported is a can body, and the upstream conveyor and the suction transfer conveyor are configured to be capable of transporting a plurality of can bodies in the width direction. It can be used in the step of removing the can body, and more preferably it can be used in the step of washing and drying the bottom tubular can body.
According to the configuration according to claim 7, the transported object is a can body, the state detecting means is a fallen can detecting means for detecting a fallen can body, and the negative pressure control unit is around the fallen can body. When a predetermined number of cans reach the individual opening region, the suction of the individual opening region is released, so that the can can be used in the step of eliminating the fallen can and the surrounding cans. More preferably, it is possible to reliably eliminate the can body around the fallen can in the step of washing and drying the bottom tubular can body.

The schematic explanatory view of the transport system which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. Perspective perspective explanatory view of the transport system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The side explanatory view of the suction transfer conveyor which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention.

As shown schematically in FIG. 1, the transfer system 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes an upstream conveyor 20 provided in the cleaning device 21 and a suction transfer conveyor provided downstream of the upstream conveyor 20 in the can body manufacturing process. A can body C having 100 and processed into a bottomed tubular shape, which is an object to be transported, is continuously transferred from the upstream conveyor 20 to the downstream conveyor 30 provided in the drying device 31 while being knocked down. It is configured to drop the CT.
As shown in FIGS. It has a unit 120 and.
To be described in detail, the suction strip 110 is a net belt or a belt provided with a plurality of small holes, and the transport surface side and the back surface side can be ventilated, and the suction unit 120 passes through the suction strip 110 by negative pressure to form a can body. By sucking the air in C, the transport surface of the suction band 110 sucks the upper part of the can body C.
Further, on the downstream side of the cleaning device 21 of the upstream conveyor 20, a can-down sensor 40 for detecting a can-down CT, which is a state detecting means, is provided.
The suction unit 120 has an opening surface 121 facing the back surface of the transport surface of the suction band 110, and a negative pressure space 122 that applies negative pressure to the suction band 110 from the opening surface 121.
The opening surface 121 has a plurality of individual opening regions 132, and the negative pressure applied to the suction band 110 from the individual opening regions 132 is independently controlled by the negative pressure control unit 130.

The negative pressure control unit 130 is arranged in the negative pressure space 122 of the suction unit 120, and has an individual box 131 forming an individual space 133 corresponding to the individual opening area 132, and the individual space 133 and the negative pressure space 122. It has a shutter member 134 provided in the individual box 131 so as to partition the shutter member 134, and an actuator 136 composed of a fluid pressure cylinder that opens and closes the shutter member 134.
A plurality of individual opening regions 132 are provided in the width direction of the suction strip 110, and individual boxes 131, shutter members 134, and actuators 136 that form individual spaces 133 are provided corresponding to the plurality of individual opening regions 132.
Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a weak negative pressure space 140 independent of the negative pressure space 122 is provided on the upstream end side and the downstream end side.
In these, the can body C is smoothly transferred by statically setting a certain section from the inlet and the outlet of the suction transfer conveyor 100 to have a suction force weaker than the negative pressure space 122.

In the present embodiment, the individual box 131 is provided so as to form an individual space 133 corresponding to a plurality of individual opening regions 132 in the width direction, and the shutter member 134 provided for each is centered on the hinge 135. It is provided so as to rotate and open and close.
The shutter member 134 is opened and closed by an actuator 136 arranged in the negative pressure space 122, and normally, the individual space 133 communicates with the negative pressure space 122 in a state where the shutter member 134 is open, and the opening surface 121 is an individual. The same suction force is applied to the suction band 110 including the opening region 132.
When the shutter member 134 is closed by the actuator 136, no negative pressure is applied to the closed individual space 133, and the suction force of the suction band 110 is reduced or eliminated in the corresponding individual opening region 132.
Since the parts other than the individual opening region 132 and the negative pressure control unit 130 may have a known structure, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

The operation of the transport system 10 according to the present embodiment as described above will be described.
A large number of can bodies C are aligned and conveyed in the cleaning device 21 by the upstream conveyor 20 with the openings facing downward.
On the downstream side of the cleaning device 21 of the upstream conveyor 20, an inverted can sensor 40 for detecting the inverted can CT is arranged, and the inverted can CT is used for a large number of can bodies C coming out of the cleaning device 21. The presence or absence and its position are detected.
The can body C conveyed by the upstream conveyor 20 is sucked at the upper part by the suction transfer conveyor 100 downstream of the can body C in an aligned state, and is continuously conveyed toward the downstream conveyor 30 provided in the drying device 31. ..

When the inverted can CT is present, the inverted can CT is not sucked by the suction transfer conveyor 100, so that the inverted can CT falls downward from the most downstream of the upstream conveyor 20 and is eliminated.
Further, since the position of the fallen can CT is detected by the fallen can sensor 40, the can body C around the position where the fallen can CT exists is an individual opening area among the can bodies C conveyed by the suction transfer conveyor 100. When it reaches 132, the negative pressure control unit 130 operates and falls downward to be eliminated.
The number of the individual opening regions 132 that operate is set to the minimum number that can surely eliminate the can body C that may be scattered or adhered to the chemical solution or the like, centering on the position where the inverted can CT in the width direction exists. The loss of the can body C to be eliminated can be reduced.
For example, when the inverted can CT exists in the vicinity of the boundary region between the individual opening regions 132, the negative pressure control units of a plurality of adjacent individual opening regions 132 in the vicinity of the boundary region may be operated.
Further, in rare cases, the fallen can CT may be sandwiched between the surrounding cans C and not fall downward from the most downstream of the upstream conveyor 20, but in the present embodiment, the surrounding cans C are operated by the operation of the negative pressure control unit 130. When dropping the can, the fallen can CT also drops reliably.

Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.
For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the individual opening regions 132 are provided side by side in the width direction, but a plurality of individual opening regions 132 may also be arranged in the transfer direction.
Further, the individual opening regions 132 at different positions in the transfer direction may be arranged in a staggered pattern.
Further, the shutter member 134 may be opened and closed in a sliding manner, and if the individual space 133 and the negative pressure space 122 can communicate with each other and be closed, the shutter member 134 is generally used as an opening / closing valve or the like. Fluid control means may be used.
Further, if the suction transport and drop of the can body C can be controlled in the individual opening region 132, the individual box 131 forming the individual space 133 may be formed extremely thin directly above the suction band 110, and the shutter member 134 may be directly formed. It may be in contact with the suction band 110.
On the contrary, the individual box 131 forming the individual space 133 may be formed by dividing the upper part of the individual opening region 132 in the entire negative pressure space 122 by a partition wall or the like.

10 ・ ・ ・ Conveyor system 20 ・ ・ ・ Upstream conveyor 21 ・ ・ ・ Cleaning device 30 ・ ・ ・ Downstream conveyor 31 ・ ・ ・ Drying device 40 ・ ・ ・ Falling can sensor (state detection means)
100 ・ ・ ・ Suction transfer conveyor 110 ・ ・ ・ Suction strip 120 ・ ・ ・ Suction unit 121 ・ ・ ・ Opening surface 122 ・ ・ ・ Negative pressure space 130 ・ ・ ・ Negative pressure control unit 131 ・ ・ ・ Individual box 132 ・ ・・ Individual opening area 133 ・ ・ ・ Individual space 134 ・ ・ ・ Shutter member 135 ・ ・ ・ Hinge 136 ・ ・ ・ Actuator 140 ・ ・ ・ Weak negative pressure space C ・ ・ ・ Can body (conveyed object)
CT ・ ・ ・ Fallen can

Claims (8)

A transport system having an upstream conveyor for transporting an object to be transported and a suction conveyor provided downstream of the upstream conveyor.
The suction transport conveyor has a suction band-shaped body having a transport surface for sucking the upper part of the object to be transported, and a suction unit for sucking the object to be transported from the back surface of the transport surface of the suction band-shaped body.
The suction unit has an opening surface facing the back surface of the transport surface of the suction band-shaped body, and a negative pressure space for applying a negative pressure to the suction band-shaped body from the opening surface.
The opening surface has a plurality of individual opening regions.
The suction conveyor is, have a plurality of negative pressure control unit for controlling independently a negative pressure to be given to the suction strip from the individual aperture area,
The upstream conveyor has a state detecting means for detecting the state of the object to be transported.
A transfer system characterized in that the negative pressure control unit individually controls the negative pressure in the individual opening region according to the output of the state detecting means. The transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the negative pressure control unit is arranged in the negative pressure space of the suction unit. The negative pressure control unit has an individual box that forms an individual space corresponding to the individual opening region, and a shutter member provided in the individual box so as to partition the individual space from the negative pressure space. The transport system according to claim 1 or 2. The shutter member is formed so as to be openable and closable by a hinge.
The transfer system according to claim 3, wherein the negative pressure control unit has an actuator arranged in the negative pressure space for opening and closing the shutter member. The transport system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a plurality of individual opening regions are provided in the width direction of the suction strip. The object to be transported is a can body,
The conveyor according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the upstream conveyor and the suction conveyor are configured to be capable of transporting a plurality of cans in the width direction. The object to be transported is a can body,
The state detecting means is a fallen can detecting means for detecting a fallen can body.
The negative pressure control unit is characterized in that when a predetermined number of can bodies around the collapsed can body reach the individual opening region, the suction of the individual opening region is released. The transport system according to any one of claims 1 to 6. A suction conveyor having a suction strip having a transport surface for sucking an object to be transported and a suction unit for sucking the object to be transported from the back surface of the transport surface of the suction band.
The suction unit has an opening surface facing the back surface of the transport surface of the suction band-shaped body, and a negative pressure space for applying a negative pressure to the suction band-shaped body from the opening surface.
The opening surface has a plurality of individual opening regions.
The further have a plurality of negative pressure control unit for controlling independently a negative pressure to be given to the suction strip from the individual aperture area,
The negative pressure control unit, the disposed within negative pressure space of the suction unit, that the transferred object that is attracted to the conveyor surface is configured such that each said selectively dropped in response to the individual open area A suction transfer conveyor characterized by this.

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