JP4064522B2 - Article sorting device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for sorting articles sent by a transport conveyor into a plurality of classification paths provided on the side of the transport conveyor.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-157176 discloses a technique that can be used as an apparatus for receiving articles sent by a conveyor at a required location of a plurality of classification paths provided on the side of the conveyor. The present invention has a movable guide called a diverter for sorting articles on a conveyor, and the diverter extends on the conveyor or retracts to the side of the conveyor to guide the articles to a target sorting apparatus. It is. Accordingly, a part of the present invention will be described in detail. In the present invention, a longitudinal slot is formed at the rear end portion of the diverter, and there is a pivot center axis of the diverter through the slot. The diverter has a structure that can be extended and retracted toward the conveyor while performing a revolving motion with the revolving central axis as a fulcrum. In Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-5453, the operation of the dispensing tool (corresponding to the diverter in the above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 52-157176) reciprocates in the width direction of the conveyer to guide the article in the desired discharge direction. In the initial stage of the forward movement, the dispensing surface is substantially parallel to the article conveyance direction, and thereafter, the lower side of the dispensing surface in the article conveyance direction moves so as to precede the article discharge direction. In these conventional techniques, the movement of the diverter and the dispensing tool is devised to shorten them as much as possible, and to simplify the apparatus. However, these methods of bringing an article into contact with the diverter and the dispensing tool and guiding the article in a predetermined direction according to the crossing angle of the transporting direction of the conveyer and the diverter and the dispensing tool, in practice, are the same kind of articles. Such sorting is not always uniform, and some of them may take time unexpectedly to be led in a predetermined direction, causing a problem that the ability is not stable. Furthermore, in the conventional method, inconvenience such as difficulty in achieving high speed has occurred.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention is made to solve the above-mentioned problems and the like. In an apparatus that sorts articles sent by a conveyor into a plurality of classification paths provided on the side of the conveyor, the articles are surely received within a predetermined time. It is a problem that a plurality of classification paths provided on the side of the conveyer can be brought close to each other and arranged in a space-saving manner, and further inexpensive.
[0004]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention is a device that sorts articles sent by a transport conveyor into a plurality of classification paths provided on the side of the transport conveyor. An intake gate having one end slidable by a guide, and an auxiliary gate pivotally supported by the other end on the intake gate, and an auxiliary gate guide plate for guiding the guide provided on the auxiliary gate. And the intake gate and the auxiliary gate are interlocked at different angles with respect to the transport direction of the transport conveyor when the intake gate is reciprocally rotated. It is also a feature of the present invention that the drive unit for interlocking the intake gate and the auxiliary gate at different angles is formed of a fluid-operated cylinder.
[0005]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an overall view of an article sorting apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 1 (A) shows eight chutes provided on the side of a conveyor 1 with articles classified by a preceding apparatus (omitted, for example, a sorter). It is a front view of the apparatus classified and discharged to 1-4-8. (B) is a plan view taken from the position of the take-in gate 10 and the auxiliary gate 11 of (A), (C) is a plan view seen from the position of the rotation shaft 8 of the take-in gate 10, and (D) is taken-in. 3 is a plan view seen from the position of a fluid-operated cylinder 6 that drives a gate 10. FIG. Next, other symbols will be described. Reference numeral 2 denotes a conveyor belt, and 2a denotes a traveling direction of the conveyor belt. Reference numeral 5 denotes a drive unit housing box, 6 a cylinder, and 7 an arm fixed to a rotating shaft 8 for reciprocatingly rotating the take-in gate 10 and connected to the cylinder 6. When the article 9 whose classification has been determined is conveyed in the direction of the arrow 2a, the take-in gate 10 and the auxiliary gate 11 are interlocked to extend onto the conveyor 1 as shown in FIG. The article 9 that is in contact with the take-in gate 10-5 has a component force to change its direction in the direction of the chute 4-5 depending on the traveling direction of the conveyor belt 2 and the extending angle of the take-in gate 10-5. Then, it proceeds toward the chute 4-5 along the intake gate 10-5 and the auxiliary gate 11-5, and in the case of FIG. FIG. 4C shows a state in which the take-in gate 10-5 corresponding to the chute 4-5 moves forward and extends onto the conveyor 1. (D) The figure shows a case where the cylinder 6-5 is actuated by the supply of fluid, and shows a state in which the arm 7 connected to the cylinder 6-5 rotates about the rotation shaft 8-5. .
[0006]
【Example】
Next, a description will be given with reference to FIGS. As described above, the article sorting apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that the take-in gate 10 for taking in articles and the auxiliary gate 11 operate in conjunction with each other. 2A is an enlarged front view of a portion corresponding to FIG. 1A. (B) is a plan view as viewed in the direction of arrow B, and is an enlarged view of a part corresponding to (C) in FIG. (C) is a side view of (A), and is also a cross-sectional view in the transport direction of the transport conveyor. (D) is the top view which looked at (C) from right above. 3A corresponds to (B) of FIG. 2 described above, and (B) corresponds to (D) of FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, an embodiment of a connecting structure for interlocking the auxiliary gate 11 with the movement of the take-in gate 10 is shown in FIGS. 4A is a plan view showing the relationship between the take-in gate 10, the auxiliary gate 11, the guide 13, and the auxiliary gate guide plate 14, which is in a state of being extended on the conveyor. (B) shows the state where the take-in gate 10 and the auxiliary gate 11 are pulled back to the side of the conveyor, (C) is a diagram showing the relationship between the guide 13 and the auxiliary gate guide plate 14. The auxiliary gate 11 slides on the auxiliary gate guide plate 14 by the guide 13 provided at the rear end of the auxiliary gate 11. Further, FIG. 5 shows the details of the connection example of the take-in gate 10 and the auxiliary gate 11, which can be separated by a hinge 12 (for example, a hinge).
[0007]
By adopting such a configuration, the take-in gate 10 and the auxiliary gate 11 are rotatable by the hinge 12. When the take-in gate extends on the conveyor, the take-in gate and the auxiliary gate are bent at the hinge 12 and have different angles with respect to the traveling direction of the conveyor belt. Accordingly, when the article abuts against the take-in gate 10 and a component force is generated to change the direction in the direction of the chute 4, the traveling direction of the article is changed and further guided to the direction of the chute 4 by the auxiliary gate. Thereafter, when the article does not arrive, the auxiliary gate is pulled back to the side of the conveyor as shown in FIG. 4B, so that even if the article is difficult to move in the direction of the chute 4, it can be led to the chute without difficulty.
[0008]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, instead of a single gate as in the prior art, the intake gate and the auxiliary gate are connected and interlocked by a single drive unit, so the intake gate extends on the conveyor belt. When the article is in contact with the take-in gate, the direction is first changed by the take-in gate, and then the state is along the auxiliary gate at a different angle from the take-in gate. Can be quickly operated and can reliably sort articles within a predetermined time. In addition, since the length of the take-in gate is more effectively used than in the prior art, even when a large number of chutes 4 are arranged as in this embodiment, it is possible to arrange them extremely adjacent to each other, and the entire apparatus can be made compact. There is an effect that the captain can be shortened.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an overall view of an article sorting apparatus according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of each part in FIG. 1 of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a configuration of a take-in gate and an auxiliary gate according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a connection structure diagram of an intake gate and an auxiliary gate according to the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a detailed view of the connecting portion of the intake gate and the auxiliary gate of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Conveyor 2 Conveyor belt 3 Side plate 4 Chute 5 Drive part accommodation box 6 Cylinder 7 Arm 8 Rotating shaft 9 Article 10 Take-in gate 11 Auxiliary gate 12 Hinge 13 Guide tool 14 Auxiliary gate guide plate

Claims (2)

In an article sorting apparatus that sorts articles sent by a conveyor into a plurality of classification paths provided on the sides of the conveyor, a take-in gate having a pivot that is rotatable at one end and a guide that slides one end And an auxiliary gate pivotally supported at the other end of the intake gate and an auxiliary gate guide plate for guiding the guide provided at the auxiliary gate. An article sorting apparatus, wherein the take-in gate and the auxiliary gate are interlocked at different angles with respect to a conveying direction of the conveyor. 2. The article sorting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the drive unit that interlocks the take-in gate and the auxiliary gate at different angles is a fluid-operated cylinder.

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