JP6988294B2 - Transport device and transport method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a transport device and a transport method, and more particularly to a transport device and a transport method used for holding and transporting a plurality of articles.

For transporting various articles, for example, a transport device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has been proposed. In the transport device of Patent Document 1, a plurality of articles sent side by side at a delivery position are sandwiched by a pair of sandwiching members, transferred and placed on a tray, and then the sandwiching by the sandwiching members is released and the tray is released. Multiple items are paid out in an aligned state.

By the way, when transporting goods such as rice balls, the goods are stored in a container such as a product number in a container such as a product number in a state of being aligned in the front-rear and left-right directions at a distribution center. Then, in order to carry out the goods in the product number weight to each store, a desired number of goods are packed in other containers such as the shipping number weight. Here, in the case of transporting by a device having three sets of a pair of sandwiching members as in the transport device of Patent Document 1, three articles lined up by the product number weight are simultaneously sandwiched and packed in the shipping number weight.

In terms of product number weight, when accommodating a rice ball having a triangular shape, it is often accommodated in an upright state with the apex of the triangle facing upward. In this case, arrange the rice balls side by side in the product number with the thickness direction of the rice balls facing left and right, and each rice ball makes contact or a slight gap with the adjacent rice balls or inner wall in the left and right direction. Aligned in the open state. As a result, it is possible to secure a large number of rice balls to be accommodated in the product number, and it is possible to prevent the rice balls from falling over when the product number containing the rice balls is transferred.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-251761

From the above product number weight, when transporting 3 rice balls (articles) at a time using the transport device of Patent Document 1, if there are 4 or more rice balls in a row on the left and right according to the product number weight, 3 rice balls will be produced. At the same time as the rice balls are carried out, the rice balls waiting to be carried in the same row will remain in the product number. Of the onigiri waiting to be transported, the onigiri that was adjacent to the unloaded rice ball in the left-right direction loses support in the direction of falling to the left and right because the space where the unloaded rice ball was placed becomes an empty space. .. If a rice ball that has lost its support cannot stand on its own due to imbalance, etc., there is a problem that the rice ball waiting to be transported collapses in the empty space due to the carrying out of the rice ball. When the rice balls fall down in this way, there is a problem that the fallen rice balls cannot be pinched in the next transportation, the number of rice balls to be transported becomes insufficient, and unintended rice balls remain in the product number.

The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide a transport device and a transport method capable of preventing an article contained in a container from falling down before transport. Make it one.

In one aspect of the transport device of the present invention, articles housed in a first container capable of accommodating a plurality of rows of n articles in a row direction in the thickness direction thereof are placed in a pre-positioned position with respect to the first container. In the transport device for transporting to the second container to be placed, the first moving portion that can move along the trajectory connecting the first container and the second container and the first moving portion that is fixed to the first moving portion. Along the trajectory connecting the first container and the second container, a holding device mechanism capable of independently holding all n articles in the same row housed in the first container individually and independently. The holding device is provided on a track connecting the first moving portion and the first container and the second container or an extension line thereof, and at least n-1 articles are placed in the same row. A second temporary mounting portion that can be mounted and a second article that is provided in the temporary mounting portion and that allows the article mounted on the temporary mounting portion to move in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the track. The moving unit, the grasping unit for grasping the number of articles placed in the temporary mounting section, the determining section for determining the number of articles to be mounted in the second container in one operation, and the grasping section. If the number of articles grasped by the unit is equal to or greater than the number of articles determined by the determination unit, the article may be selected to be transported from the temporary mounting unit, and in other cases, the article may be removed from the first container. It is characterized by including a comparison selection unit that selects to carry, and a control unit having.

According to such a configuration, since all the articles can be held in the same row by the holding device, some articles in the same row remain in the first container after the articles are carried out from the first container. Can be avoided. In other words, in the state of being stored in the first container, it is possible to avoid carrying out such that the articles are not supported in the fall direction as in the conventional case, and the articles in a row in the thickness direction (row direction) are maintained in an upright state. It is possible to prevent it from falling over. As a result, it becomes impossible to hold the fallen article, so that it is possible to eliminate the shortage of the number of conveyed articles and the residual article due to the transportation omission in the repeated transportation. Here, in the present invention, when the number of articles contained in the second container is less than the number of articles held in the same row, the articles not contained in the second container are temporarily placed in the temporary mounting portion. It can be placed on the target. Further, the article placed on the temporary mounting portion can be held by the holding device and stored in the second container. Therefore, while preventing the articles from falling over as described above, even if the number of articles stored in the second container changes due to repeated transportation, temporary placement in the temporary mounting section should be used. So, we can respond to such changes without difficulty.

In one aspect of the transport method in the present invention, at least a part of a plurality of articles housed in a row in the first container or the temporary mounting portion is transported to the second container by using a transport device. In the transport method, the number of articles to be placed in the second container in one operation is determined, the number of articles placed in the temporary mounting section is grasped, and the temporary mounting section is used. When the number of articles placed on the second container is equal to or greater than the number of articles placed in the second container in one operation, it is selected to transport the articles from the temporary mounting portion, and the second container is selected. As many articles as the number of articles to be placed in the temporary mounting section are transported to the second container and placed in the second container, and in other cases, the articles are transported from the first container. Select, hold all n articles in the same row among the articles placed in the first container, and place as many articles in the second container as the number of articles in the second container. It is characterized in that articles that are not placed in the container are placed in the temporary mounting portion.

According to the transport device of the present invention, all the articles in a row in the first container can be held and carried out, and the articles not yet transported in the second container can be placed in the temporary mounting portion, so that the articles can be placed in the first container. It is possible to prevent the articles housed in the upright state from falling down before being transported.

It is a schematic plan view of the transport device which concerns on embodiment. It is a schematic side view of the transport device which concerns on embodiment. It is a schematic perspective view of the holding device which concerns on embodiment. It is sectional drawing which cut a part of the holding device which concerns on embodiment on a ZX plane. It is sectional drawing which made the YZ plane of the steady rest mechanism a cut plane. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which the holding device has grasped the article. It is explanatory side view which shows an example of the state which a holding device holds an article. It is a schematic perspective view of a temporary mounting part. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the transport device which concerns on embodiment. It is a functional block diagram of the control part which concerns on embodiment. It is a flow chart which shows the flow of the transport method which concerns on embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the flow of transportation from a product number weight to a shipment number weight. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the flow of transportation from a product number weight to a shipment number weight. It is explanatory drawing which shows the other example of the flow of the transfer to a shipping number weight. It is explanatory drawing which shows the other example of the flow of the transfer to a shipping number weight. It is explanatory drawing which shows the further example of the flow of the transfer to a shipping number weight. It is explanatory drawing which shows the further example of the flow of the transfer to a shipping number weight. It is explanatory drawing at the time of transportation in the conventional example.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and can be appropriately modified and implemented without changing the gist thereof. In the following figures, some configurations may be omitted for convenience of explanation. Further, in the following description, unless otherwise specified, "top", "bottom", "left", "right", "front", and "rear" are used with reference to the direction indicated by the arrow in each figure. However, the orientation of each configuration in each of the following embodiments is only an example, and can be changed to any orientation.

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of the transport device according to the embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the transport device according to the embodiment. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the transport device 1 is configured to transport the rice ball (article) W contained in the product number weight T1 as the first container to the shipping number weight T2 as the second container. Will be done. The transport device 1 includes a base 2 provided with a mounting area 2a on which the product number weight T1 is placed, and a feeding device 3 disposed in front of the base 2 on which the shipping number weight T2 is placed. Have.

The feeding device 3 includes a plurality of rollers 3a for transferring the shipping number T2 in the left-right direction, and a support frame 3b for supporting the plurality of rollers 3a at predetermined height positions. The feeding device 3 is provided with a positioning means (not shown) that temporarily positions the shipping number T2 in front of the product number T1 so that the left and right positions are aligned with the product number T1. Further, the feeding device 3 supports the shipping number weight T2 on the roller 3a at a position substantially the same as the product number weight T1. The feeding device 3 may sequentially convey a plurality of shipping number T2s and replace them with a configuration such as a belt conveyor as long as they can be positioned at the above-mentioned positions.

Here, the rice ball W to be transported according to the present embodiment is a package of rice balls having a triangular shape when viewed from the left-right direction, and is formed so that the sheet portion Wa (see FIG. 4) protrudes from the apex of the upper portion. To. In the product number T1, the rice balls W are housed in a state of being arranged in a matrix along two orthogonal directions of front and back and left and right, and in this embodiment, eight rice balls are arranged side by side and five rice balls are arranged side by side. ing. In other words, in the product number weight T1, n (n is a natural number) (8 in the present embodiment) rice balls W are accommodated in a plurality of rows (5 rows in the present embodiment) in a row in the thickness direction. Has been done. The thickness direction of each of the rice balls W housed in a plurality of rows is oriented in the left-right direction, and in the following description, these thickness directions and the left-right directions will be referred to as "row directions". Each rice ball W is in an upright state with the apex of the triangle facing upward. Further, the rice balls W lined up in the front-rear and row directions are in contact with or with a slight gap with respect to the rice balls W adjacent to each other in the line-up direction or the inner wall of the product number T1. Therefore, each rice ball W housed in the product number weight T1 has the side surface of the triangle directed in the vertical direction, and prevents the side surface from falling so as to be horizontal.

In the transport device 1 of the present embodiment, the holding device 4 for holding a plurality of rice balls W arranged in a row direction and the track connecting the product number weight T1 and the shipping number weight T2 are extended along the front-rear direction. It includes a first moving portion 5 capable of moving the holding device 4, a second moving portion 6 provided on the base 2, and a temporary mounting portion 7.

Subsequently, a specific configuration of the holding device 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of the holding device according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a part of the holding device according to the embodiment cut along the ZX plane. Here, in the description of the holding device 4, the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction indicated by the arrows in each figure will be described as reference, and the above-mentioned front-rear direction is the X direction, and the column direction (left-right direction) is the Y direction. The vertical direction is the Z direction.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the holding device 4 includes eight holding mechanisms 9, an upper fixing plate 4a, an intermediate fixing plate 4b, and a lower fixing plate 4a arranged at predetermined intervals in the Z direction (vertical direction). It is equipped with a plate 4c. The eight holding mechanisms 9 have substantially the same configuration and are provided side by side at equal intervals in the Y direction. The eight holding mechanisms 9 include a first grip portion 10, a second grip portion 20, a support 30 for supporting the grip portions 10 and 20, and a drive mechanism (drive unit) 40. ing. In the present embodiment, the support 30 is formed in a square columnar shape whose axis is directed in the vertical direction (Z direction). Further, the eight holding mechanisms 9 have an elevating cylinder 60 extending in the Z direction and a steady rest mechanism 70 supported by the intermediate fixing plate 4b and the lower fixing plate 4c.

The elevating cylinders 60 of each holding mechanism 9 are connected to each other via the upper fixing plate 4a on the upper end side, and are connected to each other via the intermediate fixing plate 4b on the lower end side. Therefore, eight holding mechanisms 9 arranged in the Y direction are integrated via the upper fixing plate 4a and the intermediate fixing plate 4b. The elevating cylinder 60 includes an output shaft that moves forward and backward in the Z direction, and the output shaft is connected to the support 30 so that the support 30 and the grips 10 and 20 supported by the support 30 can move forward and backward in the Z direction. Will be. The intermediate fixing plate 4b and the lower fixing plate 4c are formed in a rectangular shape in a plan view, and are connected via a connecting rod 4d extending in the Z direction at each of the four corners.

The first grip portion 10 includes a pair of first grip bodies 11a and 11b arranged in the X direction. The pair of first grips 11a and 11b are swingably supported on the lower end side of the support 30. As a result, the lower ends of the first grips 11a and 11b are displaced in the directions in which they approach and separate from each other (approximately in the X direction) and can be opened and closed, so that the rice balls W (not shown in FIG. 3) can be gripped and released. You can do it. 3 and 4 show a state in which the first grips 11a and 11b are open, and FIG. 6 illustrates a state in which the first grips 11a and 11b are closed.

The second grip portion 20 includes a pair of second grip bodies 21a and 21b arranged in the Y direction (one of the second grip bodies 21b is not shown in FIG. 4). The second grips 21a and 21b are also swingably supported by the lower end side of the support 30, and the lower ends of the second grips 21a and 21b approach and separate from each other (approximately Y direction). It can be displaced and opened and closed. The gripping position of the first gripping portion 10 and the gripping position of the second gripping portion 20 are different in the position (height position) in the Z direction. The second grip portion 20 can grip and grip the object to be transported from the Y direction. However, in the present embodiment, a case where the first grip portion 10 grips and transports the object will be described. The description of the case where the object to be transported is gripped and transported by the grip portion 20 of the above is simplified or omitted.

The drive mechanism 40 includes a cylindrical moving body 41 into which the support 30 is inserted, and a driving source 42 mounted on the moving body 41. The drive mechanism 40 moves the moving body 41 in the Z direction by the operation of the drive source 42, thereby causing the first grip portion 10 and the second grip portion 20 to open / close (grip drive).

As shown in FIG. 4, the steady rest mechanism 70 includes a pair of holding members 71 arranged in the X direction on both sides in the X direction sandwiching the first grip portion 10, and each holding member 71 is relative to the Z direction (vertical direction). A guide member 76 that supports the movement is also provided. Here, in FIG. 4, the pressing member 71 and the guide member 76 located on the right side and the pressing member 71 and the guide member 76 located on the left side have the same structure.

The pressing member 71 is a contact body having a cylindrical portion 72 formed in a cylindrical shape (round bar) extending in the Z direction (vertical direction) and a contact body attached to the lower end of the shaft-shaped portion 72 to form a portion in contact with the rice ball W. It is equipped with 74. In the contact body 74, when the rice ball W comes into contact with the inclined upper surface inclined in a mountain shape from the upper apex, the hemispherical portion of the tip comes into contact in a substantially point shape.

5A and 5B are cross-sectional views of the steady rest mechanism with the YZ plane as a cut plane, and are explanatory views of the operation procedure. As shown in FIG. 5A, a screw 75 is provided at the upper end of the shaft-shaped portion 72. The head of the screw 75 is formed to have a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the shaft-shaped portion 72. Therefore, the head of the screw 75 projects in a flange shape from the shaft-shaped portion 72, and functions as a stopper for the guide member 76. The shaft-shaped portion 72 penetrates the hole formed in the lower fixing plate 4c.

The guide member 76 has a shaft-shaped portion 72 inserted therein and is fixed to the lower fixing plate 4c. The guide member 76 guides a linear relative movement in the vertical direction with the axial portion 72, thereby guiding the relative movement of the pressing member 71 in the vertical direction. A hole through which the shaft-shaped portion 72 is inserted is formed on the upper surface of the guide member 76, and the inner diameter of this hole is set to be smaller than the outer diameter of the head of the screw 75. Therefore, by lowering the holding member 71 by its own weight without applying an external force, the head of the screw 75 is placed on the upper surface of the guide member 76, and the downward movement of the holding member 71 including the screw 75 is restricted.

Next, the operation when the holding mechanism 9 grips and releases the rice ball W will be described. Here, first, the operation of one holding mechanism 9 in the holding device 4 will be described.

Before gripping the rice ball W, as shown in FIG. 4, the pressing member 71 is arranged at a position where the lowering limit is reached, and the contact body 74 is arranged below the gripping portions 10 and 20. In this state, when the rice ball W is carried out from the product number weight T1 (see FIG. 1), the holding mechanism 9 in the holding device 4 is moved above the rice ball W via the first moving portion 5 (see FIG. 2) described above. Move to a position separated by a predetermined distance.

Next, the output shaft of the elevating cylinder 60 is advanced, and the first grip portion 10 is lowered to the point where the seat portion Wa of the rice ball W is located between the first grip bodies 11a and 11b. Then, as shown in FIG. 6, after the seat portion Wa is sandwiched and gripped by the first grip portion 10, the output shaft of the elevating cylinder 60 is regressed to hold the rice ball W gripped by the first grip portion 10. It works ascending. Then, the contact body 74 of the pressing member 71 is placed in contact with the upper surface of the rice ball W in the middle of the ascent. By further ascending after this contact, the pressing member 71 rises via the rice ball W, and the weight of the pressing member 71 acts on the rice ball W to press the rice ball W downward.

When releasing the grip of the rice ball W by the holding mechanism 9 from the state shown in FIG. 6, the output shaft of the elevating cylinder 60 is advanced, and the rice ball W gripped by the first grip portion 10 is lowered to the shipping number weight T2 or provisional. It is placed on the mounting unit 7 (see FIG. 1). After that, the grip is released by swinging the first grips 11a and 11b in an open state to release the sandwiching of the seat portion Wa.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory side view showing an example of a state in which the holding device holds an article. In the holding device 4, a plurality of (8 bodies in the present embodiment) holding mechanisms 9 can independently hold one rice ball W (one body). For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the rice ball W can be gripped by the four holding mechanisms 9 on one side in the Y direction as described above. When gripping with the four holding mechanisms 9, the elevating cylinder 60 is not driven by the other four holding mechanisms 9, and the first grip portion 10 is in a standby state without moving up and down. Become. In this way, in the holding device 4, the rice ball W can be held by the holding mechanism 9 at an arbitrary position and number among the eight holding mechanisms 9, and the rice ball W can be put into a non-holding state.

Returning to FIG. 1, the holding device 4 schematically shown in the figure is provided in a direction in which eight rice balls W arranged side by side can be gripped at the same time. Therefore, among the rice balls W arranged in the front-back and left-right directions and housed in the product number weight T1, all eight rice balls W in the same row arranged in the row direction (left-right direction) can be held. Further, since the holding device 4 can hold the rice balls W by the holding mechanism 9 at an arbitrary position and number as described above, it is possible to hold the rice balls W independently corresponding to each of the eight rice balls W in the same row. Become.

As shown in FIG. 2, the first moving portion 5 supports the holding device 4 from above and moves it in the front-rear direction. Specifically, the first moving portion 5 holds the holding device 4 from behind the mounting area 2a of the base 2 to the front of the feeding device 3 through the temporary mounting portion 7 on the base 2 in a top view. Move it. Therefore, the first moving unit 5 moves the holding device 4 back and forth with the track connecting the product number weight T1 and the shipping number weight T2 as the moving direction, and the product number weight T1, the shipping number weight T2, and the temporary mounting unit 7 The holding device 4 is moved to each upper position. As the first moving portion 5, it can be exemplified that a feed mechanism for performing linear movement such as a linear motor or a feed screw structure is adopted, and it is supported via a frame (not shown) or the like.

The second moving portion 6 is provided so as to support the temporary mounting portion 7 from below, and the holding device 4 intersects in the front-rear direction, which is the extending direction of the moving orbit in the top view. In the form of, the temporary mounting portion 7 is moved in the row direction (left-right direction) of the rice ball W. Therefore, the second moving portion 6 moves the rice ball W mounted on the temporary mounting portion 7 in the row direction. It can be exemplified that the second moving portion 6 also employs a feed mechanism for linearly moving a linear motor, a feed screw structure, or the like.

The temporary mounting portion 7 is provided on an orbit connecting the product number weight T1 mounted on the mounting area 2a and the shipping number weight T2 positioned by the feeding device 3. In other words, the temporary mounting portion 7 is arranged at a position overlapping the path on which the holding device 4 is moved by the first moving portion 5 in the top view. Further, the temporary mounting portion 7 is formed in a size that allows the rice balls W arranged in the row direction to be mounted. Specifically, the temporary mounting portion 7 has at least n- on the same row with respect to the maximum number of n rice balls W (8 in the present embodiment) held in the same row by the holding device 4. One rice ball W (7 in this embodiment) can be placed. The height of the bottom wall 7a in the temporary mounting portion 7 is substantially the same as the height position of each bottom portion of the product number weight T1 mounted on the mounting area 2a and the shipping number weight T2 on the feeding device 3. Is set to.

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of the temporary mounting portion. As shown in FIG. 8, the temporary mounting portion 7 includes a bottom wall 7a, a front wall 7b formed by rising from the outer peripheral side of the bottom wall 7a, a rear wall 7c, and a pair of left and right side walls 7d and 7e, and a front wall. It extends between the 7b and the rear wall 7c, and is provided with a plurality of partition walls 7f formed between the pair of side walls 7d and 7e. The temporary mounting portion 7 opens its upper portion at a position surrounded by the bottom wall 7a, the front wall 7b, the rear wall 7c, and the side walls 7d, 7e and the partition wall 7f adjacent to the left and right, or a pair of partition walls 7f. A plurality of storage spaces 7 g are formed.

Each storage space 7g is formed according to the size of the standing rice ball W in the front-rear direction and the row direction (left-right direction), and is formed so that the rice ball W can be stored from above and placed on the bottom wall 7a. .. Further, each accommodating space 7g is formed so that the adjacent side walls 7d and 7e and the partition wall 7f come into contact with each other or a slight gap is formed with respect to the side surface of the accommodating rice ball W in the row direction. As a result, the side walls 7d, 7e and the partition wall 7f form a fall control portion that maintains the upright state of the rice ball W placed on the bottom of the accommodation space 7g.

In the present embodiment, seven storage spaces 7 g are formed in the temporary mounting portion 7, and seven rice balls W can be mounted.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a transport device according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 9, the transport device 1 includes a control unit 101, a storage unit 102, and an input unit 103.

The control unit 101 includes a central processing unit (CPU) and the like, and controls the entire transfer device 1. The control unit 101 performs various arithmetic processing on the information input from the storage unit 102 and the input unit 103, and the holding device 4, the first moving unit 5, and the second moving unit according to the program stored in the storage unit 102. Drive control of unit 6 and the like are performed.

The storage unit 102 includes a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and the like. The RAM is used as a work area of the control unit 101, and information and the like output from the input unit 103 are stored via the control unit 101. In the ROM, a program for the control unit 101 to perform various operations and controls, a program for functioning as an application, data, and the like are stored.

The input unit 103 includes an imaging means, a sensor, etc. (not shown), and detects the number of rice balls W (number of columns) accommodated in the product number T1 and the number of rice balls W placed in the temporary mounting unit 7. Is acquired and output to the control unit 101. Further, the input unit 103 may acquire data from an external device such as a personal computer by wired or wireless communication as a communication interface, or may be an interface such as a slot to which a storage medium such as a memory card containing the data can be connected. May be good. In this case, the sensor or the like can be omitted, and data instead of the detection data can be input and output to the control unit 101.

FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of the control unit according to the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 10, the control unit 101 according to the present embodiment includes a grasping unit 101a, a determination unit 101b, a comparison selection unit 101c, a first adjustment unit 101d, a second adjustment unit 101e, and a third adjustment unit. Functions as 101f. These functional blocks are realized by executing the program stored in the storage unit 102 by the control unit 101. The functional block of the control unit 101 shown in FIG. 10 shows only the configuration related to the present invention, and the other configurations are omitted.

The grasping unit 101a grasps the number (a) of rice balls W mounted on the temporary mounting unit 7 based on the data output from the input unit 103.

The determination unit 101b determines the number of rice balls W to be transported on the shipping number T2 in one operation. Here, in "one operation", at least one rice ball W is held once by either the product number weight T1 or the temporary mounting portion 7 by the holding device 4, and at least a part of the held rice ball W. Means the operation of transporting the rice ball to the shipping number T2 once.

When the product number T1 has n rice balls W in the same row and the number of rice balls W transported to the shipping number T2 is more than n, the determination unit 101b performs multiple operations and each operation. Determines the number of m pieces of rice balls W to be transported on the shipping number T2.

For example, when the number of rice balls W to be transported to the shipping number weight T2 is p, the determination unit 101b divides p / n, and if the remainder resulting from the calculation is "0", the quotient is operated. The number of times is q times. At this time, the number of conveyed m pieces of rice balls W in each operation performed q times is set to the same value as n pieces. On the other hand, if the remainder is not "0" by such division, the value obtained by adding one time to the quotient is set as the number of operations q times. At this time, the number of conveyed m pieces of rice balls W in each operation in the first to q-1 times is set to the same value as n pieces. Then, the number of m pieces of rice balls W transported in the qth operation are set to the same value as the remainder in division.

When the number of rice balls W to be conveyed to the shipping number weight T2 is n or less, the determination unit 101b sets the number of operations to one and sets the number of m of rice balls W to be conveyed to the same value as n.

The comparison selection unit 101c has the number of rice balls W grasped by the grasping unit 101a, that is, the number of rice balls W mounted on the temporary mounting unit 7, and the shipping number T2 in one operation. Compare with several m of rice balls W to be placed on the rice ball. The comparison selection unit 101c selects to transfer the rice ball W from the temporary mounting unit 7 to the shipping number weight T2 when the number of placed a is more than the number of transferred m (a ≧ m) in such a comparison. The holding device 4 and the moving units 5 and 6 are controlled to carry out such transportation. In this transport operation, the number of rice balls W to be transported and mounted from the temporary mounting unit 7 to the shipping number weight T2 is controlled to be only the number of transferred m determined by the determination unit 101b.

On the other hand, in the above comparison, the comparison selection unit 101c conveys the rice ball W from the product number weight T1 when the number of placed a is less than the number of transferred m (a <m), that is, when a ≧ m is not satisfied. Select and control the holding device 4 and the moving units 5 and 6 to carry out such transportation. In this transport operation, all n rice balls in the same row among the rice balls W placed on the product number weight T1 are held by the holding device 4, and only the number of transferred rice balls determined by the determination unit 101b are placed on the shipping number weight T2. Control to do. Further, in such a transport operation, control is performed so that nm rice balls W, which are held by the holding device 4 but are not placed on the shipping number weight T2, are placed on the temporary mounting portion 7. The mounting on the temporary mounting portion 7 may be carried out either before or after the mounting on the shipping number weight T2.

The first adjusting unit 101d controls the holding device 4 and the second moving unit 6 so that the rice ball W is placed closer to one end side in the row direction (left-right direction) of the temporary mounting unit 7. For example, when the rice ball W is moved to the right end side of the temporary mounting portion 7, when the rice ball W is not mounted on the temporary mounting portion 7, the rightmost rice ball W among the rice balls W held by the holding device 4 is used. It is controlled so that it is mounted in the accommodation space 7 g (see FIG. 8) on the far right side of the temporary mounting portion 7. When at least one rice ball W is mounted on the temporary mounting portion 7, the holding device 4 holds the rice ball W on the leftmost side of the rice ball W mounted on the temporary mounting portion 7. The second moving unit 6 is controlled so that the rightmost rice ball W of the rice balls W is located. Then, the rice ball W held by the holding device 4 is placed in the accommodation space 7 g of the temporary mounting portion 7, and the rice balls W mounted on the temporary mounting portion 7 are continuous from right to left and are adjacent to each other. It is controlled so that there is no empty storage space 7f between the rice balls W.

When the second adjusting unit 101e conveys the rice ball W from the temporary mounting unit 7 to the shipping number weight T2, the second adjusting unit 101e places the rice ball W on one end side in the row direction (left-right direction) at the shipping number weight T2. The holding device 4 and the second moving unit 6 are controlled so as to be placed. For example, when the rice ball W is moved to the right end side of the shipping number T2, the temporary mounting portion 7 is moved from the rightmost holding mechanism 9 of the holding device 4 to a position where the rice balls W corresponding to several meters of transport can be held. The second moving unit 6 is controlled so as to do so.

Regarding the control of the first adjusting unit 101d and the second adjusting unit 101e, the case where the rice ball W is moved to the right end side of the temporary mounting unit 7 and the shipping number weight T2 has been described, but it is controlled so as to be moved to the left end side. You may. In this case, it can be controlled in the same manner by changing the positional relationship so as to be reversed left and right with respect to the above description.

The third adjusting unit 101f controls the first moving unit 5 so as to hold the rice ball W in the front row of the product number weight T1 when the holding device 4 holds the rice ball W on the product number weight T1. Specifically, the third adjusting unit 101f recognizes the number of columns of the product number T1 stored in the storage unit 102 as the number of remaining columns before the start of transportation. When all n rice balls W in the same row are transported from the product number weight T1 in one operation, "1" is subtracted from the number of remaining rows. Then, when the rice ball W is conveyed from the product number weight T1, the first moving unit 5 is controlled so that the holding device 4 is positioned at a preset front-rear position according to the number of subtracted remaining rows. In this way, the rice ball W is repeatedly transported from the product number weight T1, and when the number of remaining rows becomes "0", the loading / unloading device (not shown) is controlled to carry out the empty product number weight T1. A new product number T1 containing rice ball W is brought in. When the number of remaining columns becomes "0", a person may perform some work in loading and unloading the product number T1 such as issuing a replacement alert.

Subsequently, a method of transporting the rice ball W to the shipping number weight T2 in one operation by the transport device 1 will be described with reference to the flow diagram of FIG. 11 in addition to the functional block diagram of FIG. Here, as shown in FIG. 1, the product number weight T1 is placed in the mounting area 2a, and the shipping number is aligned with the product number weight T1 in the row direction (left-right direction) in the feeding device 3. It is assumed that the weight T2 is positioned. It is assumed that n rice balls W are housed in the product number weight T1 in an upright position in a row direction, and a plurality of rice balls W are stored side by side in a row in the front-rear direction. Further, it is assumed that the number of rice balls W transported by one operation is n or less.

First, a step (step (hereinafter referred to as “ST”) 01) is performed in which the determination unit 101b determines the number of transferred rice balls W to be conveyed on the shipping number T2 in one operation. Further, step ST02 is carried out in which the grasping unit 101a grasps the number a of the rice balls W mounted on the temporary mounting portion 7.

After the execution of steps ST01 and ST02, the number of rice balls W transported on the shipping number T2 in one operation is m, and the number of rice balls W mounted on the temporary mounting unit 7 is a. Step ST03 is carried out by the comparison selection unit 101c. Specifically, in step ST03, it is determined whether or not the number of placed a is equal to or more than the number of conveyed m. When the number of mounted a is more than m or more (ST03: YES), step ST04 is performed in which the comparative selection unit 101c selects to transport the rice balls W from the temporary mounting unit 7 to the shipping number T2. do.

After the execution of step ST04, the step ST05 in which the movement of the second moving unit 6 is controlled by the second adjusting unit 101e is performed according to the number of transferred rice balls W placed on the shipping number weight T2. Specifically, in step ST05, the temporary mounting portion 7 is moved from the holding mechanism 9 on one end side in the row direction of the holding device 4 to a position where the rice balls W corresponding to several meters of rice balls can be held. Controls the moving unit 6 of 2. Then, after the holding device 4 holds the m rice balls W mounted on the temporary mounting portion 7, the holding device 4 is moved to the shipping number weight T2 by the first moving unit 5, and becomes the shipping number weight T2. Step ST06 is carried out in which the rice balls W are placed close to one end side in the row direction. Then, by completing the execution of step ST06, the transport in one operation is completed.

In step ST03, when the number of placed a is less than the number of transferred m (ST03: NO), the comparison selection unit 101c selects to transfer the rice ball W from the product number T1 to the shipping number T2. Step ST07 is carried out.

After the execution of step ST07, the holding device 4 is moved to the product number weight T1 by the first moving unit 5, and the holding device 4 holds all the n rice balls W lined up in the front row at the product number weight T1. implement. After the execution of step ST08, the holding device 4 is moved to the shipping number T2 by the first moving unit 5, and the rice balls W of several meters to be conveyed are moved to one end side in the row direction by the shipping number T2. Step ST09 of placing the rice ball in the state of being placed is carried out.

When the rice balls W are transported from the product number weight T1 to the shipping number weight T2, step ST10 is performed to compare the number n of rice balls W in the same row with the product number weight T1 and the number of transferred rice balls m. In step ST10, when the number of transferred m is not the same as the number n of rice balls W in the same row (ST10: NO), the number of transferred m is smaller than the number of n number of rice balls W held by the holding device 4. .. Therefore, there are nm rice balls W that are held by the holding device 4 but are not placed on the shipping number weight T2, and step ST11 for mounting the rice balls W on the temporary mounting portion 7 is performed.

In step ST11, the first adjusting unit 101d controls the movement of the second moving unit 6 so that the rice ball W is placed closer to one end side of the temporary mounting unit 7 in the row direction. At this time, if the rice ball W is already mounted on the temporary mounting portion 7, it is temporarily placed so that there is no empty storage space 7 g between the rice ball W already mounted and the rice ball W to be mounted. The mounting portion 7 is moved in the row direction for adjustment. Then, by completing the implementation of step ST11, the transport in one operation is completed.

In step ST10, when the number of conveyed m is the same as the number n of rice balls W in the same row (ST10: YES), all the n rice balls W held by the holding device 4 are placed on the shipping number T2. Therefore, by performing step ST09, the transportation in one operation is completed.

After the transportation in one operation is completed as described above, the shipping number T2 on which the rice ball W is placed is carried out, and an empty shipping number T2 is carried in front of the product number T1. In addition, after updating the number of transferred rice balls W to the shipping number T2 and the number of transferred a of the temporary mounting unit 7, the next operation is transported in the same manner as described above, and the transport is repeated. Can be carried out. Before each operation, the third adjusting unit 101f controls the first moving unit 5 so that the holding device 4 holds the rice ball W in the front row of the product number weight T1 as described above. ..

Next, a method of transporting the rice ball W to the shipping number T2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 to 17 with reference to specific examples. Here, as shown in FIG. 12A, eight rice balls W are housed side by side in the row direction (left-right direction) and five rice balls in the front-rear direction in a state where the rice balls W are upright. Further, it is assumed that the shipping number T2 has no contents such as rice balls W and the rice balls W are not placed in the temporary mounting portion 7. First, in this state, a case where five rice balls W are transported from the product number weight T1 to the shipping number weight T2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. In the description of the following specific examples, the step symbols are also written in parentheses for the operations and processes corresponding to each of the above steps.

12 and 13 are explanatory views showing an example of a flow of transportation from the product number weight to the shipping number weight. First, based on the data stored in advance, 5 pieces of rice balls W are determined as the number of rice balls W to be transported to the shipping number T2 (ST01), and 0 pieces are grasped as the number of rice balls W placed in the temporary mounting unit 7. (ST02). Further, the number of rice balls W placed in the temporary mounting unit 7 (0) is compared with the number of rice balls W transported (5), and it is found that the number of rice balls transported is larger (ST03: NO). Based on the comparison result that the number of rice balls W transported is large, it is selected to transport the rice balls W from the product number T1 (ST07).

Next, as shown in FIG. 12A, the holding device 4 is moved above the rice balls W arranged in the row direction (left-right direction) in the front row of the product number weight T1. After that, the holding mechanism 9 of all eight bodies of the holding device 4 holds all eight rice balls W arranged in the row direction below the holding mechanism 9 (ST08). After holding the rice ball W, the holding device 4 is moved forward and positioned upward on the front side of the shipping number weight T2 as shown in FIG. 12B.

Then, as shown in FIG. 13A, of the eight rice balls W held, five rice balls W from the right are placed and packed in the shipping number weight T2 (ST09). Here, since not all the eight rice balls W held by the holding device 4 are placed (ST10: NO), the three rice balls W from the left are kept held by the holding device 4. After packing five rice balls W in the shipping number T2, the holding device 4 is moved forward and positioned above the temporary mounting portion 7 as shown in FIG. 13B. After that, the three rice balls W held by the holding device 4 are placed on the temporary mounting portion 7 (ST11). At this time, the temporary mounting portion 7 is moved and positioned in the row direction so that one rice ball W is accommodated in each of the three storage spaces 7g from the rightmost side of the temporary mounting portion 7.

As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13, after the rice ball W is transported to the shipping number T2, it will be described with reference to FIGS. 14 and 15 as an example of transporting the rice ball to an empty shipping number T2 for the next transportation. Further, as another example, FIGS. 16 and 17 will be described. 14 to 17 are explanatory views showing an example of a flow of transportation to the shipping number.

As shown in FIG. 14A, when three rice balls W are mounted on the temporary mounting portion 7 and the three rice balls W are transported to an empty shipping number T2, the rice balls W to the shipping number T2 are transported. 3 pieces are determined as the number of rice balls to be conveyed (ST01), and 3 pieces are grasped as the number of rice balls W placed on the temporary mounting unit 7 (ST02). Further, the number of rice balls W placed in the temporary mounting unit 7 (3 pieces) is compared with the number of rice balls W transported (3 pieces), and the number of rice balls transported is equal to or less than the number of mounted rice balls (they are the same). (ST03: YES). Based on the comparison result, it is selected to transport the rice ball W from the temporary mounting portion 7 (ST04).

Next, the holding device 4 is moved in the front-rear direction and positioned above the temporary mounting portion 7 as shown in FIG. 14B. At this time, the temporary mounting portion 7 is moved and positioned in the left-right direction so that the accommodation space 7g on the rightmost side of the temporary mounting portion 7 is located below the rightmost holding mechanism 9 of the holding device 4 (ST05). ..

After that, the holding mechanism 9 on the right side of the holding device 4 holds the three rice balls W arranged side by side by the temporary mounting portion 7 below the holding mechanism 9. After holding the rice ball W, the holding device 4 is moved forward, and as shown in FIG. 15, the three rice balls W held after being positioned upward on the front side of the shipping number weight T2 are placed in the shipping number weight. Place it in T2 and pack it (ST06).

On the other hand, when the seven rice balls W are transported to the empty shipping number T2 from the state where the three rice balls W are placed on the temporary mounting portion 7 as shown in FIG. 16A, the shipping number T2 is transferred to the empty shipping number T2. Seven rice balls W are determined to be transported (ST01), and three rice balls W are to be placed on the temporary mounting unit 7 (ST02). Further, the number of rice balls W placed in the temporary mounting unit 7 (3) and the number of rice balls W transported (7) are compared, and it is understood that the number of rice balls transported is larger (ST03: NO). Based on the comparison result that the number of rice balls W transported is large, it is selected to transport the rice balls W from the product number T1 (ST07).

Next, the holding device 4 is moved above the rice balls W arranged side by side in the front row (second row from the front in FIG. 16A) of the product number weight T1 at that time. After that, the holding mechanism 9 of all eight bodies of the holding device 4 holds all eight rice balls W arranged in the row direction below the holding mechanism 9 (ST08). After holding the rice ball W, the holding device 4 is moved forward and positioned upward on the front side of the shipping number weight T2 as shown in FIG. 16B.

Next, as shown in FIG. 17A, of the seven rice balls W held, seven rice balls W (other than the one on the left) from the right are placed and packed in the shipping number weight T2 (ST08). Here, since not all the eight rice balls W held by the holding device 4 are placed (ST10: NO), the one rice ball W on the left is kept held by the holding device 4. Before and after packing 7 rice balls W into the shipping number T2, the temporary mounting section 7 is moved in the row direction, and the rightmost storage space 7g vacant in the temporary mounting section 7 is accommodated. The space 7 g is aligned with the left and right positions of the holding mechanism 9 while holding the rice ball W. Then, the holding device 4 is moved backward, and as shown in FIG. 17B, after positioning above the temporary mounting portion 7, one rice ball W held by the holding device 4 is aligned directly below. It is placed and stored in the storage space 7 g of the temporary mounting portion 7 (ST11).

By the way, in order to consider the effect of the transport device of the above embodiment, as a comparative example, a configuration in which the temporary mounting portion 7 is omitted will be considered. In such a configuration, for example, as shown in FIG. 18A, when carrying out 5 rice balls W from the product number weight T1, 5 rice balls W on the right side of the 8 rice balls W lined up in the row direction in the front row Is held by the holding device 4 and taken out from the product number weight T1. As a result, in the product number T1, three rice balls W remain waiting for transportation in the front row, and an empty space S is created on the right side of the rightmost rice ball W1. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 18B, when the rightmost rice ball W1 cannot stand on its own due to an external force such as vibration of the product number weight T1, the rice ball W1 falls to the right side. As shown by the alternate long and short dash line in FIG. 18C, the fallen rice ball W1 cannot be held by the holding device 4 even if, for example, three rice balls W are to be carried out in the next transportation. As a result, the number of rice balls to be transported is insufficient, and the rice ball W1 unintentionally collapsed and remains in the product number T1 so that the rice ball W1 is wasted.

In this respect, in the present embodiment, even if the holding device 4 holds all the rice balls W in one row arranged in the row direction with the product number weight T1, a part of them can be mounted on the temporary mounting portion 7. In other words, all the rice balls W in a row arranged in the row direction with the product number weight T1 are taken out, and even if the number of packed rice balls into the shipping number weight T2 is smaller than the number of taken out, the rice balls W that are not packed are placed in the temporary mounting section 7. Can be done. Further, in the present embodiment, it is also possible to pack the rice ball W placed on the temporary mounting portion 7 into the shipping number weight T2.

As a result, even if the number of packed rice balls in the shipping number T2 is arbitrarily set, when the rice balls W are taken out from the product number T1, the taking out of all the rice balls W in one row can be maintained, as shown in FIG. 18A. It is possible to avoid the occurrence of an empty space S in the space S. By avoiding the occurrence of such an empty space S, it is possible to prevent the rice ball W1 from collapsing as shown in FIG. 18B. It is possible to avoid the trouble of collecting the rice balls.

Further, in the temporary mounting portion 7, each rice ball W is placed and accommodated between the left and right side walls 7d and 7e and the partition wall 7f, so that the temporary mounting portion 7 accelerates or decelerates in the row direction to accelerate or decelerate the rice ball W. Even if a force in the direction of falling is applied to the rice ball, the standing state of the rice ball W can be maintained satisfactorily, and the occurrence of poor transportation can be prevented.

Further, the temporary mounting portion 7 is moved in the row direction by the second moving portion 6, the moving direction of the temporary mounting portion 7 by the second moving portion 6, and the arrangement of the plurality of rice balls W held by the holding device 4. Since both directions are aligned as the left-right direction, it is not necessary to set the moving direction of the holding device 4 by the first moving portion 5 to the biaxial direction including the column direction, and the configuration is simplified. Can be done. Moreover, even if the moving direction of the first moving portion 5 for moving the holding device 4 is a uniaxial direction only in the front-rear direction, the holding device 4 selects the holding mechanism 9 for holding the rice ball W from the plurality of holding mechanisms 9. It can be transported.

Further, the temporary mounting portions 7 are arranged so as to overlap the moving paths of the product number weight T1 and the shipping number weight T2 of the holding device 4 in a top view, that is, they are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction. Therefore, it is possible to shorten the moving distance of the holding device 4 during transportation and shorten the transportation time.

Further, in the present embodiment, in the control unit 101, the transfer source in one operation is set to the product number weight T1 and provisional according to the number of rice balls W placed in the temporary mounting unit 7 and the number of rice balls transported. It is possible to select from the mounting unit 7. As a result, the temporary mounting portion 7 can be effectively used to prevent the rice ball W from collapsing as described above.

Further, in the above embodiment, the first adjusting unit 101d controls the temporary mounting unit 7 to bring the rice ball W closer to one end side in the row direction, so that the rice ball W is placed on the temporary mounting unit 7. It becomes easier to grasp the position of the rice ball W. As a result, it is possible to reduce the control load of moving the temporary mounting unit 7 by the second moving unit 6 in the next operation or later.

Further, in the above embodiment, the second adjusting unit 101e controls the rice ball W to be placed closer to one end side in the row direction of the shipping number weight T2 by the transportation from the temporary mounting unit 7. As a result, the rice balls W can be stored in an organized state by the shipping number weight T2, and the space in the shipping number weight T2 can be effectively used.

Further, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above embodiments, and may be variously modified, replaced, or modified without departing from the spirit of the technical idea of the present invention. Further, if the technical idea of the present invention can be realized in another way by the advancement of the technology or another technology derived from the technology, it may be carried out by the method. Therefore, the scope of claims covers all embodiments that may be included within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

In each of the above embodiments, the rice ball W is used as the article to be gripped, but the article is not limited as long as it can be held by the holding mechanism 9. For example, the rice balls may be wrapped in a bag other than a triangular shape, other foods such as sandwiches, breads, and lunch boxes, or packed in boxes or trays.

Further, the case where the number weights T1 and T2 are used as the first container and the second container has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various containers can be used depending on the articles to be accommodated and the like. Further, the number of articles (rice balls) aligned in two orthogonal directions can be arbitrary as long as a plurality of articles (rice balls) are arranged in each of the two directions, and in the holding device 4, all the articles (rice balls) in one row in any one direction are arranged. ) Is provided so that the holding mechanism 9 can be held.

Further, as the holding mechanism 9, in addition to the configuration of sandwiching the rice ball W as described above, a suction pad that sucks and holds the outer peripheral surface of the rice ball W may be used. The suction pad communicates with the negative pressure generator to generate a negative pressure, and vacuum suctions the outer surface of the rice ball W to hold the article.

Further, the transportation of the rice ball W to the shipping number weight T2 is not limited to the above-mentioned method when the rice ball W is mounted on the temporary mounting portion 7, and the rice ball W of the temporary mounting portion 7 is transferred. Various changes can be made, such as preferentially packing in the shipping number T2. In short, the present invention may be configured to hold and carry out all the rice balls W in a row arranged in a direction in which the rice balls W cannot be maintained upright and may fall down when the rice balls W are taken out from a container having a product number T1 or the like. ..

Further, in the transport device 1, a plurality of product number weights T1 are placed side by side in the row direction (horizontal direction), and the number of the holding device 4, the temporary mounting section 7, and the moving sections 5 and 6 are installed accordingly. May be added. In this case, the shipping number T2 mounted on the feeder 3 also becomes a plurality according to the product number T1, and by accommodating different rice balls W in each of the plurality of product number T1, the shipping number T2 becomes. Multiple types of rice balls W can be packed.

Further, the moving direction of the holding device 4 by the first moving unit 5 is not limited to the linear direction which is the front-back direction, and may be changed. For example, the trajectory for moving the holding device 4 may be in a direction along an arc in top view. In this case, the movement is at an intersection of the arc and the movement trajectory of the temporary mounting portion 7 by the second moving portion 6. It is preferable that the locus has a positional relationship orthogonal to the tangent of the arc.

Further, the first moving unit 5 may move the holding device 4 in the front-rear direction in a top view and also in the row direction (left-right direction). That is, the holding device 4 may be freely biaxially movable on a plane in a top view by the first moving unit 5. In this case, in the above embodiment, the temporary mounting portion 7 is controlled to move in the column direction by the second moving portion 6, but instead, the temporary mounting portion 7 is held by the first moving portion 5. The device 4 may be moved and controlled in the column direction to adjust and control the position in the column direction.

Further, the temporary mounting portion 7 is not limited to the illustrated configuration example, and various changes can be made. For example, the temporary mounting portion 7 of the above embodiment may be configured to have only a bottom wall 7a having a flat upper surface, or the front wall 7b and the rear wall 7c may be omitted. Further, the partition wall 7f may be omitted on the bottom wall 7a, and only the side walls 7d and 7e may be configured to function as a fall regulating portion. Further, in the fall control section, the partition wall 7f may be formed in units of 7 g of the accommodation space, or the container-shaped wall body may be formed so as to stand upright.

Further, the temporary mounting portion 7 may be provided on an extension of the track connecting the product number weight T1 and the shipping number weight T2, specifically, in front of the shipping number weight T2 or behind the product number weight T1. In this case, it is preferable to provide the temporary mounting portion 7 in the vicinity of the product number weight T1 and the shipping number weight T2.

Further, in the above embodiment, the pressing force due to the own weight of the pressing member 71 is applied to the rice ball W via the guide member 76, but the pressing force may be applied instead of the own weight or by the urging means in addition to the own weight. good. As the urging means, a configuration in which the pressing member 71 is urged downward by an elastic member such as a coil spring and the pressing member 71 is retracted upward by a cylinder or a linear motor can be exemplified. Such a configuration may be installed on the upper surface side of the intermediate fixing plate 4b.

1 Transport device 4 Holding device 5 1st moving part 6 2nd moving part 7 Temporary mounting part 7d, 7e Side wall (falling control part)
7f partition wall (fall control part)
9 Holding mechanism 101 Control unit 101a Grasp unit 101b Determination unit 101c Comparison selection unit 101d First adjustment unit 101f Second adjustment unit T1 Product number weight (first container)
T2 shipping number (second container)
W rice balls (articles)

Claims (7)

Conveyance of articles contained in a first container capable of accommodating a plurality of rows of n articles in a row with the thickness direction as the row direction to a second container previously positioned with respect to the first container. In the device
A holding device that can independently hold all n articles in the same row contained in the first container individually and independently.
A first moving portion capable of moving the holding device along an orbit connecting the first container and the second container, and a first moving portion.
A temporary mounting portion provided on the track connecting the first container and the second container or an extension line thereof and capable of mounting at least n-1 articles in the same row.
A second moving portion provided in the temporary mounting portion and capable of moving the article mounted on the temporary mounting portion in a direction intersecting the extending direction of the track, and a second moving portion.
A grasping unit that grasps the number of articles placed on the temporary mounting section, a determining section that determines the number of articles to be mounted on the second container in one operation, and a grasping section that grasps the number of articles. If the number of articles is equal to or greater than the number of articles determined by the determination unit, the article may be selected to be transported from the temporary mounting section, and in other cases, the articles may be transported from the first container. A transport device comprising: a comparison selection unit for selection and a control unit having. The control unit is characterized by including a first adjusting unit for placing an article close to one end side in the row direction of the temporary mounting unit by controlling the first moving unit. The transport device according to claim 1. The control unit includes a second adjusting unit for placing an article closer to one end side in the column direction of the second container from the temporary mounting unit by controlling the first moving unit. The transport device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the transport device is characterized by the above. The control unit controls at least one of the first moving unit and the second moving unit, so that the first adjustment for placing the article closer to one end side in the column direction of the temporary mounting unit. The transport device according to claim 1 , further comprising a unit. By controlling at least one of the first moving unit and the second moving unit, the control unit brings the article closer to one end side of the second container in the column direction from the temporary mounting unit and mounts the article. The transport device according to claim 1 or 4 , further comprising a second adjusting unit to be placed. The transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the temporary mounting section includes a fall control section for articles. Using the transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 , at least a part of the plurality of articles housed in a row in the first container or the temporary mounting portion is said to be the first. It is a transport method of transporting to the container of 2.
The number of articles to be placed in the second container in one operation is determined.
Grasp the number of articles placed in the temporary placement section,
When the number of articles placed on the temporary mounting section is equal to or greater than the number of articles mounted on the second container in one operation, it is selected to transport the articles from the temporary mounting section. As many articles as the number of articles to be placed in the second container are transported to the second container and placed in the temporary mounting section.
In other cases, the product is selected to be transported from the first container, and all n articles in the same row among the articles placed in the first container are held in the second container. A transport method comprising placing as many articles as the number of articles to be placed in the second container and articles not to be placed in the second container in the temporary mounting section.

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