JP7582840B2 - Transported object separation and discharge mechanism, and transported object discharge and transport device equipped with transported object separation and discharge mechanism and transported object ejection mechanism - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a transported object removal and transport device that includes a transported object separation and transport mechanism that separates and transports the frontmost transported object from the next transported object among a large number of stacked flat transported objects, and a transported object ejection mechanism that ejects the separated and transported frontmost transported object onto a downstream transport means.

The following Patent Document 1 discloses an example of a transported object discharge/transport device that includes a transported object separation and discharge mechanism that separates and discharges the foremost transported object from the next transported object among many stacked flat-plate-like transported objects, and a mechanism that discharges the foremost transported object separated and discharged from this mechanism onto a downstream transport means. The transported object separation and discharge mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a transport path defining means having a lower edge regulating surface and a single side edge regulating surface that respectively regulate the lower edge and one side edge of the flat-plate-like transported object, a forcing means that forces the many transported objects that have been brought into the transport path defining means in a stacked state toward the discharge end, a lower edge regulating member against which the front lower edge of the foremost transported object abuts, and a separating and discharge means that separates the foremost transported object from the next transported object and discharges it forward beyond the lower edge regulating member. The separating and carrying out means includes a pair of suction holders that can be switched between an operating state in which the transported object is suctioned and held, and a non-operating state in which the transported object is released. One of the pair of suction holders is movable between an advanced position in which it abuts against the front surface of the transported object at the forefront, and a retracted position in which it retreats rearward from the advanced position. The other of the pair of suction holders is movable between an advanced position in which it abuts against the front surface of the transported object at the forefront, a forward lateral position that is laterally from the advanced position to the transport direction and approaches one of the pair of suction holders, a retracted position that retreats rearward from the advanced lateral position, and a retracted lateral position that is laterally from the retracted position to the transport direction and moves away from one of the pair of suction holders.

The pair of suction holders are both in an operating state at the forward position, and suction and hold the forwardmost transported object. Next, the other of the pair of suction holders moves from the forward position to the forward lateral position while remaining in an operating state, bending the forwardmost transported object and separating its rear surface from the front surface of the next transported object. Then, one of the pair of suction holders moves from the forward position to the retreat position, and the other moves from the forward lateral position to the retreat position at the same time, and separates and transports the forwardmost transported object from the next transported object. Then, one of the pair of suction holders is switched from an operating state to an inoperable state at the retreat position, and releases the separated and transported transported object. The other of the pair of suction holders moves from the retreat position to the retreat lateral position while maintaining its operating state, and switches from an operating state to an inoperable state at the retreat lateral position, and releases the separated and transported transported object. Thus, the transported object separated and transported by the transported object separation and transport mechanism is transported to the downstream transport means by the above mechanism, which is composed of a pair of nip rollers that rotate in opposite directions while in close contact with each other.

JP 2018-188159 A

In the transported object separation and discharge mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1, the other of the pair of suction holders must move between the four positions described above to separate and discharge one transported object, and since the movement path is complex, the transport efficiency of the transported object is low. Furthermore, since each of the pair of suction holders operates independently, it is necessary to prepare independent operating devices such as actuators, and it is also necessary to set up a complex control system to synchronize the movement of each of the pair of suction holders, which increases manufacturing costs.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above facts, and its main technical objective is to provide a new transported object separation and discharge mechanism that can sufficiently and reliably separate and discharge the frontmost transported object from the next transported object, despite the simple operation of a pair of suction holders.

After extensive investigation, the inventors have found that the above-mentioned main technical problem can be solved by providing a one-side edge regulating member that locally regulates the front one-side edge of the foremost transported object above the lower edge regulating member, and by having a pair of suction holders in the forward position, one of which abuts against the front one-side edge of the foremost transported object above the one-side edge regulating member, and the other of which abuts against the front one-side edge of the foremost transported object below the one-side edge regulating member and above the lower edge regulating member.

That is, according to the present invention, a mechanism that can solve the above-mentioned main technical problem is a transported object separating and carrying-out mechanism that includes transport path defining means having a lower edge regulating surface and a single side edge regulating surface that respectively regulate the lower edge and one side edge of a flat transported object, a forcing means that forces a large number of transported objects that have been carried in a stacked state onto the transport path defining means toward the carrying-out end, a lower edge regulating member with which the front lower edge of the foremost transported object abuts, and a separating and carrying-out means that separates the foremost transported object from the next transported object and carries it forward beyond the lower edge regulating member,
the separating and carrying-out means includes a one-side edge regulating member that locally regulates a front one-side edge of the foremost transported object above the lower edge regulating member, and a pair of suction holders that are switchable between an operative state in which they suction-hold the transported object and a non-operative state in which they release the transported object, the pair of suction holders being movable between an advanced position in which they contact the front surface of the foremost transported object whose front one-side edge is locally regulated by the one-side edge regulating member , and a retracted position retracted rearward from the advanced position, and in the advanced position, one of the pair of suction holders contacts the front one-side edge of the foremost transported object above the one-side edge regulating member, and the other of the pair of suction holders contacts the front one-side edge of the foremost transported object below the one-side edge regulating member and above the lower edge regulating member;
The present invention provides a mechanism for separating and carrying out a transported object, comprising:

Preferably, the suction holding member includes a pair of additional suction holding devices in addition to the pair of suction holding devices, and the pair of additional suction holding devices are also switchable between an operative state in which they suction-hold the transported object and a non-operative state in which they release the transported object, and are movable between an advanced position in which they abut against the front surface of the foremost transported object and a retracted position in which they are retracted rearward from the advanced position, and in the advanced position, one of the pair of additional suction holding devices abuts against the front surface of the foremost transported object at the same height and on the inner side in the width direction relative to one of the pair of suction holding devices, and the other of the pair of additional suction holding devices abuts against the front surface of the foremost transported object at the same height and on the inner side in the width direction relative to the other of the pair of suction holding devices. In this case, the pair of suction holders and the pair of additional suction holders are attached to a common support member, which can be rotated around a central axis of rotation extending in the width direction below the mounting positions of the pair of suction holders and the pair of additional suction holders, and the pair of suction holders and the pair of additional suction holders are moved to the forward position and the retreat position by rotating the support member back and forth around the central axis of rotation. In the case of a tall transported object, it is preferable to include a predetermined height support member against which the front predetermined height portion of the foremost transported object abuts. In this case, it is preferable that the predetermined height support member is attached rotatably around a central axis of rotation extending in the width direction. Furthermore, it is more preferable to include a predetermined height support member rotating means for selectively rotating the predetermined height support member in a direction that displaces downward the front predetermined height portion of the front of the foremost transported object abutting the predetermined height support member.

The transported object carrying-out and transporting device includes the above-mentioned transported object separation and discharge mechanism, and a transported object ejection mechanism including a receiving member having a main receiving surface that is positioned at a distance forward from the foremost transported object and extends upward and forward, and the transported object separation and discharge mechanism includes a pull-out arm disposed upstream from the main receiving surface in the transported object ejection mechanism, and the pull-out arm is mounted so as to be freely raised and lowered over a predetermined range and to be freely rotatable between a hanging position extending along one side edge of the main receiving surface on the outside thereof and a rotating position extending in the width direction upstream of the main receiving surface, and has a height In the case of a high-height object to be transported, when the suction and holding member suctions and holds the foremost object to be transported and moves backward from the forward position to the retreated position, the lower half of the foremost object to be transported is transported onto the main receiving surface of the receiving member, but the upper end is still in contact with the support member at the predetermined height, and in this state, the pull-out arm is lowered, then rotated from the hanging position to the rotating position, and then raised, whereby the upper end of the foremost object to be transported is also pulled out from the support member at the predetermined height and transported onto the main receiving surface of the receiving member. The object to be transported is an unfilled standing pouch with a height of 8 to 40 cm, a width of 5 to 30 cm, and a lower end that is thicker than the other parts, and is preferably forced to be separated and transported in an upright state.

The transported object separation and discharge mechanism of the present invention includes a one-side edge regulating member that locally regulates one side of the front edge of the foremost transported object above the lower edge regulating member, and in the advanced position, one of the pair of suction holders abuts the one side of the front edge of the foremost transported object above the one-side edge regulating member, and the other of the pair of suction holders abuts the one side of the front edge of the foremost transported object below the one-side edge regulating member and above the lower edge regulating member. Therefore, when the pair of suction holders retreat from the state in which they have adsorbed the foremost transported object in the advanced position, the one side edge of the foremost transported object adsorbed to the pair of suction holders is curved three-dimensionally due to the presence of the one-side edge regulating member located between each of the pair of suction holders, and the foremost transported object is separated from the next transported object. Therefore, with the transported object separation and discharge mechanism of the present invention, the pair of suction holders can reliably separate and discharge the frontmost transported object from the next transported object without complex operations.

1 is a front view of a transported object carry-out/transporting device including a transported object separating and carrying-out mechanism configured according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a plan view of the transported object carrying-out and transporting device shown in FIG. 1 . 4A to 4C are diagrams for explaining the operation of a forcing means in the transport object carry-out and transport device shown in FIG. 1 . 4A to 4C are diagrams for explaining the operation of a forcing means in the transport object carry-out and transport device shown in FIG. 1 . 4A to 4C are diagrams for explaining the operation of a separating and carrying-out means in the transported object carry-out and transporting device shown in FIG. 1 . 4A to 4C are diagrams for explaining the operation of a separating and carrying-out means in the transported object carry-out and transporting device shown in FIG. 1 . 4A to 4C are diagrams for explaining the operation of the pull-out arm in the transported object carry-out and transport device shown in FIG. 1 . 4A to 4C are diagrams for explaining the operation of the pull-out arm in the transported object carry-out and transport device shown in FIG. 1 . 4A to 4C are diagrams for explaining the operation of a transported object punching mechanism in the transported object carry-out and transporting device shown in FIG. 1 . 2 is a diagram showing a single unfilled standing pouch, which is an example of an object to be conveyed and transported by the object conveying/conveying device shown in FIG. 1 .

The following describes in further detail a preferred embodiment of a transported object separation and removal mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention and a transported object removal and transportation device equipped with the same, with reference to the attached drawings.

Figures 1 and 2 show a transport object removal and transport device 2 that removes and transports transport objects 100 one by one from a large number of stacked flat transport objects.

For convenience, the transported object 100 that is transported and transported by the transported object transport device 2 prior to the transported object transport device 2 will be described. This is a well-known package called a pouch for containing, for example, liquid detergent or retort food, and in the illustrated embodiment, it is an unfilled standing pouch as shown in FIG. 7. When viewed from the front, this standing pouch has a rectangular shape with an end edge 102 (width direction, an edge extending left and right in FIG. 7) shorter than a side edge 104 (height direction, an edge extending up and down in FIG. 7). A bottom wall 106 is provided at the lower end edge of the transported object 100, and due to this, the lower end edge of the transported object 100 is relatively thick with four overlapping sheets. On the other hand, the other part of the transported object 100 is relatively thin with two overlapping sheets, and the upper end edge 102a of the transported object 100 is open. The object to be transported 100 should be 8 to 40 cm high, 5 to 30 cm wide, and weigh 1 to 100 g.

Returning to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the transported object discharge/transport device 2 is installed on the upper surface of a substantially horizontal installation base 4, and is equipped with a transported object separation/transport mechanism 6 and a transported object punching mechanism 8. The transported object separation/transport mechanism 6 further includes a transport path definition means 10 (see FIG. 2), a forcing means 12, a lower edge regulating member 14 (see also FIG. 3-1 and FIG. 4-1), a predetermined height support member 16, and a separation/transport means 18. In the following, the direction from left to right on the paper in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 is referred to as the transport direction (of the transported object), the left side is referred to as the upstream side of the transport direction, and the right side is referred to as the downstream side of the transport direction. The transport direction may also be defined as the front-rear direction. Also, the depth direction of the paper in FIG. 1 and the up-down direction of the paper in FIG. 2 are referred to as the width direction (of the transported object). Therefore, both the transport direction and the width direction are substantially horizontal, and the width direction is perpendicular to the transport direction.

Referring to FIG. 4-1(a) along with FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the transport path regulating means 10 has a lower edge regulating surface 20 and a single side edge regulating surface 22 that respectively regulate the lower edge 102 and one side edge 104 of the flat-plate-like transported object 100. In the illustrated embodiment, the lower edge regulating surface 20 is regulated on the upper surface of the installation base 4. A single side edge regulating wall 24 that extends linearly in the transport direction is erected on the upper surface of the installation base 4, and the single side edge regulating surface 22 is regulated on the widthwise inner surface of the single side edge regulating wall 24, i.e., the left side surface as viewed in the transport direction.

The lower edge regulating member 14 is a rod-shaped member that extends linearly in the width direction and is fixed to the upper surface of the installation base 4. As described below, the lower edge of the front surface of the foremost transported object is abutted against the lower edge regulating member 14, so that the discharge end is defined on the upstream side in the transport direction of the lower edge regulating member 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the position of the discharge end in the transport direction is aligned with the downstream end position of the one-side edge regulating wall 24 in the transport direction.

The predetermined height support member 16 is a rod-shaped member extending linearly in the width direction, which is aligned with the lower edge regulating member 14 when viewed in the conveying direction. In the illustrated embodiment, a pair of support columns 26 extending upward are erected at intervals in the width direction on the upper surface of the installation base 4 at a position aligned with the lower edge regulating member 14 in the conveying direction, and the predetermined height support member 16, which has a circular cross section, is attached to the upper ends of the pair of support columns 26 so as to be rotatable about a rotation center axis 28 extending in the width direction. The transported object 100 passes between each of the pair of support columns 26. In the illustrated embodiment, the predetermined height support member 16 can be selectively rotated counterclockwise in FIG. 1 by the predetermined height support member rotating means 30. It is preferable that the predetermined height support member rotating means 30 is driven by compressed air. As described below, the front specified height portion of the foremost transported object abuts against the specified height portion support member 16, and the specified height portion support member 16 supports the front specified height portion of the foremost transported object.

Explaining with reference to Figures 1 and 2, the forcing means 12 is located upstream of the lower edge regulating member 14 in the conveying direction, and includes a movable support 32 mounted so as to be able to move forward and backward in the conveying direction of the conveyed object, a pressing member 34 mounted on the movable support 32, and a driving means 36 for moving the movable support 32 forward and backward. The movable support 32 is a plate-shaped member with a rectangular cross section that extends linearly in the width direction, and is located on the upper surface of the installation base 4 or slightly above it. A groove 37 that extends linearly in the conveying direction is formed on the upper surface of both ends of the movable support 32 in the width direction, and a hinge mounting piece 38 that extends toward the downstream side in the conveying direction beyond the downstream side of the movable support 32 in the conveying direction is fixed to this groove 37. The height position of the hinge mounting piece 38 is relatively low, which is about the same height as the one-side edge regulating member of the separating and conveying means 18 described later.

The pressing member 34 is a substantially rectangular flat plate having a pressing front surface 40 facing the downstream side in the conveying direction. The pressing member 34 is rotatably fixed by pins 42 to the downstream end in the conveying direction of each of the two hinge mounting pieces 38 provided at both ends in the width direction of the movable support 32. As a result, the pressing member 34 is attached to the movable support 32 so as to be rotatable about a central axis of rotation 44 extending in the width direction. A rectangular notch 45 extending across the entire width direction is provided at the lower end of the rear surface of the pressing member 34. As will be described later with reference to FIG. 3-1(b), due to the presence of the notch 45, when the pressing member 34 rotates about the central axis of rotation 44, the rotation angle at which the pressing front surface 40 can rotate from a state perpendicular to the lower edge regulating surface 20 of the conveying path defining means 10 in a direction in which the upper end of the pressing front surface 40 is displaced downstream in the conveying direction is increased.

The driving means 36 is equipped with a pair of driving actuators 46 connected to both ends of the movable support 32 in the width direction. The pair of driving actuators 46 are cylinders that advance and retreat substantially horizontally in the conveying direction, and are driven simultaneously by a driving source such as compressed air, allowing the movable support 32 to freely move between the forward position shown in FIG. 3-1(c) and the retreated positions shown in FIG. 3-1(a) and FIG. 3-2(e).

In the illustrated embodiment, the forcing means 12 further includes a rearward pivoting means 48 that pivots the pressing member 34 in a direction in which the upper end of the pressing front surface 40 is displaced upstream in the conveying direction. The rearward pivoting means 48 is connected to the center in the width direction of the rear surface of the pressing member 34 and the middle part in the up-down direction, and extends linearly from the rear surface of the pressing member 34 toward the rear in the normal direction. A rolling body 50 that can rotate in the conveying direction is also provided at the extending end of the rearward pivoting means 48. Therefore, as will be described later with reference to FIG. 3-2(d), when the pressing member 34 presses the transported object, even if the pressing front surface 40 is rotated in a direction in which the upper end of the pressing front surface 40 is displaced downstream in the transport direction from a state in which the pressing front surface 40 is perpendicular to the lower edge regulating surface 20 of the transport path defining means 10, once the pressing of the pressing front surface 40 against the transported object is released, the weight of the rear rotating means 48 causes the pressing front surface 40 to rotate in a direction in which the upper end of the pressing front surface 40 is displaced upstream in the transport direction from a state in which the pressing front surface 40 is perpendicular to the lower edge regulating surface 20 of the transport path defining means 10, and the posture is maintained at the position where the rear surface abuts against the movable support 32.

The forcing means 12 further includes a pressing member returning means 52 that returns the pressing member 34, which has been rotated rearward by the rearward rotating means 48, to a state in which the pressing front surface 40 is perpendicular to the lower edge regulating surface 20 of the transport path defining means 10. The pressing member returning means 52 extends at an incline upward from the lower edge regulating surface 20 of the transport path defining means 10 toward the rear (upstream side in the transport direction) at a predetermined position in the transport direction, and is aligned with the rolling body 50 in the width direction. As will be described later with reference to FIG. 3-2(e), when the movable support 32 retreats from the forward position to the retreated position, the pressing member return means 52 begins to cooperate with the rolling body 50 before the movable support 32 reaches the retreated position, and the rolling body 50 moves rearward on the pressing member return means 52, causing the pressing member 34 to rotate in a direction in which the upper end of the pressing front surface 40 is displaced downstream in the conveying direction, and when the movable support 32 reaches the retreated position, the pressing member 34 is in a state in which the pressing front surface 40 is perpendicular to the lower edge regulating surface 20 of the conveying path defining means 10.

Continuing the explanation with reference to Figures 1 and 2, the transported object separation and discharge mechanism 6 of the illustrated embodiment also includes holding pieces 54a and 54b. As will be explained later with reference to Figures 3-1 and 3-2, the holding pieces 54a and 54b cooperate with the lower edge regulating member 14 and the specified height support member 16 to temporarily hold the small amount of stacked transported objects 100 remaining between the pressing member 34 and the lower edge regulating member 14 and the specified height support member 16 in place of the pressing member 34. In Figures 1 and 2, the holding pieces 54a and 54b are both shown in an operating position described below. The holding piece 54a is supported by a support means (not shown) at a distance above the lower edge regulating surface 20 of the transport path defining means 10, somewhat upstream in the transport direction from the discharge end. The holding piece 54a can move back and forth in the width direction between an operating position protruding to the left from the one-side edge regulating surface 20 of the conveying path defining means 10 when viewed in the conveying direction, and a non-operating position retreated to the right of the one-side edge regulating surface 20. The holding piece 54b is disposed slightly upstream in the conveying direction from the holding piece 54a, and can move back and forth in the vertical direction between an operating position protruding upward from the lower edge regulating surface 20 of the conveying path defining means 10, and a non-operating position retreated below the lower edge regulating surface 20. The holding pieces 54a and 54b are operated together by a driving means (not shown), and the driving source of the driving means can be, for example, compressed air.

With reference to FIG. 4-1(a) together with FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the separation and discharge means 18 includes a one-side edge regulating member 56. The one-side edge regulating member 56 is aligned with the lower edge regulating member 14 as viewed in the conveying direction, that is, at the conveying end, and is provided above the lower edge regulating member 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the one-side edge regulating member 56 is fixed to the upper end of the downstream end face of the one-side edge regulating wall 24 in the conveying direction. The one-side edge regulating member 56 protrudes in the width direction beyond the one-side edge regulating surface 22 from right to left as viewed in the conveying direction (from left to right in the right-hand view of FIG. 4-1(a)), and locally regulates the front one-side edge of the foremost conveyed object. The shape of the protruding end of the one-side edge regulating member 56 is tapered toward the protruding end, and is approximately semicircular in the illustrated embodiment.

The separating and conveying means 18 also includes an adsorption holding member 58. The adsorption holding member 58 is provided downstream in the conveying direction from the conveying end, and includes a pair of adsorption holders 60a and 60b as well as a pair of additional adsorption holders 62a and 62b. The pair of adsorption holders 60a and 60b and the pair of additional adsorption holders 62a and 62b are all arm-shaped and made of a relatively soft synthetic resin such as an elastomer, and are attached to a common support member 64. The arrangement of each will be described later. The pair of suction holders 60a and 60b and the pair of additional suction holders 62a and 62b are each connected to a negative pressure generating source (not shown) via a support member 64, and by controlling this negative pressure generating source, it is possible to appropriately generate negative pressure inside the pair of suction holders 60a and 60b and the pair of additional suction holders 62a and 62b. Thus, the pair of suction holders 60a and 60b and the pair of additional suction holders 62a and 62b can each be freely switched between an operating state in which the transported object is suctioned and held, and a non-operating state in which the transported object is released.

The support member 64 can be rotated by a driving means (not shown) about a central axis of rotation 66 (see FIG. 4-1(a)) that extends in the width direction below the mounting positions of the pair of suction holders 60a and 60b and the pair of additional suction holders 62a and 62b. By rotating the support member 64 back and forth about the central axis of rotation 66, the pair of suction holders 60a and 60b and the pair of additional suction holders 62a and 62b can be moved between an advanced position (left side of FIG. 4-1(a)) in which they abut against the front surface of the forward-most transported object, and a retracted position (left side of FIG. 4-2(d)) retracted backward from the advanced position. The driving means can be driven by compressed air, for example. As shown in the right-hand view of FIG. 4-1(a), in the forward position, the suction holder 60a is located above the one-side edge regulating member 56, and the suction holder 60b is located below the one-side edge regulating member 56 and above the bottom edge regulating member 14. At this time, the additional suction holder 62a is located at the same height as the suction holder 60a and on the inside in the width direction, and the additional suction holder 62b is located at the same height as the suction holder 60b and on the inside in the width direction.

In the illustrated embodiment, the transported object separation and discharge mechanism 6 also includes a pull-out arm, which will be described later.

Next, the transported object punching mechanism 8 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The transported object punching mechanism 8 is located downstream of the lower edge regulating member 14 in the transport direction, and is equipped with a receiving member 68 and a lifting means 70 for lifting and lowering the receiving member 68. The receiving member 68 has an L-shaped cross section, extends linearly in the width direction, and is rectangular in plan view. The receiving member 68 has a main receiving surface 72 that extends upward and backward at an inclination, and a bottom receiving surface 74 that protrudes forward from the lower edge of the main receiving surface 72. The main receiving surface 72 is inclined upward and backward at an inclination angle θ (θ is preferably 30 to 50 degrees). The extension length of the main receiving surface 72 is relatively long, 6 to 50 cm. As can be clearly understood by referring to FIG. 2, two oval through grooves 76 extending linearly in the conveying direction are formed in parallel in the width direction at an interval in the main receiving surface 72, and in the state shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a pair of suction holders 60a and 60b is arranged in one of the two through grooves 76, and a pair of additional suction holders 62a and 62b is arranged in the other. In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the pair of suction holders 60a and 60b and the pair of additional suction holders 62a and 62b are both in the retreated position, and when the pair of suction holders 60a and 60b and the pair of additional suction holders 62a and 62b are in the retreated position, their respective opening ends are located below the main receiving surface 72. The bottom receiving surface 74 is perpendicular to the main receiving surface 72, and its extension length is relatively short, 1 to 5 cm. The width of the main receiving surface 72 and the bottom receiving surface 74 is 5 to 40 cm, which is longer than the width direction length (edge length) of the conveyed object.

The lifting means 70 moves the receiving member 68 between the lowered position shown in FIG. 6(a) and the raised position shown in FIG. 6(b), which is raised a predetermined distance in the extension direction of the main receiving surface 72. The lifting means 70 is preferably driven by compressed air, for example, and raises the receiving member 68 from the lowered position to the raised position at a high speed of 20 to 200 cm/sec, and lowers it from the raised position to the lowered position at the same speed. The predetermined distance is 1 to 10 cm.

With reference to Figures 1 and 2 as well as Figures 5-1 and 5-2, a pull-out arm 78, which is part of the transported object separating and carrying-out mechanism 6, is disposed on the upstream side of the main receiving surface 72. The pull-out arm 78 can be raised and lowered along one side edge of the main receiving surface 72 (the right side edge as viewed in the transport direction) between the raised position shown in Figures 5-1(a), 5-2(d) and (e) and the lowered position shown in Figure 5-1(c) by vertical driving means 80a driven by compressed air, and can be rotated between a hanging position extending outside one side edge of the main receiving surface 72 and a rotating position extending widthwise on the upstream side of the main receiving surface by rotating driving means 80b also driven by compressed air. As shown in the left side of Figure 5-1 (a), a contact switch 82 that is contacted by the front surface of the forwardmost transported object when the height of the transported object is high is located slightly above the predetermined height support member 16, and when the height of the transported object is high and its front surface contacts the contact switch 82, the pull-out arm 78 becomes operable. The operation of the pull-out arm 78 will be described later.

1 and 2 also show the downstream conveying means 84 located downstream of the conveying object punching mechanism 8 in the conveying direction. The downstream conveying means 84 is supported above the installation base 4 by a support means (not shown). The downstream conveying means 84 is provided with a V-shaped inclined plate 86 that rises once in the conveying direction and then falls, and the inclined plate 86 extends in the width direction. With reference to FIG. 6(b) as well, the upstream edge of the inclined plate 86 is located close to and slightly lower than the upper edge of the receiving member 68 when the receiving member 68 is in the raised position on the downstream side in the conveying direction. As will be described later, the conveyed object punched out from the conveyed object punching mechanism 8 lands on the upper surface of the inclined plate 86 and is further conveyed downstream in the conveying direction by the inclination of the inclined plate 86. Side guards 88 standing up are provided on both ends in the width direction of the inclined plate 86 to prevent the conveyed object punched out from the conveyed object punching mechanism 8 from falling in the width direction from the inclined plate 86.

Next, the operation of the transported object carry-out/transport device 2 will be described.
First, the operation of the forcing means 12 in the transported object separating and carrying-out mechanism 6 will be described with reference to Fig. 3-1 and Fig. 3-2. In the transported object/carry-out device 2, when the movable support 32 of the forcing means 12 is in the retreated position as shown in Fig. 3-1(a), a large number of transported objects 100 stacked between the pressing member 34 and the lower edge regulating member 14 and the specific height support member 16 are carried in. The large number of stacked transported objects 100 are simultaneously carried in an upright state onto the transport path defining means 10, and the lower edge 102 of the transported objects 100 is regulated by the lower edge regulating surface 20, and the one side edge 104 is regulated by the one side edge regulating surface 22. At this time, both the holding pieces 54a and 54b are in the non-operating position.

When the movable support 32 is advanced by the driving means 36 from the state shown in Figure 3-1 (a), as shown in Figure 3-1 (b), the pressing front surface 40 of the pressing member 34 abuts against the rear surface of the rearmost transported object 100-f and presses it forward, and the lower end of the front surface of the frontmost transported object 100-1 abuts against the lower edge regulating member 14 and the specified height portion abuts against the specified height portion support member 16, respectively, and the multiple stacked transported objects 100 are clamped between the pressing member 34, the lower edge regulating member 14, and the specified height portion support member 16. At this time, as described above, the transported object 100 is transported onto the transport path defining means 10 in an upright state with the lower edge being relatively thick but the other edge being relatively thin, so that the stacked transported objects 100 are not aligned vertically upward as shown in FIG. 3-1(b), but are aligned gradually tilted toward the downstream side in the transport direction from downstream to upstream in the transport direction, and the lower end of the stacked transported objects 100 as a whole is longer in the transport direction than the upper end. Therefore, when the pressing member 34 presses the rear surface of the rearmost transported object 100-f, the pressing member 34 is attached to the movable support 32 so as to be freely rotatable about the central axis of rotation 44 extending in the width direction, and the pressing front surface 40 is rotated in a direction in which the upper end is displaced downstream in the transport direction from the central axis of rotation 44, and presses the rear surface of the transported object 100-f.

The stacked multiple transport objects 100 are sandwiched between the pressing member 34 (and the movable support 32), the lower edge regulating member 14, and the specified height support member 16, and are separated and transported by the operation of the separating and transporting means 18, starting with the transport object 100-1 located at the front end. At this time, the pressing front surface 40 is rotated in a direction in which the upper end is displaced downstream in the transport direction from the central axis of rotation 44. Therefore, even if an impact is applied to the stacked multiple transport objects 100 by the operation of the separating and transporting means 18 described later, the transport objects 100 are effectively prevented from moving upward, and the multiple transport objects 100 present between the pressing member 34 and the lower edge regulating member 14 and the specified height support member 16 are prevented from falling over, or the separating and transporting means 18 is prevented from being unable to properly transport the frontmost transport object 100-1.

As the transported objects 100 are sequentially separated and transported by the separating and transporting means 18, the movable support 32 is advanced by the driving means 36, and therefore the stacked transported objects 100 located between the pressing member 34 and the lower edge regulating member 14 and the predetermined height support member 16 are always clamped by the pressing member 34 and the lower edge regulating member 14 and the predetermined height support member 16. At this time, as the number of transported objects 100 present between the pressing member 34 and the lower edge regulating member 14 and the predetermined height support member 16 decreases, the inclination of the last transported object 100-f in the transport direction is alleviated and the rear surface of the transported object 100-f gradually rises, so that the pressing front surface 40 of the pressing member 34 is also gradually rotated in a direction in which the upper end is displaced upstream in the transport direction around the central axis of rotation 44. Then, when the movable support 32 reaches the forward position shown in Fig. 3-1(c), as shown in Fig. 3-2(d), the movable support 32 is moved backward toward the backward position by the driving means 36. At this time, as shown in the figure, at the same time that the movable support 32 starts to move backward from the forward position, the holding pieces 54a and 54b advance from the non-acting position to the acting position, and temporarily hold the posture of all the transported objects 100 located downstream in the transport direction from the holding pieces 54a and 54b in place of the pressing member 34. When the movable support 32 moves backward, the pressing member 34 is rotated by the rear rotating means 48 in a direction in which the upper end of the pressing front surface 40 is displaced upstream in the transport direction from a state in which the pressing front surface 40 is perpendicular to the lower edge regulating surface 20 of the transport path defining means 10 and the upper end of the pressing front surface 40 is displaced downstream in the transport direction. Then, when the movable support 32 reaches the retreated position, as shown in Fig. 3-2(e), the pressing member 34 rotated by the rear rotating means 48 is returned by the pressing member returning means 52 to a state in which the pressing front surface 40 is perpendicular to the lower edge regulating surface 20 of the conveying path defining means 10. In the state shown in Fig. 3-2(e), a large number of conveyed objects 100 are again stacked and conveyed between the pressing member 34 and the lower edge regulating member 14 and the specific height support member 16. More specifically, the stacked large number of conveyed objects 100 are conveyed between the pressing front surface 40 of the pressing member 34 and the holding pieces 54a and 54b as viewed in the conveying direction, and after the conveying is completed, the holding pieces 54a and 54b are respectively retracted from the operating positions to the non-operating positions, resulting in the state shown in Fig. 3-1(a). Thus, the forcing means 12 continuously forces the multiple transported objects 100 that are transported in a stacked state onto the transport path defining means 10 toward the discharge end.

Next, the operation of the separation and discharge means 18 will be described with reference to Fig. 4-1 and Fig. 4-2. When the pair of suction holders 60a and 60b and the pair of additional suction holders 62a and 62b are in the forward position shown in Fig. 4-1(a), they come into contact with the front surface of the foremost transported object 100-1, and when they are in the operating state in this position, they suction-hold the front surface of the foremost transported object 100-1. At this time, as described above, the suction holder 60a is located above the one-side edge regulating member 56, and the suction holder 60b is located below the one-side edge regulating member 56 and above the lower edge regulating member 14. The additional suction holder 60a is located at the same height as the suction holder 60a and on the inner side in the width direction, and the additional suction holder 62b is located at the same height as the suction holder 60b and on the inner side in the width direction.

When the support member 64 rotates from the state shown in Figure 4-1 (a) around the central axis of rotation 66 and the pair of suction holders 60a and 60b and the pair of additional suction holders 62a and 62b move backward from their forward positions, the lower edge of the suction-held transported object 100-1 is pulled out toward the downstream side in the transport direction, and the lower edge is displaced upward and the upper edge is displaced downward. At this time, it is preferable that the specified height support member 16 is rotated counterclockwise in the left-hand diagram by the specified height support member rotating means 30. This is because the rotation of the specified height support member 16 promotes the downward displacement of the upper edge of the transported object 100-1. In the transported object separation and discharge mechanism 6 constructed according to the present invention, in the initial stage of the above-mentioned retreat movement, as shown in FIG. 4-1(b), the foremost transported object 100-1 that is adsorbed to the pair of suction holders 60a and 60b has one side edge of the foremost transported object 100-1 curved three-dimensionally due to the presence of the one-side edge regulating member 56 located between each of the pair of suction holders 60a and 60b, and is separated from the next transported object 100-2.

When the pair of suction holders 60a and 60b and the pair of additional suction holders 62a and 62b move further backward from the state shown in FIG. 4-1(b), one side edge of the suction-held transported object 100-1 passes through the one-side edge regulating member 56, as shown in FIG. 4-2(c), and one side edge of the front side of the next transported object 100-2 abuts against the one-side edge regulating member 56. Then, when the pair of suction holders 60a and 60b and the pair of additional suction holders 62a and 62b move further backward, the lower edge of the transported object 100-1 climbs upward over the lower edge regulating member 14, and the upper edge passes downward through the support member 16 of a specified height, and is displaced downstream in the transport direction, and the transported object 100-1 is separated and transported out.

When the pair of suction holders 60a and 60b and the pair of additional suction holders 62a and 62b reach the retreated position shown in FIG. 4(d), they are switched from the operating state to the inoperative state, releasing the suction hold of the transported object 100-1, and the transported object 100-1 is transported onto the main receiving surface 72 of the receiving member 68 in the transported object ejection mechanism 8. The operation of the transported object ejection mechanism 8 will be described later. When the transported object 100-1 is ejected by the operation of the transported object ejection mechanism 8, the pair of suction holders 60a and 60b and the pair of additional suction holders 62a and 62b move forward from the retreated position to the advanced position and are switched from the inoperative state to the operating state, again reaching the state shown in FIG. 4(a). Therefore, according to the transported object separation and ejection mechanism 6 configured according to the present invention, the pair of suction holders 60a and 60b can sufficiently and reliably separate and eject the foremost transported object 100-1 from the next transported object 100-2 without complex operations.

Here, when the height of the transported object 100 is high (the vertical length, i.e., the length of the side edge, is long), when the suction holding member 58, i.e., the pair of suction holders 60a and 60b and the pair of additional suction holders 62a and 62b suction hold the foremost transported object 100-1 and move backward from the forward position to the backward position, as shown in FIG. 5-1(a), the lower half of the transported object 100-1 is carried out onto the main receiving surface 72 of the receiving member 68, but the upper end may still be abutted against the predetermined height support member 16. In this case, the pull-out arm 78, which is part of the transported object separation and carry-out mechanism 6, operates as follows to pull out the upper end of the transported object 100-1 from the predetermined height maintenance member 16. The pull-out arm 78 becomes operable when the front surface of the foremost transported object 100-1 (or the next transported object 100-2) abuts against the contact switch 82 located above the predetermined height support member 16.

5-1(a), that is, when the pair of suction holders 60a and 60b and the pair of additional suction holders 62a and 62b reach the retreated position and the lower half of the suction-held transported object 100-1 is conveyed onto the main receiving surface 72 of the receiving member 68, but the upper end is still in contact with the support member 16 at a predetermined height, the drawer arm 78 is in a hanging position at the raised position. At this time, the pair of suction holders 60a and 60b and the pair of additional suction holders 62a and 62b remain in an operating state. From this state, the drawer arm 78 is lowered from the raised position to the lowered position by the vertical drive means 80a as shown in FIG. 5-1(b), and is rotated from the hanging position to the rotating position by the rotating drive means 80b, and is in the rotating position at the lowered position as shown in FIG. 5-1(c). Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 5-2(d), the pull-out arm 78 is raised from the lowered position to the raised position by the vertical drive means 80a while maintaining the pivoted position. As a result, as can be understood by comparing the left-hand view of Fig. 5-1(c) with the left-hand view of Fig. 5-2(d), the upper end of the transported object 100-1 is pulled out from below the support member 16 at the predetermined height by the operation of the pull-out arm 78 and carried out onto the main receiving surface 72 of the receiving member 68. Thereafter, the pair of suction holders 60a and 60b and the pair of additional suction holders 62a and 62b are switched from the operating state to the inoperating state, and the transported object 100-1 is launched by the operation of the transported object launching mechanism 8, which will be described later. When the pull-out arm 78 is raised from the lowered position to the raised position while maintaining the pivoted position, the predetermined height support member 16 is preferably rotated freely or rotated counterclockwise in the left-hand diagrams of Figures 5-1 and 5-2 by the predetermined height support member rotating means 30. As shown in Figure 5-2(e) at the raised position, the pull-out arm 78 is rotated from the pivoted position to the hanging position by the pivot drive means 80b, returning to the state shown in Figure 5-1(a).

Next, the operation of the transported object punching mechanism 8 will be described with reference to FIG.
The conveyed object punching mechanism 8 receives the conveyed object 100-1 separated and conveyed by the conveyed object separating and conveying mechanism 6 in a state in which it extends from its lower edge located on the bottom receiving surface 74 along the main receiving surface 72 when the receiving member 68 is located at the lowered position shown in FIG. 6(a). Next, the receiving member 68 is raised at high speed to the raised position shown in FIG. 6(b) by the lifting and lowering means 70, whereby the conveyed object 100-1 is punched upward and backward and beyond the upper edge of the receiving member 68 onto the downstream conveying means 84. The conveyed object 100-1 (shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 6(b)) that has been punched onto the downstream conveying means 84 slides along the upper surface of the inclined plate 86 and is conveyed downstream in the conveying direction. Therefore, according to the conveyed object punching mechanism 8, the conveyed object 100-1 is punched upward and backward by the receiving member 68, and is conveyed to the downstream conveying means 84 without being deformed or getting caught, causing the entire device to stop. The receiving member 68 raised to the raised position is then lowered from the raised position to the lowered position by the lifting means 70 and waits for the next transported object to be separated and carried out by the transported object separating and carrying-out mechanism 6 .

The transported object separation and discharge mechanism and the transported object discharge and transport device equipped with the same constructed in accordance with the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the attached drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the suction and holding member 58 is driven by compressed air, but the drive source may be an electric motor, etc.

2: Transferred object carry-out/transport device 6: Transferred object separation and transport mechanism 8: Transferred object punching mechanism 10: Transport path regulating means 12: Forcing means 14: Lower end edge regulating member 16: Predetermined height portion support member 18: Separating and transporting means 20: Lower end edge regulating surface 22: One side edge regulating surface 56: One side edge regulating member 58: Suction holding member 60a and 60b: Pair of suction holding devices 62a and 62b: Pair of additional suction holding devices 64: Support member 66: Swing central axis 78: Pull-out arm 84: Downstream side transport means

Claims (8)

a conveyed object separating and carrying-out mechanism including: conveying path defining means having a lower edge regulating surface and a single side edge regulating surface for respectively regulating a lower edge and a single side edge of a flat conveyed object; a forcing means for forcing a large number of conveyed objects carried in a stacked state onto the conveying path defining means toward a carrying-out end; a lower edge regulating member against which a front lower edge of a foremost conveyed object abuts; and a separating and carrying-out means for separating the foremost conveyed object from a next conveyed object and carrying it forward beyond the lower edge regulating member,
the separating and carrying-out means includes a one-side edge regulating member that locally regulates a front one-side edge of the foremost transported object above the lower edge regulating member, and a pair of suction holders that are switchable between an operative state in which they suction-hold the transported object and a non-operative state in which they release the transported object, the pair of suction holders being movable between an advanced position in which they contact the front surface of the foremost transported object whose front one-side edge is locally regulated by the one-side edge regulating member , and a retracted position retracted rearward from the advanced position, and in the advanced position, one of the pair of suction holders contacts the front one-side edge of the foremost transported object above the one-side edge regulating member, and the other of the pair of suction holders contacts the front one-side edge of the foremost transported object below the one-side edge regulating member and above the lower edge regulating member;
A transport object separating and carrying-out mechanism comprising: The transported object separation and discharge mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the suction holding member includes a pair of additional suction holding devices in addition to the pair of suction holding devices, the pair of additional suction holding devices are also freely switchable between an operating state in which they suction-hold the transported object and an inoperating state in which they release the transported object, and are freely movable between an advanced position in which they abut against the front surface of the transported object at the forefront and a retreated position retreated rearward from the advanced position, and in the advanced position, one of the pair of additional suction holding devices abuts against the front surface of the transported object at the same height and on the inner side in the width direction relative to one of the pair of suction holding devices, and the other of the pair of additional suction holding devices abuts against the front surface of the transported object at the same height and on the inner side in the width direction relative to the other of the pair of suction holding devices. The transported object separation and discharge mechanism according to claim 2, wherein the pair of suction holders and the pair of additional suction holders are attached to a common support member, the support member is rotatable about a central axis of rotation extending in the width direction below the attachment positions of the pair of suction holders and the pair of additional suction holders, and the pair of suction holders and the pair of additional suction holders are moved to the forward position and the backward position by the support member being reciprocated about the central axis of rotation. The transported object separation and discharge mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 3, including a predetermined height support member against which the front predetermined height portion of the transported object at the foremost end abuts. The transported object separation and discharge mechanism according to claim 4, wherein the support member at the predetermined height is mounted so as to be rotatable about a central axis of rotation extending in the width direction. The transported object separation and discharge mechanism according to claim 5, further comprising a predetermined height support member rotation means for selectively rotating the predetermined height support member in a direction that displaces downward the front predetermined height portion of the transported object at the foremost end that is in contact with the predetermined height support member. A transported object carry-out and transport device comprising the transported object separating and carrying-out mechanism according to any one of claims 4 to 6, and a transported object striking mechanism including a receiving member having a main receiving surface that is positioned forwardly and spaced apart from the foremost transported object and extends upwardly and inclined backwardly,
the transported object separating and carrying-out mechanism includes a pull-out arm disposed upstream of the main receiving surface in the transported object punching mechanism, the pull-out arm being mounted so as to be movable up and down over a predetermined range and to be rotatable between a hanging position extending along one side edge of the main receiving surface on the outside thereof and a rotating position extending in the width direction on the upstream side of the main receiving surface;
In the case of a tall transported object, when the suction holding member suctions and holds the foremost transported object and moves backward from the forward position to the retracted position, the lower half of the foremost transported object is carried out onto the main receiving surface of the receiving member, but the upper end is still in contact with the specified height support member, and in this state the pull-out arm is lowered, then rotated from the hanging position to the rotating position, and then raised, whereby the upper end of the foremost transported object is also pulled out from the specified height support member and carried out onto the main receiving surface of the receiving member.
The object carrying-out and transporting device is characterized by the above. The transported object is an unfilled standing pouch with a height of 8 to 40 cm and a width of 5 to 30 cm, the lower end of which is thicker than the remaining parts, and is forcibly separated and transported in an upright position, according to the transported object separation and transport mechanism described in any one of claims 1 to 6 or the transported object transport and transport device described in claim 7.