JP7639601B2 - Conveyors and Regulating Devices - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a conveyor that conveys objects in a conveying direction by rotating a plurality of conveying rollers with a drive belt that contacts the conveying rollers from below, and a regulating device used in such a conveyor.

An example of such a conveyor is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-20842 (Patent Document 1). In the following explanation of this background art, the reference symbols in Patent Document 1 will be quoted in parentheses.

The conveyor device (1) of Patent Document 1 includes a plurality of conveyor rollers (3), a drive belt (5) that contacts the plurality of conveyor rollers (3) from below, two end rollers (4a, 4b) rotatably supported at both ends of the conveyor frame (2a) in the conveying direction, and a pulley (6) that is rotated by a motor (7). The drive belt (5) is wound around the two end rollers (4a, 4b) and the pulley (6), and is configured to rotate and drive the plurality of conveyor rollers (3) by circulating the drive belt (5) through the rotation of the pulley (6).

JP 2015-20842 A

Incidentally, although not described in Patent Document 1, in conveyors such as the above, meandering of the drive belt, such as shaking or deviation of the drive belt in the width direction (the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction when viewed from the top and bottom), may occur. For example, manufacturing errors, assembly errors, and changes over time such as deformation may cause meandering of the drive belt. Large meandering of the drive belt hinders the smooth driving of the conveying rollers and the smooth conveying of goods. Therefore, when large meandering of the drive belt occurs, it is necessary to identify the cause and take measures, but meandering of the drive belt may occur due to a combination of factors, making it difficult to identify the cause and take measures.

Therefore, it is desirable to develop technology that can prevent large meanderings in the drive belt.

In one aspect, a conveyor according to the present disclosure comprises a plurality of conveying rollers arranged side by side with gaps in a conveying direction, a frame supporting the plurality of conveying rollers, and a drive mechanism for driving the plurality of conveying rollers to rotate, and conveys articles along the conveying direction, wherein each of the plurality of conveying rollers is supported by the frame in a state in which it can rotate freely around a rotation axis perpendicular to the conveying direction, and the drive mechanism comprises a drive belt that contacts the plurality of conveying rollers from below, a plurality of pulleys around which the drive belt is wound, and a drive source that drives at least one of the plurality of pulleys, and the conveying rollers are arranged in a vertical direction as viewed in a vertical direction. The conveyor further includes a regulating device that regulates the movement of the drive belt in the width direction, with the direction perpendicular to the feed direction being the width direction, and the regulating device includes a support body attached to the frame and a pair of regulating members, and the support body has a gap corresponding portion that overlaps with the roller gap formed between a pair of adjacent conveying rollers in the conveying direction when viewed in the vertical direction, and the pair of regulating members are supported by the gap corresponding portion and are arranged on both sides of the drive belt in the width direction in the vertical region in which the drive belt is arranged , and the gap corresponding portion is arranged so as to cover the drive belt from above in the roller gap .

According to this configuration, the pair of regulating members provided in the regulating device are arranged on both sides of the width of the drive belt in the vertical region in which the drive belt is arranged, so that the movement of the drive belt in the width direction can be regulated from both sides of the width direction by the pair of regulating members. Therefore, even if the drive belt meanders, the range of movement of the drive belt in the width direction can be limited to a range according to the distance between the pair of regulating members, making it difficult for the drive belt to meander significantly.

As described above, this configuration makes it difficult for the drive belt to meander significantly, but the regulating device with a pair of regulating members must be attached so as to be in contact with the drive belt and avoid interference with the conveying rollers that rotate with the circulating movement of the drive belt. In this regard, according to this configuration, the regulating device has a support attached to a frame, and the pair of regulating members are supported on a gap corresponding portion that is a portion of the support that overlaps with the gap between the rollers in a vertical view. In this way, the support is attached to the frame so as to have a portion (gap corresponding portion) that is arranged in a space that overlaps with the gap between the rollers in a vertical view, and the pair of regulating members are supported on this portion, making it easier to realize a conveyor in which the regulating device is attached so that the pair of regulating members are arranged separately on both sides of the width of the drive belt in the vertical area where the drive belt is arranged while avoiding interference with the conveying rollers.

Furthermore, according to this configuration, the presence of the gap corresponding portion at the location where the regulating device is attached makes it difficult for parts of the worker's body or other objects to approach the contact portion between the conveying roller and the drive belt, thereby improving safety. Furthermore, according to this configuration, even when the conveying roller is assembled to the frame, the gap corresponding portion supporting the pair of regulating members can be brought close to the gap between the rollers from above, and the regulating device can be attached so that the pair of regulating members are arranged separately on both sides of the drive belt in the width direction in the vertical area where the drive belt is arranged. Therefore, it is easy to realize a conveyor in which the regulating device can be easily assembled.

In another aspect, a conveyor according to the present disclosure is a conveyor that conveys articles along the conveying direction, the conveyor comprising: a plurality of conveying rollers that are arranged with gaps therebetween; a frame that supports the plurality of conveying rollers; and a drive mechanism that drives and rotates the plurality of conveying rollers, the conveyor comprising: a drive belt that contacts the plurality of conveying rollers from below; a plurality of pulleys around which the drive belt is wound; and a drive source that drives at least one of the plurality of pulleys, the conveyor further comprising a regulating device that regulates movement of the drive belt in the width direction, the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction as viewed in the up-down direction being the width direction, the regulating device comprising a support body attached to the frame and a pair of regulating members, the support body being disposed between a pair of the conveying rollers that are adjacent to each other in the conveying direction. the support body has a gap corresponding portion which is a portion which overlaps with a gap between rollers formed in the conveying roller when viewed in the vertical direction, the pair of regulating members are supported by the gap corresponding portion and are arranged separately on both sides of the drive belt in the vertical region in which the drive belt is arranged, the support body has a fixing portion which is arranged above the gap corresponding portion and fixed to the frame, the fixing portion is fixed to the frame using a fastening member, the frame has an upper surface facing upward and an opposing surface which faces an end surface of the conveying roller facing outward in the width direction and is a surface along the vertical direction, the support body has a first abutment portion which is formed in a plate shape and abuts against the upper surface, and a second abutment portion which is formed in a plate shape and abuts against the opposing surface, the gap corresponding portion is formed to extend along the width direction from the second abutment portion, and at least one of the first abutment portion and the second abutment portion is the fixing portion.

In one aspect, a regulating device according to the present disclosure is a conveyor that conveys articles along a conveying direction, the conveying rollers being arranged side by side with gaps therebetween, a frame that supports the conveying rollers, and a drive mechanism that drives and rotates the conveying rollers, the conveying rollers being supported by the frame in a state in which the conveying rollers are rotatable about a rotation axis perpendicular to the conveying direction, the drive mechanism being a regulating device used in a conveyor that includes a drive belt that contacts the conveying rollers from below, a plurality of pulleys around which the drive belt is wound, and a drive source that drives at least one of the pulleys. The frame includes a support body attached to the frame and a pair of regulating members, the support body having a gap corresponding portion supporting the pair of regulating members, and the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction when viewed in the up-down direction is the width direction, and when the support body is attached to the frame, the roller gap formed between a pair of conveying rollers adjacent to each other in the conveying direction and the gap corresponding portion overlap when viewed in the up-down direction, and in the up-down region in which the drive belt is arranged, the pair of regulating members are arranged separately on both sides of the drive belt in the width direction , and further, the gap corresponding portion is arranged so as to cover the drive belt from above in the roller gap .

With this configuration, when the support is attached to the frame, a pair of regulating members are arranged on either side of the drive belt in the vertical area where the drive belt is arranged, so that the movement of the drive belt in the width direction can be regulated from both sides in the width direction by the pair of regulating members. Therefore, by using a regulating device of this configuration in a conveyor, even if the drive belt meanders, the range of movement of the drive belt in the width direction can be limited to a range corresponding to the distance between the pair of regulating members, making it difficult for the drive belt to meander significantly.

As described above, by using the regulating device of this configuration in a conveyor, it is possible to prevent the drive belt from meandering significantly, but the regulating device equipped with a pair of regulating members needs to be installed while avoiding interference with the conveying rollers that are arranged to contact the drive belt and rotate with the circular movement of the drive belt. In this regard, according to this configuration, when the support is attached to the frame, the gap corresponding portion that supports the pair of regulating members is arranged to overlap the gap between the rollers in a vertical view. In this way, the portion (gap corresponding portion) that supports the pair of regulating members in the support is arranged in a space that overlaps the gap between the rollers in a vertical view, so that the regulating device can be easily installed on the conveyor so that the pair of regulating members are arranged separately on both sides of the width of the drive belt in the vertical area where the drive belt is arranged, while avoiding interference with the conveying rollers.

In another aspect, a regulating device according to the present disclosure is a regulating device used in a conveyor that includes a plurality of transport rollers arranged side by side with gaps in a transport direction, a frame that supports the plurality of transport rollers, and a drive mechanism that drives and rotates the plurality of transport rollers, and that transports articles along the transport direction, wherein each of the plurality of transport rollers is supported by the frame in a state in which it can rotate freely around a rotation axis perpendicular to the transport direction, and the drive mechanism includes a drive belt that contacts the plurality of transport rollers from below, a plurality of pulleys around which the drive belt is wound, and a drive source that drives at least one of the plurality of pulleys, and a direction perpendicular to the transport direction when viewed in a vertical direction is a width direction, the frame includes an upper surface facing upward, and an opposing surface that faces an end surface of the transport rollers facing outward in the width direction and is a surface along the vertical direction, and the regulating device is attached to the frame. and a pair of regulating members, the support having a gap corresponding portion supporting the pair of regulating members, the support having a gap corresponding portion supporting the pair of regulating members, the support having a gap corresponding portion overlapping a roller gap formed between a pair of the conveying rollers adjacent in the conveying direction when viewed in the vertical direction when the support is attached to the frame, and the pair of regulating members are arranged separately on both sides of the drive belt in the width direction in the vertical region in which the drive belt is arranged, the support having a fixing portion arranged above the gap corresponding portion and fixed to the frame, the fixing portion being fixed to the frame using a fastening member, the support having a first abutment portion formed in a plate shape and abutting the upper surface, and a second abutment portion formed in a plate shape and abutting the opposing surface, the gap corresponding portion being formed to extend along the width direction from the second abutment portion, and at least one of the first abutment portion and the second abutment portion being the fixing portion.

Further features and advantages of the conveyor and regulating device will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments, which are illustrated in the drawings.

A longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a portion of a conveyor Plan view of part of a conveyor FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of a conveyor in the vicinity of a first regulating device; FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional side view of a conveyor in the vicinity of a second regulating device; FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional front view of a conveyor in the vicinity of a first regulating device; FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional front view of a conveyor in the vicinity of a second regulating device; A longitudinal sectional side view of the vicinity of a target regulating device in a conveyor.

Embodiments of a conveyor and a regulating device will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the conveyor 1 includes a plurality of conveying rollers 10 arranged side by side with gaps in the conveying direction T, a frame 20 supporting the plurality of conveying rollers 10, and a drive mechanism 3 that drives the plurality of conveying rollers 10 to rotate. The conveyor 1 conveys an article 2 along the conveying direction T. Specifically, the plurality of conveying rollers 10 are driven to rotate by the drive mechanism 3, so that the article 2 placed on the plurality of conveying rollers 10 is conveyed along the conveying direction T. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the conveying direction T is horizontal. The article 2 is, for example, a carton case such as a cardboard box.

As shown in FIG. 2, each of the multiple conveying rollers 10 is supported by the frame 20 in a state in which it can rotate freely around the rotation axis A perpendicular to the conveying direction T. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 5, and FIG. 6, the roller shaft 12 is supported by the frame 20 in a state in which it is inserted into a through hole (e.g., a hexagonal hole) formed in the frame 20, and the conveying roller 10 is supported by the roller shaft 12 in a state in which it can rotate freely around the rotation axis A. Although not shown, each of the multiple conveying rollers 10 is supported by the frame 20 on both sides of the width direction W. Here, the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction T when viewed in the up-down direction V (vertical direction) is defined as the width direction W. The width direction W is defined as the direction along the rotation axis A. As shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, the rotation axis A is an axis along the horizontal direction, and the width direction W is a horizontal direction (specifically, a horizontal direction perpendicular to the conveying direction T). In the following, one side in the width direction W is referred to as the first width direction side W1, and the other side in the width direction W is referred to as the second width direction side W2.

As shown in FIG. 1, the drive mechanism 3 includes a drive belt 30 that contacts the multiple transport rollers 10 from the underside V2, multiple pulleys 40 around which the drive belt 30 is wound, and a drive source 4 that drives at least one of the multiple pulleys 40. The drive mechanism 3 drives at least one of the multiple pulleys 40 with the driving force of the drive source 4, and causes the drive belt 30 to move in a circular motion while being guided by the multiple pulleys 40, thereby rotating and driving the multiple transport rollers 10 that contact the drive belt 30.

The drive belt 30 is an endless flat belt. The drive belt 30 includes an outgoing portion 31, which is a portion that contacts the multiple conveying rollers 10 from the lower side V2, and a return portion 32 that is arranged on the lower side V2 of the outgoing portion 31. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, in this embodiment, the drive belt 30 (specifically, the outgoing portion 31) contacts the multiple conveying rollers 10 from the lower side V2 with the belt width direction arranged along the width direction W. That is, the surface of the drive belt 30 to which the belt thickness direction is normal contacts the multiple conveying rollers 10 from the lower side V2 (see Figs. 3 and 4). As shown in Figs. 2, 5, and 6, in this embodiment, the drive belt 30 (specifically, the outgoing portion 31) is arranged so as to contact the portion of the conveying roller 10 on the first width direction side W1 from the lower side V2.

As shown in FIG. 1, the multiple pulleys 40 of the drive mechanism 3 include a pressure pulley 40a that supports the drive belt 30 (specifically, the going portion 31) from the lower side V2 and presses the drive belt 30 against the conveying roller 10, and an end pulley 40c that is disposed at the end of the conveying direction T and reverses the moving direction of the drive belt 30. A plurality of pressure pulleys 40a are provided so as to be aligned in the conveying direction T. Although not shown, the end pulleys 40c are provided at both ends of the conveying direction T. The going portion 31 is wound around the multiple pressure pulleys 40a and a pair of end pulleys 40c from the upper side V1.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the pressure pulley 40a supports the portion of the forward section 31 that is not in contact with the conveying roller 10. The gap formed between a pair of conveying rollers 10 adjacent to each other in the conveying direction T is the inter-roller gap 13, and as shown in Fig. 2, the pressure pulley 40a is arranged so as to have a portion that overlaps with the inter-roller gap 13 when viewed in the vertical direction. Here, the pressure pulley 40a is arranged at a pitch that is twice the arrangement pitch of the conveying rollers 10 in the conveying direction T. Therefore, the inter-roller gaps 13 where the pressure pulley 40a is arranged to overlap when viewed in the vertical direction and the inter-roller gaps 13 where the pressure pulley 40a is not arranged to overlap when viewed in the vertical direction are arranged alternately along the conveying direction T.

As shown in FIG. 1, the multiple pulleys 40 of the drive mechanism 3 further include a lower guide pulley 40b that supports the drive belt 30 (specifically, the return portion 32) from the lower side V2, a drive pulley 40d that is driven by a drive source 4 (e.g., an electric motor), a tension pulley 40e whose position can be adjusted, and a pair of reverse guide pulleys 40f that reverse the moving direction of the drive belt 30. The return portion 32 is wound around the lower guide pulley 40b, the drive pulley 40d, the tension pulley 40e, and the pair of reverse guide pulleys 40f. Near the drive pulley 40d in the return portion 32, the return portion 32 is wound around one of the pair of reverse guide pulleys 40f, the drive pulley 40d, the tension pulley 40e, and the other of the pair of reverse guide pulleys 40f in that order.

The pulleys 40, excluding the drive pulley 40d, among the multiple pulleys 40 provided in the drive mechanism 3, are supported by the frame 20 in a rotatable state (specifically, in a rotatable state around an axis parallel to the rotation axis A). The drive pulley 40d is supported by the frame 20 in a rotatable state by the driving force of the drive source 4 (specifically, in a rotatable state around an axis parallel to the rotation axis A). Therefore, by rotating the drive pulley 40d by the driving force of the drive source 4, the drive belt 30 can be circulated while being guided by the multiple pulleys 40, and the multiple conveyor rollers 10 in contact with the drive belt 30 can be driven to rotate.

5 and 6, the first flange portion 43a is formed on both ends of the outer peripheral surface of the pressure pulley 40a in the width direction W, protruding outward in the radial direction (the radial direction based on the rotation axis of the pressure pulley 40a). The drive belt 30 (specifically, the forward portion 31) is wound around the portion between the pair of first flange portions 43a on the outer peripheral surface of the pressure pulley 40a. In this embodiment, the pressure pulley 40a is supported in a cantilever state by the frame 20. Specifically, the end of the first pulley shaft 41a on the first width direction side W1 is inserted into a through hole formed in the frame 20, and the first pulley shaft 41a is fixed to the frame 20 with the nut 42a screwed onto the end. The pressure pulley 40a is supported by the first pulley shaft 41a in a freely rotatable state on the second widthwise side W2 relative to the portion of the frame 20 where the first pulley shaft 41a is fixed.

As shown in FIG. 6, the lower guide pulley 40b has a second flange portion 43b formed at both ends in the width direction W on the outer circumferential surface of the lower guide pulley 40b, which protrudes outward in the radial direction (the radial direction based on the rotation axis of the lower guide pulley 40b). The drive belt 30 (specifically, the return portion 32) is wound around the portion between the pair of second flange portions 43b on the outer circumferential surface of the lower guide pulley 40b. In this embodiment, the lower guide pulley 40b is supported in a cantilevered state on the frame 20. Specifically, the end of the second pulley shaft 41b on the first width direction side W1 is inserted into a through hole formed in the frame 20, and the second pulley shaft 41b is fixed to the frame 20 with a nut 42b screwed onto the end. The lower guide pulley 40b is supported by the second pulley shaft 41b in a rotatable state on the second width direction side W2 relative to the portion of the frame 20 to which the second pulley shaft 41b is fixed.

However, meandering of the drive belt 30, such as shaking or deviation of the drive belt 30 in the width direction W, may occur, and large meandering of the drive belt 30 may hinder smooth driving of the transport rollers 10 and smooth transport of the article 2. In this conveyor 1, as described below, a first regulating device 5 (and in this embodiment, a second regulating device 6) is provided on the conveyor 1, which makes it difficult for large meandering of the drive belt 30 to occur.

As shown in FIG. 1, the conveyor 1 is provided with a first regulating device 5 that regulates the movement of the drive belt 30 in the width direction W. The first regulating device 5 is provided to regulate the movement of the outgoing portion 31 in the width direction W. In this embodiment, the conveyor 1 further includes a second regulating device 6 that regulates the movement of the drive belt 30 in the width direction W. The second regulating device 6 is provided to regulate the movement of the returning portion 32 in the width direction W. In this manner, the first regulating device 5 is used in the conveyor 1, and in this embodiment, the second regulating device 6 is also used in the conveyor 1. In this embodiment, the first regulating device 5 corresponds to the "regulating device".

2, 3, and 5, the first regulating device 5 includes a first support 50 attached to the frame 20 and a pair of guide rollers 70. As shown in FIG. 2, the first support 50 includes a first gap corresponding portion 53 that overlaps with the roller gap 13 in a vertical view. Here, the first gap corresponding portion 53 is formed in a plate shape in which the vertical direction V is the thickness direction (direction perpendicular to the plate surface). The first regulating device 5 is disposed at a position different from the pressure pulley 40a in the conveying direction T (see FIGS. 2 and 3). Therefore, the first gap corresponding portion 53 is arranged to overlap with the roller gap 13 that is not disposed to overlap with the pressure pulley 40a in a vertical view among the multiple roller gaps 13. In this embodiment, the first support 50 corresponds to the "support", the first gap corresponding portion 53 corresponds to the "gap corresponding portion", and the guide roller 70 corresponds to the "regulating member".

The first gap corresponding portion 53 is arranged so as not to protrude above the upper side V1 with respect to the conveying surface of the conveyor 1 (specifically, a plane including the upper ends of each of the multiple conveying rollers 10). In this embodiment, the first gap corresponding portion 53 is arranged so as to cover the drive belt 30 (specifically, the forward portion 31) from the upper side V1 in the roller gap 13. Here, as shown in FIG. 3, the first gap corresponding portion 53 is arranged below the narrowest part (width in the conveying direction T) in the roller gap 13. Note that the roller gap 13 is widest at the height (position in the vertical direction V) where the upper end of the conveying roller 10 is located and at the height where the lower end of the conveying roller 10 is located, and is narrowest at the height where the rotation axis A of the conveying roller 10 is located.

As described above, in this embodiment, the first gap corresponding portion 53 is arranged to cover the drive belt 30 (specifically, the going portion 31) from the upper side V1 in the roller gap 13. Therefore, at the location where the first regulating device 5 is attached, the presence of the first gap corresponding portion 53 makes it difficult for parts of the worker's body or other objects to approach the contact portion between the conveying roller 10 and the drive belt 30, thereby improving safety. For example, by attaching the first regulating device 5 to the work location of the worker, such as the location where the worker loads the item 2 on the conveyor 1 or the location where the worker unloads the item 2 from the conveyor 1, the safety of the worker working at the work location can be improved. In this case, it is preferable to set the dimension of the first gap corresponding portion 53 in the conveying direction T so that the gaps formed on both sides of the first gap corresponding portion 53 in the conveying direction T are large enough to prevent the worker's fingers from entering the contact portion between the conveying roller 10 and the drive belt 30.

The pair of guide rollers 70 are supported by the first gap corresponding portion 53. Specifically, the pair of guide rollers 70 are supported by the first gap corresponding portion 53 in a state in which they can rotate freely relative to the first gap corresponding portion 53. As shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 5, the pair of guide rollers 70 are arranged on both sides of the width direction W with respect to the drive belt 30 (specifically, the going portion 31) in the region of the up-down direction V in which the drive belt 30 (specifically, the going portion 31) is arranged. Specifically, the pair of guide rollers 70 are arranged on both sides of the width direction W with respect to a portion of the going portion 31 that does not contact either the conveyor roller 10 or the pressure pulley 40a.

As described above, the first support 50 has a first gap corresponding portion 53 that supports a pair of guide rollers 70 (specifically, supports the pair of guide rollers 70 rotatably). Then, when the first support 50 is attached to the frame 20, the roller gap 13 and the first gap corresponding portion 53 overlap in the vertical direction, and in the region of the vertical direction V where the drive belt 30 (specifically, the going portion 31) is arranged, the pair of guide rollers 70 are arranged separately on both sides of the width direction W with respect to the drive belt 30 (specifically, the going portion 31). By arranging the pair of guide rollers 70 in this manner, the movement of the drive belt 30 (specifically, the going portion 31) in the width direction W is restricted from both sides of the width direction W by the pair of guide rollers 70, making it possible to make the drive belt 30 less likely to meander significantly. Note that when the drive belt 30 moves in the width direction W and comes into contact with the guide roller 70, the guide roller 70 rotates due to the frictional force between the drive belt 30 and the guide roller 70. This makes it possible to limit the range of movement of the drive belt 30 in the width direction W to a range that corresponds to the distance between the pair of guide rollers 70 while preventing damage to the drive belt 30 and guide rollers 70.

The dimensions of the guide roller 70 in the vertical direction V and its position in the vertical direction V are set so that the drive belt 30 is disposed in the region in the vertical direction V where the guide roller 70 is disposed, even if the drive belt 30 moves in the vertical direction V due to vibration or the like. In the example shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 5, the upper end of the guide roller 70 is disposed on the upper side V1 of the lower end of the conveying roller 10. Also, in the example shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 5, the lower end of the guide roller 70 is disposed on the lower side V2 of the upper end of the pressure pulley 40a (specifically, the upper end of the portion between the pair of first flange portions 43a), and here, is disposed on the lower side V2 of the lower end of the conveying roller 10.

Any support structure can be used as the support structure for the pair of guide rollers 70 by the first gap corresponding portion 53, but the support structure for the pair of guide rollers 70 by the first gap corresponding portion 53 in this embodiment will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 5, in this embodiment, the first regulating device 5 has a pair of support shafts 80 aligned along the vertical direction V, and the pair of support shafts 80 are supported by the first gap corresponding portion 53 so as to be aligned in the width direction W. Here, the support shaft 80 is a bolt having a shaft portion and a head, and the support shaft 80 is supported by the first gap corresponding portion 53 in a state in which it is inserted into a through hole formed in the first gap corresponding portion 53. Specifically, the first support shaft 80a, which is one of the pair of support shafts 80 (specifically, the one arranged on the first width direction side W1), has the head arranged on the lower side V2, and the tip portion of the shaft portion (the end opposite to the side where the head is arranged) is inserted into the through hole, and the first support shaft 80a is fixed to the first gap corresponding portion 53 in a state in which the nut 81a is screwed onto the tip portion. The other of the pair of support shafts 80, the second support shaft 80b (specifically, the one located on the second widthwise side W2), has its head oriented so as to be located on the lower side V2, with the tip of the shaft inserted through the through hole, and with the nut 81b screwed onto the tip, the second support shaft 80b is fixed to the first gap corresponding portion 53.

The first guide roller 70a, which is one of the pair of guide rollers 70, is supported on the first support shaft 80a in a state in which it can rotate freely with respect to the first support shaft 80a, and the second guide roller 70b, which is the other of the pair of guide rollers 70, is supported on the second support shaft 80b in a state in which it can rotate freely with respect to the second support shaft 80b. That is, the first guide roller 70a and the second guide roller 70b are supported on the first gap corresponding portion 53 in a state in which they can rotate freely with respect to the first gap corresponding portion 53. The first support shaft 80a is arranged to penetrate the first guide roller 70a in the vertical direction V. The first guide roller 70a is arranged between the head of the first support shaft 80a and the first gap corresponding portion 53 in the vertical direction V in a state in which movement in the vertical direction V is restricted. The second support shaft 80b is arranged to penetrate the second guide roller 70b in the vertical direction V. The second guide roller 70b is disposed between the head of the second support shaft 80b and the first gap corresponding portion 53 in the vertical direction V in a state in which movement in the vertical direction V is restricted. In this embodiment, the first guide roller 70a corresponds to the "first restricting member" and the second guide roller 70b corresponds to the "second restricting member."

In this embodiment, the guide roller 70 is configured using one or more bearings (here, ball bearings) whose inner rings are fixed to the support shaft 80, and the outer rings of the bearings are supported on the support shaft 80 in a freely rotatable state. The outer circumferential surface of the guide roller 70 is formed by the outer circumferential surfaces of the bearings that constitute the guide roller 70 (specifically, the outer circumferential surfaces of the outer rings). Here, the first guide roller 70a is configured using a plurality (four in this example) of first bearings 71a of the same diameter arranged in a stacked manner in the vertical direction V, and the outer circumferential surface of the first guide roller 70a is formed by the collection of the respective outer circumferential surfaces (specifically, the outer circumferential surfaces of the outer rings) of the respective first bearings 71a. The second guide roller 70b is configured using a plurality (four in this example) of second bearings 71b of the same diameter arranged in a stacked manner in the vertical direction V, and the outer circumferential surface of the second guide roller 70b is formed by the collection of the respective outer circumferential surfaces (specifically, the outer circumferential surfaces of the outer rings) of the respective second bearings 71b.

In this embodiment, the pair of support shafts 80 are arranged along the vertical direction V, so that the spacing between the pair of support shafts 80 in the width direction W is uniform along the vertical direction V. In this embodiment, the diameter of the first guide roller 70a is uniform along the vertical direction V, and the diameter of the second guide roller 70b is uniform along the vertical direction V. In this embodiment, the spacing between the pair of support shafts 80 in the width direction W is set according to the dimension of the drive belt 30 in the width direction W, the diameter of the first guide roller 70a, and the diameter of the second guide roller 70b. In other words, as shown in FIG. 5, the distance between the pair of support shafts 80 in the width direction W is the first length L1, the dimension of the drive belt 30 in the width direction W is the second length L2, the diameter of the first guide roller 70a is the first roller diameter D1, and the diameter of the second guide roller 70b is the second roller diameter D2, and the first length L1 is set according to the second length L2, the first roller diameter D1, and the second roller diameter D2. In this embodiment, the first roller diameter D1 and the second roller diameter D2 are equal to each other.

The narrowest gap between the outer peripheral surface of the first guide roller 70a and the outer peripheral surface of the second guide roller 70b (in other words, the gap at the portion where these two outer peripheral surfaces are closest to each other) is determined according to the first length L1, the first roller diameter D1, and the second roller diameter D2. As shown in FIG. 5, this gap is the third length L3. The total of the movable amount of the drive belt 30 toward the first side W1 in the width direction and the movable amount of the drive belt 30 toward the second side W2 in the width direction is determined according to the value obtained by subtracting the second length L2 from the third length L3. Therefore, as an example, the first length L1 can be set so that the third length L3 is the value obtained by adding the movable amount of the drive belt 30 in the width direction W (the total of the movable amount on both sides in the width direction W) to the second length L2.

As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the third length L3 is set to be shorter than the fourth length L4, which is the dimension in the width direction W of the portion between the pair of first flange portions 43a of the pressure pulley 40a. Therefore, even if the drive belt 30 meanders, it is possible to suppress the contact of the drive belt 30 with the first flange portion 43a and prevent the drive belt 30 from strongly contacting the first flange portion 43a. In this embodiment, the fourth length L4 is equal to the fifth dimension L5, which is the dimension in the width direction W of the portion between the pair of second flange portions 43b of the lower guide pulley 40b.

Although details are omitted, it is also possible to configure the center position in the width direction W between the pair of support shafts 80 to be changeable, or to configure the spacing in the width direction W of the pair of support shafts 80 to be changeable. In this case, it becomes possible to apply a common first regulating device 5 to multiple types of conveyors 1 in which the arrangement position in the width direction W of the drive belt 30 or the dimensions in the width direction W of the drive belt 30 are different. For example, the above-mentioned configuration can be realized by forming multiple through holes in the first gap corresponding portion 53 so that the combination of two through holes through which the pair of support shafts 80 are inserted can be changed.

Any mounting structure can be used to mount the first regulating device 5 to the frame 20, but the mounting structure of the first regulating device 5 to the frame 20 in this embodiment will be described below.

5, the frame 20 has an upper surface 21 facing the upper side V1, and an opposing surface 22 that faces the end surface 11 facing the outside in the width direction W of the conveying roller 10 and is a surface along the up-down direction V. Here, "outside in the width direction W" means the side away from the center position in the width direction W of the conveyor 1. In this embodiment, the first regulating device 5 is attached to a portion of the frame 20 that is located on the first width direction side W1 with respect to the above-mentioned center position. Therefore, at the attachment location of the first regulating device 5 on the frame 20, the first width direction side W1 is the outside in the width direction W, and the second width direction side W2 is the inside in the width direction W (the side toward the above-mentioned center position). Therefore, the opposing surface 22 is a surface facing the second width direction side W2 that faces the end surface 11 on the first width direction side W1 of the conveying roller 10. The opposing surface 22 is formed so as to extend from the upper surface 21 (specifically, the end of the upper surface 21 on the second width direction side W2) to the lower side V2. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the frame 20 further includes a lower surface 23 facing the lower side V2. The lower surface 23 is disposed on the lower side V2 than the upper surface 21, and the opposing surface 22 is formed so as to connect the upper surface 21 and the lower surface 23 (specifically, the end of the upper surface 21 on the second width direction side W2 and the end of the lower surface 23 on the second width direction side W2).

The frame 20 has a side plate portion formed in a plate shape with the width direction W being the thickness direction, and the surface of the side plate portion facing the second width direction side W2 constitutes the opposing surface 22. The side plate portion has the above-mentioned through hole through which the roller shaft 12 is inserted, the above-mentioned through hole through which the first pulley shaft 41a is inserted, and the above-mentioned through hole through which the second pulley shaft 41b is inserted. The frame 20 also has an upper plate portion formed in a plate shape with the vertical direction V being the thickness direction, and the surface of the upper plate portion facing the upper side V1 constitutes the upper surface 21. The upper plate portion is formed so as to extend from the upper end of the side wall portion to the first width direction side W1. The frame 20 also has a lower plate portion formed in a plate shape with the vertical direction V being the thickness direction, and the surface of the lower plate portion facing the lower side V2 constitutes the lower surface 23. The lower plate portion is formed so as to extend from the lower end of the side wall portion to the first width direction side W1.

The first support 50 includes a first abutment portion 51 formed in a plate shape and abutting the upper surface 21, and a second abutment portion 52 formed in a plate shape and abutting the opposing surface 22. The first gap corresponding portion 53 is formed so as to extend from the second abutment portion 52 (specifically, the lower end portion of the second abutment portion 52) along the width direction W. The first abutment portion 51 is formed in a plate shape in which the vertical direction V is the thickness direction. As described above, the first gap corresponding portion 53 is also formed in a plate shape in which the vertical direction V is the thickness direction. On the other hand, the second abutment portion 52 is formed in a plate shape in which the width direction W is the thickness direction. Since the opposing surface 22 is a surface facing the second width direction side W2, the second abutment portion 52 abuts against the opposing surface 22 from the second width direction side W2. The first contact portion 51 is formed to extend from the upper end of the second contact portion 52 to the first widthwise side W1, and the first gap corresponding portion 53 is formed to extend from the lower end of the second contact portion 52 to the second widthwise side W2.

As shown in FIG. 5, the first support 50 has a first fixing portion 54 fixed to the frame 20. In this embodiment, the first fixing portion 54 is disposed on the upper side V1 of the first gap corresponding portion 53. Here, the first fixing portion 54 is disposed on the upper side V1 of the narrowest portion of the inter-roller gap 13 (in other words, on the upper side V1 of the rotation axis A of the conveying roller 10). Note that the first fixing portion 54 may also be configured to be disposed on the upper side V1 of the entire inter-roller gap 13 (in other words, on the upper side V1 of the upper end of the conveying roller 10). In this embodiment, the first fixing portion 54 corresponds to the "fixing portion".

5, the first fixing portion 54 is fixed to the frame 20 using a first fastening member 55. Specifically, the first fastening member 55 includes a first bolt 56 and a first nut 57 screwed onto the first bolt 56. The first fixing portion 54 is fixed to the frame 20 with the first nut 57 screwed onto the first bolt 56 inserted into a through hole formed in each of the first fixing portion 54 and the frame 20. The first nut 57 may be fixed to the frame 20 by welding or the like. Also, for example, the first fastening member 55 may not include the first nut 57, and the through hole in the frame 20 through which the first bolt 56 is inserted may be a fastening hole having a female thread screwed onto the first bolt 56. In this embodiment, the first fastening member 55 corresponds to the "fastening member".

As described above, in this embodiment, the first support 50 includes a first abutment portion 51 and a second abutment portion 52. At least one of the first abutment portion 51 and the second abutment portion 52 is the first fixed portion 54. Here, as shown in FIG. 5, the first abutment portion 51 is the first fixed portion 54. Specifically, the first abutment portion 51 is fixed to the frame 20 (specifically, the upper plate portion) as the first fixed portion 54 with the first nut 57 screwed onto the first bolt 56 inserted into the through holes formed in the first abutment portion 51 and the upper plate portion (the portion where the upper surface 21 is formed) of the frame 20. Here, the first bolt 56 is inserted into the through hole in an orientation in which the head is disposed on the upper side V1.

In this manner, in this embodiment, the first fixing portion 54 is fixed to the frame 20 using the first fastening member 55, and therefore the first regulating device 5 is detachably attached to the frame 20. Therefore, for example, by forming through holes through which the first bolts 56 can be inserted at multiple locations in the conveying direction T on the frame 20 (in this embodiment, the upper plate portion on which the upper surface 21 is formed), it is possible to change the mounting position of the first regulating device 5 or the number of first regulating devices 5 mounted depending on the occurrence state of meandering of the drive belt 30.

The first gap corresponding portion 53 of the first regulating device 5 shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 3 is arranged so as to overlap with the roller gap 13 arranged in the middle of the multiple roller gaps 13 in the conveying direction T in a vertical view, but as shown in FIG. 7, the first gap corresponding portion 53 of the first regulating device 5 may be arranged so as to overlap with the roller gap 13 arranged at the end of the conveying direction T in a vertical view. In other words, the first regulating device 5 can be configured to include at least the target regulating device 7 whose first gap corresponding portion 53 overlaps with the target roller gap 14 in a vertical view, with the multiple roller gaps 13 formed by the multiple conveying rollers 10 that contact one driving belt 30 and that are arranged at the end of the conveying direction T being the target roller gap 14. In this embodiment, a non-driven roller 15 that rotates freely without contacting the driving belt 30 is arranged at the end of the conveying direction T. Since the non-driven roller 15 does not contact the driving belt 30, the gap formed between the conveying roller 10 and the non-driven roller 15 is not included in the roller gap 13 here.

The target regulating device 7 can be attached to both ends in the conveying direction T, so the first regulating device 5 can be configured to include one or two target regulating devices 7. When the first regulating device 5 includes a target regulating device 7 in this manner, the first regulating device 5 can also be configured to include only one or two target regulating devices 7.

As described above, in this embodiment, the conveyor 1 includes a first regulating device 5 that regulates movement of the outgoing section 31 in the width direction W, and a second regulating device 6 that regulates movement of the returning section 32 in the width direction W. As is clear from a comparison of the second regulating device 6 shown in Figures 4 and 6 with the first regulating device 5 shown in Figures 3 and 5, the overall structure of the second regulating device 6 (specifically, the structure excluding dimensions) corresponds to the first regulating device 5 inverted in the up-down direction V. That is, the second regulating device 6 includes a second support 60 corresponding to the first support 50, a third contact portion 61 corresponding to the first contact portion 51, a fourth contact portion 62 corresponding to the second contact portion 52, a second gap corresponding portion 63 corresponding to the first gap corresponding portion 53, a second fixed portion 64 corresponding to the first fixed portion 54, a third guide roller 70c corresponding to the first guide roller 70a, a fourth guide roller 70d corresponding to the second guide roller 70b, a third bearing 71c corresponding to the first bearing 71a, a fourth bearing 71d corresponding to the second bearing 71b, a third support shaft 80c corresponding to the first support shaft 80a, a fourth support shaft 80d corresponding to the second support shaft 80b, a nut 81c corresponding to the nut 81a, and a nut 81d corresponding to the nut 81b.

The following describes the configuration of the second regulating device 6, focusing on the differences from the first regulating device 5. The second regulating device 6 is disposed at a different position in the conveying direction T from the lower guide pulley 40b. As shown in Figs. 4 and 6, in this embodiment, the second gap corresponding portion 63 is disposed on the lower side V2 relative to the drive belt 30 (specifically, the return portion 32), but the second gap corresponding portion 63 may be disposed on the upper side V1 relative to the drive belt 30 (specifically, the return portion 32). In the example shown in Fig. 4, the second gap corresponding portion 63 is disposed so as to overlap with the roller gap 13 in a vertical view, but the second gap corresponding portion 63 may be disposed so as not to overlap with the roller gap 13 in a vertical view.

As shown in Figures 4 and 6, the third guide roller 70c and the fourth guide roller 70d are arranged on both sides of the width direction W with respect to the drive belt 30 (specifically, the return section 32) in the region of the up-down direction V where the drive belt 30 (specifically, the return section 32) is arranged. Specifically, the third guide roller 70c and the fourth guide roller 70d are arranged on both sides of the width direction W with respect to a portion of the return section 32 that does not contact any of the pulleys 40, including the lower guide pulley 40b.

The third support shaft 80c is fixed to the second gap corresponding part 63 with a nut 81c screwed to the tip of the shaft of the third support shaft 80c, and the fourth support shaft 80d is fixed to the second gap corresponding part 63 with a nut 81d screwed to the tip of the shaft of the fourth support shaft 80d. The third guide roller 70c is supported on the third support shaft 80c in a state in which it can rotate freely with respect to the third support shaft 80c, and the fourth guide roller 70d is supported on the fourth support shaft 80d in a state in which it can rotate freely with respect to the fourth support shaft 80d. In this embodiment, the third guide roller 70c is configured using a plurality (five in this example) of third bearings 71c of the same diameter arranged in a stacked manner in the vertical direction V, and the fourth guide roller 70d is configured using a plurality (five in this example) of fourth bearings 71d of the same diameter arranged in a stacked manner in the vertical direction V.

The second support 60 has a third contact portion 61 formed in a plate shape and contacting the lower surface 23, and a fourth contact portion 62 formed in a plate shape and contacting the opposing surface 22. The third contact portion 61 is formed to extend from the lower end of the fourth contact portion 62 to the first side W1 in the width direction, and the second gap corresponding portion 63 is formed to extend from the upper end of the fourth contact portion 62 to the second side W2 in the width direction.

The second support 60 includes a second fixing portion 64 that is fixed to the frame 20. In this embodiment, the second fixing portion 64 is disposed on the lower side V2 of the second gap corresponding portion 63. As shown in FIG. 6, the second fixing portion 64 is fixed to the frame 20 using a second fastening member 65. Specifically, the second fastening member 65 corresponding to the first fastening member 55 includes a second bolt 66 corresponding to the first bolt 56 and a second nut 67 corresponding to the first nut 57. The second fixing portion 64 is fixed to the frame 20 with the second nut 67 screwed onto the second bolt 66 inserted into the through holes formed in the second fixing portion 64 and the frame 20. In this embodiment, at least one of the third abutment portion 61 and the fourth abutment portion 62 is the second fixing portion 64. Here, as shown in FIG. 6, the third abutment portion 61 is the second fixing portion 64.

Other embodiments
Next, other embodiments of the conveyor and regulating device will be described.

(1) In the above embodiment, the first abutment portion 51 of the first abutment portion 51 and the second abutment portion 52 is described as the first fixed portion 54. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration, and the second abutment portion 52 of the first abutment portion 51 and the second abutment portion 52 may be the first fixed portion 54, or both the first abutment portion 51 and the second abutment portion 52 may be the first fixed portion 54. In the latter case, the first support 50 is fixed to two locations on the frame 20 (specifically, the upper plate portion on which the upper surface 21 is formed and the side plate portion on which the opposing surface 22 is formed). In addition, a portion of the first support 50 that is different from both the first abutment portion 51 and the second abutment portion 52 may be the first fixed portion 54. For example, the first support 50 can be configured to have an abutment portion that abuts against a surface of the frame 20 facing outward in the width direction W (first width direction side W1), and the abutment portion can be configured as the first fixing portion 54.

(2) In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the first fixing portion 54 is disposed on the upper side V1 of the first gap corresponding portion 53 has been described as an example. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration, and the first fixing portion 54 may be disposed at the same height as the first gap corresponding portion 53, or may be disposed on the lower side V2 of the first gap corresponding portion 53.

(3) In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the spacing between the pair of support shafts 80 in the width direction W is uniform along the vertical direction V. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration, and the spacing between the pair of support shafts 80 in the width direction W can also be configured to change depending on the position in the vertical direction V. For example, the spacing between the pair of support shafts 80 in the width direction W can be configured to become narrower toward the lower side V2. In this way, when the spacing between the pair of support shafts 80 in the width direction W changes depending on the position in the vertical direction V, unlike the above embodiment, at least one of the pair of support shafts 80 is not arranged along the vertical direction V, but is arranged to be inclined with respect to the vertical direction V.

(4) In the above embodiment, a configuration has been described in which the first gap corresponding portion 53 is arranged to cover the drive belt 30 (specifically, the going portion 31) from the upper side V1 in the roller gap 13. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration, and the first gap corresponding portion 53 may also be arranged to cover the drive belt 30 (specifically, the going portion 31) from the lower side V2.

(5) In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the pair of regulating members are a pair of guide rollers 70 (specifically, a configuration in which the first regulating member, which is one of the pair of regulating members, is the first guide roller 70a, and the second regulating member, which is the other of the pair of regulating members, is the second guide roller 70b) has been described as an example. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration, and a member other than the guide roller 70 can be used as the regulating member. For example, a configuration in which each of the pair of regulating members is a rod-shaped member or a plate-shaped member supported by the first gap corresponding portion 53 in a state in which it cannot rotate with respect to the first gap corresponding portion 53 can be used. In this way, a configuration in which the first regulating device 5 includes a pair of members supported by the first gap corresponding portion 53 in a state in which it cannot rotate with respect to the first gap corresponding portion 53, instead of the first guide roller 70a and the second guide roller 70b, can be used. Similarly, the second regulating device 6 can be configured to include a pair of members supported by the second gap corresponding portion 63 in a state that is unable to rotate relative to the second gap corresponding portion 63, instead of the third guide roller 70c and the fourth guide roller 70d.

(6) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the conveyor 1 is configured to include the second regulating device 6 in addition to the first regulating device 5. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration, and the conveyor 1 may be configured to include only the first regulating device 5 out of the first regulating device 5 and the second regulating device 6.

(7) Note that the configurations disclosed in each of the above-described embodiments can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments (including combinations of the embodiments described as other embodiments) as long as no contradictions arise. With regard to other configurations, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples in all respects. Therefore, various modifications can be made as appropriate within the scope of the spirit of this disclosure.

[Summary of the above embodiment]
The above-described conveyor and regulating device will now be outlined.

A conveyor for transporting articles along the transport direction, the conveyor comprising a plurality of transport rollers arranged with gaps therebetween, a frame supporting the plurality of transport rollers, and a drive mechanism for driving the plurality of transport rollers to rotate, the conveyor comprising: a drive belt that contacts the plurality of transport rollers from below, a plurality of pulleys around which the drive belt is wound, and a drive source that drives at least one of the plurality of pulleys; and a drive mechanism that drives the plurality of pulleys to rotate the plurality of transport rollers in the vertical direction. The frame further includes a regulating device that regulates the movement of the drive belt in the width direction, with the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction as viewed in the vertical direction along the conveying direction being the width direction. The regulating device includes a support body attached to the frame and a pair of regulating members. The support body includes a gap corresponding portion that overlaps, as viewed in the vertical direction, with the inter-roller gap formed between a pair of the conveying rollers adjacent in the conveying direction. The pair of regulating members are supported by the gap corresponding portion and are arranged separately on both sides of the drive belt in the width direction in the vertical region in which the drive belt is arranged.

According to this configuration, the pair of regulating members provided in the regulating device are arranged on both sides of the width of the drive belt in the vertical region in which the drive belt is arranged, so that the movement of the drive belt in the width direction can be regulated from both sides of the width direction by the pair of regulating members. Therefore, even if the drive belt meanders, the range of movement of the drive belt in the width direction can be limited to a range according to the distance between the pair of regulating members, making it difficult for the drive belt to meander significantly.

As described above, this configuration makes it difficult for the drive belt to meander significantly, but the regulating device with a pair of regulating members must be attached so as to be in contact with the drive belt and avoid interference with the conveying rollers that rotate with the circulating movement of the drive belt. In this regard, according to this configuration, the regulating device has a support attached to a frame, and the pair of regulating members are supported on a gap corresponding portion that is a portion of the support that overlaps with the gap between the rollers in a vertical view. In this way, the support is attached to the frame so as to have a portion (gap corresponding portion) that is arranged in a space that overlaps with the gap between the rollers in a vertical view, and the pair of regulating members are supported on this portion, making it easier to realize a conveyor in which the regulating device is attached so that the pair of regulating members are arranged separately on both sides of the width of the drive belt in the vertical area where the drive belt is arranged while avoiding interference with the conveying rollers.

Here, it is preferable that the gap corresponding portion is arranged so as to cover the drive belt from above in the gap between the rollers.

According to this configuration, the presence of the gap corresponding portion at the location where the regulating device is attached makes it difficult for parts of the worker's body or other objects to approach the contact point between the conveying roller and the drive belt. This improves safety. Furthermore, according to this configuration, even when the conveying roller is assembled to the frame, the gap corresponding portion supporting the pair of regulating members can be brought close to the gap between the rollers from above, and the regulating device can be attached so that the pair of regulating members are arranged separately on both sides of the width direction of the drive belt in the vertical area where the drive belt is arranged. This makes it easy to realize a conveyor in which the regulating device can be easily assembled.

It is also preferable that the first regulating member, which is one of the pair of regulating members, is a first guide roller supported on the gap corresponding portion in a state in which it can rotate freely relative to the gap corresponding portion, and the second regulating member, which is the other of the pair of regulating members, is a second guide roller supported on the gap corresponding portion in a state in which it can rotate freely relative to the gap corresponding portion.

According to this configuration, since the first restricting member is the first guide roller, when the drive belt moves to one side in the width direction so as to come into contact with the first restricting member, the frictional force between the drive belt and the first guide roller is rotated while restricting the movement of the drive belt to one side in the width direction. Also, since the second restricting member is the second guide roller, when the drive belt moves to the other side in the width direction so as to come into contact with the second restricting member, the frictional force between the drive belt and the second guide roller is rotated while restricting the movement of the drive belt to the other side in the width direction. Therefore, the movable range of the drive belt in the width direction can be limited to a range according to the distance between the first restricting member and the second restricting member while suppressing damage to the drive belt.

As described above, in a configuration in which the first regulating member is the first guide roller and the second regulating member is the second guide roller, the regulating device has a pair of support shafts aligned along the vertical direction, the pair of support shafts are supported by the gap corresponding portion so as to be aligned in the width direction, the first guide roller is supported on the first support shaft, which is one of the pair of support shafts, in a state in which it can rotate freely relative to the first support shaft, and the second guide roller is supported on the second support shaft, which is the other of the pair of support shafts, in a state in which it can rotate freely relative to the second support shaft, and the widthwise spacing between the pair of support shafts is preferably set according to the widthwise dimension of the drive belt, the diameter of the first guide roller, and the diameter of the second guide roller.

With this configuration, the first guide roller and the second guide roller are each supported in a rotatable state on a support shaft along the vertical direction, so that the movable range of the drive belt in the width direction can be restricted to the same extent throughout the entire axial arrangement area of the first guide roller and the second guide roller. Therefore, even if the drive belt moves or vibrates in the vertical direction due to contact with the first guide roller or the second guide roller, it is possible to maintain a state in which the drive belt is unlikely to meander significantly.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the support body has a fixing portion that is disposed above the gap corresponding portion and fixed to the frame, and that the fixing portion is fixed to the frame using a fastening member.

With this configuration, the fixing portion of the support that is fixed to the frame is positioned above the gap corresponding portion, making it easy to realize a conveyor to which the regulating device can be attached with the conveying rollers assembled to the frame. In other words, it is easy to realize a conveyor in which the regulating device can be easily assembled, and this configuration is also easy to apply to existing conveyors.

In the above-described configuration in which the support includes the fixed portion, the frame includes an upper surface facing upward and an opposing surface that faces the end surface of the conveying roller facing outward in the width direction and is a surface along the up-down direction, the support includes a first abutment portion formed in a plate shape and abutting the upper surface, and a second abutment portion formed in a plate shape and abutting the opposing surface, the gap corresponding portion is formed to extend from the second abutment portion along the width direction, and at least one of the first abutment portion and the second abutment portion is preferably the fixed portion.

According to this configuration, the regulating device can be positioned in the vertical and width directions relative to the frame by abutting the first contact portion against the upper surface of the frame and the second contact portion against the opposing surface of the frame. This makes it easy to attach the regulating device to the frame so that the gap corresponding portion and the pair of regulating members supported by it are positioned appropriately in the vertical and width directions relative to the drive belt, making it easy to realize a conveyor in which the regulating device is easy to assemble.

In each of the above-described conveyor configurations, it is preferable that the gap between the rollers formed by the conveying rollers in contact with one of the drive belts is the gap located at the end of the conveying direction, and that the regulating device at least includes a target regulating device whose gap corresponding portion overlaps with the target gap between the rollers when viewed in the vertical direction.

The widthwise position of the intermediate portion of the drive belt in the conveying direction is roughly determined according to the widthwise positions of both ends of the drive belt in the conveying direction (specifically, the portions wrapped around the end pulleys). Therefore, if the ends of the drive belt in the conveying direction are displaced in the widthwise direction from the appropriate position, the drive belt is more likely to meander. Since the target roller gap is the gap between the rollers located at the ends in the conveying direction, this configuration allows the target regulating device to limit the widthwise movable range of the portion of the drive belt near the ends in the conveying direction to a range corresponding to the distance between the pair of regulating members. Therefore, the regulating device can be installed in an effective position from the viewpoint of making it difficult for the drive belt to meander significantly.

A conveyor for conveying articles along the conveying direction, comprising a plurality of conveying rollers arranged with gaps therebetween, a frame supporting the plurality of conveying rollers, and a drive mechanism for driving the plurality of conveying rollers to rotate, wherein each of the plurality of conveying rollers is supported by the frame in a state in which it can rotate freely around a rotation axis perpendicular to the conveying direction, and the drive mechanism is used for a conveyor comprising a drive belt that contacts the plurality of conveying rollers from below, a plurality of pulleys around which the drive belt is wound, and a drive source that drives at least one of the plurality of pulleys. The regulating device includes a support attached to the frame and a pair of regulating members, the support includes a gap corresponding portion that supports the pair of regulating members, and the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction in a vertical view is the width direction, and when the support is attached to the frame, the gap corresponding portion overlaps with the inter-roller gap formed between a pair of the conveying rollers adjacent in the conveying direction in a vertical view, and the pair of regulating members are arranged separately on both sides of the drive belt in the width direction in the vertical region where the drive belt is arranged.

With this configuration, when the support is attached to the frame, a pair of regulating members are arranged on either side of the drive belt in the vertical area where the drive belt is arranged, so that the movement of the drive belt in the width direction can be regulated from both sides in the width direction by the pair of regulating members. Therefore, by using a regulating device of this configuration in a conveyor, even if the drive belt meanders, the range of movement of the drive belt in the width direction can be limited to a range corresponding to the distance between the pair of regulating members, making it difficult for the drive belt to meander significantly.

As described above, by using the regulating device of this configuration in a conveyor, it is possible to prevent the drive belt from meandering significantly, but the regulating device equipped with a pair of regulating members needs to be installed while avoiding interference with the conveying rollers that are arranged to contact the drive belt and rotate with the circular movement of the drive belt. In this regard, according to this configuration, when the support is attached to the frame, the gap corresponding portion that supports the pair of regulating members is arranged to overlap the gap between the rollers in a vertical view. In this way, the portion (gap corresponding portion) that supports the pair of regulating members in the support is arranged in a space that overlaps the gap between the rollers in a vertical view, so that the regulating device can be easily installed on the conveyor so that the pair of regulating members are arranged separately on both sides of the width of the drive belt in the vertical area where the drive belt is arranged, while avoiding interference with the conveying rollers.

The conveyor and regulating device according to the present disclosure may achieve at least one of the effects described above.

1: Conveyor 2: Article 3: Drive mechanism 4: Drive source 5: First regulating device (regulating device)
7: Target regulating device 10: Conveying roller 11: End surface 13: Roller gap 14: Target roller gap 20: Frame 21: Upper surface 22: Opposing surface 30: Drive belt 40: Pulley 50: First support (support)
51: First contact portion 52: Second contact portion 53: First gap corresponding portion (gap corresponding portion)
54: First fixed part (fixed part)
55: First fastening member (fastening member)
70: Guide roller (regulating member)
70a: First guide roller (first restricting member)
70b: second guide roller (second regulating member)
80: Support shaft 80a: First support shaft 80b: Second support shaft A: Rotation axis L1: First length (widthwise distance between a pair of support shafts)
L2: Second length (dimension in the width direction of the drive belt)
T: Conveying direction V: Vertical direction V1: Upper side V2: Lower side W: Width direction

Claims (7)

A conveyor comprising: a plurality of transport rollers arranged side by side with gaps in a transport direction; a frame supporting the plurality of transport rollers; and a drive mechanism for driving the plurality of transport rollers to rotate, the conveyor transporting an article along the transport direction,
Each of the plurality of conveying rollers is supported by the frame in a state in which it can rotate freely around a rotation axis perpendicular to the conveying direction,
the drive mechanism includes a drive belt that contacts the plurality of conveying rollers from below, a plurality of pulleys around which the drive belt is wound, and a drive source that drives at least one of the plurality of pulleys;
The direction perpendicular to the conveying direction when viewed in the vertical direction is defined as the width direction,
The drive belt further includes a restricting device that restricts movement of the drive belt in the width direction.
The regulating device includes a support body attached to the frame and a pair of regulating members,
the support member includes a gap corresponding portion that overlaps, as viewed in the up-down direction, with a roller gap formed between a pair of the transport rollers adjacent to each other in the transport direction,
The pair of regulating members are supported by the gap corresponding portion, and are arranged separately on both sides of the drive belt in the width direction in the vertical region in which the drive belt is arranged ,
The gap corresponding portion is arranged to cover the drive belt from above in the gap between the rollers . A conveyor comprising: a plurality of transport rollers arranged side by side with gaps in a transport direction; a frame supporting the plurality of transport rollers; and a drive mechanism for driving the plurality of transport rollers to rotate, the conveyor transporting an article along the transport direction,
Each of the plurality of conveying rollers is supported by the frame in a state in which it can rotate freely around a rotation axis perpendicular to the conveying direction,
the drive mechanism includes a drive belt that contacts the plurality of conveying rollers from below, a plurality of pulleys around which the drive belt is wound, and a drive source that drives at least one of the plurality of pulleys;
The direction perpendicular to the conveying direction when viewed in the vertical direction is defined as the width direction,
The drive belt further includes a restricting device that restricts movement of the drive belt in the width direction.
The regulating device includes a support body attached to the frame and a pair of regulating members,
the support member includes a gap corresponding portion that overlaps, as viewed in the up-down direction, with a roller gap formed between a pair of the transport rollers adjacent to each other in the transport direction,
The pair of regulating members are supported by the gap corresponding portion, and are arranged separately on both sides of the drive belt in the width direction in the vertical region in which the drive belt is arranged ,
The support body includes a fixing portion that is disposed above the gap corresponding portion and is fixed to the frame,
The fixing portion is fixed to the frame using a fastening member,
the frame includes an upper surface facing upward and an opposing surface that faces an end surface of the conveying roller facing outward in the width direction and that is a surface along the up-down direction,
The support body includes a first contact portion formed in a plate shape and contacting the upper surface, and a second contact portion formed in a plate shape and contacting the opposing surface,
The gap corresponding portion is formed to extend from the second contact portion along the width direction,
At least one of the first contact portion and the second contact portion is the fixed portion . a first regulating member which is one of the pair of regulating members is a first guide roller which is supported by the gap corresponding portion in a state in which it can rotate freely with respect to the gap corresponding portion,
3. The conveyor according to claim 1, wherein a second regulating member which is the other of the pair of regulating members is a second guide roller supported by the gap corresponding portion in a state where it can rotate freely relative to the gap corresponding portion. The regulating device includes a pair of support shafts extending along the vertical direction,
The pair of support shafts are supported by the gap corresponding portion so as to be aligned in the width direction,
The first guide roller is supported by a first support shaft, which is one of the pair of support shafts, in a state in which the first guide roller can rotate freely relative to the first support shaft,
The second guide roller is supported by a second support shaft, which is the other of the pair of support shafts, in a state in which the second guide roller can freely rotate relative to the second support shaft,
4. The conveyor according to claim 3, wherein the widthwise distance between the pair of support shafts is set according to the widthwise dimension of the drive belt, a diameter of the first guide roller, and a diameter of the second guide roller. Among the plurality of inter-roller gaps formed by the plurality of conveying rollers in contact with one of the drive belts, the one disposed at an end in the conveying direction is defined as a target inter-roller gap,
The conveyor according to claim 1 , wherein the regulating device includes at least a target regulating device whose gap corresponding portion overlaps with the target inter-roller gap when viewed in the up-down direction. a regulating device for use in a conveyor comprising a plurality of transport rollers arranged side by side with gaps in a transport direction, a frame supporting the plurality of transport rollers, and a drive mechanism for driving and rotating the plurality of transport rollers, the conveyor transporting articles along the transport direction, wherein each of the plurality of transport rollers is supported by the frame in a state in which it can freely rotate about a rotation axis perpendicular to the transport direction, the drive mechanism comprising a drive belt contacting the plurality of transport rollers from below, a plurality of pulleys around which the drive belt is wound, and a drive source for driving at least one of the plurality of pulleys,
A support body attached to the frame and a pair of regulating members are provided,
The support body includes a gap corresponding portion that supports the pair of the regulating members,
The direction perpendicular to the conveying direction when viewed in the vertical direction is defined as the width direction,
A regulating device in which, when the support is attached to the frame, the roller gap formed between a pair of conveying rollers adjacent in the conveying direction overlaps with the gap corresponding portion when viewed in the vertical direction, and in the vertical area in which the drive belt is arranged, a pair of regulating members are arranged separately on both sides of the drive belt in the width direction , and further, the gap corresponding portion is arranged so as to cover the drive belt from above in the roller gap . a regulating device for use in a conveyor comprising: a plurality of transport rollers arranged side by side with gaps in a transport direction; a frame supporting the plurality of transport rollers; and a drive mechanism for driving and rotating the plurality of transport rollers, the plurality of transport rollers being supported by the frame in a state in which they can freely rotate about a rotation axis perpendicular to the transport direction, the drive mechanism comprising: a drive belt contacting the plurality of transport rollers from below, a plurality of pulleys around which the drive belt is wound, and a drive source for driving at least one of the plurality of pulleys, the direction perpendicular to the transport direction as viewed in a vertical direction being a width direction, the frame comprising: an upper surface facing upward; and an opposing surface which faces an end surface of the transport rollers facing outward in the width direction and which is a surface along the vertical direction ,
A support body attached to the frame and a pair of regulating members are provided,
The support body includes a gap corresponding portion that supports the pair of the regulating members,
When the support is attached to the frame, a roller gap formed between a pair of the transport rollers adjacent to each other in the transport direction overlaps with the gap corresponding portion when viewed in the vertical direction, and a pair of the regulating members are arranged separately on both sides of the drive belt in the width direction in the vertical region in which the drive belt is arranged ,
The support body includes a fixing portion that is disposed above the gap corresponding portion and is fixed to the frame,
The fixing portion is fixed to the frame using a fastening member,
The support body includes a first contact portion formed in a plate shape and contacting the upper surface, and a second contact portion formed in a plate shape and contacting the opposing surface,
The gap corresponding portion is formed to extend from the second contact portion along the width direction,
At least one of the first contact portion and the second contact portion is the fixed portion .

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