JP7809352B2 - Goods supply device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an item supply device that collects a predetermined number of items being transported on a bucket conveyor and discharges them as a collection of items to a delivery position toward a packaging machine or other device located to the side in the transport direction.

Conventionally, there is known an item supply device that stores and transports items in an item storage space formed by an endless rope that travels in a circular motion and a partition wall that stands on the outer periphery of the rope.The bucket conveyor assembles a predetermined number of stored items into a collection and delivers them to a transfer position on a downstream conveyor or the like.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an article supplying device that uses a pusher to push multiple articles stored in each article storage space of a moving bucket conveyor sideways, and delivers the articles as a group with their ends raised to a downstream conveyor or the like. When pushing out the group of articles, this article supplying device brings the pusher into contact with a partition wall that defines the storage space and slides the pusher in the conveying direction of the bucket conveyor. The bucket conveyor is then operated intermittently or continuously at high speed to push the articles sideways. The group of articles discharged from the bucket conveyor by the pusher are guided obliquely by a guide plate (guide) located behind the group of articles in the conveying direction, and move toward a guide plate (guide) located at a distance forward of the group of articles in the conveying direction.

Patent No. 3585946

However, with the item supply device described in Patent Document 1, when a collection of multiple items slips out to the side while the bucket is traveling, or when it moves while being guided by a guide plate, the collection is not firmly supported from the front and back in the conveying direction of the bucket conveyor, which can cause some of the items that make up the collection to shift position or tilt, resulting in a disruption in the posture of the collection.

The object of the present invention is to provide an item supply device that can deliver an assembly of multiple items discharged laterally from a bucket conveyor to a delivery position located to the side of the bucket conveyor while maintaining the orientation of the assembly, while operating the bucket conveyor that transports items intermittently (traveling) at high speed or continuously (traveling).

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the article supply device of the present invention takes the following measures. First, the invention of claim 1 relates to a bucket conveyor (10) having an endless cord (12) in which a plurality of article storage spaces (S) for storing articles (W) are formed, and each time an article (W) is received into one of the article storage spaces (S) at a carry-in position (P1) for receiving the arriving articles (W), the endless cord (12) travels to transport the article (W) so that the subsequent article storage space (S) is positioned at the carry-in position (P1); and a plurality of pushers (41) movable in the conveying direction (X) of the bucket conveyor (10), in a side direction (Y) intersecting the conveying direction (X), and in vertical directions intersecting these directions, and one of the pushers (41) is configured to collectively discharge the articles (W) stored in a predetermined number of the article storage spaces (S) to a side direction (Y) intersecting the conveying direction (X). the pusher unit (30) in which each pusher (41) takes turns performing a series of operations for sequentially delivering the specified number of articles (W) in response to the arrival of the specified number of articles (W); an article delivery conveyor (20) provided in parallel with the bucket conveyor (10) and having a placement section (21) on which the specified number of articles (W) discharged to the side (Y) by the pushers (41) can be placed as an aggregated article (U); and article support sections (23) standing upright from the front and rear of the placement section (21) in the conveying direction (X) and supporting both sides of the aggregated article (U), wherein the pushers (41) of the pusher unit (30) start to synchronize with the bucket conveyor (10) and move in the conveying direction (X) at approximately the same speed together with the placement section (21) and the article support section (23), The drive control is repeated to operate as one cycle, including a first operation of discharging the specified number of articles (W) stored in the article storage spaces (S) collectively to the article support section (23) and moving in the conveying direction (X) to a stop position (P3) set downstream in the conveying direction (X); a second operation of discharging the collected article (U) from the article support section (23) to a delivery position (P4) having guides (56) that support both sides of the collected article (U) toward the packaging device, while the pusher (41) stops moving in the conveying direction (X) together with the placement section (21) and the article support section (23) at the stop position (P3); and a third operation of returning the pusher (41) from the delivery position (P4) to a position (P2) where it starts synchronizing with the bucket conveyor (10). and during the one cycle from when one of the pushers (41) starts synchronizing with the bucket conveyor (10) until it returns to the synchronization start position (P2), another pusher (41) starts the one cycle of operation; the item delivery conveyor (20) stops at a position connecting with the delivery position (P4) in response to the operation of one of the pushers (41) stopping its movement in the conveying direction (X) at the stop position (P3), and stops its movement in the conveying direction (X) until one of the pushers (41) that has stopped moving in the conveying direction (X) moves to a side (Y) intersecting the conveying direction (X) and finishes discharging the aggregated items (U) to the delivery position (P4), thereby creating an item supply device.

According to the invention of claim 1, items (W) arriving at the loading position (P1) of the bucket conveyor (10) from an upstream process are stored one by one in item storage spaces (S) formed in the bucket conveyor (10) and transported in the conveying direction (X). When the items (W) stored in a predetermined number of item storage spaces (S) arrive at the synchronization start position (P2), one of the multiple pushers (41) performs a first operation. In the first operation, the pusher (41) begins synchronizing with the bucket conveyor (10) transporting the items (W) and moves along the conveying direction (X) of the bucket conveyor (10) at approximately the same speed as the conveying speed of the bucket conveyor (10). In addition, the placement portion (21) and item support portion (23) of the item delivery conveyor (20) move in the conveying direction (X) at approximately the same speed as the conveying speed of the bucket conveyor (10). The pusher (41) further moves in a direction (Y) intersecting the conveying direction (X) while pushing a predetermined number of articles (W) in a collectively direction (Y) in the direction (Y) in synchronization with the bucket conveyor (10). As a result, the articles (W) in a standing state are discharged as a group (U) onto the placement section (21) of the article delivery conveyor (20). The group (U) on the placement section (21) is supported from both sides by the article support sections (23). This maintains the posture of the articles (W) in the group (U). Then, in a second operation, the pusher (41) stops moving in the conveying direction (X) at the stop position (P3), and moves in a direction (Y) intersecting the conveying direction (X) while pushing the group (U) in the direction (Y). As a result, the collected items (U) are discharged to a transfer position (P4) located to the side (Y) of the bucket conveyor (10) while maintaining the end of the items (W) standing upright. In the third operation, after the collected items (U) are transferred to the transfer position (P4), the pushers (41) return to the synchronization start position (P2). By the time one of the pushers (41) returns to the synchronization start position (P2), another pusher (41) begins synchronizing with the bucket conveyor (10). In this way, by shifting the cycle phase of each pusher (41) that repeats the cyclic motion, multiple pushers (41) take turns performing the first to third operations, allowing a specified number of items (W) to be sequentially delivered to the transfer position (P4) as collected items (U). In other words, the specified number of items (W) can be efficiently discharged together to the side (Y) in response to the arrival of the specified number of items (W). Meanwhile, the collected item (U) that has been delivered to the delivery position (P4) is supported on both sides by guides (56). Therefore, the collected item (U), which is made up of multiple items (W) discharged to the side (Y) from the bucket conveyor (10), can be delivered to the delivery position (P4) while maintaining its posture.

Next, the invention according to claim 2, which is dependent on claim 1, is characterized in that after the collected products (U) have been transferred to the transfer position (P4), the pusher (41) rises and moves away from the collected products (U), then moves in the conveying direction (X) and to the side (Y) intersecting the conveying direction (X) to return to the position (P2) where the synchronization begins.

According to the invention of claim 2, after the pusher (41) discharges the grouped products (U) to the delivery position (P4), it rises to move away from the grouped products (U) and then moves in the conveying direction (X) of the bucket conveyor (10) and to the side (Y) intersecting the conveying direction X, returning to the position (P2) where it begins synchronizing with the bucket conveyor (10). This prevents interference with the next grouped products (U) being discharged or with another pusher (41).

Next, the invention according to claim 3, which is dependent on claim 1 or claim 2, is characterized in that the movement speed of the pusher (41) in the conveying direction (X) and/or directions (Y, Z) intersecting the conveying direction (X) during the first operation, the second operation, and the third operation can be set separately.

According to the invention of claim 3, the timing at which the pusher (41) pushes out multiple articles (W) or a collection of articles (U) can be freely set. This makes it possible to form a collection of articles (U) corresponding to articles (W) of various sizes and shapes, and discharge it to the delivery position (P4). In other words, it is possible to provide an article supply device that can accommodate various supply modes of articles (W).

Next, the invention according to claim 4, which is dependent on claim 3, is characterized in that the movement speed of the pusher (41) in the third operation is set faster than the movement speed of the pusher (41) in the first operation and the second operation.

According to the invention of claim 4, the movement speed of the pusher (41) in the third operation is set faster than the first and second operations, allowing it to quickly return to the synchronization start position (P2). Therefore, the time required for the first and/or second operations can be set relatively long within one cycle of the pusher (41), and the speed at which the items (W) are moved to the side (Y) intersecting the conveying direction (X) can be set relatively slowly, preventing damage to the items (W) due to friction. Alternatively, the time required for one cycle of the pusher (41) is shortened, allowing for more efficient supply of the items (W).

The present invention provides an item supply device that can deliver a collection of multiple items discharged laterally from a bucket conveyor to a delivery position located to the side of the bucket conveyor while maintaining the orientation of the collection of items, while operating a bucket conveyor that transports items intermittently (travels) at high speed or continuously (travels).

1 is a schematic plan view of an article supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing a transport path for articles according to the embodiment. 4 is a schematic side view of the bucket conveyor and pusher unit of the article supply device according to the embodiment, viewed in the Y direction. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a pusher unit according to the embodiment. 1 is a schematic front view of an article supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

This embodiment will be described using the drawings. The item supply device according to this embodiment is a device that sends out items W, which are stored and transported in an upright position in the item storage space S of the bucket conveyor 10, as a group of items U to be packaged together as a single product, toward a packaging device (not shown) located downstream. In this embodiment, for example, two bags of food or the like packaged together constitute one item, and three items W with their ends standing up constitute one group of items U.

As shown in FIG. 1, the item supply device includes a bucket conveyor 10, an item delivery conveyor 20, and a pusher unit 30, and forms part of a transport path along which items W are transported from an upstream process to a downstream packaging device. In this description, the direction along the transport direction X of the bucket conveyor 10 is defined as the front-to-rear direction, the direction perpendicular to the transport direction X of the bucket conveyor 10 (side Y) in a horizontal plane is defined as the left-to-right direction, and the direction Z perpendicular to the transport direction X and side Y of the bucket conveyor 10 is defined as the up-to-down direction. The bucket conveyor 10 and item delivery conveyor 20 are arranged side by side in the front-to-rear direction, with the pusher unit 30 disposed above them. A supply conveyor 50 is connected to the right side of the item delivery conveyor 20.

As shown in Figure 2, the conveying path for the item W has a loading position P1 for the item W, a start position P2 where the pusher body 41 and item support section 23 (described later) and other components begin to move in the conveying direction X at the same speed as the conveying speed of the bucket conveyor 10, i.e., begin to synchronize with the bucket conveyor 10, a stop position P3 downstream in the conveying direction X where the pusher body 41 and item support section 23 and other components stop moving in the conveying direction X, and a transfer position P4 where the item W is transferred to the supply conveyor 50.

The bucket conveyor 10 is connected to the end of the upstream process (conveyor) that continuously transports items W. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the bucket conveyor 10 includes an endless rope 12, such as a chain, that is driven by a motor (not shown) and runs in a circular motion, and partition walls 13 that stand upright on the outer periphery of the endless rope 12. The partition walls 13 stand upright, forming an item storage space S for storing items W between the front and rear partition walls 13 in the transport direction X. The height of the upright partition walls 13 is set so that the items W stored in the item storage space S extend above the upper end of the partition walls 13. An item detection means (not shown) for detecting items W is also provided at the loading position P1 where items W arriving on the bucket conveyor 10 are received.

Each time the bucket conveyor 10 receives an item W into one of the item storage spaces S at the loading position P1, it transports the item W by running the endless cord 12 so that the subsequent item storage space S is positioned at the loading position P1. Specifically, when an item W is transported to one of the item storage spaces S located at the loading position P1 of the bucket conveyor 10, the item W is detected by an item detection means (not shown). Then, each time item detection information is obtained, the one item storage space S that received the item W is run the length of that storage space, and the traveling drive is repeated to position the subsequent item storage space S at the loading position P1. The bucket conveyor 10 may run either continuously or intermittently at high speed, as appropriate.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the article delivery conveyor 20 is installed adjacent to the bucket conveyor 10 and is located on the right side Y of the bucket conveyor 10. The article delivery conveyor 20 includes a loading section 21 that can load a specified number of articles W, discharged to the right side Y by a pusher body 41 (described below), as a collection of articles U, and an article support section 23 that supports the collection of articles U loaded on the loading section 21. The article delivery conveyor 20 is configured to receive driving force from a driving means such as a servo motor (not shown), allowing the loading section 21 and article support section 23 to move reciprocally along guide rails (not shown) in the conveying direction X of the bucket conveyor 10, i.e., back and forth. The reciprocating movement of the loading section 21 and article support section 23 is driven and controlled by commands from a control section (not shown).

The item support section 23 is composed of a pair of guide plates (guides) that rise upward from the placement section 21 and are arranged opposite each other in the direction of return movement of the placement section 21. The item support section 23 supports both sides of the aggregated items U placed on the placement section 21 (front and rear in the conveying direction X of the bucket conveyor 10). The spacing between the opposing guide plates of the item support section 23 is set to allow a specified number of items W to be received on the placement section 21 and to support the specified number of items W from both sides in the direction of return movement so that the specified number of items W does not tip over in the direction of return movement. The spacing between the guide plates of the item support section 23 can be changed by adjusting the tightening of members 24 such as screws. Furthermore, the tip 23a of the item support section 23 facing the bucket conveyor 10 is tapered with a wider gap. As shown in Figure 5, the tip 21a of the placement section 21 facing the bucket conveyor 10 is inclined downward and lowered. These configurations allow the specified number of items W to be smoothly received from the item storage space S of the bucket conveyor 10.

As shown in FIG. 2, even after receiving the aggregated item U at the item support section 23, the item delivery conveyor 20 continues to synchronize with one of the pusher bodies 41 and moves forward along the conveying direction X at approximately the same speed as one of the pusher bodies 41. Then, in response to one of the pusher bodies 41 stopping its movement in the conveying direction X at stop position P3, it stops at a position where it connects with delivery position P4 of the supply conveyor 50 (described below). Stop position P3 is set at a position where the forward-backward positions of the pusher body 41 and the item support section 23 align with delivery position P4 when delivering the aggregated item U from the item delivery conveyor 20 to delivery position P4. The item delivery conveyor 20 then stops moving in the conveying direction X until one of the pusher bodies 41, which has stopped moving in the conveying direction X, moves to the side Y intersecting the conveying direction X and finishes discharging the aggregated item U to delivery position P4.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the pusher unit 30 is disposed above the bucket conveyor 10 and comprises a fixed unit 31 supported on a frame (not shown) and a moving unit 32 supported so as to be movable along guide rails disposed on the fixed unit 31.

The moving unit 32 has a moving unit main body and two types of pusher devices 40 arranged on the moving unit main body. The moving unit main body receives driving force from a servo motor 34 and can move back and forth, i.e., along the conveying direction X of the bucket conveyor 10. As the moving unit main body moves back and forth, the pusher devices 40 also move back and forth.

Each of the two pusher devices 40 includes a pusher body 41, a first drive mechanism 43, and a second drive mechanism 45. The first drive mechanisms 43 are spaced apart from each other in the front-to-rear direction relative to the moving unit body. Each first drive mechanism 43 includes a servo motor 46 and a guide rail 47 extending in the left-to-right direction. The second drive mechanism 45 receives the driving force of the servo motor 46 provided in each first drive mechanism 43 and is disposed so as to be movable along the guide rail 47. The second drive mechanism 45 includes an air cylinder 48, and the pusher body 41 is disposed at the lower end of the air cylinder 48 via a support member 49. The first drive mechanism 43 can repeatedly move the pusher body 41, connected via the second drive mechanism 45, in a lateral direction Y that intersects with the conveying direction X of the bucket conveyor 10, i.e., in a left-to-right direction perpendicular to the conveying direction X of the bucket conveyor 10. The second drive mechanism 45 can repeatedly move the pusher body 41 in a direction that perpendicularly intersects both the conveying direction X and the left-right direction of the bucket conveyor 10, i.e., in the up-down direction (direction Z).

Each pusher body 41 is a roughly trapezoidal plate-like member, the plate surface of which can abut the side of multiple articles W (collected items U). As shown in Figures 3 and 5, when the pusher body 41 descends in the vertical direction (direction Z), it moves left and right at a height such that its lower end is located above the upper end of the partition wall 13 of the bucket conveyor 10. That is, the pusher body 41 abuts against the portion of the collective items U that protrudes above the partition wall 13, pushing the collective items U toward the article support section 23. As a result, the partition wall 13 and the pusher body 41 do not interfere with each other, and the articles W stored in the multiple article storage spaces S are sent to the article delivery conveyor 20 with their short ends standing upright. Furthermore, when the pusher body 41 ascends in the vertical direction (direction Z), it is positioned at a height above the collective items U.

The pusher body 41, thanks to the configuration of the moving unit 32 described above, can move in three directions: forward and backward (the conveying direction X of the bucket conveyor 10), left and right (the lateral direction Y intersecting the conveying direction X), and up and down (the direction intersecting the conveying direction X and the lateral direction Y). Each pusher body 41 can sequentially discharge items W stored in a specified number of item storage spaces S in a batch to the lateral direction Y. When items W stored in multiple item storage spaces S are collectively discharged to the lateral direction Y by the pusher body 41, a collective item U is formed in which the items W have their ends raised.

The pusher body 41 is configured so that drive control is repeated to form one cycle through the first to third operations. Referring to Figures 2 and 3, the first operation is an operation in which the pusher body 41 starts synchronizing with the bucket conveyor 10 from start position P2 and moves together with the placement section 21 and the item support section 23 at the same speed in the conveying direction X of the bucket conveyor 10, discharging a specified number of items W stored in the item storage spaces S onto the placement section 21, i.e., between the item support sections 23. Start position P2 is set at a position where, for example, when a specified number of items W conveyed by the bucket conveyor 10 arrive at a specified position, the waiting pusher body 41 can abut against the specified number of items W at that specified position.

Note that if the positional relationship with the bucket conveyor 10 is misaligned when the waiting pusher body 41, the placement section 21, and the item support section 23 begin to move in the conveying direction X of the bucket conveyor 10 at start position P2, there is a period during which the servo motors driving the pusher body 41 or the placement section 21 and the item support section 23 are commanded to transiently accelerate or decelerate, rather than moving at the same speed as the bucket conveyor 10. After this period, once the positions of the pusher body 41, the placement section 21, the item support section 23, and the bucket conveyor 10 in the conveying direction X are aligned, they will move at the same speed. In other words, it is inaccurate to say that they move at the same speed throughout the entire period of the first operation, but the explanation is simplified by using terms such as "move at the same speed" and "approximately the same speed."

In the first operation, the pusher body 41 moves in the conveying direction X (forward) in synchronization with the bucket conveyor 10 as the moving unit 32 moves in the conveying direction X of the bucket conveyor 10 at the same speed as the conveying speed of the bucket conveyor 10, and also moves to the right as driven by the first drive mechanism 43. Furthermore, the loading section 21 and item support section 23 of the item delivery conveyor 20 also move in the conveying direction X (forward) of the bucket conveyor 10 together with the pusher body 41 at the same speed as the conveying speed of the bucket conveyor 10. In this first operation, a collection U of items W is placed on the loading section 21, and the pusher body 41, loading section 21, and item support section 23 all move to stop position P3 and stop moving in the conveying direction X. Note that when the pusher body 41 transfers the items W from the bucket conveyor 10 to the item support section 23, synchronization with the bucket conveyor 10 is released.

As shown in Figures 2 and 5, the second operation is an operation in which the pusher body 41 stops moving in the conveying direction X of the bucket conveyor 10 at stop position P3 and discharges the collected items U from the item support section 23 to a transfer position P4 (described later). In the second operation, the pusher body 41, which moved to the item support section 23 in the first operation, moves further toward the transfer position P4. At this time, the item transfer conveyor 20 also stops moving in the conveying direction X. In this second operation, the collected items U of items W, while supported by the item support section 23, passes across the item transfer conveyor 20 and is sent to the transfer position P4.

The third operation is the return of the pusher body 41 from the transfer position P4 to the start position P2 where it begins synchronizing with the bucket conveyor 10. In this embodiment, after the collected items U are transferred to the transfer position P4, the pusher body 41 rises and moves away from the collected items U. After moving away from the collected items U, the pusher body 41 moves in the conveying direction X of the bucket conveyor 10 and to the side Y intersecting the conveying direction X, and then moves (descends) in direction Z to return to the start position P2. Specifically, after the pusher body 41 discharges the collected items U from the item support section 23 to the transfer position P4, it is raised by the drive of the second drive mechanism 45. Furthermore, the pusher body 41 moves leftward by the drive of the first drive mechanism 43, and the moving unit 32 moves rearward. After these movements are completed, the pusher body 41 is lowered by the drive of the second drive mechanism 45, returning to the start position P2.

These two pusher bodies 41 take turns performing a series of operations to collectively discharge the specified number of items W (three in this embodiment) stored in the specified number of item storage spaces S to the side Y that intersects with the conveying direction X of the bucket conveyor 10, with each pusher body 41 performing these operations in turn in response to the arrival of the specified number of items W. During one cycle, from when one pusher body 41 begins synchronizing with the bucket conveyor 10 until it returns to the start position P2, the other pusher body 41 (another pusher) begins one cycle of operation.

1 and 2, a supply conveyor 50 is disposed to the right of the article delivery conveyor 20 to supply aggregated articles U toward the packaging section of the packaging machine. The supply conveyor 50 has a loading surface 51 that receives aggregated articles U, a pusher (not shown) that contacts the aggregated articles U placed on the loading surface 51 and pushes the aggregated articles U, and a pair of side guides 54 disposed facing each other at positions above and spaced apart from both side edges of the loading surface 51. A conveyance path is formed by the pair of side guides 54 and the loading surface 51 extending in the direction in which the pusher pushes the aggregated articles U. Furthermore, a transfer position P4 is provided at the upstream end of the conveyance path on the supply conveyor 50, where the aggregated articles U of articles W are discharged from the article support section 23. Guides 56 are provided at the loading conveyor 50 to support both sides of the aggregated articles U toward the packaging machine.

Although not shown in the figures, a packaging machine is provided downstream of the supply conveyor 50 on the conveying path as a packaging device for packaging the aggregated product U. The packaging machine is a horizontal form-fill-seal machine that uses a bag-making device to form a strip of film pulled from a film roll into a cylindrical shape so that the left and right ends of the film overlap, seals the overlapped area of the film vertically along the feed direction of the tubular film, and horizontally seals the tubular film containing the aggregated product U at the front and rear of the aggregated product U in a direction intersecting the feed direction to obtain a packaged product.

The control unit constantly stores and updates detection information for items W detected by the item detection means at the loading position P1 of the bucket conveyor 10, as well as information such as the running position of each item W stored in the item storage space S obtained from encoder pulses attached to the bucket conveyor 10. The control unit also issues a running drive command (control) to the bucket conveyor 10 based on the detection information from the item detection means (not shown). Furthermore, the control unit issues a drive command (control) to the servo motor 34 that drives the position of the moving unit 32, the servo motor 46 of the first drive mechanism 43, the air cylinder 48 of the second drive mechanism 45, and the servo motor (not shown) of the item delivery conveyor 20 based on information such as the running position of each item W stored in the item storage space S. The control unit also issues a running drive command (control) to the supply conveyor 50.

Next, the flow of transport of each item W by the item supply device will be described. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, when an item W arrives at the loading position P1 from an upstream process, the control unit issues a travel drive command (control) to the bucket conveyor 10 based on detection information from an item detection means (not shown), and the bucket conveyor 10 begins to travel. At the loading position P1, the bucket conveyor 10 has a partition wall 13 that rises to form an item storage space S. One item W is stored in each item storage space S and is transported sequentially.

When the specified number (e.g., three) of items W stored in the item storage spaces S reach the synchronization start position P2, a drive command from the control unit causes one pusher body 41 and the loading section 21 and item support section 23 of the item delivery conveyor 20 to begin synchronizing with the bucket conveyor 10 transporting the items W, and move in the transport direction X (forward) at approximately the same speed as the transport speed of the bucket conveyor 10 along the transport direction X of the bucket conveyor 10. As shown in Figures 2 and 5, the one pusher body 41, while synchronized with the bucket conveyor 10, moves sideways Y (to the right), intersecting the transport direction X, while pushing the specified number of items W sideways. As a result, a collection U of items W with their ends raised is discharged onto the loading section 21 of the item delivery conveyor 20.

One of the pusher bodies 41, together with the placement section 21 and the item support section 23, moves to stop position P3 and stops moving forward. Then, as shown in Figures 2 and 5, while stopping its forward movement at stop position P3, the one of the pusher bodies 41 moves rightward while pushing a collection U consisting of a specified number of items W toward the right side Y. As a result, the collection U is discharged from the item support section 23 to the transfer position P4, with the items W maintained in a standing position. The pusher body 41, placement section 21, and item support section 23 are then released from synchronization with the bucket conveyor 10.

After the collection U of articles W has been transferred to the transfer position P4, one pusher body 41 rises and moves away from the collection U. It then moves in the conveying direction X of the bucket conveyor 10 and in a direction intersecting the conveying direction X, i.e., to the left, before descending and moving back and forth to return to the starting position P2. The other pusher body 41 (another pusher) begins synchronizing with the bucket conveyor 10 from the starting position P2 before the first pusher body 41 returns. In this way, each pusher body 41 repeats a cyclical motion, and sequentially transfers a specified number of articles W as a collection U to the transfer position P4, with the start phase of each cycle always shifted.

The collection U of items W transferred to the delivery position P4 is transported toward the packaging machine by the supply conveyor 50. The collection U is transported while being supported by side guides 54 provided on both side edges of the supply conveyor 50.

In the pusher unit 30 according to the above embodiment, the two pusher devices 40 move together in the forward and backward directions. However, instead of this configuration, each pusher device 40 may move independently in the forward and backward directions. That is, as a modified example, the two first drive mechanisms 43 may be arranged in the fixed unit 31 so that they receive driving forces from separate servo motors to move in the conveying direction X, thereby allowing the two pusher bodies 41 to move independently and separately in the conveying direction X.

In this modified example, the pusher unit 30 can separately set the movement speed of each pusher body 41 in the conveying direction X (front-back direction) of the bucket conveyor 10 and in directions intersecting the conveying direction X (left-right and up-down directions) for the first, second, and third operations. The movement speed of the pusher body 41 in the third operation can be set to be faster than the movement speed of the pusher body 41 in the first and second operations, reducing restrictions on setting the movement speeds for the first through third operations and increasing the degree of freedom in control design. Note that the movement speeds of the two pusher bodies 41 in the third operation may be set separately for only one of the three X, Y, and Z directions. For example, the forward-backward movement speed for the third operation may be set separately for each pusher body 41, while the left-right and up-down movement speeds may be set to the same speed for both pusher bodies 41. Alternatively, the movement speed in any two directions in the third operation may be set separately for each pusher body 41, or the movement speed in all three directions may be set separately for each pusher body 41.

The article supply device according to the above embodiment has the following advantages.
(1) According to the article supply device of the above embodiment, articles W arriving at the loading position P1 of the bucket conveyor 10 from an upstream process are stored one by one in article storage spaces S formed in the bucket conveyor 10 and transported in the conveying direction X. When the specified number of articles W stored in the article storage spaces S arrive at the start position P2, one of the multiple pusher bodies 41 performs a first operation. In the first operation, the pusher body 41 begins to synchronize with the bucket conveyor 10 transporting the articles W, and moves along the conveying direction X of the bucket conveyor 10 at the same speed as the conveying speed of the bucket conveyor 10. In addition, the placement portion 21 and the article support portion 23 of the article delivery conveyor 20 move in the conveying direction X at the same speed as the conveying speed of the bucket conveyor 10. The pusher body 41 further moves sideways Y intersecting the conveying direction X while pushing the specified number of articles W collectively sideways Y while synchronized with the bucket conveyor 10. As a result, the articles W with their short ends raised are discharged as a group U onto the placement section 21 of the article delivery conveyor 20. The group U on the placement section 21 is supported on both sides by the article support sections 23. This maintains the posture of the articles W of the group U. Then, in the second operation, the pusher body 41 stops moving in the conveying direction X at the stop position P3, and moves to the side Y intersecting the conveying direction X while pushing the group U toward the side Y. As a result, the group U is discharged to the delivery position P4 located on the side Y of the bucket conveyor 10, with the article W's posture with its short ends raised being maintained. In the third operation, after the group U is delivered to the delivery position P4, the pusher body 41 returns to the start position P2 where it starts synchronization. By the time one of the pusher bodies 41 returns to the start position P2, another pusher body 41 starts synchronizing with the bucket conveyor 10. In this way, by shifting the cycle phase of each pusher body 41 that repeats the cyclic motion, the multiple pusher bodies 41 take turns performing the first to third operations, and the specified number of articles W can be sequentially delivered to the delivery position P4 as a collection of articles U. In other words, in response to the arrival of the specified number of articles W, the collection of articles W can be efficiently discharged to the side Y. Meanwhile, the collection of articles U that has been delivered to the delivery position P4 is supported from both sides by guides. Therefore, the posture of the collection of articles U made up of multiple articles W that is discharged from the bucket conveyor 10 to the side Y can be maintained, and the collection of articles U can be delivered to the delivery position P4.
(2) In the article supply device according to the above embodiment, after the pusher body 41 discharges the aggregated items U to the delivery position P4, it rises to move away from the aggregated items U and then moves in the conveying direction X of the bucket conveyor 10 and to the side Y intersecting the conveying direction X, thereby returning to the start position P2. This makes it possible to prevent interference with the next discharged aggregated items U or with another pusher body 41.
(3) The pusher unit 30 is configured such that the two pusher devices 40 are each mounted on the fixed unit 31 so that they can be moved by separate actuators, allowing the two pusher bodies 41 to move independently. The movement speeds of the pusher bodies 41 in the conveying direction X of the bucket conveyor 10 and/or in the directions Y and Z intersecting the conveying direction X during the first, second, and third operations can be set separately. This allows the timing at which the pusher bodies 41 push out multiple articles W or aggregated items U to be freely set. This allows aggregated items U to be formed in response to articles W of various sizes and shapes, and discharged to the delivery position P4. In other words, an article supply device can be provided that can accommodate various supply modes of articles W.
(4) When the two pusher bodies 41 are configured to be able to move independently, the speed of the pusher body 41 in the third operation is set faster than the speeds of the first and second operations, allowing the pusher body 41 to quickly return to the start position P2. Therefore, the time required for the first and/or second operations can be set relatively long within one cycle of the pusher body 41's operation, and the speed at which the articles W are moved in the lateral direction Y intersecting the conveying direction X can be set relatively slowly, thereby preventing the articles W from being damaged by friction. Alternatively, the time required for one cycle of the pusher body 41 is shortened, allowing the articles W to be supplied more efficiently.

<Other changes>
The present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above-described embodiments, and various modifications, additions, and deletions are possible within the scope that does not change the gist of the present invention.
(1) In the above embodiment, the moving unit 32 is configured with two pusher bodies 41 arranged on a common moving frame, and the moving unit 32 is reciprocally moved along the conveying direction X of the bucket conveyor 10, thereby causing the two pushers to move together along the conveying direction X. However, this is not limiting, and for example, as in the pusher device of the second embodiment, each of the pusher bodies 41 may be independently reciprocally moved along the conveying direction X of the bucket conveyor 10. Furthermore, a similar pusher function may be configured in each of hand units mounted on the tip ends of a plurality of robot arms, and the assembled products U may be sent from the start position P2 to the delivery position P4.
(2) In a configuration in which each pusher body 41 (pusher) can independently move repeatedly along the conveying direction X of the bucket conveyor 10, as long as the time required for one cycle from the start position P2 at which the pusher starts moving in synchronization with the item support section 23 and the bucket conveyor 10 to transferring a specified number of items W from the item support section 23 to the transfer position P4 and returning to the start position P2 can be maintained, the movement speed of the pusher body 41 can be set variously as necessary for each of the following sections as the pusher body 41 and the item support section 23 move in synchronization with the bucket conveyor 10 from the start position P2: a section in which the pusher body 41 pushes out the specified number of items W to the item support section 23, a section in which the pusher body 41 pushes out the specified number of items W from the item support section 23 to the transfer position P4, and a section in which the pusher body 41 returns from the transfer position P4 to the start position P2.
(3) When a plurality of items W, such as film-packaged items, are pushed out at a high speed by a pusher, inertia may cause the ends of some of the items W in the extrusion direction to become misaligned with the ends of other items W at the position where the items W stop, or the items W may be scratched or damaged, or if the items W are bagged, the bag may break. Therefore, it is preferable to set the movement speed of the pusher as fast as possible when returning the pusher from the transfer position P4 to the start position P2.
(4) When pushing out the article W, it is preferable to set the pusher to operate at a constant speed in the pushing direction.
(5) A specified number of articles W may be stacked and stored in each article storage space S of the bucket conveyor 10 in the conveying direction X of the bucket conveyor 10, and then discharged collectively to the side Y by a pusher to form a collective item U.
(6) In the above embodiment, the pusher body 41 contacts each article W stored in the article storage space S at a position higher than the partition wall 13 of the bucket conveyor 10 to push each article W to the side Y, and therefore the pusher body 41 is configured as a substantially rectangular flat plate. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the lower end of the pusher body may be formed in a comb-like shape so that the pusher body can contact the articles W in each storage space of the bucket conveyor 10.
(7) In the above embodiment, an example is shown in which the articles W stored upright in the article storage space S of the bucket conveyor 10 are pushed out together to form a collective item U. However, this is not limited to this, and as long as the collective item U is continuously supported on both sides until it reaches the transfer position P4, the articles W stored in each article storage space S may be of various shapes, such as articles that tend to roll and whose orientation is unstable, or articles that are approximately cylindrical or approximately prismatic.
(8) In the above embodiment, an example is shown in which a single article support section 23 arranged on the article delivery conveyor 20 is configured to move repeatedly. However, this is not limited to this, and article support sections may be arranged at predetermined intervals around the outer periphery of an endless cord that travels in a circular motion in a fixed direction, so that each article support section receives articles W that are collectively discharged by the pusher in sequence in synchronization with the travel of the bucket conveyor 10.
(9) The number of pushers included in the pusher unit may be two or three or more. In the case of a configuration including three or more pushers, one of the pushers starts one cycle of operation while the other pushers return to the synchronization start position after starting one cycle of operation.
(10) The start position P2 at which the pusher body 41 and the article support portion 23 of the article delivery conveyor 20, etc., start to synchronize with the bucket conveyor 10 is set arbitrarily. For example, the start position P2 may be set based on the position of one of a specified number of articles W transported by the bucket conveyor 10. Alternatively, the start position P2 may be set to an area where the pusher body 41 can come into contact with the specified number of articles W in a specified area when the specified number of articles W arrive at that specified area.
(11) The packaging device may be a boxing device that uses a robot hand to pick up the aggregated product U placed at the delivery position and pack it into a box.

S: Item storage space P1: Loading position P2: Start position (position where synchronization starts)
P3: Stop position P4: Delivery position U: Collected item W: Item X: Bucket conveyor transport direction (front and back)
Y: Lateral direction intersecting with the conveying direction (left-right direction) Z: Direction intersecting with the conveying direction (up-down direction)
10: Bucket conveyor 12: Endless cable 13: Partition wall 20: Article delivery conveyor 21: Placement section 23: Article support section 30: Pusher unit 31: Fixed unit 32: Moving unit 40: Pusher device 41: Pusher body (pusher) 43: First drive mechanism 45: Second drive mechanism 50: Supply conveyor 51: Placement surface 54: Side guide 56: Guide

Claims (4)

a bucket conveyor having an endless cord in which a plurality of article storage spaces for storing articles are formed, and each time an article is received into one of the article storage spaces at a carry-in position for receiving the arriving article, the endless cord is run to transport the article so that the subsequent article storage space is positioned at the carry-in position;
a pusher unit having a plurality of pushers movable in the conveying direction of the bucket conveyor, in a lateral direction intersecting the conveying direction, and in a vertical direction intersecting the conveying direction, wherein one of the pushers performs a series of operations to collectively discharge a specified number of the articles stored in the article storage space to a lateral direction intersecting the conveying direction, the pushers taking turns in response to the arrival of the specified number of the articles;
an article delivery conveyor including a loading section provided in parallel with the bucket conveyor and capable of loading the specified number of articles discharged to the side by the pusher as an assembly; and article support sections standing upward from the front and rear of the loading section in the conveying direction and supporting both sides of the assembly,
Each of the pushers of the pusher unit includes:
a first operation in which the pusher starts synchronizing with the bucket conveyor, moves in the conveying direction together with the placement section and the article support section at approximately the same speed, discharges the specified number of articles accommodated in the article accommodating spaces to the article support section, and moves in the conveying direction to a stop position set downstream in the conveying direction;
a second operation of discharging the collected items from the article support section to a delivery position having guides that support both sides of the collected items facing a packaging device, while the pusher, together with the placing section and the article support section, stops moving in the conveying direction at the stop position;
and a third operation of returning the pusher from the delivery position to a position where synchronization with the bucket conveyor begins, thereby completing one cycle of drive control.
During one cycle from when one of the pushers starts synchronizing with the bucket conveyor until the other pusher returns to the position where it started synchronizing, another pusher starts operating in the one cycle,
The article delivery conveyor is
an article supply device in which, in response to an operation of one of the pushers stopping movement in the conveying direction at the stop position, the pushers perform an operation of stopping at a position connecting with the delivery position, and one of the pushers, which has stopped moving in the conveying direction, moves to a side intersecting the conveying direction and stops moving in the conveying direction until it has finished discharging the assembled items to the delivery position. The item supply device described in claim 1, characterized in that after the collection of items has been transferred to the transfer position, the pusher rises to move away from the collection of items, then moves in the conveying direction and to the side intersecting the conveying direction to return to a position where the synchronization begins. The item supply device described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the movement speed of the pusher in the conveying direction and/or the direction intersecting the conveying direction during the first operation, the second operation, and the third operation can be set separately. The item supply device described in claim 3, wherein the movement speed of the pusher in the third operation is set to be faster than the movement speed of the pusher in the first operation and the second operation.