CN111479763B

CN111479763B - Conveying device and conveying system

Info

Publication number: CN111479763B
Application number: CN201780024381.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 宇野强
Original assignee: Nakasu Denki KK
Current assignee: Nakasu Denki KK
Priority date: 2017-11-28
Filing date: 2017-11-28
Publication date: 2022-03-08
Anticipated expiration: 2037-11-28
Also published as: KR20190071629A; WO2019106710A1; JPWO2019106710A1; KR102134798B1; TWI682887B; TW201925053A; CN111479763A

Abstract

The invention provides a conveying device capable of making the stop motion or speed change of a conveying assembly more stable. The delivery device includes a plurality of delivery assemblies. Each conveyor assembly comprises: a conveying assembly body; the advancing part is used for advancing the conveying assembly body on the track part; and a pressure contact member that is supported by the conveyance member main body and is in pressure contact with the conveyance portion to join the conveyance member main body and the conveyance portion. The plurality of conveying units are connected to each other by a connecting unit that can be deformed in an expanding and contracting manner in the conveying direction. A first conveyor assembly of the plurality of conveyor assemblies travels on the conveyor track in a manner that advances relative to a second conveyor assembly. The coupling assembly is configured to be subjected to contraction deformation and expansion deformation respectively in response to a predetermined load. The linking assembly allows the first conveying assembly and the second conveying assembly to travel at different speeds from each other by telescopic deformation, and reduces variation in relative speed of the first conveying assembly and the second conveying assembly.

Description

Conveying device and conveying system

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a conveying device and a conveying system for conveying an object to a predetermined position.

Background

It is known that various conveying apparatuses (conveying systems) are used to convey an object from a 1 st step execution place where one step is executed to a 2 nd step execution place where another step is executed. In particular, in order to convey one or more objects by a plurality of conveying units in an interlocked manner, the plurality of conveying units are coupled by a coupling unit.

For example, a conveyance line system (article conveyance device) of patent document 1 discloses an article conveyance device in which a plurality of travel brackets on which articles are conveyed are coupled. Traveling wheels rolling on rails provided along a traveling path are arranged in front and rear of the carriage, guide rollers roll on guide rails provided along the rails to prevent the carriage from shaking, and a reaction plate with a linear motor is horizontally mounted on a lower surface of the carriage. Both ends of a connecting rod of the bracket are connected by a universal joint at a position above the mounting position of the traveling wheel of the bracket, and both ends of a protective plate covering a separation space between the connecting rod and the front and rear brackets are movably connected to both ends of the connecting rod by horizontal rotation, pitch rotation, and forward and backward rotation via a long hole or the like.

Prior art documents

Patent document

Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. Hei 10-258928

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

However, in the transport apparatus of patent document 1, since the front and rear transport units (carriages) are connected by the rigid connecting rod, the transport apparatus is configured to keep the distance between the transport units constant during transport. Therefore, for example, in the case where the power supply to the previously traveling conveyor assembly is stopped at a desired position such as a working area to stop or decelerate the conveyor assembly, since the rear conveyor assembly maintains the speed at the previous time, it is difficult to stably stop or decelerate the previously traveling conveyor assembly at the desired position. In addition, when the speed of the preceding transport unit is changed by changing the power supply amount according to the position of the track, it is difficult to stably change the speed of the preceding transport unit at a desired track position because the following transport unit cannot follow the speed change. In particular, when a heavy object is conveyed by the conveyor assemblies, the inertial force of each conveyor assembly becomes large. Therefore, the known conveying device has the following problems: the speed change or stop motion of the conveyor assembly traveling ahead cannot be sufficiently coped with, and the conveyor assembly shakes or vibrates due to the speed change or stop motion, so that it is difficult to stably convey the heavy object.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a conveying device and a conveying system capable of more stably stopping a movement of a conveying unit or changing a speed.

Means for solving the problems

A conveying apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of conveying units that travel on a conveying track including a track portion extending in a conveying direction of an object and a conveying portion provided side by side on the track portion and rotationally driven in the conveying direction,

each of the transport assemblies comprises: a conveying assembly body; the advancing part is used for advancing the conveying assembly body on the track part; and a pressure contact member supported by the conveying member body and brought into pressure contact with the conveying portion to join the conveying member body and the conveying portion,

the plurality of conveying assemblies are connected with each other through a connecting assembly which can be telescopically deformed along the conveying direction,

a first conveyor assembly of the plurality of conveyor assemblies travels on the conveyor track in a manner that is advanced relative to a second conveyor assembly,

the connecting component is formed in a manner of shrinking deformation and expanding deformation respectively needing a predetermined load,

the linking assembly allows the first conveying assembly and the second conveying assembly to travel at different speeds from each other through telescopic deformation, and reduces relative speed variation of the first conveying assembly and the second conveying assembly.

The transport device according to another embodiment of the present invention may be: the conveying component comprises a control mechanism, and the control mechanism drives the pressure contact component to the direction approaching to the conveying part and the direction far away from the conveying part so as to control the pressure contact of the pressure contact component to the conveying part and the release of the pressure contact.

The transport apparatus according to still another embodiment of the present invention may be: the connecting assembly is a telescopic assembly formed by continuously arranging a plurality of crossed connecting rod members along the axial direction.

The transport apparatus according to still another embodiment of the present invention may be: the pair of intersecting link members are rotatably coupled to each other at an intersection point by a first shaft, and each link member is rotatably coupled to the other adjacent link member at both ends by a second shaft, and

both or either of the first shaft and the second shaft connects the link members to each other in such a manner that a predetermined torque is required for rotation of the link members.

The transport apparatus according to still another embodiment of the present invention may be: both or either of the first and second shafts couple the link members to each other through a rotary damper.

The conveying system of an embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises:

a plurality of conveying units that convey an object to a predetermined position in a conveying direction; and

a conveying track including a track portion extending in a conveying direction of the object and along which the conveying unit travels, and a conveying portion provided side by side on the track portion and rotationally driven in the conveying direction; and is

Each of the transport assemblies comprises: a conveying component body, a traveling part for the conveying component body to travel on the track part, and a pressure contact component which is supported on the conveying component body and is in pressure contact with the conveying part so as to connect the conveying component body with the conveying part,

the connecting members are configured to be contracted and expanded in response to a predetermined load,

the link assembly allows the first and second conveying assemblies to travel at different speeds from each other by telescopic deformation and reduces a relative speed variation of the first and second conveying assemblies.

The conveying system of another embodiment of the present invention may be: the conveying track includes: a power supply area provided with the rail portion and the conveying portion; and a power supply area which is formed adjacent to the power supply area, is provided with the rail portion, and is not provided with the conveying portion, and the power supply area are alternately arranged.

The transport system according to still another embodiment of the present invention may be: the transport unit includes a control mechanism for driving the pressure contact unit in a direction approaching the transport unit and in a direction away from the transport unit to control the pressure contact of the pressure contact unit with the transport unit and the release of the pressure contact.

The transport system according to still another embodiment of the present invention may be: the connecting assembly is a telescopic assembly formed by continuously arranging a plurality of crossed connecting rod members along the axial direction.

The transport system according to still another embodiment of the present invention may be: the pair of intersecting link members are rotatably coupled to each other at an intersection point by a first shaft, and each link member is rotatably coupled to the adjacent other link member at both ends by a second shaft, and

both or either of the first shaft and the second shaft link the link members to each other through a rotary damper in such a manner that a predetermined load is required for rotation of the link members.

ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION

According to the conveying apparatus of one aspect of the present invention, the connecting means for connecting the plurality of conveying means is configured to be contracted and expanded in response to a predetermined load. Thereby, the connecting assembly functions in the following manner: that is, the first and second conveyor assemblies arranged in front of and behind the conveying track are allowed to travel at mutually different speeds by means of telescopic deformation and relative speed variations of the first and second conveyor assemblies are reduced. For example, in the case where the first conveyor assembly previously traveled changes speed or power supply is stopped, the distance between the first conveyor assembly and the second conveyor assembly changes. At this time, since the expansion and contraction deformation of the coupling member requires a predetermined load, the coupling member absorbs a rapid relative speed change between the first conveyance unit and the second conveyance unit, and the second conveyance unit gradually follows (the speed change of) the first conveyance unit. Therefore, according to the conveying device of the present invention, the object can be conveyed more stably with respect to the stop motion or the speed change of the conveying unit.

According to the transport apparatus of another aspect of the present invention, in addition to the above-described effects of the invention, the transport unit may include a control mechanism for releasing the pressure contact of the pressure contact unit with the transport unit, so that the power supply from the transport unit to each transport unit can be stopped at will.

According to the transport apparatus of the further aspect of the present invention, in addition to the above-described effects of the invention, the coupling unit may be a telescopic unit, so that the coupling unit is mechanically deformed in a telescopic manner with a simple structure. Further, the coupling assembly may be configured to expand and contract at a predetermined load by providing a load on a first shaft coupling the pair of intersecting link members at the intersection point and/or a second shaft coupling the ends of the link members to each other. Also, the first shaft and/or the second shaft is coupled to the link member through the rotary damper, whereby the coupling assembly can be stably moved for a long period of time.

According to the conveying system of one aspect of the present invention, the connecting means for connecting the plurality of conveying means is configured to be contracted and expanded by a predetermined load. Thereby, the coupling assembly functions in the following manner: the first conveying assembly and the second conveying assembly arranged in front of and behind the conveying track are allowed to travel at different speeds from each other by means of telescopic deformation, and relative speed variation of the first conveying assembly and the second conveying assembly is reduced. For example, when the first conveyor assembly that has traveled first changes speed or the power supply is stopped, the distance between the first conveyor assembly and the second conveyor assembly changes. At this time, since the expansion and contraction deformation of the coupling unit requires a predetermined load, the coupling unit absorbs a rapid relative speed change between the first conveyance unit and the second conveyance unit, and the second conveyance unit gradually follows (the speed change of) the first conveyance unit. Therefore, according to the conveying system of the present invention, the object can be conveyed more stably with respect to the stop motion or the speed change of each conveying unit.

In the conveying system according to another aspect of the present invention, in addition to the above-described effects of the invention, the conveying path of the conveying system includes a power supply region and a power loss region. That is, when the first conveyor unit that travels first enters the power-failure region from the power-supply region, the distance between the first conveyor unit and the second conveyor unit is gradually reduced, so that the speed of the first conveyor unit and the second conveyor unit can be gradually changed, and on the other hand, when the first conveyor unit that travels first enters the power-failure region from the power-supply region, the distance between the first conveyor unit and the second conveyor unit is gradually increased, so that the speed of the first conveyor unit and the second conveyor unit can be gradually changed. Similarly, the power-deficient region can be arranged on the conveying track of the conveying system without lowering the conveying stability, and as a result, a working region for decelerating or stopping the conveying unit can be arbitrarily arranged. Further, cost reduction and energy consumption reduction due to relative reduction of the power supply region can be achieved.

According to the conveying system of the further aspect of the present invention, in addition to the above-described effects of the invention, the power supply from the conveying section of each conveying unit may be arbitrarily stopped by providing the conveying unit with a control mechanism for releasing the pressure contact of the pressure contact unit with the conveying section.

In addition to the above-described effects of the invention, the conveying system according to still another aspect of the present invention may be configured such that the coupling member is a telescopic member, that is, the coupling member is mechanically deformed in a telescopic manner with a simple structure. Further, the coupling unit may be configured to expand and contract with a predetermined load by providing a load on a first shaft that couples the pair of intersecting link members at the intersection point and/or a second shaft that couples the ends of the link members to each other. Further, the first shaft and/or the second shaft are coupled to the link members through the rotary damper, thereby enabling the coupling assembly to stably move for a long period of time.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a transport apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a schematic front view of the conveyor of fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top view of the conveyor of fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a side view of the delivery device of fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a conveyor assembly of the conveyor apparatus of fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a (a) front view and (b) rear view of the conveyor assembly of fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a top view (a) and a side view (b) of the conveyor assembly of fig. 5.

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view a-a of the delivery assembly of fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a pressure contact form of the transfer assembly of fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a coupling assembly of the transport apparatus of fig. 1.

Fig. 11 is a front view of the link assembly of fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the coupling assembly of fig. 10.

Fig. 13 is a schematic perspective view of a link assembly according to another embodiment.

Fig. 14 is a schematic perspective view showing a conveying rail according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 15 is a top view of the conveyor track of fig. 14.

Fig. 16 is a (a) side view and (B) B-B sectional view of the conveying rail of fig. 14.

Fig. 17 is a schematic perspective view of a conveyance system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the delivery system of fig. 17.

Fig. 19 is a schematic front view showing one embodiment of the conveying system of fig. 17, in which the conveying device travels in a region continuous with a power supply region of the conveying rail.

Fig. 20 is a schematic front view showing the conveying system of fig. 17, and one mode of the conveying system in which the conveying device travels in a region of the conveying track where the power supply region and the power loss region are alternately arranged, that is, a mode in which the first conveying assembly enters the power loss region from the power supply region and the second conveying assembly remains in the power supply region.

Fig. 21 is a schematic front view showing the conveyance system of fig. 17, and one mode of the conveyance system in which the conveyance device travels in a region of the conveyance track where the power supply region and the power loss region are alternately arranged, that is, a mode in which the first conveyance member enters the power supply region from the power loss region and the second conveyance member remains in the power loss region.

Detailed Description

In the following, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the embodiments of the drawings referred to in the following description are conceptual drawings or schematic drawings based on the description of the preferred embodiments, and the dimensional ratios and the like do not necessarily coincide with actual dimensional ratios. That is, the present invention is not limited to the dimensional scale in the drawings.

The conveying system 10 of the present embodiment includes a conveying device 100 (a plurality of conveying units 110) that conveys an object to a predetermined position, and a conveying track 150 laid along a predetermined conveying path. That is, the transport system 10 is a system in which an object (not shown) is transported to a predetermined position along a transport track 150 laid along a predetermined transport path by the transport device 100. More specifically, the conveying apparatus 100 may be used when an object (workpiece material) is conveyed along the conveying path 150 from one step execution location for executing a first step to another step execution location for executing a second step in order to execute a plurality of steps on the object.

Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a transport apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a front view of the transfer device 100. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the conveying apparatus 100. Fig. 4 is a side view of the conveying apparatus 100.

As shown in fig. 1 to 4, the conveying apparatus 100 includes a pair of conveying units 110 that convey an object to a predetermined position, and a coupling unit 120 that couples the pair of conveying units 110 and is elastically and telescopically deformable in a conveying (axial) direction. For convenience of explanation, the preceding conveying assembly of the pair of conveying assemblies 110 constituting the conveying apparatus 100 is defined as a first conveying assembly 110-1, and the following conveying assembly is defined as a second conveying assembly 110-2. Hereinafter, each constituent element will be described in detail.

First, a conveyance unit 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 5 to 9. Fig. 5 is a schematic perspective view of a delivery assembly 110 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 6(a) and (b) are front and rear views of the conveying assembly 110. Fig. 7(a) and (b) are a top view and a side view of the conveyance unit 110. Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken along line a-a of the transfer module 110 (pressure contact release configuration). Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the transfer assembly 110 (pressure contact configuration).

As shown in fig. 5 to 8, the conveying assembly 110 includes: a conveying assembly body 111; a support part 112 for supporting the object; a traveling part 113 for the conveying assembly body 111 to travel on a conveying track 150 (track part 151); a pressure contact member 115 supported on the transfer member body 111 and pressure-contacting the transfer portion 155 of the transfer rail 150 to connect the transfer member body 111 and the transfer portion 155; and a control mechanism 116 for controlling the pressure contact of the pressure contact member to the conveying portion and the release of the pressure contact.

The conveying member body 111 includes: a pair of longitudinal frames 111a extending in the longitudinal (height) direction at both left and right ends of the conveying unit body; a pair of upper lateral frames 111b extending in the front and rear directions of the pair of longitudinal frames 111 a; and a lower lateral frame 111c extending below the upper lateral frame 111b in parallel with the upper lateral frame 111 b.

Each of the longitudinal frames 111a is formed into a rectangular column. A support portion 112 for suspending and fixing a support plate (not shown) on which an object is placed and supported is provided at a lower end of each vertical frame 111 a. The support portion 112 may be a screw hole to which a support plate can be screwed. Further, a traveling portion 113 is provided at an upper end of the vertical frame 111 a. The traveling unit 113 includes a pair of wheels rotatably attached to the upper end of the longitudinal frame 111a in the left-right width direction of the conveyor assembly body 111. The traveling unit 113 is positioned so as to protrude from the front and rear surfaces of the longitudinal frame 111a, and is configured to be placed on the rail unit 151 of the conveying rail 150 and to be capable of traveling on the rail unit 151. Further, a coupling portion 118 for coupling members 120 for coupling the conveying members 110 to each other is formed at an upper end side of one longitudinal frame 111 a. That is, the coupling unit 120 is fixed by the coupling units 118 of the pair of conveyor units 110, and the conveyor units 110 can be coupled to each other by the coupling unit 120.

The front and rear pair of upper lateral frames 111b are formed in an elongated plate shape, and are fixed to the front and rear surfaces of the longitudinal frames 111a with their plane portions directed toward the front and rear surfaces. That is, the pair of front and rear upper lateral frames 111b are connected to each other at the front and rear sides via the pair of vertical frames 111 a. As shown in fig. 8, three shaft holes are formed through the flat surface portion of the upper lateral frame 111b to axially support the rotating shaft 116g and the

rotating shafts

116h and 116h of the control mechanism 116. On the other hand, the lower lateral frame 111c is formed in an elongated plate shape. The lower horizontal frame 111c is fixed (sandwiched) to the opposing inner side surfaces of the pair of left and right vertical frames 111a such that the flat surface portions thereof face upward and downward. Four rectangular notches for guiding the movement of the leg portions 115a of the press contact unit 115 are formed in both side edges of the front and back sides of the lower horizontal frame 111 c.

The pressure contact unit 115 is supported by the conveyance unit main body 111 so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and functions to be in pressure contact with a conveyance portion 155 (see fig. 15, 16, and the like) of the conveyance rail 150 to couple the conveyance unit main body 111 and the conveyance portion 155. The pressure contact unit 115 includes a pair of left and right leg portions 115a extending in the longitudinal direction of the conveying unit body 111, and a plate-shaped pressure contact plate (pressure contact portion) 115b fixed to the upper ends of the pair of leg portions 115 a.

Each leg portion 115a is formed by combining two longitudinal plate-like portions arranged in the front and rear. A lower lateral frame 111c of the conveyor main body 111 is disposed on the inner side of the plate-like portion of the leg portion 115a, and an upper lateral frame 111b is disposed on the outer side of the plate material. The pressure contact module 115 is supported by the transport module main body 111 in a state where the plate-like portions of the leg portions 115a are received in the four cutouts of the lower lateral frame 111 c.

The pressure contact plate 115b is fixed to the leg portion 115a with its rectangular base portion positioned between the plate-shaped portions of the leg portion 115 a. The pressure contact plate 115b is formed in a tapered shape so as to extend in the left-right width direction and to have both ends inclined downward. That is, the upper surface of the pressure contact plate 115b is configured as a pressure contact portion that is in pressure contact with the conveying portion 155.

As shown in fig. 8, an engaging shaft 115c is provided above each leg 115 a. The engaging shaft 115c extends in the front-rear direction so as to connect the front and rear plate-like portions, and is disposed so as to be engageable with an outer surface of an engaging member 116e of a control mechanism 116 described below. Further, as shown in fig. 8, a long hole 115d extending in the longitudinal direction is provided through substantially the center of each leg portion 115 a. In more detail, long holes 115d are penetratingly provided at both plate-shaped portions of the leg portion 115a, and a rotary shaft 116h of the control mechanism 116 is movably (slidably) inserted therein. A bottom wall 115e is provided at the lower end of each leg 115 a. The bottom wall 115e connects the plate-like portions of the leg portions 115a so as to close the lower ends thereof. As shown in fig. 8, the spring 116f of the control mechanism 116 is disposed between the upper surface of the bottom wall 115e and the lower surface of the lower lateral frame 111 c.

The control mechanism 116 functions to drive the pressure contact member 115 in a direction approaching the conveying rail 150 (conveying portion 155) and in a direction separating the pressure contact member 115 from the conveying rail 150, thereby controlling the pressure contact of the conveying portion 155 by the pressure contact member 115 and the release of the pressure contact. The control mechanism 116 includes a lever-shaped operating portion 116a for driving and operating the pressure contact assembly 115. The operation portion 116a can be moved to a movement position (inclined posture) where the pressure contact member 115 is brought into pressure contact with the conveying portion 155 and a release position (vertical posture) where the pressure contact member 155 is away from the conveying portion 155. The operating portion 116a is provided with a rotatable bearing 116b at the tip.

The operating portion 116a is rotatably and axially supported at its base end (lower end) by a rotating shaft 116g substantially at the center of the upper lateral frame 111b of the conveying unit body 111. The pivot shaft 116g penetrates the pair of front and rear upper lateral frames 111b so as to project toward the front side of the conveyor main body 111, and is rotatable relative to the conveyor main body 111. As shown in fig. 7, an operation portion 116a is fixed to the front end of the rotating shaft 116g and is disposed forward (front side) of the conveyance unit main body 111. Further, a drive gear 116c is fixed to the rotating shaft 116g between the outer surface of the front side lateral frame 111b and the operating portion 116 a. That is, the operation portion 116a and the drive gear 116c can rotate synchronously with each other around the rotation shaft 116 g.

On the other hand, on both sides of the rotating shaft 116g, two driven gears 116d are rotatably and axially supported by the upper lateral frame 111b of the conveying unit body 111 through two rotating shafts 116h, respectively. Each of the rotary shafts 116h penetrates the pair of front and rear upper lateral frames 111b and is rotatable with respect to the conveying unit body 111. The

rotation shafts

116g, 116h, and 116g are aligned in a straight line along the extending direction of the upper lateral frame 111b (the left-right width direction of the conveyor unit 110). Each driven gear 116d is fixed to the front end of the rotating shaft 116h, and the left and right driven gears 116d are disposed at positions capable of meshing with the central drive gear 116 c. That is, it is configured such that the driven gear 116d rotates with the rotation of the driving gear 116 c. In the present embodiment, the drive gear 116c and the driven gear 116d are configured to have the same diameter, and therefore, the drive gear 116c and the driven gear 116d have the same rotation angle. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

Between the pair of front and rear upper lateral frames 111b, an engagement member 116e is fixed to each rotation shaft 116 h. That is, the engaging member 116e is integrally fixed to the driven gear 116d via the rotating shaft 116h, and therefore rotates synchronously with the rotation of the driven gear 116 d. The engaging member 116e has a shape that is recessed toward the center side from the center of each side of the square in a front view. In other words, a concave portion is formed at the center of each side of the engaging member 116 e. The outer peripheral surface of the engaging member 116e gently changes and is curved as a whole. The outer peripheral surface of the engaging member 116e is disposed so as to abut (slide-contact) the engaging shaft 115c (see fig. 8 and 9). That is, since the distance between the outer peripheral surface of the engaging member 116e and the rotating shaft 116h is not the same, the engaging shaft 115c that is in sliding contact with the outer peripheral surface of the engaging member 116e can move toward and away from the rotating shaft 116h as the engaging member 116e rotates.

Further, a spring 116f for urging the pressure contact member 115 in the backward direction (downward) is provided in the control mechanism 116. The springs 116f are disposed inside the respective legs 115 a. In particular, the lower end of the spring 116f is fixed to the upper surface of the bottom wall 115e, and the upper end of the spring 116f is fixed to the lower surface of the lower lateral frame 111 c. In the embodiment of fig. 8 (and fig. 9), the spring 116f is in a state of contracting from the natural length, and is urged in a direction in which the bottom wall 115e is separated from the lower lateral frame 111 c. That is, the bottom wall 115e of each leg 115a is biased downward with respect to the lower lateral frame 111c of the transfer unit main body 111 by the elastic restoring force of the spring 116f, and thereby the pressure contact unit 115 is biased in the backward direction (downward). The urging force maintains the engagement shaft 115c in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the engagement member 116e, so that the engagement shaft 115c can be relatively slid on the outer peripheral surface of the driven gear 116d in accordance with the rotation of the driven gear 116 d.

Next, the movement of the conveyance unit 110 will be described with reference to fig. 8 and 9. Fig. 8 shows the conveyor assembly 110 in a manner in which the pressure contact assembly 115 is retracted away from the conveyor track 150. Fig. 9 shows the conveyor assembly 110 in a manner such that the pressure contact assembly 115 advances in a direction of pressure contact with the conveyor track 150.

In fig. 8, the operating portion 116a of the control mechanism 116 is in a substantially vertical state, and the bearing 116b at the tip of the operating portion 116a is located at a first height. The engagement shaft 115c is abutted at the center of the upper side of the engagement member 116 e. In the recessed portion in the center of the side of the engaging member 116e, the distance between the center of the rotating shaft 116h and the outer peripheral surface of the engaging member 116e is the smallest. That is, in the embodiment of fig. 8, the pressure contact member 115 is disposed at the lowermost position. Further, the operation portion 116a (not shown in the drawings) may be intentionally controlled by bringing the bearing 116b into sliding contact with a rail member having a varying height provided on the conveying rail 150.

Then, by tilting the operation portion 116a of the control mechanism 116 (to either the left or right) in the manner of fig. 8, the pressure contact module 115 can be moved in the forward direction (upward) as shown in fig. 9. More specifically, when the operation portion 116a is tilted by a predetermined angle, the driving gear 116c rotates in one direction by a predetermined angle in synchronization with the rotation of the operation portion 116 a. At this time, the bearing 116b at the tip of the operation portion 116a is located at the second height. In the present embodiment, the predetermined angle is about 45 degrees. Since the central driving gear 116c meshes with the two driven gears 116d on both sides, the two driven gears 116d are driven to rotate at a predetermined angle in accordance with the rotation of the driving gear 116 c. The engaging member 116e rotates at a predetermined angle in synchronization with the rotation of each driven gear 116 d. As the engaging member 116e rotates, the engaging shaft 115c slides relatively on the outer peripheral surface of the engaging member 116 e. As the engaging shaft 115c moves outward from the recessed portion at the center of the side of the engaging member 116e, the engaging shaft 115c gradually moves upward so that the rotation shaft 116g is separated from the engaging shaft 115 c. At the same time, the rotation shaft 116h slides downward in the elongated hole 115 d. As shown in fig. 9, when the engaging shaft 115c moves toward the corner of the engaging member 116e, the pressure contact unit 115 advances most in the direction of pressure contact with the conveying rail 150. Further, the pressure contact unit 115 can be maintained in the advanced state by fixing the operation portion 116a to the conveyance unit body 111 at a desired tilt movement angle by a fixing means such as a pin, which is not shown in the drawings.

Next, a coupling assembly 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to fig. 10 to 12. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the coupling unit 120 according to the present embodiment. Fig. 11 is a front view of the link assembly 120. Fig. 12 is an exploded perspective view of the link assembly 120.

The connecting members 120 connect the adjacent conveying members 110, and are elastically and elastically deformable in the conveying direction of the conveying members 110. The connecting member 120 is fixed at both ends thereof to the connecting portions 118 of the adjacent conveying members 110. The connecting unit 120 is configured to be subjected to contraction deformation and expansion deformation, respectively, in response to a predetermined load. That is, the link assembly 120 is inelastically deformed, and therefore, loads are required in both directions of the elongation deformation and the contraction deformation. The linking unit 120 functions to allow the linked conveyor units to travel at different speeds from each other by the telescopic deformation and to reduce the relative speed change between the adjacent conveyor units.

In particular, as shown in fig. 10 to 12, the coupling unit 120 is configured by a plurality of first link members 121 and second link members 122, which are formed in a pair of intersecting long plate shapes, and are provided in series in the axial direction. The pair of intersecting

link members

121 and 122 are rotatably coupled to each other by a first shaft 123 at an intersection point of the centers thereof. Each

link member

121, 122 is rotatably coupled to another adjacent pair of link members at both ends by a second shaft 124. That is, the

link members

121 and 122 of the entire coupling unit 120 rotate with each other around the first shaft 123 and the second shaft 124, and thereby the coupling unit 120 moves in an extending or contracting manner as shown in fig. 11(a) and (b). Further, the first shaft 123 links the

link members

121, 122 through a damper structure that requires a predetermined torque for rotation of the

intersecting link members

121, 122.

More specifically, the first shaft 123 penetrates the centers of the pair of first and

second link members

121 and 122 that intersect each other. The first shaft 123 is fixed to the first link member 121 on the near side, and is rotatably supported by the second link member 122. Further, a first gear 126 is integrally fixed to the first shaft 123 between the first link member 121 and the second link member 122. That is, when the first link member 121 rotates with respect to the second link member 122, the first gear 126 rotates with the first link member 121 with respect to the second link member 122. On the other hand, a rotary damper 125 is fixed to the second link member 122 adjacent to the first shaft 123. The rotary damper 125 includes a base fixed to the second link member 122 and a shaft portion protruding from the base and rotating with a predetermined torque. A second gear 127 is integrally fixed to a shaft portion of the rotary damper 125. That is, the second gear 127 is rotatably supported by the second link member 122 with a predetermined torque. The second gear 127 is disposed to mesh with the first gear 126.

That is, when the first link member 121 rotates with respect to the second link member 122, the first gear 126 meshes with the second gear 127, and the shaft portion of the rotary damper 125 rotates together with the second gear 127. Since the shaft portion of the rotary damper 125 requires a predetermined torque for rotation, the first link member 121 also requires a torque for rotation relative to the second link member 122. As described above, the linking assembly 120 is configured to require a predetermined load for the contraction deformation and the expansion deformation, respectively.

In the present embodiment, the damper structure is formed only on the first shaft 123, but may be formed on both the first shaft 123 and the second shaft 124, or may be formed only on the second shaft 124. In the present embodiment, the coupling unit 120 includes five rotary dampers 125 that require a torque of about 0.004N · m to rotate. However, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the load required for the expansion deformation and the contraction deformation of the coupling unit may be arbitrarily set in consideration of the power of the conveying unit. Further, as shown in the coupling assembly 120' of fig. 13, it is also possible to construct a structure in which a screw is fastened to some extent firmly with a force required for rotation in place of the rotary damper 125 when the link assembly is coupled. Alternatively, the high friction member may be provided between the link members that are in contact with each other so as to prevent smooth rotational movement. In either case, a given load is required for both the extension and retraction deformation of the link assembly.

Next, a part of the conveying system 10 according to the present embodiment and a conveying rail 150 for conveying an object in a conveying direction will be described with reference to fig. 14 to 16. Fig. 14 is a perspective view of the conveying rail 150. Fig. 15(a) and (b) are a plan view and a side view of the conveying rail 150. Fig. 16(a) and (B) are a B-B longitudinal sectional view and a C-C cross sectional view of the conveying rail 150.

As shown in fig. 14 to 16, the conveyance rail 150 includes a top wall portion 152 extending in a long shape in the conveyance direction, a pair of side wall portions 153 hanging downward from both end edges in the width (short side) direction of the top wall portion 152, and an opening portion 154 opening downward between the pair of side wall portions 153. The opening ends of the side wall portions 153 are formed with rail portions 151 protruding inward, respectively. The interval between the pair of rail portions 151 extending in the longitudinal direction (conveying direction) is larger than the width of the conveying unit body 111, and corresponds to the positions of the pair of wheels constituting the traveling portion 113. Further, a hanger 157 for suspending and fixing the conveying rail 150 to the construction assembly is fixed to the upper surface of the top wall portion 152.

On the other hand, a conveying section 155 is provided on the opposite side (back side) of the opening 154 of the conveying rail 150. The conveying units 155 are arranged side by side on the rail unit 151, and drive the conveying unit 110 so as to travel on the rail unit 151. The conveying unit 155 includes a plurality of pulleys 155a rotatably supported axially between the side wall portions 153 and a conveyor belt 155b suspended from the plurality of pulleys 155 a. Note that, for convenience of explanation, the conveyor belt 155b is not depicted in fig. 14. The power unit 156 rotates the driving pulley 155a and the conveyor belt 155 b. The power unit 156 may employ a motor or the like as a rotation driving means. The pressure contact plate 115b of the pressure contact member 115 is in pressure contact with the surface of the conveyor belt 155b, and the conveyor member 110 moves as the conveyor belt 155b rotates.

The conveying rail 150 may have any power-loss region Y (see fig. 19 to 21) formed adjacent to the power supply region X and provided with the rail portion 151 but not with the conveying portion 155, in addition to the power supply region X provided with both the rail portion 151 and the conveying portion 155 depicted in fig. 14 to 16. That is, the conveying path 150 may be formed by alternately forming the power supply region X and the power loss region Y.

Although the conveying rail 150 is schematically illustrated as a single unit or a part for convenience of explanation, in practice, the conveying rail 150 may be formed in a long shape so as to connect one step-performing place to at least one step-performing place located away from the one step-performing place. The conveying rail 150 may be laid straight, may be laid in a curved or meandering manner, or may be laid in a loop. The length of the conveying rail 150 can be arbitrarily set according to the use place or the like.

Fig. 17 is a schematic perspective view of the conveyance system 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 17, the transport system 10 of the present embodiment includes the transport device 100 (the pair of transport units 110 and the coupling unit 120) and the transport track 150 described above.

As shown in fig. 18, the upper portion of the conveyance unit 110 is accommodated inside the conveyance rail 150 through the opening 154 of the conveyance rail 150. The pair of traveling portions 113 of the conveyance unit 110 are placed on the pair of rail portions 151 of the conveyance rail 150, and the pressure contact plate 115b of the pressure contact unit 115 is in pressure contact with the conveyance belt 155b of the conveyance portion 155. That is, the conveying unit 155 is rotationally driven in a state where the conveying unit 110 is coupled to the conveying unit 155 by the pressure contact unit 120, and the traveling unit 113 travels on the rail unit 151 in the conveying direction.

Fig. 19 shows an embodiment of the conveying system 10 in which the conveying device 100 travels in a region where the power supply region X of the conveying rail 150 is continuous. In the transport system 10 of fig. 19, three units having the power supply region X are combined. In each unit, the conveying parts 155 are synchronously driven at the same speed, and thus, the first conveying module 110-1 traveling earlier travels on the conveying rail 150 at the same speed as the second conveying module 110-2 traveling later. At this time, the distance between the first conveying assembly 110-1 and the second conveying assembly 110-2 is the length L1 of the linking assembly 120. Since the first and second conveyor assemblies 110-1, 110-2 travel at the same speed on the conveyor track 150, the link assembly 120 maintains the length L1 during conveyance.

Fig. 20 and 21 show one embodiment of the conveyor system 10 in which the conveyor 100 travels in a region where the power supply region X and the power shortage region Y are alternately arranged on the conveyor rail 150.

In FIG. 20, the first conveyor assembly 110-1 is moved from the power supply area X to the power loss area Y, and the second conveyor assembly 110-2 remains in the power supply area X. At this time, a driving force is supplied to the second conveyance unit 110-2, whereas no driving force is supplied to the first conveyance unit 110-1. Further, since the first and second conveyor units 110-1 and 110-2 are coupled by the extendable and contractible coupling unit 120, the coupling unit 120 is contracted and deformed to have a length of L2 (< L1), and the second conveyor units 110-2 arranged in front of and behind the conveyor rail 150 travel at a speed faster than that of the first conveyor unit 110-1. Since the contraction deformation of the link assembly 120 requires a predetermined load, the second conveyance assembly 110-2 is driven so as to press the first conveyance assembly 110-1 in the conveyance direction. Meanwhile, since the linking unit 120 functions to reduce the relative speed change between the first conveying unit 110-1 and the second conveying unit 110-2, the second conveying unit 110-2 gradually follows the speed change of the first conveying unit 110-1.

In fig. 21, the first conveyor assembly 110-1 enters the power supply area X from the power-off area Y, and the second conveyor assembly 110-2 remains in the power-off area Y. At this time, a driving force is supplied to the first conveyance unit 110-1, whereas no driving force is supplied to the second conveyance unit 110-2. Further, since the first transport unit 110-1 and the second transport unit 110-2 are coupled by the telescopic coupling unit 120, the coupling unit 120 is elongated and deformed to have a length of L3 (> L1), and the first transport unit 110-1 arranged in front of and behind the transport rail 150 travels at a speed faster than that of the second transport unit 110-2. Since the contraction deformation of the link assembly 120 requires a predetermined load, the first conveying assembly 110-1 is driven to pull the second conveying assembly 110-2 in the conveying direction. Meanwhile, since the linking unit 120 functions to reduce the relative speed change between the first conveying unit 110-1 and the second conveying unit 110-2, the second conveying unit 110-2 gradually follows the speed change of the first conveying unit 110-1.

The operation and effect of the transport apparatus 100 and the transport system 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described below.

According to the transport apparatus 100 (transport system 10) of the present embodiment, the connection unit 120 that connects the plurality of transport units 110 needs a predetermined load and is configured to be inelastically contracted and expanded. Thereby, the link assembly 120 functions as follows: that is, the first and second conveyor units 110-1 and 110-2 arranged in front of and behind the conveying track are allowed to travel at different speeds from each other by the telescopic deformation and the relative speed change of the first and second conveyor units 110-1 and 110-2 is reduced. For example, as shown in fig. 20 and 21, in the case where the conveying system 10 is provided with the conveying track 150 having both the power supply region X and the power shortage region Y, when either one of the first conveying unit 110-1 and the second conveying unit 110-2 is located in the power shortage region Y, the relative speed and distance of the first conveying unit 110-1 and the second conveying unit are changed. At this time, since the predetermined load is required for the expansion and contraction deformation of the link assembly 120, the link assembly 120 absorbs the rapid relative speed change of the first conveying assembly 110-1 and the second conveying assembly 110-2. Alternatively, when the first conveyance unit 110-1 and the second conveyance unit 110-2 are stopped in order from the first conveyance unit 110-1 traveling ahead, the coupling unit 120 is contracted and the speed of the second conveyance unit 110-2 is decreased after the first conveyance unit 110-1 is stopped. This enables the conveyance device 100 to be stopped more stably. Therefore, according to the conveying device 100 and the conveying system 10 of the present embodiment, the object can be conveyed more stably with respect to the stop operation or the speed change of the conveying unit 110.

Further, according to the transport apparatus (transport system 10) of the present embodiment, the coupling unit 120 is a retractable telescopic member, and thus the coupling unit 120 can be mechanically deformed in a telescopic manner with a simple structure. Further, the coupling unit 120 can be configured to expand and contract with a predetermined load by applying a load to the plurality of first shafts 123 that couple the pair of intersecting

link members

121 and 122 at the intersection point. Further, the first shaft 123 connects the

link members

121 and 122 via the rotary damper 125, thereby enabling the connection unit 120 to operate stably for a long period of time.

Further, according to the conveying system 10 of the present embodiment, the conveying rail 150 includes the power supply region X and the power loss region Y. That is, when the first conveyance unit 110-1 traveling earlier enters the power loss area Y from the power supply area X, the distance between the first conveyance unit 110-1 and the second conveyance unit 110-2 is gradually reduced, and the speed change of the first conveyance unit 110-1 and the second conveyance unit 110-2 in a stepwise manner becomes possible. On the other hand, when the previously traveling first conveyance unit 110-1 enters the power supply area X from the power-off area Y, the distance between the first conveyance unit 110-1 and the second conveyance unit 110-2 is gradually increased, and a gradual speed change of the first conveyance unit 110-1 and the second conveyance unit 110-2 becomes possible. That is, the power shortage region Y can be arranged on the conveying track 150 of the conveying system 10 without lowering the conveying stability. As a result, a work area for decelerating or stopping the conveyance unit 110 can be arbitrarily set. Further, cost reduction or reduction in energy consumption can be achieved by a relative reduction in the power supply region X.

Modification examples

In the above embodiment, the conveying apparatus may be configured such that two conveying units are connected by one connecting unit, or three or more conveying units may be connected by two or more connecting units. That is, the number of delivery assemblies may be selected according to their use.

The form of the transport unit of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. That is, the form of the conveyance unit body, the pressure contact unit, the traveling unit, and the like of the conveyance unit may have various structures as long as the functions thereof can be exhibited. For example, a form of a conveyance unit as described in japanese patent No. 5878996 by the present inventor may also be adopted.

The form of the conveying track of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. For example, the side wall portion and the top wall portion may be omitted to make the conveying rail non-shell type, and a long rod-shaped rail portion may be used independently of the conveying portion. Further, the rail portion and the traveling portion may be formed as a rack and pinion, and the conveyance unit may be advanced by meshing teeth in the gear. This is the case with a rack and pinion, which facilitates the travel of the conveyor assembly when laying the conveying path in an inclined or vertical direction. Further, the traveling unit may travel on one surface of the rail unit without sandwiching the rail unit from above and below.

The conveying section is not limited to the travel of the pulley and the conveyor belt, and any means may be used as long as the conveying section can output the conveyor unit along the conveying path while maintaining the pressure contact relationship with the pressure contact unit. For example, the conveying unit may employ a plurality of drive wheels, and the conveying unit may be output as each drive wheel rotates.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments or modifications, and may be implemented in various ways as long as the technical scope of the present invention is maintained.

Description of the reference numerals

10: conveying system

100: conveying device

110: conveying assembly

110-1: first conveying assembly

110-2: second conveying assembly

111: conveying component body

111 a: longitudinal frame

111 b: upper transverse frame

111 c: lower transverse frame

112: support part

113: traveling part

115: pressure contact assembly

115 a: foot part

115 b: pressure contact plate (pressure contact part)

115 c: engaging shaft

115 d: long hole

115 e: bottom wall

116: control mechanism

116 a: operation part

116 b: bearing assembly

116 c: driving gear

116 d: driven gear

116 e: engaging member

116 f: spring

116 g: rotating shaft

116 h: rotating shaft

118: connecting part

120: connecting assembly

121: first connecting rod

122: second connecting rod

123: first shaft

124: second shaft

125: rotary damper

126: first gear

127: second gear

150: conveying track

151: track part

152: top wall part

153: side wall part

154: opening part

155: conveying part

155 a: pulley wheel

155 b: conveying belt

156: power unit

157: suspension device

X: power supply area

Y: region of kinetic deficit

Claims

1. A conveying apparatus including a plurality of conveying members that travel on a conveying track including a track portion extending in a conveying direction of an object and a conveying portion provided side by side on the track portion and rotationally driven in the conveying direction, characterized in that:

a first conveyor assembly of the plurality of conveyor assemblies travels on the conveyor track in a previous travel relative to a second conveyor assembly,

the connecting component allows the first conveying component and the second conveying component to travel at different speeds through telescopic deformation, and reduces the relative speed change of the first conveying component and the second conveying component;

the connecting assembly is a telescopic assembly formed by continuously arranging a plurality of crossed connecting rod members along the axial direction;

the pair of intersecting link members are rotatably coupled to each other at an intersection point by a first shaft, and each link member is rotatably coupled to the adjacent other link member at both ends by a second shaft,

two or either of the first shaft and the second shaft link the link members to each other in such a manner that rotation of the link members requires a predetermined torque;

both or either of the first and second shafts couple the link members to each other through a rotary damper.

2. The delivery device of claim 1, wherein: the conveying assembly comprises a control mechanism, and the control mechanism drives the pressure contact assembly to the direction close to the conveying part and drives the pressure contact assembly to the direction far away from the conveying part so as to control the pressure contact of the pressure contact assembly on the conveying part and the release of the pressure contact.