JP4050566B2 - Integrated product supply equipment - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for collecting and supplying products in which products to be sequentially conveyed are accumulated in a predetermined number of stages to form an integrated product and then the integrated product is supplied to a packaging path.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Examples of techniques related to this type of integrated supply apparatus include an article supply method described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-206534 and a boxing device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-239405. Of these, the former article supply method sequentially accumulates products sent from the end of the conveyor on the elevator, and when this reaches a predetermined number of stages, it continues to the timing conveyor until the elevator finishes rising after discharging the accumulated products. The product group is dammed, and then the dam is released.
[0003]
On the other hand, the latter boxing apparatus includes an elevator that moves up and down in a bottom-out carton, and an intermediate conveyor disposed above the elevator. It is supposed to be carried to the boxing position.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The former supply method has a large loss of time because the supply of the product is delayed while the next product is being dammed. Further, since the product interval is narrowed by the timing conveyor during this time, a larger product interval is required upstream, and the operation speed is reduced accordingly. Furthermore, in this supply method, since it is necessary to install a timing conveyor for damming before the receiving portion, there is a problem that the apparatus becomes large as a whole.
[0005]
In this regard, it is considered that the latter boxing apparatus is efficient because the products are accumulated on the intermediate conveyor first. However, after the product has been transferred from the intermediate conveyor to the elevator, the conveyor plate of the intermediate conveyor must be waiting on the side of the product group, so it is closed until the product group has passed. Can not return to. Accordingly, time is lost during this period, and as a result, there is a limit to improvement of efficiency.
[0006]
Therefore, the present invention is to solve the problem of time loss related to product accumulation.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  The integrated supply apparatus for products of the present invention supplies the products in the integrated hopper.Elevator that descends to accumulate up to the specified number of stagesTwo elevatorsDivided intoThis solves the above problem. Specifically, the products are sequentially conveyed by a supply conveyor, andFrom supply conveyorIn the integrated hopperInthe firstAcceptedProductIs received on the upper primary conveyor at the receiving position.After this,On the received productTo receive and accumulate the following productsPrimary elevator from receiving positionOne step downAnd thisHave the primary elevator stand by in position. like thisPrimary elevatorDescent and standby actionButProductofReceiveRRepeat everyBy being,A semi-integrated product with a number of stages less than the prescribed number of stages is formed on the primary elevator, and is defined below the receiving position.Delivery positionWith the primary elevator and the lower secondary elevator relatively passing in the vertical direction,Primary elevator to secondary elevatorHalf toDeliver integrated productsShining. The secondary elevatorHalfWhen you receive an integrated product,After the primary elevator leaves the collecting hopper, Descent and standby operation similar to the primary elevatorRepeat until the product accumulation reaches the specified number. After the integrated product with the specified number of stages is formed, the secondary elevatorIntegrated product at the bottom of the integrated hopperLeave and leave the accumulation hopper. And the bottom of the integrated hopperOf the specified number of steps left inIntegrated productIsBy pusherFrom the integrated hopperExtrusionIs, Supplied to the specified packaging routeBe done.
  Note that the primary elevator and the secondary elevator that have exited the accumulation hopper return toward the receiving position and the delivery position.
[0008]
  In this way, the primary elevator takes charge of product accumulation partway, so that the secondary elevatorRegulationThe process of lowering the number of stacked products to the bottom of the integrated hopperThe primary elevator returns to the receiving position for the next integrated product on the primary elevator.Product accumulation can begin. Therefore, it is not necessary to stop the conveyance by the supply conveyor or to prevent the product from being damped, thereby eliminating time loss.
[0009]
  In particular,To perform the above operation continuously,The delivery position is defined immediately below the position of the primary elevator when the semi-integrated product is formed. After the formation of the semi-integrated product, the primary elevator further passes through the delivery position and descends so that the delivery position from the primary elevator is reached. The semi-integrated product is delivered to the secondary elevator atAfter delivery of integrated productsExited from the integrated hopperPrimary elevatorTwoOn the next elevatorRegulationWhen the number of products is accumulated,Enter the integrated hopper and wait at the receiving positionOn the other hand, he left the accumulation hopperSecondary elevatorIsIn the process of accumulating products on the primary elevator, the product enters the accumulation hopper and returns to the delivery position. By such linkage of operations, product accumulation and supply are continuously performed at high speed.
[0010]
The primary elevator and the secondary elevator described above each perform box motion through a predetermined route. In this case, since the operation of each elevator is linearly defined, a specific mechanism for giving an actual operation and its control can be easily realized.
[0011]
  Moreover, regarding the box motion of each elevator, each operation path can be divided into various sections according to the purpose of the operation. For example, sections where each elevator descends in order to accumulate products, and primary elevators become secondary elevators.HalfA descending section for delivering integrated products, and a secondary elevatorOf the specified number of stepsA descending section or the like for bottoming the integrated product can be defined. In this case, each descending distance can be set based on the thickness of the product and the total number of integrated stages.
[0012]
More preferably, it further comprises detection means for detecting that product has been delivered from the supply conveyor into the collecting hopper, and the primary elevator and the secondary elevator are each lowered and waiting each time the product is detected by the detection means. Perform one action. As a result, since the operation of each elevator and the product supply operation can be reliably synchronized, products supplied at random can be reliably integrated, and stable product integration and supply operation can be realized.
[0013]
The accumulation hopper preferably includes a product accumulation path that guides four sides of the products to be accumulated, and further includes an adjusting unit that can adjust the size of the product accumulation path according to the size of the product. In this case, it is possible to easily cope with the change of the product size in combination with the setting of the various descending distances described above.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 shows a carton stuffing machine for collecting flat products such as retort packs in a predetermined number of stages, and then storing the accumulated products in a folding carton.
[0015]
Such a carton filling machine is provided with a supply conveyor 2. The supply conveyor 2 has a conveyance surface extending in the lateral direction, and the supply conveyor 2 sequentially conveys the products P on the conveyance surface. By this conveyance, the individual products P are sequentially supplied to the product stacking unit with a predetermined interval. An accumulation hopper 4 is formed in the product accumulation section, and the accumulation hopper 4 can receive the product P sent from the supply conveyor 2. The supply conveyor 2 includes an exclusion conveyor 6 at a part thereof, and when the defective product P passes, the exclusion conveyor 6 is inclined downward to exclude the defective product P from the supply conveyor 2.
[0016]
The accumulation hopper 4 accumulates a predetermined number of products P from the supply conveyor 2 to form an accumulation product G. Thereafter, the integrated product G is pushed out by a pusher (not shown) toward the packaging path, that is, the carton filling path 8 in this example. The carton stuffing path 8 extends in parallel with the supply conveyor 2 and the accumulated product G is accommodated in a carton Co in an open box state at a product accommodation position in the middle.
[0017]
Here, the carton stuffing path 8 is composed of a bucket conveyor which will be described later, and the carton Co is inserted into the receiving bucket when one bucket of the bucket conveyor is positioned as a receiving bucket at the open box receiving position. Thereafter, the receiving bucket is intermittently conveyed toward the product accommodation position.
[0018]
When the carton Co containing the accumulated product G is intermittently conveyed by the bucket conveyor, the pair of dust flaps F of the carton Co are first folded. Thereafter, the lid L of the carton Co is raised and the tack T at the tip of the lid is folded. The tack T is inserted into the carton Co to obtain a closed carton Cc. At this point, the packing of the integrated product G is completed.
[0019]
The carton Cc is thereafter discharged from the end of the carton stuffing path 8 to the discharge conveyor 10 by a pusher (not shown), and the discharge conveyor 10 conveys the carton Cc toward the next process.
[0020]
The carton Co described above is obtained by opening the folding carton Cf, and this folding carton Cf is stored in the carton hopper 12. The folding carton is a so-called one-touch carton, and this kind of one-touch carton is easily opened by pulling the double blank in the folded state on both sides. Is formed. A folding carton Cf box opening device 13 is provided between the outlet of the carton hopper 12 and the carton stuffing path 8, and the carton hopper 12 extracts carton blanks from the carton hopper 12 one by one. Is opened and supplied to the bucket conveyor.
[0021]
FIG. 2 shows the carton filling machine more specifically. The carton filling machine has a bucket conveyor 14 extending horizontally, and the above-described carton filling path 8 is formed on the upper side thereof. The bucket conveyor 14 receives one carton Co in each bucket and conveys the carton Co as it travels.
[0022]
A pair of struts 18 are erected on the body frame 16, and the above-described integrated hopper 4 is formed between the struts 18. These struts 18 are located on the front side of the machine body from the bucket conveyor 14 and are spaced apart in the direction of the carton stuffing path 8. Note that the end of the supply conveyor 2 described above reaches one of the columns 18.
[0023]
Lifting units 20 and 22 are respectively attached to the pair of support columns 18, and the lifting unit 20 located on the downstream side of the carton stuffing path 8 is positioned above the lifting unit 22 on the upstream side. .
[0024]
3 to 6 specifically show the product stacking unit. The elevating units 20 and 22 are fixed to the column 18 via support plates 24 and 26, and the elevating stage 28 is positioned on the back side of the machine body. Each elevating stage 28 is provided with a carrying-type bracket 30, and these brackets 30 protrude from the elevating stage 28 toward the back of the machine body. Further, rodless cylinders 32 are mounted in a horizontal posture on each bracket 30, and these rodless cylinders 32 have a movement axis line that matches the conveying direction of the supply conveyor 2.
[0025]
Of the two rodless cylinders 32, the primary elevator 34 is attached to the rodless cylinder 32 farther from the supply conveyor 2, and the secondary elevator 36 is attached to the rodless cylinder 32 closer to the opposite side. Yes. As shown in FIG. 4, the primary elevator 34 and the secondary elevator 36 have a comb-teeth shape so that the primary elevator 34 and the secondary elevator 36 are staggered in the integrated hopper 4. Is arranged.
[0026]
The primary elevator 34 and the secondary elevator 36 can be moved in the horizontal direction by the rodless cylinder 32, respectively, and move forward and backward with respect to the integrated hopper 4 along with the horizontal movement. 5 and 6, the primary elevator 34 and the secondary elevator 36 can be lifted and lowered together with the rodless cylinder 32 by the lifting units 20 and 22, respectively.
[0027]
7 to 12 specifically show the integrated hopper 4. As described above, the integrated hopper 4 is defined between the pair of struts 18 as viewed from the front of the machine body. Among these, the fixed wall 38 is attached to the column 18 closer to the supply conveyor 2, and this fixed wall 38 extends near the terminal end of the supply conveyor 2 toward the inner side of the machine body. As shown in FIG. 9, three slits 40 extending in the vertical direction are formed in the fixed wall 38, and the comb teeth of the secondary elevator 36 can enter the integrated hopper 4 through these slits 40. Yes.
[0028]
The support column 18 protrudes further upward from the upper end of the fixed wall 38, and a gate plate 42 is attached to the upper end portion thereof. The gate plate 42 extends in parallel with the fixed wall 38 toward the back side of the machine body. Here, the horizontal plane including the upper edge of the fixed wall 38 is defined as the hopper inlet of the accumulation hopper 4, and the gate between the fixed wall 38 and the gate plate 42 is the gate for loading the product P from the supply conveyor 2 to the accumulation hopper 4. Is defined as
[0029]
A movable wall 48 is attached to the column 18 far from the supply conveyor 2 via a slide bar 44 and a slide plate 46, and this movable wall 48 is opposed to the above-described fixed wall 38. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, a support plate 52 is horizontally attached to the upper end portion of the support column 18 via a bracket 50, and this support plate 52 extends toward the inner side of the machine body. The above-described slide bar 44 is disposed on the support plate 52 and extends from both side edges of the upper end of the movable wall 48 in the conveying direction of the supply conveyor 2.
[0030]
As shown in FIGS. 7 and 10, a base frame 54 is disposed below the movable wall 48, and the base frame 54 is connected to the column 18. The above-described slide plate 46 is disposed on the base frame 54 and extends from the lower end of the movable wall 48 in the conveying direction of the supply conveyor 2.
[0031]
Here, the above-mentioned slide bar 44 and slide plate 46 become free with respect to the support plate 52 and the base frame 54 by loosening the adjustment lever 56, respectively, and slide in the transport direction of the supply conveyor 2 in this state. Can do. Therefore, the distance from the fixed wall 38 can be adjusted by shifting the movable wall 48 in the conveying direction of the supply conveyor 2 in accordance with the sliding operation of the slide bar 44 and the slide plate 46. If the adjustment lever 56 is tightened again after adjustment, the movable wall 48 can be fixed at a desired position.
[0032]
  As shown in FIG. 10, the movable wall 48 is also formed with a plurality of slits 58, 60 extending in the vertical direction, and the comb teeth of the primary elevator 34 enter the integrated hopper 4 through the slits 58, 60. Can do. In addition, the movable wall 48 is positioned opposite to the slit 40 of the fixed wall 38.slit62 and 64 are formed, and the slits 64 on both sides are connected to the slit 60 described above. The slits 62 and 64 prevent the comb teeth of the secondary elevator 36 from interfering with the movable wall 48 when the distance between the movable wall 48 and the fixed wall 38 is narrowed.
[0033]
  Although indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 8, a bottom plate 66 is disposed between the lower ends of the fixed wall 38 and the movable wall 48, and the bottom plate 66 defines the bottom of the integrated hopper 4. . The bottom plate 66 is disposed between the pair of support columns 18 and projects from the integrated hopper 4 to the front side of the machine body. The bottom plate 66 is also formed with three slits 68 that allow the comb teeth of the secondary elevator 36 to pass through the bottom plate 66. In addition, as shown in FIG.46A similar slit 70 is also formed.
[0034]
The fixed wall 38 and the movable wall 48 described above define the product accumulation path of the accumulation hopper 4 with respect to the conveying direction of the supply conveyor 2, but the product accumulation path of the accumulation hopper 4 with respect to the width direction of the supply conveyor 2 is a pair of sides. It is defined by the wall 72.
[0035]
The pair of side walls 72 are attached to the gate plate 42 via a slide bracket 74. The side wall 72 protrudes from the gate plate 42 to the upper side of the accumulation hopper 4 and hangs from there into the accumulation hopper 4. A part of the side wall 72 extends toward the supply conveyor 2 so as to pass under the gate plate 42, and the protruding portion 76 forms both side walls of the input gate.
[0036]
As shown in FIG. 12, each slide bracket 74 can be slid in the width direction of the supply conveyor 2 with respect to the gate plate 42 by loosening the adjustment lever 78. Along with this slide, the pair of side walls 72 The interval can be adjusted. After adjusting the distance, the adjustment lever 78 can be tightened to fix the position of the side wall 72.
[0037]
As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a transmission type product sensor 80 is attached to the gate plate 42 and the fixed wall 38. These product sensors 80 detect the passage of the product P and output the sensor signal. Output to a control unit described later.
[0038]
13 to 15 specifically show the pusher 82. As shown by the solid line in FIG. 13, the pusher 82 is on the front side of the machine body at the standby position, and at this time, continues to the lower side of the side wall 72 of the integrated hopper 4. Then, the pusher 82 is pushed to pass through the accumulation hopper 4 and reach the product accommodation position shown in FIG.
[0039]
Such push-in operation of the pusher 82 is realized by the rodless cylinder 84. The rodless cylinder 84 is disposed below the bottom plate 66 described above, and its movement axis extends from the front of the machine body toward the back side. The pusher 82 is connected to the rodless cylinder 84 via a bracket 86 and an arm 88, and the arm 88 extends from the upper end of the bracket 86 toward the rear side of the machine body. The above-described bottom plate 66 projects greatly from the integrated hopper 4 toward the front side of the machine body, and covers the upper portion of the rodless cylinder 84 at this projecting portion. A slit 90 is formed in the bottom plate 66 along the movement axis of the rodless cylinder 84. The slit 90 extends to the inner side of the machine body across the three slits 68 described above. The bracket 86 protrudes on the bottom plate 66 through the slit 90, and the bracket 86 can move along the slit 90 when the rodless cylinder 84 is operated.
[0040]
The arm 88 is screwed to the bracket 86 by an adjustment lever 92, and the pusher 82 can be replaced together with the arm 88 in accordance with the size change of the product P. At this time, the position of the rodless cylinder 84 can be adjusted back and forth by appropriately operating the adjustment lever 94.
[0041]
Although the details of various mechanisms for giving individual operations to the primary elevator 34, the secondary elevator 36, and the pusher 82 have been clarified by the above description, the operation linkage by these mechanisms will be described below.
[0042]
FIG. 16 shows a control system of various mechanisms related to the integrated supply apparatus. The integrated supply apparatus includes a control unit 96. The control unit 96 receives the sensor signal from the product sensor 80 and the setting information from the setting input unit 98 as described above. The setting input unit 98 takes in setting information such as the number of stacked stages and thicknesses of the product P, and provides this setting information to the control unit 96. The setting information can be input to the setting input unit 98 by an operator operating the touch panel type display unit 100, for example.
[0043]
The control unit 96 can integrally control the operations of the supply conveyor 2, the lifting units 20 and 22, and the rodless cylinders 32 and 84 described above, and can realize the linkage of the operations by various mechanisms. At this time, the operations to be controlled by the control unit 96 include the supply operation of the product P by the supply conveyor 2, the raising and lowering and advancing and retreating operations of the primary elevator 34 and the secondary elevator 36, and the advancing and retreating operation of the pusher 82.
[0044]
  17 to 26 continuously show a series of operations by the integrated supply apparatus.
  As shown in Figure 17, alreadySpecifiedThe integrated product G reaching the total number of stages (for example, 5) is on the secondary elevator 36, and at this time, the secondary elevator 36 is in the middle of descending toward the bottom of the integrated hopper 4. On the other hand, the primary elevator 34 is disposed in the integrated hopper 4.First receiptA new product P waiting at the position and delivered from the supply conveyor 2₁In preparation for receiving.
[0045]
As shown in FIG. 18, the product P delivered from the supply conveyor 2₁Is settled in the accumulation hopper 4 by being guided by the movable wall 48 and received on the primary elevator 34. At this time, the first product P1 is positioned at the lowermost layer of the newly accumulated product group.
[0046]
On the other hand, the secondary elevator 36 reaches the bottom of the accumulation hopper 4 and the accumulation product G is positioned on the bottom plate 66. At this time, the secondary elevator 36 can come out of the integrated hopper 4 through the slit 68 described above.
[0047]
FIG. 19 shows that the primary elevator 34 is the first product P.₁It shows a state where it has been lowered one step after receiving. At this time, the primary elevator 34 is the product P₁Next product P on₂Waiting to receive. As a result, the next product P at a certain height as viewed from the conveying surface of the supply conveyor 2₂Can receive.
[0048]
Further, the secondary elevator 36 is in the process of moving from the stacking hopper 4 to the upstream side in the conveying direction of the supply conveyor 2 and exiting from the stacking hopper 4. In accordance with this withdrawal operation, the pusher 82 starts the pushing operation and pushes the accumulated product G from the bottom of the accumulation hopper 4 toward the carton filling path.
[0049]
As shown in FIG. 20, the next product P₂Is delivered from the supply conveyor 2 and is guided by the movable wall 48 to the product P.₂Settles in the accumulation hopper 4. And product P₂Is received on the primary elevator 34 and the bottom product P₁Accumulated on top. At this time, the secondary elevator 36 has already left the collecting hopper 4 and is in the process of ascending its side.
[0050]
FIG. 21 shows a state after the accumulated product is pushed out of the accumulation hopper 4 by the pusher 82. At this time, the accumulated product is already packed in the above-mentioned carton, and the pusher 82 is moved backward toward the standby position.
[0051]
  The primary elevator 34 is further lowered and waits for the next product P.₃In preparation for receiving. Further, the secondary elevator 36 is in the process of entering the accumulation hopper 4.
  As shown in FIG. 22, the secondary elevator 36 returns to a predetermined delivery position when it has entered the integrated hopper 4. And the next product P on the primary elevator 34₃Is received, total 3 stages of product P₁~ P₃ButAs a semi-integrated productWhen integrated, the primary elevator 34DeliveryLower toward position.
[0052]
  As shown in FIG. 23, the primary elevator 34 passes through the delivery position and further descends. At this time, the primary elevator 34 passes through the secondary elevator 36 and passes through three stages.HalfIntegrated product P₁~ P₃Is transferred to the secondary elevator 36. As a result, the secondary elevator 36 is moved from the primary elevator 34 at the delivery position.HalfIntegrated product P₁~ P₃Can receive. Thereafter, the primary elevator 34 exits from the accumulation hopper 4.
[0053]
As shown in FIG. 24, the next product P from the supply conveyor 2_FourIs sent, this product P_FourIs settled in the accumulation hopper 4 and received on the secondary elevator 36, and accumulated in the fourth stage from the bottom. Secondary elevator 36 is product P_FourIs received, the next product P_FivePrepare for receipt. At this time, the primary elevator 34 is completely removed from the accumulation hopper 4.
[0054]
  As shown in FIG. 25, the primary elevator 34 rises to the side of the accumulation hopper 4, and then reaches a position higher than the conveying surface of the supply conveyor 2.
  And the last product P as shown in FIG.₅Is received, the product on the secondary elevator 36Is the total number of stages (P ₁ ~ P ₅ )The desired integrated product G is formed there. When the integrated product G is formed, the secondary elevator 36 is lowered to position the integrated product G at the bottom of the integrated hopper 4. After this, the primary elevator 34 enters the accumulation hopper 4 and the firstAcceptanceWhen it returns to the position, it returns to the state of FIG.
[0055]
Thereafter, the same accumulation operation by the primary elevator 34 and the secondary elevator 36 is repeated in conjunction with the supply conveyor 2 and the pusher 82, and the product P is continuously accumulated and supplied.
[0056]
According to the above-described integrated supply device, after the integrated product G is formed in the integrated hopper 4, even if the secondary elevator 36 is in the descending and returning operation, the next P₁~ P_ThreeCan be received by the primary elevator 34. In addition, since the previous integrated product G can be boxed during this time, a new product P by the supply conveyor 2 is supplied during this period.₁, P₂,... Or the product P on the supply conveyor 2 is stopped.₁, P₂There is no need to keep dams. Therefore, the product P can be produced on the supply conveyor 2 without increasing the conveyance interval.₁, P₂,... Can be continuously supplied, so that product accumulation and supply operations can be continuously performed without loss of time.
[0057]
FIG. 27 shows the movement paths of the primary elevator 34 and the secondary elevator 36 related to the above-described accumulation operation, and the primary elevator 34 and the secondary elevator 36 each perform a predetermined box motion.
[0058]
  First, the primary elevator 34 travels from the upper side of the stacking hopper 4 to the lower level than the delivery position Ld in the primary lowering path Rd.₁Along the stacking hopper 4 and exits from the end of the stacking hopper 4.₁To exit out of the accumulation hopper 4. Further, the primary elevator 34 exits the route Rw.₁Acceptance position L from the end of ₁ The primary ascending path Rr up to a higher height₁From the end to the primary approach path Ra₁Along the stacking hopper 4.
[0059]
Here, the primary elevator 34 is connected to the primary descending path Rd.₁The first receiving position L from the upper end of the₁After that, the receiving position L is lowered step by step one by one.₂~ L_ThreeGo down. These receiving positions L₁~ L_ThreeBetween the primary accumulation descent zone Z₁Then, the section where the primary elevator 34 descends beyond the delivery position Ld from the end point becomes the delivery descending section Zd.
[0060]
Next, the secondary elevator 36 reaches the secondary descending path Rd from the delivery position Ld to a position passing through the bottom of the accumulation hopper 4.₂Along the accumulation hopper 4 along the reverse path Rw₂It moves backward with respect to the accumulation | storage hopper 4 along. Further, the secondary elevator 36 is connected to the reverse route Rw.₂From the terminal of the secondary route Rr to the height of the delivery position Ld₂From the end to the secondary approach path Ra₂And enters the accumulation hopper 4.
[0061]
Here, the secondary elevator 36 is connected to the secondary descending path Rd.₂Receiving position L one step downward from the upper end of the_Four, ... (L in the example of FIG._FourIt goes down only). These receiving positions L_Four, ... between secondary accumulation descending zone Z₂Then, the section where the secondary elevator 36 descends beyond the bottom of the stacking hopper 4 (the upper surface of the bottom plate 66) from the end point becomes the bottom descending section Zb.
[0062]
  Among these, the receiving position L with respect to the conveyance surface of the supply conveyor 2₁Height H₁And the individual receiving position L beyond that ₁ ~ L ₃ Lowering distance A between, lowering delivery distance B in delivery lowering section Zd, delivery position Ld to delivery position Ld ₄ Descent distance A, individual receiving position L beyond₄,..., And a specific value such as a bottom falling distance D of the bottom falling section Zb are determined based on the thickness of the product P and the total number of integrated stages.
[0063]
When the product P has a relatively large thickness and the total number of integrated stages is five as in the above example, information on the thickness and the total number of integrated stages is input through the setting input unit 98 described above. The control unit 96 can set the plurality of parameters by calculation.
[0064]
In the above-described example, the case where the thickness of the product P is relatively large and the total number of integrated stages is five is given. However, the integrated supply apparatus arbitrarily changes the settings of the thickness of the product P and the total number of integrated stages. It can operate appropriately.
[0065]
FIG. 28 shows an example where the thickness of the product P and the setting of the total number of integrated stages are different. In this example, the product P has a relatively small thickness, and the total number of integrated stages is eight. When the information on the thickness and the total number of integrated stages is input through the setting input unit 98, the control unit 96 sets parameters by calculation.
[0066]
In this case, the thickness of the product P is smaller than that of the example of FIG.₁And the descending distance A ′ are set to small values (H₁> H ’₁, A> A ′). In addition, since the total number of integrated stages is increased to 8, the receiving position L_Five~ L₇Has increased.
[0067]
FIG. 29 shows an example where the thickness of the product P is relatively small and the total number of integrated stages is five. In this case, the total number of integrated stages is the same as in the example of FIG. 27, but the descending distance A ″ is set to a smaller value because the thickness of the product P is smaller (A> A ″). Also, the conveying surface of the supply conveyor 2 and the first receiving position L₁Are set to substantially the same level.
[0068]
According to the integrated supply apparatus described above, it is possible to eliminate time loss in the operation of integrating the products P, and to greatly improve the operation speed of the carton filling machine.
In addition, since the thickness of the product P and the total number of integrated stages can be easily changed and set by operating the setting input unit 98, it is possible to easily cope with a change in packaging form. Further, when changing the vertical and horizontal sizes of the product P, the size of the product stacking path in the stacking hopper 4 is appropriately adjusted to the product size by operating the various adjustment levers 56, 78, 92, 94, etc. Since it can be adjusted, it is suitable for a small variety of carton filling machines.
[0069]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be implemented with various modifications.
For example, in one embodiment, the primary elevator 34 and the secondary elevator 36 are arranged separately in the front-rear direction with respect to the conveying direction of the supply conveyor 2, but the primary elevator 34 and the secondary elevator 36 are arranged on the supply conveyor 2. They may be arranged separately in the width direction.
[0070]
In addition, the various members and operating devices listed with the drawings are merely preferred examples, and the specific shapes of the primary elevator 34, the secondary elevator 36, the integrated hopper 4, and the like can be appropriately changed according to the product. Needless to say, the lifting unit, the rodless cylinder, and the like can be replaced with another actuator.
[0071]
【The invention's effect】
  The integrated supply apparatus for products of the present invention can be used during product integration operations.Accumulated last timeSince the integrated product can be supplied to the packaging path, the operating speed can be greatly improved. In addition, since the products can be continuously collected and supplied to the packaging path only at one position with the accumulation hopper, the installation area of the apparatus can be reduced.
[0072]
The integrated supply device of the present invention is excellent in versatility because it can easily cope with changes in product type, size, number of integrated stages, and the like.
Furthermore, the integrated supply apparatus of the present invention can be integrated reliably even if the supply interval of the products is random, so that it is extremely excellent in versatility and stability.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a boxing operation of an integrated product in a carton filling machine.
FIG. 2 is a front view specifically showing a product stacking unit and a carton packing path.
FIG. 3 is a front view more specifically showing the configuration of a product stacking unit.
FIG. 4 is a plan view specifically showing a primary elevator and a secondary elevator of a product stacking unit.
FIG. 5 is a right side view of a product stacking unit.
FIG. 6 is a left side view of a product stacking unit.
FIG. 7 is a front view specifically showing the configuration of the integrated hopper.
FIG. 8 is a plan view of the integrated hopper.
FIG. 9 is a detailed view of a fixed wall.
FIG. 10 is a detailed view of the movable wall.
11 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XI-XI in FIG.
12 is a detailed view of the side wall seen from the direction of arrow XII in FIG.
FIG. 13 is a diagram specifically showing the configuration of a pusher and its operating mechanism.
FIG. 14 is a plan view of a pusher and its operating mechanism.
FIG. 15 is a front view of a pusher and its operation mechanism.
FIG. 16 is a control system diagram of various mechanisms by the control unit.
FIG. 17 is a first diagram for explaining a product accumulation operation;
FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a state when the first product is received from the state of FIG.
FIG. 19 is a diagram for explaining the descent and standby operations by the primary elevator.
20 is a diagram showing a state when the next product is integrated from the state of FIG.
FIG. 21 is a diagram for explaining the return operation of the secondary elevator in addition to the operation of the primary elevator.
FIG. 22 is a diagram showing a state when the next product is integrated from the state of FIG.
FIG. 23 is a diagram for explaining delivery of an integrated product from a primary elevator to a secondary elevator.
FIG. 24 is a diagram showing a state when the next product is integrated from the state of FIG.
FIG. 25 is a view for explaining the raising operation of the primary elevator.
26 is a diagram showing a state before returning to the state of FIG. 17;
FIG. 27 is a diagram illustrating a path of box motion performed by the primary elevator and the secondary elevator.
FIG. 28 is a diagram showing a box motion path when the setting is different from FIG. 27;
FIG. 29 is a diagram showing a box motion path when the setting is different from those in FIGS. 27 and 28;
[Explanation of symbols]
2 Supply conveyor
4 Integrated hopper
34 Primary elevator
36 Secondary elevator
82 Pusher

Claims (7)

A supply conveyor having a conveyance surface extending in the lateral direction and sequentially conveying the products along the conveyance surface;
An accumulation hopper that can be received to accumulate products delivered from the supply conveyor at a specified number of stages ;
At defined receiving position at the top of the integrated hopper, after the first product as a bottom layer of the integrated product of the specified number to be integrated in the integrated hopper you received from the supply conveyor,
Succoth received first on the product received following products waits lowered one step at the integrated hopper so as to integrated with, repeat operations of lowering and waits further whenever the following products are integrated And forming a semi-integrated product having a number of stages less than the specified number of stages, and then, withdrawing out of the integrated hopper and returning toward the receiving position ,
Said primary elevator and the semi-current product products receive Ri and said primary elevator is the from the primary elevator relatively pass each other that in the vertical direction at a defined delivery position below the receiving position in the integrated hopper after exiting out of the integrated hopper, in Rikae Succoth Repetitive operation similar lowering and waiting said primary elevator by the integrated hopper, of the prescribed number of stages takes over until the accumulation of product reaches the prescribed number of stages Forming an integrated product, and then leaving the integrated product of the specified number of stages at the bottom of the integrated hopper, exiting the integrated hopper, and returning to the delivery position ;
An integrated product supply apparatus comprising: a pusher that pushes out the integrated product of the specified number of stages remaining on the bottom of the integrated hopper to the outside of the integrated hopper and supplies it to a predetermined packaging path. The delivery position is defined immediately below the position of the primary elevator when the semi-integrated product is formed, and after the formation of the semi-integrated product, the primary elevator further descends through the delivery position. The semi-integrated product is delivered from the primary elevator to the secondary elevator at the delivery position;
It said primary elevator enters the integrated product of the specified number of stages before SL on the secondary elevator is formed in the integrated hopper returned to the receiving position,
Said secondary elevator, integrated products according to claim 1 which before SL enters into the integrated hopper in the course of the semi-integrated product on the primary elevator is formed, characterized in that to return to the delivery position Feeding device. The primary elevator is
A primary lowering path descending from the upper position of the stacking hopper through the receiving position to a height below the delivery position in the stacking hopper;
An exit path for exiting from the end of the primary descending path to the outside of the integrated hopper;
A primary ascending path that rises from the end of the exit path to the same height as the upper position ;
Repeating a predetermined box motion through a primary approach path that advances from the end of the primary ascent path toward the upper position ;
The secondary elevator is
A secondary descending path descending from the delivery position through the bottom of the accumulation hopper;
A retreat path that retreats out of the integrated hopper from the end of the secondary descending path;
A secondary ascending path that rises from the end of the backward path to the height of the delivery position;
3. The product accumulation and supply device according to claim 2 , wherein a predetermined box motion is repeated through a secondary approach route that enters from the end of the secondary ascending route to the delivery position in the accumulation hopper. The primary descending path is:
A primary accumulation descending section in which the primary elevator descends sequentially from the receiving position;
A delivery descending section in which the primary elevator descends beyond the delivery position from an end point of the primary accumulation descending section;
The secondary descending path is
A secondary accumulation descending section in which the secondary elevator descends sequentially from the delivery position;
4. The product accumulation and supply device according to claim 3, wherein the secondary elevator includes a bottom lowering section in which the secondary elevator descends from the end point of the secondary stack lowering section over the bottom of the stacking hopper. The height of the receiving position in the integrated hopper with respect to the conveying surface of the supply conveyor;
A lowering distance when the primary elevator and the secondary elevator are sequentially lowered step by step within each of the accumulated lowering sections,
The height of the delivery position with respect to the vertical direction in the integrated hopper;
A delivery descending distance when the primary elevator descends in the delivery descending section;
A plurality of parameters including a bottom landing falling distance when the secondary elevator in the adhesive bottom falling in the interval is lowered, characterized by further comprising setting means for setting, based on the thickness and the prescribed number of product An integrated supply apparatus for products according to claim 4. Detection means for detecting that products have been delivered from the supply conveyor into the integrated hopper;
The product accumulation according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the primary elevator and the secondary elevator perform a lowering operation and a standby operation each time a product is detected by the detection means. Feeding device. The accumulation hopper includes a product accumulation path for guiding four sides of products to be accumulated,
The product stacking and supplying apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an adjusting unit that makes it possible to adjust the size of the product stacking path according to the size of the product.

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