JP6331197B2 - Separation and transportation device for stacked trays - Google Patents

Description

  This invention separates and conveys a laminated tray that is separated from the bottom end by sucking a suction cup on the lower surface of a laminated tray in which a plurality of trays made of foamed resin used for food packaging and the like are laminated, and transported outside the machine. Relates to the device.

As a conventional stacking tray separating apparatus related to the present invention, for example, there is one disclosed in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 7-42767).
This stacked tray separating apparatus is provided with a locking member having an elastic force to lock both end edges of the lowermost tray of a stacked stack of a plurality of stacked trays, and lowers an adsorber adsorbed on the lower surface of the tray Thus, the locking member is moved over and separated, and placed on a belt conveyor provided below to be taken out.

Resin-made small trays are often used for food packaging, but as the types of food to be packed, the amount of serving, and the form of serving are diversified, there are many types of trays that are used and there is a problem in separating stacked trays. Sometimes happened.
For example, the conventional standard size and simple shape tray shown in FIG. 4A has no problem with a single adsorber that abuts and adsorbs to the center portion of the smooth lower surface. In the case of a tray with a partition wall provided at the center as shown in (b), where two conventional trays are combined, the recess at the center of the lower surface becomes a hindrance and the suction is insufficient and reliable separation Can not.

In addition, small trays that are packaged and sold at supermarkets are consumables, and are thinned to save resources and reduce costs, and are close to the limit of tolerance. Since the strength of the tray was weakened, the rigidity of the wide tray in particular was insufficient, and sometimes it could not be reliably separated by suction only at the center.
Accordingly, there has been a demand for a separation / conveying apparatus for stacked trays that can reliably adsorb and separate even trays having different shapes and sizes as compared to conventional ones.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 7-42767

  In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a separating and conveying apparatus for a laminated tray that can be reliably separated and conveyed by exchanging with a suitable suction tool even if the laminated trays have different shapes and sizes. It is intended to provide.

The present invention includes a separating unit that separates a plurality of trays stacked in a guide one by one with a suction tool, and a transport unit that receives the separated tray and transports it to the outside of the machine. In a separating and conveying apparatus for a stacked tray that reciprocates in the vertical direction across a conveyance path provided in a conveyance surface, the adsorption tool A has a single suction cup, or there is a dent in the center of the lower surface. The suction tool A can be replaced with any one of the suction tools B in which the suction cups are arranged one by one at symmetrical positions separated from the central portion of the tray at an appropriate distance from each other. Separation of stacked trays characterized in that an auxiliary transport body is provided that is in a position to receive a tray when used, and that can be retracted to a position that does not interfere with reciprocating movement of the suction tool B when the suction tool B is used. Transport device It is.
The conveying means is a belt conveyor C in which three endless flat belts are provided at a predetermined interval,
The starting end side of the central flat belt is shorter than the flat belts on both sides to provide a path for the adsorber to reciprocate.
Auxiliary transport body,
A pair of belt conveyors D that are disposed at both side positions of the suction tool in the passage and can swing opposite to the reciprocating motion of the suction tool with a support shaft at the start end of the central flat belt as a fulcrum,
The belt conveyor D
When suction device A is used, the upper surface along the conveying surface of the belt conveyor C, a possible traveling in phase with the conveyor belt C is held in a position to receive the tray,
When the suction tool B is used, it is held at the retracted position below the lowermost end of the suction tool .

  The tray can be replaced with a suitable suction tool for the size of the tray and the shape of the lower surface, and the auxiliary transporter is provided. Even if the suction tool is replaced, it can be reliably separated and transported.

  It is a side view which shows the principal part of the Example of the separation conveyance apparatus of the laminated tray of this invention.   It is the same top view.   (A) Adsorption tool A composed of a single suction cup. (B) Adsorption tool B provided with two suction cups in the width direction. (C) It is a side view of an adsorption tool.   (A) It is a front view which shows the relationship between a single suction cup and a carrying-out means. (B) It is a front view which shows the relationship between the tray which has a partition wall in the center part, the suction tool provided with two suction cups, and a conveyance means.

Although only a main part of the stacking tray separating and conveying apparatus in the present embodiment is shown in FIG. 1, a storage tank 2 for storing the stacking tray in which a plurality of trays 1 are stacked is provided in the machine base. ing.
The storage tank 2 is appropriately provided with a tray guide 3 that regulates the periphery of the stacked tray in order to accommodate the stacked tray so that it can slide down along its inclination direction by its own weight.
In the present embodiment, the laminated tray can be slid down by its own weight, but may be equipped with a forced feeding device using a weight or the like as appropriate.
Further, near the lower end of the storage tank 2, there is provided a tray drop stopper which is not shown but is invalid when the tray is separated.

In the vicinity of the bottom of the storage tank 2, there is provided a tray separating means for sequentially separating one by one from the lowermost tray 1 of the stacked tray.
The separation means in the present invention separates the stacked trays one by one by moving the suction tool comprising the suction cup 4 and the support member 6 that supports the suction cup 4 while the suction cup 4 is attracted to the lower surface of the lowermost tray 1. It is a separation device.

The suction cup 4 is arranged so as to form a bowl-shaped suction portion using a flexible material such as a synthetic resin and to be brought into contact with a substantially central position of the tray.
As shown in FIG. 3, the suction cup 4 is attached to a support member 6 through which an air suction passage 5 communicating with the suction cup 4 passes, thereby forming an adsorbing tool. The suction tool comprising the suction cup 4 and the support member 6 that supports the suction cup 4 is inserted into the tip of a hollow arm 8 extending from a support pipe 7 that is pivotally supported by the machine base, and is detachable via a latch 9. It is attached.

  An operating arm 10 that reciprocates a hollow arm 8 to which a support member 6 that supports the suction cup 4 is attached is extended from the support tube 7. The distal end of the operating arm 10 is connected to a crank device 12 provided on a motor shaft 11 installed on the machine base.

  Although not shown in the drawing, the end of the support tube 7 is connected to the hollow arm 8 extending from the support tube 7 and the suction cup 4 supported by the support member 6 connected to the hollow arm 8. It is connected to the part and communicates with the suction device.

  When the crank device 12 is operated, the hollow arm 8 swings through the operating arm 10, and the suction cup 4 supported by the suction tool attached to the tip of the hollow arm 8 is sucked to the lower surface of the stacked tray 1. The tray 1 separated from the position is moved until it passes the position (imaginary line display position in FIG. 1) received by the conveying means, and the tray 1 is separated, and the intake air (not shown) is related to the operation of the crank device 12. The valve is opened so that it can be sucked when the suction cup 4 comes into contact with the bottom of the tray 1, and is closed when the suction cup 4 arrives at the tray receiving position of the conveying means with the suction cup 4 adsorbed to the tray 1. To be controlled.

In this embodiment, the suction tool is composed of a suction tool A composed of a single suction cup 4 shown in FIG. 3A and a width direction shown in FIG. 3B (in the horizontal direction with respect to the direction in which the tray is conveyed). An adsorbing tool B made up of two suction cups 4 is prepared, and a tray 6 to be used is provided with a support member 6 that supports the suction cup 4 constituting the adsorbing tool being detachable at the tip of the hollow arm 8. An adsorber that fits the size and shape is selected and used.
In addition, the suction cups 4 in the suction tool B are not limited to two, and a plurality of suction cups 4 may be mounted at left and right symmetrical positions according to the size and shape of the tray.

Below the storage tank 2 is provided a conveying means for receiving the tray 1 separated by the separating means and conveying it outside the apparatus.
The conveying means in the present embodiment is a belt conveyor C that receives and conveys the separated tray 1 on the upper surface, and the belt conveyor C is configured by arranging a plurality of endless belts at appropriate intervals.
In the present embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, three endless flat belts 13 having appropriate width dimensions are provided side by side with a predetermined interval.
The flat belt 13a arranged in the center is shortened to secure a passage for the suction tool having the suction cup 4 to reciprocate in the vertical direction across the conveyance surface near the center of the belt conveyor C.
Two flat belts 13 located on both sides of these three flat belts are supported by a pulley 15 fixed to a drive shaft 14 that is supported by a machine base and a machine base at a conveyance end position of the tray. It is stretched around a pulley 17 fixed to the support shaft 16.
The short flat belt 13a placed in the center is wound around a pulley 17 fixed to the support shaft 16 at the conveyance end position and a pulley 19 formed on a support shaft 18 pivotally supported at a position facing the passage of the suction tool. And stretched.

The suction tool is provided on the transport surface by the crank device 12 from the position where the suction cup 4 abuts against the lower surface of the laminated tray to the position where it passes through the upper surface of the belt conveyor C (the phantom line display position in FIG. 1). It is reciprocated in the vertical direction across the transport path.
The width dimension of the passage through which the suction tool reciprocates is desirably a minimum dimension through which the suction tool can pass, but at least a width dimension through which the suction tool B provided with two suction cups 4 can pass is required.
Therefore, when the suction tool A having a single suction cup 4 is used, a gap corresponding to the width of the suction tool A occupying the passage width is generated in the passage. There is a possibility that the tray falls into this gap and cannot be conveyed.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, an auxiliary conveyance body is provided to reduce this gap. This auxiliary transport body is a belt conveyor D in which a plurality of round belts 20 are used, and is stretched at a position for receiving a tray in the path of the suction tool opened on the transport surface of the belt conveyor C as shown in FIG. Is done.

The belt conveyor D includes a pulley 21 formed on a support shaft 18 of a flat belt 13a having a short central portion constituting the belt conveyor C, and one end of the belt conveyor D that is freely fitted to the support shaft so as to freely rotate and extend to the vicinity of a tray receiving position. It is constituted by a plurality of round belts 20 wound around a roller 23 pivotally supported by the supported support arm 22.
As shown in FIG. 2, the belt conveyor D is disposed so that a pair is disposed at both sides of the suction tool in the passage so as to reduce the gap between the suction tool A and the both side flat belts 13.
Further, the belt conveyor D is illustrated so that the upper surface can be held at a position where the tray is received along the conveying surface of the belt conveyor C and at a retracted position (the phantom line position in FIG. 1) which does not interfere with the reciprocation of the suction tool. However, appropriate locking means such as a knock pin that can be inserted and removed is provided.
Reference numeral 20a denotes a round belt stretched around the pulley 21 and the pulley 17 between the flat belt 13 on both sides and the flat belt 13a on the central portion. The gap with the belt 13a is reduced to smoothly carry the tray 1.

In the stacking tray separating and conveying apparatus configured as described above, when the tray 1 having a standard size and a smooth lower surface is used, the suction tool A is a suction tool A composed of a single suction cup. The belt conveyor D, which is a conveyance body, is held at a position where the upper surface receives a tray along the conveyance surface of the belt conveyor C.
Each conveyor belt in the conveying means, including the belt conveyor D which is an auxiliary conveying body, is wound around an input pulley 24 fixed to the shaft end of the drive shaft 14 supported by the machine base and an output pulley 25 of the motor. The tray driven by the driven belt 26 and separated by the separating means is conveyed outside the receiver.

  The belt conveyor D is synchronized with other conveyor belts in order to smoothly transport the tray when receiving and transporting the separated tray with at least the upper surface positioned along the transport surface of the belt conveyor C. However, when the suction tool B is used and retracted to a position where the reciprocating motion of the suction tool B is not hindered, it is not necessary to travel, so it may be stopped through a mechanism as appropriate.

  A tray that is relatively large in the width direction and difficult to be separated by adsorbing a portion near the center of the tray, or a partition wall at the center as shown in FIG. When using a non-smooth tray 1 or the like, it is replaced with a suction tool B in which suction cups 4 are disposed at left and right symmetrical positions separated from the central portion of the tray by an appropriate distance. At this time, the auxiliary conveyance body is retracted and held at a position that does not hinder the reciprocation of the suction tool B.

  Therefore, according to the present invention, a standard size that allows the suction cup 4 to adsorb and separate the vicinity of the central portion of the tray 1 using the suction tool A including the single suction cup 4 shown in FIG. The tray with a smooth bottom surface is of course easy even if the tray 1 is relatively large in the width direction and cannot be stably separated by the single suction cup 4, or even if the central portion of the bottom surface of the tray is not smooth. The suction tool B can be replaced by operation and reliably separated and carried out.

  The transport means does not use the conveyor as in this embodiment, but accepts the tray by tilting a flat plate receiving plate as appropriate, and slides and unloads it by its own weight, and opens on the transport surface (sliding surface). The auxiliary transport body (auxiliary sliding body) provided in the passage of the adsorbing tool can also be formed of a flat plate so that it can be switched between a position for receiving the tray and a retreat position that does not hinder the reciprocating movement of the adsorbing tool.

1 tray
3 tray guide
4 suckers
6 support members
13 Conveyor

Claims (2)

It has a separating means for separating a plurality of trays stacked in the guide one by one with an adsorbing tool, and a conveying means for receiving the separated tray and conveying it outside the apparatus, and the adsorbing tool is provided on the conveying surface of the conveying means. In a separating and transporting apparatus for stacked trays that reciprocates in the up and down direction across the transport path, the suction tool separates the suction tool A composed of a single suction cup or the tray having a dent in the center of the lower surface. When the suction tool A is used, it can be replaced with any one of the suction tools B in which suction cups are arranged one by one at left and right symmetrical positions at an appropriate distance from the center of the tray. An apparatus for separating and transporting stacked trays, wherein an auxiliary transport body is provided at a position for receiving a tray and retractable to a position that does not prevent reciprocation of the suction tool B when the suction tool B is used. The conveying means is a belt conveyor C in which three endless flat belts are provided at a predetermined interval,
The starting end side of the central flat belt is shorter than the flat belts on both sides to provide a path for the adsorber to reciprocate.
Auxiliary transport body,
A pair of belt conveyors D that are disposed at both side positions of the suction tool in the passage and can swing opposite to the reciprocating motion of the suction tool with a support shaft at the start end of the central flat belt as a fulcrum,
The belt conveyor D
When suction device A is used, the upper surface along the conveying surface of the belt conveyor C, a possible traveling in phase with the conveyor belt C is held in a position to receive the tray,
The apparatus for separating and conveying stacked trays according to claim 1, wherein when the suction tool B is used, it is held at a retracted position below the lowermost end of the suction tool .

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