JP2012012205A - Article reversing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To smoothly reverse each of big and small articles.SOLUTION: The article reversing device includes a first rotating means 11 that rotates an article 1 at 90°, a second rotating means 12 that further rotates the article at 90°, and a conveying means 2 that conveys the article to the first rotating means, and the article can be reversed by rotating the article 90° twice. The article reversing device also includes a distance adjusting means 31 that broadens and contracts the distance between the first rotating means and the second rotating means, and can smoothly reverse big and small articles by adjusting distances therebetween in accordance with the sizes of the articles.

Description

  The present invention relates to an article reversing apparatus, and more particularly to an article reversing apparatus configured to invert an article by rotating the article by 90 ° twice.

  Conventionally, first rotating means for rotating an article by 90 °, second rotating means arranged adjacent to the first rotating means for rotating the article by 90 °, and conveying the article to the first rotating means. There is known an article reversing device that includes a conveying means for rotating the article by rotating the article by 90 ° by the first rotating means and the second rotating means, respectively (Patent Document 1).

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 50-120175

The conventional article reversing device is designed to invert an article of a specific size, and the combined use of the size of the handled article has not been considered.
In other words, in an article reversing apparatus set to reverse a large article, if an attempt is made to reverse a small article, the article rotated 90 ° by the first rotating means is separated from the second rotating means. Will be in position. Then, when trying to rotate such an article separated by the second rotating means, the article collides with the second rotating means in the process of rotating the article, or the article rotation is unstable. There was a risk of jumping out in the direction transverse to the rotational direction.
On the other hand, in the article reversing apparatus set to invert a small article, it was impossible to invert a large article.
In view of such circumstances, the present invention provides an article reversing device capable of smoothly reversing an article of any size.

That is, the present invention provides a first rotating means for rotating an article by 90 °, a second rotating means arranged adjacent to the first rotating means for rotating the article by 90 °, and the first rotating means to the above-mentioned first rotating means. An article reversing apparatus comprising: a conveying unit configured to convey an article, wherein the article is reversed by rotating the article by 90 ° by each of the first rotating unit and the second rotating unit.
In accordance with the size of the article, there is provided an interval adjusting means for expanding or reducing the interval between the first rotating means and the second rotating means.

According to the present invention, since the interval between the first rotating means and the second rotating means can be enlarged or reduced by the distance adjusting means according to the size of the article, for example, when handling a large article, the first rotating means. The distance between the first rotating means and the second rotating means can be expanded to an optimum size for the large article, and when handling a small article, the distance between the first rotating means and the second rotating means is optimum for the small article. Can be reduced to any size.
Therefore, according to the present invention, a large article and a small article can be smoothly reversed.

The front view which shows the Example of this invention. The top view of FIG. (A) A front view showing a state immediately before the large article 1 is rotated, (b) a front view showing a state in which the large article 1 is rotated by 90 °, and (c) a large article 1 further rotated by 90 °. The front view which shows a state is shown, respectively. (A) A front view showing a state immediately before rotating the small article 1 ′, (b) a front view showing a state in which the small article 1 ′ is rotated by 90 °, and (c) a further 90 ° of the small article 1 ′. The front view which shows the state rotated is shown, respectively.

The present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiments. In FIGS. 1 and 2, conveying means 2 for conveying an article 1 (see FIG. 3) toward the right side of the figure is arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval. The belts 3 are provided, and each belt 3 is wound around a driving pulley 5 that is rotationally driven by the gear motor 4 shown in FIG. 1, and is driven at the same speed by the rotation of each driving pulley 5. ing.
The article 1 is a collapsible container in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, and in the washing line of the container, the container is inverted before the washing machine and its opening is directed downward. The inside of the container can be cleaned.

In the middle of the conveying means 2, a first rotating means 11 for rotating the article 1 by 90 ° is provided upstream of the conveying means 2, and rotated 90 ° by the first rotating means 11 on the downstream side of the first rotating means 11. A second rotating means 12 is provided for rotating the article 1 further 90 ° to reverse the article.
The first rotating means 11 includes a first drive shaft 13 disposed in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the belt 3 at an intermediate position between the two belts 3, and the first drive shaft 13 is a brushless motor 14. Are intermittently rotated by 90 °.
Each set of four plate-like article support members 15a to 15d is fixed to the first drive shaft 13 in the radial direction, and each of the four article support members 15a to 15d has an interval of 90 °. Are arranged in a cross shape.
The article support members (15a, 15a), (15b, 15b), (15c, 15c), (15d, 15d) adjacent in the axial direction of the first drive shaft 13 are arranged so as to be parallel to each other. It is arranged so as to be inside the two belts 3.

As shown in FIG. 3A, in the brushless motor 14, the first article support member 15a and the third article support member 15c are horizontal with respect to the rotation direction of the first drive shaft 13. In addition, the rotation of the first rotation drive shaft 13 is stopped at a position where the second article support member 15b and the fourth article support member 15d are perpendicular to each other, as shown in FIG. When the one-rotation drive shaft 13 is rotated 90 ° clockwise in FIG. 1, the first article support member 15a and the third article support member 15c become vertical, and the second article support member 15b The rotation of the first rotation drive shaft 13 is stopped at a position where the fourth article support member 15d is horizontal.
At that time, as shown in FIG. 3 (a), it is placed on the belt 3 and carried onto the first article support member 15a, and is brought into contact with the second article support member 15b. As shown in FIG. 3B, the stopped article 1 can be rotated by 90 ° by the clockwise rotation of the article support member by 90 °.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the second rotating means 12 includes two second drive shafts 17 arranged in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the belt 3 at the outer position of the two belts 3. Both the second drive shafts 17 are arranged so as to be in a straight line.
Each second drive shaft 17 includes a sprocket 18 fixed to each second drive shaft 17, a chain 19 spanned over each sprocket 18, a sprocket 21 fixed to the drive shaft 20, and a brushless motor 22 via the drive shaft 20. The second drive shafts 17 are driven to rotate 90 ° intermittently in the same direction by the brushless motor 22.
A cross-shaped bracket 24 is fixed to each end of the second drive shaft 17 on the belt 3 side, and each bracket 24 is positioned at the outer side of the belt 3 and has four right-angled isosceles sides. Triangular lateral shift prevention members 25a to 25d are respectively fixed.

As shown in FIG. 3 (a), the right-angled isosceles triangular lateral shift prevention member 25a is integrally provided with article support members 25a ′ and 25a ″ on two sides orthogonal to each other, and thus the article support member 25a. The angle between 'and the article support member 25a "is 90 ° with respect to each other. The article support members 25a ′ and 25a ″ extend inward from the lateral displacement prevention member 25a, that is, in a plate shape toward the center of the conveying means 2, and two article support members 25a ′ that face each other in the axial direction. The article 1 can be supported from the bottom side by 25a '.
The other right-angled isosceles triangular lateral shift prevention members 25b to 25d are also integrally provided with article support members 25b 'to 25d' and 25b "to 25d" on two sides orthogonal to each other.
Each of the right-angled isosceles triangle-shaped lateral shift prevention members 25a to 25d has the bracket 24 so that the tops thereof, that is, the intersections of the article support members 25a ′ to 25d ′ and 25a ″ to 25d ″ are on the drive shaft 20 side. Accordingly, for example, the article support member 25a ′ of the lateral deviation prevention member 25a and the article support member 25d ″ of the lateral deviation prevention member 25d adjacent thereto are arranged so as to be parallel to each other.

As shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, the brushless motor 22 has, for example, the article support member 25a ′ in the first lateral displacement prevention member 25a based on the rotation direction of the second drive shaft 17. The rotation of the second rotation drive shaft 17 is stopped at a position where the article support member 25a ″ of the lateral shift prevention member 25a is vertical.
In this state, as shown in FIG. 3B, when the article 1 is rotated by 90 ° by the first rotating means 11, the article 1 is placed on the article support member 25a ′ in the first lateral displacement prevention member 25a. Then, the belt 3 is moved to the right in FIG. 3 (b) by the travel of the belt 3 and comes into contact with the article support member 25a ″ of the first lateral displacement prevention member 25a to stop its movement. It becomes like this.

In this state, the brushless motor 22 of the second rotating means 12 is activated, and the second drive shaft 17 is rotated 90 ° clockwise through the drive shaft 20, the sprocket 21, the chain 19 and the sprocket 17 in FIG. ° Rotated. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3C, the article 1 supplied on the first article support member 25a ′ is rotated by 90 °.
The article 1 thus rotated by the second rotating means 12 is then carried out to the outside by the belt 3.
Further, when the second drive shaft 17 is rotated by 90 ° in the clockwise direction of FIG. 3B, the article support member 25d ′ in the fourth lateral deviation prevention member 25d is horizontal, and the article of the lateral deviation prevention member 25d. The support member 25d ″ is vertical, so that the article support member 25d ′ can receive the next article 1.

Next, a description will be given of the interval adjusting unit 31 that enlarges or reduces the interval between the first rotating unit 11 and the second rotating unit 12 according to the size of the article 1. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the distance adjusting means 31 can expand and contract the distance between the first rotating means 11 and the second rotating means 12.
That is, a guide rail 33 is laid in parallel to the fixed frame 32 at a position below the center of the two belts 3, and a movable frame 34 is provided on the guide rail 33 so as to be movable. . The first drive shaft 13 of the first rotating means 11 is rotatably supported by the moving frame 34. Therefore, by moving the moving frame 34 to the second rotating means 12 side, The distance between the first rotating means 11 and the second rotating means 12 can be increased by reducing the distance between the second rotating means 12 and moving the moving frame 34 to the opposite side of the second rotating means 12. I can do it.

The fixed frame 32 is provided with driving means 35 for moving the moving frame 34. In the illustrated embodiment, the driving means is composed of a cylinder device, and the moving frame 34 can be moved to a position close to the second rotating means 12 and a position spaced apart by expansion and contraction of the cylinder device. It is.
In the present embodiment, since the size of the shared article is two kinds, large and small, the moving frame 34 can be moved to two locations, a position close to the second rotating means 12 and a position separated from the moving frame 34 accordingly. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the driving means 35 may be constituted by a screw shaft arranged in parallel with the belt 3, a nut member provided on the moving frame 34 and screwed to the screw shaft, and a servo motor for rotating the screw shaft. Accordingly, the moving frame 34 can be moved to various optimum positions according to the size of the article 1.

Further, a stopper 36 that engages with the bottom surface of the article 1 and stops the conveyance of the article is provided at a position upstream of the first rotating means 11, and the stopper 36 is placed below the belt 3 by a cylinder device 37. The bottom surface of the article 1 can be engaged with the stopper 36 by projecting upward from the bottom.
Although not shown, a dust receiver is provided below the second rotating means 12 for receiving dust remaining inside the article 1.

In the above configuration, in the state where the bottom surface of the article 1 is engaged with the stopper 36, the article 1 is prevented from moving forward by the stopper 36 even when the belt 3 is running.
When the stopper 36 is retracted below the belt 3 by the cylinder device 37 from this state, the engagement between the stopper 36 and the article 1 is released, whereby the article 1 is conveyed to the right by the belt 3. It becomes like this. Thereafter, the stopper 36 is raised again by the cylinder device 37 and engages with the subsequent article 1 to prevent its advancement.
On the other hand, the article 1 conveyed by the belt 3 is carried onto the first article support member 15a and brought into contact with the second article support member 15b as shown in FIG. The advance will be stopped.
When the article 1 is brought into contact with the second article support member 15b and its advancement is stopped, the first drive shaft 13 of the first rotating means 11 is rotated 90 ° in the clockwise direction, thereby FIG. As shown in b), the article 1 on the first article support member 15a is rotated 90 ° clockwise as the article support member 15a rotates.
When the first drive shaft 13 is rotated 90 ° clockwise and stopped, the engagement between the stopper 36 and the article 1 is released, and a new article 1 is placed on the fourth article support member 15d. It will be carried in.

The article 1 rotated in accordance with the rotation of the article support member 15 a of the first rotating means 11 is supplied onto the first article support member 25 a ′ in the second rotating means 12. At this time, since the first lateral shift prevention member 25a is located on both sides of the article 1 supplied to the article support member 25a ′, the article 1 moves greatly in the lateral direction and the second rotating means 12 is moved. When trying to jump out of the article, it comes into contact with the side surface of the article 1 to prevent the jumping out.
The article 1 supplied on the article support member 25a ′ is moved to the right in FIG. 3 (b) by the subsequent travel of the belt 3, and comes into contact with the first article support member 25a ″ to move. It will be stopped.
In this state, the second drive shaft 17 of the second rotating means 12 is rotated 90 ° in the clockwise direction in FIG. 3B, and as shown in FIG. The article 1 supplied on the first article support member 25a ′ is rotated by 90 °.
In this way, the article 1 is rotated twice and turned upside down, and the turned up article 1 is carried into the washing machine, for example, by the belt 3 and cleaned.

3 (a) to 3 (c) show the case where the large article 1 is inverted, while FIGS. 4 (a) to 4 (c) show the case where the small article 1 'is inverted. Is.
That is, when the small article 1 ′ is reversed, the moving means 34 is moved to a position close to the second rotating means 12 by the driving means 35. As a result, as shown in FIG. 4A, the first rotating means 11 provided on the moving frame 34 starts from the position where the large article 1 indicated by the imaginary line is reversed, and the small article 1 ′ indicated by the solid line. Is moved to the second rotating means 12 side to the position where the rotation is reversed, whereby the interval between the first rotating means 11 and the second rotating means 12 is reduced.
As a result, as understood from FIG. 4B, the interval between the first rotating means 11 and the second rotating means 12 is suitable for the small article 1 ′ and is rotated by 90 ° by the first rotating means 11. The small article 1 ′ is smoothly supplied onto the first article support member 25 a ′ in the second rotating means 12.
Then, the small article 1 ′ supplied on the article support member 25 a ′ is further rotated by 90 ° by the second rotating means 12 and turned over as described above.

In the above-described embodiment, the interval adjusting unit 31 is configured to bring the first rotating unit 11 into contact with and away from the second rotating unit 12, but the second rotating unit 12 is brought into contact with and separated from the first rotating unit 11. You may make it carry out and you may provide both so that a contact / separation is possible as needed. At this time, although not shown, a detector for detecting the size of the article supplied to the first rotating means 11 is provided, and the interval adjusting means 31 automatically connects the first rotating means 11 and the second rotating means 12. The interval may be adjusted according to the size of the article. In this case, even if the large article 1 and the small article 1 ′ are mixed, each of them can be smoothly reversed. Become.
Moreover, in the said Example, although the conveyance means 2 is provided between the 1st rotation means 11 and the 2nd rotation means 12, this may be abbreviate | omitted. That is, the conveying means 2 is divided into a conveying means for supplying articles to the first rotating means 11 and a conveying means for carrying articles from the second rotating means 12, and the first rotating means 11 and the second rotating means 12 are divided. The conveying means between the two may be omitted. Even in this case, if the interval between the first rotating unit 11 and the second rotating unit 12 is adjusted to an optimum size according to the size of the article by the interval adjusting unit 31, the second rotating unit 12 can increase the size. The article 1 and the small article 1 ′ can be smoothly reversed.
Further, in the above embodiment, the gear motor 4 is used as the drive source for the conveying means 2 and the brushless motors 14 and 22 are used as the drive sources for the first rotating means 11 and the second rotating means 12, respectively. Instead, an appropriate drive source such as a servo motor can be used.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1 'goods 2 Conveyance means 3 Belt 11 1st rotation means 12 2nd rotation means 13 1st drive shaft 15a-15d, 25a'-25d', 25a "-25d" Article support member 17 2nd drive shaft 25a- 25d Lateral deviation prevention member 31 Interval adjusting means 33 Guide rail 34 Moving frame 35 Driving means

Claims (4)

First rotating means for rotating the article by 90 °, second rotating means arranged adjacent to the first rotating means for rotating the article by 90 °, and transport for conveying the article to the first rotating means Means for reversing the article by rotating the article by 90 ° by the first rotating means and the second rotating means, respectively,
An article reversing apparatus, comprising: an interval adjusting unit that expands or contracts the interval between the first rotating unit and the second rotating unit according to the size of the article.   The distance adjusting means includes a guide rail attached to the fixed frame and a moving frame provided on the guide rail so as to be able to travel. The moving frame is provided with the first rotating means or the second rotating means. The article reversing device according to claim 1, wherein   2. A conveying means for transferring an article rotated by the first rotating means toward the second rotating means is provided between the first rotating means and the second rotating means. 3. The article reversing device according to 2.   The second rotation means includes a lateral slip prevention member that is positioned on both sides of the article supplied from the first rotation means and prevents lateral displacement of the article. An article reversing device according to claim 1.

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