JP2025141896A - Transfer system and transfer method - Google Patents

Abstract

A transfer system for transferring articles is provided that can stably pick up articles while reducing the manufacturing cost thereof.
[Solution] The system comprises a conveying mechanism 20 that conveys an item X made of packaged food to a predetermined picking position P2, a stopping means 30 that stops the item X at the picking position P2, a transfer robot 40 that picks up the item X stopped at the picking position P2 and transfers it to a case C that has been conveyed to a predetermined transfer position P1, and a separation means 80 that separates a leading item X from a following item X among multiple items X that are sequentially conveyed to the picking position P2 by the conveying mechanism 20.
[Selected Figure] Figure 6

Description

Application for exception to loss of novelty has been filed

The present invention relates to a transfer system and method for transferring items, such as containers containing food, such as sliced meat, wrapped in plastic wrap, into cases such as containers.

One example of this type of transfer system is shown in Patent Document 1, in which a transfer robot sequentially picks up items being transported on a transport conveyor and transfers them into a container.

This transfer robot, known as a parallel link robot, is capable of high-speed, precise movement and can pick up items moving along a transport conveyor without stopping, quickly transferring multiple items into a container.

One way to reduce the cost of such a system is to use a less expensive transfer robot instead of a parallel link robot.

However, when using an inexpensive transfer robot, it is necessary to stop the robot when picking up an item, which can result in subsequent items getting stuck (approaching tightly) on the item being picked up, and these items may end up sticking together through packaging material such as plastic wrap.

This can cause problems, such as when the first item is picked up, that item or the second item becoming distorted or misaligned, making it impossible to transfer them to the intended position in the container.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-133788

The present invention aims to reduce the manufacturing costs of a transfer system for transferring items while still enabling stable pickup of items.

In other words, the transfer system of the present invention is characterized by comprising a conveying mechanism that conveys packaged food items to a predetermined picking position, a stopping means that stops the items at the picking position, a transfer robot that picks up the items stopped at the picking position and transfers them to a case that has been conveyed to the predetermined transfer position, and a separating means that separates a leading item from a following item among multiple items that are sequentially conveyed to the picking position by the conveying mechanism.

According to the transfer system configured in this manner, an item stopped at the picking position is picked up, so that an inexpensive transfer robot can be used, thereby reducing the cost of the system.
Furthermore, since the device is equipped with a separation means for separating the leading item among the multiple items being conveyed in sequence from the following items, it is possible to prevent the item to be picked up from sticking to the following item via a packaging material such as a wrap, and it is possible to stably pick up the item stopped at the picking position.
As a result, it is possible to stably pick up items while reducing the manufacturing costs of the transfer system.

It is preferable that the separating means has a stopper that moves between a restricting position that is interposed between the preceding item and the following item to restrict the movement of the following item, and a non-restricting position that retreats from the restricting position to allow the movement of the following item.
With this configuration, the preceding article can be separated from the following article by moving the stopper, so that the separating means can be constructed relatively easily.

It is preferable that the transport mechanism has a plurality of transport rollers arranged along the transport direction of the article, and the stopper is provided between adjacent transport rollers so as to be able to move up and down.
In this case, the stopper can be placed in the dead space below the transport roller, thereby saving space in the system.

Here, when the stopper is in the restricting position, if there are items following behind the leading item whose movement is restricted by this stopper, the leading item and the following item may end up sticking together through packaging material such as plastic wrap.
In this case, when the stopper moves from the restricting position to the non-restricting position to move the leading article toward the picking position, the articles behind it may follow, resulting in failure to separate these articles.

Therefore, it is preferable that the stopper further has an auxiliary stopper that restricts the movement of subsequent items when the stopper moves from the restricting position to the non-restricting position and the leading item whose movement was restricted by the stopper moves.
With this configuration, the leading article and the following article can be reliably separated by the auxiliary stopper.

When using the above-mentioned auxiliary stopper to separate the leading item from the following item, in order to interpose the auxiliary stopper between these items, the distance from the auxiliary stopper to the stopper must be adjusted to match the size of the item (dimension in the conveying direction).
However, if the stoppers and auxiliary stoppers are configured to rise and fall between the conveyor rollers, the locations where these stoppers can be installed are restricted by the placement of the conveyor rollers, and the distance from the auxiliary stoppers to the stoppers cannot be freely changed. Although the distance from the auxiliary stoppers to the stoppers can be freely changed by cutting out a portion of the conveyor roller along the direction of conveyance of the articles, this leads to a complicated structure.

Therefore, it is preferable that the conveying mechanism has a plurality of conveying rollers arranged along the conveying direction of the item, and that the stopper is positioned above the conveying rollers both in the regulating position and the non-regulating position.
In this case, the position of the stopper can be freely changed without being restricted by the arrangement of the conveying rollers, and the distance from the auxiliary stopper to the stopper can be appropriately adjusted to suit the article.

When raising and lowering a stopper between conveying rollers, it is desirable to position the upper end of the stopper above the article to prevent the article from riding on the stopper in the regulating position; however, the article cannot be sent out unless the entire stopper is lowered below the conveying rollers, which places a limit on how much the takt time can be reduced.
Therefore, it is preferable to have a support portion provided above the conveying roller that supports the stopper and moves the stopper between the regulating position and the non-regulating position by raising and lowering the stopper or rotating it around a predetermined axis.
In this way, if the stopper is configured to be raised and lowered above the conveyor roller, simply placing the bottom end of the stopper in the restricting position against the item will restrict movement, and if the bottom end is raised above the item, the item can be fed out. Furthermore, if the stopper is configured to rotate around a predetermined axis, the stopper in the restricting position can be rotated toward the non-restricting position and the item can be fed out at the same time. This further reduces the takt time.

A specific example of an embodiment for adjusting the distance from the auxiliary stopper to the stopper to suit the item is one in which the support portion is movable along the conveying direction of the item.

However, as mentioned in the background art, if an inexpensive transfer robot is used instead of a parallel link robot, the robot must be stopped when picking up an item, which leads to a decrease in processing capacity.
Therefore, it is preferable that the conveying mechanism has a branching means that sequentially receives multiple items and sends them out while branching them into multiple rows, and that the stoppers are provided in each row after branching by the branching means so that they can move independently of each other.
With this configuration, the conveying mechanism has a branching means for branching the articles into multiple rows, so if multiple transfer robots are used to transfer the articles from each row at once, the processing capacity can be improved.
Furthermore, even if a single transfer robot is used, the items in the second row can be made to wait in the picking position in advance when the items in the first row have been transferred, so even if the transfer robot is operated as fast as possible, it can keep up with the transport of the items, again improving processing capacity.
Furthermore, each row is provided with a stopper that can move independently of the others, so that preceding articles can be prevented from sticking to succeeding articles regardless of the timing of pickup in each row.

It is preferable that the conveying mechanism is configured so that the movement speed of the leading item, among the items whose movement is restricted by the stopper, when the restriction by the stopper is released is faster than the movement speed of the following items when the restriction by the stopper is released.
In this way, when the leading item starts to move, a gap will be created between it and the following item, and by moving the stopper into that gap, the stopper can be smoothly interposed between the leading item and the following item.

In order to improve processing capacity, it is desirable to increase the transport speed of items, but there is a concern that the items may lose their posture or become misaligned when they are stopped. This may make it impossible to transfer the items to the desired position within the case, and multiple items may not be aligned correctly.
Therefore, it is preferable that the conveying mechanism decelerates the article before it reaches the picking position.
With this configuration, the articles can be stopped in a stable position without being displaced, and the articles can be aligned correctly.

It is preferable to provide a guide member that guides the item being transported by the transport mechanism to the picking position.
This allows the article to be transported to the picking position in a stable posture without any positional deviation.

It is preferable that the device further includes a second guide member that is positioned to sandwich the item being transported by the transport mechanism between itself and the guide member, and that, together with the guide member, guides the item to the picking position.
In this way, even if the item is tilted to the right or left when viewed in the conveying direction, the guide member and the second guide member can work together to more reliably return the item to a stable position and direct it toward the picking position.

To enable stable picking of items, it is preferable that the transfer robot grips the items by suction.

It is preferable that the direction in which the case is carried into the transfer position and the direction in which the case is carried out from the transfer position are substantially the same.
In this way, an empty case can be carried into the transfer position at the same time that a case in which the transfer of items has been completed is carried out from the transfer position, thereby shortening the takt time.

It is preferable that the system has a transferred case transport path provided downstream of the transfer position for transporting out the cases to which the items have been transferred, and a defective case discharge path branching off from the transferred case transport path to discharge cases that do not meet specified conditions from the transferred case transport path.
With this configuration, for example, only cases in which articles have been transferred as specified can be carried out, and cases that do not meet the predetermined conditions can be corrected later, for example.

It is preferable that the case in which the number of transferred articles is less than the preset number is discharged to the defective case discharge path.
With this configuration, it is possible to prevent shortages of articles contained in a case by adding articles to the case that has been discharged into the defective case discharge path.

An example of an embodiment in which the above-mentioned effects are more pronounced in a process center or the like is one in which there is a label inspection device that is provided upstream of the picking position and that inspects the labels attached to the packages, and a defective item discharge means that discharges the items that have been determined to have defective labels by the label inspection device before the picking position, and the cases into which the items discharged by the defective item discharge means are to be transferred are discharged into the defective case discharge path.
Such a configuration will contribute to automation in process centers and the like.

It is preferable that the device has a case stopper that moves between a stop position that stops the case transported to the transfer position and a release position that transports the case from the transfer position, and that the case stopper is configured to be position adjustable along the transport direction of the case.
With this configuration, the position of the case stopper can be adjusted according to the size of the case, and cases of various sizes can be positioned at the transfer position with high precision.

It is preferable that the device has a pair of case guides that sandwich the case from a direction intersecting the conveying direction and guide it to the transfer position, and that at least one of the case guides is configured to be position adjustable along a direction intersecting the conveying direction.
With this configuration, the position of the case guide can be adjusted according to the size of the case along the direction perpendicular to the transport direction (the width direction of the case), making it possible to guide cases of various sizes to the transfer position.

Incidentally, cases onto which food or the like is transferred often do not have flat sides, but rather have several recesses on the sides.
Therefore, it is preferable that the case guide contacts a predetermined first height region on the side of the case, and that the distance from the most upstream edge of the first height region in the conveying direction to the most downstream edge of the conveying direction is longer than the distance from the most upstream edge of the second height region different from the first height region to the most downstream edge of the conveying direction.
With this configuration, the contact surface between the case guide and the side surface of the case is large, so the case can be stably guided to the transfer position.

It is preferable that the case guide has a plurality of rollers that rotate while contacting the case being transported to the transfer position.
This allows the case to be guided to the transfer position more stably.

It is preferable to have a biasing member that biases at least one of the case guides toward the other case guide.
This allows for improved accuracy in positioning the case at the transfer position.

In addition, the transfer method of the present invention is a method characterized by comprising a transport step of transporting an item made of packaged food to a predetermined picking position, a stopping step of stopping the item at the picking position, a transfer step of picking up the item stopped at the picking position and transferring it to a case transported to a predetermined transfer position, and a separation step of separating a leading item from a following item among the multiple items transported sequentially to the picking position in the transport step.
According to this transfer method, it is possible to achieve the same effects as the transfer system described above.

This invention, configured in this way, allows for stable pickup of items while reducing manufacturing costs.

1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a transfer system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a de-stage means of the embodiment; 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams showing the operation of the disassembly means of the embodiment; 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams showing the operation of the branching means of the embodiment; FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a branching unit of the embodiment; 3A and 3B are schematic diagrams showing the configurations of a separating means and a stopping means of the embodiment; 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams for explaining an example of the operation of the transfer robot of the embodiment. 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams for explaining an example of the operation of the transfer robot of the embodiment. 10 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the transfer system of the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a separation unit according to another embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a transfer system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams showing the operation of a separating unit in the embodiment; 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams for explaining problems that arise when a second guide member is not provided. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a stopper according to a third embodiment of the present invention. 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams showing the configuration of a stopper in the embodiment; 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams showing the configuration of a stopper in the embodiment; 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams showing the configuration of a stopper in the embodiment; 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams showing the configuration of a stopper in the embodiment; FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a transfer system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a transfer system according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the transfer system in the embodiment. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a transfer system according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing a case carrying-in mechanism according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention. 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing modified examples of the case guide in the embodiment. 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams showing the movement of the case guide and the like in the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the shape of a case in the embodiment. 5 is a schematic diagram showing the height position of a case guide in the embodiment. FIG. 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams showing the operation of the case stopper in the embodiment. 10A and 10B are schematic diagrams showing a modified example of the operation of the case stopper in the embodiment. 5A and 5B are schematic diagrams showing the operation of the case stopper in the embodiment. Schematic diagrams for explaining an article according to another embodiment.

Below, one embodiment of the transfer system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(Overview of the transfer system)
1, the transfer system 100 of this embodiment transfers an item X, which is a container containing food such as sliced meat wrapped in a tight-fitting packaging material such as plastic wrap, to a case C such as a container. However, the item X to be transferred may also be unpackaged food, such as steamed buns, as long as the items may stick together if they come into contact with each other.

The food contained in the container is not limited to sliced meat, but may also be block meat or minced meat, and is not limited to meat, but may also include seafood, vegetables, fruit, processed foods, frozen foods, bread, sweets, or prepared foods.

Furthermore, the transfer system 100 of this embodiment is described as handling the same type of case C with predetermined length, width, and height dimensions, but the transfer system 100 of the present invention may also handle multiple types of case C with different dimensions.

Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, this transfer system 100 comprises a case loading mechanism 10 that transports empty cases C, an item transport mechanism 20 that transports items X, a stopping means 30 that stops items X, a transfer robot 40 that picks up stopped items X and transfers them to cases C, a case removal mechanism 50 that removes cases C after items X have been transferred, and a control device 60 that controls the operation of these components.

(Case loading mechanism)
The case loading mechanism 10 sequentially receives empty cases C and transports them to a predetermined transfer position P1, and specifically has multiple conveyors arranged from the upstream side to the downstream side of the case C transport path.

The case loading mechanism 10 of this embodiment is configured to sequentially receive a group of cases Cx, consisting of cases C stacked in multiple tiers, for example five tiers, from a worker, and transport the group of cases Cx to the transfer position P1 while sequentially separating (disassembling) the group of cases Cx into individual cases C using the disassembling means 11.

(Means for disassembling)
As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the separating means 11 separates the bottom case C from the other cases C among multiple stacked cases C, and in the meantime sends only the bottom case C downstream.

Specifically, the disassembly means 11 hooks and lifts the flanges of the second-lowest case C in the group of cases Cx whose transport is restricted by the stopper 111 at the restriction position Ax, thereby separating the remaining cases C upward from the bottom case C (Figures 3A and 3B).

In this state, the stopper 111 is retracted from the restricting position Ax to the non-restricting position Ay, for example by retracting the cylinder S, thereby sending out only the bottom case C downstream (Figure 3C). The cylinder S is then extended to move the stopper 111 again from the non-restricting position Ay to the restricting position Ax, and the group of cases Cx that were being lifted is placed on the conveyor (Figure 3D).

Thereafter, by repeating these operations, the stacked multiple tiers of cases C are sent downstream while being separated into individual cases C. After one group of cases Cx has been separated, the next group of cases Cx is received and the above-described operations are repeated again.
The specific embodiment of the destacking means 11 is not limited to this, and may be modified as appropriate.

In addition, as shown in Figure 1, the case loading mechanism 10 of this embodiment has a first transport direction change means 12 that changes the transport direction of the case C.

Specifically, this first conveying direction change means 12 changes the conveying direction of the cases C sent out from the destacking means 11 by 90 degrees. One example of the first conveying direction change means 12 is what is known as an orthogonal conveyor, which specifically has a plurality of first rollers that convey the items X in a first direction, and a plurality of second rollers that are retractable between adjacent first rollers and convey the items X in a second direction that intersects the first direction.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, a second conveying direction change means 70 is provided at the transfer position P1, which changes the conveying direction of the case C. The second conveying direction change means 70 here is called an orthogonal conveyor, just like the first conveying direction change means 12 described above. This second conveying direction change means 70 constitutes the case loading mechanism 10, and the case C ultimately reaches the transfer position P1 when the second conveying direction change means 70 is driven.

However, the specific configurations of the first conveying direction change means 12 and the second conveying direction change means 70 are not limited to those described above and may be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, if there is no need to change the conveying direction of the case C, there is no need to provide either or both of the first conveying direction change means 12 and the second conveying direction change means 70.

The following can be given as an example of a manner in which the case C transported by the case carry-in mechanism 10 is reliably positioned at the transfer position P1.
That is, a stopper is provided on the side of the second conveying direction change means 70 opposite to the direction in which the case C is carried out, and the second conveying direction change means 70 moves the case C in the direction opposite to the direction in which the case C is carried out so that the case C hits the stopper. Then, by setting the position where the case C hits the stopper as the transfer position P1, the case C can be reliably positioned at the transfer position P1.

(Item transport mechanism)
As shown in FIG. 1, the article transport mechanism 20 sequentially receives a plurality of articles X from a worker and transports the articles X to a predetermined picking position P2.

This item transport mechanism 20 has multiple conveyors arranged from the upstream side to the downstream side of the transport path for item X, specifically belt conveyors and roller conveyors.

More specifically, a worker carries a case such as a container that holds multiple items X next to the upstream conveyor 21, and sequentially places the items X inside the case on the upstream conveyor 21. When the case is empty, the worker carries another case that holds multiple items X, and similarly places the items X inside the case on the upstream conveyor 21, repeating these steps. The upstream conveyor 21 may be a roller conveyor, belt conveyor, or the like.

The time intervals and placement positions at which workers place items X on the upstream conveyor 21 are not necessarily constant, and multiple items X placed on the upstream conveyor 21 are transported sequentially downstream at irregular intervals.

In addition, the item X sent from the slicer or minced meat manufacturing machine may be configured to be automatically transferred onto the upstream conveyor 21, and the method for placing the item X on the upstream conveyor 21 may be manual or automatic.

(Branching means)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the article transport mechanism 20 of this embodiment has a branching means 22 that sequentially receives a plurality of articles X and branches the articles X into a plurality of rows for delivery.

This branching means 22 is located between the upstream conveyor 21 and the downstream conveyor 23. In this embodiment, it receives the articles X transported in a single line by the upstream conveyor 21 and sends them out to the downstream conveyor 23, branching them into two lines.

Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the branching means 22 has a guide rail 221 extending in a predetermined direction, a slider 222 that is slidably supported on the guide rail 221 and transports the item X, and an actuator 223 that slides the slider 222 along the guide rail 221.

The guide rail 221 extends in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the item X, in other words, perpendicular to the extension direction of the upstream conveyor 21 and the downstream conveyor 23, and is used to slide the slider 222 along this extension direction.

As shown in Figure 5, the slider 222 is formed by wrapping a conveying belt, such as a round belt, around multiple rollers. The upstream end 222a of the slider 222 is positioned adjacent to the downstream end 21b of the upstream conveyor 21, and the downstream end 222b of the slider 222 is positioned adjacent to the upstream end 23a of the downstream conveyor 23. However, the conveying belt is not limited to a round belt; for example, a conveying belt with a triangular cross section may be wrapped around with its apex pointing downward, a conveying belt with a rectangular cross section may be wrapped around, or a single flat belt (endless belt) may be wrapped around. This increases the contact area between the conveying belt and the article X, stabilizing the conveyance.

In addition, a small-diameter roller 24, such as a rotatable roller, is interposed in the gap between the upstream end 222a of the slider 222 and the downstream end 21b of the upstream conveyor 21 to allow the item X to be transferred from the upstream conveyor 21 to the slider 222 without losing its position.

In addition, a small-diameter roller 25, such as a rotatable roller, is interposed in the gap between the downstream end 222b of the slider 222 and the upstream end 23a of the downstream conveyor 23, so that the article X can be transferred from the slider 222 to the downstream conveyor 23 without losing its position.

The actuator 223 is a driving source such as a motor, and the slider 222 is driven by the driving force from this driving source.

As shown in Figure 4, the slider 222 slides between a first position Q1 where the item X received from the upstream conveyor 21 is sent to a first row L1 set on the downstream conveyor 23, and a second position Q2 where the item X received from the upstream conveyor 21 is sent to a second row L2 set on the downstream conveyor 23.

This slider 222 stops its sliding movement at the first position Q1 for a predetermined time, during which time it sends out item X to the first row L1, and stops its sliding movement at the second position Q2 for a predetermined time, during which time it sends out item X to the second row L2.

In this embodiment, the slider 222 receives the next item X to be sent to the second row L2 at the first position Q1, and receives the next item X to be sent to the first row L1 at the second position Q2.

This allows the slider 222 to pause at only two locations, the first position Q1 and the second position Q2, when alternately distributing the items X received from the upstream conveyor 21 to the first row L1 and the second row L2 set on the downstream conveyor 23.

The downstream conveyor 23 transports the item X received from the branching means 22 to a predetermined picking position P2. Specifically, it is a roller conveyor having multiple transport rollers arranged along the transport direction of the item X. However, the downstream conveyor 23 may also be a flat belt (endless belt).

These conveying rollers are spaced apart, and each is driven by a separate motor (not shown), allowing the conveying speed of each conveying roller to be controlled independently. Specifically, the conveying speeds of all of the conveying rollers that make up the downstream conveyor 23 may be controlled independently, or the conveying speed of each group of conveying rollers consisting of multiple consecutive conveying rollers may be controlled independently.

(separation means)
As shown in Figures 1 and 6, the transfer system 100 of this embodiment further includes a separation means 80 that separates the preceding item X from the succeeding item X among the items X that are sequentially transported to the picking position P2 by the downstream conveyor 23 described above.

As shown in Figure 6, this separation means 80 has a stopper 81 that moves between a restricting position Bx, which is positioned between a leading item X and a trailing item X being transported by the downstream conveyor 23 and restricts the movement of the trailing item X, and a non-restricting position By, which retreats from the restricting position Bx and allows the movement of the trailing item X, and an actuator (not shown) that drives this stopper 81.

This stopper 81 is arranged to be able to rise and fall between adjacent conveying rollers that make up the downstream conveyor 23. At the restricting position Bx, its upper end protrudes above the conveying surface of the conveying rollers, and at the non-restricting position By, its upper end retracts below the conveying surface. In other words, the tip of the stopper 81 at the restricting position Bx is located above the bottom surface of the item X, and the tip of the stopper 81 at the non-restricting position By is located below the bottom surface of the item X.

In this embodiment, as described above, the downstream conveyor 23 transports the articles X in multiple rows (two rows), and as shown in Figure 6, stoppers 81 are provided for each row so that they can move independently of each other.

That is, the first stopper 81(A), which separates the leading item X from the trailing item X in the first row L1, and the second stopper 81(B), which separates the leading item X from the trailing item X in the second row L2, each move between the restricting position Bx and the non-restricting position By at timings independent of each other.

The first stopper 81(A) and the second stopper 81(B) move from the restricting position Bx to the non-restricting position By when a sensor (not shown) that detects the item X transported to the picking position P2 detects that the item X at the picking position P2 has been picked up.

On the other hand, the first stopper 81(A) and the second stopper 81(B) move from the non-restriction position By to the restriction position Bx when, for example, a sensor (not shown) that detects the leading item X, whose movement is restricted by the first stopper 81(A) and the second stopper 81(B), detects that the item X has been transported downstream. Alternatively, the first stopper 81(A) and the second stopper 81(B) may move from the non-restriction position By to the restriction position Bx when a predetermined time has elapsed since they moved from the restriction position Bx to the non-restriction position By.

With the above-described configuration, the conveyor located upstream of the stopper 81 and downstream of the branching means 22 functions as an accumulation conveyor where item X is temporarily accumulated. This allows the system to continue operating normally even if an unexpected event occurs in which the conveying speed of item X fluctuates or the conveyance temporarily stops.

Here, the item conveying mechanism 20 of this embodiment is configured so that, among the items X whose movement is restricted by the stoppers 81, the movement speed of the leading item X when the restriction by the stopper 81 is released is faster than the movement speed of the following items X when the restriction by the stoppers 81 is released.

Specifically, the conveying speed of at least one conveying roller on which the leading item X of the items X restricted by the stopper 81 is placed is set to be faster than the conveying speed of at least one conveying roller on which the next following item X is placed.

In this configuration, the item conveying mechanism 20 of this embodiment is configured to decelerate the separated preceding item X just before the picking position P2.

Specifically, the item transport mechanism 20 has a first transport conveyor 26 located downstream of the branching means 22, a second transport conveyor 27 located downstream of the first transport conveyor 26, and a third transport conveyor 28 located downstream of the second transport conveyor and transporting item X to picking position P2. The transport speed of the second transport conveyor 27 is set to be faster than the transport speed of the first transport conveyor 26, and the transport speed of the third transport conveyor 28 is set to be slower than the transport speed of the second transport conveyor 27.

(Stopping means)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the stopping means 30 stops the article X conveyed by the above-mentioned conveying mechanism at the picking position P2.

As shown in Figure 6, this stopping means 30 is contacted by the item X transported to the picking position P2, and specifically has a stopper surface 31 that extends in a direction intersecting the transport direction. The stopping means 30 may have a variety of shapes, including a flat plate or a block shape.

The stopper surface 31 is the surface against which the item X, transported to the picking position P2, comes into contact, and may be perpendicular to the transport direction or inclined. The stopper surface 31 may also be flat or curved.

(Guide member)
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 6, the transfer system 100 of this embodiment further includes a guide member 90 that guides the item X being transported by the downstream conveyor 23, which is the item transport mechanism 20, to the picking position P2.

Here, if guide members 90 were provided on both sides of the width of item X, the spacing between the guide members 90 would have to be adjusted depending on the width dimension of item X. However, in this embodiment, guide members 90 are provided on only one side of item X in the width direction, so items X of various sizes can be reliably guided to picking position P2 without having to adjust the guide members 90.

As shown in FIG. 6, this guide member 90 has a guide surface 91 against which the leading article X being conveyed when the stopper 81 described above moves to the non-restricting position By comes into contact. The specific shape of the guide member 90 may be a variety of shapes, such as a flat plate or block shape, or the guide surface 91 may be formed by a roller. The guide member 90 may be separate from the stopping means 30 described above, or may be molded integrally therewith.

The guide surface 91 is inclined with respect to the conveying direction; specifically, it is inclined so as to gradually move from the inside to the outside of the downstream conveyor 23 from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction. However, the direction in which the guide surface 91 is inclined is not limited to this, and it may also be inclined so as to gradually move from the outside to the inside of the downstream conveyor 23 from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction.

The position where item X being transported along this guide surface 91 comes into contact with the stopper surface 31 and stops is the picking position P2.

Here, in order to ensure that the item X stops at the picking position P2 without shifting position when it contacts the stopper surface 31, it is desirable that the stopper surface 31 be perpendicular to the guide surface 91, as shown in Figure 6.

(Buffer member)
Even if the stopper surface 31 and the guide surface 91 are arranged perpendicular to each other in this manner, misalignment may occur when the item X stops. Therefore, the transfer system 100 of this embodiment is equipped with a buffer member 92 to absorb the impact applied to the item X when the item X stops, as shown in Figure 6.

This buffer member 92 is made of a flexible or pliable material such as resin, urethane, gel, or a spring, and is provided between, for example, the back surface of the stopper surface 31 of the stopping means 30 described above and a fixed member (not shown) provided downstream of this back surface.

(Transfer robot)
As shown in FIG. 1, the transfer robot 40 picks up an item X stopped at a picking position P2 and transfers it to a case C transported to a transfer position P1, and is, for example, a three-axis robot.

As shown in Figures 7 and 8, this transfer robot 40 has a gripping unit 41 that sucks and grips item X, and this gripping unit 41 moves along three mutually perpendicular axes and rotates around the Z axis that runs vertically. Note that in this embodiment, the gripping unit 41 has, for example, multiple suction cups 411, but it does not necessarily have to suck and grip item X; for example, it may grip item X by pinching it from the left and right or the front and back.

The operation of this gripper 41 is controlled by a control device 60, which will be described later, and it transfers a predetermined number of items X to multiple pre-set placement positions within the case C in a predetermined order and in a predetermined posture.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1, multiple transfer robots 40 described above are provided.

More specifically, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, two transfer robots 40 are provided corresponding to each row of items X transported by the downstream conveyor 23, with the first transfer robot 40 (A) and the second transfer robot 40 (B) positioned opposite each other with the case C in between. Note that the first transfer robot 40 (A) and the second transfer robot 40 (B) have the same structure.

In the transfer operation in which multiple items X are transferred to the same case C, the movement trajectories of the items X transferred by the multiple transfer robots 40 described above are set so as not to intersect with each other; in other words, the movement trajectories of the gripping parts 41 of the multiple transfer robots 40 are set so as not to intersect with each other.

More specifically, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the first transfer robot 40(A) transfers item X from one side of the position sandwiching case C to a placement position set on one side of case C (hereinafter also referred to as first placement position R1), but does not transfer item X to a placement position set on the other side of case C (hereinafter also referred to as second placement position R2).

On the other hand, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the second transfer robot 40(B) transfers item X from the other side of the clamping position of case C to second placement position R2 set on the other side of case C, but does not transfer item X to first placement position R1 set on one side of case C.

Here, if the conveying direction of item X is the X direction and the direction perpendicular to the X direction in a plan view is the Y direction, as shown in Figure 7, when the placement positions within case C are set in an even number of rows (here, two rows) along the X direction, all placement positions on one side of the Y-direction center line LY within case C are first placement positions R1, and all placement positions on the other side of the Y-direction center line LY are second placement positions R2.

In this embodiment, at each of the first placement position R1 and the second placement position R2, priority is given to transfer from the side closest to the picking position P2, and an example of the transfer order is the numerical order shown in Figure 7.

With this transfer order, the movement trajectory of the gripper 41 of the first transfer robot 40(A) reciprocating between each first placement position R1 and picking position P2 and the movement trajectory of the gripper 41 of the second transfer robot 40(B) reciprocating between each second placement position R2 and picking position P2 do not intersect with each other.

On the other hand, as shown in Figure 8, if the placement positions within case C are set in odd-numbered rows (three rows in this case) along the X direction, several placement positions will be set on the line segment of the Y-direction center line LY.

In this case, therefore, to prevent the movement trajectory of the gripping unit 41 of the first transfer robot 40(A) and the movement trajectory of the gripping unit 41 of the second transfer robot 40(B) from intersecting each other, a portion of the placement positions set on the line segment of the Y-direction center line LY is set as the first placement position R1, and the remainder is set as the second placement position R2.

In this case, too, at each of the first placement position R1 and the second placement position R2, priority is given to transferring items from the side closest to the picking position P2. An example of the transfer order is the numerical order shown in Figure 8.

(Case carrying mechanism)
As a result, when a predetermined number of articles X are transferred into the case C, this triggers the second conveying direction change means 70 to be driven and the case discharge mechanism 50 to operate, thereby discharging the case C to the predetermined discharge position P3. Note that the case discharge mechanism 50 may continue to operate.

The cases C delivered to the delivery position P3 may be transported to another location by an operator, or may be automatically stacked by the stacking means.

(Control device)
The control device 60 is a computer such as a PLC equipped with a CPU, memory, input/output means, etc., and when the transfer system program stored in the memory is run, the CPU and its peripheral devices work together to operate the above-mentioned case loading mechanism 10, item transport mechanism 20, branching means 22, separation means 80, transfer robot 40, and case unloading mechanism 50 in conjunction with each other.

The operation of the transfer system 100 using this control device 60 will be explained below with reference to the flowchart in Figure 9.

The control device 60 controls the case loading mechanism 10 to transport the leading empty case C to the transfer position P1 while the stacked case group Cx is separated by the separating means 11 (S1). At this time, one or more subsequent cases C are made to wait at one or more waiting positions P0 upstream of the transfer position P1.

In parallel with the transport of the case C described above, the control device 60 controls the item transport mechanism 20 to branch the items X into two rows via the branching means 22, and moves the stopper 81, which serves as the separation means 80, up and down, thereby separating the leading item X from the trailing item X and transporting it to the picking position P2 (S2).

The control device 60 then controls the two transfer robots 40 to transfer the item X at picking position P2 to the case C at transfer position P1 (S3). The control device 60 has previously received quantity information indicating the number of items X to be transferred to case C, and based on this quantity information, transfers that number of items X to pre-set placement positions within case C in a predetermined order and with a predetermined posture. Examples of this transfer order and posture are as described above with reference to Figures 7 and 8, and will not be described here.

When the transfer robot 40 has completed transferring the number of items X, the control device 60 controls the case removal mechanism 50 to transport the case C to the specified removal position P3 (S4).

Then, steps S1 to S4 described above are repeated until the transfer of item X into the target number of cases C is completed.

(Actions and Effects of the Transfer System According to the Present Embodiment)
According to the transfer system 100 configured in this manner, the item X stopped at the picking position P2 is picked up, so that an inexpensive transfer robot 40 can be used, thereby reducing the cost of the system.
Furthermore, since the device is provided with a separation means 80 that separates the leading item X among the plurality of items X that are conveyed sequentially from the following items X, it is possible to prevent the item X to be picked up from sticking to the following item X via a packaging material such as a wrap, and it is possible to stably pick up the item X stopped at the picking position P2.
As a result, it is possible to stably pick up the item X while reducing the manufacturing cost of the transfer system 100.

Furthermore, since the stopper 81 can separate the preceding item X from the following item X by moving between the restricting position Bx and the non-restricting position By, the separation means 80 can be constructed relatively easily.

Furthermore, because this stopper 81 is located between adjacent transport rollers and can be raised and lowered, it can be placed in the dead space below the transport rollers, thereby saving space in the system.

In addition, the transport mechanism has a branching means 22 that branches the items X into multiple rows, and multiple transfer robots 40 are provided, thereby improving processing capacity.

Furthermore, among the items X whose movement is restricted by the stoppers 81, the movement speed of the leading item X when the restriction by the stopper 81 is released is set to be faster than the movement speed of the following item X when the restriction by the stopper 81 is released. Therefore, when the leading item X begins to move, a gap is created between it and the following item X. As a result, by moving the stopper 81 into that gap, the stopper 81 can be smoothly interposed between the leading item X and the following item X.

In addition, the item conveying mechanism 20 decelerates the item X just before the picking position P2, allowing the item X to be stopped in a stable position without shifting position, making it possible to align the item X correctly.

In addition, a guide member 90 is provided to guide the item X being transported by the item transport mechanism 20 to the picking position P2, allowing the item X to be transported to the picking position P2 more reliably and in a stable posture without misalignment.

In addition, since the transfer robot 40 grips the item X by suction, stable picking of the item X is possible.

(Another embodiment of the transfer system)
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

For example, in the above embodiment, the item conveying mechanism 20 was equipped with a branching means 22, but it may also be configured to convey items X in a single file without branching.

The separating means 80 is not limited to one that moves up and down, but may also move back and forth, for example, horizontally between the restricting position Bx and the non-restricting position By, or may rotate around a predetermined axis.

Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, the stopper 81 constituting the separation means 80 has its upper end positioned above the top surface of the item X at the regulating position Bx, but as shown in Figure 10, it may also be positioned between the bottom and top surfaces of the item X (i.e., below the edge of the tray).
With this configuration, the stopper 81 can be interposed between the preceding and following articles X without causing a difference in the moving speed of the articles X when the restriction by the stopper 81 is released.

The gripping unit 41 of the transfer robot 40 is not limited to gripping the item X by suction, but may also grip the item X by clamping it, or by supporting it from below.

Furthermore, although the above embodiment describes the case where two transfer robots 40 are provided, only one transfer robot 40 may be provided, or three or more transfer robots 40 may be provided.

Furthermore, although the branching means 22 in the above embodiment is described as branching into two rows, it may also branch into three or more rows.

Furthermore, the transfer system 100 according to the present invention may be configured so that the movement trajectory of the transfer robot 40 relative to the case C changes depending on the size of the item X.

Specifically, the control device 60 may have a control data storage unit that stores robot control data linking movement trajectory information indicating the movement trajectory of the transfer robot 40 to multiple pieces of item information indicating the size or number of items X, and an item information receiving unit that receives item information input from an external source such as a user or equipment upstream of the system.

In such a configuration, the control device 60 may be configured to acquire movement trajectory information linked to the item information received by the item information receiving unit, and to control the transfer robot 40 based on this movement trajectory information.

Furthermore, this transfer system 100 may also be capable of transferring multiple tiers of items X into a case C.

Specifically, the control device 60 may have the function of a tier number selection unit that selects whether to transfer items to case C in multiple tiers (for example, two tiers) or in one tier. The transfer order for each placement position on the first and second tiers may be set to the same order, or may be set to different orders.

(Second embodiment of transfer system)
A second embodiment of the transfer system according to the present invention will be described below.

Note that the transfer system 100 in the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the separation means 80, guide member 90, and surrounding structure. Therefore, the following will focus on these differences and omit a description of the parts that are common to the first embodiment.

Before explaining the second embodiment, let's return to Figure 10 and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this configuration.

As shown in Figure 10, a configuration in which the stopper 81 at the regulating position Bx is positioned below the top surface of the item X is advantageous over a configuration in which the stopper 81 is positioned above the top surface of the item X in that, as described above, it is easier to interpose the stopper 81 between the preceding and following items X.

However, if the stopper 81 in the restricting position Bx is positioned below the top surface of the item X, there is a possibility that the item X may climb up onto the stopper 81 or may tilt even if it does not climb up onto the stopper 81.

To prevent the above-mentioned riding-over and tilting, it is desirable that the stopper 81 in the regulating position Bx be positioned above the top surface of the item X, as described in the previous embodiment (see Figure 6).

In this case, after the leading item X is directed toward picking position P2, it is necessary to separate the leading item X from the following item X in order to place stopper 81 between them. For this reason, in the above embodiment, the movement speed of the leading item X is set to be faster than the movement speed of the following item X.

However, when a leading item X whose movement is restricted by the stopper 81 is followed by a trailing item X, the leading item X and the following item X may end up sticking together via packaging material such as plastic wrap.

In this case, when the leading item X is directed toward picking position P1, the items X behind it may follow, and these items X may not be separated by the separation means 80.

As shown in Figure 11, the separating means 80 of the second embodiment further includes an auxiliary stopper 82 provided upstream of the stopper 81, and an actuator (not shown) that drives this auxiliary stopper 82.

The auxiliary stopper 82 restricts the movement of subsequent items X when the stopper 81 moves from the restricting position Bx to the non-restricting position By and the leading item X, whose movement was restricted by the stopper 81, moves. Note that, like the stopper 81, the auxiliary stoppers 82 are provided so that they can move independently of each other in each row.

Specifically, the auxiliary stopper 82 is positioned between the leading item X, whose movement is restricted by the stopper 81, and the item X immediately behind it, and moves between an auxiliary restriction position Bm, which restricts the movement of the item X behind it, and a release position Bn, which retreats from the auxiliary restriction position Bm and allows the item X behind it to move.

Explaining in more detail, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 11, an opening O is provided in the downstream conveyor 23 upstream of the stopper 81, aligned with the conveying direction of the item X, and the auxiliary stopper 82 is provided so that it can be raised and lowered through this opening O.

When in the auxiliary restraining position Bm, this auxiliary stopper 82 is located between the bottom and top surfaces of the item X (i.e., below the edge of the tray).

The auxiliary stopper 82 at this auxiliary restraint position Bm is positioned so as to be interposed between the leading item X, whose movement is restrained by the stopper 81 at the restraint position Bx, and the item X behind it.

More specifically, the position of the auxiliary stopper 82 along the opening O, in other words, the position of the auxiliary stopper 82 along the conveying direction of the item X, can be changed manually or automatically, for example, using a ball screw or the like.

This allows the auxiliary stopper 82 to be positioned between the leading item X, whose movement is restricted, and the item X behind it, by adjusting the position of the auxiliary stopper 82 according to the dimension of the item X along the conveying direction.

Next, we will explain the operation of the stopper 81 and auxiliary stopper 82.

First, consider the situation where item X has reached picking position P2, stopper 81 is at restraining position Bx, and auxiliary stopper 82 is at auxiliary restraining position Bm, as shown in Figure 12(a).

In this state, when item X at picking position P2 is picked up by the transfer robot 40, this is detected by a sensor (not shown), as in the previous embodiment, and this triggers the stopper 81 to move from the restricting position Bx to the non-restricting position By. At this time, the auxiliary stopper 82 remains at the auxiliary restricting position Bm.

As a result, as shown in Figure 12(b), only the leading item X among the items X whose movement was restricted by the stopper 81 is transported toward the picking position P2.

Then, as in the previous embodiment, a sensor (not shown) detects that the leading item X has been transported downstream, which triggers the stopper 81 to move from the non-restricting position By to the restricting position Bx, as shown in Figure 12(c).

As for the operation shown in Figure 12(c), as described in the previous embodiment, the stopper 81 may be moved from the non-restrictive position By to the restrictive position Bx when a predetermined time has elapsed since the stopper 81 moved from the restrictive position Bx to the non-restrictive position By.

Then, after the stopper 81 returns to the restricting position Bx, the auxiliary stopper 82 moves from the auxiliary restricting position Bm to the release position Bn after a predetermined time has elapsed.

As a result, as shown in Figure 12 (d), one or more items X whose movement was restricted by the auxiliary stopper 82 are transported downstream and reach the stopper 81 at the restriction position Bx, where their movement is restricted again.

After that, a sensor (not shown) located near the stopper 81 detects that the item X is being restrained by the stopper 81, which triggers the auxiliary stopper 82 to return from the release position Bn to the auxiliary restraining position Bm, as shown in Figure 12 (e). Note that the auxiliary stopper 82 may also be configured to return from the release position Bn to the auxiliary restraining position Bm again when a predetermined time has elapsed after the auxiliary stopper 82 has moved from the auxiliary restraining position Bm to the release position Bn.

Then, repeat the operations shown in Figures 12(a) to (e).

This allows the stopper 81 and auxiliary stopper 82 to work together to more reliably separate the leading item X from the following items X.

The auxiliary stopper 82 does not have to be one that rises and falls through the opening O of the downstream conveyor 23; for example, it may be provided so that it can rise and fall above the item X one item behind the leading item X whose movement is restricted by the stopper 81, and press down on that item X from above to restrict its movement.

Furthermore, the auxiliary stopper 82 is not limited to one that moves up and down, but may also move back and forth, for example, horizontally between the auxiliary restriction position Bm and the release position Bn, or may rotate around a predetermined axis.

However, when there is no item X at picking position P2 and stopper 81 is in non-restrictive position By, auxiliary stopper 82 is in release position Bn when item X passes through.

In this case, the item sent from the branching means 22 will head toward picking position P2 on the downstream conveyor 23 without hitting either auxiliary stopper 82 or stopper 81.

As a result, if item X is tilted, it will arrive at picking position P2 in that position without being corrected by auxiliary stopper 82 or stopper 81. One possible reason for item X being tilted is that the wrapping material, such as plastic wrap, is not neatly wrapped.

As a result, as shown in Figure 13, there is a risk that the item X may rotate in an unintended direction when it hits the guide member 90, which could result in transfer failure.

As shown in FIG. 11, the transfer device 100 of this embodiment further includes a second guide member 93 that is arranged to sandwich the item X being transported by the transport mechanism 20 between itself and the guide member 90.

In other words, the second guide member 93 is positioned so that the transport path for the item X is sandwiched between it and the guide member 90, and is disposed opposite the guide member 90.

This second guide member 93, together with the guide member 90, guides the item X to the picking position P2, and has a second guide surface 94 that faces the guide surface 91 of the guide member 90.

This second guide surface 94 is arranged so that the distance between it and the guide surface 91 gradually decreases as it moves downstream in the conveying direction of the item X.

As shown in Figure 11, the guide surface 91 and the second guide surface 94 are formed by a large number (plurality) of freely rolling rollers, and the item X is transported as these rollers roll.

In this embodiment, in order to enable the distance between the guide surface 91 and the second guide surface 94 to be changed depending on the size of the article, the position of the second guide member 93 in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the article X, in other words, the position of the second guide member 93 in the width direction of the downstream conveyor 23, can be changed manually or automatically, for example, using a ball screw or the like.

This allows the position of the second guide member 93 to be adjusted according to the dimension of the item X in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, allowing the item X to reach the picking position P2 without getting jammed between the guide surface 91 and the second guide surface 94.

With the transfer system 100 configured in this manner, even if the item X is tilted to the right or left when viewed in the conveying direction, the guide member 90 and the second guide member 93 work together to more reliably return the item to a stable position and direct it toward the picking position P2.

(Third embodiment of transfer system)
A third embodiment of the transfer system according to the present invention will be described below.

Note that the transfer system 100 in the third embodiment is characterized by the separation means 80, which will be described in detail below.

As shown in Figure 14, the separating means 80 here is the same as in the second embodiment in that it has a stopper 81 and an auxiliary stopper 82 provided upstream of the stopper 81.

As shown in Figures 15 to 18, the stoppers 81 in this embodiment are located above the conveying rollers R in both the restricting position Bx and the non-restricting position By. The stoppers 81 are provided corresponding to each of the articles X branched off by the branching means 22, and in this case, the stoppers 81 are provided corresponding to each of the articles X branched off into two rows, left and right, when viewed in the conveying direction.

At the restricting position Bx, at least the lower end of each stopper 81 is located below the top surface of the item X and above the conveying roller R, and at the non-restricting position By, the lower end is located above the top surface of the item X.

In other words, the entire stopper 81 is positioned above the conveying roller R in both the restricting position Bx and the non-restricting position By.

Note that the stopper 81 here is, for example, an L-shaped member formed by bending a flat plate as shown in Figures 16 and 18, but the specific shape is not limited to this and may be modified as appropriate.

Below, as more specific embodiments of the stopper 81, the first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 15 and 16, and the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 17 and 18.

As shown in Figures 15 and 16, the first type of stopper 81 is supported by a support portion 83 provided above the conveying roller R, and rotates around a predetermined axis to move between the restricting position Bx and the non-restricting position By.

This support portion 83 is attached to, for example, the upper end of the stopper 81 to suspend the stopper 81, and is rotatably supported by a support post 84 provided on the outer side of the conveying roller R in the width direction. However, the attachment location of the support portion 83 on the stopper 81 is not limited to the upper end and may be changed as appropriate.

With the above-described configuration, by rotating the support portion 83 around the rotation axis 85 provided on the support column 84, the stopper 81 rotates integrally with the support portion 83.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 16, the stopper 81 at the restricting position Bx rotates toward the non-restricting position By so that its lower end is raised as it moves toward the downstream (front) side of the conveying direction of the item X, and the stopper 81 at the non-restricting position By rotates toward the restricting position Bx so that its lower end is lowered as it moves toward the upstream (rear) side of the conveying direction of the item X.

Next, as shown in Figures 17 and 18, the second type of stopper is supported by a support portion 83 provided above the conveying roller R, and moves up and down together with this support portion 83 to move between the restricting position Bx and the non-restricting position By.

This support portion 83 is attached to, for example, the upper end of the stopper 81 to support the stopper 81 so that it can be raised and lowered. Specifically, it is the extension/contraction portion of an air cylinder 86 provided on the outer side of the conveying roller R in the width direction. However, the attachment location of the support portion 83 on the stopper 81 is not limited to the upper end and may be changed as appropriate.

With the above-described configuration, the support portion 83, which is the extension portion of the air cylinder 86, is extended and retracted, causing the stopper 81 to rise and fall integrally with the support portion 83.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 18, the stopper 81 moves up and down between a restricting position Bx, where its lower end is located below the top surface of the item X, and a non-restricting position By, which is set above the restricting position Bx and where its lower end is located above the item X.

In the first and second aspects described above, the support portion 83 is movable along the conveying direction of the item X, and here the support column 84 and air cylinder 86 described above are arranged to be movable along the movement direction of the item X.

More specifically, as shown in Figures 16 and 18, a guide member 87 is provided on the outer width side of the conveying roller R, aligned with the direction in which the item is conveyed, and a support post 84 and an air cylinder 86 are slidably attached to this guide member 87.

According to the transfer system 100 configured in this manner, the stopper 81 is positioned above the conveying roller R both at the regulating position Bx and at the non-regulating position By, so that the position of the stopper 81 can be freely changed without being restricted by the positioning of the conveying roller R.
This makes it possible to appropriately adjust the distance from the auxiliary stopper 82 to the stopper 81 in accordance with the size of the article X (the dimension along the conveying direction).

Furthermore, if the stopper 81 is configured to rotate around a predetermined axis, as in the first embodiment, the stopper 81, which is in the restricting position Bx, can be rotated toward the non-restricting position By and simultaneously the item X can be fed out, thereby shortening the takt time.

Furthermore, if the stopper 81 is configured to rise and fall above the conveying roller R, as in the second embodiment, movement can be restricted simply by bringing the lower end of the stopper 81 at the restricting position Bx into contact with the item X, and item X can be sent out by simply raising the lower end above the item X, thereby shortening the takt time.

(Fourth embodiment of transfer system)
A fourth embodiment of the transfer system according to the present invention will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 19, the transfer system 100 of this embodiment includes a label inspection device 101 that is located upstream of picking position P2 and inspects the labels attached to the packaging of item X, and a defective item discharge means 102 that discharges item X that has been determined to have a defective label by the label inspection device 101 just before picking position P2.

The label inspection device 101 is located upstream of the branching means 22 and includes an imaging means (not shown) that images the item X being transported by the upstream conveyor 21, and a data processing device (not shown) that performs image analysis, etc. on the image data obtained by the imaging means.

In the above-described configuration, the data processing device performs image analysis or the like on the image data captured by the imaging means to obtain actual label information indicating at least one of the position, inclination, shape, and printing state of the actual label affixed to item X.

The data processing device then determines whether the label attached to the item is good or bad by comparing the reference label information, which indicates at least one of the position, inclination, shape, and printing condition of the label correctly attached to the item, with the above-mentioned actual label information.

More specifically, for example, the coordinates of a correctly applied label contained in the reference label information are compared with the coordinates of the actual label contained in the actual label information, and if the deviation in the position or inclination of the actual label relative to the correctly applied label exceeds an acceptable range, the item X to which the actual label is attached is determined to have a defective label.

Furthermore, the area of the correctly applied label contained in the reference label information is compared with the area of the actual label contained in the actual label information. If the deviation in the area of the actual label from the correctly applied label exceeds the tolerance range, there is a possibility that the actual label is turned over or torn, and the item X to which the label is attached is determined to have a defective label.

Furthermore, if the characters printed on the label included in the actual label information cannot be recognized, for example, by OCR, the printing on the actual label may be faint, and the item X to which that label is attached will be determined to have a defective label.

The defective item discharge means 102 receives the judgment results from the label inspection device 101 and discharges items X that have been judged to have defective labels from the upstream conveyor 21, in this case just before the branching means 22.

This defective item discharge means 102 is capable of communicating with the above-mentioned data processing device and is configured using a pusher 103 that moves toward and away from the upstream conveyor 21 from the outside in the width direction of the upstream conveyor 21.

As shown in Figure 19, this pusher 103 moves back and forth between a forward position G, where its tip is positioned above the upstream conveyor 21, and a retracted position H, where it retreats from this forward position G and is positioned to the side (outside) of the upstream conveyor.

When the label inspection device 101 determines that the label is defective and receives a determination signal indicating this, the defective item discharge means 102 advances the pusher 103 from the retracted position H to the advanced position G, and pushes the item X determined to have a defective label from the upstream conveyor 21 to a predetermined discharge destination J.

In this configuration, when an item X determined to have a defective label is ejected, there may be a shortage of item X in the case C into which that item X was intended to be transferred.

As shown in Figure 19, the transfer system 100 of this embodiment has a transferred case discharge path 51 that is located downstream of the transfer position P1 and that discharges cases C to which items X have been transferred, and a defective case discharge path 52 that branches off from the transferred case discharge path 51 and discharges cases C that do not meet predetermined conditions from the transferred case discharge path 51.

The transferred case discharge path 51 and the defective case discharge path 52 constitute the case discharge mechanism 50, which further includes a third conveying direction change means 53, such as an orthogonal conveyor, provided at the branch point of the transferred case discharge path 51 to the defective case discharge path 52.

Then, the judgment result is output from the label inspection device 101 to the control device 60, and the control device 60 controls the operation of the case discharge mechanism 50 based on the judgment result.

More specifically, when the label inspection device 101 determines that the label is defective, the item X determined to have a defective label is discharged by the defective item discharge means 102.The control device 60 then controls the orthogonal conveyor, which serves as the third conveying direction change means 53, to change the conveying direction of the case C by the case discharge mechanism 50 so that the case C into which the discharged item X was to be transferred can be transferred from the transferred case discharge path 51 to the defective case discharge path 52.

In other words, the transfer system 100 of this embodiment is configured so that cases C in which the number of transferred items X is less than the preset number are discharged to the defective case discharge path 52. Specifically, cases C into which items X discharged by the defective item discharge means 102 should be transferred are discharged to the defective case discharge path 52.

With the transfer system 100 configured in this way, cases C that do not contain enough items X are discharged to the defective case discharge path 52. Therefore, by adding more items X later, for example, it is possible to prevent shortages of items X contained in the cases X, contributing to the automation of process centers, etc.

The condition for a case C to be discharged to the defective case discharge path 52 does not necessarily have to be an insufficient number of items X. For example, a case C may be discharged to the defective case discharge path 52 if a transferred item X is riding on top of another item X, or if the transferred item X is upside down. Furthermore, an insufficient number of items X does not necessarily have to be due to a defective label, but may also be due to a transfer error such as a pickup error by the transfer robot 40. In this case, the transfer robot 40 may output a signal indicating a transfer error, and the case C may be discharged to the defective case discharge path 52 based on that signal.

The third conveying direction change means 53 is not limited to an orthogonal conveyor, but may also be a pusher or the like that pushes the case C into the defective case discharge path 52.

(Fifth embodiment of transfer system)
A fifth embodiment of the transfer system according to the present invention will be described below.

First, let us explain the issues that may arise with the transfer system 100 of the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the direction in which the case C is carried into the transfer position P1 is perpendicular to the direction in which the case C is carried out from the transfer position P1.

As a result, after item X has been transferred into case C, when the next empty case C is brought into transfer position P1, it is necessary to wait for the case C that has been transferred to be completely removed from transfer position P1, making it difficult to shorten this waiting time and lengthening the takt time.

In contrast, in the transfer system of the fifth embodiment, as shown in Figures 20 and 21, the direction DI in which the case C is carried into the transfer position P1 and the direction DO in which the case C is carried out from the transfer position P1 are substantially the same.

More specifically, the direction DI in which the case C is carried into the transfer position P1 and the direction DO in which the case C is carried out from the transfer position P1 are set to be linear when viewed from above. Note that the direction DI in which the case C is carried into and the direction DO in which the case C is carried out do not necessarily have to be horizontal; for example, they may be diagonally upward or diagonally downward.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 20, the carry-in direction DI and carry-out direction DO of the case C are set perpendicular to the transport direction of the item X toward the picking position P2.

In this embodiment, the case C transported from the transfer position P1 is configured to change direction midway before being transported. In other words, the transferred case transport path 51 described in the fourth embodiment is configured to bend midway.

The defective case discharge path 52 branches off from the bend in the transferred case discharge path 51, and the defective case discharge path 52 and the downstream side of the bend in the transferred case discharge path 51 are set in parallel directions.

As a result, the orthogonal conveyor serving as the third conveying direction change means 53 described in the fourth embodiment is not provided at the branch point of the transferred case discharge path 51 to the defective case discharge path 52 (i.e., the bending point of the transferred case discharge path 51).

Then, by moving forward (changing direction) from this branch point in a predetermined direction, case C proceeds along the transferred case discharge path 51, and by moving backward (changing direction) from this branch point in the opposite direction to the predetermined direction, case C is discharged into the defective case discharge path 52.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 21, the carry-in direction DI and carry-out direction DO of the case C are set parallel to the transport direction of the item X toward the picking position P1.

In this embodiment, as in the fourth embodiment, an orthogonal conveyor serving as a third conveying direction change means 53 is provided at the branch point of the transferred case discharge path 51 to the defective case discharge path 52.

With the transfer system 100 configured in this manner, a case C that has completed the transfer of item X can be transported out of transfer position P1 while an empty case C is simultaneously transported into transfer position P1, thereby shortening the takt time.

(Sixth embodiment of transfer system)
A sixth embodiment of the transfer system according to the present invention will be described below.

As shown in Figure 22, the transfer system 100 of this embodiment further includes a rotation means RM that rotates the case C being transported.

This rotation means RM rotates the orientation of the case C by 90 degrees.
The transfer system 100 of this embodiment has an upstream rotation means RM(a) that is provided upstream of the transfer position P2 and rotates empty cases C that are transported to the transfer position P2, and a downstream rotation means RM(b) that is provided downstream of the transfer position P2 and rotates transferred cases C that are transported out of the transfer position P2.

This allows the orientation of the case C after it has been unstacked to be rotated 90 degrees midway through, or the orientation of the case C before it is stacked to be rotated 90 degrees midway through, making it possible to accommodate various installation spaces and layouts, for example in process centers.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 22, a pair of downstream rotation means RM(b) are provided at positions sandwiching the transferred case discharge path 51. Specifically, there is a first downstream rotation means RM(b) that rotates the case C clockwise, and a second downstream rotation means RM(b) that rotates the case C counterclockwise.

The upstream rotation means RM(a) may include a first upstream rotation means RM(a) that rotates the case C clockwise and a second upstream rotation means RM(a) that rotates the case C counterclockwise, and there may be only one downstream rotation means RM(b).

This allows multiple cases C being continuously transported to the stacking means 200 to be rotated so that their front and back orientations alternate, ensuring that the cases C can be stacked in a reliable stacked state.

(Seventh embodiment of transfer system)
A seventh embodiment of the transfer system 100 according to the present invention will be described below.

As shown in FIG. 23, the transfer system 100 of this embodiment has a case carry-in mechanism 10 that includes a case guide 13 that guides the case C to the transfer position P1, and a case stopper 14 that stops the case C once it has been transported to the transfer position P1.

In this embodiment, the direction in which case C is carried into transfer position P1 and the direction in which case C is carried out from transfer position P1 are the same (the up-down direction in Figure 23), and item X is transferred to case C at transfer position P1 from a direction perpendicular to this direction (the left-right direction in Figure 23).

As shown in Figure 23, the case guides 13 are positioned to sandwich the case C from a direction intersecting the transport direction, and the case C is guided to the transfer position P1 while the side C1 of the case C contacts the pair of case guides 13.

In this embodiment, the case guide 13 has multiple rollers 131 that the case C rotates against in order to guide the case C to the transfer position P1 in a stable position. However, the case guide 13 does not necessarily have to use rollers 131; for example, a belt or sheet metal could also be used.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 24, the case guides 13 may have a biasing member 132 that biases at least one case guide 13 toward the other case guide 13. The biasing member 132 may be, for example, an elastic body such as a general compression spring or a constant-load spring. This configuration can improve the accuracy of positioning the case C at the transfer position P1.

As shown in Figure 25, at least one of these case guides 13 is configured to be position adjustable along a direction intersecting the transport direction of the case C.

Here, one case guide 13 is adjustable in position along a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the case C, while the other case guide is fixed in a predetermined position.

The case guide position adjustment 13 may be performed automatically using a power source such as an air cylinder, or manually without a power source.

By the way, some cases C used in food processing factories and the like have a side C1 that is not flat, but has multiple recesses C2, as shown in Figure 26.

In this type of case C, the area of a first height region C1a on the side surface C1 differs from that of a second height region C1b, which is separate from the first height region C1a. Note that the side surface C1 here is the surface that is guided by the case guide 13 described above.

Furthermore, when comparing the first height region C1a and the second height region C1b, the distance CL1 from the most upstream edge in the conveying direction of the first height region C1a to the most downstream edge in the conveying direction is longer than the distance CL2 from the most upstream edge in the conveying direction of the second height region C1b to the most downstream edge in the conveying direction.

For such a case C, the case guide 13 of this embodiment is provided at a height that contacts the first height region C1a on the side C1 of the case C, which has a long distance from the edge furthest upstream in the conveying direction to the edge furthest downstream in the conveying direction, as shown in FIG. 27. In this case, the case guide 13 is provided at a height that contacts the first height region C1a, which has a larger area than the second height region C1b on the side C1.

More specifically, in the case C shown in Figure 26, the area of the first height region C1a from near the center to the top surface of the side C1 is larger than the area of the second height region C1b from the bottom surface to near the center, and the case guide 13 is arranged to contact the upper side of the side C1 of the case C, as shown in Figure 27.

Next, we will explain the case stopper 14.

As shown in Figure 28, the case stopper 14 moves between a stop position Sa, which stops a case transported to the transfer position P1, and a release position Sb, which removes the case C from the transfer position P1.

This case stopper 14 is against the front surface C3 of the case C facing downstream in the transport direction, and here, case stoppers 14 are provided on both the left and right sides of the case C when viewed downstream in the transport direction.

Here, each case stopper 14 rotates around a predetermined axis between a stop position Sa and a release position Sb. However, as shown in Figure 29, the case stopper 14 may also slide between the stop position Sa and the release position Sb.

As shown in Figure 30, this case stopper 14 is configured so that its position can be adjusted along the transport direction of the case C.

The position of the case stopper 14 may be adjusted automatically using a power source such as an air cylinder, or manually without using a power source.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 25, at least one of the pair of case guides 14 is configured to be position adjustable along a direction intersecting the transport direction of the case C.

Here, one case stopper 14 is adjustable in position along a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the case C, and the other case guide 14 is fixed in a predetermined position.

The position of one of the case stoppers 14 may be adjusted automatically using a power source such as an air cylinder, or manually without using a power source.

With the transfer system 100 configured in this manner, the position of the case stopper 14 can be adjusted according to the size of the case C, allowing cases C of various sizes to be accurately positioned at the transfer position P1.

In addition, the case guide 13 is adjustable in position in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the case C, so the position of this case guide 13 can be adjusted according to the size of the case C along its width, allowing cases C of various sizes to be guided to the transfer position P1.

Furthermore, since the case guide 13 contacts the second height region C1b, which has a larger area, on the side surface C1 of the case C, the case C can be stably guided to the transfer position P1.

The item X transferred by the transfer system 100 of the present invention is not limited to packaged food containers, but may be any packaged food. For example, as shown in Figure 31, it may be a container of food sealed with a top seal, such as prepared foods sold at convenience stores, a container of food with a lid fitted over it, such as a boxed lunch, or a container of such a lid fitted over it, wrapped in shrink film, a container sealed with a top seal or lid and wrapped in a film strip, food packaged in a small bag known as a pouch, food packaged in a pillow bag, food packaged in a paper carton, such as boiled eggs, food packaged in a paper carton, tofu or natto packaged together in a film strip, or food packaged in film, such as rice balls.

It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100...Transfer system X...Item C...Case 10...Case carry-in mechanism 11...Destacking means 20...Item conveying mechanism 22...Branching means 30...Stopping means 40...Transfer robot 50...Case carry-out mechanism 60...Control device 80...Separation means 90...Guide member P1...Transfer position P2...Picking position R1...First placement position R2...Second placement position

Claims (23)

a conveying mechanism that conveys the packaged food item to a predetermined picking position;
a stopping means for stopping the article at the picking position;
a transfer robot that picks up the item stopped at the picking position and transfers it to a case that has been transported to a predetermined transfer position;
a separation means for separating a leading item from a succeeding item among the plurality of items sequentially transported to the picking position by the transport mechanism. The transfer system described in claim 1, characterized in that the separation means has a stopper that moves between a restricting position that is interposed between the preceding item and the following item to restrict the movement of the following item, and a non-restricting position that retreats from the restricting position to allow the movement of the following item. the conveying mechanism has a plurality of conveying rollers arranged along the conveying direction of the article,
3. The transfer system according to claim 2, wherein the stopper is provided between the adjacent transport rollers so as to be able to move up and down. The transfer system described in claim 2 further comprises an auxiliary stopper that restricts the movement of subsequent items when the stopper moves from the restricting position to the non-restricting position and the leading item whose movement was restricted by the stopper moves. the conveying mechanism has a plurality of conveying rollers arranged along the conveying direction of the article,
3. The transfer system according to claim 2, wherein the stopper is positioned above the transport roller both in the restricting position and in the non-restricting position. The transfer system described in claim 5 further comprises a support section provided above the conveying roller, which supports the stopper and moves the stopper between the restricting position and the non-restricting position by raising and lowering the stopper or rotating it around a predetermined axis. A transfer system as described in claim 6, characterized in that the support part is movable along the transport direction of the item. the conveying mechanism has a branching means for sequentially receiving a plurality of the articles and branching the articles into a plurality of rows while sending them out,
3. The transfer system according to claim 2, wherein the stoppers are provided in each of the rows branched by the branching means so as to be movable independently of each other. A transfer system as described in claim 2, characterized in that the transport mechanism is configured so that, among the items whose movement is restricted by the stoppers, the movement speed of the leading item when the restriction by the stoppers is released is faster than the movement speed of the subsequent items when the restriction by the stoppers is released. The transfer system of claim 1, characterized in that the transport mechanism decelerates the item just before the picking position. The transfer system described in claim 1, further comprising a guide member that guides the item being transported by the transport mechanism to the picking position. The transfer system described in claim 10 further comprises a second guide member positioned to sandwich the item being transported by the transport mechanism between itself and the guide member, and which, together with the guide member, guides the item to the picking position. The transfer system described in claim 1, characterized in that the transfer robot grips the item by suction. The transfer system of claim 1, characterized in that the direction in which the case is carried into the transfer position and the direction in which the case is carried out from the transfer position are substantially aligned. a transferred case carrying-out path provided downstream of the transfer position and through which the case onto which the article has been transferred is carried out;
2. The transfer system according to claim 1, further comprising a defective case discharge path that branches off from the transferred case discharge path and discharges cases that do not meet predetermined conditions from the transferred case discharge path. The transfer system described in claim 1, characterized in that cases in which the number of transferred items is less than a predetermined number are discharged to the defective case discharge path. a label inspection device provided upstream of the picking position and configured to inspect a label attached to the package;
a defective item ejection means for ejecting the item determined to have a defective label by the label inspection device before the picking position,
16. A transfer system according to claim 15, wherein the case into which the article discharged by the defective article discharge means is to be transferred is discharged to the defective case discharge path. a case stopper that moves between a stop position that stops the case transported to the transfer position and a release position that transports the case from the transfer position,
2. The transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the case stopper is configured so that its position can be adjusted along the direction in which the case is transported. a pair of case guides that sandwich the case from a direction intersecting the conveying direction and guide it to the transfer position;
19. The transfer system according to claim 18, wherein at least one of the case guides is configured to be position adjustable along a direction intersecting the conveying direction. The transfer system described in claim 19, characterized in that the case guide contacts a predetermined first height region on the side of the case, and the distance from the most upstream edge of the first height region in the conveying direction to the most downstream edge of the first height region in the conveying direction is longer than the distance from the most upstream edge of a second height region different from the first height region in the conveying direction to the most downstream edge of the conveying direction. A transfer system as described in claim 19, characterized in that the case guide has multiple rollers that rotate while contacting the case being transported to the transfer position. A transfer system as described in claim 19, characterized in that it has a biasing member that biases at least one of the case guides toward the other case guide. a conveying step of conveying the packaged food item to a predetermined picking position;
a stopping step of stopping the item at the picking position;
a transfer step of picking up the item stopped at the picking position and transferring it to a case transported to a predetermined transfer position;
A transfer method characterized by comprising a separation step of separating a leading item from a following item among the plurality of items sequentially transported to the picking position in the transport step.