JP7473388B2 - Work transfer device - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to a work transfer device.

The work of butchering livestock carcasses for meat is hard work and inefficient when done by hand, so automation is being promoted. In addition to the automation of butchering work, automation of the work of feeding bone-in meat, such as bone-in thigh meat, into a deboning machine is also being promoted. Patent Document 1 discloses an autoloading system that automatically feeds workpieces into a deboning machine. This system has a transfer device that pushes the workpieces toward the deboning machine using a pushing member that reciprocates due to a reciprocating actuator, and feeds it into the deboning machine.

Patent No. 3483710

The reciprocating transfer device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has the risk of colliding with the following workpiece when the pushing member returns. If the pushing member collides with the workpiece, the workpiece may fall, preventing smooth transfer operations. Furthermore, if measures are taken to avoid collisions, such as reducing the workpiece transfer speed, problems arise such as a decrease in the transfer efficiency, such as a reduction in the amount of work transferred.

This disclosure was made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to propose a transfer device in which the pushing member that pushes the workpiece is not likely to interfere with the following workpiece.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, the work transfer device of the present disclosure comprises a first hanger on the source side, a second hanger on the destination side, a stationary member provided between the first hanger and the second hanger and having an intermediate path through which a work moving from the first hanger to the second hanger can pass, and a pushing device for pushing the work from the first hanger through the intermediate path into the second hanger.
In this specification, the term "workpiece" refers to an object to be transferred, and is not limited to a specific object to be transferred. Furthermore, the term "transport direction" refers to the direction in which the workpiece is transported by the first hanger.

According to the work transfer device of the present disclosure, since a stationary member is provided between the first hanger and the second hanger, the length of the push-in member constituting the above-mentioned pushing device in the hanger transport direction can be shortened without increasing the slot length of the first hanger, and sufficient spacing can be secured between the first hanger and the second hanger, thereby suppressing collisions between the work being transferred and the following work. This allows the work transfer operation to be continued stably, improving the transfer efficiency.

1 is a perspective view of a work transfer device and a work transport device according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a front view of the workpiece transfer device according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view of the workpiece transfer device according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view of the workpiece transfer device according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a front view of the workpiece transfer device according to the embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a work transfer device according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a work transfer device according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of a work transfer device according to an embodiment.

Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, etc. of components described as the embodiments or shown in the drawings are merely illustrative examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.
For example, expressions expressing relative or absolute configuration, such as "in a certain direction,""along a certain direction,""parallel,""orthogonal,""center,""concentric," or "coaxial," not only express such a configuration strictly, but also express a state in which there is a relative displacement with a tolerance or an angle or distance to the extent that the same function is obtained.
For example, expressions indicating that things are in an equal state, such as "identical,""equal," and "homogeneous," not only indicate a state of strict equality, but also indicate a state in which there is a tolerance or a difference to the extent that the same function is obtained.
For example, expressions describing shapes such as a rectangular shape or a cylindrical shape do not only refer to rectangular shapes, cylindrical shapes, etc. in the strict geometric sense, but also refer to shapes that include uneven portions, chamfered portions, etc., to the extent that the same effect is obtained.
On the other hand, the expressions "comprise,""include,""have,""includes," or "have" of one element are not exclusive expressions excluding the presence of other elements.

Figures 1 to 5 show work transfer devices 10 (10A, 10B, 10C, 10D) according to several embodiments. Figure 1 is a perspective view including the work transfer device 10 (10A) and the transport device 40, and Figure 2 is a front view of the work transfer device 10 (10A). Figure 3 is a front view of the work transfer device 10 (10B), Figure 4 is a front view of the work transfer device 10 (10C), and Figure 5 is a front view of the work transfer device 10 (10D).

1 to 5, the work transfer device 10 (10A to 10D) has a first hanger 44 on the source side and a second hanger 56 (56a, 56b) on the destination side, and a stationary member 28 is disposed between the first hanger 44 and the second hanger 56. The stationary member 28 has an intermediate path 28a through which the work W moving from the first hanger 44 toward the second hanger 56 can pass. The work transfer device 10 also has a pushing device 12 (12A, 12B, 12C), and the pushing device 12 (12A to 12C) has a pushing member 22 (22a, 22b, 22c) that pushes the work W toward the second hanger 56. The workpiece W is pushed from the first hanger 44 on the transfer source side to the second hanger 56 side by the pushing member 22, and is transferred to the second hanger 56 on the transfer destination side while being suspended from the stationary member 28 through the relay path 28a.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a conveying device 40 is provided that conveys the first hanger 44 on which the workpiece W is suspended in the direction of the arrow a toward the workpiece transfer device 10. The workpiece W suspended in the slot 45 of the first hanger 44 is conveyed to a position P ₁ (a position suspended from the first hanger 44 (44a) shown in FIGS. 1 to 5; hereinafter also referred to as the "first position"), which is a transfer starting point where the workpiece W is pushed toward the second hanger 56 by the pushing member 22. As shown in FIGS. 6A to 6B, the required length in the conveying direction of the pushing member 22 required to transfer the workpiece W from the first position P ₁ to the transfer destination (second position P ₂ described later) is determined by the product of the conveying speed of the workpiece W and the movement time of the workpiece W moving through the slot 45 of the first hanger 44.

According to the above embodiment, since the stationary member 28 is provided, the axial length of the first hanger 44 and the second hanger 56 can be shortened accordingly. Therefore, the movement time of the work W moving through the slot 45 of the first hanger 44 can be shortened, and the length of the pushing member 22 in the conveying direction can be shortened. Therefore, interference between the pushing member 22 and the work Wf following the work W being transferred can be suppressed. In addition, since the stationary member 28 is provided, the distance between the first hanger 44 and the second hanger 56 can be sufficiently secured without increasing the slot length of the first hanger 44 and the second hanger 56. Therefore, collision between the work W being transferred and the following work Wf can be prevented. This allows the work W to be transferred stably and continuously, improving the transfer efficiency.

In one embodiment, the length of the relay path 28a of the stationary member 28 is configured to be greater than or equal to the length of the slot 45 of the first hanger 44 in the transfer direction of the workpiece W (the direction from the first position _P1 toward the second position _P2 described later; hereinafter, simply referred to as the "transfer direction" or the "pushing direction"). In this way, since the relay path 28a has a sufficient length, the length of the slot 45 of the first hanger 44 can be sufficiently short. Therefore, the movement time of the workpiece W moving through the slot 45 of the first hanger 44 can be shortened, and the length of the pushing member 22 in the transport direction can be shortened, thereby suppressing interference between the pushing member 22 and the following workpiece Wf.

Figures 6A to 6C are diagrams illustrating the difference in effect between an embodiment with a stationary member 28 and a comparative example without a stationary member 28. Figure 6A is a schematic plan view of an embodiment with a stationary member 28, Figure 6B is a schematic plan view of a comparative example without a stationary member 28, and Figure 6C is a schematic front view of an embodiment with a stationary member 28. In these figures, the first hanger 44 moves at a constant speed in the direction of arrow a (see Figure 1).

In order to prevent the workpiece W to be pushed in from colliding with the following workpiece Wf, it is necessary to leave a certain amount of space I between the workpieces W and Wf. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6A, this is made possible by disposing the stationary member 28 between the first hanger 44 and the second hanger 56 (56a, 56b). When the workpiece W is pushed in from the first position _P1 to the stationary member 28 by the pushing member 22 (22a, 22b, 22c), the first hanger 44 moves in the direction of the arrow a at a constant speed, so that the workpiece W moves to the stationary member 28 by tracing the trajectory t1. Due to the presence of the stationary member 28, the axial length of the pushing member 22 in the direction of the arrow a may be short.

6B, since the stationary member 28 is not provided, the axial length of the first hanger 44 must be increased to ensure the interval I. In this comparative example, when the workpiece W is pushed from the first position _P1 to a position _P2 (the position where the slot 57 of the second hanger 56 is located, which is the end point of transfer; hereinafter, also referred to as the "second position"), the workpiece W follows a trajectory t2. Therefore, in order to push the workpiece W from the first position _P1 of the slot 45 to the second position _P2 of the slot 57, the axial length of the pushing member 22 in the direction of the arrow a must be increased.

As described above, in the comparative example shown in FIG. 6B, the pushing member 22, which has a long axial length in the direction of movement of the first hanger 44, extends in the direction of the arrow a, so there is a risk that the pushing member 22 will collide with the following workpiece Wf. In contrast, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 6A, the axial length of the pushing member 22 is not long, so there is little risk that the pushing member 22 will collide with the following workpiece Wf.

In one embodiment, the width of the relay path 28a is configured to be 0.8 to 1.2 times the width of the slot 45 of the first hanger 44. Therefore, the workpiece W that can be suspended in the slot 45 of the first hanger 44 can be suspended continuously from the first hanger 44 onto the relay path 28a without dropping.

In one embodiment, the stationary member 28 is configured as a plate-like body arranged along the horizontal direction, and the relay path 28a is configured as a slit formed along the direction from the first position _P1 to the second position _P2 .

1, a conveying device (autoloading) 40 that conveys the first hangers 44 to the first position _P1 includes an endless chain 42 wound around a sprocket 46, a plurality of first hangers 44 attached to the chain 42, the sprocket 46 for moving the chain 42, and a motor 48 for rotating the sprocket 46. The motor 48 is provided with an encoder 50 that can detect the number of rotations of the motor 48 to detect the distance traveled by each of the first hangers 44.

The workpiece W inserted and suspended in the slots 45 of each first hanger 44 is transported to a first position _P1 , which is a transfer start position of the workpiece transfer device 10, by the movement of the chain 42 in the direction of the arrow a. The direction of the arrow a is set, for example, perpendicular to the pushing direction of the workpiece W from the first position _P1 to the second position _P2 . As shown in FIG. 1, the first position _P1 is the position of the workpiece W suspended on the first hanger 44 (44a). When the first hanger 44 reaches the first position _P1 , it is pushed out by the pushing member 22 to the transfer destination side, and is transferred to the second position _P2 on the transfer destination side through the relay path 28a of the stationary member 28.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 5, the work W is a chicken thigh with bone, and the width of the slot 45 of the first hanger 44 that suspends the work W is smaller than the ankle part of the bone-in thigh. Therefore, the work W can be suspended from the first hanger 44 by inserting the recess on the thigh side from the ankle part into the slot 45.

In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 to 4, the pushing device 12 (12A to 12C) includes an arm 13 (13a, 13b) that rotates around a rotation axis 14 within a reference plane along the vertical direction. A pushing member 22 (22a, 22b) is attached to the arm 13, and the pushing member 22 pushes the workpiece W suspended from the first hanger 44 toward the second hanger 56 by the rotational movement of the arm 13. The distance R from the rotation center of the arm 13 to the pushing member 22 is configured to be smaller than the vertical distance H between the first hanger 44 and the rotation center (rotation axis 14).

The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 4 is a rotary pushing method using a rotating arm 13, and the rotating arm 13 is rotated only in the pushing direction (from the first position _P1 to the second position _P2 . The direction of the arrow b in FIG. 2) and is not rotated in the opposite direction to the direction of the arrow b, so that interference between the pushing member 22 and the workpiece Wf following the workpiece W being transferred can be prevented. In addition, since the stationary member 28 is provided, a sufficient gap can be provided between the workpiece W being transferred and the following workpiece Wf, so that collision between the two can be prevented. In addition, since the distance R is less than the distance H, there is no risk of the arm 13 interfering with the first hanger 44, and therefore the arm 13 can continue the pushing operation without hindrance. Furthermore, as a secondary effect, since the arm 13 does not involve a return movement, the transfer speed can be improved compared to the reciprocating type. Therefore, the transfer efficiency of the workpiece W can be improved.

Incidentally, in the autoloading device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the amount of work transported by the conveyor exceeds the amount that can be fed into the deboning machine, so in order to absorb the difference, a buffer conveyor is provided between the conveyor and the deboning machine, and work that cannot be immediately fed into the deboning machine is held on the buffer conveyor until it can be fed into the deboning machine. In contrast, when the work transfer device 10 (10A-10C) is applied to transporting work W to the deboning machine, the adoption of the rotating arm 13 can improve the transfer speed of the work W, making the buffer conveyor unnecessary. This allows the transport device to be made more compact.

One or more arms 13 are provided around the rotating shaft 14 and are attached to the rotating shaft 14 at equal intervals. The drive box 16 contains a drive device such as a motor 18 and a reducer 20 (see Figure 2) for driving the rotating shaft 14.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4, multiple arms 13 are arranged in the circumferential direction from the rotation axis 14. When the rotation speed of the arms 13 is constant, the number of workpieces W transferred per unit time can be increased in proportion to the number of arms. This improves the transfer efficiency. However, this embodiment can be applied even when there is only one arm 13. If the rotation speed of the arm 13 is increased, there is no impairment to the transfer capacity.

In the work transfer device 10 (10A, 10B) shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, a rotary slot machine 52 is provided on the transfer destination side. In the rotary slot machine 52, a plurality of second hangers 56 (56a) are provided along the horizontal direction around one end of a rotating shaft 54 arranged along the vertical direction. The rotating shaft 54 is connected to a drive unit (not shown) and rotated by the drive unit. The plurality of second hangers 56 (56a) are attached to the rotating shaft 54 at equal angular intervals, and slots are formed in the axial direction, similar to the first hanger 44. In this embodiment, the second position _P2 is a slot forming portion of the second hanger 56 (56a) located at a position facing the first position _P1 . When the work W is transferred to the second hanger 56 (56a) located at the second position _P2 , the rotating shaft 54 rotates by the angle between the second hangers 56 (56a), and the next second hanger 56 (56a) comes to the second position _P2 . Thereafter, the succeeding workpiece Wf is hung on the second hanger 56 (56a) at the second position _P2 .

The second hanger 56 (56a) which receives the work W at the second position _P2 rotates 180° from the second position _P2 and supplies the work W to a processing machine (e.g., a deboning machine) which is located at a position rotated opposite to the second position _P2 .

In the work transfer device 10 (10C) shown in FIG. 4, a transfer device 70 having the same configuration as the transfer device 40 is provided on the transfer destination side instead of the rotary slot machine 52. The other configurations are the same as those of the work transfer device 10 (10A, 10B). The transfer device 70 is provided with a chain 72 arranged in a direction perpendicular to the transfer direction in the work transfer device 10 (10C) like the chain 42 of the transfer device 40, and a plurality of second hangers 56 (56b) attached to the chain 72 at a predetermined interval and having a slot (not shown) in which the work W is suspended. The work W is transferred to the second hanger 56 (56b) at the second position _P2 out of the plurality of second hangers 56 (56b) attached to the chain 72, and the work W is transported to the destination by the transport device 70.

In the work transfer device 10 (10D) shown in FIG. 5, the pushing device 12 (12C) is provided with a pushing member 22 (22c). The pushing member 22 (22c) pushes the work W into the second hanger 56 (56a) through the relay path 28a of the stationary member 28. The pushing member 22 (22c) is reciprocated by the actuator 76 between a retreated position that is in front of the stationary member 28 and is closer to the first hanger 44 (44a) than the relay path 28a, and an advanced position where the work W can be pushed into the second hanger 56 (56a). In this embodiment, the pushing device 12 (12C) is configured as a reciprocating pushing device, but since it is provided with the stationary member 28, the axial length of the pushing member 22 (22b) in the transport direction can be shortened as shown in FIG. 6A. Therefore, interference between the pushing member 22 (22c) and the following work Wf can be prevented. In addition, since the stationary member 28 is provided, a sufficient distance can be maintained between the workpiece W being transferred and the following workpiece Wf, preventing the two from colliding. Furthermore, by making the pushing device 12 (12C) a reciprocating type, costs can be reduced.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the actuator 76 is an air cylinder, and the pushing member 22 (22c) is attached to the tip of the piston rod 78 of the air cylinder.

1 to 5, in one embodiment, the pushing members 22 (22a to 22c) are formed of rod-shaped bodies (e.g., round bars having a circular cross section), and the rod-shaped bodies extend along the conveying direction (the direction of the arrow a in FIG. 1) of the conveying device 40. This allows the pushing members 22 to reliably come into contact with the workpiece W and exert a pushing force on the workpiece W from the transfer start point (first position P ₁ ) to the transfer end point (second position P ₂ ).

In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4, the pushing member 22 (22a) is attached to the tip of the inner and outer periphery of the rotation surface of the arm 13. This makes it possible to maximize the pushing distance of the pushing member 22 relative to the rotation angle of the arm 13.

In the workpiece transfer device 10 (10A) shown in FIG. 1, right legs W (R) and left legs W (L) of chicken thigh meat with bone are hung alternately on a plurality of first hangers 44, and the arm 13 is composed of a pair of arms 13 (13a, 13b) that share a rotation axis 14 and rotate at the same phase angle. The arm 13 (13a) is controlled so that when the right leg W (R) reaches the first position _P1, it rotates in the pushing direction to transfer the right leg W (R) to the second position _P2 , and the arm 13 (13b) is controlled so that when the left leg W (L) reaches the first position _P1 , it rotates in the pushing direction to transfer the left leg W (L) to the second position _P2 . The right leg W (R) is transported with the meat surface s1, which is free of skin and has exposed meat, facing the upstream side in the transport direction, and the skin surface s2, which is covered with skin, facing the downstream side in the transport direction. The left leg W (L) is transported in the opposite direction.

As shown in FIG. 2, the work transfer device 10 (10A) is equipped with an intermediate pushing device 30. The intermediate pushing device 30 has an intermediate pushing member 31 that can rotate around a support shaft 32 provided near the stationary member 28. The intermediate pushing member 31 can push the work W pushed into the intermediate path 28a of the stationary member 28 into the second hanger 56 (56a) by rotating around the support shaft 32. According to this embodiment, since the intermediate pushing device 30 is provided, the work W transferred to the intermediate path 28a of the stationary member 28 by the pushing device 12 can be reliably transferred to the second hanger 56.

In one embodiment, the drive unit 34 that rotates the intermediate pushing member 31 is composed of an air cylinder. As a piston rod 34a of the air cylinder reciprocates, the lever 36 rotates about the support shaft 32, causing the intermediate pushing member 31 to rotate about the support shaft 32. This allows the intermediate pushing member 31 to move between a retreated position where it does not contact the workpiece W inserted in the intermediate path 28a and an operating position where it abuts against the workpiece W inserted in the intermediate path 28a and can push the workpiece W to the second position _P2 .

In one embodiment, the pushing member 22 is disposed below the line connecting the first position _P1 and the second position _P2 (below the stationary member 28), and the intermediate pushing device 30 is disposed above the line connecting the first position _P1 and the second position _P2 . This allows both the pushing member 22 and the intermediate pushing device 30 to be disposed close to the line.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 2, the intermediate push-in device 30 is provided on the work transfer device 10 (10A) equipped with the rotary push-in device 12 (12A) having the arm 13, but the intermediate push-in device 30 may be provided on the work transfer device 10 (10D) shown in Fig. 5, i.e., the work transfer device 10 (10D) equipped with the reciprocating push-in device 12 (12C). In this case, the work W is transferred from the first position _P1 to the stationary member 28 by the reciprocating push-in device 12 (12C), and then the work W is transferred from the stationary member 28 to the second position _P2 by the intermediate push-in device 30.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, a controller 80 for controlling the operation of the arm 13 is provided. The controller 80 is configured to stop the pushing member 22 (22a, 22b) at a stop position within the angle range θ corresponding to the range in which the stationary member 28 is positioned in the pushing direction of the workpiece W, and control the arm 13 to start rotating from the stop position after the workpiece W starts to be taken from the stationary member 28 toward the second hanger 56 (56a). FIG. 2 illustrates the pushing member 22 (22a) located within the angle range θ at the above stop position. In this way, by temporarily suspending the rotation of the arm 13 when the workpiece W is transferred to the stationary member 28, interference between the workpiece W on the stationary member 28 and the arm 13 can be avoided.

As shown in FIG. 2, in an embodiment equipped with the intermediate push-in device 30, the controller 80 is configured to control the arm 13 to start rotating from the above-mentioned stop position and to push the workpiece W from the stationary member 28 to the second hanger 56 (56a) by the intermediate push-in device 30. This makes it possible to reliably transfer the workpiece W on the stationary member 28 to the second hanger 56 (56a) by using the intermediate push-in device 30 to push the workpiece W from the stationary member 28 to the second hanger 56 (56a) while avoiding interference between the workpiece W suspended on the stationary member 28 and the arm 13.

In one embodiment, the controller 80 is configured to simultaneously control the pushing operation of the arm 13, the pushing operation of the intermediate pushing device 30, and the operation of the workpiece receiving device on the second position _P2 side. This makes it easy to synchronize the operation timing of the arm 13, the intermediate pushing member 31, and the workpiece receiving device on the second position _P2 side, so that the transfer from the first position _P1 to the second position _P2 can be performed accurately.

1 to 4, the center of rotation (rotation axis 14) of the arm 13 is located between the first position _P1 and the second position _P2 in a plan view. As a result, the pushing direction of the workpiece W by the pushing member 22 (22a, 22b) attached to the arm 13 approaches horizontal between the first position _P1 and the second position _P2 , so that the pushing direction of the workpiece W and the direction in which the pushing force of the pushing member 22 acts are approximately the same. This allows the pushing force of the pushing member 22 to be efficiently applied to the workpiece W. Therefore, the workpiece W can be stably pushed out to the second position _P2 .

1 to 4, the ratio of the distance R to the distance H satisfies 0.9<R/H<0.98. This allows the pushing position of the workpiece W by the pushing member 22 (22a, 22b) to be close to the support position of the first hanger 44 (44a) at the first position _P1 in the vertical plane. Therefore, the moment around the starting point, which is the workpiece support position by the first hanger 44 and is generated by the pushing force of the pushing member 22, is reduced. Therefore, the oscillation of the workpiece W during pushing can be suppressed, and the workpiece W can be transferred while maintaining a stable posture.

1 to 4, the arm 13 is provided with a guide plate 24 for controlling the posture of the workpiece W. By receiving the workpiece W transported by the transport device 40 with the guide plate 24, the posture of the workpiece W can be controlled to be suitable for transfer to the second position _P2 . This ensures that the workpiece W can be transferred to the second position _P2 . Since the guide plate 24 is attached to the arm 13 and moves together with the arm 13, by taking into consideration the positional relationship with the pushing member 22, the guide plate 24 does not get in the way of other workpieces W that are not the target of pushing. Therefore, the posture of the workpiece W that is the target of pushing can be controlled reliably.

In one embodiment, the guide plate 24 is positioned upstream of the arm 13 in the transport direction. This allows the transported workpiece W to come into contact with the guide plate 24 without hitting the arm 13.

In one embodiment, the guide plate 24 extends in a direction (e.g., a pushing direction of the workpiece W from the first position _P1 to the second position _P2 ) intersecting the conveying direction of the workpiece W conveyed to the first position _P1 by the conveying device 40. This allows the posture of the workpiece W to be oriented in a direction suitable for the pushing direction.

In one embodiment, at least a portion of the pushing member 22 (22a, 22b) protrudes upstream in the conveying direction relative to the guide plate 24. This allows the pushing member 22 to push the workpiece W received by the guide plate 24 toward the second position _P2 .

In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 to 4, the arm 13 (13a) is provided with a guide member 26 on the same side of the guide plate 24 as the pushing member 22, and the guide member 26 is arranged to at least partially face the guide member 26. This allows the guide member 26 to prevent the workpiece W from turning in a direction away from the guide plate 24 when the pushing member 22 is pushing the workpiece W.

The exemplary guide member 26 shown in FIG. 1 is composed of a round bar with a circular cross section. The round bar is attached to the arm 13 (13a) or the guide plate 24 upstream of the guide plate 24 in the rotation direction of the arm 13 (13a). The tip of the round bar is bent downstream of the rotation direction of the arm 13 (13a), and the tip is positioned to face the guide plate 24. In this way, the round bar is positioned so as to encase the workpiece W abutting against the guide plate 24 upstream of the rotation direction of the arm 13 (13a), so that the workpiece W can be effectively prevented from twisting in a direction away from the guide plate 24.

In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the guide member 26 is provided only on the arm 13 (13a) that is to push the right leg W (R). The right leg W (R) is transported with the skin surface s2 facing downstream in the transport direction, so the skin surface s2 abuts against the guide plate 24. When the elastic skin surface s2 abuts against the guide plate 24, the skin surface s2 repels the guide plate 24 and tends to rotate in a direction away from the guide plate 24. Therefore, the guide member 26 is provided on the arm 13 (13a) to suppress the rotation of the workpiece W. On the other hand, the left leg W (L) is transported with the flesh surface s1 facing downstream in the transport direction, so the flesh surface s1 abuts against the guide plate 24. The flesh surface s1 does not have as much repulsive force as the skin surface s2 and is less likely to rotate in a direction away from the guide plate 24, so there is no need to provide a guide member 26.

1 to 4, the arm 13, the rotation center (rotation shaft 14) of the arm 13, the motor 18, and the drive box 16 that houses the reducer 20 are disposed below the first position _P1 . This makes it easy to dispose these devices. However, if the device configuration allows, these devices may be disposed above the first position _P1 .

The contents described in each of the above embodiments can be understood, for example, as follows:

1) A work transfer device (10 (10A, 10B, 10C, 10D)) according to one embodiment includes a first hanger (44) on the transfer source side, a second hanger (56 (56a, 56b)) on the transfer destination side, a stationary member (28) provided between the first hanger and the second hanger and having an intermediate path (28a) through which a work (W) moving from the first hanger to the second hanger can pass, and a pushing device (12 (12A, 12B, 12C)) for pushing the work from the first hanger through the intermediate path into the second hanger.

When transferring a workpiece suspended on a moving first hanger, the required length of the pushing member in the transport direction required to maintain the pushing force until the workpiece is transferred is determined by the product of the workpiece movement speed and the movement time of the workpiece moving through the slot of the first hanger. According to the above configuration, since the stationary member is provided, the axial length of the first hanger and the second hanger can be shortened accordingly. Therefore, the movement time of the workpiece moving through the slot of the first hanger can be shortened, and the length of the pushing member in the transport direction can be shortened. Therefore, interference between the pushing member and the workpiece following the workpiece being transferred can be prevented. In addition, since the stationary member is provided, a sufficient distance can be secured between the first hanger and the second hanger without increasing the slot length of the first hanger and the second hanger. Therefore, collision between the workpiece being transferred and the following workpiece can be prevented. This allows the workpiece transfer operation to be continued stably, improving the transfer efficiency.

2) Another aspect of the work transfer device (10) is the work transfer device described in 1), in which the length of the relay path (28a) of the stationary member (28) is equal to or greater than the length of the slot (45) of the first hanger (44).

With this configuration, the relay path of the stationary member is sufficiently long, so the slot length of the first hanger can be made sufficiently short. Therefore, the movement time of the workpiece moving through the slot of the first hanger can be shortened, and the length of the pushing member in the transport direction can be shortened, thereby suppressing interference between the pushing member and the following workpiece.

3) A further aspect of the work transfer device (10) is the work transfer device described in 1) or 2), in which the width of the relay path (28a) of the stationary member (28) is 0.8 to 1.2 times the width of the slot (45) of the first hanger (44).

With this configuration, the width of the relay path of the stationary member is 0.8 to 1.2 times the width of the slot of the first hanger, so that a workpiece that can be hung in the slot of the first hanger can be hung in the relay path of the stationary member without falling.

4) A work transfer device (10 (10D)) according to yet another aspect is a work transfer device according to any one of 1) to 3), in which the pushing device (12 (12C)) includes a pushing member (22 (22b)) for pushing the work (W) into the second hanger (56) through the relay path (28a) of the stationary member (28), and an actuator (76) for reciprocating the pushing member between a retreated position on the first hanger (44) side from the relay path and an advanced position where the work (W) can be pushed into the second hanger.

Even if the pushing device is a reciprocating pushing device as configured above, the length of the pushing member in the transport direction can be shortened because it is equipped with the stationary member described above. Therefore, interference between the pushing member and the workpiece following the workpiece being transferred can be prevented. In addition, because it is equipped with a stationary member, a sufficient distance can be secured between the workpiece being transferred and the following workpiece W, thereby preventing collision between the workpiece being transferred and the following workpiece. Furthermore, by making the pushing device a reciprocating type, costs can be reduced.

5) A work transfer device (10 (10A-10C)) according to yet another aspect is a work transfer device according to any one of 1) to 3), in which the pushing device (12 (12A, 12B)) comprises an arm (13 (13a, 13b)) that rotates within a reference plane along the vertical direction, and a pushing member (22 (22a)) that is provided on the arm and pushes the work (W) supported by the first hanger (44) toward the second hanger (56) by the rotational movement of the arm, and is configured so that the distance R from the rotation center (14) of the arm to the pushing member is smaller than the vertical distance H between the first hanger and the rotation center.

When the pushing device is a pushing type using a rotating arm as configured above, the rotating arm rotates only in the direction in which the pushing member pushes the workpiece, and does not rotate in the opposite direction to the pushing direction, thereby suppressing interference between the pushing member and the following workpiece, and since it is equipped with the stationary member described above, a sufficient distance can be maintained between the workpiece being transferred and the following workpiece, preventing collision between the two. Also, since distance R is less than distance H, there is no risk of the arm interfering with the first hanger.

6) A work transfer device (10 (10B)) according to yet another aspect is a work transfer device according to any one of 1) to 5), in which the pushing device (12 (12A, 12B)) includes an intermediate pushing device (30) that is rotatable about a support shaft (32) and has an intermediate pushing member (31) that can push the work (W) pushed into the intermediate path (28a) of the stationary member (28) into the second hanger (56).

With this configuration, the intermediate pushing device of the above configuration is provided, so the workpiece transferred to the stationary member by the pushing device can be reliably transferred to the second hanger.

7) The work transfer device (10 (10A)) according to yet another aspect is the work transfer device described in 5), and includes a controller (80) for controlling the operation of the arm (13 (13a)), and the controller is configured to control the pushing member (22 (22a)) of the arm to stop at a stop position within an angle range (θ) corresponding to the stationary member (28), and to start rotating the arm from the stop position after the start of the pick-up operation of the work (W) from the stationary member toward the second hanger (56 (56a)).

With this configuration, by temporarily stopping the rotation of the arm when the workpiece is transferred to the stationary member, it is possible to avoid interference between the arm and the workpiece being transferred and suspended from the stationary member.

8) A work transfer device (10 (10A)) according to yet another aspect is the work transfer device described in 7), in which the pushing device (12) includes an intermediate pushing device (30) that is rotatable about a support shaft (32) and has an intermediate pushing member (31) that can push the work (W) pushed into the intermediate path (28a) of the stationary member (28) into the second hanger (56), and the controller (80) is configured to control the arm (13 (13a)) to start rotating from the stop position and to use the intermediate pushing member (31) to push the work from the stationary member to the second hanger.

With this configuration, the controller controls the arm as described in 7), thereby avoiding interference between the arm and the workpiece being transferred and suspended from the stationary member, while at the same time pushing the workpiece from the stationary member to the second hanger using the intermediate pushing device, thereby enabling the workpiece on the stationary member to be transferred reliably and quickly to the second hanger.

10 (10A, 10B, 10C, 10D) Work transfer device 12 (12A, 12B, 12C) Push-in device 13 (13a, 13b) Arm 14 Rotation axis (center of rotation)
REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 16 Drive box 18, 48 Motor 20 Reducer 22 (22a, 22b, 22c) Pushing member 24 Guide plate 26 Guide member 28 Stationary member 28a Intermediate path 30 Intermediate pushing device 31 Intermediate pushing member 32 Support shaft 34 Drive section 34a Piston rod 36 Lever 40, 70 Conveying device 42, 72 Chain 44 First hanger 45, 57 Slot 46 Sprocket 50 Encoder 52 Rotary slot machine 54 Rotary shaft
56 (56a, 56b) Second hanger 76 Actuator 78 Piston rod 80 Controller P ₁ First position P ₂ Second position W Workpiece W (R) Right leg W (L) Left leg s1 Flesh surface s2 Skin surface Wf Subsequent workpiece a Transport direction b Rotation direction t1, t2 Trajectory

Claims (8)

A first hanger on the transfer source side that is transported in a transport direction by a transport device while hanging a workpiece ;
A second hanger on the transfer destination side;
a stationary member provided between the first hanger and the second hanger, the stationary member having a relay path extending linearly from the first hanger to the second hanger along a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction ;
A push-in device for pushing the work suspended on the first hanger moving in the conveying direction from the first hanger through the relay path to the second hanger along the direction perpendicular to the conveying direction ;
A work transfer device comprising: The length of the relay path of the stationary member is equal to or greater than the slot length of the first hanger.
The workpiece transfer device according to claim 1 . The width of the relay path of the stationary member is 0.8 times or more and 1.2 times or less than the slot width of the first hanger.
The workpiece transfer device according to claim 1 or 2. The pushing device is
A pushing member for pushing the workpiece into the second hanger through the relay path of the stationary member;
an actuator for reciprocating the pushing member between a retreated position on the first hanger side from the relay path and an advanced position where the workpiece can be pushed toward the second hanger;
Equipped with
The workpiece transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The pushing device is
an arm that rotates within a reference plane along a vertical direction;
a pushing member provided on the arm for pushing the work supported by the first hanger toward the second hanger by a rotational movement of the arm;
Equipped with
A distance R from the rotation center of the arm to the pushing member is configured to be smaller than a vertical distance H between the first hanger and the rotation center.
The workpiece transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The pushing device includes an intermediate pushing device having an intermediate pushing member that is rotatable around a support shaft and can push the workpiece pushed into the intermediate path of the stationary member into the second hanger.
A workpiece transfer device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. A controller for controlling the operation of the arm,
The controller:
Stopping the pushing member of the arm at a stop position within an angle range corresponding to the stationary member;
The arm is configured to start rotating from the stop position after the workpiece is taken from the stationary member toward the second hanger.
The workpiece transfer device according to claim 5. The pushing device includes an intermediate pushing device having an intermediate pushing member that is rotatable about a support shaft and is capable of pushing the workpiece pushed into the intermediate path of the stationary member into the second hanger,
The controller is configured to control the arm to start rotating from the stop position and to push the workpiece from the stationary member to the second hanger by the intermediate pushing member.
The workpiece transfer device according to claim 7.

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