Transporter and transport method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10011439-B2
Application number	US-201715425271-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 6, 2017
Priority date	Sep 14, 2016
Publication date	Jul 3, 2018
Grant date	Jul 3, 2018

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a transporter includes a conveyor, a restrainer, and a restrainer moving unit. The conveyor conveys an object in a first direction. The conveyor is movable in a second direction. The restrainer is disposed corresponding to a downstream end of the conveyor in the first direction. The restrainer moving unit keeps, in a case where a position of the conveyor relative to an object-transporting destination is out of a preset range, the restrainer at a restraining position at which the restrainer restrains a movement of the object. The restrainer moving unit starts to move, in a case where the position of the conveyor relative to the object-transporting destination is in the preset range, the restrainer toward a releasing position at which the restrainer allows the movement of the object.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transporter comprising:
a conveyor that conveys an object in a first direction, the conveyor being movable in a second direction, the second direction being different from the first direction;
a restrainer disposed corresponding to a downstream end of the conveyor in the first direction, the restrainer being supported by the conveyor and movable in the second direction together with the conveyor; and
a restrainer moving unit that keeps, in a case where a position of the conveyor, in the second direction, relative to an object-transporting destination is out of a preset range, the restrainer at a restraining position at which the restrainer restrains a movement of the object, and the restrainer moving unit that starts to move, in a case where the position of the conveyor, in the second direction, relative to the object-transporting destination is in the preset range, the restrainer toward a releasing position at which the restrainer allows the movement of the object.

2. The transporter according to claim 1 , wherein
the restrainer moving unit comprises a first arm, a second arm, and a linkage, the first arm is to be on the object-transporting destination, the second arm is moved by the first arm by coming into contact with the first arm in the case where the position of the conveyor, in the second direction, relative to the object-transporting destination is in the preset range, and the linkage links the second arm to the restrainer.

3. The transporter according to claim 2 , wherein
the first arm has a first contact surface, and the first contact surface has a first convex shape,
the second arm comprises a movable member and a passive deformable mechanism, the movable member has a second contact surface, the second contact surface has a second convex shape and comes into contact with the first contact surface in the case where the position of the conveyor, in the second direction, relative to the object-transporting destination is in the preset range, and the passive deformable mechanism allows the movable member to be retreated by the first arm pushing the movable member in a case where the first contact surface and the second contact surface come into contact with each other, and
the linkage links the movable member to the restrainer.

4. The transporter according to claim 3 , wherein
the linkage comprises a slide member and a link, the slide member is moved together with the movable member, and the link is pivotably connected to the slide member and the restrainer to allow the restrainer to be moved toward the releasing position in a case where the slide member is moved in a direction away from the first arm.

5. The transporter according to claim 3 , wherein
the linkage comprises a slide member, and the slide member is moved together with the movable member, and
the slide member has a slope surface, the slope surface is under the restrainer and supports the restrainer, the slope surface has a declining direction, and the declining direction is substantially parallel to a direction from the second arm to the first arm in a state where the first arm and the second arm are in contact with each other.

6. The transporter according to claim 2 , wherein
the second arm is rotated by coming into contact with the first arm,
the linkage comprises a slide member and a conversion mechanism, and the conversion mechanism converts a rotation of the second arm into a linear movement of the slide member, and
the slide member has a slope surface, the slope surface is under the restrainer and supports the restrainer, the slope surface has a declining direction, and the declining direction is substantially parallel to a direction from the second arm to the first arm in a state where the first arm and the second arm are in contact with each other.

7. The transporter according to claim 1 , wherein
the object-transporting destination has an object-transporting destination position,
the restrainer moving unit starts to move the restrainer toward the releasing position in a case where the object-transporting destination position is higher than an upper surface of the conveyor when a distance in the second direction between the object-transporting destination position and the upper surface of the conveyor becomes shorter than a first reference distance, and
the restrainer moving unit starts to move the restrainer toward the releasing position in a case where the object-transporting destination position is lower than the upper surface of the conveyor when the distance in the second direction between the object-transporting destination position and the upper surface of the conveyor becomes shorter than a second reference distance that is longer than the first reference distance.

8. The transporter according to claim 1 , wherein
the restrainer moving unit comprises a sensor and an actuator, the sensor detects that the position of the conveyor, in the second direction, relative to the object-transporting destination is in the preset range, and the actuator starts to move the restrainer based on a detection result of the sensor.

9. The transporter according to claim 8 , wherein
the object-transporting destination has an object-transporting destination position,
the actuator starts to move the restrainer toward the releasing position in a case where the object-transporting destination position is higher than an upper surface of the conveyor when a distance in the second direction between the object-transporting destination position and the upper surface of the conveyor becomes shorter than a first reference distance, and
the actuator starts to move the restrainer toward the releasing position in a case where the object-transporting destination position is lower than the upper surface of the conveyor when the distance in the second direction between the object-transporting destination position and the upper surface of the conveyor becomes shorter than a second reference distance that is longer than the first reference distance.

10. The transporter according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an information acquiring unit that acquires information relating to a position of the object;
a holder for holding the object; and
a holder moving unit that moves the holder to an object-transporting departure based on the information acquired by the information acquiring unit, the holder moving unit that moves the holder toward the conveyor while the holder holds the object.

11. The transporter according to claim 10 , wherein
the object-transporting destination is a second conveyor, and the second conveyor conveys the object in the first direction, and
the holder moving unit moves the holder for holding another object that is in the object-transporting departure while the second conveyor transports the object.

12. The transporter according to claim 1 , wherein
the conveyor has a transport surface on which the object is placed, the conveyor moves the transport surface in the first direction in the case where the position of the conveyor, in the second direction, relative to the object-transporting destination is out of the preset range while the restrainer moving unit keeps the restrainer at the restraining position.

13. The transporter according to claim 1 , wherein
the restrainer moving unit starts to move, in the case where the position of the conveyor, in the second direction, relative to the object-transporting destination is in the preset range by the conveyor moving down toward substantially the same height as the object-transporting destination, and
the restrainer moving unit starts to move, in the case where the position of the conveyo

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Sonoura Takafumi
• Ogawa Akihito
• Nakamoto Hideichi
• Eto Haruna
• Tanaka Junya
• Sugahara Atsushi

Classifications

• B65G47/8815 Primary

  Reciprocating stop, moving up or down in the path of the article · CPC title

• B65G41/003

  mounted for linear movement only · CPC title

• B65G47/643

  in a vertical plane · CPC title

• B65G15/00

  Conveyors having endless load-conveying surfaces, i.e. belts and like continuous members, to which tractive effort is transmitted by means other than endless driving elements of similar configuration (having load-conveying surfaces formed by interconnected longitudinal links B65G17/06) · CPC title

• B65G61/00

  Use of pick-up or transfer devices or of manipulators for stacking or de-stacking articles not otherwise provided for · CPC title