Conveyor device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9670002-B2
Application number	US-201415030343-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2014
Priority date	Oct 28, 2013
Publication date	Jun 6, 2017
Grant date	Jun 6, 2017

Abstract

A conveyor device includes: a first conveyor unit including a first supporting-and-conveying unit configured to convey the object; a turning unit configured to turn the first conveyor unit to change a traveling direction of the object; and a second conveyor unit including a pair of second supporting-and-conveying units provided adjacently to the first conveyor unit and configured to convey the object. The pair of the second supporting-and-conveying units and a driving-force transmitting unit configured to transmit driving force to the pair of the second supporting-and-conveying units are provided outside turning areas of the first conveyor unit in plan view. The first conveyor unit and the second conveyor unit are disposed so that a conveying area of the object in the second conveyor unit and the turning areas of the first conveyor unit overlap each other in plan view.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A conveyor device comprising:
a pair of first conveyor units;
a second conveyor unit comprising a pair of second supporting-and-conveying units configured to support both ends of the bottom surface of an object in a width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction to convey the object;
the pair of first conveyor units disposed at both ends of the second conveyor unit in the conveying direction of the object such that the second conveyor unit is interposed therebetween, the pair of the first conveyor units comprising a first supporting-and-conveying unit configured to support a bottom surface of the object to be conveyed to convey the object; and
a turning unit supporting the pair of the first conveyor units and configured to turn the pair of the first conveyor units to change a traveling direction of the object, wherein
the pair of the second supporting-and-conveying units in the second conveyor unit and a driving-force transmitting unit configured to transmit driving force to the pair of the second supporting-and-conveying units in the second conveyor unit are provided between the pair of the first conveyor units, disposed such that the second conveyor unit is interposed therebetween, and outside turning areas of the pair of the first conveyor units in plan view,
the pair of the first conveyor units and the second conveyor unit are disposed so that a conveying area of the object in the second conveyor unit and the turning areas of the pair of the first conveyor units overlap each other in plan view, and
the object is supported and conveyed only by the pair of the second supporting-and-conveying units between the pair of the first conveyor units disposed such that the second conveyor unit is interposed therebetween.

2. The conveyor device according to claim 1 , wherein the first conveyor unit comprises the first supporting-and-conveying unit provided in a pair and configured to support both ends of the bottom surface of the object in the width direction orthogonal to the conveying direction to convey the object.

3. The conveyor device according to claim 2 , wherein
the first conveyor unit is configured to turn with respect to a main unit provided below the first conveyor unit, and
the second conveyor unit is provided upon a base portion provided adjacently to the main unit and is disposed so as to overlap the main unit in plan view.

4. The conveyor device according claim 2 , wherein the second supporting-and-conveying units each have an object-supporting surface that is substantially parallel to a conveying surface of the object.

5. The conveyor device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first conveyor unit is configured to turn with respect to a main unit provided below the first conveyor unit, and
the second conveyor unit is provided upon a base portion provided adjacently to the main unit and is disposed so as to overlap the main unit in plan view.

6. The conveyor device according to any one of claim 5 , wherein the second supporting-and-conveying units each have an object-supporting surface that is substantially parallel to a conveying surface of the object.

7. The conveyor device according to claim 1 , wherein the second supporting-and-conveying units each have an object-supporting surface that is substantially parallel to a conveying surface of the object.

Assignees

• Murata Machinery Ltd

Inventors

• Kato Susumu

Classifications

• H10P72/3218

  Conveying cassettes, containers or carriers · CPC title

• H10P72/3208

  Changing the direction of the conveying path · CPC title

• B65G37/005

  comprising two or more co-operating conveying elements with parallel longitudinal axes (the conveying elements being endless surfaces B65G15/10) · CPC title

• B65G2201/0297

  Wafer cassette · CPC title

• B65G35/06

  comprising a load-carrier moving along a path, e.g. a closed path, and adapted to be engaged by any one of a series of traction elements spaced along the path (effecting drive at two or more points spaced along the length of an endless conveyor B65G23/32) · CPC title