Transfer device controller and transport device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9868594-B2
Application number	US-201415023809-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2014
Priority date	Sep 30, 2013
Publication date	Jan 16, 2018
Grant date	Jan 16, 2018

Abstract

The present invention aims to develop a dedicated control device for a transfer apparatus and a transfer apparatus controller that enables labor-saving wiring work, and to provide a conveying apparatus that switches a destination to which a conveyed object is to be conveyed by way of the transfer apparatus controller.
A transfer apparatus includes a main conveying passage 101 that conveys a conveyed object 125 in one direction, an auxiliary conveying passage 102 for conveying a conveyed object 125 in a direction crossing the main conveying passage 101 , and a lifting and lowering unit 115 that generates a height difference between both conveying passages 101 and 102 by lifting or lowering at least one of the conveying passages 101 and 102.
A transfer apparatus controller 50 is provided with a main conveying power transmission terminal 55 , an auxiliary conveying power transmission terminal 56 , a lifting and lowering power transmission terminal 57 , a power feed terminal 76 to which power is fed, a signal input unit 70 , and one or more drive power generation circuits 52.
A discharge direction of the conveyed object 125 can be designated based on a signal input to the signal input unit 70 , and when the discharge direction instruction signal is input, the conveying passage 101 or 102 located on top is driven.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. In combination:
a) conveying apparatus comprising:
a first conveyer that defines a main conveying line;
a second conveyer that defines a branching line;
a branch section or convergence section;
a host control device;
a first other control device that controls the first conveyer; and
a second other control device that controls the second conveyer;

b) a transfer apparatus that is mounted on the branch section or the convergence section, the transfer apparatus comprising:
a main conveying passage that conveys a conveyed object in one direction;
an auxiliary conveying passage that is located in a same planar region as the main conveying passage and conveys a conveyed object in a direction crossing the main conveying passage;
a lifting and lowering unit that lifts or lowers at least one of the conveying passages so as to set a conveying surface of the at least one of the conveying passages to be located above a conveying surface of the other of the conveying passages;
a main conveying motor that drives the main conveying passage;
an auxiliary conveying motor that drives the auxiliary conveying passage; and
a lifting and lowering power source that drives the lifting and lowering unit; and

c) a transfer apparatus controller comprising:
a main conveying power transmission terminal; an auxiliary conveying power transmission terminal; a lifting and lowering power transmission terminal; a power feed terminal to which power is fed; a signal input unit; and one or more drive power generation circuits,
wherein the signal input unit is configured to input at least a conveyed object feed request signal, a discharge allowance signal, and a discharge direction instruction signal that includes at least a signal indicating curved conveyance for changing a conveying direction, from at least one of the host control device, the adjacent first other control device, and the adjacent second other control device,
wherein the transfer apparatus controller performs a feeding action to supply power from the drive power generation circuit to either one of the main conveying power transmission terminal and the auxiliary conveying power transmission terminal, at least under the condition that the conveyed object feed request signal is input,
wherein the transfer apparatus controller performs a conveying passage switching action to supply power from the drive power generation circuit to the lifting and lowering power transmission terminal, under the condition that the discharge direction instruction signal indicates the curved conveyance, and
wherein the transfer apparatus controller performs a discharging action to supply power from the drive power generation circuit to one of the conveying power transmission terminals connected to one of the conveying motors, the one of the conveying motors driving a conveying surface of one of the conveying passages that is located upper, under the condition that the discharge allowance signal is input.

2. The combination according to claim 1 , further comprising a signal output unit that transmits a signal indicating whether a conveyed object can be fed into the transfer apparatus or not, to the outside.

3. The combination according to claim 1 ,
wherein the transfer apparatus further comprises a conveying surface position detection unit that detects which is at an upper position between a main conveying surface that is a conveying surface of the main conveying passage and an auxiliary conveying surface that is a conveying surface of the auxiliary conveying passage, and
wherein the signal input unit of the transfer apparatus controller is configured to input a signal from the conveying surface position detection unit.

4. The combination according to claim 1 ,
wherein the discharge direction instruction signal includes a linear conveying signal for linearly conveying a conveyed object, and
wherein when the discharge direction instruction signal indicates linear conveyance, the transfer apparatus controller performs the feeding action and the discharging action without performing the conveying passage switching action.

5. The combination according to claim 1 ,
wherein at least one of the drive power generation circuits can generate forward drive power for rotating a motor forward and backward drive power for rotating the motor backward,
wherein the discharge direction instruction signal includes a right curve conveying signal for conveying a conveyed object to the right with curved conveyance and a left curve conveying signal for conveying a conveyed object to the left with curved conveyance, and
wherein power generated from the drive power generation circuit is switched between the forward drive power and the backward drive power, responding to whether the right curve conveying signal is input or whether the left curve conveying signal is input.

6. The combination according to claim 1 ,
wherein the transfer apparatus further comprises a body-side object presence sensor that detects whether a conveyed object is present or not on the transfer apparatus, and
wherein the transfer apparatus controller is configured to input a signal from the body-side object presence sensor.

7. The combination according to claim 6 ,
wherein the transfer apparatus controller performs the feeding action at least under the condition that absence of a conveyed object on the transfer apparatus is confirmed by the body-side object presence sensor.

8. The combination according to claim 1 ,
wherein a peripheral object presence sensor that detects whether a conveyed object is present or not on a conveying passage is configured around the transfer apparatus, and
wherein the transfer apparatus controller is configured to input a signal from the peripheral object presence sensor.

9. The combination according to claim 8 ,
wherein the transfer apparatus controller performs the discharging action at least under the condition that absence of a conveyed object on a conveying passage at a discharge side is confirmed by the peripheral object presence sensor.

10. The combination according to claim 1 , further comprising three or more drive power generation circuits and a control device,
wherein each of the drive power generation circuits is connected to the main conveying power transmission terminal, the auxiliary conveying power transmission terminal, and the lifting and lowering power transmission terminal, and
wherein the control device activates any of the drive power generation circuits according to a signal input from the signal input unit.

11. The combination according to claim 1 , further comprising: one or more drive power generation circuits; an output switching circuit; and a control device,
wherein the output switching circuit is connected to the drive power generation circuit and two or more power transmission terminals, and
wherein the control device activates the output switching circuit according to a signal input from the signal input unit to supply power to any of the two or more power transmission terminals.

12. The combination according to claim 1 , wherein the conveying passage to which a conveyed object is fed and a feeding direction are selectable.

13. The combination according to claim 1 , wherein the feeding action for supplying power to the main conveying power transmission terminal from the drive power generation circuit is started or continued under the condition that the following first conditions are all satisfied and any of the following second conditions is satisfied, the first conditions being:
(1) at least the main conveying passage out of the main conveying passage and the auxi

Assignees

• Itoh Denki Co Ltd

Inventors

• Itoh Kazuo
• TOMA Masayuki
• Nagai Yoshinori

Classifications

• B65G43/10 Primary

  Sequence control of conveyors operating in combination · CPC title

• B65G2811/0673

  Control of conveying operations · CPC title

• B65G47/54 Primary

  at least one of which is a roller-way · CPC title