Free flow conveyance system

• US 20050269184A1
• Filed: 07/20/2004
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Startechno Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Startechno Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Enya, Yoshihiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,275,635 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 198/369.200
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2207/30 Modular constructions
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 37/02 Flow-sheets for conveyor combinations in warehouses, magazines or workshops
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 43/10 Sequence control of conveyors operating in combination
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/642 in a horizontal plane
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/643 in a vertical plane
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/648 about a vertical axis

Abstract

A free flow conveyance system includes a plurality of linear conveyance apparatuses each having a plurality of unit conveyors linearly arranged, and a pivot conveyance apparatus having a unit conveyor which is arranged between the linear conveyance apparatuses being so arranged as to form a predetermined angle, wherein product sensors are arranged at the conveying-in side as well as at the conveying-out side of the respective unit conveyors of the linear conveyance apparatuses and the pivot conveyance apparatus, when a product is conveyed to a unit conveyor of the upstream side along the conveyance direction and product sensors of the unit conveyor become of the sensing-product state, in case respective product sensors of a unit conveyor of the downstream side along the conveyance direction are of the not-sensing-product state, these unit conveyors are driven respectively to convey the product, and when the product is consequently conveyed to the unit conveyor of the downstream side along the conveyance direction and conveying-out side product sensors thereof become of the sensing-product state, the respective adjacent unit conveyors are stopped, enabling free flow conveyance.

Claims

1. A free flow conveyance system comprising:

a plurality of linear conveyance apparatuses each having a plurality of unit conveyors linearly arranged, the conveyance length of the unit conveyor being substantially equal to the length of products along the conveyance direction; and

a pivot conveyance apparatus having a unit conveyor which is arranged between the linear conveyance apparatuses being so arranged as to form a predetermined angle, and pivots the unit conveyor by a predetermined angle to selectively link the linear conveyance apparatuses so as to form an arbitrarily angled conveyance route,

wherein product sensors are arranged at the conveying-in side as well as at the conveying-out side of the respective unit conveyors of the linear conveyance apparatuses and the pivot conveyance apparatus, and, every adjacent unit conveyors, when a product is conveyed to a unit conveyor of the upstream side along the conveyance direction and product sensors of the unit conveyor become of the sensing-product state, in case respective product sensors of a unit conveyor of the downstream side along the conveyance direction are of the not-sensing-product state, these unit conveyors are driven respectively to convey the product, and when the product is consequently conveyed to the unit conveyor of the downstream side along the conveyance di rection and conveying-out side product sensors thereof become of the sensing-product state, the respective adjacent unit conveyors are stopped, enabling free flow conveyance.

5. The free flow conveyance system as set forth in claim 1, wherein the respective product sensors arranged at the conveying-in side as well as at the conveying-out side of the respective unit conveyors output two kinds of signals based on the sensing-product state and the not-sensing-product state, and one of the signals is associated with a signal from product sensors of an adjacent unit conveyor of the upstream side along the conveyance direction, while the other of the signals is associated with a signal from product sensors of an adjacent unit conveyor of the downstream side along the conveyance direction, and under the association of the signals, when a product is conveyed to a unit conveyor of the upstream side along the conveyance direction and product sensors of the unit conveyor become of the sensing-product state, in case respective product sensors of a unit conveyor of the downstream side along the conveyance direction are of the not-sensing-product state, and when the product is conveyed to the unit conveyor of the downstream side along the conveyance direction and conveying-out side product sensors thereof become of the sensing-product state, the respective adjacent unit conveyors are driven or stopped.

2. A free flow conveyance system comprising:

a plurality of linear conveyance apparatuses each having a plurality of unit conveyors linearly arranged, the conveyance length of the unit conveyor being substantially equal to the length of products along the conveyance direction; and

an elevation conveyance apparatus having a unit conveyor which is arranged between the linear conveyance apparatuses being so arranged as to form a predetermined difference of elevation, and moves the unit conveyor upward and downward by a predetermined height to selectively link the linear conveyance apparatuses by coupling the conveying-in side of the unit conveyor to the conveying-out side of an upstream side linear conveyance apparatus and by coupling the conveying-out side of the unit conveyor to the conveying-in side of a downstream side linear conveyance apparatus so as to form a conveyance route with an arbitrary difference of elevation,

wherein product sensors are arranged at the conveying-in side as well as at the conveying-out side of the respective unit conveyors of the linear conveyance apparatuses, the pivot conveyance apparatus, and the elevation conveyance apparatus, and, every adjacent unit conveyors, when a product is conveyed to a unit conveyor of the upstream side along the conveyance direction and product sensors of the unit conveyor become of the sensing-product state, in case respective product sensors of a unit conveyor of the downstream side along the conveyance direction are of the not-sensing-product state, these unit conveyors are driven respectively to convey the product, and when the product is consequently conveyed to the unit conveyor of the downstream side along the conveyance direction and conveying-out side product sensors thereof became of the sensing-product state, the respective adjacent unit conveyors are stopped, enabling free flow conveyance.

6. The free flow conveyance system as set forth in claim 2, wherein the respective product sensors arranged at the conveying-in side as well as at the conveying-out side of the respective unit conveyors output two kinds of signals based on the sensing-product state and the not-sensing-product state, and one of the signals is associated with a signal from product sensors of an adjacent unit conveyor of the upstream side along the conveyance direction, while the other of the signals is associated with a signal from product sensors of an adjacent unit conveyor of the downstream side along the conveyance direction, and under the association of the signals, when a product is conveyed to a unit conveyor of the upstream side along the conveyance direction and product sensors of the unit conveyor become of the sensing-product state, in case respective product sensors of a unit conveyor of the downstream side along the conveyance direction are of the not-sensing-product state, and when the product is conveyed to the unit conveyor of the downstream side along the conveyance direction and conveying-out side product sensors thereof become of the sensing-product state, the respective adjacent unit conveyors are driven or stopped.

3. A free flow conveyance system comprising:

a plurality of linear conveyance apparatuses each having a plurality of unit conveyors linearly arranged, the conveyance length of the unit conveyor being substantially equal to the length of products along the conveyance direction; and

a divergent conveyance apparatus having a unit conveyor which is arranged between a linear conveyance apparatus of the upstream side along the conveyance di rection and parallel arranged at least two linear conveyance apparatuses of the downstream side along the conveyance direction which are of the same conveyance direction with a predetermined distance kept therebetween along the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction, and selectively shifts the unit conveyor along the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction to selectively couple the linear conveyance apparatus of the upstream side along the conveyance direction to one of the parallel arranged linear conveyance apparatuses of the downstream side along the conveyance direction so as to form a divergent conveyance route,

wherein product sensors are arranged at the conveying-in side as well as at the conveying-out side of the respective unit conveyors of the linear conveyance apparatuses and the divergent conveyance apparatus, and, every adjacent unit conveyors , when a product is conveyed to a unit conveyor of the upstream side along the conveyance direction and product sensors of the unit conveyor become of the sensing-product state, in case respective product sensors of a unit conveyor of the downstream side along the conveyance direction are of the not-sensing-product state, these unit conveyors are driven respectively to convey the product, and when the product is consequently conveyed to the unit conveyor of the downstream side along the conveyance direction and conveying-out side product sensors thereof become of the sensing-product state, the respective adjacent unit conveyors are stopped, enabling free flow conveyance.

7. The free flow conveyance system as set forth in claim 3, wherein the respective product sensors arranged at the conveying-in side as well as at the conveying-out side of the respective unit conveyors output two kinds of signals based on the sensing-product state and the not-sensing-product state, and one of the signals is associated with a signal from product sensors of an adjacent unit conveyor of the upstream side along the conveyance direction, while the other of the signals is associated with a signal from product sensors of an adjacent unit conveyor of the downstream side along the conveyance direction, and under the association of the signals, when a product is conveyed to a unit conveyor of the upstream side along the conveyance direction and product sensors of the unit conveyor become of the sensing-product state, in case respective product sensors of a unit conveyor of the downstream side along the conveyance direction are of the not-sensing-product state, and when the product is conveyed to the unit conveyor of the downstream side along the conveyance direction and conveying-out side product sensors thereof become of the sensing-product state, the respective adjacent unit conveyors are driven or stopped.

4. A free flow conveyance system comprising:

a plurality of linear conveyance apparatuses each having a plurality of unit conveyors linearly arranged, the conveyance length of the unit conveyor being substantially equal to the length of products along the conveyance direction; and

,

so as to form an arbitrary conveyance route, at least one of

a pivot conveyance apparatus having a unit conveyor which is arranged between the linear conveyance apparatuses being so arranged as to form a predetermined angle, and pivots the unit conveyor by a predetermined angle to selectively link the linear conveyance apparatuses by coupling the conveying-in side of the unit conveyor to the conveying-out side of an upstream side linear conveyance apparatus and by coupling the conveying-out side of the unit conveyor to the conveying-in side of a downstream side linear conveyance apparatus,

an elevation conveyance apparatus having a unit conveyor which is arranged between the linear conveyance apparatuses being so arranged as to form a predetermined difference of elevation, and moves the unit conveyor upward and downward by a predetermined height to selectively link the linear conveyance apparatuses by coupling the conveying-in side of the unit conveyor to the conveying-out side of an upstream side linear conveyance apparatus and by coupling the conveying-out side of the unit conveyor to the conveying-in side of a downstream side linear conveyance apparatus, and

a divergent conveyance apparatus having a unit conveyor which is arranged between a linear conveyance apparatus of the upstream side along the conveyance direction and parallel arranged at least two linear conveyance apparatuses of the downstream side along the conveyance direction which are of the same conveyance direction with a predetermined distance kept therebetween along the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction, and selectively shifts the unit conveyor along the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction to selectively-couple the linear conveyance apparatus of the upstream side along the conveyance direction to one of the parallel arranged linear conveyance apparatuses of the downstream side along the conveyance direction,

wherein product sensors are arranged at the conveying-in side as well as at the conveying-out side of the respective unit conveyors of the linear conveyance apparatuses, the pivot conveyance apparatus, the elevation conveyance apparatus, and the divergent conveyance apparatus, and, every adjacent unit conveyors, when a product is conveyed to a unit conveyor of the upstream side along the conveyance direction and product sensors of the unit conveyor become of the sensing-product state, in case respective product sensors of a unit conveyor of the downstream side along the conveyance direction are of the not-sensing-product state, these unit conveyors are driven respectively to convey the product, and when the product is consequently conveyed to the unit conveyor of the downstream side along the conveyance direction and conveying-out side product sensors thereof become of the sensing-product state, the respective adjacent unit conveyors are stopped, enabling free flow conveyance.

8. The free flow conveyance system as set forth in claim 4, wherein the respective product sensors arranged at the conveying-in side as well as at the conveying-out side of the respective unit conveyors output two kinds of signals based on the sensing-product state and the not-sensing-product state, and one of the signals is associated with a signal from product sensors of an adjacent unit conveyor of the upstream side along the conveyance direction, while the other of the signals is associated with a signal from product sensors of an adjacent unit conveyor of the downstream side along the conveyance direction, and under the association of the signals, when a product is conveyed to a unit conveyor of the upstream side along the conveyance direction and product sensors of the unit conveyor become of the sensing-product state, in case respective product sensors of a unit conveyor of the downstream side along the conveyance direction are of the not-sensing-product state, and when the product is conveyed to the unit conveyor of the downstream side along the conveyance direction and conveying-out side product sensors thereof become of the sensing-product state, the respective adjacent unit conveyors are driven or stopped.