Article sorting device

• US 8,459,440 B2
• Filed: 07/06/2011
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Daifuku Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Daifuku Company Limited
• Inventors: Onayama, Manabu
• Primary Examiner(s): Bidwell, James R
• Application Number:
  US13/177,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20120006649A1
• Time in Patent Office: 706 Days
• Field of Search: 198/370.02, 198/890.1
• US Class Current: 198/370.02
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2207/36 Pushing shoes on conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 47/844 the article-engaging elements being pushers transversally movable on the supporting surface, e.g. pusher-shoes

Abstract

In an article sorting device including a plurality of slats (article support bodies) overlaying between a pair of endless chains (endless rotation bodies) arranged along a main conveyance route, slats having a longitudinal direction at a right angle to the main conveyance route, and shoes (article lateral pressing bodies) fitted onto the slats slidably in the longitudinal direction of the slats, and guided by a branch guide member provided in a fixed direction relative to the main conveyance route, sliding sections for each of the shoes slidably in contact with each of the slats are positioned in the vicinity of both left and right ends in a sectional view relative to the longitudinal direction of the slats, and the sliding sections are positioned in the vicinity of a lower end in the sectional view.

Claims

1. An article sorting device comprising:

a plurality of article support bodies overlaying between a pair of endless rotation bodies arranged along a main conveyance route, each of the article support bodies having a longitudinal direction at a right angle relative to the main conveyance route, each of the article support bodies having a mount plate portion, a first end wall and a second end wall, the first end wall extending downward from a first outboard edge of the mounting plate, the second end wall extending downward from a second outboard edge of the mounting plate opposite from the first outboard edge; and

article lateral pressing bodies fitted onto the article support bodies slidably in the longitudinal direction, and guided by a branch guide member provided in a fixed direction relative to the main conveyance route, wherein sliding sections for each of the article lateral pressing bodies slidably in contact with each of the article support bodies are positioned at lower ends of the first end wall and the second end wall.

2. The article sorting device according to claim 1, wherein each of the article lateral pressing bodies is provided with pressing members for elastically pressing each of the article support bodies and sliding relative to the article support body.

3. The article sorting device according to claim 2, wherein each of the article lateral pressing bodies is fitted onto each of the article support bodies by engaging the article support body into a hollow portion of the article lateral pressing body, and

a bottom plate portion of the article lateral pressing body has sliding protrusion portions protruding outward while standing up into the hollow portion and contacting with the article support body so as to form the sliding sections in the sectional view.

4. The article sorting device according to claim 3, having:

opposite sliding protrusion portions provided in lower ends of each of the article support bodies, the opposite sliding protrusion portions protruding inward and contacting with the sliding protrusion portions of each of the article lateral pressing bodies so as to form the sliding sections.

5. The article sorting device according to claim 4, wherein each of the article support bodies has engagement concave portions including the opposite sliding protrusion portions and sliding plate portions provided in upper parts of the, opposite sliding protrusion portions, and

the sliding protrusion portions are slidably nipped in the engagement concave portions.

6. The article sorting device according to claim 5, wherein each of the article support bodies has leg plate portions extending from an intermediate part on a lower surface of an article mount plate portion and continuing to the sliding plate portions.

7. The article sorting device according to claim 1, wherein each of the article lateral pressing bodies is fitted onto each of the article support bodies by engaging the article support body into a hollow portion of the article lateral pressing body, and

a bottom plate portion of the article lateral pressing body has sliding protrusion portions protruding outward while standing up into the hollow portion and contacting with the article support body so as to form the sliding sections in the sectional view.

8. The article sorting device according to claim 7, having:

opposite sliding protrusion portions provided in lower ends of each of the article support bodies, the opposite sliding protrusion portions protruding inward and contacting with the sliding protrusion portions of each of the article lateral pressing bodies so as to form the sliding sections.

9. The article sorting device according to claim 8, wherein

each of the article support bodies has engagement concave portions including the opposite sliding protrusion portions and sliding plate portions provided in upper parts of the opposite sliding protrusion portions, and

the sliding protrusion portions are slidably nipped in the engagement concave portions.

10. The article sorting device according to claim 9, wherein each of the article support bodies has leg plate portions extending from an intermediate part on a lower surface of an article mount plate portion and continuing to the sliding plate portions.

11. An article sorting device device comprising:

a plurality of article support bodies overlaying between a pair of endless rotation bodies arranged along a main conveyance route, the article support bodies having a longitudinal direction at a right angle relative to the main conveyance route; and

article lateral pressing bodies fitted onto the article support bodies slidably in the longitudinal direction, and guided by a branch guide member provided in a fixed direction relative to the main conveyance route, wherein sliding sections for each of the article lateral pressing bodies slidably in contact with each of the article support bodies are positioned in the vicinity of both left and right ends in a sectional view relative to the longitudinal direction, each of the article lateral pressing bodies is provided with pressing members for elastically pressing each of the article support bodies and sliding relative to the article support body, and the pressing members press each of the article support bodies in an oblique direction in the sectional view.

12. The article sorting device according to claim 11, wherein each of the article lateral pressing bodies is fitted onto each of the article support bodies by engaging the article support body into a hollow portion of the article lateral pressing body, and

a bottom plate portion of the article lateral pressing body has sliding protrusion portions protruding outward while standing up into the hollow portion and contacting with the article support body so as to form the sliding sections in the sectional view.

13. The article sorting device according to claim 12, having:

opposite sliding protrusion portions provided in lower ends of each of the article support bodies, the opposite sliding protrusion portions protruding inward and contacting with the sliding protrusion portions of each of the article lateral pressing bodies so as to form the sliding sections.

14. The article sorting device according to claim 13, wherein each of the article support bodies has engagement concave portions including the opposite sliding protrusion portions and sliding plate portions provided in upper parts of the opposite sliding protrusion portions, and

the sliding protrusion portions are slidably nipped in the engagement concave portions.

15. The article sorting device according to claim 14, wherein each of the article support bodies has leg plate portions extending from an intermediate part on a lower surface of an article mount plate portion and continuing to the sliding plate portions.