(19)
(11) EP 2 522 602 A8

(12) CORRECTED EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION
published in accordance with Art. 153(4) EPC

(15) Correction information:
Corrected version no 2 (W2 A1)

(48) Corrigendum issued on:
20.03.2013 Bulletin 2013/12

(88) Date of publication A3:
14.11.2012 Bulletin 2012/46

(43) Date of publication:
14.11.2012 Bulletin 2012/46

(21) Application number: 11731781.8

(22) Date of filing: 04.01.2011
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC): 
B65G 47/31(2006.01)
B65G 43/00(2006.01)
 B65G 13/04(2006.01)
(86) International application number:
PCT/JP2011/050013
(87) International publication number:
WO 2011/083783 (14.07.2011 Gazette 2011/28)
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR

(30) Priority: 05.01.2010 JP 2010000622

(71) Applicant: Toyokanetsu Solutions Kabushiki Kaisha
Koto-ku Tokyo 136-8666 (JP)

(72) Inventors:
  • YOKOYA Juji
    Tokyo 136-8666 (JP)
  • AMEMIYA Kazuyuki
    Tokyo 136-8666 (JP)
  • MANAKA Yasuyuki
    Tokyo 136-8666 (JP)

(74) Representative: Wijnstra, Reinier 
Exter Polak & Charlouis B.V. (EP&C) P.O. Box 3241
2280 GE Rijswijk
2280 GE Rijswijk (NL)

   


(54) ACCUMULATION CONVEYOR


(57) With a simple structure, an accumulation conveyor can reduce the distance between articles to be conveyed, so as to improve its efficiency and conveyance efficiency. The accumulation conveyor 10 in accordance with the present invention comprises a motor 20, provided for each zone Z, for driving a carrier roller 18 constituting the zone Z to rotate; a sensor 22, provided for each zone Z, for detecting passing of an article C to be conveyed; and control means 26 for estimating according to detection information of two articles C1, C2 adjacent to each other detected by the sensor 22 distance information concerning the distance between the articles and switching, when the estimated distance information falls within a predetermined range, a control input to a motor 20n of a zone Zn conveying the article C2 at the back on the upstream side or a motor 20n+1 of a zone Zn+1 adjacent downstream thereto such that the zone Zn has a conveying speed faster than that of the zone Zn+1.