# US 10,308,442 B2 · Conveyed-object discharge device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,308,442 B2 - Document ID: US10308442B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/120,386 - Filed: 2015-02-24 - Published: 2017-05-11 - Granted: 2019-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2014-02-28 - Assignees: Itoh Denki Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Itoh Denki Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Kazuo Itoh; Tatsuhiko Nakamura; Makoto Mitsuyoshi - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10308442B2 ## CPC - B65G 47/54: at least one of which is a roller-way - B65G 13/07: having endless driving elements - B65G 13/10: Switching arrangements - B65G 23/08: with self-contained driving mechanisms, e.g. motors and associated gearing - B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D) ## Abstract A discharge device is constructed so that, when conveyance destinations for a preceding conveyed object and a closely spaced succeeding conveyed object are different, the objects can be conveyed without stopping the conveyance of the succeeding conveyed object. The device has: a) discharge members that extend and retract between a plurality of conveying bodies in a main conveying conveyor, come into contact with a conveyed object when the discharge members extend between the conveying bodies, and impart a conveying force to the conveyed object, the force being in a direction different from that of the conveying bodies; b) a base member that supports the discharge members; and c) a and base swinging unit that swings the base member. By swinging the base member, it is possible to make the discharge members on the upstream side and the downstream side in the conveyance direction individually extend and retract between the conveying bodies. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A conveyed-object discharge device for discharging a conveyed object, comprising: a main conveying conveyer defining part of a main conveying passage, the conveyed object being discharged from the main conveying conveyor, the main conveying conveyor including a plurality of conveying bodies, the plurality of conveying bodies coming into contact with the conveyed object to impart a conveying force to the conveyed object, the plurality of conveying bodies being disposed within a predetermined space; a plurality of discharge members comprising a first group of discharge members disposed in one region and a second group of discharging members disposed in another region, the plurality of discharge members extending and retracting between the plurality of conveying bodies, the plurality of discharge members coming into contact with the conveyed object when the plurality of discharge members extend between the conveying bodies, the plurality of discharge members actively driven by a driving source and thereby imparting a conveying force to the conveyed object, the conveying force being in a direction different from that of the conveying force imparted by the conveying bodies; a base member supporting the plurality of discharge members; and a posture changing unit changing a posture of the base member, wherein the conveying bodies are rollers, and wherein at least one of the discharge members includes a support member having two rollers, the two support member rollers having one of the conveying bodies therebetween. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The conveyed-object discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the posture changing unit changes the posture of the base member into a tilted posture. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The conveyed-object discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the support member rollers are rotated by power, the support member rollers being disposed so as to be tilted with respect to the conveyance direction of the main conveying conveyor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The conveyed-object discharge device according to claim 3, wherein one of the support member rollers disposed on an outer edge side of a discharge trajectory has a higher rotational speed than a rotational speed of one of the support member rollers disposed on an inner edge side of the discharge trajectory, the discharge trajectory being formed when the conveyed object is discharged. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The conveyed-object discharge device according to claim 3, wherein the driving source comprises a rotator, and a plurality of pulleys provided on the rotator, and wherein a belt is wound between each of a plurality of the support member rollers and a corresponding one of the plurality of pulleys to rotate the plurality of the support member rollers by the rotator. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The conveyed-object discharge device according to claim 5, wherein the rotator is a motor-incorporating roller that incorporates a motor in a roller body, and wherein the pulleys are annular grooves formed on an outer periphery of the roller body. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The conveyed-object discharge device according to claim 6, wherein the annular grooves have different depths, and the annular groove corresponding to one of the support member rollers disposed on an outer edge side of a discharge trajectory has a shallower depth than a depth of an annular groove corresponding to one of the support member rollers disposed on an inner edge side of the discharge trajectory, the discharge trajectory being formed when the conveyed object is discharged. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The conveyed-object discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the conveyed-object discharge device comprises a follower member that moves together with the posture change of the base member, and a guide member that comes into contact with the follower member when the follower member moves. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The conveyed-object discharge device according to claim 1, wherein the conveyed-object discharge device comprises upstream side discharge members disposed on the upstream side in the flow direction of the main conveying passage, and downstream side discharge members disposed on a downstream side in the flow direction of the main conveying passage, and the upstream side discharge members and the downstream side discharge members can take the following postures: (1) a posture in which the upstream side discharge members and the downstream side discharge members extend between the conveying bodies; (2) a posture in which the upstream side discharge members and the downstream side discharge members retract between the conveying bodies; (3) a posture in which the upstream side discharge members extend between the conveying bodies, and the downstream side discharge members retract between the conveying bodies; and (4) a posture in which the upstream side discharge members retract between the conveying bodies, and the downstream side discharge members extend between the conveying bodies.