Alignment conveyor apparatus

An alignment conveyor apparatus comprising:

• an input conveyor which supplies a product;
• an output conveyor which has flaps arranged thereon at the same intervals;
• at least two alignment conveyors which are provided between the input conveyor and the output conveyor;
• a flap sensor which detects the flaps arranged on the output conveyor;
• a product sensor which detects the product transferred onto the alignment conveyors;
• and
• a control unit which is connected to the alignment conveyors and the output conveyor,
• wherein the control unit includes an alignment conveyor controller which performs a position management and a position correction of the product on the alignment conveyors, and an output conveyor controller which performs a position management of the output conveyor, and
• wherein the output conveyor controller includes an output conveyor position manager which manages a product transfer position between the flaps,
• wherein the alignment conveyor controller includes a product position manager which manages a position of the product on the alignment conveyors, a position correction calculator which obtains a position correction amount of the foremost product on the alignment conveyors on the basis of the product transfer position between the flaps and the position of the product on the alignment conveyors, and a position correction instruction creator which creates smooth cam curve data satisfying the position correction amount,
• wherein the alignment conveyor controller independently controls the alignment conveyors to be synchronized with the subsequent downstream alignment conveyor except when the position correction of the alignment conveyors is performed, and
• wherein the position correction calculator compares a remaining distance from the position of the product to the subsequent downstream conveyor with a correction target distance so that the position correction is performed in a direction in which a speed of the alignment conveyors becomes faster than a predetermined speed when the remaining distance is larger than the correction target distance, or in a direction in which the speed of the alignment conveyors becomes slower than a predetermined speed when the remaining distance is smaller than the correction target distance.