Sorting apparatus
AssigneeSeiko Epson Corporation
InventorMakoto Kawamoto
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sorting apparatus sequentially receives and holds a plurality of transported items that are transported and sorts and supports the transported items, and includes an endless movement member disposed so as to form a constant revolving movement pathway, and a plurality of support members that are attached to the movement member so as to be arranged along the direction in which the movement member revolves and that are capable of supporting respective transported items. In a support region that is a region of the revolving movement pathway of the movement member in which the transported items are supported by respective support members, the highest position of the support members decreases the closer the support members are to the downstream side of the direction in which the movement member revolves.
Claims8
A sorting apparatus that receives and holds a plurality of transported items that are transported and sorts and supports the transported items, the apparatus comprising:
- a support member that is capable of moving and that is capable of supporting a transported item, wherein movement of the support member is a revolving movement in a revolving movement direction, wherein the support member receives a transported item when the support member is in a holding orientation, the support member including a holding portion;
- a regulation portion that is located on the support member and that prevents the transported item from falling out of the support member, wherein the regulation portion pivots from a base position that is not parallel to the holding portion to a second position that is essentially parallel to the holding portion of the support member as the support member moves from the holding orientation to a sorting orientation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.