CONVEYANCE DEVICE AND CONVEYANCE METHOD

To provide a conveyance device and a conveyance method capable of transferring articles from an upstream conveyor to a downstream conveyor in a state in which the articles are sufficiently distributed in a width direction while avoiding excessive pressure acting on the articles such as a container and overturning of the articles.SOLUTION: A conveyance device includes: a first conveyor 12 conveying a plurality of articles 2 aligned in p rows (p>2) in a second direction D2 orthogonal to a first direction D1; and a supply section 11 feeding the articles 2 to the first conveyor 12 located downstream while moving the articles 2 in a third direction D3 inclined to both the first direction D1 and the second direction D2. The supply section 11 includes: a supply conveyor providing a conveying force in the first direction D1 to the articles 2 aligned in the p rows in the second direction D2; and a single alignment guide 22 whose posture is fixed to guide the articles aligned in the p rows conveyed by the supply conveyor in the third direction D3, wherein the supply section 11 conveys the articles 2 in the p rows and a row pitch P1, and the first conveyor 12 conveys the articles 2 in the p rows and a row pitch P2 (P2>P1).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1 【課題】容器等の物品に過大な圧力が作用することや物品の転倒を避けながら、上流のコンベヤから下流のコンベヤへ幅方向に十分に分散させた状態で物品を移載可能な搬送装置および搬送方法を提供する。【解決手段】ｐ列（ｐ＞２）に並ぶ複数の物品２を第１方向Ｄ１に対して直交する第２方向Ｄ２に搬送する第１コンベヤ１２と、物品２を第１方向Ｄ１および第２方向Ｄ２の双方に対して傾斜した第３方向Ｄ３に移動させつつ、下流に位置する第１コンベヤ１２へ物品２を供給する供給部１１とを備える。供給部１１は、第２方向Ｄ２にｐ列に並ぶ物品２に第１方向Ｄ１の搬送力を与える供給コンベヤと、供給コンベヤにより搬送されるｐ列に並ぶ物品を第３方向Ｄ３に案内する姿勢が固定される単一の整列ガイド２２とを備え、供給部１１は、物品２をｐ列および列ピッチＰ１で搬送し、第１コンベヤ１２は、物品２をｐ列および列ピッチＰ２（Ｐ２＞Ｐ１）で搬送する。【選択図】図１