JP2009092543A - Measuring apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize a measuring apparatus capable of preventing measurement accuracy from lowering by reducing noise resulting from operations for setting measurement information, and improving operational feeling of an operator in comparison with an inputting method using a touch panel function. <P>SOLUTION: The measuring apparatus 1 is equipped with: a weighing section 3 capable of weighing an article 50 based on an amount of distortion of a load cell 10 which is distorted almost vertically when being applied with a load from the article 50; a display section 4 capable of displaying a plurality of information sets related to the measurement; and an operating section 5 capable of being operated by the operator. The operating section 5 has a shaft member 27 extending almost horizontally and a grip member 20 which is in a symmetrical form centering the shaft member 27 and fixed to one end of the shaft member 27. An operation of selecting the plurality of information sets displayed by the display section 4 can be carried out by the operator who grips both of opposite edge parts of the grip member 20 and operates the grip member 20 so as to rotate it. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a weighing device capable of measuring the weight of an article.

  FIGS. 11 and 12 are a side view and a front view, respectively, showing the structure of the rotary dial switch 103 used in a conventional weighing device. Referring to FIG. 11, dial switch 103 has a structure in which a plurality of convex portions 104 and a plurality of concave portions 105 are alternately formed along the outer periphery of the disk. A window 102 is provided in the housing 101 of the weighing device, and several convex portions 104 are exposed from the window 102 to the outside of the housing 101. The dial switch 103 is rotatable about the axis X. Numbers “0” to “9” are written in order on each surface of the plurality of recesses 105. The operator can rotate the dial switch 103 by hooking the finger 106 on the convex portion 104 and applying a weight, thereby exposing the concave portion 104 on which a desired number is written from the window 102.

  Referring to FIG. 12, in this example, three dial switches 103A to 103C are arranged side by side. Thereby, a three-digit number can be set by the three numbers exposed from the window 102. In the example shown in FIG. 12, a number “460” is set. For example, the product number is defined by a 3-digit number for each type of product, and the operator sets the same 3-digit number as the product number of the product to be weighed using the dial switches 103A to 103C. be able to.

  In recent years, a weighing device equipped with a display screen to which a touch panel function is added has been put into practical use instead of such a dial switch (see, for example, Patent Document 1 below). In this case, the operator can input a desired setting value such as a product number using the touch panel function.

JP 2004-331107 A

  By the way, in a widely used load cell type weighing device, a strain generating body is distorted in a substantially vertical direction due to a load from a product to be weighed, and the amount of strain is detected by a strain gauge. The weight is measured.

  In a conventional weighing device of a type in which weighing information is set using a dial switch, as shown in FIG. 11, weighting only in the vertically downward direction is applied to the dial switch 103 at the time of setting. That is, the direction of weighting on the dial switch 103 is equal to the direction of distortion of the strain generating body. For this reason, the weight itself or vibration caused by the weight becomes noise, which reduces the accuracy of measurement.

  In a conventional weighing device that sets weighing information using a touch panel function, the touch operation on the display screen is less sensitive to the operator than the dial switch rotation operation, which makes it difficult for the operator to operate. In addition, when a touch operation is performed randomly by an operator, or when a specific key is repeatedly hit for scrolling the screen or the like, the vibration generated thereby becomes noise, which reduces the measurement accuracy. .

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and it is possible to suppress a decrease in measurement accuracy by reducing noise caused by setting operation of measurement information, and moreover, an operator's operation than input using a touch panel function. An object is to obtain a weighing device that can improve the operational feeling.

  A weighing device according to a first aspect of the present invention displays a plurality of pieces of weighing information and weighing means capable of measuring the weight of the article based on the amount of distortion of the element that is distorted in a substantially vertical direction due to a load from the article. A display member capable of being operated by an operator, and a shaft member extending in a substantially horizontal direction, and fixed to one end of the shaft member, and symmetrical about the shaft member. A picking member having a different shape, and an operator selects the plurality of pieces of information displayed on the display means by rotating the picking member while sandwiching opposite edges of the picking member. It is feasible.

  The weighing device according to the second invention is, in particular, the weighing device according to the first invention, wherein the operator can confirm the selection of information by pushing the knob member in the extending direction of the shaft member. It is characterized by that.

  The weighing device according to a third aspect of the invention is characterized in that, in the weighing device according to the first or second invention, the rotary structure of the knob member is an infinite rotation structure.

  The metering device according to a fourth aspect of the invention is the metering device according to any one of the first to third inventions, in particular, water and dust from the gap between the operation means and the device case to the inside of the device case. It further comprises a seal structure capable of preventing at least one of the intrusions.

  According to the weighing device according to the first to fourth inventions, when the operator grips and rotates the opposite edges (one edge and the other edge) of the knob member, the downward direction at the one edge And the upward weight at the other edge cancel each other. As a result, since the weight in the vertical direction due to the operation of the operation means is reduced, it is possible to reduce the influence of the weighing means on the weighing of the article. In addition, since the operator performs a display information selection operation by rotating the knob member, the operator's operational feeling can be enhanced compared to the selection operation by the touch panel.

  In particular, according to the weighing device according to the second aspect of the invention, since the operation means has not only the information selection function but also the selection information confirmation function, separate operation means are provided for the selection function and the confirmation function. Compared with the case where it is, the operativity of an operator can be improved. Moreover, when confirming the selection, the operator pushes the knob member in the extending direction of the shaft member (that is, the substantially horizontal direction). Therefore, since the weighting in the substantially vertical direction does not occur in the selection confirmation operation, it can be avoided that the selection confirmation operation adversely affects the weighing of the article by the weighing means.

  In particular, according to the weighing device according to the third aspect of the invention, the rotary structure of the knob member is an infinite rotary structure. Therefore, unlike the finite rotary structure in which the rotation angle is limited by the stopper, at the moment when the rotation is stopped by the stopper. There is no significant weighting that occurs. Therefore, adverse effects on the weighing of articles by the weighing means can be avoided.

  In particular, according to the weighing device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, durability can be enhanced by providing a waterproof / dustproof seal structure.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, the element which attached | subjected the same code | symbol in different drawing shall show the same or corresponding element.

  FIG. 1 is a front view schematically showing an overall configuration of a weighing device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The weighing device 1 includes a weighing unit 3, a display unit 4, and an operation unit 5. The weighing unit 3 can measure the weight of the article 50 conveyed by the belt conveyor 2. The display unit 4 is, for example, a liquid crystal display device, and can display a plurality of pieces of information related to weighing such as product information related to the article 50 and weighing results.

  2 and 3 are a perspective view and a front view, respectively, showing the structure of the load cell 10 of the weighing unit 3. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the load cell 10 corresponds to a hollow strain generating body 11 provided with a plurality of (four in this example) strain generating portions 13 </ b> A to 13 </ b> D and each strain generating portion 13 </ b> A to 13 </ b> D. Strain gauges 12 </ b> A to 12 </ b> D respectively provided on the surface of the strain generating body 11 at the location to be formed. The strain gauges 12A to 12D are connected to each other so as to constitute a Wheatstone bridge circuit.

  Referring to FIG. 3, one end 15 of the strain body 11 is fixed, and the other end 16 is movable. The load from the article 50 is applied to the other end 16, and as a result, the strain body 11 is distorted so that the other end 16 is displaced substantially vertically downward. The strain amount of the strain body 11 is detected by the strain gauges 12A to 12D, and the weight of the article 50 is obtained based on the strain amount.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the external structure of the operation unit 5. 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views schematically showing the structure of the operation unit 5. The operation unit 5 is a rotary encoder with a switch function, and includes a knob member 20, a shaft member 27, and a substrate 29. Referring to FIG. 4, the operator can pick the knob member 20 and perform the rotation operation indicated by the arrow M, and can also perform the pushing operation indicated by the arrow N.

  With reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, the knob member 20 is fixed to one end portion of the shaft member 27. A disc-shaped wide portion 30 is formed at the other end of the shaft member 27. On the back surface of the wide portion 30 (the surface on the side facing the substrate 29), a plurality of reflection portions 28 are formed intermittently and radially. A contact switch 32, a light projecting unit 31 </ b> A, and a light receiving unit 31 </ b> B are formed on the surface of the substrate 29 (the surface facing the back surface of the wide portion 30).

  In the place where the reflection unit 28 is formed, the light projected from the light projecting unit 31A is reflected by the reflection unit 28, reaches the light receiving unit 31B, and is received by the light receiving unit 31B. On the other hand, in the place where the reflecting part 28 is not formed, the light emitted from the light projecting part 31A is not reflected by the reflecting part 28 and is not received by the light receiving part 31B. When the operator rotates the knob member 20, the wide portion 30 is also rotated accordingly. Since the light receiving part 31B receives light intermittently according to the rotation of the wide part 30, it is possible to detect the rotation direction and the rotation amount of the knob member 20 based on the light reception result in the light receiving part 31B.

  The configuration of the rotary encoder is not limited to the above example, and any type may be used. For example, the light projecting unit 31A and the light receiving unit 31B are arranged with the wide part 30 interposed therebetween, and a plurality of slits are formed radially in the wide part 30 so that the light that has been thrown from the light projecting part 31A and passed through the slits. A rotary encoder of a type that receives light by the light receiving unit 31B can also be used.

  Referring to FIG. 5, the tip of the other end of shaft member 27 is not in contact with contact switch 32 at the normal time when the pushing operation is not performed. On the other hand, referring to FIG. 6, when a pushing operation is performed, the tip of the other end of shaft member 27 contacts contact switch 32. Therefore, the contact switch 32 detects whether the shaft member 27 is in contact / non-contact, so that it is possible to detect whether or not the push-in operation has been performed.

  4 to 6, a resin-made seal member 21 for waterproofing and / or dust-proofing is disposed between the operation unit 5 and the housing 6 of the weighing device 1. 5 and 6, a rubber ring-shaped member 25 is fixed to the inner wall of the knob member 20. The tip portion 26 of the ring-shaped member 25 is in contact with the inner wall of the seal member 21. This prevents water and / or dust from entering the inside of the housing 6 from the gap between the operation unit 5 and the housing 6, thereby improving the durability of the device. Here, when waterproof / dust-proof measures are taken on the slide switch, it is necessary to perform a sealing process along the slide track, so that the longer the slide length, the more difficult the waterproof / dust-proof measures become. On the other hand, in this embodiment, a rotary encoder is used instead of a slide switch, and the sealing process is only required at one place, so that waterproof and dust-proof measures are easier than when using a slide switch.

  Hereinafter, the setting operation of the measurement information using the display unit 4 and the operation unit 5 will be described.

  FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration related to the setting operation of the measurement information. The display control unit 43 and the display screen 44 correspond to the display unit 4 shown in FIG. The detection unit 41 corresponds to the contact switch 32 and the light receiving unit 31B illustrated in FIGS. When the contact switch 32 detects contact with the shaft member 27, a signal to that effect is input to the processing unit 42. As a result, the processing unit 42 detects that the operator has pushed the knob member 20 in. When the light receiving unit 31B receives light, a signal to that effect is input to the processing unit 42. The processing unit 42 detects the rotation direction and the rotation amount of the knob member 20 based on the light reception result in the light receiving unit 31B.

  8 and 9 are diagrams showing examples of display contents on the display screen 44. FIG. In this example, a menu for selecting the type (article number) of the article 50 to be weighed is displayed on the display screen 44. A product number is defined in advance for each type of product, and a list of product numbers is registered in a nonvolatile memory in the weighing device 1. In the item number selection menu, the list is displayed on the display screen 44, and the operator selects and determines the target item number from the list. In the example shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, a list including seven product numbers (product number 01 to product number 07) is displayed.

  Referring to FIG. 8, the currently selected product number 04 is displayed surrounded by a thick cursor. When the operator wants to select another product number, he picks the knob member 20 with his finger and rotates it.

  FIG. 10 is a front view showing a situation in which the knob member 20 is rotated by an operator. By rotating the knob member 20 in the clockwise direction indicated by the arrow S, the cursor moves from the current display position downward in the display screen 44. Specifically, referring to FIG. 7, a signal related to the light reception result in light receiving unit 31B is input to processing unit 42, and processing unit 42 detects the rotation direction and rotation amount of knob member 20 based on the signal. . A signal related to the detection result is input from the processing unit 42 to the display control unit 43, and the display control unit 43 creates image data in which the display position of the cursor is changed based on the signal. Then, the changed image is displayed on the display screen 44 based on the image data. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the product number 06 is surrounded by a cursor. It is also possible for the operator to move the cursor upward from the current display position by rotating the knob member 20 counterclockwise.

  Next, the operator determines (determines) the selected product number by performing a pushing operation of the knob member 20. Specifically, referring to FIG. 7, when the operation of pushing the knob member 20 is performed, a contact detection signal from the contact switch 32 is input to the processing unit 42, and the processing unit 42 selects the knob based on the signal. It is detected that the pushing operation of the member 20 has been performed. The detection signal of the push operation is input from the processing unit 42 to the display control unit 43, and the display control unit 43 creates image data in which the background color in the current cursor is changed based on the signal. Then, the changed image is displayed on the display screen 44 based on the image data. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the background color of the product number 06 is changed. By changing the background color, the operator can visually confirm whether or not the decision has been made correctly.

  As shown in FIG. 10, the center of the knob member 20 and the center of the shaft member 27 coincide with each other, and the knob member 20 has a symmetrical shape with the shaft member 20 as the center.

  Further, the rotary structure of the knob member 20 is an infinite rotary structure. That is, unlike the finite rotation structure, the rotatable range is not limited by the stopper.

  Further, the knob member 20 is provided with a click mechanism (not shown) that is caught by a convex shape and a concave shape, and appropriate moderation (engagement feeling) is generated each time the knob member 20 rotates by a predetermined angle. Is done. Thereby, the operation feeling of the operator who rotates the knob member 20 can be enhanced.

  As described above, according to the weighing device 1 according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 10, the operator can face both edges of the knob member 20 (the left edge and the right edge in the example of FIG. 10). By rotating the knob member 20 while holding the handle, a selection operation of a plurality of pieces of information (a plurality of product numbers in the examples of FIGS. 8 and 9) displayed on the display screen 44 is executed. Here, referring to FIG. 10, when the operator rotates the knob member 20, a downward weight (arrow T) at the right edge and an upward weight (arrow U) at the left edge. And cancel each other. As a result, since the load in the vertical direction due to the operation of the operation unit 5 is reduced, it is possible to reduce the influence of the weighing unit 3 on the weighing of the article 50. In addition, since the operator performs a display information selection operation by rotating the knob member 20, the operator's operational feeling can be enhanced as compared with the selection operation by the touch panel.

  Here, in the above example, the example in which the operation unit 5 is arranged so that the extending direction of the shaft member 27 is substantially horizontal is described. However, the extending direction of the shaft member 27 is substantially vertical. In this way (that is, the knob member 20 may be substantially horizontal), the operation unit 5 may be arranged. In this case, depending on the rotation operation of the knob member 20 by the operator, only the horizontal load is generated, and the vertical load is not generated. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the influence of the weighing unit 3 on the weighing of the article 50. Become.

  Note that the jog dial used in mobile phones, AV equipment, and the like is not an operation of sandwiching both opposite edges of the cylinder, but an operation of rolling only one edge exposed from the casing with a fingertip. Directional weights and downward weights cannot cancel each other. On the other hand, since the weighing device 1 according to the present embodiment can cancel the weights in the vertical direction as described above, it is possible to avoid noise compared to a device in which the jog dial type operation unit 5 is adopted. Is advantageous.

  In addition, according to the weighing device 1 according to the present embodiment, the operator can confirm the selection of information by pushing the knob member 20 in the extending direction of the shaft member 27 (that is, the substantially horizontal direction). . As described above, the operation unit 5 has not only the information selection function but also the selection information determination function, so that compared with the case where separate operation means are provided for the selection function and the determination function, The operator's operability can be improved. In addition, since the weighting in the substantially vertical direction does not occur in the selection confirmation operation, it is possible to avoid the selection confirmation operation from adversely affecting the weighing of the article 50 by the weighing unit 3.

  Moreover, according to the measuring device 1 which concerns on this Embodiment, as above-mentioned, the rotation structure of the knob member 20 is an infinite rotation structure. Therefore, unlike the finite rotation structure adopted for feeder volume (substantially conical knob for setting the amplitude intensity of the feeder) and emergency stop emergency switch, it occurs at the moment when rotation is stopped by the stopper. There is no significant weighting. Therefore, it can be avoided that the large weight adversely affects the weighing of the article 50 by the weighing unit 3.

  In the above example, the knob member 20 provided with the click mechanism has been described. However, the click mechanism may not be provided. By not providing the click mechanism, it is possible to realize smooth rotation without an engagement sensation. Thereby, generation | occurrence | production of the vibration resulting from the continuous engagement in the case of rotation operation can be avoided, and it can avoid that the vibration has a bad influence on the measurement of the article | item 50 by the measurement part 3. FIG.

  In the above example, the example using the strain gauge type load cell as the weighing unit for measuring the weight of the article has been described. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the weighing unit using the electromagnetic balance type force balance or the difference is used. Any weighing means, such as a weighing means using a moving transformer, can be used as long as the article can be weighed based on the amount of distortion of the element that is distorted in the substantially vertical direction due to the load from the article. .

1 is a front view schematically showing an overall configuration of a weighing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a load cell. It is a front view which shows the structure of a load cell. It is a perspective view which shows the external appearance structure of an operation part. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of an operation part typically. It is sectional drawing which shows the structure of an operation part typically. It is a block diagram which shows the structure in connection with setting operation | movement of measurement information. It is a figure which shows an example of the display content of a display screen. It is a figure which shows an example of the display content of a display screen. It is a front view which shows the condition where rotation operation of the knob member is performed by the operator. It is a side view which shows the structure of the rotary dial switch used for the conventional measuring device. It is a front view which shows the structure of the rotary type dial switch used for the conventional measuring device.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Weighing device 3 Weighing part 4 Display part 5 Operation part 10 Load cell 20 Picking member 21 Seal member 25 Ring-shaped member 27 Shaft member 50 Article

Claims (4)

Weighing means capable of measuring the weight of the article based on the amount of distortion of the element that is distorted in a substantially vertical direction due to a load from the article;
Display means capable of displaying a plurality of pieces of information relating to weighing;
Operating means that can be operated by an operator,
The operation means includes
A shaft member extending in a substantially horizontal direction;
A knob member fixed to one end of the shaft member, and having a symmetrical shape about the shaft member;
A weighing device capable of performing an operation of selecting the plurality of pieces of information displayed on the display unit when an operator rotates the knob member while sandwiching opposite edges of the knob member.   The weighing device according to claim 1, wherein an operator can confirm selection of information by pushing the knob member in an extending direction of the shaft member.   The measuring device according to claim 1, wherein the rotary structure of the knob is an infinite rotary structure.   The seal structure according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a seal structure capable of preventing at least one of water and dust from entering the inside of the device casing through a gap between the operation means and the device casing. Weighing device.

Images