JP2013190331A - Combination weigher - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a combination weigher capable of maintaining accuracy in combination weighing.SOLUTION: A combination weigher includes weighing hoppers, a control unit and a discharge chute. The weighing hoppers each have a gate for switching between holding and releasing of an article and weigh the article. The control unit calculates a combination of articles to have a predetermined total weight from the articles weighed by the plural weighing hoppers. The discharge chute has a discharge port and discharges the articles released and dropped from the plural weighing hoppers from the discharge port. The plural weighing hoppers include a first weighing hopper group having a distance to the discharge port shorter than a first distance and a second weighing hopper group having a distance to the discharge port equal to or longer than the first distance. The control unit classifies articles composing a combination into plural discharge groups according to the timing of discharging the articles, and preferentially assigns articles held by weighing hoppers of the first weighing hopper group to a prior discharge group to be discharged at earlier timing among the plural discharge groups.

Description

  The present invention relates to a combination weighing device.

  In general, a combination weighing device is known as a device for setting articles such as confectionery and fruit filled in a bag to a predetermined total weight. The combination weighing device performs a combination calculation so that the total weight of the combination of articles held by the plurality of weighing hoppers becomes a predetermined total weight. That is, several weighing hoppers holding articles whose total weight is a predetermined total weight are selected from a plurality of weighing hoppers. The article group (combined article) selected by the combination calculation falls from the weighing hopper and is discharged to the packaging device through the discharge port of the collective discharge chute. Thereafter, the combination article is packaged with a packaging material in a packaging apparatus. That is, each weighing hopper holds an article (candidate article) that is a candidate for an article (component article) that constitutes the combination article. Here, when the target weight of the combination article is large, if the combination article is discharged from the combination weighing device to the packaging device at a time, the article may be clogged at the discharge port. Therefore, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2009-91012), a technique is used in which the combination article is discharged from the discharge port in a plurality of times.

  By the way, a new article is supplied to the weighing hopper from which the constituent article has been dropped. As a result, the weighing hopper returns to the weighing hopper candidate (combination candidate) used for the combination calculation. Here, a predetermined time is required until the weighing hopper returns to the combination candidate. In other words, the number of combination candidates decreases until the weighing hopper from which the component is dropped becomes a combination candidate again. As a result, the accuracy of the combination calculation may be reduced.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a combination weighing device capable of maintaining the accuracy of combination calculation.

  The combination weighing device according to the present invention includes a weighing hopper, a control unit, and a discharge chute. The weighing hopper has a gate that switches between holding and releasing the article and weighs the article. The control unit calculates a combination of articles having a predetermined total weight from the articles weighed by the plurality of weighing hoppers. The discharge chute has a discharge port and discharges the articles released from the plurality of weighing hoppers and dropped from the discharge port. The plurality of weighing hoppers include a first weighing hopper group and a second weighing hopper group. In the first weighing hopper group, the distance to the discharge port is less than the first distance. In the second weighing hopper group, the distance to the discharge port is not less than the first distance. Further, the control unit classifies the articles constituting the combination of articles into a plurality of discharge groups according to the timing of discharging the articles. In addition, the control unit preferentially assigns an article held by the first weighing hopper belonging to the first weighing hopper group to a destination discharge group to be discharged at an early timing among the plurality of discharge groups.

  Thereby, since the 1st weighing hopper with the short distance to the discharge port can return to the combination candidate at an early stage, the reduction of the combination candidates can be suppressed, and the accuracy of the combination calculation can be maintained.

  Furthermore, it is preferable that the combination weighing device according to the present invention further includes a storage unit. The storage unit stores the order in which the gates are driven so that the articles in the weighing hopper arrive at the discharge port at the same time or close to each other. In addition, the control unit drives and releases the gate of the second weighing hopper belonging to the second weighing hopper group before the gate of the first weighing hopper.

  Thereby, the articles falling from the discharge chute to the packaging device can be efficiently gathered, and the possibility that the articles are clogged with the discharge chute can be reduced.

  The plurality of weighing hoppers include a third weighing hopper group belonging to the third weighing hopper group in addition to the first weighing hopper belonging to the first weighing hopper group and the second weighing hopper belonging to the second weighing hopper group. Preferably, a weighing hopper is included. In the third weighing hopper, the average distance to the discharge port is longer than the average distance from the second weighing hopper to the discharge port. Further, the control unit drives the gate of the third weighing hopper among the weighing hoppers belonging to each discharge group before the gate of the second weighing hopper, and sets the gate of the second weighing hopper to the first Drive before the gate of the weighing hopper.

  Thereby, the timing which articles | goods arrive at a discharge chute can be adjusted more finely.

  The combination weighing device according to the present invention includes a weighing hopper, a control unit, a discharge chute, and a holding unit. The weighing hopper has a gate that switches between holding and releasing the article and weighs the article. The control unit calculates a combination of articles having a predetermined total weight from the articles weighed by the plurality of weighing hoppers. The discharge chute has a discharge port for discharging articles dropped from the plurality of weighing hoppers. The holding unit temporarily holds the articles dropped from the plurality of weighing hoppers before the discharge port. Further, the control unit classifies the articles constituting the combination of articles into a plurality of discharge groups according to the timing of discharging the articles. The holding unit temporarily holds an article belonging to the post-discharge group that is discharged at a later timing among the plurality of discharge groups, before the discharge port.

  Thereby, even if it is a case where the space | interval of a combination calculation is shortened, the reduction | decrease of the number of weighing hoppers used as a combination candidate at the time of the next combination calculation can be suppressed, and the precision of a combination calculation can be improved.

  Moreover, it is preferable that a holding | maintenance unit hold | maintains temporarily the articles | goods which fall from at least 2 or more weighing hoppers among several weighing hoppers. Thereby, falling articles can be effectively stored.

  Further, the holding unit is preferably a shutter that temporarily closes a path along which an article falls from the weighing hopper. Thereby, articles can be temporarily held without using a complicated configuration.

  According to the combination weighing device according to the present invention, the accuracy of the combination calculation can be maintained.

It is a schematic side view of the combination weighing device according to the first embodiment. 1 is a schematic view of a collective discharge chute and a weighing hopper according to a first embodiment. It is a control block diagram concerning a 1st embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the measurement hopper which belongs to each measurement hopper group. It is a figure which shows the releasing timing about each measurement hopper group. It is a figure which shows the time interval of a combination calculation and a discharge signal. It is a figure which shows the releasing timing about each measurement hopper group, the time required for releasing goods, and the time required after releasing. It is a figure which shows the flow of a process in the combination weighing | measuring apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the flow of the classification process of an emission group. It is a figure which shows the flow of a gate drive process. It is a figure which shows the release timing about each measurement hopper group by the modification C of the combination weighing | measuring device which concerns on 1st Embodiment, the time required for releasing articles | goods, and the time required after release. It is a schematic side view of the combination weighing device according to the second embodiment. It is a control block diagram concerning a 2nd embodiment. It is a figure which shows the time interval of a combination calculation and a discharge signal. It is a figure which shows the flow of a process in the combination weighing | measuring apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment.

<First Embodiment>
Hereinafter, a combination weighing device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, “upstream” and “downstream” are based on the conveyance direction of the article.

(1) Overall Configuration The combination weighing device 100 is a device that measures the weight of articles respectively stored in the plurality of weighing hoppers 5 (5a to 5n) and performs a combination calculation based on the measured values. The combination calculation is an operation for deriving a combination of measurement values such that the total is within a desired range.

  The combination weighing device 100 continuously receives articles from a supply conveyor device 80 disposed upstream. Thereafter, the combination weighing device 100 collects the received articles by a predetermined weight, and discharges the aggregate of the predetermined weight articles to the subsequent packaging apparatus 90.

  As shown in any of FIGS. 1 to 3, the combination weighing device 100 includes one distribution table 2, a plurality of supply feeders 3, a plurality of pool hoppers 4, a plurality of weighing hoppers 5, and one collective discharge. A chute 7 and one control device 8 are provided. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that there are 14 supply feeders 3, pool hoppers 4, and weighing hoppers 5, respectively.

  Articles supplied to the distribution table 2 by the supply conveyor device 80 are supplied from the distribution table 2 to the supply feeder 3, from the supply feeder 3 to the pool hopper 4, from the pool hopper 4 to the weighing hopper 5, and from the weighing hopper 5 to the collective discharge chute 7. Are sequentially conveyed from the collective discharge chute 7 to the packaging device 90. Here, the supply feeder 3, the pool hopper 4, and the weighing hopper 5 are associated with each other. The articles are sent to the collective discharge chute 7 via the associated supply feeder 3, pool hopper 4, and weighing hopper 5. Here, the associated supply feeder 3, pool hopper 4, and weighing hopper 5 are referred to as a head group. The combination weighing device 100 according to the present embodiment has a first head group to a fourteenth head group. That is, the combination weighing device 100 according to this embodiment includes one dispersion table 2, 14 heads, and one collective discharge chute 7.

(2) Details of Each Part (2-1) Dispersion Table The distribution table 2 disperses the articles supplied from the supply conveyor device 80 to the supply feeder 3. The distribution table 2 is disposed directly below the position where the supply conveyor device 80 drops the articles. The dispersion table 2 has a conical shape. The dispersion table 2 is rotationally driven by a dispersion table rotating mechanism 2a (see FIG. 2). The dispersion table rotating mechanism 2a is controlled by the control device 8. Articles dropped on the distribution table 2 from the supply conveyor device 80 move in the radial direction while being distributed on the distribution table 2 in the circumferential direction by the rotation of the distribution table 2, and supply feeders 3 arranged around the distribution table 2. Fall into.

(2-2) Supply Feeder The supply feeder 3 supplies the articles supplied from the distribution table 2 to the pool hopper 4 arranged downstream. Specifically, the supply feeder 3 supplies articles to the pool hopper 4 belonging to the same head. The 14 supply feeders 3 are arranged in a circle around the distribution table 2. The 14 supply feeders 3 are arranged at equal intervals. Each supply feeder 3 has a supply trough 13. The supply trough 13 is vibrated by the electromagnetic vibration device 3a (see FIG. 3). The electromagnetic vibration device 3 a is controlled by the control device 8. The supply trough 13 receives the articles supplied from the distribution table 2, moves the received articles radially outward by vibration, and drops them onto the pool hopper 4 arranged downstream.

(2-3) Pool Hopper The pool hopper 4 temporarily stores articles supplied from the supply feeder 3. The pool hopper 4 is circularly arranged below the supply feeder 3. The 14 pool hoppers 4 are arranged at equal intervals.

  The pool hopper 4 is a tunnel-shaped or cylindrical member. The pool hopper 4 has an inlet and an outlet. The inlet is provided in the upper part of the pool hopper 4, and the outlet is provided in the lower part of the pool hopper 4. Each pool hopper 4 has a gate 41 at the bottom. The discharge port of the pool hopper 4 is opened and closed by a gate 41. The gate 41 is driven by a command from the control device 8. Specifically, the 14 gates 41 are opened and closed independently through a link mechanism (not shown) by the operation of the stepping motor 42 (see FIG. 3). The pool hopper 4 opens the gate 41 to release the article, and supplies the article to the weighing hopper 5 belonging to the same head group.

(2-4) Weighing hopper The weighing hopper 5 uses the load cell 12 to weigh the article supplied from the pool hopper 4. The weighing hopper 5 is circularly arranged below the pool hopper 4. Specifically, the weighing hopper 5 is disposed directly below the gate 41 of the pool hopper 4. The 14 weighing hoppers 5 are arranged at equal intervals.

  The weighing hopper 5 is also a tunnel-shaped or cylindrical member. The weighing hopper 5 has an inlet and an outlet. The input port is provided in the upper part of the weighing hopper 5, and the discharge port is provided in the lower part of the weighing hopper 5. Each weighing hopper 5 has a gate 51 at the bottom. The discharge port of the weighing hopper 5 is opened and closed by a gate 51. The gate 51 is driven by a command from the control device 8. Specifically, the 14 gates 51 are also opened / closed independently via a link mechanism (not shown) by the operation of the stepping motor 52 (see FIG. 3). The weighing hopper 5 holds the article with the gate 51 closed, releases the article with the gate 51 opened, and drops the article onto the collective discharge chute. That is, the gate 51 switches between holding and releasing the article.

(2-5) Collective discharge chute The collective discharge chute 7 collects articles dropped from the weighing hopper 5, and then discharges the collected articles toward the packaging device 90 arranged downstream. The collective discharge chute 7 is disposed below the weighing hopper 5. The collective discharge chute 7 has an input port 72 and a discharge port 71. The input port 72 is provided in the upper part of the collective discharge chute 7. The discharge port 71 is provided below the collective discharge chute 7. A packaging device 90 is disposed directly below the discharge port 71.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the center of the outlet 71 and the center of the inlet 72 are at different positions. In other words, the discharge port 71 is eccentric with respect to the center C of the input port 72 (see FIG. 1). The distance from the discharge port of each weighing hopper 5 to the discharge port 71 of the collecting chute 7 is not the same. In other words, the timing at which the articles released from the weighing hoppers 5 fall along the inner wall of the collective discharge chute 7 reaches the discharge port 71 is the distance from the discharge port of the weighing hopper 5 to the discharge port 71 of the collective chute 7. Depending on.

(2-6) Control Device As shown in FIG. 3, the control device (control unit and storage unit) 8 includes a CPU 81, a ROM 82, a RAM 83, and an HDD 84. The CPU 81 controls the operation of the combination weighing device 100 by reading and executing a control program stored in the ROM 82 and the HDD 84 in cooperation with the RAM 83. The HDD 84 stores the results of various arithmetic processes in the control device 8 as necessary.

  The control device 8 is connected to the dispersion table rotating mechanism 2 a, the electromagnetic vibration device 3 a, the stepping motor 42 for the pool hopper 4, the stepping motor 52 for the weighing hopper 5, and the load cell 12. The control device 8 also has a weighing hopper group storage area and a release timing storage area.

(2-6-1) Weighing hopper group storage area Information related to the weighing hopper group is stored in the weighing hopper group storage area (see FIG. 4). The weighing hopper group is a group composed of a plurality of weighing hoppers. In FIG. 4, the first weighing hopper group G1 includes weighing hoppers (first weighing hoppers) 5a to 5e, and the second weighing hopper group G2 includes weighing hoppers (second weighing hoppers) 5f and 5g. , 5m, 5n, and the third weighing hopper group G3 includes weighing hoppers (third weighing hoppers) 5h to 5l.

  The weighing hopper groups G1 to G3 are classified according to the distance from the discharge port of the weighing hopper 5 to the discharge port 71 of the collective discharge chute 7, as shown in FIG. Specifically, the weighing hopper groups G1 to G3 classify the plurality of weighing hoppers 5a to 5n into the respective weighing hopper groups G1 to G3 based on predetermined threshold values (first distance and second distance). More specifically, the first weighing hoppers 5a to 5e arranged at positions where the distance to the discharge port 71 of the collective discharge chute 7 is less than the first distance are classified into the first weighing hopper group. In addition, the second weighing hoppers 5f, 5g, 5m, and 5n disposed at positions where the distance to the discharge port 71 is equal to or greater than the first distance and less than the second distance are classified into the second weighing hopper group. The In addition, the third weighing hoppers 5h to 5l arranged at positions where the distance to the discharge port 71 is more than the second distance are classified into a third weighing hopper group. In other words, the average (average distance) of the distance from the discharge port of the weighing hopper 5 belonging to each weighing hopper group to the discharge port 71 of the collective discharge chute 7 is different. Specifically, the average distance between the weighing hoppers 5a to 5e belonging to the first weighing hopper group and the discharge port 71 is the smallest, and the weighing hoppers 5f, 5g, 5m, and 5n belonging to the second weighing hopper group are discharged. The average distance to the outlet 71 is the second smallest, and the average distance between the weighing hoppers 5h to 5l belonging to the third weighing hopper group and the discharge port 71 is the largest.

(2-6-2) Release Timing Storage Area The release timing storage area stores the timing at which the weighing hopper groups G1 to G3 release articles (see FIG. 5). The release timing is the time until the gate 51 of the weighing hopper 5 is released after the article discharge signal DS is output. Here, the discharge signal DS is a signal for discharging a part of the combined article from the collective discharge chute 7. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the discharge signal DS is output every 750 msec. In other words, the interval between the first discharge signal DS1 and the second discharge signal DS2 is 750 msec. The release timing is stored in order to adjust the articles dropped from the weighing hoppers 5a to 5n to reach the discharge port 71 of the collective discharge chute 7 at the same time or close timing. Therefore, the release timing is determined according to the average distance from the weighing hoppers belonging to the respective weighing hopper groups G1 to G3 to the discharge port 71 of the collective discharge chute 7. Specifically, when the discharge signal DS is output, the weighing hoppers 5a to 5a belonging to the respective groups in the order of the third weighing hopper group G3, the second weighing hopper group G2, and the first weighing hopper group G1. The 5n gate 51 is released (see FIG. 7).

  More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the third weighing hoppers 5h to 5l belonging to the third weighing hopper group G3 release the gate 51 immediately after the discharge signal DS is output. The second weighing hoppers 5f, 5g, 5m, 5n belonging to the second weighing hopper group G2 release the gate 51 in 60 msec after the discharge signal DS is output. The first weighing hoppers 5a to 5e belonging to the first weighing hopper group G1 release the gate 51 in 110 msec after the discharge signal DS is output.

(3) Operation of Combination Weighing Machine Next, the operation of the combination weighing device 100 will be described.

(3-1) Flow of Overall Operation First, articles are loaded from the supply conveyor device 80 to the distribution table 2. The article placed on the dispersion table 2 moves on the dispersion table 2 by the rotation of the dispersion table 2 and falls on a supply trough 13 arranged around the dispersion table 2. The article dropped on the supply trough 13 moves outward on the supply trough 13 by the vibration of the supply trough 13 and falls on the pool hopper 4 arranged around the supply trough 13. At this time, the gate 41 of the pool hopper 4 is in a closed state. Accordingly, the articles are pooled in the pool hopper 4.

  The gate 41 of the pool hopper 4 is opened by the control device 8 when no articles are stored in the weighing hoppers 5a to 5n. Thereby, the articles pooled in the pool hopper 4 are sent into the weighing hopper 5. At this time, the gates 51 of the weighing hoppers 5a to 5n are in a closed state. Accordingly, the articles are stored in the weighing hoppers 5a to 5n. The load cell 12 performs measurement at the timing when the article is stored in the weighing hoppers 5 a to 5 n and transmits the measurement result to the control device 8.

  The control device 8 performs a combination calculation based on the weight values of the articles associated with the weighing hoppers 5a to 5n. As a result of the combination operation, several weighing hoppers are selected from the 14 weighing hoppers 5a to 5n by the control device 8. When several weighing hoppers are selected, the gates 51 of these weighing hoppers are opened by the control device 8 at a predetermined timing. By opening the gate 51, the articles stored in the weighing hoppers 5 a to 5 n are released and dropped onto the collective discharge chute 7. In the weighing hoppers 5a to 5n, which are emptied due to the fall of the articles, new articles are sequentially replenished from the pool hopper 4 thereabove.

  As described above, articles having a predetermined weight are collected in the collective discharge chute 7. Articles gathered while sliding down in the collective discharge chute 7 are conveyed to the packaging device 90 at the subsequent stage of the combination weighing device 100.

(3-2) Release Process (3-2-1) Basic Operation Next, the basic operation of the release process of the gates 51 of the weighing hoppers 5a to 5n will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

  The combination weighing device 100 according to this embodiment is controlled so that one bag of articles is discharged from the collective discharge chute 7 every 1500 msec. In other words, the combination weighing device 100 performs one combination calculation of articles having a predetermined total weight every 1500 msec. That is, the combination weighing device 100 performs the combination operations CC1 and CC2 twice at 3000 msec (see FIG. 6).

  Further, the articles (combined articles) related to the combination obtained by one combination calculation are collected by the collective discharge chute 7 at two different timings. Specifically, the articles (component articles) constituting the combination article are classified into two emission groups (first emission group DG1 and second emission group DG2). The first emission group DG1 is a group (first emission group) that is discharged first out of the two emission groups. The second emission group DG2 is a group that is discharged later (a post-discharge group) out of the two emission groups. The component articles classified into the first discharge group DG1 are discharged from the collective discharge chute 7 before the component articles classified into the second discharge group DG2. The components classified into each discharge group are gathered by the collective discharge chute 7 according to the discharge signal (first discharge signal DS1 and second discharge signal DS2). As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the discharge signals DS1 and DS2 are output every 750 msec.

  Further, after the first discharge signal DS1 and the second discharge signal DS2 are output, the gates of the weighing hoppers 5a to 5n belonging to the respective weighing hopper groups G1 to G3 according to the release timing stored in the release timing storage area. 51 is driven and the article falls. Further, in the present embodiment, 640 msec is necessary for the weighing hoppers 5a to 5n that have dropped the combination articles obtained by the first combination calculation CC1 to be candidates (combination candidates) for the second combination calculation CC2. (See FIG. 7). That is, after the gates 51 of the weighing hoppers 5a to 5n are driven to drop the constituent articles onto the collective discharge chute 7, until new candidate articles are stored in the weighing hoppers 5a to 5n and are measured by the load cell 12. 640 msec is required. Here, the candidate article is an article that is a candidate for a constituent article.

(3-2-2) Specific Processing Flow As shown in FIG. 8, first, in step S11, combination calculation of articles is performed. Specifically, the weights of the articles stored in all the weighing hoppers 5a to 5n are weighed by the load cell 12, and based on those weighed values, a combination of weighed values so that the total falls within a desired range. To derive. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S12.

  In step S12, the constituent articles are classified into two emission groups. As described above, the discharge group is a group based on the timing at which the constituent articles are collected by the collective discharge chute 7 and discharged. That is, the articles constituting the combination article are classified into one of the two emission groups. The classification method of the emission group will be described later. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S13.

  In step S13, it is determined whether or not a discharge signal (first discharge signal DS1) has been output. In step S13, it waits until a discharge signal is output, and when a discharge signal is output, it progresses to step S14.

  In step S14, the gates 51 of the weighing hoppers 5a to 5n holding the constituent articles classified in the first discharge group DG1 are driven to drop the constituent articles. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S15.

  In step S15, it is determined whether or not a discharge signal (second discharge signal DS2) has been output. In step S15, it waits until a discharge signal is output, and when a discharge signal is output, it progresses to step S16.

  In step S16, the gates 51 of the weighing hoppers 5a to 5n holding the constituent articles classified in the second discharge group DG2 are driven to drop the articles.

(3-2-3) Emission Group Classification Processing Next, emission group classification processing will be described with reference to FIG.

  In step S21, it is determined whether or not the articles (component articles) constituting the combination article include articles held by the weighing hoppers 5a to 5e belonging to the first weighing hopper group G1. In step S21, when the combination article includes a component held by the weighing hoppers 5a to 5e, the process proceeds to step S22, and the combination article does not include a component held by the weighing hoppers 5a to 5e. The process proceeds to step S24.

  In step S22, the weighing hoppers 5a to 5e belonging to the first weighing hopper group G1 are assigned to the first discharge group DG1. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S23.

  In step S23, it is determined whether or not the total weight of the component articles held by the weighing hoppers 5a to 5e has reached 40% of the total weight of the combination articles. In step S23, when the total weight of the constituent articles held by the weighing hoppers 5a to 5e reaches 40% of the total weight of the combined articles, the process proceeds to step S25. In step S23, when the total weight of the component articles held by the weighing hoppers 5a to 5e does not reach 40% of the total weight of the combination articles, the process proceeds to step S24.

  In step S24, the weighing hoppers 5f to 5l that hold the component having a weight value that is 40% of the total weight of the combined articles are selected from the weighing hoppers 5f to 5l belonging to the other weighing hopper groups G2 and G3. And assigned to the first emission group DG1. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S25.

  In step S25, the weighing hoppers 5f to 5l that hold component articles that have not been assigned to the first discharge group DG1 are assigned to the second discharge group DG2.

(3-2-4) Gate Drive Processing in Each Discharge Group Next, drive processing for the gates 51 of the weighing hoppers 5a to 5n according to each discharge group will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, in step S31, it is determined whether or not the discharge group includes components held by the third weighing hoppers 5h to 5l belonging to the third weighing hopper group G3. In step S31, when the component held by the third weighing hoppers 5h to 5l is not included in the discharge group, the process proceeds to step S33, and the component held by the third weighing hoppers 5h to 5l is discharged. If it is included in the group, the process proceeds to step S32.

  In step S32, the gates 51 of the third weighing hoppers 5h to 5l are driven. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S33.

  In step S33, it is determined whether or not a first predetermined time has elapsed. Here, the first predetermined time is a time based on the release timing associated with the second weighing hopper group G2 (see FIG. 5). That is, it is determined whether 60 msec has elapsed after the discharge signal is output. In step S33, the process waits until the first predetermined time elapses. When the first predetermined time elapses, the process proceeds to step S34.

  In step S34, it is determined whether or not the discharge group includes components held by the second weighing hoppers 5f, 5g, 5m, and 5n belonging to the second weighing hopper group G2. In step S31, when the component held by the second weighing hoppers 5f, 5g, 5m, 5n is not included in the discharge group, the process proceeds to step S36, and the second weighing hoppers 5f, 5g, 5m, 5n are performed. If the component held by is included in the discharge group, the process proceeds to step S35.

  In step S35, the gates 51 of the second weighing hoppers 5f, 5g, 5m, 5n are driven. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S36.

  In step S36, it is determined whether or not a second predetermined time has elapsed. Here, the second predetermined time is a time based on the release timing associated with the first weighing hopper group G1 (see FIG. 5). That is, it is determined whether 110 msec has elapsed since the discharge signal was output. In step S36, the process waits until the second predetermined time elapses. When the second predetermined time elapses, the process proceeds to step S37.

  In step S37, it is determined whether or not the discharge group includes components held by the first weighing hoppers 5a to 5e belonging to the first weighing hopper group G1. In step S37, when the component held by the first weighing hoppers 5a to 5e is not included in the discharge group, the process ends, and the component held by the first weighing hoppers 5a to 5e is included in the discharge group. If included, the process proceeds to step S38.

  In step S38, the gates 51 of the first weighing hoppers 5a to 5e are driven. Then, the process ends.

(4) Features (4-1)
In the combination weighing device 100 according to the embodiment, the first weighing hoppers 5a to 5e that are close to the discharge port 71 of the collective discharge chute 7 are preferentially assigned to the first discharge group DG1 that discharges at an early timing. . Thereby, since the 1st weighing hoppers 5a-5e can return to a combination candidate at an early stage, reduction of a combination candidate can be suppressed. As a result, the accuracy of the combination calculation can be maintained.

  When the combination weighing device includes an eccentric collective discharge chute, the distance from the discharge port of each weighing hopper to the collective discharge chute discharge port is not constant. As a result, the articles dropped from each weighing hopper do not arrive at the collective discharge chute at the same time or near timing. In order to suitably perform the processing by the packaging machine, it is preferable that the articles supplied from the collective discharge chute to the packaging machine are in a collective state. Therefore, the timing for dropping the articles from the weighing hopper is determined based on the distance from the discharge port of the weighing hopper to the discharge port of the collective discharge chute. Specifically, the gate of the weighing hopper (third weighing hopper) having a long distance to the discharge port of the collective discharge chute is preferentially driven, and the weighing hopper (first filter) having a short distance to the discharge port of the collective discharge chute is first driven. Then the gate of the weighing hopper is driven.

  By the way, in combination weighing device 100 concerning the above-mentioned embodiment, in order to control clogging of the article in discharge mouth 71 of collective discharge chute 7, the combination article obtained by one combination calculation is taken from collective discharge chute 7 twice. The discharge is divided into discharge groups (first discharge group DG1 and second discharge group DG2). After the article falls from the weighing hopper, a predetermined time (640 msec in this embodiment) is required for the candidate article to be supplied to the weighing hopper and the weighing hopper to become the next combination candidate. As described above, in one discharge group, the timing of dropping articles is different between the third weighing hopper and the first weighing hopper, so that all the weighing hoppers 5a to 5n are candidates for combination. After the component is released from the first weighing hopper, 640 msec is required. The combination weighing device 100 according to the above embodiment can reliably secure 640 msec until the next combination calculation is executed by preferentially assigning the first weighing hopper to the first discharge group DG1. . Thereby, it is possible to suppress a reduction in the number of weighing hoppers that are candidates for the next combination calculation. As a result, the accuracy of the combination calculation can be maintained.

(4-2)
The combination weighing device 100 according to the above embodiment divides the plurality of weighing hoppers 5a to 5n into weighing hopper groups G1 to G3 according to the distance to the discharge port 71 of the collective discharge chute 7. Further, the gates 51 of the weighing hoppers 5a to 5n belonging to the respective weighing hopper groups G1 to G3 so that articles falling from the respective weighing hopper groups G1 to G3 arrive at the discharge port 71 of the collective discharge chute 7 at the same time or close to each other. The drive timing is changed. Thereby, the articles falling from the discharge chute to the packaging device can be efficiently gathered, and the possibility that the articles are clogged with the discharge chute can be reduced.

(4-3)
In the combination weighing device 100 according to the embodiment, the plurality of weighing hoppers 5a to 5n are divided into three weighing hopper groups G1 to G3. Therefore, it is possible to finely adjust the time for the articles to reach the discharge port 71 of the collective discharge chute 7.

(5) Modifications One embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the following changes can be considered.

(5-1) Modification A
In the combination weighing device 100 according to the above-described embodiment, the first discharge group DG1 is designed to discharge 40% of the total weight of the combined articles, but the weight of the articles according to the first discharge group DG1. The sum of the values is not limited to 40%. What is necessary is just an amount that does not clog the goods at the discharge port 71 of the collective discharge chute 7 when the goods related to each discharge group are discharged.

(5-2) Modification B
In the above embodiment, the discharge signal is output at a predetermined time interval (750 msec). Here, when the combination article includes component articles held by the first weighing hoppers 5a to 5e, the combination article is designed so that all of the combination articles are allocated to the first discharge group DG1. Thereby, after the second discharge signal is output, the time until the next first discharge signal is output can be shortened.

(5-3) Modification C
The combination weighing device 100 according to the above-described embodiment stores the timing for releasing the article after the discharge signal is output for each of the weighing hopper groups G1 to G2.

  Here, instead of storing the release timing, the order of releasing the gate 51 and the time interval (for example, 50 msec) for each of the weighing hopper groups G1 to G3 may be determined. In addition, after the discharge signal is output, among the weighing hoppers that hold the components assigned to each discharge group, the components that are held by the weighing hopper that is far from the discharge port 71 are dropped preferentially. May be. Thereafter, it may be designed to drop the component held by the weighing hopper whose distance to the discharge port 71 is short.

  Specifically, when the discharge group includes components held by the third weighing hoppers 5h to 5l, immediately after the discharge signal is output, the components from the third weighing hoppers 5h to 5l are immediately output. To drop. Thereafter, the constituent articles are dropped from the second weighing hoppers 5f, 5g, 5m, and 5n and the first weighing hoppers 5a to 5e with a predetermined time interval. In addition, when the discharge group does not include the components held by the third weighing hoppers 5h to 5l and includes the components held by the second weighing hoppers 5f, 5g, 5m, and 5n, the discharge signal Is output immediately from the second weighing hoppers 5f, 5g, 5m, 5n. The discharge group does not include the components held by the third weighing hoppers 5h to 5l or the second weighing hoppers 5f, 5g, 5m, and 5n, and the components held by the first weighing hoppers 5a to 5e. In the case where only the component is included, the component is dropped from the first weighing hoppers 5a to 5e immediately after the discharge signal is output.

  Furthermore, the first discharge signal and the second discharge signal are generated for a predetermined time (this embodiment) after the constituent article falls from the weighing hopper with the closest distance to the discharge port 71 among the weighing hoppers assigned to each discharge group. Then, it may be designed to output after 640 msec).

  Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 11, the weighing hoppers that hold the components assigned to the first discharge group are the second weighing hoppers 5f, 5g, 5m, and 5n and the first weighing hoppers 5a to 5a. In the case of 5e, the second discharge signal is designed to be output after 640 msec has elapsed since the constituent articles dropped from the first weighing hoppers 5a to 5e. Further, when the weighing hoppers holding the components assigned to the second discharge group are the third weighing hoppers 5h to 5l and the second weighing hoppers 5f, 5g, 5m, 5n, the second After 640 msec has elapsed since the components dropped from the weighing hoppers 5f, 5g, 5m, and 5n, the following combination calculation is performed and a first discharge signal is output.

  Thereby, the time required for one combination calculation can be shortened. As a result, the processing capacity of the combination weighing device can be improved while maintaining accuracy.

(5-4) Modification D
Further, in the combination weighing device according to Modification C, the components held by the first weighing hoppers 5a to 5e are preferentially assigned to the first discharge group DG1 and held by the third weighing hoppers 5h to 5l. The configured articles may be preferentially assigned to the second emission group DG2. In other words, each discharge group does not include both the components held by the first weighing hoppers 5a to 5e and the components held by the third weighing hoppers 5h to 5l. A component may be assigned. Thereby, the time until discharging the combination article obtained by one combination calculation can be reliably reduced.

Second Embodiment
Hereinafter, a combination weighing device 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, “upstream” and “downstream” are based on the conveyance direction of the article.

(1) Overall Configuration The combination weighing device 200 is a device that measures the weight of articles respectively stored in the plurality of weighing hoppers 5a to 5n and performs a combination calculation based on the measured values. The combination calculation is an operation for deriving a combination of measurement values such that the total is within a desired range.

  The combination weighing device 200 continuously receives articles from a supply conveyor device 80 disposed upstream. Thereafter, the combination weighing device 200 collects articles received from the supply conveyor device 80 by a predetermined weight, and discharges a set of articles having a predetermined weight to the subsequent packaging apparatus 90.

  As shown in FIG. 12 or FIG. 13, the combination weighing device 200 includes one distribution table 2, a plurality of supply feeders 3, a plurality of pool hoppers 4, a plurality of weighing hoppers 5, and a single collective discharge chute 70. And one control device 8. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that there are 14 supply feeders 3, pool hoppers 4, and weighing hoppers 5, respectively.

  The articles supplied to the distribution table 2 by the supply conveyor device 80 are supplied from the distribution table 2 to the supply feeder 3, from the supply feeder 3 to the pool hopper 4, from the pool hopper 4 to the weighing hopper 5, and from the weighing hopper 5 to the collective discharge chute 70. Are sequentially conveyed from the collective discharge chute 70 to the packaging device 90. Here, the supply feeder 3, the pool hopper 4, and the weighing hopper 5 are associated with each other. The articles are sent to the collective discharge chute 70 via the associated supply feeder 3, pool hopper 4, and weighing hopper 5. Here, the associated supply feeder 3, pool hopper 4, and weighing hopper 5 are referred to as a head group. The combination weighing device 10 according to the present embodiment has a first head group to a fourteenth head group. That is, the combination weighing device 10 according to this embodiment includes one dispersion table 2, 14 heads, and one collective discharge chute 70.

(2) Details of Each Part (2-1) Dispersion Table The distribution table 2 disperses the articles supplied from the supply conveyor device 80 to the supply feeder 3. The distribution table 2 is disposed directly below the position where the supply conveyor device 80 drops the articles. The dispersion table 2 has a conical shape. The dispersion table 2 is rotationally driven by a dispersion table rotating mechanism 2a (see FIG. 13). The dispersion table rotating mechanism 2a is controlled by the control device 8. Articles dropped on the distribution table 2 from the supply conveyor device 80 move in the radial direction while being distributed on the distribution table 2 in the circumferential direction by the rotation of the distribution table 2, and supply feeders 3 arranged around the distribution table 2. Fall into.

(2-2) Supply Feeder The supply feeder 3 supplies the articles supplied from the distribution table 2 to the pool hopper 4 arranged downstream. Specifically, the supply feeder 3 supplies articles to the pool hopper 4 belonging to the same head. The 14 supply feeders 3 are arranged in a circle around the distribution table 2. The 14 supply feeders 3 are arranged at equal intervals. Each supply feeder 3 has a supply trough 13. The supply trough 13 is vibrated by the electromagnetic vibration device 3a (see FIG. 3). The electromagnetic vibration device 3 a is controlled by the control device 8. The supply trough 13 receives the articles supplied from the distribution table 2, moves the received articles radially outward by vibration, and drops them onto the pool hopper 4 arranged downstream.

(2-3) Pool Hopper The pool hopper 4 temporarily stores articles supplied from the supply feeder 3. The pool hopper 4 is circularly arranged below the supply feeder 3. The 14 pool hoppers 4 are arranged at equal intervals.

  The pool hopper 4 is a tunnel-shaped or cylindrical member. The pool hopper 4 has an inlet and an outlet. The inlet is provided in the upper part of the pool hopper 4, and the outlet is provided in the lower part of the pool hopper 4. Each pool hopper 4 has a gate 41 at the bottom. The discharge port of the pool hopper 4 is opened and closed by a gate 41. The gate 41 is driven by a command from the control device 8. Specifically, the 14 gates 41 are opened and closed independently through a link mechanism (not shown) by the operation of the stepping motor 42 (see FIG. 14). The pool hopper 4 opens the gate 41 to release the article, and supplies the article to the weighing hopper 5 belonging to the same head group.

(2-4) Weighing hopper The weighing hopper 5 uses the load cell 12 to weigh the article supplied from the pool hopper 4. The weighing hopper 5 is circularly arranged below the pool hopper 4. Specifically, the weighing hopper 5 is disposed directly below the gate 41 of the pool hopper 4. The 14 weighing hoppers 5 are arranged at equal intervals.

  The weighing hopper 5 is also a tunnel-shaped or cylindrical member. The weighing hopper 5 has an inlet and an outlet. The input port is provided in the upper part of the weighing hopper 5, and the discharge port is provided in the lower part of the weighing hopper 5. Each weighing hopper 5 has a gate 51 at the bottom. The discharge port of the weighing hopper 5 is opened and closed by a gate 51. The gate 51 is driven by a command from the control device 8. Specifically, the 14 gates 51 are also opened / closed independently through a link mechanism (not shown) by the operation of the stepping motor 52 (see FIG. 14). The weighing hopper 5 holds the article with the gate 51 closed, releases the article with the gate 51 opened, and drops the article onto the collective discharge chute. That is, the gate 51 switches between holding and releasing the article.

(2-5) Collective Discharge Chute The collective discharge chute 70 collects articles dropped from the weighing hopper 5, and then discharges the collected articles toward the packaging device 90 disposed downstream. The collective discharge chute 70 is disposed below the weighing hopper 5. The collective discharge chute 70 includes an input port 72, a discharge port 71, and a holding unit 73. The input port 72 is provided in the upper part of the collective discharge chute 70. The discharge port 71 is provided below the collective discharge chute 70. The center position of the discharge port 71 coincides with the center position of the input port 72. That is, the distance from the discharge port of each weighing hopper 5 to the discharge port 71 of the collecting chute 70 is the same. A packaging device 90 is disposed directly below the discharge port 71.

  The holding unit 73 is a member that temporarily holds an article falling from the weighing hopper 5 in front of the discharge port 71. Specifically, the holding unit 73 is a shutter that blocks an article dropping path from the discharge port of the weighing hopper 5 to the discharge port 71 of the collective discharge chute 70. A plurality of holding units 73 are attached to the inner wall of the collective discharge chute 70. The holding unit 73 is configured to be able to temporarily hold articles dropped from the plurality of weighing hoppers 5. The holding unit 73 can temporarily hold articles dropped from at least two weighing hoppers 5. The holding unit 73 is configured to be switchable between a closed state and an open state. The holding unit 73 is driven by a command from the control device 8. Specifically, the holding unit 73 is driven by the holding unit opening / closing mechanism 55 to perform an opening / closing operation (see FIG. 14).

(2-6) Control Device As shown in FIG. 14, the control device 8 includes a CPU 81, a ROM 82, a RAM 83, and an HDD 84. The CPU 81 controls the operation of the combination weighing device 100 by reading and executing a control program stored in the ROM 82 and the HDD 84 in cooperation with the RAM 83. The HDD 84 stores the results of various arithmetic processes in the control device 8 as necessary.

  The control device 8 is connected to the dispersion table rotating mechanism 2 a, the electromagnetic vibration device 3 a, the stepping motor 42 for the pool hopper 4, the stepping motor 52 for the weighing hopper 5, the holding unit opening / closing mechanism 55, and the load cell 12.

(3) Operation of Combination Weighing Machine Next, the operation of the combination weighing device 200 will be described.

(3-1) Flow of Overall Operation First, articles are loaded from the supply conveyor device 80 to the distribution table 2. The article placed on the dispersion table 2 moves on the dispersion table 2 by the rotation of the dispersion table 2 and falls on a supply trough 13 arranged around the dispersion table 2. The article dropped on the supply trough 13 moves outward on the supply trough 13 by the vibration of the supply trough 13 and falls on the pool hopper 4 arranged around the supply trough 13. At this time, the gate 41 of the pool hopper 4 is in a closed state. Accordingly, the articles are pooled in the pool hopper 4.

  The gate 41 of the pool hopper 4 is opened by the control device 8 when no article is stored in the weighing hopper 5. Thereby, the articles pooled in the pool hopper 4 are sent into the weighing hopper 5. At this time, the gate 51 of the weighing hopper 5 is in a closed state. Accordingly, the article is stored in the weighing hopper 5. The load cell 12 performs measurement at the timing when the article is stored in the weighing hopper 5 and transmits the measurement result to the control device 8.

  The control device 8 performs a combination calculation based on the weight value of the article associated with each weighing hopper 5. As a result of the combination calculation, several weighing hoppers 5 are selected from the 14 weighing hoppers 5 by the control device 8. When several weighing hoppers 5 are selected, the gates 51 of these weighing hoppers 5 are opened by the control device 8 at a predetermined timing. When the gate 51 is opened, the articles stored in the weighing hopper 5 are released and dropped onto the collective discharge chute 70. In the weighing hopper 5 emptied by the falling of the articles, new articles are sequentially replenished from the pool hopper 4 above the weighing hopper 5.

  As described above, articles having a predetermined weight are collected in the collective discharge chute 70. The articles gathered while sliding down in the collective discharge chute 70 are conveyed to the packaging device 90 at the subsequent stage of the combination weighing device 200.

(3-2) Release Process (3-2-1) Basic Operation Next, the basic operation of the release process of the gate 51 of the weighing hopper 5 will be described in detail.

  The combination weighing device 200 according to the present embodiment is controlled so that one bag of articles is discharged from the collective discharge chute 70 every 750 msec. In other words, as shown in FIG. 14, the combination weighing device 200 performs a combination calculation of an article having a predetermined total weight once every 750 msec. That is, the combination weighing device 100 performs the combination operations CC1 and CC2 twice at 1500 msec.

  Further, the articles (combined articles) related to the combination obtained by one combination calculation are collected by the collective discharge chute 70 at two different timings. Specifically, the articles constituting the combination article (component articles) are classified into two emission groups (a first emission group and a second emission group). The first emission group DG1 is a group (first emission group) that is discharged first out of the two emission groups. The second emission group DG2 is a group that is discharged later (a post-discharge group) out of the two emission groups. In other words, the constituent articles classified into the first discharge group DG1 are discharged from the collective discharge chute 70 prior to the constituent articles classified into the second discharge group DG2. The components classified into each discharge group are gathered by the collective discharge chute 70 in accordance with the discharge signals (first discharge signal DS1 and second discharge signal DS2).

  In the present embodiment, a predetermined time interval (about 50 msec in the present embodiment) is provided from the output of the first discharge signal DS1 to the output of the second discharge signal DS2. The first discharge signal and the second discharge signal are output within 110 msec after the combination calculation is performed. Furthermore, in this embodiment, 640 msec is necessary for the weighing hopper 5 that has dropped the combination article obtained by the first combination calculation CC1 to be a candidate (combination candidate) for the second combination calculation CC2. It shall be (see FIG. 15). That is, after the gate 51 of the weighing hopper 5 is driven and the constituent articles are dropped onto the collective discharge chute 70, it takes 640 msec for a new candidate article to be stored in the weighing hopper 5 and to be weighed by the load cell 12. is there. Here, the candidate article is an article that is a candidate for a constituent article. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 14, 640 msec is provided from the output of the second discharge signal to the output of the first discharge signal for the new combination article.

(3-2-2) Specific Process Flow As shown in FIG. 15, first, in step S41, combination calculation of articles is performed. Specifically, the weights of the articles stored in all the weighing hoppers 5 are measured by the load cell 12, and based on these measured values, combinations of measured values are derived so that the sum is within a desired range. . Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S42.

  In step S42, the constituent articles are classified into two emission groups. As described above, the discharge group is a group based on the timing at which the constituent articles are collected by the collective discharge chute 70 and discharged. That is, the articles constituting the combination article are classified into one of the two emission groups. Specifically, the discharge group calculates a combination of articles having a weight value of 40% to 50% of the total weight of the combined articles among the weighing hoppers 5 that hold the articles constituting the combined articles, and obtains them by calculation. The group of the two configured articles is referred to as a first emission group DG1 and a second emission group DG2, respectively. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S43.

  In step S43, it is determined whether or not a discharge signal (first discharge signal DS1) has been output. In step S43, the process waits until a discharge signal is output. If a discharge signal is output, the process proceeds to step S44.

  In step S44, the gate 51 of the weighing hopper that holds the articles belonging to the first discharge group DG1 is driven to drop the articles. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S45.

  In step S45, it is determined whether or not a discharge signal (second discharge signal DS2) has been output. In step S45, it waits until a discharge signal is output, and when a discharge signal is output, it progresses to step S46.

  In step S46, the holding unit 73 is driven. Specifically, the state of the holding unit 73 is changed from the open state to the closed state. More specifically, the holding unit 73 is driven so that the falling path of the article is blocked. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S47.

  In step S47, the gate 51 of the weighing hopper 5 holding the constituent articles classified in the second discharge group DG2 is driven to drop the constituent articles. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S48.

  In step S48, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time (for example, 50 msec) has elapsed after the gate 51 of the weighing hopper 5 holding the components classified into the second discharge group DG2 is driven. In other words, it is determined whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the article assigned to the second emission group DG2 dropped. In step S48, the process waits until a predetermined time elapses. When the predetermined time elapses, the process proceeds to step S49.

  In step S49, the holding unit 73 is released. Specifically, the state of the holding unit 73 is changed from the closed state to the open state. More specifically, the blocking of the dropping path of the articles is released, and the state of the holding unit 73 is changed so that the articles can fall into the discharge port 71 of the collective discharge chute 70.

(4) Features (4-1)
In the combination weighing device 200 according to the embodiment, the combination article is divided into two discharge groups, and the discharge group discharged from the discharge port 71 of the collective chute 70 at a later timing (the rear discharge group DG2) among the two discharge groups. Is temporarily held by the holding unit 73 before the discharge port 71. Thereby, even if it is a case where the space | interval of a combination calculation is shortened, the reduction | decrease of the number of weighing hoppers used as a candidate at the time of the next combination calculation can be suppressed. As a result, the accuracy of combination weighing can be improved.

  In the combination weighing device 200 according to the above-described embodiment, in order to suppress clogging of articles at the discharge port 71 of the collective discharge chute 70, a combined article obtained by one combination calculation is discharged from the collective discharge chute 70 twice. The discharge is divided into (first discharge group DG1 and second discharge group DG2). Specifically, the timing at which the constituent articles classified into the first discharge group DG1 reach the discharge port 71 of the collective discharge chute 70 and the constituent articles classified into the second discharge group DG2 of the collective discharge chute 70 The drive timing of the gate 51 of the weighing hopper 5 that holds the component belonging to each discharge group is controlled so that the timing to reach the discharge port 71 is shifted. In order to reliably suppress clogging of articles at the discharge port 71, the timing at which articles fall from the weighing hopper 5 related to the first discharge group DG1, and the articles fall from the weighing hopper 5 related to the second discharge group DG2. It is preferable to greatly deviate from the timing of performing. However, the timing at which the constituent articles of the first discharge group DG1 fall and the timing at which the constituent articles of the second discharge group DG2 fall are greatly shifted, and the constituent articles of the second discharge group DG1 are moved to the weighing hopper 5. If a predetermined time (in this embodiment, 640 msec) is secured after falling from the position, the time interval of each combination calculation becomes large.

  In the combination weighing device 200 according to the above embodiment, the component of the second discharge group DG2 is temporarily held by the holding unit 73 before the discharge port 71. That is, even when the timing when the constituent articles of the first discharge group DG1 fall from the weighing hopper 5 is close to the timing when the constituent articles of the second discharge group DG2 fall from the weighing hopper 5, the first The timing at which the constituent articles of the discharge group DG1 and the constituent articles of the second discharge group DG2 reach the discharge port 71 can be greatly shifted. As a result, even when the interval of the combination calculation is shortened, the number of candidate weighing hoppers (combination candidates) can be maintained at the time of the next combination calculation, so that the accuracy of combination weighing can be improved.

(4-2)
In the combination weighing device 200 according to the above embodiment, the holding unit 73 can temporarily hold an article that falls from at least two weighing hoppers 5. Thereby, the articles dropped from the weighing hopper 5 can be effectively stored.

(4-3)
In addition, the holding unit 73 according to the embodiment is a shutter that temporarily closes a path through which an article falls from the weighing hopper. By switching between the open state and the closed state by the shutter, the article is prevented from falling to the discharge port 71. Thereby, articles can be temporarily held without using a complicated configuration.

(5) Modifications One embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the following changes can be considered.

(5-1)
In the combination weighing device 100 according to the above-described embodiment, the first discharge group DG1 is designed to discharge 40% of the total weight of the combined articles, but the weight of the articles according to the first discharge group DG1. The sum of the values is not limited to 40%. What is necessary is just an amount that does not clog the goods at the discharge port 71 of the collective discharge chute 70 when the goods related to each discharge group are discharged.

4 Pool hoppers 5, 5a to 5n Weighing hoppers 7 Collecting discharge chute 8 Control device (control unit / storage unit)
41 Pool Hopper Gate 51 Weighing Hopper Gate 70 Collecting Discharge Chute 71 Discharge Port 73 Holding Unit G1 First Weighing Hopper Group G2 Second Weighing Hopper Group G3 Third Weighing Hopper Group 100 Combination Weighing Machine

JP 2009-91012 A

Claims (6)

A plurality of weighing hoppers having a gate for switching between holding and releasing the article and weighing the article;
A controller that calculates a combination of articles having a predetermined total weight from the articles weighed by the plurality of weighing hoppers;
A discharge chute having a discharge port and discharging the article released from the plurality of weighing hoppers and dropped from the discharge port;
With
The plurality of weighing hoppers are
A first weighing hopper group whose distance to the discharge port is less than a first distance;
A second weighing hopper group in which a distance to the discharge port is not less than the first distance;
Including
The controller is
According to the timing of discharging the articles, classify the articles constituting the combination of the articles into a plurality of discharge groups,
Preferentially assigning the articles held by the first weighing hopper belonging to the first weighing hopper group to a destination discharge group to be discharged at an early timing among the plurality of discharge groups;
Combination weighing device. A storage unit for storing the order of driving the gates so that the articles in the weighing hopper arrive at the discharge port at the same time or close to each other;
The control unit drives and releases the gate of the second weighing hopper belonging to the second weighing hopper group before the gate of the first weighing hopper;
The combination weighing device according to claim 1. The plurality of weighing hoppers include
Average distance from the second weighing hopper to the discharge port in addition to the first weighing hopper belonging to the first weighing hopper group and the second weighing hopper belonging to the second weighing hopper group A third weighing hopper belonging to a third weighing hopper group, which has a longer average distance to the discharge port than
The controller is
Among the weighing hoppers belonging to each of the discharge groups, the gate of the third weighing hopper is driven before the gate of the second weighing hopper, and the gate of the second weighing hopper is Driving before the gate of the first weighing hopper,
The combination weighing device according to claim 2. A plurality of weighing hoppers having a gate for switching between holding and releasing the article and weighing the article;
A controller that calculates a combination of articles having a predetermined total weight from the articles weighed by the plurality of weighing hoppers;
A discharge chute having a discharge port for discharging the article dropped from the plurality of weighing hoppers;
A holding unit for temporarily holding the article dropped from the plurality of weighing hoppers in front of the discharge port;
With
The control unit classifies the articles constituting the combination of the articles into a plurality of discharge groups according to the timing of discharging the articles,
The holding unit temporarily holds the article belonging to a post-discharge group that is discharged at a late timing among the plurality of discharge groups, before the discharge port.
Combination weighing device. The holding unit temporarily holds the article falling from at least two of the plurality of weighing hoppers.
The combination weighing device according to claim 4. The holding unit is a shutter that temporarily blocks a path through which the article falls from the weighing hopper.
The combination weighing device according to claim 5.

Images