JPH0236631Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] The present invention relates to a multi-item weight sorting and sorting device that can simultaneously perform weight sorting and type classification of a wide variety of articles having different weights and shapes.

In a quality inspection process at a manufacturing factory or the like, a standard weight standard is set for each manufactured item, and items that are heavier than the standard value and items that are lighter than the standard value are excluded as defective items. The multi-item weight sorting device that sorts the multiple types of items by weight as described above, which are successively brought in in random order by a conveyor or the like, mainly includes a loading conveyor for carrying in the items,
It consists of a weighing machine equipped with a weighing conveyor for placing items carried in by this carrying-in conveyor, and a sorting machine adjacent to this weighing machine. Also, near the end of the carry-in conveyor, there is a mark (e.g. bar code) on the weighing device for the goods to be carried into the weighing conveyor.
A type detector is provided to detect the type of item based on its shape (for example, height). Then, the weight of the item carried onto the weighing conveyor is measured by the weighing device, and the measured weight value is compared with the reference value of the item specified by the type detector. Then, when the weighed items are carried from the weighing conveyor to an adjacent sorting machine, this sorting machine determines whether the measured weight value is larger or smaller than the reference value based on the comparative judgment. , the above items are selected and excluded.

Only the items whose remaining weight is determined to be the standard amount are conveyed to the next stage of the conveyor line, the type classification device, where the items are classified and sorted by type.

However, the multi-product weight sorting device and product classification device configured in this manner have the following problems.

In other words, since the time at which an item is carried onto the weighing conveyor by the carry-in conveyor is generally irregular, a sensor such as a phototube or a limit switch is provided at a reference position on the weighing conveyor or the carry-in conveyor so that the tip of the article is above the The output value of the weighing device after a certain period of time has elapsed after passing through the reference position is taken as the measured weight value of the item. Similarly, the sorting machine
The item is driven after a predetermined period of time, which is separately determined, has elapsed since the item passed through the reference position.

However, when measuring the weight of an item with a scale, after the tip of the item is placed on the tip of the weighing conveyor, and after the entire item is placed on the weighing conveyor, the output value of the scale is stable and accurate. The time required for this to appear varies depending on the shape, weight, etc. of the item. In the case of an article that is short in the transport direction, the above-mentioned time is short, and conversely, in the case of an article that is long in the transport direction, the above-mentioned time is long. Therefore, in an apparatus in which the above-mentioned time is uniformly set short regardless of the shape of the article, there is a problem that the measured weight value of a long article cannot be accurately determined. Moreover, if the above-mentioned time is set too long, there is a problem that when measuring short items, the entire item comes off the weighing conveyor before the measurement time is reached. As a result, since the weight value of the item cannot be determined accurately, there is a risk that the sorting accuracy of the entire apparatus will be reduced.

In addition, the operating time of the sorting machine is set uniformly regardless of the shape of the item, so for items,
In some cases, external force is forcibly applied when the product is not set in the correct position, and in that case, there is a risk that the product may be damaged, the sorting operation will not be carried out smoothly, and the reliability of the entire device will be reduced. It was hot.

Furthermore, when the products sorted by the multi-product weight sorting device are sorted by type using the product classification device, it is necessary to separately install a product type detector in the product classification device, similar to the above-mentioned multi-product weight sorting device. . In addition, since the items are sorted in two stages: sorting and sorting, there is a problem that not only does the entire device become larger, but also the time required for sorting increases.

The present invention was developed based on these circumstances, and its purpose is to simultaneously sort and classify items, and measure the weight at different times for each type of item. To provide a multi-product weight sorting and sorting device that can miniaturize the entire device, speed up sorting work, improve sorting accuracy, and improve reliability by sorting and sorting items at different sorting and sorting timings. There is a particular thing.

The present invention will be explained below using the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a multi-product weight sorting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes an incoming conveyor for conveying articles 2, and a weighing device 3 is installed adjacent to this incoming conveyor 1 in the conveying direction. This weighing device 3 is provided with a weighing conveyor 4 on which the articles 2 carried in by the carrying-in conveyor 1 are placed. Further, a carry-out conveyor 5 for carrying out the weighed items 2 is installed adjacent to the scale 3, and a multi-stage sorter 6 is installed so as to cover the carry-out conveyor 5. A plurality of sorting conveyors 7a, 7b, 7c, . . . are connected to the output side of this multi-stage sorter 6.
Furthermore, a weighing conveyor 4 is added to the carrying-in conveyor 1.
A product type detector 8 is provided to detect the type of the item 2 from the mark (e.g. barcode), shape (e.g. height), etc. of the item 2 to be carried upward, and the type detector 8 detects the type of the item 2 from the mark (e.g. barcode), shape (e.g. height), etc. A sensor 9, such as a phototube, which is activated when the tip of the article 2 passes is installed at an intermediate position between the article 4 and the article 2.

FIG. 2 shows a control block diagram of the multi-item weight sorting and classification apparatus having the above configuration. Reference numeral 11 in the figure is a CPU (central processing unit) that performs various information processing and controls each device.
(read only memory) 14, RAM (random access memory) 15, arithmetic unit 16, and timer 17 are connected to the control bus 1.
8. Controlled by the CPU 11 via the address bus 19. The I/O 13 also includes an encoding circuit 20 connected to the product type detector 8, a time detector 21 connected to the sensor 9, and an A/D connected to an amplifier 22 for amplifying the output signal of the measuring instrument 3. converter 2
3. A drive circuit 25 of a display 24 that displays the calculation results in the calculation section 16, a drive circuit 26 of the classifier 6, etc. are connected.

The ROM 14 stores fixed data such as a program that sets the operating procedure of this device. In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, the RAM 15 contains information such as N
Each data of the type of article 2 is stored. That is, the reference value Ws of the weight of the item 2, the upper limit value Wa, the lower limit value Wb, the output of the measuring instrument 3 from the reference time which is the time when the item 2 detected by the sensor 9 and the time detector 21 passes the reference position. The signal is transferred to the A/D converter 23
measurement delay time T ₁ , which indicates the time until the time when the
The sorting and sorting delay time T2, which indicates the time from the reference value to the time when the multi-stage sorter 6 operates to sort and sort the articles ₂ , is stored in the order of the number (address) of the articles 2.

The arithmetic unit 16 operates on the A/D according to a command sent from the CPU 11 via the control bus 18.
The weight value of item 2 input from converter 23 is
It compares with the upper limit value Wa and lower limit value Wb in the RAM 15, calculates the difference from the reference value Ws, and displays the difference on the display 24. Further, the timer 17 has a measurement delay time T ₁ and a sorting and classification delay time T ₂ from the reference time.
Measure. The drive circuit 26 includes the CPU 11
After the sorting and sorting delay time T ₂ has elapsed from the reference time, the multi-stage sorting machine 6 is driven to sort based on the judgment of lightness and excess quantity by the arithmetic unit 16 and the classification signal of the product type detector 8. For example, if the determination signal indicates light weight, the item 2 is placed on the sorting conveyor 7a, if it indicates overweight, it is placed on the sorting conveyor 7b, and if it indicates the standard amount, it is further placed on the sorting conveyor 7c specific to the category to which the item 2 belongs. The sorting and classification drive is performed so that the

Next, an explanation will be given of the operation of the multi-item weight sorting and classification apparatus configured as described above. First, when the item 2 is carried in by the carry-in conveyor 1, the type of the item is detected by the type detector 8. This classification signal is converted into a digital code signal determined for each item by the encoding circuit 20 and inputted to the I/O 13.
The CPU 11 uses the code signal input from the I/O 13 to send each data of the item number corresponding to the code signal in the RAM 15 via the address bus 19.
Continuing Wa, Wb, Ws, T ₁ , T ₂ , Wa, Wb,
Send Ws to the calculation unit 16 via the data bus 12,
T ₁ and T ₂ are transferred to the timer 17 via the data bus 10. Next, the tip of item 2 reaches the reference position,
When the sensor 9 is activated, the time detector 21 transmits the trigger pulse at this time, that is, the reference time, to the I/O 13.
Enter. When the above reference time is input, the CPU 11 inputs the measurement delay time previously input to the timer 17.
T ₁ , commands to start measuring the sorting and classification delay time T ₂ .
As shown in FIG.
When the weighing device 3 is placed on the weighing conveyor 4 and moved in the direction of the arrow on the weighing conveyor 4, the output value of the weighing device 3 gradually increases as shown by characteristic A in Figure b, and eventually stabilizes at an accurate weight value. . This output signal is amplified by an amplifier 22 and input to an A/D converter 23. When the timer 17 finishes measuring the measurement delay time T ₁ , the A/D converter 23 converts the above output signal into a digital signal according to a command from the CPU 11 and outputs it to I/O 1.
Enter to 3. The weight value of the item 2 inputted to the I/O 13 is transferred to the calculation unit 16 via the data bus 12, and is compared with the upper limit value Wa and lower limit value Wb that were previously transferred from the RAM 15 in the calculation unit 16. Ru. If it is smaller than the lower limit value Wb, it is determined that the amount is lightweight, if it is between the lower limit value Wb and the upper limit value Wa, it is determined that the amount is the reference amount, and if it is larger than the upper limit value Wa, it is determined that the amount is excessive. Furthermore, the difference between the weight value and the reference value Ws is also calculated. The light weight/overweight judgment signal is sent to the multi-stage classifier 6 via the data bus 12 and I/O 13.
The signal is input to the drive circuit 26 of. On the other hand, the above difference is similarly input to the drive circuit 25 of the display 24 via the data bus 12 and I/O 13, and
will be displayed by lightning.

Furthermore, when the article 2 is moved from the weighing conveyor 4 to the carry-out conveyor 5 and reaches the proper setting position of the multi-stage sorter 6, and the timer 17 finishes measuring the sorting and sorting delay time _T2 , the drive circuit 2
Reference numeral 6 refers to the light weight/excessive determination signal inputted from the calculation unit 16 in response to a command from the CPU 11, and the classification signal inputted from the product type detector 8 via the encoding circuit 20, I/O 13, and data bus 12. Based on this, the multi-stage classifier 6 is driven to sort and classify, as described above. Therefore, if the item 2 is lighter than the lower limit value Wb, it is placed on the sorting conveyor 7a and the upper limit value
If it is heavier than Wa, it is placed on the sorting conveyor 7b. If the value is between the lower limit value Wb and the upper limit value Wa, the item 2 is placed on a specific sorting conveyor of the category to which the item 2 belongs, for example, the sorting conveyor 7c, and is successfully sorted and sorted.

With a multi-product weight sorting and sorting device with this configuration, the measurement delay time T ₁ and the sorting and classification delay time
It is possible to set T ₂ to an optimal value depending on the shape and weight of the article 2. For example, Figure 4a
, No. 1 item 2 has a shape shown by a solid line, and No. 2 item 2a has a longer shape than item 2 shown by a broken line.
When the items 2 and 2a are placed on the weighing conveyor 4 by the carry-in conveyor 1, the items 2 and 2a are placed on the weighing conveyor 4.
The outputs have the A and B characteristics shown in FIG. 4b, respectively. In other words, the No. 1 item 2 has a stable characteristic A at approximately the center position of the weighing conveyor 4, but the No. 2 item 2
Since a is long, characteristic B becomes stable when its tip reaches the end of the weighing conveyor 4. Therefore, in this case, as shown in FIG. 3, the measurement delay time T ₁ of No. 2 item 2a is changed to the measurement delay time T ₁ of No. 1 item 2
If you set it longer, No. 1 and No. 2 items 2,
In both cases 2a, measurement results are obtained in a state where the characteristics are stable. As a result, the weight value of the item is always accurately determined regardless of the shape and weight of the item, so it is possible to improve the sorting speed and accuracy of the entire apparatus.

In addition, when the above-mentioned No. 1 and No. 2 items 2 and 2a are sorted and sorted by the multi-stage sorter 6, the items 2 and 2a are separated from the installation position of the sensor 9, which is the reference position.
The time it takes for the center position of item 2a to arrive at the regular set position of the multi-stage sorter 6 is longer for item 2a than item 2a for item No. 1.
longer than item 2. Therefore, as shown in Figure 3, the sorting and classification delay time T ₂ for the No. 2 item 2a is
If the sorting and classification delay time T 2 for No. 1 item 2 is set longer than the sorting delay time T ₂ , both No. 1 and No. 2 items 2 and 2a can be sorted while being set at the proper setting position of the multi-stage sorter 6. Since the articles are sorted onto the conveyors 7a, 7b, . . . , the articles are smoothly sorted and sorted without being damaged. As a result, the reliability of the entire device can be improved.

Furthermore, even one multi-stage sorter 6 is lightweight,
Since the weight sorting of excess quantities and the classification and sorting of each type are performed at the same time, there is no need for two stages of sorting and sorting as in the past, and the entire device can be made smaller. In addition, it is possible to significantly shorten the sorting work time.

As explained above, according to the present invention, it is possible to carry out weight sorting and sorting of articles at the same time using a single multi-stage sorting machine, so that the entire apparatus can be made smaller and the efficiency of sorting work can be improved. Also,
Since the weight is measured at different timings for each type of item, the accuracy of weight measurement can be improved, and the sorting accuracy of the entire device can be improved. Furthermore, since the multi-stage sorter is driven at different timings for each type of item, the items are sorted in their correct positions, preventing damage to the items.
As a result, it is possible to improve the reliability of the entire device.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a multi-product weight sorting and sorting device according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the same sorting and sorting device, and FIG. 3 is a memory in the storage unit of the same sorting and sorting device. Layout plan, Figure 4a and Figure 4
FIG. b is an explanatory diagram for explaining the effects of the sorting and classification apparatus. 1... Carrying in conveyor, 2... Goods, 3... Weighing device, 4... Weighing conveyor, 5... Outgoing conveyor,
6... Multi-stage sorter, 7a, 7b, 7c... Sorting conveyor, 8... Type detector, 9... Sensor, 11
... CPU, 15 ... RAM (storage section), 16 ... Arithmetic section, 17 ... Timer, 20 ... Encoding circuit, 2
1...Reference time detector, 22...Amplifier, 23...
A/D converter, 24... display, 25... drive circuit, 26... drive circuit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A plurality of types of items are transferred from a carry-in conveyor to a scale equipped with a weighing conveyor, and the weight of the items is measured by the scale, and then the weight of the items is measured according to a reference weight value preset for each type. A multi-item weight sorting and sorting device for classifying articles by type by sorting the articles with a multi-stage sorter, comprising: a type detector for detecting the type of the articles carried in by the carrying conveyor; and a weigher. a reference time detector that detects when the article has passed a reference position near the tip of the conveyor; the quasi-weight, the measurement delay time from the reference time to the time of weight measurement on the scale, and the reference time; a storage unit that stores a sorting and sorting delay time from to the time of sorting and sorting in the multi-stage sorter in correspondence with the type of article; a weight output from the weighing device when the measurement delay time has elapsed from the reference time; weight measuring means for detecting a value signal; reading out the reference weight value stored in the storage unit corresponding to the type detected by the product type detector and comparing it with the detected weight value; a calculation unit that determines whether the weight is light or overweight; based on the determination signal output from the calculation unit and the classification signal output from the product type detector when the sorting and classification delay time has elapsed from the reference time; A multi-item weight sorting and sorting device comprising: a drive circuit that drives a sorting machine to sort and classify articles by type of article and according to their weight.