WO2016208566A1

WO2016208566A1 - Conveyor device, transport device, and weight estimation method

Info

Publication number: WO2016208566A1
Application number: PCT/JP2016/068357
Authority: WO
Inventors: 伊東　一夫; 橘　俊之; 義幸鬮橋; 健司稲谷
Original assignee: 伊東電機株式会社
Priority date: 2015-06-22
Filing date: 2016-06-21
Publication date: 2016-12-29
Also published as: JP6725941B2; JPWO2016208566A1

Abstract

The present invention provides: a conveyor device capable of estimating the weight of a transport object in a small space without using a weight measurement sensor; a transport device; and a weight estimation method. The present invention is provided with a transport path on which a transport object is transported, and transports the transport object using a drive force from a motor. The present invention is configured to perform a weight estimation operation for estimating an estimated weight of a transport object on the basis of: a rotation speed measuring means that measures the rotation speed of the motor or information corresponding to the rotation speed; a current measuring means that measures the motor current; and the motor current value and the motor rotation speed or the information corresponding to the rotation speed at a time when the transport object passes along the transport path.

Description

Conveyor device, transport device, and weight estimation method

The present invention relates to a conveyor device, a transport device, and a weight estimation method for estimating the weight of a transported object being transported.

Conventionally, in industrial facilities such as factories and distribution warehouses, conveyor devices have been used to transport items such as cardboard. In this industrial facility, the place of placement differs depending on the weight of the transported object, and the transported object may be classified by weight and transported to a desired position. In such a case, it is preferable that the conveyor device is provided with a function of automatically detecting the weight of the object being conveyed and conveying it to a desired conveyance place.

Therefore, conventionally, as a measure for automatically measuring the weight of the object being conveyed by the conveyor device, there is a measure for providing a sensor for measuring the weight in the middle of the conveyor device.
However, the sensor for measuring the weight is expensive, and a system for performing control is also required.

Therefore, in recent years, a method for measuring the weight of a conveyed product without using a sensor for weight measurement has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1).
The conveyor apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes two zone conveyors driven by a motor, and rotates the motors of the two zone conveyors at different rotational speeds at a constant speed. Then, the rotational speed of the motor generated when the transported object is transported between the two zone conveyors is measured, and the variation of the low frequency component of the rotational speed is extracted by performing Fourier transform or the like. The weight is detected based on the fluctuation of the extracted low frequency component of the rotational speed.

International Publication No. 2013/191217

However, in the conveyor apparatus described in Patent Document 1, two or more zone conveyors driven by motors are necessary to detect the weight of a conveyed product, and there is a problem that two motors must be provided for measurement. . Therefore, in order to detect the weight of the conveyed product, a space in which two or more zone conveyors are arranged in series is required, and there is room for further improvement from the viewpoint of compactness and cost reduction.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a conveyor device, a transport device, and a weight estimation method that can estimate the weight of a transported object in a small space without using a sensor for weight measurement.

One aspect of the present invention for solving the above problems is a conveyor apparatus that includes a conveyance path for conveying a conveyance object and conveys the conveyance object by a driving force of a motor, and the rotation speed or rotation speed of the motor. Rotational speed measuring means for measuring information corresponding to the current and current measuring means for measuring the current of the motor, and information corresponding to the rotational speed or rotational speed of the motor when the conveyed product passes through the transport path. And a current estimation value of the motor to perform a weight estimation operation for estimating an estimated weight of the conveyed product.

Here, “information corresponding to the rotational speed of the motor” is information corresponding to the rotational speed of the motor on a one-to-one basis. For example, when the motor and the roller rotate together, the rotation speed of the roller corresponds to “information corresponding to the rotation speed of the motor”. Further, when the roller connected to the motor is connected to another free roller, the rotation speed of the free roller also corresponds to “information corresponding to the rotation speed of the motor”.

According to this aspect, the weight estimation operation for estimating the estimated weight of the conveyed object is performed based on the motor rotation speed or the information corresponding to the rotation speed when the conveyed object passes the conveyance path and the current value of the motor. Therefore, the weight of the conveyed product can be estimated without using a sensor for weight measurement.
In addition, according to this aspect, since the weight of the transported object is estimated based on the rotational speed of the single motor or the information corresponding to the rotational speed and the current value of the motor, only the transport area driven by the single motor is used. Thus, the weight estimation of the conveyed product can be completed, and the size can be reduced as compared with the conventional case.

A preferable aspect is that the transport path is inclined upward or downward in the transport direction of the transported object.

According to this aspect, since the gravity applied to the conveyed product can be separated into a vertical component and a horizontal component with respect to the inclination direction of the conveyance path, the horizontal component of the weight of the conveyed product is determined by the rotational speed or rotational speed of the motor. Reflected in the corresponding information and the current value of the motor, the weight of the conveyed product can be accurately estimated.

It is preferable that the weight estimation operation is performed by driving the motor from a state where the rotation of the motor is stopped.

According to this aspect, since the motor is driven from the state where the rotation of the motor is stopped, it is easy to measure the rotation speed of the motor or the information corresponding to the rotation speed and the change in the motor current value. Therefore, it is easy to extract a component due to the weight of the conveyed product, and it is easy to estimate the weight.

A preferable aspect is that in the weight estimation operation, the transported object is moved a predetermined distance, and the rotational speed of the motor or the average value of information corresponding to the rotational speed when moving the predetermined distance, And estimating the estimated weight of the transported object based on the integrated value of the current amount.

According to this aspect, since the weight of the conveyed product is estimated according to the rotational speed or the information corresponding to the rotational speed and the transition of the current amount to the motor, the weight of the conveyed product can be estimated more accurately.

A preferred aspect includes a pair of rollers and a belt member that suspends between the pair of rollers, and one of the pair of rollers is driven by the motor, and is disposed on the belt member. When the conveyed product is placed and the motor rotates, the one roller rotates, and the conveyed product moves together with the belt member.

The conveyor device of this aspect is a belt conveyor provided with a pair of rollers and a belt member that suspends the rollers, and the conveyed product is placed on the belt member, and the belt member moves by the driving force of the motor. Is conveyed. Therefore, compared with the case where the transported object is placed directly on the roller and transported, the transported object does not slip with respect to the roller, and the weight of the transported object corresponds to the rotational speed or the rotational speed of the motor and the motor current. It is easy to be reflected in the value. Therefore, the weight of the conveyed product can be estimated more accurately.

A preferable aspect is that the motor is transported by alternately decelerating and accelerating the motor a plurality of times, and the motor rotates every time the transported object is decelerated and then decelerated again. Measure the information corresponding to the speed or the rotational speed and the current value of the motor, respectively, calculate the expected weight of the transported object from the information corresponding to the rotational speed or the rotational speed of the motor and the current value of the motor, respectively. An average value of expected weights for each movement of the transported object from deceleration of the motor to deceleration again is calculated to estimate the estimated weight of the transported object.

According to this aspect, the expected weight based on the motor rotation speed or the information corresponding to the rotation speed and the motor current value for each movement of the transported object from the deceleration of the motor to the deceleration again is calculated and calculated. Since the average value of the predicted weights is estimated as the estimated weight of the conveyed product, the weight of the conveyed product can be estimated with higher accuracy.

A preferred aspect is that the motor is transported by alternately decelerating and accelerating a plurality of times, and the average value of the expected weights calculated by any one of the following (A) to (D) is It is to estimate the estimated weight of the conveyed product.
(A) Measure the information corresponding to the rotational speed or rotational speed of the motor and the current value of the motor for each movement of the conveyed object from the acceleration of the motor to the deceleration, and the rotational speed of the motor or Calculate the expected weight of the transported object from the information corresponding to the rotation speed and the current value of the motor, and calculate the average value of the expected weight for each movement of the transported object from acceleration to deceleration of the motor. To do.
(B) Each time the transported object moves from the deceleration of the motor to the acceleration, information corresponding to the rotational speed or rotational speed of the motor and the current value of the motor are measured, and the rotational speed of the motor or Calculate the expected weight of the transported object from the information corresponding to the rotation speed and the current value of the motor, and further calculate the average value of the expected weight for each movement of the transported object from the deceleration of the motor to the acceleration. To do.
(C) Measure the rotation speed or rotation speed information of the motor and the current value of the motor for each movement of the transported object from the acceleration of the motor to the acceleration again, and the rotation speed of the motor. Alternatively, the expected weight of the conveyed product is calculated from the information corresponding to the rotation speed and the current value of the motor, respectively, and the average value of the expected weight for each movement of the conveyed product from the acceleration of the motor to the acceleration again. Is calculated.
(D) Each time the transported object is decelerated after decelerating the motor, information corresponding to the rotational speed or rotational speed of the motor and the current value of the motor are measured, and the rotational speed of the motor is measured. Alternatively, the expected weight of the conveyed product is calculated from the information corresponding to the rotational speed and the current value of the motor, respectively, and the average value of the estimated weight for each movement of the conveyed product from the deceleration of the motor to the deceleration again. Is calculated.

According to this aspect, the weight of the conveyed product can be estimated more accurately.

A more preferable aspect is that the motor is transported by stopping and driving the motor a plurality of times, and the rotational speed of the motor or Measure the information corresponding to the rotational speed and the current value of the motor, respectively, calculate the expected weight of the conveyed product from the rotational speed or the information corresponding to the rotational speed of the motor and the current value of the motor, respectively, Calculating an average value of expected weights for each movement of the conveyed product from driving to stopping to estimate the estimated weight of the conveyed product.

According to this aspect, the weight of the conveyed product can be estimated with higher accuracy.

In a preferred aspect, the weight estimation operation is to calculate an estimated weight of the transported object using the following mathematical formula (1).

Mx is the expected weight, I is the current value, v is the rotational speed, and c1, c2, and c3 are coefficients.

According to this aspect, since the estimated weight of the conveyed product is calculated using the mathematical expression (1), the estimated weight of the conveyed object can be calculated without using a complicated mathematical expression such as Fourier transform.

A preferable aspect is to drive the motor in a state where the transported object does not pass through the transport path, acquire information corresponding to the rotational speed or rotational speed of the motor and the current value of the motor, and acquire the acquired The estimated weight is corrected using the rotational speed of the motor or information corresponding to the rotational speed and the current value of the motor.

According to this aspect, the estimated weight estimated by the weight estimation operation is corrected using the rotation speed or information corresponding to the rotation speed of the motor and the current value of the motor in a state where the conveyed product is not being conveyed. Yes. Therefore, a more accurate estimated weight can be calculated.

A preferred aspect is to correct the estimated weight by using the dimensions of the conveyed product.

According to this aspect, the estimated weight estimated by the weight estimation operation is corrected using at least one of the vertical, horizontal, and height of the conveyed object. That is, according to this aspect, the estimated weight can be corrected in accordance with the size of the conveyed product, and a more accurate estimated weight can be calculated.

One aspect of the present invention is a transfer device that forms a transfer flow path for transferring a transfer object by connecting the transfer path of the conveyor device of the above-described aspect and the transfer path of another conveyor device in series.

According to this aspect, since the weight of the transported object can be estimated in a part of the transport path of the transport channel, the transported object can be more easily sorted by weight.

One aspect of the present invention is a weight estimation method for estimating the weight of a transported object placed on a conveyor device, wherein the transport is inclined upward or downward in the transport direction of the transported object by driving a motor. The transported object is passed through a path, and the estimated weight of the transported object is calculated based on information corresponding to the rotational speed or rotational speed of the motor when the transported object passes through the transporting path and the current value of the motor. This is a weight estimation method for performing a weight estimation operation to be estimated.

According to this aspect, the weight of the conveyed product can be estimated without using a sensor for weight measurement.

According to the present invention, the weight of the transported object can be estimated in a small space without using a sensor for weight measurement, and the weight can be estimated at a lower cost than in the past.

It is the perspective view which showed typically the conveying apparatus of 1st embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of the zone conveyor of FIG. It is a conceptual diagram showing the connection relation of the conveying apparatus of FIG. It is a cross-sectional perspective view of the zone conveyor of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the drive roller of FIG. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the relationship between the zone controller of FIG. 2, a drive motor, and an approach sensor. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the weight detection apparatus of FIG. It is explanatory drawing which shows operation | movement of the rotational speed calculation program of the weight detection apparatus of FIG. It is explanatory drawing showing the positional relationship of each zone conveyor of FIG. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a weight estimation operation of the first embodiment of the present invention, wherein (a) to (d) show the passage of time. It is explanatory drawing showing the weight estimation operation | movement of 1st Embodiment of this invention, (a), (b) shows each time passage. It is a flowchart showing the weight estimation operation | movement of 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart showing the weight estimation operation | movement of 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows operation | movement of the rotational speed calculation program of other embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, the transport apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described.

The conveyance device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention is a conveyance device for conveying a conveyance object 100 such as cardboard. As shown in FIG. 1, the transport device 1 constitutes a continuous transport channel 4 in which

transport paths

3 a, 3 b, 3 c of a plurality of

zone conveyors

2 a, 2 b, 2 c are connected.
And the conveying apparatus 1 of this embodiment uses the one zone conveyor 2b (henceforth the measurement zone conveyor 2b) (conveyor apparatus) among

several zone conveyors

2a, 2b, 2c, and the conveyed product 100 It is possible to carry out a weight estimation operation for estimating the weight of this, and this is one of the main features.
Therefore, prior to the description of the weight estimation operation that is one of the features of the present invention, the basic configuration of the transport apparatus 1 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, the transport device 1 includes a plurality of

zone conveyors

2a, 2b, and 2c arranged in series, and a single transport channel 4 is formed by each of the

zone conveyors

2a, 2b, and 2c. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a weight estimation device 5 is connected to the measurement zone conveyor 2b used for the weight estimation operation.

Hereinafter, the structure of each

zone conveyor

2a, 2b, 2c will be described. First, the measurement zone conveyor 2b which is a characteristic part of the present invention will be described.

The measurement zone conveyor 2b constitutes a part of the transport flow path 4 of the transport apparatus 1, and is specifically a belt conveyor.
As can be seen from FIGS. 2 to 4, the measurement zone conveyor 2b mainly includes a driving roller 6, driven rollers 7, roller members 8a to 8e, a stretch belt 10 (belt member), and

ingress sensors

11 and 12. And side frames 15 and 16, a tension adjusting mechanism 17, and a weight estimation device 5.

The driving roller 6 is a roller that rotates by the driving force of the driving motor 21. Specifically, the driving roller 6 is a motor built-in roller.
As shown in FIG. 5, the drive roller 6 includes a drive motor 21 and a speed reducer 22 built in the roller body 20, and the roller body 20 rotates as the drive motor 21 rotates. To do.
The drive motor 21 of the present embodiment is a brushless motor, and as shown in FIG. 6, a rotor 25 having a permanent magnet and three systems of stator coils (U, V, W) surrounding the rotor 25. have. The drive motor 21 has three Hall elements P, G, and O (rotational speed measuring means) that detect the position of the rotor 25.

The driven roller 7 is a roller that is paired with the driving roller 6 and is a free roller that rotates following the rotation of the driving roller 6.

The roller members 8a to 8e are members that support the conveyed product 100. The roller members 8a to 8e are composed of a shaft portion and a roller portion, and the roller portion is rotatable via the shaft portion.

The stretch belt 10 is a belt constituting the conveyance path 3b, is a belt that suspends between the

rollers

6 and 7 and interlocks the rotation of the driving roller 6 with the driven roller 7. The stretch belt 10 is an endless continuous belt that extends in a belt shape, and on which the conveyed product 100 is placed during conveyance.

Entry sensors

11 and 12 are sensors that detect whether the conveyed product 100 has entered a predetermined position. Moreover, the

approach sensors

11 and 12 are also present sensors which judge whether the conveyed product 100 was mounted in the zone conveyor 2b for a measurement.

The

ingress sensors

11 and 12 are specifically photoelectric sensors, and include light emitting elements such as light emitting diodes and infrared diodes.
That is, when the transported object 100 is transported between the

approach sensors

11 and 11 facing each other across the transport path 3b, the light from the light emitting element is blocked and an on (H level) signal is output. When the conveyed product 100 does not exist between 11, an off (L level) signal is output.
Similarly, when the transported object 100 is transported between the

approach sensors

12 and 12 facing each other across the transport path 3b, the light from the light emitting element is blocked and an on (H level) signal is output. , 12, an off (L level) signal is output when there is no conveyed product 100 between them.
Thus, the

ingress sensors

11 and 12 can detect that the photoelectric sensor is turned on / off and the conveyed product 100 is conveyed to a predetermined position.

The side frames 15 and 16 are a pair of frames that support the drive roller 6, the driven roller 7, and the roller members 8a to 8e in a rotatable manner.
A zone controller 26 is attached to one side frame 15 of the pair of side frames 15 and 16 as shown in FIG.

The zone controller 26 performs drive control of the drive motor 21 built in the drive roller 6 shown in FIG.
The zone controller 26 has a function of smoothly rotating the drive motor 21, a function of maintaining the rotation speed of the drive motor 21 at a constant level, and a function of starting and stopping the drive motor 21.
Specifically, the zone controller 26 sequentially energizes the stator coils (U, V, W) in accordance with the position (rotational posture) of the rotor 25 shown in FIG. The child 25 can be smoothly rotated. That is, the zone controller 26 has a function of smoothly rotating the drive motor 21.

Further, the zone controller 26 has a function of feeding back the rotational speed of the driving motor 21 and a PWM control function, and can keep the rotational speed of the driving motor 21 constant. That is, the zone controller 26 monitors the rotational speed of the drive motor 21 by counting signals output from the Hall elements P, G, and O of the drive motor 21 shown in FIG. Therefore, in the zone controller 26, the rotational speed of the driving motor 21 is fed back by the hall elements P, G, and O. In the zone controller 26, the voltage input to the stator coils (U, V, W) is changed according to the difference between the control target rotation speed and the actual rotation speed of the drive motor 21.

As shown in FIG. 6, the zone controller 26 includes a motor drive circuit unit 27 (current measuring unit), a hall element signal input unit 28, a sensor signal input unit 29, a signal input / output unit 30, and a control unit 31. ing.
The motor drive circuit unit 27 is a switching circuit for sequentially energizing the stator coils (U, V, W) of the drive motor 21. The motor drive circuit unit 27 is provided with a voltmeter or ammeter (not shown) and can measure the amount of current supplied to the drive motor 21.
The hall element signal input unit 28 is a part to which signals from the hall elements P, G, and O of the driving motor 21 are input.
The sensor signal input unit 29 is a part to which signals from the

ingress sensors

11 and 12 are input.
The signal input / output unit 30 is a circuit for communicating with the

zone controllers

26a and 26c (see FIG. 3) of other

adjacent zone conveyors

2a and 2c.
The control unit 31 mainly includes a CPU and a memory, and mainly performs PWM control of the drive motor 21 and rotation speed calculation.

In addition, the zone controller 26 has a built-in program corresponding to various transport modes, and starts and stops the drive motor 21 according to the transport mode.
For example, when the conveyed product 100 exists in the upstream zone conveyor 2c and the conveyed product 100 does not exist in its own zone conveyor 2b, its own drive motor 21 is activated. Further, for example, the self-driving motor 21 is stopped on the condition that the conveyed product 100 is unloaded from the self-zone conveyor 2b. Although there are various types of transfer modes, detailed description is omitted.

The tension adjusting mechanism 17 automatically keeps the tension of the stretch belt 10 constant as can be seen from FIG. The tension adjusting mechanism 17 includes a known take-up mechanism.

As shown in FIG. 7, the weight estimation device 5 includes a Hall element signal input circuit 35, a pulse generation circuit 36, and a calculation device 37.
The hall element signal input circuit 35 is a circuit that receives signals from the hall elements P, G, and O of the drive motor 21.
The pulse generation circuit 36 is a circuit that generates a pulse signal from detection signals from the Hall elements P, G, and O.
The calculation device 37 includes a CPU, a memory, and a hard disk, and stores a rotation speed calculation program 38, a current calculation program 39, and a weight calculation program 40.

The rotation speed calculation program 38 calculates the rotation speed of the drive motor 21 based on the signals of the Hall elements P, G, and O input from the Hall element signal input circuit 35.
This rotational speed calculation program 38 is separate from the above-described rotational speed calculation method of the zone controller 26b, and the system is also different. That is, the rotation speed calculation program 38 detects the time interval of the position detection signals of the hall elements P, G, O, and calculates the rotation speed of the drive motor 21 based on the time interval.
Specifically, the time interval of the position detection signal is the interval of the detection signal generated by the same pole of the rotor 25. In this embodiment, since the rotor 25 has four poles, the time interval for four detection signals is measured according to the number of poles.

More specifically, in the driving motor 21 of the present embodiment, as described above, the rotor 25 is a permanent magnet and includes two poles of N and S, respectively. Therefore, when the rotor 25 rotates once, the N pole and the S pole pass through the vicinity of each Hall element P, G, O twice. Therefore, when the rotor 25 rotates once, an electromotive force is generated twice from each Hall element P, G, O.
The weight estimation device 5 inputs this electromotive force into the Hall element signal input circuit 35 and converts it into a pulse signal by the pulse generation circuit 36.

In the rotational speed calculation program 38, the number of pulses per predetermined time is detected using the rise and fall times of the pulse signals derived from the signals of the hall elements P, G, and O as reference points, and the rotation of the drive motor 21 is detected. Calculate the number and average rotational speed.
More specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, the synthesized signal is created by treating the pulse signals derived from the signals of the Hall elements P, G, and O as the reference and treating them equally. Then, the number of pulses per fixed time is counted, and the rotation number and average rotation speed of the drive motor 21 are calculated.

The current calculation program 39 is a program that monitors the fluctuation of the current value to the driving motor 21 and calculates the integration of the current value in the driving time from the fluctuation of the current value.

The weight calculation program 40 is a program for performing a weight calculation for calculating the estimated weight of the conveyed product 100 from the average rotation speed of the drive motor 21 and the integrated value of the current value to the drive motor 21.

As shown in FIG. 7, a display device 34 is connected to the weight estimation device 5.
Specifically, the display device 34 is a monitor and can display the estimated weight of the transported object 100 estimated by the program.

The

zone conveyors

2a and 2c constitute a part of the transport flow path 4 of the transport apparatus 1, and are known roller conveyors. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the

zone conveyors

2 a and 2 c include a plurality of conveying rollers 45 that convey the conveyed product 100 between a pair of left and right side frames 15 and 16 arranged in parallel at predetermined intervals in the conveying direction. It was supported by
Similar to the zone conveyor 2b, the transport roller 45 includes a drive roller 46 provided with a drive motor 21 and a driven roller 47 that freely rotates.
In the

zone conveyors

2 a and 2 c, the conveyance rollers 45 adjacent in the conveyance direction are wound around the transmission belt 48. Therefore, the rotational driving force of the driving roller 46 can be transmitted to all the driven rollers 47.
Moreover, the

zone conveyors

2a and 2c are provided with the

approach sensors

11 and 12 and the zone controller 26 (26a and 26c) like the said zone conveyor 2b for a measurement so that FIG. 1, FIG. 3 can read.

Subsequently, the positional relationship of each member of the transport apparatus 1 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, the transport apparatus 1 forms a transport flow path 4 in which

transport paths

3 a, 3 b, 3 c of a plurality of

zone conveyors

2 a, 2 b, 2 c are aligned on a straight line.
In each of the

zone conveyors

2a, 2b, 2c,..., A pair of side frames 15 and 16 are arranged in parallel with a predetermined interval across the conveyance path 3. The side frames 15 and 16 support the driving roller 6, the driven roller 7, and the roller members 8a to 8e with a predetermined interval in the transport direction.
Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the stretch belt 10 is surrounded endlessly around the drive roller 6 and the driven roller 7, and a part of the stretch belt 10 is connected to the tension adjusting mechanism 17. . That is, the drive roller 6 and the driven roller 7 are connected by the stretch belt 10, and the driven roller 7 can also rotate in conjunction with the rotation of the drive roller 6.
The drive roller 6 is located downstream of the driven roller 7 in the flow direction of the conveyed product 100. In the present embodiment, the driving roller 6 is located on the most downstream side in the flow direction of the conveyed product 100 among the

rollers

6 and 7 and the roller members 8a to 8e.

The

ingress sensors

11 and 12 are provided on the side frames 15 and 16 as shown in FIG. The

approach sensors

11 and 12 are separated in the transport direction of the transport object 100. Specifically, the position of one of the entry sensors 11 is provided in the vicinity of the upstream end of the side frames 15 and 16 in the conveyance direction of the conveyed product 100, and the position of the other entry sensor 12 is the position of the side frame 15. , 16 is provided in the vicinity of the downstream end of the transported object 100 in the transport direction. More specifically, one approach sensor 11 is provided in the vicinity of the driven roller 7 in the transport direction of the transported object 100, and the other approach sensor 12 is provided in the vicinity of the drive roller 6.

The transport surface 18a of the zone conveyor 2a located on the downstream side of the measurement zone conveyor 2b and the transport surface 18c of the zone conveyor 2c located on the upstream side are both horizontal as shown in FIG. A height difference is formed between the conveyance surface 18a of the downstream zone conveyor 2a and the conveyance surface 18c of the zone conveyor 2c located on the upstream side.
Specifically, the conveyance surface 18a of the downstream zone conveyor 2a is slightly higher than the conveyance surface 18c of the upstream zone conveyor 2c.
The “transport surface” here refers to a portion on which the transported object 100 is placed. For example, in the case of the measurement zone conveyor 2b, it is a portion above the driving roller 6 and the driven roller 7 and a portion where the driving roller 6 and the driven roller 7 of the stretch belt 10 are suspended. Further, for example, in the case of the

zone conveyors

2a and 2c, it means a virtual plane connecting the apexes of the adjacent transport rollers 45.

The conveyance surface 18b of the measurement zone conveyor 2b to which the weight estimation device 5 is connected is formed so as to connect the conveyance surfaces 18a and 18c of the

zone conveyors

2a and 2c adjacent to the downstream side and the upstream side. It inclines with respect to the conveyance surfaces 18a and 18c of 2a and 2c.
Specifically, the conveyance surface 18 b of the zone conveyor 2 b is inclined upward from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the conveyed product 100. The inclination angle θ of the conveying surface 18b with respect to the horizontal plane shown in FIG. 9 is preferably 0 or more and 8 degrees or less, more preferably greater than 0 degrees and less than 5 degrees, and 0.5 degrees to 1.5 degrees. More preferably. If it is such a range, the weight estimation mentioned later can be performed correctly, suppressing the load to the driving roller 6. In addition, the layout can be easily designed while preventing the conveyed object 100 from slipping.

The

zone controllers

26a, 26b provided in the

adjacent zone conveyors

2a, 2b are connected by signal lines as shown in FIG. The

zone controllers

26b and 26c provided in the

adjacent zone conveyors

2b and 2c are also connected by a signal line. That is, the zone controller 26a of the zone conveyor 2a is connected to the zone controller 26c of the zone conveyor 2c via the zone controller 26b of the zone conveyor 2b, and can communicate with each other.

Further, the zone controller 26b provided in the measurement zone conveyor 2b is connected to the weight estimation device 5 through a signal line as shown in FIG.
Specifically, the weight estimation device 5 is connected to the driving roller 6 and the zone controller 26b (or an input signal line connected to the zone controller 26b) of the measurement zone conveyor 2b. It is possible to estimate the weight of the object 100 being conveyed from the information on the members.

Subsequently, a weight estimation operation (weight estimation method) in the transport device 1 of the present embodiment will be described.

First, the movement operation of the conveyed product 100 when performing the weight estimation operation will be described. In addition, since the said weight estimation operation | movement is performed using the zone conveyor 2b for a measurement, it demonstrates from the state in which the conveyed product 100 was mounted on the conveyance surface 18c of the zone conveyor 2c of an upstream.

When the conveyed product 100 reaches the ingress sensor 12 of the zone conveyor 2c, the driving motor 21 of the zone conveyor 2b is driven to rotate the

rollers

6 and 7, and the measurement zone conveyor 2b from the conveying surface 18c of the zone conveyor 2c. The transported object 100 is drawn into the transport surface 18b. When the conveyed product 100 reaches the ingress sensor 11 of the measurement zone conveyor 2b, a weight estimation operation is performed.

In the weight estimation operation of the present embodiment, the measurement operation for calculating the expected weight Mx of the conveyed product 100 is performed a plurality of times while the conveyed product 100 is placed on the conveying surface 18b of the measurement zone conveyor 2b.
Specifically, in this measurement operation, when the conveyed product 100 reaches the entrance sensor 11 of the measurement zone conveyor 2b as shown in FIG. 10A, the drive motor 21 is stopped and the measurement zone conveyor 2b is driven. The rotation of the roller 6 is stopped. That is, as shown in FIG. 10B, the rotation of the driving roller 6 is decelerated and the movement of the conveyed product 100 is stopped.
When the movement of the conveyed product 100 is stopped, the driving motor 21 is driven again, and the driving roller 6 rotates so that the conveyed product 100 moves by a predetermined distance (area X1) as shown in FIG. Accelerate. More specifically, the driving motor 21 is rotated so as to rotate at a predetermined rotational speed by a predetermined rotational speed, and one measurement operation is completed.
The actual rotation speed at this time and the current value used for the drive motor 21 are monitored, and the average rotation speed and the integrated value of the current value when the conveyed product 100 moves a predetermined distance (area X1) are calculated. . Then, the predicted weight M1 is calculated from the calculated average rotational speed and the integrated value of the current values using the following mathematical formula (1).

When the transported object 100 moves a predetermined distance (area X1) as shown in FIG. 10D and the measurement operation is completed, the next measurement operation is performed. That is, the drive motor 21 is stopped again, and the rotation of the drive roller 6 of the measurement zone conveyor 2b is stopped. In other words, the rotation of the driving roller 6 is decelerated and the movement of the conveyed product 100 is stopped.
Similarly to the above, when the movement of the conveyed product 100 is stopped, the driving motor 21 is driven again, and the driving roller is moved so that the conveyed product 100 moves by a predetermined distance (area X2) as shown in FIG. 6 is rotated, and the drive motor 21 is rotated at a predetermined rotational speed so as to rotate at a predetermined rotational speed. That is, the conveyance object 100 is moved by accelerating the rotation of the driving roller 6.
The rotational speed at this time and the current value used for the rotation of the drive motor 21 are monitored, and the average rotational speed and the integrated value of the current value when the conveyed product 100 moves a predetermined distance (area X2) are calculated. . Then, the predicted weight M2 is calculated from the calculated average rotation speed and the integrated value of the current values using the above mathematical formula (1).
When the transported object 100 moves a predetermined distance (area X2) as shown in FIG. 11B and the measurement operation ends, the next measurement operation is performed.

In this way, the above measurement operation is repeated, and when the predetermined number of times n is reached, the drive motor 21 is driven to rotate the drive roller 6 and the conveyed product 100 is sent to the zone conveyor 2a on the downstream side.
At this time, the average value Mav of the predicted weights M1, M2,..., Mn using the predicted weights M1, M2,. Is calculated as the estimated weight.
Note that n is preferably 1 to 10.

Subsequently, the above-described series of flows will be described more specifically with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In the weight estimation operation of the present embodiment, as described above, the conveyed product 100 is conveyed from the upstream measurement zone conveyor 2c, and when the upstream approach sensor 11 detects the passage of the conveyed product 100 (Yes in STEP.01). ), The drive of the drive motor 21 is stopped (STEP.02), and the counter is reset (STEP.03). Then, the drive motor 21 is driven again (STEP.04), and measurement of the current value and rotation speed of the drive motor 21 is started (STEP.05).
Subsequently, it is confirmed whether or not the vehicle has passed the downstream entry sensor 12 (STEP.06). If the vehicle has not passed the entry sensor 12 (No in STEP.06), the pulse of the drive motor 21 becomes the set value. It is confirmed whether it has reached (STEP.07).
When the pulse of the driving motor 21 reaches a set value (for example, 50 to 200 pulses) (Yes in STEP.07), the transported object 100 has moved a predetermined distance, so the driving motor 21 is stopped. (STEP.08), measurement of the current value and rotation speed of the drive motor 21 is also completed (STEP.09).
When the pulse of the drive motor 21 has not reached the set value (No in STEP.07), STEP. Return to 06.

The integrated value of the current value of the drive motor 21 and the average value of the rotation speed from when the drive motor 21 is driven until the pulse of the drive motor 21 reaches the set value are calculated (STEP. 10). . The estimated weight Mx of the conveyed product 100 is calculated and stored from the calculated integrated value of the current value of the drive motor 21 and the average value of the rotational speed using the above formula (1) (STEP.11, STEP.12). 1 is added to the counter (STEP.13). Then, it is confirmed whether the counter has reached the predetermined number n (STEP. 14). If the counter number has not reached the predetermined number n (No in STEP. 14), STEP. Returning to 04, the drive motor 21 is driven again (STEP.04).

On the other hand, STEP. 14, when the number of counters reaches the predetermined number n (Yes in STEP.14), the average value Mav of the predicted weight Mx stored in the above operation is calculated to calculate the estimated weight (STEP.19), The counter number is reset (STEP 20).

Also, STEP. In 06, when the approach sensor 12 detects the transported object 100 (Yes in STEP.06), the transported object 100 flows to the vicinity of the downstream end of the measurement zone conveyor 2b. The measurement of the current value and the rotation speed is finished (STEP. 15), and the latest STEP. In 05, the integrated value of the current value of the driving motor 21 and the average value of the rotating speed from the start of the measurement of the current value and the rotating speed of the driving motor 21 to the end thereof are calculated (STEP.16). The expected weight Mx of the conveyed product 100 is calculated from the integrated value of the calculated current value of the driving motor 21 and the average value of the rotational speed using the above formula (1) (STEP. 17), and the The expected weight Mx is stored (STEP.18). Move to 19.

As described above, according to the transport device 1 of the present embodiment, the weight of the transport object 100 can be automatically estimated in accordance with the transport of the transport object 100.

According to the transport device 1 of the present embodiment, the weight of the transported object 100 being transported is estimated by calculation processing, and therefore the approximate weight of the transported object 100 can be estimated without using an expensive sensor for weight measurement. .

According to the transport device 1 of the present embodiment, the weight of the transported object 100 can be estimated by the measurement zone conveyor 2b of one section. Therefore, the weight of the conveyed product 100 can be estimated in a space-saving manner.

According to the transport device 1 of the present embodiment, the weight of the transport object 100 can be estimated from the average rotational speed of the drive motor 21 and the amount of current accumulated in the drive motor 21 when transporting the transport object 100. Therefore, a complicated calculation formula such as Fourier transform is unnecessary, and the introduction cost of the program itself can be suppressed.

According to the transport apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the measurement zone conveyor 2b includes the tension adjusting mechanism 17 that automatically adjusts the tension of the stretch belt 10, so that the stretch belt 10 is always transported with a constant tension. 100 can be transported. Therefore, the estimated weight of the conveyed product 100 can be made closer to the actually measured value.

According to the transport device 1 of the present embodiment, since the measurement zone conveyor 2b is a belt conveyor, slip is less likely to occur between the transport surface 18b and the transported object 100 than in the case of a roller conveyor. Therefore, the weight of the conveyed product 100 can be estimated more accurately than when a roller conveyor is used.

The transport apparatus 1 of the present embodiment can also correct the estimated weight calculated by the weight estimation operation in order to make the estimated weight closer to the weight of the transported object 100.
For example, before carrying out the weight estimation operation, the driving motor 21 of the measurement zone conveyor 2b is driven for a predetermined time in a state where the conveyed product 100 is not placed in advance, and the rotational speed and current value of the driving motor 21 during that time And the estimated weight can be corrected using the measured value. That is, the driving roller 6 is rotated in an unloaded state, the rotational speed and current value of the driving motor 21 during that time are measured, and the estimated weight can be corrected using the measured values.
Further, for example, the estimated weight can be corrected based on the size of the transported object 100 by transporting the transported object 100 whose dimensions are known in advance or installing a dimension measuring means on the upstream side of the measurement zone conveyor 2b. Specifically, the bottom area and the accumulation can be calculated from the dimensions of the conveyed product 100, and the estimated weight can be corrected according to the dimensions of the conveyed object 100.

Subsequently, a transport apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In addition, about the structure similar to the conveying apparatus 1 of 1st Embodiment, the same number is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted.

The transport device according to the second embodiment of the present invention differs from the transport device 1 according to the first embodiment in weight estimation operation.

In the weight estimation operation of the second embodiment, the rotational speed of the drive motor 21 is alternately accelerated and decelerated a plurality of times to estimate the weight of the conveyed product 100.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13, when the conveyed product 100 is conveyed from the upstream zone conveyor 2c and the upstream approach sensor 11 detects the passage of the conveyed product 100 (Yes in STEP 51), The drive of the drive motor 21 is stopped (STEP.52), and the counter is reset (STEP.53). Then, the drive motor 21 is driven again (STEP. 54), and measurement of the current value and the rotation speed of the drive motor 21 is started (STEP. 55).
Subsequently, it is confirmed whether or not it has passed through the downstream approach sensor 12 (STEP. 56). If it has not passed through the approach sensor 12 (No in STEP. 56), the pulse of the drive motor 21 becomes the set value. It is confirmed whether it has reached (STEP 57).
When the pulse of the drive motor 21 reaches the set value (YES in STEP 57), the transported object 100 has moved a predetermined distance, so the drive motor 21 is decelerated (STEP 58), and the drive The measurement of the current value and rotation speed of the motor 21 is also completed (STEP 59).
When the pulse of the drive motor 21 has not reached the set value (No in STEP 57), STEP. Return to 56.

The integrated value of the current value of the drive motor 21 and the average value of the rotation speed after the drive motor 21 is driven or accelerated until the pulse of the drive motor 21 reaches the set value are calculated (STEP. 60). The predicted weight Mx of the conveyed product 100 is calculated and stored from the calculated integrated value of the current value of the drive motor 21 and the average value of the rotational speed using the above formula (1) (STEP 61, STEP 62). 1 is added to the counter (STEP 63). Then, it is confirmed whether the counter has reached the predetermined number n (STEP. 64). If the counter number has not reached the predetermined number n (NO in STEP. 64), the drive motor 21 is accelerated, and STEP. Returning to 55, the measurement of the current value and rotation speed of the drive motor 21 is started.

On the other hand, STEP. 64, when the number of counters reaches the predetermined number n (YES in STEP.64), the average value Mav of the predicted weight Mx stored in the above operation is calculated to calculate the estimated weight (STEP.70), The counter number is reset (STEP 71).

Also, STEP. 56, when the approach sensor 12 detects the transported object 100 (Yes in STEP 56), the transported object 100 flows to the vicinity of the downstream end of the measurement zone conveyor 2b. The measurement of the current value and the rotation speed is finished (STEP. 66), and the latest STEP. 55, the integrated value of the current value of the drive motor 21 and the average value of the rotation speed from the start of the measurement of the current value and the rotation speed of the drive motor 21 to the end thereof are calculated (STEP 67). The predicted weight Mx of the conveyed product 100 is calculated from the calculated integrated value of the current value of the drive motor 21 and the average value of the rotation speed using the above formula (1) (STEP.68), and the predicted weight Mx is stored. (STEP.69), STEP.69. Move to 70.

According to the transport device of the second embodiment, the weight of the transport object 100 can be estimated without stopping the transport object 100 completely after the transport object 100 is first stopped in the vicinity of the ingress sensor 11. Therefore, smoother conveyance is possible.

In the above-described embodiment, the period from when the drive motor 21 is driven or accelerated until the pulse of the drive motor 21 reaches the set value and stops or decelerates is defined as one cycle, and the drive motor at the cycle is set. The integrated value of the current value of 21 and the average value of the rotational speed are calculated, and the expected weight of the conveyed product 100 is calculated based on the integrated value of the current value of the driving motor 21 and the average value of the rotational speed, respectively. Although the estimated weight was calculated using the average value of the expected weight, the present invention is not limited to this.
The period from when the drive motor 21 is stopped or decelerated to when it is driven or accelerated is defined as one cycle, and the integrated value of the current value of the drive motor 21 and the average value of the rotation speed in the cycle are calculated, and the drive The estimated weight of the conveyed product 100 may be calculated based on the integrated value of the current value of the motor 21 and the average rotational speed, and the estimated weight may be calculated using the calculated average value of the predicted weight.
The period from driving or accelerating the driving motor 21 to driving or accelerating again is set as one cycle, and the integrated value of the current value of the driving motor 21 and the average value of the rotation speed in the cycle are calculated, The estimated weight of the conveyed product 100 may be calculated based on the integrated value of the current value of the driving motor 21 and the average value of the rotation speed, and the estimated weight may be calculated using the calculated average value of the estimated weight.
The period from when the drive motor 21 is stopped or decelerated to when it is stopped or decelerated again is defined as one cycle, and the integrated value of the current value of the drive motor 21 and the average value of the rotation speed in the cycle are calculated. The estimated weight of the conveyed product 100 may be calculated based on the integrated value of the current value of the driving motor 21 and the average value of the rotation speed, and the estimated weight may be calculated using the calculated average value of the estimated weight.
The integrated value of the current value of the drive motor 21 and the average value of the rotation speed in a plurality of cycles are calculated, and the expected weight of the conveyed product 100 based on the integrated value of the current value of the drive motor 21 and the average value of the rotation speed. And the estimated weight may be calculated using the average value of the calculated predicted weights.

In the embodiment described above, when the conveyed product 100 arrives in the vicinity of the ingress sensor 11, the measurement operation is performed after the rotation of the driving roller 6 of the measurement zone conveyor 2b is first stopped. It is not limited to. The measurement operation may be performed without stopping the rotation of the drive roller 6 of the measurement zone conveyor 2b.

In the above-described embodiment, the measurement operation is performed a plurality of times, and the average value Mav of the expected weight Mx calculated from each measurement operation is used as the estimated weight. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The measurement operation may be performed once, and the estimated weight M1 calculated from the measurement operation may be used as the estimated weight.

In the above-described embodiment, the weight of the conveyed product 100 is estimated based on the average rotational speed of the driving motor 21 of the driving roller 6 and the integrated value of the current value. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the driving is performed. You may estimate the weight of the conveyed product 100 based on the information corresponding to the average rotational speed of the motor 21 for driving the roller 6.
For example, the weight of the conveyed product 100 may be estimated using the rotational speed of the roller body 20 of the drive roller 6, or the weight of the conveyed product 100 may be estimated using the rotational speed of the driven roller 7.

In the above-described embodiment, the transport surface 18b of the measurement zone conveyor 2b is inclined upward from the upstream side in the transport direction of the transport object 100 toward the downstream side, but the present invention is not limited to this, The conveyance surface 18b of the measurement zone conveyor 2b may be inclined downward from the upstream side in the conveyance direction of the conveyance object 100 toward the downstream side.
In this case, it is also possible to correct the estimated weight by using a back electromotive voltage generated while the conveyed product 100 is being conveyed.

In the above-described embodiment, a belt conveyor is used as the measurement zone conveyor 2b, but the present invention is not limited to this. It may be a roller conveyor in which the rollers directly convey the conveyed product. In this case, it is preferable to use the slip amount between the roller and the conveyed product for correcting the estimated weight of the conveyed product.

In the above embodiment, roller conveyors are used as the

zone conveyors

2a and 2c, but the present invention is not limited to this. Similarly to the zone conveyor 2b, the

zone conveyors

2a and 2c may be belt conveyors.

In the embodiment described above, the number of pulses per predetermined time is detected using the rising and falling times of the pulse signals derived from the signals of the Hall elements P, G, and O as the reference points, and the rotational speed of the driving motor 21 is detected. Although the average rotational speed is calculated, the present invention is not limited to this.
For example, the number of pulses per predetermined time is detected using the rising or falling time of the pulse signal derived from the signals of the hall elements P, G, and O as a reference point, and the rotation speed and average rotation speed of the drive motor 21 are detected. May be calculated.
Also, for example, the time interval of two pulses of the signals of each Hall element P, G, O is set with reference to the rising and / or falling time of the pulse signal derived from the signals of each Hall element P, G, O. It may be detected and the rotation speed and average rotation speed of the drive motor 21 may be calculated.
More specifically, as shown in FIG. 14, the difference g between the rising time of the first pulse and the rising time of the third pulse is obtained. Similarly, the difference h between the rising time of the second pulse and the rising time of the fourth pulse is obtained.
Here, as described above, since the rotor 25 is a four-pole rotor of N pole, S pole, N pole, and S pole, the first pulse and the third pulse or the second pulse and the fourth pulse are , Derived from the same pole of the rotor 25. Therefore, the error due to the mounting position of the Hall elements P, G, O and the error due to the pole position of the rotor 25 are canceled out.
Thus, for each Hall element P, G, O, the time interval for two pulses is measured in accordance with the polarity of the rotor 25, and the rotation speed and average rotation speed of the drive motor 21 are calculated from the average value. May be calculated.

1 Conveyor 2b Zone conveyor for measurement (conveyor)
3a to 3c Conveyance path 4 Conveyance path 5 Weight estimation device 6 Drive roller (one roller)
7 Followed roller 10 Stretch belt (belt member)
18 Transport surface 21 Drive motor (motor)
27 Motor drive circuit (current measuring means)
100 Conveyed object P, G, O Hall element (rotational speed measuring means)

Claims

A conveyor device that includes a conveyance path for conveying a conveyance object, and conveys the conveyance object by a driving force of a motor,
A rotational speed measuring means for measuring rotational speed or information corresponding to the rotational speed of the motor;
Comprising current measuring means for measuring the current of the motor;
Performing a weight estimation operation for estimating an estimated weight of the transported object based on a rotation speed of the motor when the transported object passes through the transport path or information corresponding to the rotation speed and a current value of the motor. Conveyor device characterized by
The conveyor apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveyance path is inclined up or down in the conveyance direction of the conveyed product.
The conveyor apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the weight estimation operation is performed by driving the motor from a state in which the rotation of the motor is stopped.
In the weight estimation operation, the transported object is moved by a predetermined distance, the rotation speed of the motor when moving the predetermined distance, or an average value of information corresponding to the rotation speed, and an amount of current to the motor. The conveyor device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein an estimated weight of the conveyed product is estimated based on the integrated value.
A pair of rollers and a belt member that suspends between the pair of rollers;
One of the pair of rollers is driven by the motor,
5. The conveyed product is placed on the belt member, the one roller is rotated by rotating the motor, and the conveyed product is moved together with the belt member. Crab conveyor device.
The motor is decelerated and accelerated alternately several times to convey the conveyed object,
6. The conveyor apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an average value of predicted weights calculated by any one of the following (A) to (D) is estimated as an estimated weight of the conveyed product.
(A) Measure the information corresponding to the rotational speed or rotational speed of the motor and the current value of the motor for each movement of the conveyed object from the acceleration of the motor to the deceleration, and the rotational speed of the motor or Calculate the expected weight of the transported object from the information corresponding to the rotation speed and the current value of the motor, and calculate the average value of the expected weight for each movement of the transported object from acceleration to deceleration of the motor. To do.
(B) Each time the transported object moves from the deceleration of the motor to the acceleration, information corresponding to the rotational speed or rotational speed of the motor and the current value of the motor are measured, and the rotational speed of the motor or Calculate the expected weight of the transported object from the information corresponding to the rotation speed and the current value of the motor, and further calculate the average value of the expected weight for each movement of the transported object from the deceleration of the motor to the acceleration. To do.
(C) Measure the rotation speed or rotation speed information of the motor and the current value of the motor for each movement of the transported object from the acceleration of the motor to the acceleration again, and the rotation speed of the motor. Alternatively, the expected weight of the conveyed product is calculated from the information corresponding to the rotation speed and the current value of the motor, respectively, and the average value of the expected weight for each movement of the conveyed product from the acceleration of the motor to the acceleration again. Is calculated.
(D) Each time the transported object is decelerated after decelerating the motor, information corresponding to the rotational speed or rotational speed of the motor and the current value of the motor are measured, and the rotational speed of the motor is measured. Alternatively, the expected weight of the conveyed product is calculated from the information corresponding to the rotational speed and the current value of the motor, respectively, and the average value of the estimated weight for each movement of the conveyed product from the deceleration of the motor to the deceleration again. Is calculated.
The motor is stopped and driven a plurality of times to convey the conveyed product,
Information corresponding to the rotational speed or rotational speed of the motor and the current value of the motor are measured for each movement of the transported object from when the motor is driven to when it is stopped, and the rotational speed or rotational speed of the motor is measured. Calculate the expected weight of the conveyed product from the corresponding information and the current value of the motor, respectively, and further calculate the average value of the expected weight for each movement of the conveyed product from driving the motor to stopping it. The conveyor device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein an estimated weight of a conveyed product is estimated.
The conveyor apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the weight estimation operation calculates an estimated weight of the conveyed object using the following mathematical formula (1).

Mx is the expected weight, I is the current value, v is the rotational speed, and c1, c2, and c3 are coefficients.
The motor is driven in a state where the transported object does not pass through the transport path, information corresponding to the rotational speed or rotational speed of the motor and the current value of the motor are acquired, and the acquired rotational speed of the motor 9. The conveyor apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the estimated weight is corrected using information corresponding to a rotational speed and a current value of the motor.
The conveyor apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the estimated weight is corrected using a dimension of the conveyed product.
11. A conveying apparatus characterized in that a conveying flow path for conveying the conveyed object is formed by connecting the conveying path of the conveyor apparatus according to claim 1 and the conveying path of another conveyor apparatus in series. .
A weight estimation method for estimating the weight of a transported object placed on a conveyor device,
By driving the motor, the transported object is passed through a transport path inclined upward or downward in the transport direction of the transported object,
Performing a weight estimation operation for estimating an estimated weight of the transported object based on the rotation speed or the rotation speed of the motor when the transported object passes through the transport path and the current value of the motor. Characteristic weight estimation method.