JP2002154503A - Sorter - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To speed up and facilitate operations of carrying from a sorting conveyer to a predetermined casing position and casing. SOLUTION: The sorter includes a detecting means for classifying fruits or the like to be sorted which are carried by a sorting conveyer in classes, a pack conveyer placed in the vicinity of the sorting conveyer for supplying empty packs, a transfer means for transferring a plurality of the fruits in each class into a pack waiting on the pack conveyer and a return conveyer for returning the pack with the fruits transferred from a predetermined casing position.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for sorting spherical fruits, which facilitates the transfer of the fruits from a sorting conveyor to a predetermined packing place and the quick packing process.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The fruits to be sorted are placed on a tray on a sorting conveyor, and the fruits to be sorted are placed on the tray and transferred. 2. Description of the Related Art There is a so-called tray-type sorting and boxing device configured to shift while being placed on a tray.

However, the above-mentioned tray type has a configuration in which a plurality of trays are aligned immediately before packing and adsorbed to a boxing robot hand, and a single fruit is placed on each tray and sorted. Therefore, transport, alignment, and return must be controlled for each individual tray, and the number of trays handled increases the number of troubles, thus limiting the work efficiency.

[0004]

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks, and has taken the following technical means. That is, a sorting conveyor, detection means for sorting sorted fruits and the like conveyed by the conveyor by grade or rank, a pack conveyor near the sorting conveyor to supply empty packs, and a sorting conveyor in each sorting section. The sorting device includes a transfer unit that transfers a plurality of packs to the packs waiting on the pack conveyor by grade or rank, and a return conveyor that returns the transferred packs from a predetermined packing location.

[0005] In the above, the classifying section is classified by class in the conveying direction of the sorting conveyor, and the classifying section is classified in each classifying section to constitute a draw-out conveyor, and these conveyor sections are used as pack conveyors.

In the above, a cup for placing fruits to be sorted on the sorting conveyor is provided so as to be displaceable in a direction orthogonal to the transfer direction, and is moved to a predetermined displacement position based on a grade evaluation by a grade evaluator and conveyed. Configuration, and
The transfer from the sorting conveyor to the pack conveyor is performed by a transfer means that adsorbs selected fruits and the like.

[0007]

According to the above construction, the tray system for individually handling the objects to be sorted is replaced by a pack system capable of accommodating a plurality of objects. Since such individual trays are not required, a large number of trays are replaced with a small number of packs, so that noise due to conveyance can be reduced and a quiet environment can be obtained. In this case, the interval between the fruits to be sorted can be extremely small, and the space for pooling can be reduced as compared with the tray type in which individual fruits are placed.

[0008] If the configuration is such that the cups of the sorting conveyor can be displaced and classified, the grade evaluation signal can be easily input by detecting the position displacement state, which is convenient.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows an outline of a sorting facility for spherical fruits, in which a sorting conveyor 1 has cups 2, 2... Arranged in a line, and a detecting unit 5 having grade or class detecting sensors 3, 4 is provided on the way. Provided.

The detection signal of the detection unit 5 of the sorting conveyor 1 is input to the control unit 6. The control unit 6 receives the input signal, compares it with a reference value stored in advance, determines which class or class it belongs to, and outputs a classification command signal.

On the lower side of the appearance detecting section 5 of the sorting conveyor 1, a plurality of classifying sections 7, 7,... Each classifying unit 7 is provided with a drawer conveyor 8, 9, and 10 classified by excellent, excellent, and good grades. These conveyors are in the form of a belt conveyor, and packs 11, which can store a plurality of sorted fruits arranged vertically and horizontally. 11 ... is a pack conveyor.

Are transfer means for transferring the fruits to be sorted on the cup of the sorting conveyor 1 into a predetermined pack 11, and are provided for each grade. The transfer means 12 is provided with an arm 12 having a suction pad 12a at a lower end thereof for suction holding.
b, and an air cylinder mechanism 12c that operates so as to be stored in the standby pack 11.
Are arranged in quadruples equal to the number of rows of the pack 11, and transfer selected fruits on the cup to a predetermined position in the pack 11 of predetermined equal / grade. The pack conveyors 8, 9, and 10 can be driven and stopped independently. The pack conveyors are stopped while the sorted fruits are stored in a single row on the surface of the pack 11, and when the transfer operation in the single row is completed, the pack conveyors 8, 9, and 10 are vertically moved. , And waits for the next transfer operation.

Reference numeral 19 denotes a fixed position stopping conveyor provided with ridges 20, 20 for locking the packs 11, 11. When a predetermined number is accommodated by the transfer means 12, 12,. Intermittent drive means for moving forward (not shown)
It is a configuration driven by.

An assembly conveyor 13 in the form of a belt conveyor is connected so as to connect the end portions of the pack conveyors 8, 9, and 10.
An automatic box packing machine 14 is provided at a predetermined position of the collecting conveyor 13 to form a box packing section 15. This box 15
, The whole of the fruit contained therein is adsorbed and transferred to the cardboard box 16 in multiple stages or one stage. That is, the automatic box packing machine 14 is provided with a plurality of vertical and horizontal suction pads (not shown), and sucks the fruits in the pack 11 at once and transfers them to the cardboard box 16. The vertical and horizontal intervals can be appropriately changed between them, and the interval can be set to a boxable value.

Reference numeral 17 denotes a return conveyor connected to the terminal end of the collecting conveyor 13, which receives empty packs and returns them to the start ends of the pack conveyors 8, 9, and 10. 18
Is a takeover conveyor between the return conveyor 17 and 8, 9, and 10.

The operation of the above example will be described. The sorted fruits placed in the cups 2, 2 ... of the sorting conveyor 1 in order are
In the detection unit 5, an external inspection such as a diameter, an outer periphery, and a surface color, and an internal inspection such as a ripeness and a sugar content are performed, and these data are sent to a control unit 6. It determines the grade and rank to which the sorted fruit belongs, and outputs a classification command signal when the cup 2 reaches the rank position.

The output of the classification command signal is transmitted to the transfer means 1
Are operated. Empty packs are supplied to the pack conveyors 8, 9, and 10 provided for the different classes in the predetermined class, respectively, and are slowly conveyed, waiting at the side of the sorting conveyor 1, and by the operation of the transfer means 12, The pack conveyors 8, 9 or 10 are lined up in a horizontal line of the pack 11, and are fed by one pitch, shift the standby position of the pack 11, and wait for the next transfer. By repeating such operations, sorted fruits can be sequentially arranged in a plurality of rows and columns in the pack 11 and accommodated.

The fruit-filled pack reaching the end of the pack conveyor 8, 9 or 10 is taken over by the collecting conveyor 13 and reaches the box packing section 15. Here, the automatic boxing machine 14 is operated, and the fruits contained in the pack 11 are sucked at once and transferred to the cardboard box. In the case of a cardboard box form that can be stacked in multiple stages, packs of different grades are transported from the collecting conveyor 13, so that the box packing section 15 may be provided with a plurality of automatic box packing machines 14.

The empty pack after the fruit has been adsorbed is supplied to the pack conveyors 8, 9, and 10 again via the return conveyor 17 and the transfer conveyor 18, and is reused.

As described above, by being configured to be processed by the transfer means or the automatic boxing machine from the sorting conveyor 1 with the pack 11 interposed therebetween, the sorted fruits can be processed in a group, and as a result, the conventional fruit can be processed. Since individual trays are not required,
Since a large number of trays replace a small number of packs, noise due to transportation can be reduced and a quiet environment can be obtained. When a transfer means such as the collecting conveyor 13 is provided, the packing method requires a very small interval between selected fruits, which leads to a reduction in pooling space as compared with the tray type in which individual fruits are placed. And so on.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show a specific example of the pack 11, in which an outer frame 21 made of resin or metal is provided with fruit accommodating recesses 22a, 22a. The foamed sponge body 22 formed with the parts 22b, 22b... Can be stored therein, and the lower surface of the outer frame is used for automatic detection of a classification position or the like when a plurality of classes of packs are concentrated on the same conveyor. An ID chip 23 for class recognition is attached. The above-mentioned foamed sponge body 22 is easy to replace, and it is convenient to provide a shape corresponding to different fruits to be sorted.

5 and 6 show specific examples of the cups 2, 2,... On the sorting conveyor 1. Cup 2 is conveyor chain 2
4. Support rods 25, 2 protruding horizontally at predetermined intervals from
5 is configured so that it can be slid and fixed at three positions: a first position closest to the chain 24 in the longitudinal direction of the rod, a third position farthest away, and a second intermediate position. That is, the grade judging member visually judges the grade while placing the sorted fruits on the sorting conveyor 1, and changes the slide position to the corresponding grade position. The cup 2 is provided with a mark 2a on the upper surface,
The grade detection sensor 3 at the entrance of the detection unit 5 confirms the displacement position, that is, detects a grade judgment signal, and outputs the signal to the control unit 6. In the detection section 5, each cup 2 is aligned at a predetermined center position, for example, by guide rails 26, 26 as offset position correcting means.
For example, since the external shape is detected by a camera, and the cup 2 is aligned at the center position, there is no need to expand the detection range in the left-right direction, and even if an image is input, the processing is delayed. It is advantageous. The cup 2 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 5 is provided with an opening 27 having a predetermined size on the bottom surface and additionally provided with a means 28 for irradiating a laser beam from the lower surface of the cup 2, whereby the internal quality can be detected. It has a configuration. The internal quality is a grade evaluation factor such as sugar content, ripeness, etc., and the control section 6 performs an overall grade evaluation in combination with the output of the grade detection sensor 3. In the form in which the detection opening 27 is provided on the lower surface of the cup 2, the correction of the left and right position of the cup 2 is more effective. That is, if the position is left and right shifted, a plurality of laser beam irradiation means 28 or a means for moving left and right must be provided, which complicates the configuration. Can be fixedly provided.

FIG. 7 relates to a damper structure at the preceding stage for supplying the sorted fruits to the sorting conveyor 1, and includes a container 30.
The sorted fruits, for example, citrus fruits, stored in the container 30 are inverted by a reversing device 31 in the form of a belt conveyor. The container 30 has a raised portion 30a at the bottom thereof. When the upper portion 30 is lifted up by appropriate means, it becomes a mountain-like shape which is difficult to collapse as in the related art, and the presence of the raised portion 30a allows the reversal discharge while collapsing the mountain.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an outline of an apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a partial side view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an example of a pack.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of the same.

FIG. 5 is a plan view showing an example of a cup.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the same.

FIG. 7 is a side view showing an example of a damper.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Sorting conveyor, 2, 2 ... Cup, 3 ... Class detection sensor, 4 ... Class sorting sensor, 5 ... Detection part, 6 ... Control part,
7,7 ... Classification part, 8, 9, 10 ... Draw-out conveyor, 11,
11 ... pack, 12 ... transfer means, 13 ... collecting conveyor,
14 ... automatic boxing machine, 15 ... boxing section, 16 ... cardboard box, 17 ... return conveyor, 18 ... takeover conveyor, 1
9 ... fixed position stopping conveyor, 20 ... ridge, 21 ... outer frame,
22: foam sponge, 23: ID chip

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Katsushige Natsui 1-Yatsukura, Tobe-cho, Iyo-gun, Ehime Pref. GB09 GC02 HA04 HA07

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A sorting conveyor, detecting means for sorting sorted fruits and the like conveyed by the conveyor by grade or rank, a pack conveyor near the sorting conveyor and supplying empty packs, A sorting device comprising: a transfer means for transferring a plurality of packs by class or rank from a sorting conveyor to a pack waiting on a pack conveyor, and a return conveyor for returning the transferred packs from a predetermined packing location. 2. The sorting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the classifying sections are classified by class in the conveying direction of the sorting conveyor, and the classifying sections are classified in each classifying section to form a draw-out conveyor, and these conveyor sections are packed conveyors. . 3. A cup for placing sorted fruits and the like on a sorting conveyor is provided so as to be displaceable in a direction orthogonal to the transfer direction, and is moved to a predetermined displaced position and conveyed based on a grade evaluation by a grade evaluator. 3. The sorting device according to 1 or 2. 4. The sorting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transfer from the sorting conveyor to the pack conveyor is performed by a transfer unit that adsorbs selected fruits and the like.