JP2002263588A - Apparatus for sorting fruit - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus for sorting fruits in which such a defect is solved that the classification object is limited to only one unit rank, although a specified span is required in the traveling direction of a sorting conveyer and that the whole length of the conveyer has to be extended in the case of a lot of sorting ranks of the same class. SOLUTION: The apparatus is so constituted that a plurality of paths of classification discharge parts 6A, 6B are provided, that a path switching mechanism 32 is arranged in the leading part, and that operation may be switched into a specified condition based on the specified command-signal of the same class. A sorting conveyer 5 is constituted of slide bases 13 sliding in a longitudinal direction on the respective upper surfaces of a number of guide bars 16 between two endless chains 14, and the trays 2 on the slide bases 13 are gradually displaced to discharge them to the specified discharge parts 6A, 6B by a classification command-signal.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fruit sorting apparatus for sorting fruits on a tray while transporting them on a tray.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-2001 discloses a structure in which fruits such as persimmons and melons are classified into equal classes according to quality and size.
There is a technique using a tray as disclosed in US Pat. In FIG. 8 of the publication, a left and right classifying conveyor has two endless chains 33 parallel to each other.
A large number of guide rods 57, 57,.
Are provided on the upper surfaces of 7, 57,..., And slide bases 58 having ridges 59 are arranged at predetermined intervals. And the ridges 5 before and after
Between 9 and 59, a tray 39 on which fruits are placed is placed. On the back surface of the slide base 58, a guide pin 60 is integrally protruded, and is provided on a predetermined guide rail 6.
The slide base 58 is switched and moved laterally side by sliding contact with 1. The switching movement of the slide base 58 is performed, for example, by providing a switching device 62 at the distal end of the guide rail 61 and changing the direction thereof so that the guide pin 60 is brought into contact with the guide rail 61 to perform sliding movement. Alternatively, the slide base 5 may be configured to move straight without contact, and the guide pin 60 may contact the guide rail 61 so that the slide base 5
When 8 moves laterally, the tray 39 on which the fruits are placed also moves laterally, and is taken out to the classifying discharge section.

[0003]

By the way, as mentioned above, after the tray movement path is gradually switched to the sideways side and discharged after classification, it is taken over by a drawer conveyor and transferred to a predetermined boxing processing position or the like. However, despite the fact that a predetermined span is required in the transfer direction of the classification conveyor, the classification target is only a predetermined single rank, and there is a disadvantage that the total length becomes longer as the number of equal rank sorting ranks increases.

[0004]

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned drawbacks, and has taken the following technical measures. That is, the invention according to claim 1 is provided with a classifying conveyor for placing the sorted fruits on the tray and transporting the sorted fruits to the classifying discharge unit while taking out the tray to the classifying discharge unit while displacing the tray in the horizontal direction. In the fruit sorting apparatus, a classifying discharge section is provided in a plurality of strips, and a path switching mechanism that sorts and sorts the sorted fruit into each strip is provided on a starting end thereof,
The path switching mechanism is configured to perform a predetermined switching operation based on a predetermined class command signal. According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the above, the classifying conveyor is constituted by a slide base that slides in the longitudinal direction on each upper surface of a large number of guide bars between two endless chains parallel to each other. At the same time, a movable element which can be engaged with the moving guide rail is provided on the back surface of the slide base, and the slide base is switched from the non-rail contact state to the rail contact state by the classification command signal, and the tray on the slide base is gradually positioned. It is configured to be shifted and discharged to a predetermined classification discharge part.

[0005]

According to the present invention, since the above-mentioned structure is adopted, the class that is conventionally taken out of the classifying conveyor is one rank. Even if the number of ranks is large, it is not necessary to extend in the longitudinal direction of the classification conveyor, and it is possible to sort a wide variety of equal ranks without increasing the installation area of the sorting facility. If the classification conveyor is configured such that the slide base is switched from the rail non-contact state to the rail contact state by the classification command signal and the tray on the slide base is gradually displaced, the fruit on the tray has a sharp turning action. Since no fruit is given, the fruits to be sorted can be prevented from falling off and the configuration of the tray can be simplified, but in addition, a required span is required in the longitudinal direction of the classification conveyor. However, classifying and discharging sections are provided in a plurality of strips, and a route switching mechanism that sorts and sorts the sorted fruits into each strip and discharges them at the starting end thereof is used to effectively use the span to reduce the installation area of the fruit sorting facility. A classification conveyor and a classification discharge section can be configured without enlargement.

[0006]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fruit sorting machines use fruits like persimmons and melons,
Classification according to grades according to quality and size.
Is an overall plan view thereof. Here, the fruits are packed in containers and transported by the receiving conveyor 1, and the grader takes out the boxes at the supply unit, divides the fruits into excellent and good, and places them on the trays 2, 2,. Supply conveyor 3
For example, excellent products are placed on the supply conveyor 3a shown in the lower part of FIG. 1, and good products are placed on the supply conveyor 3b shown above.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a class detector for detecting the shape (size) of the fruit, which comprises a shape detector 4a such as a CCD, and is installed at the beginning of a classification conveyor 5 following the supply conveyor 3. Classifying discharge units 6, 6,... Are provided in the classifying conveyor 5 at fixed positions determined for each class.

At the end of the supply conveyor 3, the tray 2 on which the fruits are placed is transferred to the classification conveyor 5, the grade of the fruits is determined by the detection unit 4, and the result is sent to the control unit 7 and stored. When the fruit reaches the classifying conveyor 5 and reaches the classifying discharge section 6 of the determined grade, the fruit is taken out in a predetermined manner. The speed of the classifying conveyor 5 is detected by the rotary encoder 8 at the end thereof, and the speed is sent to the control unit 7 to know the arrival position of the fruit.

The fruits of the same grade that have reached the classifying and discharging section 6 are automatically adsorbed and packed in a dumpling box, or are manually packed in a dumping box on an elevating table 9 by an operator. The empty tray 2 of the classifying discharge unit 6 is returned to the tray return unit 12 from the empty tray return port 10 by the tray return conveyor 11 passing below the classifying conveyor 5, and is returned to the supply conveyor 3 therefrom.

The number of slide bases 13, 13,..., Which will be described later, occupied by the tray 2 is obtained from the detection result of the shape detector 4a. Thereafter, the number of the slide bases 13 is stored in the control unit 7 to perform the conveyance control. As the shape detector 4a, for example, the classifying conveyor 5 is driven at a constant speed, an optical sensor is arranged on the endless chain 14, the front end of the tray 2 is detected by the optical sensor, and the rear end of the same tray 2 is detected. In some cases, the length from the front end to the rear end of the tray 2 is calculated from the time until the detection and the traveling speed of the supply conveyor 3.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tray, and FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the tray. The tray 2 is made of resin and has a large-diameter flange portion 2a provided at an upper portion thereof to be formed in a mortar shape as a whole. The radial support piece 2b is passed over the mortar-shaped part, the rubber dish 15 is put on the upper surface thereof, and the peripheral edge is fitted into the collar part 2a and fixed. 2c is a central through hole. On the surface of the rubber dish 15,
Concentric ridges are formed into cushions. Further, by forming the lower half body 2d of the tray 2 to have a smaller diameter than the flange 2a, even if the tray 2 is continuously contacted back and forth, the tray 2 is prevented from overlapping and being placed on the same slide base 13. I have.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the slide base switching device, and FIG. 5 is a side view of the device.
Is constructed by passing a large number of guide bars 16, 16,... Between two endless chains 14 parallel to the left and right. On the upper surface of each of the guide bars 16, 16,..., Slide bases 13, 13,. Further, one end 13s of each of the slide bases 13, 13,... Is formed so as to protrude so as to cover the top of the chain 14 in an eave-like manner, so that the transfer to the classifying and discharging section 6 is made to be a resistance. A guide rail 19 is provided from the lower center of the guide bar 16 toward the classifying discharge section 6 determined for each class. Further, a tray discharge guide 20 is provided slightly behind the guide rail 19 toward the classifying discharge unit 6. The tray discharge guide 20
It is provided at a position corresponding to the height of the trunk 2d of the tray 2. In the classifying discharge section 6, two discharge rollers 21 and 21 are arranged at intervals, and a driving roller 22 is provided below and close to the two discharge rollers 21 and 21. Discharge roller 2
1, 21 have a predetermined length exceeding the length of the tray 2, the roller surface is formed of a flexible material such as rubber, and the upper surfaces of the discharge rollers 21, 21 are equal to or higher than the upper surface of the endless chain 14. It is provided to be slightly higher. The driving roller 22 is formed integrally and long through each of the classifying discharge sections 6 and continuously rotated counterclockwise by a motor (not shown). The surface of the driving roller 22 is formed of a soft material such as rubber.

[0013] As shown in FIG.
A movable element 23 is provided on each lower surface of 3, 13,..., And two pairs of slits 13a, 13b formed in parallel on both front and rear sides of the slide base 13 are provided with pins 23a,
The movable member 23 is slidably supported within the range of the slits 13a, 13b by projecting and inserting the 23b. Further, a spring 24 is held on the lower surface of the slide base 13, one end of the spring 24 is fixed to substantially the center of the slide base 13, and the other end is connected to a side of the slider 23 opposite to the take-out side. The mover 23 is urged by the force to the take-out side. Further, a locking piece 25 is attached to the opposite side of the slide base 13 so as to be rotatable around the longitudinal axis, and the movable element 23 is locked by the hook 25a of the locking piece 25, and the movable element 23 is held on the opposite to the removing side. I do. A guide pin 26 is formed on the take-out side of the mover 23 so as to protrude downward. An unlocking device 27 is provided on the side opposite to the take-out position opposite to the take-out position, opposite to the locking piece 25 of the mover 23. The unlocking device 27 is a rotary solenoid 2 fixed to a frame.
8, a cam 29 is fixedly formed on the rotation shaft, and the rotary solenoid 28 is rotated by a control signal from the control unit 7 to rotate the cam 29. The rotation of the cam 29 causes the locking piece 2 to rotate.
5 so as to release the lock of the movable member 23 by pressing the same.

Gate members 30, 30 which are provided at predetermined intervals on the left and right sides of the discharge rollers 21, 21 and which are swung right and left about the base as a fulcrum to distribute the tray 2 left and right and feed them out in a predetermined manner. And an air cylinder mechanism 31 that expands and contracts in response to an expansion and contraction command signal from the control unit, to constitute a path switching mechanism 32. The classifying / discharging unit 6 includes a pair of classifying / discharging units 6 corresponding to the path switching mechanism 32.
A and 6B, and the elevating type cradles 9 and 9 are disposed at the ends of the discharge sections 6A and 6B. The control unit 7 outputs an operation signal to the rotary solenoid 28 by allocating it to the single classifying and discharging unit 6 every two ranks.
A rank selection signal is output as an operation signal for the air cylinder mechanism 31, and the output can be sorted and discharged to preset classification and discharge sections 6A and 6B.

Next, the operation of the slide base switching device will be described. The tray 2 on which the fruits are placed is transferred from the supply conveyor 3 to the classification conveyor 5, the shape of the tray 2 is detected by the detection unit 4, and the detection result is stored in the control unit 7. When the tray 2 moves on the surface of the classification conveyor 5 and the predetermined two classes reach the classification discharge part 6, the rotary solenoid 28 provided at that position is operated by the control signal of the control part 7, and the engagement of the slide base 13 is performed. The locking of the stopper 25 is released. Subsequently, each time the slide base 13 reaches the position, the rotary solenoid 28 is operated to operate the slide base 1.
3 is continuously released, and the rotary solenoid 28 is stopped by repeating the number of slide bases 13 corresponding to the length of the tray 2 stored in the controller 7. When the locking piece 25 is released, the movable element 23 moves to the take-out side within the range of the slits 13a and 13b by the spring 24. With this movement, the guide pin 26 also moves to the take-out side beyond the position of the moving guide rail 19 (point A in FIG. 4).

When the classifying conveyor 5 further advances, the guide pins 26 move along the moving guide rails 19, and the slide base 13 on which the tray 2 is mounted together with the moving members 23.
To the take-out side (points B to C in FIG. 4). When the slide base 13 reaches the take-out side chain 14, it stops and maintains that state. At this time, the leading end 13s of the slide base 13 is in a state of extending over the endless chain 14 like an eaves, and the tray 2 moves on the eaves along the tray discharge guide 20 to the take-out side. (FIGS. 4D to E
Point), and is transferred to the two discharge rollers 21 at the take-out position.
The tray discharge guide 20 hits the body 2d of the tray 2, and pushes out the tray 2 toward the take-out position. The two discharge rollers 21 sink by the weight of the tray 2 on which the fruits are placed, come into contact with the driving roller 22 disposed below, and rotate with the rotation of the driving roller 22 to move the tray 2 to the classifying discharge unit 6 side. To the drawer pool conveyor 33. Subsequently, the path switching mechanism 32 is operated, and here again, it is ranked and pooled in predetermined classifying and discharging units 6A and 6B.

In the above embodiment, the receiving conveyor 1 is provided to the grade conveyor 3 where the grade evaluator is on standby, and the containers are transferred by the receiving conveyor 1.
The container may be inverted by the automatic damper 45 shown in (1), and the internally contained fruits may be taken out at once and supplied to the grade conveyor. The auto damper 45 shown in FIG. 6 is provided with a container transport surface of a transport body 47 having a plurality of slats 46, 46... Provided in an arc shape, and while appropriately driving this, a container is transported between the opposite holding transport body 48. The container is inverted and transported in a sandwiched shape, and the inverted container is gradually lifted upward at the upper end of the transport and the internal fruit is received by the supply conveyor 49.

At the transfer start end side of the automatic damper 45, a first receiving conveyor 5 for transporting containers from the left and right sides.
An infeed conveyor 51 is provided to connect 0L and the second receiving conveyor 50R. At the transfer end portions of the first and second receiving conveyors 50L and 50R, container detectors 52L and 5L for detecting whether or not the container has reached a predetermined position are provided.
2R are provided, and control plates 53L and 53R are provided on the transport surface so as to be able to move back and forth in order to prevent entry into the infeed conveyor 51. Containers containing sorted fruits of different consignees are carried into the first and second conveyers 50L and 50R. For example, the container detector 52L is located at the head of each consignee for checking the change of the load. When the dummy container is detected, the control plate 53R of the pair of control plates enters the path and stops the drive of the other-side load receiving conveyor 50R. In this way, one load of the receiving conveyor 50L continuously enters the infeed conveyor 51, is sequentially inverted and transferred by the automatic damper 45, and can be supplied to the grade conveyor 3. When one load has been received, the receiving conveyor 50R waiting on the other side is activated, and the container on the conveyor 50R is fed in from the conveyor 51 to the automatic damper 45.
It can be supplied to Reference numeral 54 denotes an extruding mechanism for extruding from the feed conveyor 51 to the start end of the automatic damper 45.

As described above, a plurality of receiving conveyors 50L and 50R are connected to the infeed conveyor 51 provided on the supply starting end side of the automatic damper 45, and the container detectors 52L and 52R disposed at the end side of each receiving conveyor. Since the container can be sequentially supplied to the automatic damper 45 based on the detection result, the container can be supplied alternately from both sides of the automatic damper 45, for example, so that a sorting operation can be performed with high efficiency, and a plurality of receiving containers can be received. Because you can
The waiting time for receiving the cargo can be reduced.

FIG. 9 shows a polishing and dust collecting apparatus as a pretreatment step before supplying the material to the grade conveyor 3 or the like. A conveyer conveyor 55 is arranged on the upper side and an appropriate handover conveyor 56 is arranged on the lower side, and a processing conveyor 57 in the form of a roller conveyor is provided. Processing conveyor 57
The umbrella-shaped dust collectors 58, 58... Formed inside are formed in a dust-collecting air passage from right to left, right, left, right, left, right, left, right, left, right, rear and rear at right and left intervals. To be provided. That is, a plurality of branch dust collection ducts 60, 6 communicating with the outdoor dust collection device 59.
0 are provided with hanging ducts 61, 61, and the upper side cylindrical portions 58a, 58a, of the dust collecting bodies 58, 58, are rotatably fitted around the hanging ducts 61, 61, respectively. The belt 63 is wound between belt pulleys 62, 62,... Fixed to the cylindrical portions 58a, 58a,. .. Are brush bodies provided at the lower edge of the dust collecting bodies 58, 58. The dust collecting device 59 has a built-in suction fan.

With the above configuration, when the dust collector 59 and the processing conveyor 57 are driven, the driving roller rotates in contact with the underbody 66 on the lower surface and rotates the fruits (for example, chestnuts) from the receiving and supplying conveyor 55. Transfer to the lower side while rolling. At this time, when the dust enters the lower surface of the dust collectors 58, 58, the dusts adhering to the surface thereof are separated by the rubbing action of the brush bodies 65, 65,. Is collected in the dust collecting device 59 via the duct. In this configuration, the object to be processed, which rolls on the surface of the processing conveyor 57 while the dust collector 58 rotates around the vertical axis, is separated by rubbing dust adhered to the surface by the rotating dust collector 58 with a brush. Since the dust collecting structure is employed, the dust removing effect from the object to be treated is high, and the dust is collected in the dust collecting device 59 by the dust collecting action immediately after the separation, thereby reducing the floating diffusion of the dust.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall plan view of a fruit sorting machine provided with a slide base switching device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a tray.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a tray.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the slide base switching device.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the same.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an automatic damper.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of the same.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the polishing / dust collecting device.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the same.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... conveyer, 2 ... tray, 3 ... supply conveyor, 4
... Class detection unit, 4a ... Shape detector, 5 ... Classification conveyor,
6, 6A, 6B: Classifying and discharging unit 7: Control unit, 8: Rotary encoder, 9: Elevating packing table, 10: Empty tray return port, 11: Tray return conveyor, 12: Tray return, 13: Slide base, 13a, 13b: slit, 14: endless chain, 15: rubber plate, 16: guide bar, 19: guide rail, 20: tray discharge guide, 21: discharge roller, 22: drive roller, 23: mover, 23a, 23b ... Pin, 24 ... Spring, 25
... locking pieces, 26 ... guide pins, 27 ... unlocking device, 2
8: rotary solenoid, 29: cam, 30: gate member, 31: air cylinder mechanism, 32: path switching mechanism,
33 ... drawer pool conveyor

 ────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuing from the front page (72) Inventor Masamitsu Takeda 1-Yachikura, Tobe-cho, Iyo-gun, Ehime Pref.

Claims (2)

[Claims] An apparatus for sorting fruits, comprising: a classification conveyor for transferring fruits to be sorted on a tray, wherein the tray is displaced in a lateral direction toward a classification and discharge section by a classification command signal, and is extracted to the discharge section. A plurality of classifying discharge sections are provided, and a path switching mechanism for sorting and discharging the classified fruits to each section is provided at a starting end thereof, and the path switching mechanism switches in a predetermined manner based on a predetermined equal class command signal. A fruit sorting device configured to operate. 2. The classification conveyor according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of guide bars are provided between two endless chains parallel to each other on the left and right sides, and each of the upper surfaces of the guide bars is constituted by a slide base which slides in the longitudinal direction. At the same time, a mover that can be engaged with the moving guide rail is provided on the back surface of the slide base, and the slide base is switched from the rail non-contact state to the rail contact state by a classification command signal, and the tray on the slide base is gradually moved. A fruit sorting device configured to be shifted and discharged to a predetermined classification and discharge section.