JP2003034424A - Sorting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sorting device capable of performing a high-speed processing at a low cost while simplifying its mechanism as far as possible to reduce the failure. SOLUTION: In this sorting device provided with a chute for discharging inferior goods in both directions of a conveyor, a discharging board reciprocating in the direction orthogonal to the conveying direction is mounted on an upper face of the conveyor, the goods are discharged to the chute by the discharging board when the carried-in goods are inferior goods, and the discharging board after discharging the inferior goods is kept at the position on standby for the next discharging operation.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention, for example, checks the weight of an object to be weighed with a weight sorter provided in the preceding stage, and if a defective product is confirmed as a result, the defective product is regarded as the conveying direction. The present invention relates to a sorting device that sorts in both orthogonal directions.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There has been a long-standing technique for distributing an object to be weighed (hereinafter referred to as an article) sent by a conveyer conveyor to a plurality of paths provided on the sides thereof. For example, as shown in FIG. The method of pushing out to the outside of the transportation path is put to practical use. In addition, the technique of pushing in one direction with a pusher is also introduced in Jitsukai Sho 49-84874. Therefore, at present, the method of pushing in one direction with a pusher is a conventional means for a sorting device.

Recently, however, the conventional method of extruding in one direction has not been able to keep up with the fact that the articles have to be processed at a high speed. In other words, when articles are continuously sorted in the same direction at high speeds, the next article reaches the pusher and protrudes before the pusher when sorting the previous article has not returned to the original position. It often happens that it collides with a pusher.

Therefore, in order to solve such a problem, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1-281212, a plurality of payout blades, which move in only one direction at right angles to the traveling direction of the conveyor, are endlessly run at predetermined intervals. A method is disclosed in which the article is attached to a body (chain conveyor mechanism), the chain conveyor mechanism is rotated by a drive motor, and articles are distributed. A similar technique is also introduced in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-48345. In this method, the sorting device is a roller conveyor, and an endless traveling body is provided between the rollers in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction. A pusher member is attached to the endless running body, and the article is brought into contact with the pusher by the rotation of the endless running body and discharged in a predetermined direction.

[0005]

However, these techniques have a problem in that they have a complicated structure and are expensive because they are composed of a large number of parts. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a sorting device which has a small number of failures and is inexpensive and capable of high-speed processing by using a mechanism as simple as possible.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a chute for discharging defective products is provided on both sides of a conveyor.
On the upper surface of the transfer conveyor, having a discharge plate that is reciprocally movable in a direction orthogonal to the transfer direction, if the article carried in from the upstream of the transfer conveyor is non-defective, directly convey the article to the downstream of the transfer conveyor, When the conveyed article is defective, it is discharged to the chute by the discharge plate.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, each time a defective product is discharged by a discharge plate that is reciprocally movable to discharge defective products to both sides of the conveyor, the discharge plate finishes discharging the defective product. And the discharge plate waits at the discharge position in preparation for the next discharge operation.

A third aspect of the present invention is a distribution device characterized in that a discharge plate, which is reciprocally movable to discharge defective products to both sides of a conveyor, is driven by a fluid cylinder.

[0009]

The sorting device of the present invention is a device for sorting the articles conveyed on the belt conveyor installed on the frame, and usually a weight sorter is provided in the preceding stage of the belt conveyor. A weight sorter provided with a metal detector or the like detects whether or not the weight is insufficient, and the metal detector detects foreign matter mixed in the article. Then, the articles that have passed through these devices are conveyed to the sorting apparatus of the present invention, but at this stage, so-called defective articles in which the quantity is insufficient or foreign matter is mixed are also conveyed together with non-defective articles. Eventually, these articles reach the above-mentioned reciprocally movable discharge plate. At this time, a signal is sent from the device in the previous stage to send the article as a non-defective product to the next process in the conveying direction or to discharge it as a defective product and remove it from the production line. This signal is timed to allow the article to reach and be ejected at the ejection plate. Since the distribution device of the present invention uses the fluid cylinder (for example, the air cylinder) as the drive source for performing the discharging operation, the above signal becomes a signal for operating the solenoid valve. Therefore, if the article that reaches the sorting device is defective, a signal is issued to remove it from the production line, the air cylinder operates at the same timing, and the discharge plate comes into contact with the article while the conveyor side It is discharged to a chute provided on one side. When the discharge is finished, the air cylinder stops operating. That is, the discharge plate pushes out the article with a predetermined stroke by the air cylinder, and when the discharge is completed, the air cylinder stops at that position. Then, when a similar article is subsequently received, the air cylinder is operated and stopped so that the article is applied to the discharge plate at the same timing and is discharged to the opposite side of the conveyor.
In other words, it returns to the original position, and defective products are alternately discharged to both sides of the conveyor.

Since the present invention is configured as described above, there is an effect that high speed sorting can be performed with a simple mechanism using an air cylinder having a limited operating speed.
Moreover, since the structure is simplified, there is a great merit that it is inexpensive, and it is easy to inspect each part in terms of maintenance. Most of the inspections are air cylinders, so the work time required for inspections can be shortened, and even beginners can learn inspection work quickly and with peace of mind.

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the entire sorting apparatus of the present invention. Reference numeral 1 is a belt conveyor, and 2 is a discharge chute, which are provided on both sides of the belt conveyor. 3 is a fluid cylinder having a sufficient stroke to discharge a defective article to the discharge chute 2. 4 is a discharge plate, 5 is a roller, 6 is a rail, 7 is an arm, 8 is an article,
9 is a frame, 10 is a drive motor, 11 is a belt, 12
Is an arrow, and 13 is an article detection sensor. 2 is shown in FIG.
It is a main sectional view which looked at the distribution apparatus shown in FIG. 1 from the advancing direction of the belt conveyor 1. In FIG. 1, the belt conveyor 1 is installed on the upper surface of a frame 9, and a drive motor 10 advances the belt conveyor in a direction of an arrow 12 via a belt 11. In FIG. 1, the drive side of the conveyor is the upstream side of the sorting apparatus, and the end in the traveling direction is the downstream side. As described above, although not shown, a weight sorter and a metal detector are connected to the upstream side as upstream devices. Although not shown, an article collecting device is provided at the tips of the discharge chutes 2 and 2 '. In addition, a downstream device (for example, a packaging device) is connected to the downstream side.

In the distribution apparatus, first, the arrival of an article is detected by the article detection sensor 13 and the fluid is supplied to the fluid cylinder 3 from a fluid supply source (not shown) via a solenoid valve at a timing, and the fluid cylinder is indicated by an arrow 14. And the discharge plate 4 provided on the moving body 5 ′ constituted by the arm 7 and the like also moves in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction of the transport conveyor to move the article 8 in the direction of the discharge chute 2. Push out. This position is the discharge position. At this time, the fluid cylinder has finished a predetermined stroke and is stopped, and also waits at this discharge position until the next article is conveyed as a defective article. Even for non-defective products, the product detection sensor detects that the products have arrived at the sorting device, but since the discharge command as a defective product has not been issued by the weight sorter in the preceding stage, the fluid cylinder does not operate and the product is processed in the next step. Transported to the device. If the next incoming article is a defective article, the fluid cylinder, which has been waiting, is driven from that position, and the article is discharged as a defective article to the discharge chute 2'on the side opposite to the direction in which it was previously discharged. It Therefore, the sorting device of the present invention is characterized in that defective products are discharged alternately to the discharge chutes 2 and 2'every time.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an entire distribution device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a main cross-sectional view of the sorting device shown in FIG. 1 as seen from the traveling direction of the conveyor.

FIG. 3 is a conventional sorting device.

[Explanation of supplements]

1 belt conveyor 2 discharge chute 3 fluid cylinder 4 discharge plate 5 roller 6 rails 7 arms 8 articles 9 frames 10 Drive motor 11 belts 13 Article detection sensor

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Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A chute for discharging defective products is provided on both sides of the transfer conveyor, and a discharge plate reciprocally movable in a direction orthogonal to the transfer direction is provided on an upper surface of the transfer conveyor, and the chute is upstream of the transfer conveyor. If the carried-in article is a non-defective article, the article is directly conveyed to the downstream of the conveyor, and if the carried-in article is a defective article, the discharging plate discharges the article to the chute. . 2. Each time a defective product is discharged by a discharge plate that is reciprocally movable to discharge defective products to both sides of the conveyor, the discharge plate stops at the discharge position where the defective product has been discharged. At the same time, the discharging plate stands by at the discharging position in preparation for the next discharging operation. 3. The sorting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the discharge plate, which is reciprocally movable to discharge defective products on both sides of the conveyor, is driven by a fluid cylinder.