JP2005289545A - Aligning and feeding device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an aligning and feeding device capable of surely regulating its height direction irrespective of a carrying state of an object to be aligned. <P>SOLUTION: The aligning and feeding device has an aligning and carrying mechanism 20 for aligning and discharging the object P to be aligned supplied from the outside while guiding it from an upstream side of a carrying direction to a downstream side, a nozzle 23 for discharging compressed air toward a position higher than height of one step of the object P to be aligned which is carried by the aligning and carrying mechanism 20 and toward a direction crossing the carrying direction, and a compressed air feeding mechanism for feeding compressed air to the nozzle 23. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an alignment supply device that aligns and discharges alignment objects supplied from the outside while guiding them.

  The alignment supply device is provided in, for example, an automatic inspection device or an automatic packaging device, and aligns the postures of inspection objects and packaging objects (alignment objects) supplied into the apparatus in a line. After that, it is configured to be carried out to the next process (outside). Examples of the inspection object and the packaging object include relatively small articles such as resin pellets, electronic parts such as button batteries, pharmaceuticals such as tablets and capsules, and small confectionery such as candy. As such an alignment supply device, a device disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 3-95315 is conventionally known.

  As shown in FIG. 15, the aligning and supplying apparatus 100 includes a turntable 101 that rotates in the direction indicated by an arrow around a rotation center axis along a vertical direction, and an arcuate shape that is disposed above the outer periphery of the turntable 101. An outer periphery guide 102, a carry-out guide 103 connected to the guide end of the outer periphery guide 102, and first, second and third guide plates 107, 108 arranged from the rotation center side of the turntable 101 toward the outer periphery side, 109, a regulating member 111 that regulates the height direction of the alignment target H, a rotating roller 112 that returns the alignment target H to the inside of the turntable 101, and the like.

  The first, second, and third guide plates 107, 108, and 109 are respectively supported by a support member 110 that is non-rotatably provided at the rotation center position of the turntable 101. The alignment target H supplied above and conveyed in the direction of the arrow is guided toward the outer periphery of the turntable 101.

  The outer peripheral guide 102 is formed such that the distance between the inner peripheral surface of the turntable 101 and the rotation center axis of the turntable 101 gradually decreases from the vicinity of the center to the guide end, and the guide plates 107, 108, The alignment object H guided by 109 to the outer peripheral side of the turntable 101 is aligned while being guided along the inner peripheral surface.

  The unloading guide 103 has one end connected to the guide end of the outer periphery guide 102 and the other end extending toward the outside of the turntable 101, and a linear first guide member 104 and the first guide. A row of alignment objects which are composed of second linear guide members 105 arranged in parallel and facing each other in the same horizontal plane with a predetermined distance from the member 104, and are in sliding contact with the inner peripheral surface of the outer peripheral guide 102 and aligned. H is introduced between the first guide member 104 and the second guide member 105 and guided toward the outside of the turntable 101.

  The regulating member 111 is a flat plate member, and is disposed above the turntable 101 from the guide end of the outer periphery guide 102 to the one end of the first guide member 104 at a predetermined interval. The height direction of the alignment target object H aligned by 102 is regulated, and only the one-stage alignment target object H is passed. Specifically, the alignment object Ha above the second stage of the alignment object H stacked in two or more stages is dropped down (see FIG. 16A), or the upright alignment object Hb is removed. Lay sideways (see FIG. 16B) to arrange the alignment objects H in one row.

  The rotating roller 112 is provided between the restricting member 111 and the second guide member 105, and rotates in the direction opposite to the rotating direction of the turntable 101 (in the direction indicated by the arrow) around the rotation center axis along the vertical direction. ) Is configured to rotate. Then, the rotating roller 112 bounces and moves an alignment target object (an alignment target object to be excluded) other than the alignment target object H that is conveyed in sliding contact with the first guide member 104 to the inside of the turntable 101.

  According to the conventional alignment supply device 100 configured as described above, when the alignment target H is supplied from the supply device 113 onto the turntable 101, the supplied alignment target H is rotated by the turntable 101. , And is guided by the first guide plate 107 and the second guide plate 108 to move toward the outer periphery of the turntable 101, and then 1 to 3 along the inner peripheral surface of the outer guide 102. It will be in the state where it was arranged about the line.

  The aligned objects H thus aligned next pass below the regulating member 111, and at that time, the regulated object 111 is laid down and arranged in one row by the regulating member 111. The object H is bounced toward the center side of the turntable 101 by the rotating roller 112, whereby the alignment objects H are aligned in a row and in a row.

  Then, the alignment objects H aligned in one row and one row are introduced between the first guide member 104 and the second guide member 105 from the introduction portion 106 of the carry-out guide 103, and to the outside of the turntable 101. It is carried out towards.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 3-95315

  However, in the above-described conventional alignment supply apparatus 100, the alignment object H to be conveyed comes into contact with the regulating member 111, so that the height direction is regulated and arranged in one step. Depending on the alignment state (conveyance state) of H, there is a problem that the alignment object H is clogged between the regulating member 111 and the turntable 101. Moreover, when the alignment target object H does not have a regular shape, for example, a resin pellet, but has an irregular shape, such a problem is likely to occur.

  When such clogging occurs, the alignment target object H cannot be carried out to the outside, and the alignment target object H supplied from the supply device 113 accumulates in the alignment supply device 100. There is also a possibility that the problem will develop into a larger problem (for example, a problem that the drive motor that rotates the turntable 101 is overloaded and the drive motor breaks down).

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an alignment supply apparatus capable of reliably regulating the height direction without being influenced by the conveyance state of alignment objects. To do.

To achieve the above object, the present invention provides:
Aligning and conveying means for aligning and discharging the alignment object supplied from the outside while guiding from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction;
A nozzle that discharges compressed air toward a position that is higher than the height of one step of the alignment object that is conveyed by the alignment conveyance means and that intersects the conveyance direction;
And a compressed air supply means for supplying the compressed air to the nozzles.

  According to the present invention, first, the alignment object is supplied from the outside to the alignment conveying means. The supplied alignment objects are usually in one stage, but depending on the supply state from the outside, they may be stacked in two or more stages. Compressed air is supplied from the compressed air supply means to the nozzle, and the compressed air is discharged from the nozzle toward a position above the height of one stage of the alignment target and in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the alignment target. Has been.

  Thereafter, the supplied alignment objects are aligned while being guided and conveyed from the upstream side toward the downstream side in the conveyance direction by the alignment conveyance means. At this time, the one-stage alignment object passes below the compressed air flow discharged from the nozzle. However, in the alignment object in the stacked state, the second-stage or more alignment objects cross this compressed air flow. For this reason, it is dropped (blowed off) by the compressed air flow and arranged in one step.

  Then, after the alignment target object is conveyed to the downstream side in the conveyance direction, it is appropriately discharged from the alignment conveyance means.

  The aligning / conveying means comprises a long and flat plate-like member, and has a recess formed along the longitudinal direction on the upper surface thereof for guiding and aligning the objects to be aligned. The bottom surface of the concave portion is formed to be inclined toward one end side in the width direction of the conveying member, and the depth of the concave portion is equal to or more than the second stage of the alignment target object in the stacked state. A conveying member set to project from the upper surface and configured to guide the alignment object along the concave wall surface on the one end side; and imparting vibration to the conveying member, and Vibration applying means for moving the alignment target object in one direction, and the nozzle is disposed above the transport member, and extends along the upper surface of the transport member and from the one end side toward the opposite side. Configured to discharge the compressed air. Even though it may.

  If it does in this way, an alignment target object will be supplied on a conveyance member and a vibration will be given to a conveyance member by a vibration provision means. The alignment objects supplied onto the transport member move from the upstream side toward the downstream side in the transport direction along the concave portion of the transport member due to vibration applied to the transport member, and are discharged from the transport member. .

  At this time, the alignment objects are brought closer to the concave wall surface in the direction of inclination (one end side in the conveying member width direction) due to the inclination of the concave bottom surface, and move and align in contact therewith. Further, the one-stage alignment object does not protrude from the upper surface on the one end side of the conveying member, but the alignment object in the second layer or more protrudes from the upper surface of the alignment object in the stacked state. As a result, the second and higher aligned objects are blown off by the flow of compressed air discharged from the nozzle along the upper surface of the conveying member and from the one end side toward the opposite side, and the stacked state is released. Is done.

  Further, the conveying member drops a member other than the alignment target object that is larger than the alignment target object and is in contact with the concave wall surface on the one end side, on the bottom surface of the recess spaced from the recess wall surface on the one end side. The nozzle is disposed above the conveying member in the vicinity of the through hole, and is configured to discharge the compressed air from the one end side toward the upper side of the through hole. Also good.

  In this way, in the process of guiding and aligning the alignment target object, the alignment target object blown off by the compressed air discharged from the nozzle falls from the through hole and is removed from the recess. In addition, alignment objects that are not in contact with the wall surface of the recess also fall from the through holes and are excluded from the inside of the recess, and only one row of alignment objects that are in contact with the wall surface of the recess and aligned are guided and conveyed downstream in the conveyance direction. .

  Moreover, it is preferable that the said alignment supply apparatus is further provided with the guide member which guides the alignment target object blown away by the compressed air discharged from this nozzle in the position facing the said nozzle in the said through-hole.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the said alignment supply apparatus is further provided with the collection | recovery means arrange | positioned under the through-hole of the said conveyance member, and collect | recovering the alignment target object which fell from this through-hole.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the said alignment supply apparatus is further provided with the recirculation | reflux means which recirculates the alignment target object collect | recovered by the said collection | recovery means to the upstream rather than the conveyance direction upstream in the said conveyance member.

  Thus, according to the aligning and supplying apparatus according to the present invention, the aligned objects are arranged in one stage and the height thereof is regulated by the compressed air discharged from the nozzles (that is, without contact with the aligned objects). Therefore, unlike the conventional case where the height of the alignment object is regulated by contact with the regulating member, the alignment object is not clogged, and the height can be regulated reliably. Moreover, the height regulation can be effectively performed regardless of the shape of the alignment target object.

  In addition, if the through hole is provided in the bottom surface of the recess, the alignment object blown off by the compressed air flow and the alignment object that is not in contact with the recess wall surface can be dropped from the through hole. Only the alignment objects aligned in contact with the wall surface and arranged in a row can be discharged out of the alignment supply device.

  Further, if the guide member is provided, the blown-up alignment target object can be reliably guided into the through hole by the guide member. For example, the blown-up alignment target object is aligned from the through hole. Thus, it is possible to effectively prevent the sheet from being discharged out of the conveying member.

  Further, if the collecting means is provided, the collecting objects that have fallen from the through holes can be collected in one place by the collecting means.

  Further, if the reflux means is provided, the reflux means automatically returns the alignment object collected by the collection means to the upstream side including the upstream side in the transport direction of the transport member, and is eliminated. The object can be put on the alignment process again.

  Hereinafter, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12 of the accompanying drawings. In this example, resin pellets are used as inspection objects (alignment objects), but the present invention is not limited to this, and small items such as electronic parts such as button batteries, pharmaceuticals such as tablets and capsules, and small confectionery such as candy. An article can be an inspection object.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the appearance inspection apparatus 1 of the present example includes a transport mechanism unit 10 that transports resin pellets that are collectively loaded in a plurality of rows (eight rows in this example), and the transport mechanism unit 10. The first inspection mechanism unit 45 and the second inspection mechanism unit 55 that inspect the appearance of the resin pellets P disposed and conveyed along the inspection results of the first inspection mechanism unit 45 and the second inspection mechanism unit 55 are shown. Based on the above, a defective product collecting mechanism 60 that sucks and removes defective products from the conveyed resin pellets P, a good product collecting mechanism 75 that collects non-defective resin pellets P, and negative pressure is applied to the transport mechanism 10 and the like. Exhaust pump 70 to be supplied, operation control unit 81 for controlling operations of the transport mechanism unit 10, the first and second inspection mechanism units 45 and 55, the defective product recovery mechanism unit 60, the exhaust pump 70, etc., and two upper and lower stages This support structure is equipped with And the like supporting frame 2 which supports the respective parts.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 12, the transport mechanism unit 10 includes a funnel-shaped supply hopper 11 into which a large number of resin pellets P are charged at once, a supply block 12 connected to the lower end thereof, and a supply block 12. A first vibration feeder 13 that diffuses and conveys the discharged resin pellets P, a second vibration feeder 17 that conveys the resin pellets P discharged from the first vibration feeder 13 in eight rows, and a second vibration The first suction transport device 30 and the second suction transport device 50 that sequentially suck and linearly transport the eight rows of resin pellets P discharged from the feeder 17, and the drive motor 42 and the second suction motor 30 of the first suction transport device 30. It comprises a speed monitoring device 51 that monitors the rotational speed of a drive motor (not shown) of the suction conveyance device 50.

  The first vibration feeder 13 is placed and fixed on the base 14, the vibrator 15 disposed on the base 14, and the vibrator 15 so as to be inclined downward toward the downstream side in the transport direction. The feed block 12 is fixed to the upstream end of the feed plate 16 in the transport direction.

  A supply path is formed inside the supply block 12, and a lower end portion of the supply hopper 11 is connected to an upper end portion of the supply path so that the interior and the supply path communicate with each other.

  Thus, the resin pellet P supplied into the supply hopper 11 penetrates into the supply path of the supply block 12 from the lower end opening of the supply hopper 11, and due to vibration propagated from the vibrator 15 to the supply block 12, The feed path moves toward the feed plate 16 and is supplied onto the feed plate 16. Then, the resin pellets P supplied onto the feed plate 16 are diffused (widened) in the width direction of the feed plate 16 (direction perpendicular to the conveying direction) by vibrations propagated from the vibrator 15 to the feed plate 16. While moving toward the second vibration feeder 17, it is discharged to the second vibration feeder 17.

  Similar to the first vibration feeder 13, the second vibration feeder (alignment conveying means) 17 includes a base 18, a vibrator (vibration applying means) 19 disposed on the base 18, and a downstream side in the conveying direction. And a rectifying plate (conveying member) 20 mounted and fixed on the vibrator 19 so as to be inclined downward.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 to 9, the rectifying plate 20 is made of a plate-like member, and the upper surface of the rectifying plate 20 has eight rows each having a substantially V-shaped cross section formed by the vertical surface 20 b and the inclined surface 20 c. A straight conveyance path (concave portion) 20a is provided, and the conveyance path 20a on the downstream side in the conveyance direction is provided with a long hole-shaped discharge hole (through hole) 20d penetrating the front and back surfaces. In addition, the depth of the conveyance path 20a composed of the vertical surface 20b and the inclined surface 20c is higher than the second step when the conveyed resin pellets P are in a multi-layered state as shown in FIG. The resin pellet P has a depth that protrudes upward from the upper end of the rectifying plate 20. The position and width of the discharge hole 20d in the width direction of the transport path 20a and the width dimension thereof are such that other than the resin pellets P that are transported in contact with the vertical surface 20b fall into the discharge hole 20d. It is a dimension.

  As described above, the resin pellet P discharged from the first vibration feeder 13 is supplied onto the rectifying plate 20, and the first rectifying plate 20 is vibrated from the vibrator 19 to the rectifying plate 20. It is conveyed toward the suction conveyance device 30. At that time, the resin pellets P supplied onto the rectifying plate 20 enter the respective conveying paths 20a formed on the upper surface thereof, and are moved toward the vertical surface 20b side by the action of the inclined surface 20c, while the first adsorption is performed. The resin pellets P that are transported toward the transport device 30 and are not in contact with the vertical surface 20b in the transport process fall into the discharge holes 20d and are discharged out of the transport system, and are transported in contact with the vertical surface 20b. Only one row of resin pellets P reaches the downstream end of conveyance.

  Above the discharge hole 20d, a stack release mechanism that removes the resin pellet P that is transported on the transport path 20a above the second stage in a multi-layered state from the discharge hole 20d to the outside of the transport system. 21 is provided, and a reflux mechanism 26 connected to the supply hopper 11 is provided below the discharge hole 20d.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 10, the delamination mechanism 21 is connected to an air supply pipe 22 connected to a compressed air supply source (not shown) and a lower end portion of the air supply pipe 22, and receives compressed air from its tip opening. The L-shaped nozzle 23 to be discharged and the same L-shaped guide plate 24 arranged in front of the nozzle 23 in the discharge direction are set as one set, and the eight sets are individually associated with the respective transport paths 20a. The provided structure is provided. The air supply pipe 22 and the nozzle 23 are divided into two groups, with the four sets as one group, and for each group, each set constituting the group is arranged at a position slightly shifted along the transport direction. In addition, each air supply pipe 22 is supported by a support plate 25 provided above the rectifying plate 20, and each nozzle 23 has a tip opening located in the vicinity of the upper end of the vertical surface 20b of the corresponding conveyance path 20a. Each guide plate 24 is disposed such that the lower end thereof comes into contact with the upper end position of the inclined surface 20c of the corresponding conveying path 20a.

  As described above, the resin pellets P supplied from the first vibration feeder 13 onto the rectifying plate 20 are aligned in a line for each transport path 20a by the action of the discharge holes 20d during the transport process. Depending on the supply state from the vibration feeder 13, these may be stacked in two or more stages. In this case, when passing through the vicinity of the nozzle 23, the resin pellet P above the second stage is blown off to the guide plate 24 side facing this by the air flow discharged from the nozzle 23. 24 is guided into the discharge hole 20d and discharged out of the transport system.

  Thus, the resin pellets P supplied from the first vibration feeder 13 are aligned in a single row by the action of the discharge holes 20d and the stack release mechanism 21 in each transport path 20a and reach the transport downstream end.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 11, the reflux mechanism 26 is connected to a recovery hopper 26a provided below the discharge hole 20d and a lower end portion of the recovery hopper 26a, and a reflux path 26c formed therein is recovered. A block 26b provided so as to communicate with the inside of the hopper 26a, one end is appropriately connected to a compressed air supply source, and the other end is attached to a mounting hole 26d communicating with the reflux path 26c of the block 26b, and provided at the tip thereof. A distal end portion of the L-shaped nozzle 26f is disposed in a state of entering the reflux path 26c, and a compressed air supply pipe 26e for supplying compressed air from the compressed air supply source into the reflux path 26c, and one end thereof A reflux pipe 26g is disposed above the supply hopper 11 and connected to the block 26b so that the other end is connected to the reflux path 26c. The reflux mechanism 26 functions as a recovery unit and a reflux unit as defined in the claims.

  The resin pellet P discharged from the discharge hole 20d to the outside of the transport system is recovered in a recovery hopper 26a provided below the recovered resin pellet P, and the recovered resin pellet P is compressed by compressed air supplied from the compressed air supply source. The inside of the reflux path 26 c and the reflux pipe 26 g is pumped and refluxed into the supply hopper 11.

  The second vibratory feeder 17, the destacking mechanism 21 and the reflux mechanism 26 function as an aligning and feeding device as defined in the claims.

  As shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 12, the first suction conveyance device 30 includes a driving pulley 37 and a driven pulley 38 that are arranged in parallel at a predetermined interval, and between the driving pulley 37 and the driven pulley 38. A driven pulley 39 disposed below the intermediate portion, an endless V-belt 40 wound around the driving pulley 37 and the driven pulleys 38, 39, and a V pulley provided between the driving pulley 37 and the driven pulley 38. A guide plate 34 that guides the travel of the belt 40, frames 31 and 32 that support the guide plate 34 and rotatably support the driving pulley 37 and the driven pulleys 38 and 39, a lower surface of the guide plate 34, and a frame Drives for driving a driving pulley 37 and a plate-like wall body 33 which is fixed in an airtight manner on the mutually opposing surfaces of 31 and 32 and forms an internal space together with the guide plate 34 and the frames 31 and 32. It consists over data 42, the negative pressure box 41 with the internal space by the guide plate 34, a frame 31, 32 and the wall 33 is formed.

  The frame 31 is formed with an exhaust hole 35 penetrating the front and back at the center thereof, and an exhaust pipe 36 connected to the exhaust pump 70 is connected to the exhaust hole 35. The air in the negative pressure box 41 is exhausted through the exhaust hole 35 and the exhaust hole 35, and the negative pressure box 41 becomes negative pressure.

  The driving pulley 37 and the driven pulleys 38 and 39 each have a total of eight pairs of annular V-grooves having two pairs on the outer periphery (39a in FIG. 4 is the V-groove of the driven pulley 39, and the driving pulley 37 and the driven pulley 39). Since the illustration of the V-groove of the pulley 38 is omitted, hereinafter, the reference numerals of the V-groove are omitted), and the V-grooves are arranged so as to face each other. Further, the guide plate 34 has eight pairs of V-shaped guide grooves 34a on the upper surface thereof along straight lines connecting the V grooves of the driving pulley 37 and the V grooves of the driven pulley 38 facing each other. Is formed. Then, eight pairs of the V belts 40 are paired with the driving pulley 37 and the driven pulleys 38 and 39, respectively, and the driving pulley 37 and the driven pulley are engaged with the guide grooves 34a of the guide plate 34, respectively. It is wound around pulleys 38 and 39.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the V groove of the driving pulley 37 and the driven pulleys 38 and 39 and the guide groove 34 a of the guide plate 34 are formed to have the same V shape and the V belt 40. Both inner side surfaces and bottom surface of the V groove, both inner side surfaces 34b, 34c and bottom surface 34d of the guide groove 34a, and both outer side surfaces 40a, 40b and lower surface 40c of the V belt 40 are in contact with each other.

  Further, on the lower surface of the guide plate 34, a long groove 34g is formed along the longitudinal direction at a position corresponding to each of the pair of guide grooves 34a, 34a. The bottom surface of the long groove 34g (the state shown in FIG. 5) In FIG. 5, a long groove 34f is formed along the upper surface of the pair of guide grooves 34a and 34a, and the bottom surface of the long groove 34f (the upper surface in the state shown in FIG. A plurality of slit-like intake holes 34e are formed in a line. In addition, a plurality of round hole-shaped through holes 34h that open to the bottom surface of the long groove 34g are formed in a row on the bottom surface of each guide groove 34a.

  The operation of the drive motor 42 is controlled by the operation control unit 81 as shown in FIG. 12, and the operation control unit 81 receives a signal relating to a speed (for example, low speed, medium speed and Based on the current speed signal (number of pulses) detected by the rotary encoder 43 attached to the drive motor 42) A control signal is generated, and the generated control signal is transmitted to the drive motor 42 to control it.

  According to the first suction conveyance device 30, when the air in the negative pressure box 41 is exhausted by the exhaust pump 70 and the negative pressure box 41 becomes negative pressure, the pair of V belts 40 are connected via the intake holes 34e. , 40 acts as a negative pressure. Further, under the control of the operation control unit 81, the driving pulley 42 is driven by the drive motor 42, whereby the V belt wound around the driving pulley 37 and the driven pulleys 38 and 39 is rotated. Then, when the resin pellets P of each row aligned by the second vibration feeder as described above are supplied on each pair of V belts so as to straddle them, between the V belts 40 and 40, respectively. Due to the acting negative pressure, the lower surface of the resin pellet P is attracted and held on the pair of V belts 40 and 40 and is conveyed by the V belts 40 and 40 in the traveling direction. Thus, in the first first suction conveyance device 30, eight rows of suction conveyance paths are formed by eight pairs of V belts.

  Further, the negative pressure in the negative pressure box 41 acts on the bottom surface of each guide groove 34a through the through hole 34h, and the lower surface of the V-belt 40 that runs while being guided by the negative pressure box 41 is sucked by this negative pressure. The vertical displacement of the V-belt 40 is prevented, and the V-belt 40 travels in a stable state.

  The second suction transfer device 50 has the same configuration as the first suction transfer device 30 and will not be described in detail. However, as shown in FIG. Provided on the upper surface of the resin pellets P in each row adsorbed and conveyed by the first adsorption conveyance device 30. The upper surface of the resin pellets P is arranged to be opposed to the conveyance downstream end of the first adsorption conveyance device 30. They are sucked and transported in a suspended state. In addition, at the conveyance downstream end of this 2nd adsorption conveyance apparatus 50, the adsorption | suction is cancelled | released and the resin pellet P is discharge | released by an inertia in the movement direction.

  The speed monitoring device 51 includes a reference data storage unit 52 and a speed monitoring unit 53, and includes a drive motor 42 of the first suction transfer device 30 and a drive motor (not shown) of the second suction transfer device 50. By monitoring the rotational speeds, the traveling speeds of the V belt 40 of the first suction conveyance device 30 and the V belt of the second suction conveyance device 50 are monitored. In the following description, the case where the rotational speed of the drive motor 42 of the first suction conveyance device 30 is monitored will be described, but the drive motor (not shown) of the second suction conveyance device 50 is monitored in the same manner. .

  In the reference data storage unit 52, the number of pulses to be detected by the rotary encoder 43 when the drive motor 42 rotates at low speed, medium speed, and high speed, respectively, is the reference pulse number at each speed. Stored in advance for each speed.

  The speed monitoring unit 53 receives the speed signal appropriately input from the outside and the number of pulses detected by the rotary encoder 43 from the operation control unit 81, and based on the received speed signal, the reference data storage unit 52 The number of detected pulses is compared with the number of detected reference pulses by comparing the received number of detected pulses with the number of recognized reference pulses. Check if it is within a certain range.

  When the speed monitoring unit 53 confirms that the speed is not within a certain range, the speed monitoring unit 53 determines that a problem has occurred in the drive motor 42, the V-belt 40, and the like, and stops the rotation of the drive motor 42. Then, an alarm process such as transmitting a stop signal to the operation control unit 81 is executed. The operation control unit 81 stops the rotation of the drive motor 42 when receiving a stop signal from the speed monitoring unit 53.

  The first inspection mechanism unit 45 is provided above the first suction conveyance device 30, and a CCD camera 46 that images the upper surface of the resin pellet P sucked and conveyed by the first adsorption conveyance device 30, and the CCD camera 46 Illumination devices 47 and 47 that illuminate the imaging region, and a first inspection processing unit 82 that analyzes the image of the resin pellet P imaged by the CCD camera 46 and determines its quality.

  Similarly, the second inspection mechanism unit 55 is provided below the second suction transfer device 50, and a CCD camera 56 that images the lower surface of the resin pellet P sucked and transferred by the second suction transfer device 50, and this Illumination devices 57 and 57 that illuminate the imaging region of the CCD camera 56, and a second inspection processing unit 83 that analyzes the image of the resin pellet P imaged by the CCD camera 56 and determines its quality.

  The first inspection processing unit 82 and the second inspection processing unit 83 are provided in the control panel 80 together with the speed monitoring device 51 and the operation control unit 81. When a defective product is detected, the suction conveyance path that has detected the defective product. The defective product detection signal including the information related to the above is transmitted to the operation control unit 81.

  The defective product collection mechanism 60 is provided on the downstream side of the CCD camera 46 in the transport direction and above the first suction transport device 30, and is positioned above the pair of V belts 40 and 40, respectively. A suction body 62 having eight suction nozzles for sucking and removing the resin pellets P sucked and transported by the V belts 40 and 40, a downstream side in the transport direction from the CCD camera 56, and the second suction transport device 50 And a suction body 64 provided with eight suction nozzles that are positioned below each pair of V belts and suck and remove the resin pellets P sucked and conveyed by the V belts, The defective product collection box 61 connected to the negative pressure source as appropriate, the pipe 63 connecting the defective product collection box 61 and the suction body 62, and the defective product collection box 61 and the suction body 64 are connected to each other. Piping 65, solenoid valves (not shown) that are respectively connected to the pipes that branch from the pipe 63 and are connected to the suction nozzles of the suction body 62, and the suction bodies 64 that branch from the pipe 65 It consists of a solenoid valve (not shown) interposed in each pipe connected to the nozzle.

  The operation of each solenoid valve (not shown) is controlled by the operation control unit 81, and the operation control unit 81 receives a defective product detection signal from the first inspection processing unit 82 and the second inspection processing unit 83. Then, after a predetermined time has elapsed from this reception (after the resin pellet P is imaged by the CCD cameras 46 and 56, it is the time until it reaches each suction nozzle, which is set in advance by experience). The electromagnetic valve (not shown) which concerns on this is opened, and a negative pressure is made to act on the suction nozzle corresponding to this. As a result, the defective resin pellet P is sucked from the suction nozzle and is collected in the defective product collection box 61 through the pipes 63 and 65.

  The non-defective product recovery mechanism unit 75 is provided on the movement path of the resin pellets P discharged from the second suction conveyance device 50, and is installed in the vicinity of the recovery hopper 78 for recovering the discharged resin pellets P and the support frame 2. A recovery box 76 having one end connected to the recovery hopper 78 and another end connected to the recovery hopper 78 and collecting the resin pellet P recovered in the recovery hopper 78 into the non-defective product recovery box 76. Become.

  The support frame 2 is covered with a cover (not shown).

  According to the appearance inspection apparatus 1 of the present example having the above-described configuration, first, a large number of resin pellets P are collectively charged into the supply hopper 11. The supplied resin pellet P enters the supply path of the supply block 12 from the lower end opening of the supply hopper 11, and the inside of the supply path is directed toward the feed plate 16 due to vibration propagated from the vibrator 15 to the supply block 12. And moved toward the second vibration feeder 17 while diffusing in the width direction of the feed plate 16 due to vibrations that are supplied onto the feed plate 16 and propagated from the vibrator 15 to the feed plate 16. It is discharged to the second vibration feeder 17.

  The resin pellets P discharged from the first vibration feeder 13 are then supplied onto the rectifying plate 20 and are propagated on the rectifying plate 20 from the vibrator 19 to the rectifying plate 20. It is conveyed toward. At that time, the resin pellets P enter the respective transport paths 20a, and are transported toward the first suction transport device 30 while being moved toward the vertical surface 20b by the action of the inclined surface 20c. The resin pellets P that are not in contact with the vertical surface 20b fall into the discharge hole 20d and are discharged out of the transport system, and those stacked in multiple stages are those above the second stage, which are the stack release mechanism 21. Are blown off by the air flow discharged from the nozzles 23 and discharged from the discharge holes 20d to the outside of the transfer system, aligned in a single row in each transfer path 20a, and reach the transfer downstream end.

  On the other hand, the resin pellets P discharged from the discharge hole 20d to the outside of the transport system are collected by a collection hopper 26a provided below, and from the collection hopper 26a to the supply hopper 11 through a reflux path 26c and a reflux pipe 26g. The mixture is refluxed and supplied again onto the feed plate 16 of the first vibration feeder 13.

  The resin pellet P that has reached the conveyance downstream end of the first vibration feeder 13 is then supplied to the pair of V belts 40, 40 constituting the first suction conveyance device 30 so as to straddle the V pellets. The lower surface is attracted and held on the pair of V belts 40, 40 by the negative pressure acting between the 40, 40, and is conveyed in the traveling direction by the V belts 40, 40.

  Then, while being conveyed by the first suction conveyance device 30, the upper surface is inspected by the first inspection mechanism unit 45, and the resin pellet P determined to be defective is recovered from the suction body 62 via the pipe 63 as a defective product. Only the resin pellets P collected in the box 61 and determined to be non-defective products reach the conveyance downstream end of the first suction conveyance device 30.

  The resin pellet P that has reached the downstream end of conveyance of the first suction conveyance device 30 is then delivered to the second adsorption conveyance device 50, and the upper surface is adsorbed by the second adsorption conveyance device 50 and suspended. In the transport process, the lower surface is inspected by the second inspection mechanism unit 55, and the resin pellets P determined to be defective are recovered from the suction body 64 through the pipe 65 into the defective product recovery box 61, Only the determined resin pellet P is discharged from the second suction conveyance device 50 and is collected in the non-defective product collection box 76 through the collection hopper 78 and the collection pipe 77.

  During the operation of the appearance inspection apparatus 1, the traveling speed of the V belt 40 of the first suction conveyance apparatus 30 is monitored by the speed monitoring device 51, and when this is not within the predetermined speed range, the drive motor 42. It is determined that some problem has occurred in the V belt 40 and the like, and the rotation of the drive motor 42 is stopped via the operation control unit 81. This also applies to the V belt of the second suction conveyance device 50.

  As described above, the traveling speed of the V-belt 40 is monitored when the resin pellet P is moved by the CCD cameras 46 and 56 when a deviation of a certain speed or more occurs between the actual speed and the preset speed. After the image is taken, the time until it reaches the suction nozzles of the suction bodies 62 and 64 of the defective product collection mechanism section 60 changes, and the opening timing of the solenoid valve (not shown) becomes inconsistent, resulting in defective resin pellets. This is because P cannot be sucked and collected.

  Further, since the CCD cameras 46 and 56 of the inspection mechanisms 45 and 55 are CCD cameras 46 and 56 as line sensors, scanning in the transport direction of the resin pellet P is performed by moving the resin pellet P. This is because if the actual speed becomes too high from a preset speed, the imaging resolution is lowered and it is difficult to detect a defect such as a foreign object.

  As described above in detail, according to the appearance inspection apparatus 1 of this example, the resin pellets P are arranged in one step by the air discharged from the nozzles 23 (that is, without contact with the resin pellets P), and the height thereof Since the height of the resin pellet P is regulated by contact with the regulating member 111, the height of the resin pellet P is not clogged and the height can be regulated reliably. it can. Moreover, even if it is an unusual accessory article which does not have a regular shape like the resin pellet P, the height regulation can be performed effectively.

  Moreover, since the discharge hole 20d is provided on the conveyance path 20a of the rectifying plate 20, the resin pellet P blown off by the air discharged from the nozzle 23 and the resin pellet not in contact with the vertical surface 20c of the conveyance path 20a Since P can be discharged from the discharge hole 20d to the outside of the transport system, only the resin pellets P that are aligned in contact with the vertical surface 20c and are arranged in a row can be discharged to the first adsorption transport device 30. it can.

  Further, since the guide plate 24 is provided in front of the discharge direction of the air discharged from the nozzle 23, the resin pellets P blown by the air can be reliably guided into the discharge hole 20d, for example, blown off. It is possible to effectively prevent the resin pellets P from being discharged from the discharge holes 20d to the first suction conveyance device 30 in an unaligned state.

  In addition, since the reflux mechanism 26 is provided, the resin pellets P discharged from the discharge holes 20d can be collected and automatically returned to the supply hopper 11 to be put on the alignment conveyance process again.

  Further, since the speed monitoring device 51 is provided, the defective resin pellet P can be reliably detected, and the detected defective resin pellet P can be reliably recovered and eliminated.

  By the way, the endless V-belt 40 is not necessarily finished with a uniform circumferential length, and varies within a predetermined allowable range. Therefore, the V-belt 40 with a short circumference and a strong tension acts in a state where the V-belt 40 has entered the V groove 39a as compared with the V-belt 40 with a long circumference and a weak tension. The problem is that the resin pellets P adsorbed on the V-belt 40 rotate due to this speed difference, and a difference in level is generated between the pair of V-belts 40, 40. The resulting resin pellet P becomes unstable, causing a problem that it easily vibrates due to disturbance.

  In this example, as described above, both inner side surfaces and bottom surfaces of the V grooves of the pulleys 37, 38, 39, both inner side surfaces 34b, 34c and bottom surfaces 34d of the guide grooves 34a, and both outer side surfaces 40a of the V belt 40 are used. 40b and the lower surface 40c are in contact with each other, regardless of the amount of tension acting on the V-belt 40, this may be displaced in the radial direction of the pulleys 37, 38, 39, or Therefore, the traveling speed of the pair of V-belts 40, 40 can be made substantially the same, and a step between the pair of V-belts 40, 40 can be achieved. As a result, the resin pellets P can be adsorbed and transported in a stable posture.

  In this example, since the negative pressure is applied to the bottom surface of each guide groove 34a and the lower surface of the V belt 40 is sucked by this negative pressure, the V belt 40 is not displaced in the vertical direction. In terms of meaning, the resin pellets P can be transported in a stable state.

  As mentioned above, although one Embodiment of this invention was described, the specific aspect which this invention can take is not limited to the thing of an upper example at all.

  For example, in the above example, the through hole 34h is provided to suck the lower surface of the V belt 40. However, when the vertical displacement of the V belt 40 is small, it is not necessary to provide the through hole 34h. .

  In the above example, the V-shaped dimension of the V-grooves of the pulleys 37, 38, 39 and the guide groove 34a of the guide plate 34 and the V-shaped dimension of the V belt 40 are formed to be the same dimension. The side surface and the bottom surface, and both the inner side surfaces 34b, 34c and the bottom surface 34d of the guide groove 34a and the both outer surfaces 40a, 40b and the lower surface 40c of the V-belt 40 are in contact with each other. As shown in FIG. 13, the V-shaped dimension of the V-groove and guide groove 34a is made larger than the V-shaped dimension of the V-belt 40, and the bottom surface 40d of the V-belt 40 and the bottom surface 34d of the V-groove and guide groove 34a May be in contact with each other, but may have a slight gap between the outer surface 40a of the V-belt 40 and the inner surface 34c of the V-groove and guide groove 34a.

  However, in this case, the V-belt 40 is likely to be displaced in a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction, and the traveling is likely to be shaken. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 13, the through-holes 34h are formed in each pair of guide grooves 34a. It is preferable to open to the bottom surface 34d and the inner side surface 34b on the side close to each other. In this way, the V-belt 40 can be caused to travel while being attracted to and slidably contacted with the bottom surface 34d of the guide groove 34a and the inner surface 34b adjacent to each other. It can be as stable as the example.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 13, the pair of V belts 40 exhibiting the suction conveyance function may be formed by forming a chamfered portion 40d on the upper edge portion of the opposite side of the belt. When the chamfered portion 40d is provided, the resin pellet P can be supported by the chamfered portion 40d. Therefore, even a deformed small article that does not have a regular shape such as a resin pellet can be stably adsorbed. It can be held, can be prevented from being displaced in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction, and the delivery from the first suction transport device 30 to the second suction transport device 50 can be made more stable. it can.

  In the above example, a plurality of slit-like intake holes 34e are provided in a single row. However, they may be connected to form a single slit, or may be provided in multiple rows. Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape of the hole is not limited to the slit shape, and various shapes such as a round hole and a square hole can be adopted. The same applies to the through-hole 34h, and various other shapes such as a slit shape and a square hole can be adopted, and one slit or a double row may be used.

  Further, in the above example, the delamination mechanism 21 is configured so as to cancel the laminated state of the resin pellets P conveyed by the second vibration feeder 17, but the present invention is not limited to this. As shown, the stacking state of the alignment objects H that are conveyed and aligned by the turntable 101 can also be released. 14 is different from the alignment supply apparatus 100 described above only in that the stacking release mechanism 91 is provided, and the other components are denoted by the same reference numerals. Therefore, the detailed explanation is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the destacking mechanism 91 is disposed on the guide end side of the outer peripheral guide 102, and discharges compressed air along the upper surface of the outer peripheral guide 102 and toward the center side of the turntable 101. The nozzle 93 and the compressed air supply source 92 which supplies compressed air to the nozzle 93 through piping suitably are provided. In addition, the height of the upper surface of the outer periphery guide 102 is set so that the 2nd step or more of the alignment target object H in the laminated state protrudes.

  Further, according to the destacking mechanisms 21 and 91, when the alignment target is a flat plate or a disk, the delamination state is canceled as shown in FIG. In addition, the alignment objects conveyed in an upright state can be laid down.

  As described above, the alignment supply device according to the present invention guides and aligns small articles such as resin pellets, electronic parts such as button batteries, pharmaceuticals such as tablets and capsules, and small confectionery such as candy. When discharging, it can be suitably used.

It is a front sectional view showing the whole appearance inspection device provided with the adsorption conveyance device concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the conveyance mechanism part which concerns on this embodiment. It is a front sectional view showing the 1st adsorption conveyance device concerning this embodiment. It is a sectional side view which shows the 1st adsorption conveyance apparatus which concerns on this embodiment, and is a sectional side view in the arrow AA direction in FIG. It is a sectional side view which shows the guide plate which concerns on this embodiment. It is a top view which shows the baffle plate which concerns on this embodiment. It is a front view which shows the baffle plate which concerns on this embodiment. It is a sectional side view which shows the baffle plate which concerns on this embodiment, and is a sectional side view in the arrow BB direction in FIG. It is a sectional side view which shows the baffle plate which concerns on this embodiment, and is a sectional side view of the arrow CC direction in FIG. It is a fragmentary sectional view which shows the delamination mechanism etc. which concern on this embodiment. It is a fragmentary sectional view showing a recovery hopper etc. concerning this embodiment. It is the block diagram which showed schematic structure, such as the speed monitoring apparatus which concerns on this embodiment. It is a sectional side view which shows the guide plate which concerns on the other form of this invention. It is the top view which showed the delamination mechanism etc. which concern on the other form of this invention. It is the top view which showed schematic structure of the alignment supply apparatus which concerns on a prior art example. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the structure and effect | action of a control member. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the structure and effect | action of a control member.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Appearance inspection apparatus 10 Conveyance mechanism part 13 1st vibration feeder 17 2nd vibration feeder 30 1st adsorption | suction conveyance apparatus 34 Guide plate 34a Guide groove 34e Intake hole 34h Through-hole 37 Drive pulley 38 Drive pulley 39 Drive pulley 40 V belt 41 Negative Pressure box 42 Drive motor 43 Rotary encoder 45 First inspection mechanism section 51 Speed monitoring device 52 Reference data storage section 53 Speed monitoring section 55 Second inspection mechanism section 60 Defective product collection mechanism section 70 Exhaust pump 75 Non-defective product collection mechanism section 81 Operation control Part

Claims (6)

Aligning and conveying means for aligning and discharging the alignment object supplied from the outside while guiding from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction;
A nozzle that discharges compressed air toward a position that is higher than the height of one step of the alignment object that is conveyed by the alignment conveyance means and that intersects the conveyance direction;
An alignment supply apparatus comprising: compressed air supply means for supplying the compressed air to the nozzles. The aligning and conveying means includes
A conveying member, which is composed of a long and flat member, and has a concave portion formed along the longitudinal direction for guiding and aligning the alignment objects on its upper surface, and the bottom surface of the concave portion is the conveying member. The concave portion is formed so as to incline toward one end in the width direction, and the depth of the concave portion is set so that the second or more steps of the alignment target object in the stacked state protrude from the upper surface on the one end side of the conveying member. A conveying member configured to guide the alignment object along the wall surface of the concave portion on the one end side;
Vibration imparting means for imparting vibration to the conveying member and moving the alignment target object in one direction along the concave portion;
The nozzle is disposed above the conveying member, and is configured to discharge the compressed air along the upper surface of the conveying member and from the one end side toward the opposite side. The alignment supply device according to claim 1. The conveying member penetrates through the bottom surface of the recess spaced apart from the wall surface of the recess on the one end side to drop objects other than the alignment target object that are larger than the alignment target object and abut on the recess wall surface on the one end side. With holes,
The nozzle is disposed above the conveying member in the vicinity of the through hole, and is configured to discharge the compressed air from the one end side toward the upper side of the through hole. Item 3. The alignment supply device according to Item 2.   The alignment supply apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising a guide member that guides an alignment object blown by compressed air discharged from the nozzle into the through hole at a position facing the nozzle.   The alignment supply apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a collection unit that is disposed below the through hole of the conveying member and collects an alignment target that has dropped from the through hole.   6. The aligning and feeding apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a recirculating unit that recirculates the alignment objects collected by the collecting unit to an upstream side including an upstream side in the conveying direction of the conveying member.

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