JP2006327771A - Sorting device and sorting method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sorting device capable of sorting articles, which are conveyed in order from a delivery end of a conveying device, at high speed. <P>SOLUTION: This sorting device 100 arranged in the delivery end 11A of the conveying device 11 to sort the articles A to a first and a second sorting destinations 12 and 14 has a first rotating body 1 having the center axis substantially crossing the article A delivering direction and arranged in the substantially horizontal direction freely to rotate around the center axis thereof. The first rotating body 1 is arranged to be loaded with the article A and to stop in the upward-horizontal condition or in the condition wherein the rotating body 1 is tilted in the article A conveying direction so that the article A glide. In the case wherein the article A on the rotating body 1 is not an object to be sorted, the first rotating body 1 is maintained in the stop condition to sort the article A to the first sorting destination 12, and in the case wherein the article A on the first rotating body 1 is an object to be sorted, a rotating device 7 is controlled to rotate the first rotating body 1 by the center angle corresponding to one side face of an equilateral polygonal column in the delivering direction to sort the article A to the second sorting destination 14. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a sorting apparatus disposed at a carry-out end of a transport apparatus that sequentially carries out articles one by one from the carry-out end and a method for sorting the same.

  In the sorting device transporting device arranged at the unloading end of the transporting device that sequentially unloads the articles one by one from the unloading end, as a method of sorting the placed articles, a method of pushing out the transporting path by an extrusion mechanism ( For example, see Patent Document 1 FIG. 5 and Patent Document 4), a method in which an arm-shaped member advances on the conveyance path and distributes articles (see, for example, Patent Document 1 FIG. 6 and Patent Document 4 FIG. 8), and airflow to the articles. A method of spraying and distributing (for example, see Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 4 in FIG. 9) and a method of distributing an article by lowering the carry-out end of the conveying device (for example, refer to Patent Document 3) are generally used.

In Patent Document 1, the rotating discharge plate rotates so as not to come into contact with the product in a steady state. For products to be separated, the rotation is delayed by changing the phase pattern of the rotation. And a discharge plate are brought into contact with each other, and a method for removing a product from a conveyance path is disclosed. In patent document 1, it is said that the product which distributes by this can be distributed correctly at high speed.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-35878 JP 2001-327930 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-178452 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-295714

  By the way, in recent years, the performance of detection devices for detecting defects or differences in articles installed on an article conveyance line has been improved. For example, the weighing speed of a weight sensor can be processed at a high speed of 600 pieces / minute or more. It has become to. Therefore, the sorting apparatus that sorts only the articles identified by obtaining the detection signals of the weight sensor is also required to increase the operation speed.

  However, for example, a method in which the arm-shaped member advances on the conveyance path and distributes the articles (see, for example, Patent Document 1 FIG. 6 and Patent Document 4 and FIG. 8) and a method in which the carry-out end of the conveyance device descends and distributes the articles ( For example, in Patent Document 3, the next article arrives at the sorting device before the advanced member or the unloading end returns to the original position, and the situation where the article cannot be sorted occurs.

  Moreover, in the method of distributing an article by blowing an air current (for example, see Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 4 in FIG. 9), the articles that can be distributed are limited to lightweight objects.

  Furthermore, in the method and apparatus according to Patent Document 1, since the products are sandwiched by the drive belt from both the upper and lower directions, the products to be sorted are limited to products that are thin and flexible, and lack versatility.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a sorting apparatus and a sorting method that can sort articles that are sequentially conveyed from the carry-out end of the conveying apparatus at high speed. Yes.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, since the articles are placed and transported on the floor on the transport path, the method of distributing the articles at high speed is to move the floor surface on which the articles are placed. I thought the method would be effective. Therefore, a method of distributing articles by temporarily inclining the tilting floor using the floor at a predetermined position on the transport path as a tiltable tiltable floor was studied. However, in such a tilting floor, it is necessary to return the tilting floor again after tilting the tilting floor and the articles to be sorted slide down on the tilting floor, and in such a two-step tilting operation, It was not possible to sufficiently follow the high transfer speed of about 300 pieces / minute to 600 pieces / minute. In addition, a large vibration is generated in the operation of reversing the tilt direction, and there is a concern about the influence on the weighing accuracy of the weight sensor.

  Conversely, a method was also examined in which the article to be distributed is flipped up just before the article to be distributed reaches the tilting floor, and the article is dropped into the hole formed by the tilting floor and distributed. However, even with this method, it is necessary to flip up the tilting floor after passing the article to be distributed and return the tilting floor to its original position before the article following the article to be distributed arrives. is there. That is, as described above, it was accompanied by insufficient follow-up to a high conveyance speed and generation of large vibrations.

  Therefore, the inventors have studied a sorting apparatus and a sorting method that can sort articles conveyed at high speed with only one step operation, and the inventors have created the present invention.

That is, the sorting device according to the present invention is a sorting device that is arranged at the carry-out end of the transport device that sequentially carries the articles from the carry-out end, and sorts the articles to the first and second sorting destinations.
A first rotation of a regular polygonal column or flat plate arranged with its central axis substantially orthogonal to the carrying-out direction of the article and oriented in a substantially horizontal direction and configured to be rotatable around the central axis Body,
A rotating device for rotating the first rotating body; a detecting device for detecting an article to be distributed;
A control device that controls the rotating device, and the first rotating body is mounted with an article on which a side surface of the regular polygonal column or a main surface of the flat plate of the first rotating body is unloaded from the unloading end. Placed in a state where the article slides in an upwardly horizontal state or tilted in the carry-out direction of the article so that the article slides, and the control device is configured such that the article on the first rotating body is not a target for sorting. The first rotating body is maintained in a stopped state and the article is distributed to a first distribution destination. When the article on the first rotating body is a distribution target, the rotating device is controlled. Then, the first rotating body is rotated so that the center angle corresponding to one side surface of the regular polygonal column or the flat plate is turned upside down in the carry-out direction, and the article is distributed to the second distribution destination (Claim 1). If comprised in this way, the 1st rotary body distributes the articles | goods to be distributed only by rotating for the center angle corresponding to one side of the regular polygonal column of a 1st rotary body or a flat plate in the carrying out direction of an article. Can do. That is, the sorting device of the present invention can sort at high speed with only one step of operation.

  In the sorting apparatus according to the present invention, the first rotating body may be a regular triangular prism.

  In the sorting device according to the present invention, the rotating device may have a pulse motor. If comprised in this way, since the rotational speed during rotation can be variably controlled, the possibility that the article will fly away from the side surface due to the rotational acceleration applied to the article can be suppressed. In addition, scattering of the article A placed on the upstream transport device or measurement error of the detection device can be suppressed by the wind pressure generated with the rotation of the rotating body.

  The sorting device according to the present invention is a regular polygonal prism configured to be rotatable about a central axis substantially parallel to the central axis of the first rotating body on the downstream side in the carry-out direction of the article of the first rotating body. Or it has a flat 2nd rotating body, the rotation device rotates the 1st rotating body and the 2nd rotating body, and the 2nd rotating body is a side of the regular polygonal column of the 2nd rotating body. Alternatively, the main surface of the flat plate is stopped in a state where the article to be carried out from the side surface or the main surface of the first rotating body is placed and tilted upward or horizontally so that the article slides. When the article on the first rotating body is not an object to be distributed, the control device maintains the stopped state of the first rotating body and the second rotating body and holds the article in the first state. The items on the first rotating body are to be distributed. In some cases, after the rotation of the first rotating body is controlled by controlling the rotating device, the second rotating body is moved in a direction opposite to the first rotating body by a center angle corresponding to one side surface of the regular polygonal column. Alternatively, the article may be distributed to the second distribution destination by rotating the flat plate upside down (Claim 4). With this configuration, according to a change in the operation condition of the sorting device such as the type of goods such as a change in production tact and a conveyance speed, the articles are sorted even if the articles come off the side surface of the first rotating body. Therefore, the versatility of the sorting apparatus for the article A can be enhanced. Furthermore, since a wider space is formed between the first rotating body and the second rotating body during such a rotating operation, it can be smoothly distributed even to articles with a particularly high height. .

  A sorting method according to the present invention is a sorting method of a sorting device that is arranged at the unloading end of a transport device that sequentially unloads articles from the unloading end, and distributes the articles to first and second sorting destinations. A first rotating body of a regular polygonal column or a flat plate, which is arranged in a direction substantially perpendicular to the carrying-out direction of the article and substantially horizontal and is rotatable around the central axis; A rotating device that rotates the first rotating body; and a detecting device that detects an article to be distributed, wherein the first rotating body is a side surface of the regular polygonal column of the first rotating body or a flat plate. The first rotating body is disposed with the main surface stopped in a state where the article to be carried out from the carrying-out end is placed and the article is slid in an upwardly horizontal state or inclined in the carrying-out direction of the article. The goods to be transported are sorted A step of determining whether the object is an elephant, a step of distributing the article to the first distribution destination while maintaining the stopped state of the first rotating body when it is determined that the object is not a distribution target, and a distribution target Is determined, the rotating device is controlled to rotate the first rotating body so that the flat plate is turned upside down by a center angle corresponding to one side surface of the regular polygonal column in the carrying-out direction. Distributing the article to the second distribution destination (claim 5). If comprised in this way, the 1st rotary body will distribute | circulate the articles | goods A only by rotating the center angle corresponding to one side surface of the regular polygonal column of a 1st rotary body in the carrying-out direction of an article | item at a predetermined time, or turning a flat plate upside down. be able to. That is, the sorting apparatus 100 of the present invention can sort at high speed with only one step of operation.

  As described above, the sorting device and the sorting method according to the present invention have an effect that the articles sequentially discharged from the carry-out end of the transport device can be sorted at high speed.

  The above-mentioned effects, other effects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing an arrangement configuration of a sorting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, a sorting apparatus 100 includes a regular triangular prism-shaped first rotating body 1, a rotating rod 2 disposed so that its axis coincides with the central axis of the first rotating body 1, and the rotating rod 2 as an axis. The gear box 3 connected to the rotating rod 2 so as to rotate around the center, the motor 4 connected to the gear box 3, the weight sensor (detection device) 6, and the operation of the motor 4 are controlled. And a control device 5. The rotating rod 2, the gear box 3, and the motor 4 are integrally configured as a rotating device 7.

  The first rotating body 1 of the sorting apparatus 100 is disposed between the upstream transport device 11 and the downstream transport device 12. The upstream transport device 11 is disposed on the upstream side (hereinafter referred to as upstream) of the first rotating body 1 in the transport direction of the article A. The downstream transport device 12 is disposed on the downstream side (hereinafter, abbreviated as downstream) of the first rotating body 1 in the transport direction of the article A.

  The side surface 1A of the first rotating body 1 is positioned in substantially the same plane as the transport surfaces of the upstream transport device 11 and the downstream transport device 12, and the article A transported from the transport end 11A of the upstream transport device 11 is placed thereon. It is placed and stopped in a state where it is horizontally leveled up or inclined in the carry-out direction of the article A so that the article A slides. The rotating rod 2 is disposed so as to be substantially orthogonal to the transport direction of the upstream transport device 11. Further, the upstream conveyance device 11 and the downstream conveyance device 12 are spaced apart from the first rotating body 1 between the carry-out end 11A of the upstream conveyance device 11 and the carry-in end 12A of the downstream conveyance device 12. Is opened.

  The position configuration of the side surface 1A, the transport surface of the upstream side transport device 11 and the transport surface of the downstream side transport device 12 when the first rotating body 1 is stopped is such that the unloading end 11A of the upstream side transport device 11 is from the side surface 1A. The carry-in end 12A of the downstream transport device 12 can be positioned slightly lower than the side surface 1A. If comprised in this way, delivery of the article | item A in 11 A of carry-out ends and 12 A of carry-in ends can be made smooth.

  In addition, the substantially same plane on which the side surface 1A, the transport surface of the upstream transport device 11 and the transport surface of the downstream transport device 12 are arranged is substantially a horizontal surface here, or has a downward slope in the downstream direction. You may arrange | position the upstream conveying apparatus 11, the 1st rotary body 1, and the downstream conveying apparatus 12 so that it may become an inclined surface. When it arrange | positions so that it may become such an inclined surface, the sliding of the article | item A can be made smooth.

  The first rotating body 1 is made of metal or resin, and the side surface 1A is a smooth surface that allows the article A carried out from the carry-out end 11A of the upstream-side transport device 11 to slide to the carry-in end 12A of the downstream-side transport device 12. Or it is comprised by the roller surface where the roller was arrange | positioned in parallel.

  The weight sensor 6 is installed in the upstream transport device 11 and detects the weight of the article A placed on the upstream transport device 11.

  The weight sensor 6 only needs to be able to detect the distribution target of the article A. Therefore, a metal sensor and an X-ray sensor can be used instead of the weight sensor according to the distribution factor of the article A.

  In the present embodiment, the upstream conveying device 11 is configured so that articles are sequentially conveyed from the conveying device 13. However, the conveying device 13 is a processing device for manufacturing, packaging, and the like. You can also.

  Further, a sliding plate 14 is disposed below the first rotating body 1, and a conveying device 15 is disposed at the lower end of the sliding plate 14. The articles A thus distributed slide down on the sliding plate 14 and are transported by the transport device 15.

  Moreover, although the upstream conveying apparatus 11, the downstream conveying apparatus 12, and the conveying apparatus 13 are comprised by the belt conveyor in this embodiment, not only this but the conveying apparatus which carries out articles sequentially may be sufficient. For example, you may be comprised with the roller conveyor.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the control system of the distribution apparatus of FIG.

  The motor 4 receives the signal from the control device 5 and rotates the rotating shaft 41 once. Here, a pulse motor is used as the motor 4. The pulse motor can variably control the rotation speed during the rotation operation. Accordingly, the acceleration applied to the article A along with the rotation of the first rotating body 1 prevents the article A from flying away from the side surface 1A and landing on the downstream transport device 12, that is, the article A smoothly moves on the side surface 1A. The rotation speed of the first rotating body 1 can be controlled so as to change according to the rotation angle so as to slide or fall along the side surface 1A. Further, by such variable control of the rotation speed, the wind pressure generated with the rotation of the first rotating body 1 is placed on the upstream conveying device 11 or on the article A whose weight is being detected by the weight sensor 6. It can be made unaffected. That is, it is possible to suppress scattering of the article A placed on the upstream side conveyance device 11 or measurement errors of the weight sensor 6.

  The gear box 3 is configured such that the rotation of the motor 4 is decelerated and the posture of the first rotating body 1 after the rotation is the same as that before the rotation. Here, since the first rotating body 1 is a regular triangular prism and the motor 4 receives a control signal from the control device 5 and rotates the rotating shaft once, the gear having gears 31 and 32 with a reduction ratio of 1/3. It is a box. That is, the rotating rod 2 is configured to rotate 120 degrees (a central angle corresponding to one side surface of the regular triangular prism) in accordance with a control signal from the control device 5.

  The gear 32 is formed with a hole 32A at every rotation angle of 120 degrees. A passage sensor 33 such as an optical sensor or a contact sensor is disposed at a position where the hole 32A can be detected. Thereby, it is possible to detect the positional deviation of the air holes 32A. That is, since it is detected that the side surface 1A of the first rotating body 1 is deviated from substantially the same plane as the transport surfaces of the upstream transport device 11 and the downstream transport device 12, the failure of the sorting device 100 is automatically detected. Can do.

  Here, the first rotating body 1 is a regular triangular prism. However, the first rotating body 1 may be a regular polygonal prism such as a regular quadrangular prism as long as the following side surface appears by rotation. That is, in the case of a regular n prism, the first rotating body 1 is rotated 360 / n degrees during the sorting operation.

  The rotating device 7 only needs to rotate the first rotating body 1 by a predetermined angle in a predetermined direction at a predetermined time. Therefore, the gear box 3 can be omitted, and the rotation angle of the motor 4 can be controlled as the rotation rod 2 by extending the rotation axis of the motor 4.

  The control device 5 includes a calculation unit 51 including a CPU, a control unit 52, a storage unit 55 including a memory, and a display unit 54 including a display and a printer.

  In addition, the output signal from the weight sensor 6 is input to the calculation unit 51, and it is determined whether or not it is a distribution target. This determination can be made, for example, when there is a deviation from a preset weight range.

  The computing unit 51 counts the time difference until the article A reaches the first rotating body 1 from the position detected by the weight sensor 6 according to the input signal from the weight sensor 6. Then, the control unit 52 rotates the motor 4 once in response to an instruction from the calculation unit 51. After the rotation, the signal of the passage sensor 33 is transmitted to the calculation unit 51. If the abnormality is not detected in the detection result of the passage sensor 33, that is, the hole 32 </ b> A is not detected, the calculation unit 51 displays the occurrence of the abnormality on the display unit 54. Alternatively, if there is an abnormality in the detection result of the passage sensor 33, the calculation unit 51 sends a signal to the transport line control device so as to stop the transport line of the article A including the upstream transport device 13. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a conveyance trouble due to the malfunction of the sorting apparatus 100.

  In addition, the input signal of the weight sensor 6 or the calculation result based thereon is accumulated and stored as history information such as the number of detections and the number of distributions in the storage unit 55.

  The display unit 54 displays the calculation result based on the input of the gravity sensor 6 and / or the history information accumulated and stored in the storage unit 55.

  Here, the control device means not only a single control device but also a control device group in which a plurality of control devices cooperate to execute control. Therefore, the control device 5 does not need to be composed of a single control device, and a plurality of control devices are distributed and configured to control the operation of the sorting device 100 by cooperating with each other. Also good. For example, the display unit 54 can be configured to be transmitted by the information terminal and displayed on the mobile device.

  Next, a sorting method of the sorting apparatus 100 according to the present invention will be described.

  FIG. 3 is a side view schematically showing the operation of the sorting apparatus of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 3A, the article A is conveyed from the conveying device 13 onto the upstream conveying device 11, the weight sensor 6 detects the weight of the article A, and the detection signal of the weight sensor 6 is a control device 5. Sent to.

  As shown in FIG. 3B, the article A whose weight is detected is transferred to the side surface 1A of the first rotating body 1 and slides on the side surface 1A. Further, the control device 5 determines whether or not the article A is a sorting target based on the detection signal of the weight sensor 6.

  Here, when the control device 5 does not determine that the article A is to be distributed, the first rotating body 1 does not rotate in the stopped state, and the article A remains as it is, and the downstream side transport device (first distribution destination) 12. It is transferred to.

  Further, when the control device 5 determines that the article A is an object to be distributed, the control device 5 controls the rotating device 7 to rotate the first rotating body 1 as shown in FIG. .

  As shown in FIGS. 3 (d) and 3 (e), the article A on the side surface 1A slides on the side surface 1A or falls along the side surface 1A, so that a sliding plate (second distribution destination) 14 is obtained. It falls down (see Fig. 1).

  Here, the rotation speed of the first rotating body 1 is controlled as follows. That is, if the rotational speed is too high, the article A is separated from the side surface 1A. On the other hand, if the rotational speed is too slow, the subsequent article A falls into the gap between the carry-out end 11A and the first rotating body 1. Therefore, the average rotational speed of the rotating body 1 is set to a speed within a certain range that is neither too fast nor too slow.

Further, the magnitude of the component force parallel to the side surface 1 </ b> A of the gravity acting on the article A by the rotation of the side surface 1 </ b> A varies depending on the rotational position of the rotating body 1. Further, the state of sliding or sliding down of the article A on the side surface 1A can be changed depending on the type of the article such as a friction coefficient between the article A and the side surface 1A. Therefore, the rotation speed of the rotating body 1 is controlled so as to change according to the type, rotation position, or rotation angle of the article. Thereby, the articles A can be smoothly distributed.
The relationship between the rotation speed of the rotating body 1 and the type, rotation position, or rotation angle of the article A is determined by experiments, simulations, or the like, and stored in the storage unit 55 of the control device 5 in the form of an expression, a table, or the like. The control unit 52 reads out, from the storage unit 55, the type representing the type of the article A, the rotational position or the relationship between the rotational angle and the rotational speed, and controls the rotational speed of the motor 4 based on this (feedforward control). .

  In addition, when simplifying, it is good also considering the rotational speed of the rotary body 1 as constant.

  And as shown in FIG.3 (f), the 1st rotary body 1 rotates 120 degree | times and stops. As a result, another side surface 1B of the regular triangular prism is positioned above and is stopped, and the next article A is conveyed onto the side surface 1B.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the sorting apparatus of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the sorting apparatus 100 is first activated by an ON operation of the activation switch in step S1.

  In step S <b> 2, the control device 5 acquires a detection signal of the weight sensor 6.

  In step S <b> 3, the control device 5 determines whether or not the article A transferred onto the first rotating body 1 is a distribution target.

  If it is determined in step S3 that the object is not to be distributed, the stopped state of the first rotating body 1 is maintained, the article A is distributed to the downstream transport device (first distribution destination) 12, and the process proceeds to step S5.

  If it is determined in step S3 that the object is to be distributed, the process proceeds to step S4, where the control device 5 controls the rotating device 7, and the first rotating body 1 rotates 120 degrees and stops.

  In step S5, the control device 5 confirms the presence or absence of a stop signal by turning on the stop switch or the like, and if the stop signal is not confirmed, the control device 5 returns to step S2 and distributes the subsequent article A (steps S2 to S5) repeat. If the stop signal is confirmed, in step S6, the sorting operation is terminated, and the first rotating body 1 continues to be stationary while being stopped.

  As described above, according to the sorting apparatus 100 and the sorting method of the present invention, the first rotating body 1 only rotates by the center angle corresponding to one side surface of the regular polygonal column of the first rotating body 1 in the carry-out direction of the article A. The articles A can be sorted with That is, the sorting apparatus 100 and the sorting method of the present invention can sort at high speed with only one-step operation.

  In addition, from the above description, many modifications and other embodiments of the present invention are obvious to one skilled in the art. Accordingly, the foregoing description should be construed as illustrative only and is provided for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode of carrying out the invention. The details of the structure and / or function may be substantially changed without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, the following modifications can be illustrated.

[Modification 1]
Modification 1 is a modification of the configuration of the side surface 1 </ b> A, the transport surface of the upstream transport device 11, and the transport surface of the downstream transport device 12.

  FIG. 5 is a side view schematically showing a modification of the position configuration of the side surface of the sorting device of FIG. 1, the transport surface of the upstream transport device, and the transport surface of the downstream transport device.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the present modification is configured such that the side surface 1 </ b> A in the stopped state of the first rotating body 1 is inclined downstream. As a result, when the article A is distributed to the downstream transport device (first distribution destination) 12, the article A can smoothly slide on the side surface 1A.

  Moreover, you may comprise so that the inclination-angle of the side surface 1A in the stop state of the rotary body 1 can be adjusted. Accordingly, the inclination of the side surface 1A is changed according to the change in the size of the article A such as the magnitude of the frictional force between the item A and the side surface 1A, the change in the production tact of the item A, the conveyance speed, that is, the operating condition of the sorting device 100 Since the angle can be set, the versatility of the sorting apparatus 100 can be further enhanced.

[Modification 2]
Modification 2 is a modification of the arrangement position of the weight sensor (detection device) 6.

  FIG. 6 is a side view schematically showing a modification of the arrangement position of the weight sensor (detection device) of the sorting apparatus of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the weight sensor 6 is arranged separately from the upstream side transport device 11 and incorporated in a further upstream side transport device 13 of the upstream side transport device 11. In addition, a passage sensor 8 that can detect the passage of the article A is disposed on the upstream side immediately near the carry-out end 11 </ b> A of the upstream-side transport device 11. The passage sensor 8 can be configured using, for example, an infrared sensor or an optical sensor.

  Thereby, the arrival of the article A to the side surface 1A detected by the weight sensor 6 can be detected by the passage sensor 8, and the control device 5 accurately rotates the first rotating body 1 based on these detection signals. Can be controlled. This is the so-called “shift control” among those skilled in the art.

  As described above, the detection device that provides the sorting information of the article A such as the weight sensor 6 may be disposed on the upstream side of the rotating body 1. Therefore, since the sorting device 100 can be configured according to the configuration of the existing transport line, the versatility of the sorting device 100 can be improved.

[Modification 3]
Modification 3 is a modification in which a deviation prevention device for the article A during the rotation operation of the first rotating body 1 is added.

  FIG. 7 is a side view schematically showing a modification in which a deviation prevention device for article A is added to the sorting device of FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the sorting apparatus 100 includes an air injection device (deviation prevention device) 9. The air ejecting apparatus is disposed so as to apply wind pressure to the article A placed on the side surface 1A of the first rotating body 1 so as not to be separated from the side surface 1A.

  The control device 5 controls the air injection device 9 in conjunction with the operation control of the rotation device 7 to apply a predetermined wind pressure to the article A on the side surface 1A at a predetermined time. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the article A from flying away from the side surface 1A during the rotating operation of the first rotating body 1.

  Alternatively, the air adsorbing device disposed inside the rotating body 1 can be used as a departure prevention device. That is, the suction hole is formed on the side surface of the rotator 1, the air is sucked at a predetermined time, and the articles A to be distributed located on the side surface are adsorbed to the air adsorbing device. The adsorption | suction can be cancelled | released and the articles | goods A of distribution object can be dropped below the rotary body 1. FIG.

[Modification 4]
Modification 4 is a modification in which the first rotating body 1 is a flat plate.

  FIG. 8 is a side view schematically showing a modification in which the rotating body of the sorting apparatus in FIG. 1 is a flat plate.

  As shown in FIG. 8, in the sorting apparatus 100, the first rotating body 1 is a flat plate, and the flat plate is attached to the rotating device 7 so that its main surface is turned over. That is, the rotating rod 2 is mounted so as to extend the central axis in one direction of the rectangular flat plate.

  In response to the detection signal of the weight sensor 6, the control device 5 controls the rotating device 7 to rotate the first rotating body 1 180 degrees when the article A to be distributed is placed on the main surface 1A. Thereby, the articles A can be sorted.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 9 is a side view schematically showing the operation of the sorting apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the sorting device 110 according to the present embodiment includes a second rotating body 201 having a regular triangular prism shape, and a rotating rod 202 disposed so that its axis coincides with the central axis of the second rotating body 201. Have The rotating rod 202 is connected to the gear box 3 and is configured to rotate in conjunction with the first rotating body 1 by the motor 4 connected to the gear box 3. That is, the gear box 3 is configured to rotate in conjunction with the first rotating body 1 and the second rotating body 201. Therefore, the rotating device 7 includes the rotating rods 2 and 202, the gear box 3, and the motor 4. Alternatively, the rotation device 7 may include two motors and be configured to be rotated by the respective motors of the rotation rods 2 and 202.

  Since the configuration of the distribution device 110 other than this is the same as the configuration of the distribution device 100, the description of the configuration of the distribution device 110 is omitted, and only the differences will be described. In FIG. 9, the same or corresponding parts as those in FIG. 3 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof is omitted.

  In the second rotating body 201, the side 201B of the regular polygonal column of the second rotating body 201 is in an upward horizontal state such that the article A carried out from the side face 1A of the first rotating body 1 is placed and the article A slides. Or it stops and is arrange | positioned in the state inclined in the carrying-out direction of the said goods.

  The control device 5 maintains the stopped state of the first rotating body 1 and the second rotating body 201 when the article A on the first rotating body 1 is not an object to be distributed. As a result, the article A is distributed to the downstream transport device (first distribution destination) 12. In addition, when the article A on the first rotating body 1 is an object to be distributed, the control device 5 controls the rotating device 7 to rotate the second rotating body to the first rotation after starting the rotation of the first rotating body. The rotation is started in the direction opposite to that of the body, and is rotated 120 degrees (a central angle corresponding to one side surface of the regular triangular prism). As a result, the article A is distributed to the sliding plate 14 (second distribution destination).

  Next, the distribution method of the distribution device 110 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 9A, the article A whose weight is detected is conveyed to the side surface 1A of the first rotating body 1 and slides on the side surface 1A. Further, the control device 5 determines whether or not the article A is a sorting target based on the detection signal of the weight sensor 6.

  Here, when the control device 5 does not determine that the article A is an object to be distributed, the first rotary body 1 and the second rotary body 201 do not rotate while being stopped, and the article A remains on the side face 1A and the side face 201A. And is transported to the downstream transport device (first distribution destination) 12.

  Further, when the control device 5 determines that the article A is an object to be distributed, the control device 5 controls the rotating device 7 to rotate the first rotating body 1 as shown in FIG. 9B. .

  After the rotation of the first rotating body 1 is started, the second rotating body 201 starts to rotate in the direction opposite to that of the first rotating body 1 as shown in FIG. As a result, the first rotating body 1 and the second rotating body 201 rotate with the rotation time shifted, and thus can rotate without conflicting with each other. Further, as shown in FIG. 9C, the side surface 201 </ b> A of the second rotating body 201 moves so as to incline in the direction of the first rotating body 1. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 9B, when the article A is separated from the side surface 1A of the first rotating body 1 as shown in FIG. 9B, the side surface 201A of the second rotating body 201 is shown in FIG. 9C. Can receive the article A.

  Then, the article A on the side surface 201A slides on the side surface 201A or falls between the side surface 1A and the side surface 201A as shown in FIGS. 9 (d) and 9 (e).

  And as shown in FIG.9 (f), the 1st rotary body 1 and the 2nd rotary body 201 rotate 120 degree | times, respectively, and stop. As a result, the other side surfaces 1B and 201B of the regular triangular prism are positioned upward to be stopped, and the next article A is conveyed onto the side surface 1B.

  As described above, the distribution device 110 of the present invention can perform high-speed distribution with only one-step operation in the same manner as the distribution device 100.

  In addition, the deviation of the article A during one rotation of the first rotating body can be prevented. Therefore, even if the article A comes away from the side surface 1A of the first rotating body 1 in accordance with the change in the operation condition of the sorting apparatus 100 such as the type of the article A, the transfer speed, etc. Since the article A can be sorted, the versatility of the sorting apparatus 110 for the article A can be improved.

  Further, since a space wider than that of the first embodiment is formed between the first rotating body 1 and the second rotating body 201 during such a rotating operation, the article A is particularly high. However, it can be distributed smoothly.

  In addition, from the above description, many modifications and other embodiments of the present invention are obvious to one skilled in the art. Accordingly, the foregoing description is to be construed as illustrative only and is provided for the purpose of teaching those skilled in the art the best mode of carrying out the invention. The details of the structure and / or function may be substantially changed without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, Modification Example 1 to Modification Example 4 of the first embodiment can be applied to the distribution device 110. In addition, the shapes of the first rotating body 1 and the second rotating body 201 can be different regular polygonal columns or flat plates.

  The present invention is useful as a sorting device that can sort articles discharged sequentially from the carry-out end of the transport device at high speed.

It is a perspective view which shows roughly the arrangement configuration of the distribution apparatus of embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows roughly the structure of the control system of the distribution apparatus of FIG. It is a side view which shows roughly operation | movement of the distribution apparatus of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of the distribution apparatus of FIG. It is a side view which shows roughly the modification of the position structure of the side surface of the distribution apparatus of FIG. 1, the conveyance surface of an upstream conveyance apparatus, and the conveyance surface of a downstream conveyance apparatus. FIG. 8 is a side view schematically showing a modification of the arrangement position of the weight sensor (detection device) of the sorting apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. 9 is a side view schematically showing a modification in which a deviation prevention device for an article A is added to the sorting device in FIG. 1. It is a side view which shows roughly the modification which used the rotary body of the distribution apparatus of FIG. 1 as the flat plate. It is a side view which shows roughly operation | movement of the distribution apparatus of 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 1st rotary body 1A, 1B Side surface 2 Rotating rod 3 Gear box 4 Motor 5 Control apparatus 6 Weight sensor 7 Rotating apparatus 8 Passing sensor 9 Air injection apparatus 11 Upstream conveying apparatus 11A Unloading end 12 Downstream conveying apparatus 12A Incoming end 13 , 15 Conveying device 14 Sliding plate 31, 32 Gear 32A Hole 33 Passing sensor 51 Calculation unit 52 Control unit 54 Display unit 55 Storage unit 100, 110 Sorting device 201 Second rotating body 201A, 201B Side surface 202 Rotary rod A Article S1 S6

Claims (5)

A sorting device that is arranged at the carrying-out end of a conveying device that sequentially carries out the articles from the carrying-out end, and distributes the articles to the first and second distribution destinations;
A first rotation of a regular polygonal column or flat plate arranged with its central axis substantially orthogonal to the carrying-out direction of the article and oriented in a substantially horizontal direction and configured to be rotatable around the central axis Body,
A rotating device for rotating the first rotating body;
A detection device for detecting an article to be distributed;
A control device for controlling the rotating device,
In the first rotating body, a side surface of the regular polygonal column of the first rotating body or a main surface of the flat plate is placed in an upwardly horizontal state so that an article to be carried out from the carry-out end is placed and the article slides. Alternatively, it is arranged in a state of being inclined in the carry-out direction of the article,
When the article on the first rotating body is not a target to be distributed, the control device maintains the stopped state of the first rotating body and distributes the article to the first distribution destination. If the article is an object to be distributed, the rotating device is controlled to rotate the first rotating body so that the center angle corresponding to one side surface of the regular polygonal column or the flat plate is turned over in the carrying-out direction. A sorting apparatus for sorting the article to a second sorting destination.   The sorting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first rotating body is a regular triangular prism.   The distribution device according to claim 1, wherein the rotation device includes a pulse motor. A second polygonal or flat second rotator configured to be rotatable about a central axis substantially parallel to the central axis of the first rotator on the downstream side of the first rotator in the carry-out direction of the article. Have
The rotating device rotates the first rotating body and the second rotating body,
The second rotating body has a side surface of the regular polygonal column or a main surface of the flat plate of the second rotating body on which an article carried out from the side surface or main surface of the first rotating body is placed and the article slides So as to be stopped and arranged in a state where it is horizontal upward or inclined in the carry-out direction of the article,
When the article on the first rotating body is not an object to be distributed, the control device maintains the stopped state of the first rotating body and the second rotating body, and distributes the article to the first distribution destination. When the article on the first rotating body is an object to be distributed, the rotating device is controlled, and after the rotation of the first rotating body is started, the second rotating body is moved in the direction opposite to the first rotating body. The sorting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the article is sorted to a second sorting destination by rotating the center plate corresponding to one side of a regular polygonal column or rotating the flat plate upside down. A sorting method of a sorting device that is arranged at a carrying-out end of a transport device that sequentially carries out articles from a carry-out end, and sorts the articles into first and second sorting destinations,
A first rotation of a regular polygonal column or flat plate arranged with its central axis substantially orthogonal to the carrying-out direction of the article and oriented in a substantially horizontal direction and configured to be rotatable around the central axis Body,
A rotating device for rotating the first rotating body;
A detection device for detecting an article to be distributed,
In the first rotating body, a side surface of the regular polygonal column of the first rotating body or a main surface of the flat plate is placed in an upwardly horizontal state so that an article to be carried out from the carry-out end is placed and the article slides. Alternatively, it is arranged in a state of being inclined in the carry-out direction of the article,
Determining whether the article to be transferred onto the first rotating body is an object to be distributed;
If it is determined that the object is not to be distributed, maintaining the stopped state of the first rotating body and distributing the article to a first distribution destination;
If it is determined that the object is to be distributed, the rotating device is controlled so that the first rotating body is turned upside down by a center angle corresponding to one side of the regular polygonal column or the flat plate in the carrying-out direction. And a step of rotating to distribute the article to a second distribution destination.

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