JP2007091395A - Aligning device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an aligning device capable of eliminating insufficient charge when aligning a large number of agricultural products in one row. <P>SOLUTION: Agricultural products A, etc. to be fed from a feed conveyor 2 are aligned in one row and conveyed while dispersing them longitudinally by a first speed variable conveyor 3 and a first aligning conveyor 4. While a first detection sensor S1 detects that the spacing between the agricultural products A, etc. to be conveyed on the first aligning conveyor 4 is not larger than the predetermined value, the first speed variable conveyor 3 is driven at the predetermined conveying speed. When it is detected that the spacing between the agricultural products A, etc. is larger than the predetermined value, the conveying speed of the first speed variable conveyor 3 is increased above the conveying speed of the first aligning conveyor 4, and the agricultural products A, etc. are forcibly fed onto the first aligning conveyor 4 by the first speed variable conveyor 3 to eliminate insufficient charge. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an alignment apparatus used when supplying agricultural products such as fruits (citrus fruits, apples, pears, peaches, tomatoes, strawberries, etc.) and vegetables in a line.

  The harvested agricultural products such as mandarin oranges are processed by washing, waxing, etc., and then sorted into equal classes by a sorting device and boxed. In an automated processing line, a large number of supplied agricultural products are transported by a wide conveyor up to the previous stage of the sorting device to be subjected to each processing, but the sorting device performs inspection of agricultural products 1 Since it is performed one by one, the agricultural products are arranged in a line and then supplied to the sorting device.

  As an aligning device for aligning a large number of agricultural products in one row, an article supply device such as Patent Document 1 or Patent Document 2 having a function of gradually aligning in one row even if they overlap is proposed. In addition, in an automated line with high processing capacity, a plurality of sorting devices are provided, and in order to efficiently process agricultural products, the agricultural products are distributed and supplied to each sorting device almost evenly. Therefore, the fruit alignment supply apparatus of patent document 3 which distributes and arranges from a wide conveyor to several strip | belt sorting conveyors is proposed.

JP-A-11-199034 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-301840 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 61-88916

  However, in the case of distributing the fruit from one wide conveyor to a plurality of sorting conveyors, in the fruit aligning and feeding apparatus of Patent Document 3, the agricultural products hardly flow to the outer sorting conveyor with respect to the sorting conveyor at the center in the width direction. Insufficient filling of the strips was likely to occur. Moreover, even if insufficient filling occurs, the article supply devices of Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 cannot solve the insufficient filling.

  In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to solve the shortage of filling when a large number of articles are arranged in a line.

  An alignment apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention is an alignment apparatus that aligns a large number of articles supplied from a supply conveyor in a row. The alignment apparatus is connected to a downstream side of the supply conveyor, and is capable of changing a conveyance speed of articles. And a first alignment conveyor that is connected downstream of the first variable speed conveyor, has a conveying surface formed so that the central portion is lower in the cross section in the conveying direction, and conveys articles at a predetermined conveying speed. And a first detection means for detecting an interval between articles conveyed on the first alignment conveyor, and the interval between articles conveyed on the first alignment conveyor is equal to or less than a predetermined interval. If the conveying speed of the first variable speed conveyor is lower than that of the first aligning conveyor, and the interval between articles conveyed on the first aligning conveyor is longer than the predetermined distance, the first variable speed conveyor is conveyed. First speed adjustment And faster than the conveyor, characterized by being controlled to provide a first alignment conveyor articles from the first variable speed conveyor.

  According to the present invention, a large number of articles supplied from the supply conveyor are conveyed while being aligned in a row while being dispersed back and forth by the first variable speed conveyor and the first alignment conveyor. While the first detection means detects that the interval between the articles conveyed on the first alignment conveyor is equal to or less than the predetermined interval, the conveyance speed of the first variable speed conveyor is set to the first alignment conveyor. When it is driven at a lower speed and it is detected that the interval between the articles is longer than the predetermined interval, the conveyance speed of the first variable speed conveyor is increased faster than that of the first alignment conveyor, Is supplied by being pushed forward onto the first alignment conveyor by the first variable speed conveyor to eliminate the insufficient filling.

  The article can be made of agricultural products such as fruits (citrus fruits, apples, pears, peaches, tomatoes, strawberries, etc.), vegetables, etc., and is particularly suitable for aligning tangerines and onions. It can also be applied to parts other than agricultural products, balls and the like. In addition, the supply conveyor, the first variable speed conveyor, and the first alignment conveyor can be constituted by a single conveying means such as a belt conveyor, a roller conveyor, a thrust conveyor, or a combination of a plurality of conveying means. Further, the first detection means includes, for example, a photoelectric sensor, a proximity switch, a limit switch, a mechanical ON / OFF device provided with an optical path for detection light so as to cross the article conveyance path on the first alignment conveyor. It can be configured by a switch mechanism or the like that is turned off.

  The alignment apparatus of the invention described in claim 2 is, in combination with the configuration of claim 1 above, a second variable speed conveyor that can change the conveying speed of articles downstream of the first alignment conveyor; A distance between a second alignment conveyor connected downstream of the second variable speed conveyor and having a conveyance speed set higher than the conveyance speed of the first alignment conveyor, and an article conveyed on the second alignment conveyor And a second detection means for detecting the movement, and the conveyance speed of the second variable speed conveyor is controlled in accordance with the interval between articles conveyed on the second alignment conveyor.

  According to the present invention, a rough process is performed to disperse the articles conveyed while being overlapped by the first variable speed conveyor arranged in the first stage, the first alignment conveyor, and the first detection means. In addition, since the second variable speed conveyor, the second alignment conveyor, and the second detection means arranged in the second stage perform detailed processing, the alignment unevenness of the articles hardly occurs and the accuracy is high. It can be arranged in a row and supplied to the next process.

  The second variable speed conveyor and the second alignment conveyor are similar to the first variable speed conveyor and the first alignment conveyor, for example, a conveying means combining a single member or a plurality of belt conveyors, roller conveyors, thrust conveyors, and the like. Can be configured. The second detection means can also be configured by a photoelectric sensor, a proximity switch, a limit switch, a switch mechanism that is mechanically turned on and off, and the like, similar to the first detection means.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an aligning device according to the first or second aspect, wherein a plurality of strips are connected in parallel downstream of the supply conveyor.

  According to the present invention, when a large number of articles are conveyed by the supply conveyor, the large number of articles conveyed on the supply conveyor can easily flow from the center in the width direction to the outside, and are equally distributed to each of the plurality of alignment devices. Can be allocated.

  According to the present invention, since the conveyance amount of the article is adjusted while detecting the conveyance amount of the article, the supply amount of the article to the next process can be made uniform, and the filling loss as in the conventional apparatus is reduced. While being able to reduce, the filling rate of a sorting device can be raised and the improvement of a capability can be aimed at. Further, when a multi-row sorting device is provided, articles can be efficiently distributed to each row, so that it is possible to make the number of rows optimal for the capacity of the processing line, and it is not necessary to provide an extra sorting device. .

  The present invention aims to eliminate insufficient filling when arranging a large number of articles in a row, and based on the detection by the first detection means, the transport speed of the first variable speed conveyor is set to the first speed. This was achieved by adjusting the supply rate of articles from the first variable speed conveyor to the first alignment conveyor at a lower speed than the alignment conveyor or at a higher speed than the first alignment conveyor.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  The drawing shows an aligning device for supplying agricultural products, which are examples of articles, in a line, and in FIGS. 1 and 2, this aligning device 1 is a supply conveyor 2 for conveying a large number of agricultural products A. Connected to the downstream side is the first variable speed conveyor 3 that can change the conveying speed of the produce A ..., and the conveying surface is arranged downstream of the first variable speed conveyor 3 so that the central portion is low in the section in the conveying direction. A first alignment conveyor 4 that is formed and conveys agricultural products A at a predetermined conveyance speed is connected, and between the agricultural products A that are conveyed on the alignment conveyor 4 to the intermediate portion of the conveyance path of the first alignment conveyor 4 The 1st detection sensor S1 which detects the space | interval of is provided.

  Further, a second variable speed conveyor 5 capable of changing the conveying speed of the produce A ... is connected to the downstream side of the first aligning conveyor 4, and at a predetermined conveying speed downstream of the second variable speed conveyor 5. A second alignment conveyor 6 that conveys the produce A ... is connected, and a second interval that detects the interval between the produce A ... conveyed on the alignment conveyor 6 is connected to the beginning of the conveyance path of the second alignment conveyor 6. A detection sensor S2 is provided.

  That is, the aligning apparatus 1 has a first speed composed of a first variable speed conveyor 3, a first aligning conveyor 4, and a first detection sensor S 1 downstream of the supply conveyor 2, and a second speed. Consists of a second stage composed of a variable conveyor 5, a second alignment conveyor 6, and a second detection sensor S2, and is connected in parallel to a plurality of strips (six) in accordance with the strip pitch of the fruit selection machine 7. The agricultural products A supplied from the supply conveyor 2 are evenly distributed to the individual strips of the fruit selection machine 7.

  When the produce A is sufficiently filled and conveyed on the first aligning conveyor 4, the conveying speeds of the supply conveyor 2, the first variable speed conveyor 3, and the first aligning conveyor 4 are downstream from the upstream side. It is set to gradually get faster toward the side. If insufficient filling occurs such that the interval between the produce A on the first alignment conveyor 4 is more than a predetermined interval, the conveying speed of the first variable speed conveyor 3 increases faster than that of the first alignment conveyor 4. It has come to be speeded.

  When the agricultural product A is supplied in a fixed amount on the second alignment conveyor 6, the second variable speed conveyor 5 and the second alignment conveyor 6 are selected at a higher speed than the first alignment conveyor 4 at the same conveying speed. It is set at a lower speed than the selection line 7a of the fruit machine 7. If insufficient filling occurs on the second alignment conveyor 6, the second variable speed conveyor 5 becomes faster than the second alignment conveyor 6, and conversely, if an overfeed occurs such that the produce A overlaps, the second alignment occurs. The speed is lower than that of the conveyor 6.

  In this embodiment, the conveying speed of each conveyor is set as follows. The speed of the supply conveyor 2 is set to about 4 m / min, the speed of the first variable speed conveyor 3 is set to about 9 m / min, the speed of the first alignment conveyor 4 is set to about 22 m / min, The speed of the second variable speed conveyor 5 and the second alignment conveyor 6 is set to about 30 m / min, and the speed of each of the selection lines 7a of the selection machine 7 is set to about 55 to 60 m / min. In addition, the entrance part a of the 2nd alignment conveyor 6 is set to about 40 m / min. When the first detection sensor S1 detects insufficient filling, the speed of the first variable speed conveyor 3 is increased to about 30 m / min, and when the second detection sensor S2 detects insufficient filling, When the speed of the second variable speed conveyor 5 is increased to about 45 m / min and an overfeed is detected by the second detection sensor S2, the speed of the second variable speed conveyor 5 is reduced to about 15 m / min. Or you may stop. In addition, each setting speed of the said conveyors 2-7 can be changed arbitrarily.

  The supply conveyor 2 is composed of a wide conveyor that disperses a large number of agricultural products A in the width direction while transferring them in the transport direction.

  The first variable speed conveyor 3 is composed of a variable speed conveyor whose conveying speed is changed in accordance with the filling state of the produce A ... conveyed on the first aligning conveyor 4, and the first aligning conveyor. In conjunction with the detection signal output from the first detection sensor S1 attached to 4, the belt 3a stretched between the start end and the end end is rotated in the transport direction by a motor.

  In other words, when insufficient filling occurs on the first alignment conveyor 4, the first speed variable conveyor 3 moves the conveyance speed of the first alignment conveyor 4 based on the detection signal output from the first detection sensor S <b> 1. Agricultural products A, which are increased to a higher set speed and are conveyed on the first variable speed conveyor 3, are fed onto the first alignment conveyor 4 so as to be pushed forward in the conveying direction.

  The first alignment conveyor 4 has a function of gradually aligning the agricultural products A ... conveyed so as to overlap the first alignment conveyor 4 in one row, and is pivotally supported on both sides of the conveyance path. The left and right pair of support rollers 4a are arranged in a large number so as to form a reverse letter shape in the transport direction, and obliquely set at an angle that gradually decreases from the outer end side toward the inner end side, Each support roller 4a is rotated at a constant speed in the transport direction by a motor. That is, the pair of left and right support rollers 4a ... forms a transfer surface whose central portion is low in the cross section in the transfer direction, so that the produce A ... conveyed so as to overlap the conveyance path gradually becomes one row. It is designed to be transported.

  The first detection sensor S1 is a light projecting / receiving photoelectric sensor, and a light projecting unit that projects detection light and a light receiving unit that receives the detection light projected from the light projecting unit are in a first alignment. The conveyor 4 is disposed at an angle intersecting the conveying path of the alignment conveyor 4 in an oblique direction between the start side left side and the end side right side across the conveyance path of the conveyor 4. The interval between the agricultural products A being conveyed is detected. Thus, a large interval generated between the agricultural products A ... can be detected by one detection sensor S1.

  Alternatively, the first detection sensor S1 may be provided orthogonal to the conveyance path so as to measure the time during which the produce A is not detected.

  The first detection sensor S1 continuously emits the detection light projected from the light projecting unit toward the agricultural products A ... conveyed on the first alignment conveyor 4, and the detection light is generated by the agricultural products A. When it is blocked and does not reach the light receiving part, it outputs a detection signal OFF, and when there is insufficient filling such that the agricultural products A are separated forward and backward, light is projected from the light projecting part of the first detection sensor S1. When the detection light passes between the agricultural products A and A and the detected light that has passed is received by the light receiving unit, a detection signal ON is output.

  If the change of the detection signal output from the first detection sensor S1 is measured, it can be determined whether the interval between the produce A ... is equal to or less than the predetermined interval. That is, when the interval between the produce A ... is close to a predetermined interval or less, or when the produce A is in close contact with each other, the detection signal is OFF, so the produce A exists within the detection range of the first detection sensor S1. , It is recognized as a predetermined filling state. In addition, when the interval between the produce A ... is more than a predetermined interval, the detection signal changes from OFF to ON, so there is no produce A within the detection range of the first detection sensor S1, and insufficient filling occurs. It is recognized that When the detection signal changes to ON, the first variable speed conveyor 3 is increased to a predetermined set speed, and when the detection signal changes from ON to OFF again, the first speed is reached after a lapse of a predetermined time from the change point. The variable conveyor 3 returns to the original speed.

  In addition, if the detection angle of the first detection sensor S1 is close to an angle parallel to the conveyance path of the first alignment conveyor 4, it is not detected that the filling is insufficient until the interval between the agricultural products A becomes large. Further, if the detection angle of the detection sensor S1 is close to an angle orthogonal to the conveyance path, it is detected that the filling is insufficient even if the interval between the produce A ... is small. It is possible to arbitrarily set and change the detection interval at the time of insufficient filling simply by changing.

  The second variable speed conveyor 5 is composed of a variable speed conveyor whose conveying speed is changed according to the filling state of the produce A ... conveyed on the second aligning conveyor 6, and the second aligning conveyor. In conjunction with the detection signal output from the second detection sensor S2 attached to 6, the belt 5a stretched between the start end and the end end is rotated in the transport direction by the motor. The second variable speed conveyor 5 may be shorter than the first variable speed conveyor 3.

  When insufficient filling or oversupply occurs on the second alignment conveyor 6, the second variable speed conveyor 5 causes the produce A ... to be output at a predetermined interval based on the detection signal output from the second detection sensor S2. Agricultural products A, which are accelerated or decelerated to a low speed or stopped at a low speed from the speed at the time of constant supply arranged in a row, and conveyed on the second variable speed conveyor 5 are directed forward in line with the conveying direction. Then, it is supplied onto the second alignment conveyor 6, and after a predetermined time has elapsed, it returns to the original conveyance speed at the time of quantitative supply.

  As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the second alignment conveyor 6 has substantially the same structure as the first alignment conveyor 4, and the agricultural products conveyed so as to overlap the second alignment conveyor 6. A ... has a function of gradually aligning A ... in one row.

  Further, the second alignment conveyor 6 sets the conveying speed of each support roller 6a arranged in the entrance portion a so that the second detection sensor S2 can easily detect the interval between the produce A ... The remaining support rollers 6a arranged downstream and the second speed variable conveyor 5 are set to a speed higher than the conveying speed of the second speed variable conveyor 5, and transferred from the second variable speed conveyor 5 to the second alignment conveyor 6. The produced agricultural products A are accelerated and conveyed by the respective support rollers 6a at the entrance portion a, so that the agricultural products A before and after being in close contact with each other are slightly separated. And after passing the entrance part a, it is conveyed closely again.

  In the second detection sensor S2, a light projecting portion and a light receiving portion similar to the first detection sensor S1 are sandwiched between the conveyance path of the second alignment conveyor 6 at the entrance portion a of the second alignment conveyor 6, It arrange | positions at the angle substantially orthogonal to the width direction with respect to the conveyance path of this alignment conveyor 6, and the space | interval between the agricultural products A ... conveyed on this alignment conveyor 6 is detected.

  Since the second detection sensor S2 continuously emits the detection light projected from the light projecting unit toward the agricultural products A ... conveyed on the second alignment conveyor 6, the second detection sensor S2 When the interval between the produce A separated before and after separation from the variable speed conveyor 5 to the second alignment conveyor 6 is a predetermined distance, the light is projected from the light projecting unit of the second detection sensor S2. Since the detection light passes between the agricultural products A, and the detected light that has passed therethrough is received by the light receiving unit, changes in the ON / OFF signal indicating the presence or absence of the agricultural products A are output at substantially constant intervals. By measuring the change in the detection signal, it is possible to determine the state of conveyance of the agricultural products A. That is, when the agricultural products A pass through the detection range of the second detection sensor S2 at substantially constant intervals and the ON / OFF operation is repeated at substantially constant intervals, the state of passing the product is recognized as quantitative supply.

  In addition, when the interval between the agricultural products A is longer than or equal to the predetermined interval, the detection time of the ON signal output from the second detection sensor S2 becomes longer than that at the time of quantitative supply. There is no produce A within the detection range of the sensor S2, and the absence of the product is recognized as insufficient filling.

  In addition, when the agricultural products A are in close contact with each other or overlap each other, the detection time of the OFF signal output from the second detection sensor S2 becomes longer than that at the time of quantitative supply. Agricultural product A always exists in the detection range, and always recognizes that there is an oversupply.

  At the time of constant supply, the second variable speed conveyor 5 is rotated at a constant speed (about 30 m / min) by a motor, and the produce A supplied from the first alignment conveyor 4 is kept at a constant speed while being spaced apart at a predetermined interval. Transport.

  When the filling is insufficient, the second variable speed conveyor 5 is increased to a speed faster than the above constant speed to prompt the supply of agricultural products A. At this time, if the agricultural products A ... conveyed on the first alignment conveyor 4 are insufficiently filled, the conveying speed of the first variable speed conveyor 3 is increased to prompt the supply of the agricultural products A ... and then OFF. After a predetermined time has elapsed since the signal was detected, the speed at the time of constant supply is restored. After that, while being conveyed to the rear end, the second alignment conveyor 6 is gradually aligned in one row by the alignment function.

  At the time of oversupply, the second variable speed conveyor 5 is supplied to the second variable speed conveyor 5 from the first aligning conveyor 4 by decelerating to a conveyance speed slower than the above constant speed or by temporarily stopping it. It plays the role of a stopper that separates the agricultural products A ... at predetermined intervals, and then returns to the speed at the time of constant supply after the elapse of a predetermined time after detecting the ON signal. At this time, by the deceleration or stop of the second variable speed conveyor 5, the subsequent produce A is stopped on the first alignment conveyor 4, but the first alignment conveyor 4 has an accumulator mechanism. Agricultural products A can be temporarily stored without damaging them. Further, in conjunction with the control of the second variable speed conveyor 5, the first variable speed conveyor 3 may also be decelerated or stopped. Then, the portions that are closely or overlapped while being conveyed to the rear end are gradually aligned in one row by the alignment function of the second alignment conveyor 6.

  Also, a pair of left and right guide plates 3b, 3b arranged on both sides of the conveyance path of the first variable speed conveyor 3, and a pair of left and right guide plates 4b arranged on both sides of the conveyance path of the first alignment conveyor 4; 4b, a pair of left and right guide plates 5b, 5b arranged on both sides of the conveyance path of the second variable speed conveyor 5, and a pair of left and right guide plates 6b arranged on both sides of the conveyance path of the second alignment conveyor 6 , 6b are inclined at an angle that gradually decreases from the outer end toward the inner end.

  The illustrated embodiment is configured as described above, and the operation of supplying a large number of agricultural products A in a line by the aligning apparatus 1 will be described below.

  First, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a large number of agricultural products A ... supplied randomly from the supply conveyor 2 are distributed and supplied to the first variable speed conveyors 3 corresponding to the respective strips of the fruit selection machine 7. At the same time, the agricultural products A conveyed while being overlapped are conveyed so as to be dispersed back and forth by the first variable speed conveyor 3 and the first alignment conveyor 4.

  When the first detection sensor S1 detects that the interval between the produce A ... conveyed on the first alignment conveyor 4 shown in FIG. The variable speed conveyor 3 is driven at a predetermined conveying speed, and the agricultural products A are supplied at a constant speed.

  When the first detection sensor S1 detects that the interval between the products A ... conveyed on the first alignment conveyor 4 arranged in the first row from the top shown in FIG. 4 is longer than the predetermined interval, the filling is insufficient. Therefore, the first variable speed conveyor 3 is increased at a higher speed than the conveying speed of the first aligning conveyor 4, and the agricultural products A are pushed forward in the conveying direction by the first variable speed conveyor 3. In this manner, the first alignment conveyor 4 is supplied. The first variable speed conveyor 3 is returned to a constant speed after a predetermined time has elapsed since the first detection sensor S1 detected that the shortage of charging was resolved.

  Agricultural products A supplied on the first alignment conveyor 4 are conveyed while being gradually aligned in one row by the alignment function of the first alignment conveyor 4.

  The agricultural products A supplied from the first alignment conveyors 4 are supplied to the second variable speed conveyors 5 respectively, and the second variable speed conveyors 5 and the second alignment conveyors 6 are arranged in a row. Align and transport.

  The produce A ... conveyed on the second variable speed conveyor 5 is supplied onto the second aligning conveyor 6 in the forward direction corresponding to the conveying direction, and arranged at the entrance portion a of the second aligning conveyor 6. Each of the support rollers 6a is accelerated and conveyed to separate the agricultural products A that are in close contact with each other.

  It is 2nd that the space | interval between the produce A ... conveyed on the 2nd alignment conveyor 6 arrange | positioned in the 1st row from the top shown in FIG. When the detection sensor S2 detects a constant supply state as shown in FIG. 5, the second variable speed conveyor 5 is rotated at a constant speed (about 30 m / min) and supplied from the first alignment conveyor 4. Agricultural products A are conveyed while being separated at a predetermined interval.

  The second detection sensor S2 detects that the interval between the produce A ... conveyed on the second alignment conveyor 6 arranged in the second row from the top shown in FIG. 4 is longer than or equal to a predetermined interval. In this case, since it is in a state of insufficient filling, the second variable speed conveyor 5 is increased to a speed higher than the constant speed to prompt the supply of the agricultural products A. At this time, if the agricultural products A conveyed on the first alignment conveyor 4 are insufficiently filled, the first variable speed conveyor 3 is increased to prompt the supply of the agricultural products A.

  When it is detected by the second detection sensor S2 that the produce A ... conveyed on the second alignment conveyor 6 arranged in the sixth row from the top shown in FIG. Since it is in an oversupply state as shown in FIG. 6, the second variable speed conveyor 5 is decelerated to a conveyance speed slower than a constant speed, or temporarily stopped, etc. It plays the role of a stopper that separates the produce A supplied to the variable speed conveyor 5 at a predetermined interval. At this time, the following agricultural products A ... are stopped on the first alignment conveyor 4, but since the first alignment conveyor 4 is provided with an accumulating mechanism, the agricultural products A can be temporarily stored without being damaged. it can.

  After passing through the entrance portion a of the second alignment conveyor 6, the produce A ... conveyed on the second alignment conveyor 6 is aligned in a line so as to be close to or in close contact with each other, and each selection of the fruit selection machine 7 is selected. It supplies to fruit line 7a ..., respectively.

  1st speed variable conveyor 3 arranged in the 1st stage, 1st alignment conveyor 4, rough supply control which distributes agricultural products A conveyed with overlapping by 1st detection sensor S1 back and forth, 2 A fine supply control for aligning the produce A to a substantially constant supply amount by the second variable speed conveyor 5, the second alignment conveyor 6 and the second detection sensor S2 arranged in the stage, Since it is performed for each row of the fruit selection machine 7, the alignment unevenness of the produce A hardly occurs, and it can be supplied in a line, and the filling rate can be increased. As a result, it is possible to increase the filling rate of the fruit selection machine 7 and improve the processing capacity.

  As described above, since the transport amount of the agricultural product A to be supplied independently (for each strip) is adjusted while detecting the transport amount of the agricultural product A for each strip, the supply amount of the agricultural product A to the next process is constant. In addition to reducing the filling loss as in the conventional apparatus, the filling rate of the fruit selection machine 7 can be increased to improve the capacity. In addition, when the multi-row selection machine 7 is provided, the agricultural products A can be efficiently distributed to the respective lines, so that it is possible to make the number of lines optimal for the capacity of the processing line, and the excessive selection machine 7 It is not necessary to provide.

In the correspondence between the configuration of the present invention and the above-described embodiment,
The article of this invention corresponds to the agricultural product A of the example,
Similarly,
The first detection means corresponds to the first detection sensor S1,
The second detection means corresponds to the second detection sensor S2,
The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, but can be applied based on the technical idea shown in the claims, and many embodiments can be obtained.

The side view which shows arrangement | positioning of each conveyor which comprises an aligning apparatus. The top view which shows supply start operation | movement of agricultural products. The top view which shows the alignment operation | movement of the agricultural products by the 1st-stage conveyor. The top view which shows the alignment operation | movement of the agricultural products by the 2nd-stage conveyor. The side view which shows the agricultural product conveyance operation | movement at the time of fixed quantity supply. The side view which shows the agricultural product isolation | separation operation | movement at the time of oversupply.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS A ... Agricultural product 1 ... Alignment apparatus 2 ... Supply conveyor 3 ... 1st speed variable conveyor 4 ... 1st alignment conveyor S1 ... 1st detection sensor 5 ... 2nd speed variable conveyor 6 ... 2nd alignment conveyor S2 ... 2nd detection sensor 7 ... Fruit selection machine

Claims (3)

In an alignment apparatus for aligning a number of articles supplied from a supply conveyor in a row,
A first variable speed conveyor connected to a downstream side of the supply conveyor and capable of changing an article conveyance speed;
A first alignment conveyor that is connected downstream of the first speed variable conveyor, has a conveyance surface formed so that a central portion is low in a conveyance direction cross section, and conveys articles at a predetermined conveyance speed;
First detecting means for detecting an interval between articles conveyed on the first alignment conveyor,
When the interval between articles conveyed on the first alignment conveyor is equal to or smaller than a predetermined interval, the conveyance speed of the first variable speed conveyor is set to be lower than that of the first alignment conveyor,
When the interval between articles conveyed on the first alignment conveyor is longer than a predetermined interval, the conveyance speed of the first variable speed conveyor is set to be higher than that of the first alignment conveyor, and the articles are moved to the first variable speed conveyor. The alignment apparatus is controlled to be supplied to the first alignment conveyor. Downstream of the first alignment conveyor,
A second variable speed conveyor that can change the conveying speed of the article;
A second alignment conveyor connected downstream of the second variable speed conveyor and having a transfer speed set higher than the transfer speed of the first alignment conveyor;
And a second detection means for detecting a distance between articles conveyed on the second alignment conveyor, and a second variable speed conveyor according to the distance between the articles conveyed on the second alignment conveyor. The aligning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the conveying speed of the apparatus is controlled. The alignment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of parallel lines are connected downstream of the supply conveyor.

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