JP2007185626A - Drop type distribution device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a drop type distribution device distributing articles during carrying into three or more directions, without increasing an installation space. <P>SOLUTION: This drop type distribution device is provided with: a first carrying means carrying articles; a first drive means turning the first carrying means in the vertical direction; a second carrying means provided under the first carrying means and carrying articles distributed thereby; a second drive means turning the second carrying means in the vertical direction; and a control part controlling the first drive means and second drive means, and distributes the articles into three or more directions. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a drop sorter that sorts articles during conveyance.

Conventionally, as a drop type sorting device that sorts articles according to a sorting signal from a quality inspection device (weight sorter, metal detector, X-ray inspection device, etc.) provided upstream, two conveyors are connected continuously. Arrangement and swinging the end of the upstream conveyor downward, swinging the start end of the downstream conveyor upward, and distributing articles to the open space (for example, see Patent Document 1) or There has been proposed a system in which chutes inclined to the end side of a conveyor are continuously arranged and articles are distributed by swinging the end side of the chute up and down (see, for example, Patent Document 2). These drop type sorting apparatuses can perform sorting processing at high speed while using a solenoid or an air cylinder while having a simple device structure.
Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 62-25466 Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 4-81683

  However, since all of the drop type sorting devices can only sort articles in two directions, when sorting processing in three or more multi-directions, a plurality of the same are arranged in the article transport direction. There is no other way than to arrange the units in series and perform the sorting process so as to branch sequentially, resulting in a problem that a large installation space is required.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a means capable of sorting articles in multiple directions at three or more locations without increasing the installation space in a drop type sorting apparatus that sorts articles during conveyance.

  The invention according to claim 1 is a drop type sorting apparatus that receives a sorting signal from a quality inspection device provided upstream and sorts the article according to the sorting signal during transport, wherein the article is A first conveying means for conveying, a first driving means for rotating the first conveying means in the vertical direction, and an article provided below the first conveying means and distributed by the first conveying means A second transporting means, a second driving means for rotating the second transporting means in the vertical direction, and a control unit for controlling the first driving means and the second driving means. Provided is a drop type sorting apparatus characterized by sorting to three or more locations.

  A second aspect of the present invention provides the drop type sorting apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the first transport means is a belt conveyor.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the drop type sorting apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second transport means is a plate material inclined in the transport direction. Providing equipment.

  A fourth aspect of the present invention is the drop type sorting apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the first conveying means and the second conveying means are each rotated upstream in the conveying direction. Provided is a drop sorter characterized in that the side pivots up and down.

According to the drop type distribution device of the first aspect of the present invention, the following excellent effects can be obtained.
Since the first conveying means and the second conveying means that rotate in the vertical direction are arranged vertically, it is possible to distribute in three or more locations in multiple directions without increasing the installation space.

  According to the drop type distribution device of the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the effect exhibited by the drop type distribution device of the first aspect, the following excellent effect is obtained. Since the first conveying means is used as a belt conveyor and articles to be distributed are positively conveyed, high-speed sorting processing is possible.

  According to the drop type distribution device according to claim 3 of the present invention, in addition to the effect exhibited by the drop type distribution device according to claim 1 or 2, the following excellent effect is exhibited. Since the second conveying unit is an inclined plate member that does not require a driving unit, the apparatus cost can be reduced.

  According to the drop type sorting apparatus according to claim 4 of the present invention, in addition to the effects exhibited by the drop type sorting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the following excellent effects are achieved. Since the upstream side for receiving the article is moved up and down, the sorting process can be performed at a higher speed.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

(Quality inspection device 1)
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a quality inspection device, which performs two types of inspections, foreign matter contamination inspection and weight inspection, on an article (for example, a packaged product) conveyed on the belt conveyor 11 from left to right in the drawing. carry out. In the foreign matter mixing inspection, an article being conveyed on the belt conveyor 11 is irradiated with X-rays, and X-rays transmitted through the article are subjected to image processing to inspect the presence or absence of foreign matters such as metal pieces inside the article. In the weight inspection, the weight value of the article is obtained based on the output value of the load cell that supports the belt conveyor 11, and it is inspected whether or not it falls within a predetermined weight range.

  Here, an article that passes the inspection is shipped as a non-defective product, and an article that fails the inspection is not shipped as a defective product. However, defective products that fail the foreign substance contamination inspection will be discarded, while defective products that failed the weight inspection will be re-introduced into the upstream process and repackaged. Can be reused. Therefore, considering the post-inspection process, it is not enough to simply distribute the product to a non-defective product or a defective product. Only defective products that fail only good products and weight inspection (reusable), and defective products that fail foreign object inspection (rejected) It is necessary to sort into three types of articles that cannot be reused. Therefore, the quality inspection apparatus 1 discharges the article from the downstream side 11b of the belt conveyor 11, and in accordance with the inspection result of the article, the quality inspection apparatus 1 gives a “non-defective product” and “defective product” to the drop type sorting apparatus 2 provided downstream. One of the three kinds of distribution signals “reusable” and “defective product (not reusable)” is transmitted.

(Drop type sorting device 2)
The drop type distribution device 2 receives any of the above distribution signals from the quality inspection device 1 provided upstream, and in response to the distribution signal, the article received from the belt conveyor 11 is being conveyed. The defective product (reusable) and the defective product (non-reusable) are sorted into three different locations, the next process, the first collection box 31 and the second collection box 32, respectively. The drop type sorting apparatus 2 is provided below the first conveying means 21, the first conveying means 21 for conveying the article, the first driving means 22 for rotating the first conveying means 21 in the vertical direction, and the first conveying means 21. A second conveying means 23 for conveying the articles sorted by the conveying means 21; a second driving means 24 for rotating the second conveying means 23 in the vertical direction; a first driving means 22; and a second driving means 24. And a control unit 25 (not shown) for controlling.

(First conveying means 21 and first driving means 22)
The first conveying means 21 is a belt conveyor that conveys an article placed on the upper surface from the upstream side 21a to the downstream side 21b, as indicated by an arrow X1 in FIG. 2, and is a belt conveyor provided on the downstream side 21b. The upstream side 21a is configured to be rotatable in the vertical direction, as indicated by an arrow R1, with the moving shaft 211 as the center. The first drive means 22 is a servo motor, and rotates the upstream side 21a of the first transport means 21 in the vertical direction via a drive belt 221 wound around the drive shaft 22a and the rotation shaft 211. . That is, the first transport means 21 is reciprocally rotated between the position indicated by the dotted line and the position indicated by the alternate long and short dash line in the drawing by the first driving means 22.

(Second conveying means 23 and second driving means 24)
The second conveying means 23 is a plate material that is inclined in the conveying direction and constitutes a chute that slides the article placed on the upper surface from the upstream side 23a to the downstream side 23b as indicated by an arrow X2 in FIG. Thus, the upstream side 23a is configured to be rotatable in the vertical direction as indicated by an arrow R2 around a rotation shaft 231 provided on the downstream side 23b. The second drive means 24 is a servo motor, and rotates the upstream side 23a of the second transport means 23 in the vertical direction via a drive belt 241 wound around the drive shaft 24a and the rotation shaft 231. . That is, the second transport unit 23 is reciprocally rotated between the position indicated by the dotted line and the position indicated by the alternate long and short dash line in the drawing by the second driving unit 24.

(Control unit 25)
The control unit 25 controls the first drive means 22 and the second drive means 24 in accordance with the distribution signal from the quality inspection apparatus 1 to distribute the articles received from the quality inspection apparatus 1 as follows. . First, when the article received from the quality inspection apparatus 1 is a non-defective product that has passed both the weight inspection and the foreign matter contamination inspection, both the first conveying means 21 and the second conveying means 23 are maintained in a state indicated by dotted lines. Thereby, the articles supplied from the downstream side 11b of the conveyor 11 are conveyed by the first conveying means 21 as indicated by the arrow X1, and are carried out from the downstream side 21b to the next process.

  Next, when the article received from the quality inspection apparatus 1 is a reusable defective product that has been rejected only for weight inspection, the first conveying means 21 is indicated by a one-dot chain line by the first driving means 22. While rotating upward to the state, the second conveying means 23 is maintained in the state indicated by the dotted line. As a result, the articles supplied from the conveyor 11 are dropped and placed on the upper surface of the second conveying means 23, and then slide down obliquely downward as indicated by the arrow X2, and below the second conveying means 23. Sorted to the provided first collection box 31.

  When the article received from the quality inspection apparatus 1 is a non-reusable defective product that has failed the foreign matter mixing inspection, the first driving unit 22 indicates the first conveying unit 21 with a one-dot chain line. Further, the second drive unit 24 is rotated up to the state indicated by the one-dot chain line by the second drive unit 24. Thereby, the articles supplied from the conveyor 11 fall as they are as indicated by the arrow X3 and are distributed to the second collection box 32 provided on the front side of the first collection box 31.

(Features of the drop sorter 2 according to the above embodiment)
The drop type sorting apparatus 2 according to the above embodiment arranges the first transport means 21 and the second transport means 23 that rotate in the vertical direction vertically and combines their movements, thereby reducing the installation space to the next step. It has the feature that it can be distributed to three different locations without spreading to the side.

  The drop type sorting apparatus 2 according to the above embodiment has a feature that sort processing can be performed at high speed because the first transport means 21 is used as a belt conveyor to actively transport the articles to be sorted.

  In the drop type sorting apparatus 2 according to the above embodiment, since the second conveying means 23 is an inclined plate material (chute) that does not require a driving means, the structure is simplified and the apparatus cost can be reduced. Have.

  Since the drop type sorting apparatus 2 according to the above embodiment moves the upstream side 21a, 23a that receives the articles up and down with respect to the first conveyance unit 21 and the second conveyance unit 23, the articles are moved from the conveyor 11 of the quality inspection apparatus 1. At the same time as the sheet is discharged, the sorting process is substantially completed, and the article can be processed at a higher speed.

(Modification of the above embodiment)
In the above-described embodiment, the case has been described in which the article is distributed into three types, that is, a non-defective product, a reusable defective product, and a non-reusable defective product. However, the distribution processing is performed according to other classifications. Of course, it may be. In the above embodiment, only the case where the articles are distributed to three different locations has been described. For example, a third transport unit configured similarly to the second transport unit 23 is provided below the second transport unit 23. The article can also be distributed to four locations. Furthermore, it is possible to distribute in five or more multi-directions by adding a conveying means below.

  In the above embodiment, a belt conveyor is adopted as the first conveying means, and a chute composed of an inclined plate material is adopted as the second conveying means. Conversely, a chute composed of an inclined plate material is adopted as the first conveying means. A belt conveyor may be adopted as the second conveying means. Alternatively, both may be belt conveyors or inclined chutes. In addition, the drop type sorting apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that various changes can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

The front view of this embodiment. The elements on larger scale of FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Quality inspection apparatus 2 Drop type distribution apparatus 11 Belt conveyor 11b Downstream side 21 First conveyance means 21a Upstream side 22 First drive means 23 Second conveyance means 23a Upstream side 24 Second drive means 25 Control part 31 First collection box 32 Second collection box

Claims (4)

A drop type sorting apparatus that receives a sorting signal from a quality inspection device provided upstream and sorts articles according to the sorting signal during transport,
First conveying means for conveying the article;
First driving means for rotating the first conveying means in the vertical direction;
A second conveying means provided below the first conveying means for conveying the articles distributed by the first conveying means;
Second driving means for rotating the second conveying means in the vertical direction;
A control unit for controlling the first driving means and the second driving means;
And a drop-type sorting device characterized in that the article is sorted into three or more locations. The drop type sorting apparatus according to claim 1,
The drop type sorting apparatus, wherein the first transport means is a belt conveyor. It is a drop type distribution device according to claim 1 or 2,
The drop type sorting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second transport means is a plate inclined in the transport direction. The drop type sorting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The drop type sorting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first transport unit and the second transport unit are rotated in the up-down direction on the upstream side in the transport direction.

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