JP2010112779A - Weighing device for combination weighing and combination weighing system, and combination weighing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a combination weighing technique, capable of further enhancing the efficiency of combination weighing, using a simpler constitution. <P>SOLUTION: When a total of 1,000 pieces of carrots C, for example, are packaged three carrots at a time into each pack of a target weight of 350 g, 333 pieces carrots C which is one third of the total number are weighed, one carrot at a time, in primary weighing operations, and when the carrots are classified into weight ranks 1-4 (first determination mode) and each carrot is stored in one of storage containers 51-54. In secondary weighing operations, the remaining 667 pieces of carrots C are weighed two, carrots at a time; and here, which of the weight ranks 1-4 the difference between the target weight and the total weight of two carrots corresponds to is determined (second determination mode). Then, one piece of carrot C, belonging to the corresponding weight rank, is selected from among the classified into the weight rank by the primary weighing operations, and is combined. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&amp;INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a weighing device and a weighing system used for combination weighing that sorts articles into predetermined ranks based on weight measurement values, and combines the articles for each of the selected ranks to obtain a combination of articles of almost predetermined weight. In particular, the present invention relates to a combination weighing method, a measurement apparatus and a weighing system capable of performing combination weighing with a simple operation, and a combination weighing method.

  The combination weighing is a weighing method used when a plurality of articles whose individual weights are not constant and whose weight distribution shows a normal distribution are selected to be a predetermined weight. Here, depending on the type of the objects to be weighed, a step of ranking the weight of the objects to be weighed may be required before the combination weighing.

  For example, if three packages of carrots are combined and packaged as a package having a total weight of 300 g, each weight of carrots may be separated as long as the total weight is simply 300 g. The weight of the carrot is required to be as close as possible to the average value of 100 g. Therefore, it is necessary to rank the carrots to the same weight as a stage before performing combination weighing.

  As a combination weighing technique that can cope with such prior ranking, for example, a combination weighing method and a combination weighing system disclosed in Patent Document 1 previously proposed by the applicant of the present application can be cited. In this technique, the objects to be weighed are arranged in storage units arranged so as to correspond to ranks based on weight categories, and the objects to be weighed are taken out from the storage units according to a predetermined combination. As a result, it is possible to obtain an object to be weighed with a desired weight without performing a combination calculation, and it is possible to save space and improve work efficiency.

  By the way, in the field of the combination weighing device, various techniques have been proposed in which a configuration for storing or placing an object to be weighed is devised. For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a method for measuring a combination weigher in advance by weighing a plurality of commodities for alignment and calculating a weight for a deficiency relative to a set weight by combining the alignment weights. In the embodiment, a workbench is provided that is arranged in the vicinity of the combination weighing scale and is provided with a predetermined number of arrangement places by dividing lines. According to this technique, there is no need for a pan for placing a weighed product, a switch mechanism for detecting the placement of the product on the pan, and the work table can be used. It is said that the configuration is simplified and the size can be reduced.

  Patent Document 3 discloses a combination weighing device including a storage position / weight management unit. As a specific configuration of the storage position / weight management unit, the weight of the taken-out article and the position where the article is stored are managed in association with each other, and the weight of the article that is next taken out and not stored And a second configuration for identifying the storage position of the taken-out article and managing the storage position of the article and the weight of the article in association with each other. According to the first configuration, the combination calculation including the stored article and the non-stored article is performed, so that a combination that satisfies the target weight range can be obtained without replacing the articles stored in the storage unit. Further, according to the second configuration, since the position where the article is stored is automatically detected, the worker or the like can store the article in an arbitrary unstored part, and the storage workability can be improved.

Patent Document 4 includes a storage position / weight management unit as well as the technique disclosed in Patent Document 3, and determines the storage position of the stored article in which the taken-out article is stored. A combination weighing device further including a work instruction unit is disclosed. As a specific configuration of the work instruction unit, a first configuration in which the number of stored items is selected from among an item storage unit in which the number of stored items is less than a preset number n of the combination of items is specified, and for each item storage unit In addition, the average weight of the articles is calculated from the weight of the removed articles and the total weight of the already stored articles, and is most approximate to the standard article weight average value (m / n) calculated by the combination number n and the combination weight m. And a second configuration in which an article storage unit to be selected is selected and designated. According to the first configuration, a maximum of n articles can be stored with respect to the number n of combinations, and combinations can be calculated one by one for the combinations until the number reaches the number, thereby improving work efficiency. It can be done. Further, according to the second configuration, since the storage position of the article taken out is determined using the standard article weight average value (m / n), the target combination weight m can be easily obtained by the combination calculation, and the work efficiency can be obtained. Can be improved.
JP 2007-071850 A JP 63-095324 A JP 2000-097553 A JP-A-2005-249406

  Since many articles vary so that their weight shows a normal distribution, the use of the combination weighing device is diverse. Here, since many combination weighing devices perform complex combination weighing control, there are applications in which it is not appropriate to use such a combination weighing device from the viewpoint of weighing cost.

  The combination weighing method and the combination weighing system disclosed in Patent Document 1 can perform work efficiently in a small space with a simple apparatus configuration without using a combination weighing apparatus that performs advanced control. Is an excellent technology. However, although this technology can be widely applied to the field of combination weighing, it can be used for taking out a certain weight of goods and selling them in a bag, or for creating and selling sets in which different types of goods are combined. It is a technique that can be particularly suitably used for the above. Therefore, in an application in which three carrots as described above are combined and weighed to obtain a predetermined weight, that is, an application in which the number of combinations is relatively small, there may be cases where the efficiency of weighing cannot be sufficiently improved.

  As disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, it is possible to improve the efficiency of combination weighing by using a storage unit having a configuration corresponding to the rank division. However, as disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Documents 2 to 4, it is complicated. The combination weighing device that performs various controls similarly devise the storage unit and the like. However, in order to improve the efficiency of combination weighing with a simpler configuration, further contrivance is required for configurations other than the storage unit and the like.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and has a simpler configuration and a combination weighing system, a combination weighing system, and a combination weighing method that can further improve the efficiency of combination weighing. The purpose is to provide.

  As a result of intensive studies in view of the above problems, the present inventor has found that in a weighing device for determining a weight rank, the efficiency of combination weighing can be further improved with a simpler configuration by switching the determination mode. The invention has been completed.

  That is, the weighing apparatus for combination weighing according to the present invention includes a weight detector that detects the weight of an object to be weighed, and a plurality of weight ranges in which the detected weight is set in advance. A first determination mode in which each of the plurality of weight ranks corresponding to each of the first and second detection ranks is determined for each detection, or when the detected weight is set as an initial weight, the initial weight is set in advance. A weight rank determiner configured to perform one of the determination modes of a second determination mode in which a difference with a target weight corresponds to which of the plurality of weight ranks is determined for each detection; A determination mode switching unit that switches the determination mode of the weight rank determination unit to any one.

  According to the above configuration, as the weight rank determination mode, in addition to the first determination mode for ranking the detected weight of the object to be measured, the difference between the detected weight and the target weight is also ranked. The second determination mode that can be set is set. Therefore, as the primary weighing operation, the weighing operation is performed in the state set in the first determination mode, and the objects to be weighed are ranked according to the detected weight. After that, if the weighing mode is switched to the second determination mode as the secondary weighing operation, it is also determined to which weight rank the difference, that is, the weight that is insufficient for the target weight corresponds to each weighing. Will do. Therefore, the total weight can be adjusted to the target weight by combining the objects weighed in the primary weighing operation with the objects weighed in the secondary weighing operation. Thus, in the weighing device capable of determining the weight rank, it is possible to perform the combination weighing simply and quickly without using a large-scale combination weighing device by enabling the switching between the two kinds of determination modes. .

  It is preferable that the combination weighing device further includes a display that displays at least the weight rank determined by the weight rank determiner. Alternatively, the weighing device for combination weighing further includes an external connection terminal for connecting at least an information display device as an external device, and a transmitter for transmitting information to the external device via the external connection terminal. When the information display device is connected to the external connection terminal, the transmitter is configured to transmit the weight rank determination result determined by the weight rank determination device to the information display device. It is preferable.

  According to the said structure, since a weight rank is displayed clearly, the work efficiency of the said primary measurement operation | work or the said secondary measurement operation | work can be improved.

  Further, the weighing device for combination weighing further includes a counter that counts the number of times the weight is detected by the weight detector, and the determination mode switch detects the weight counted by the counter. When the number of times exceeds a predetermined number set in advance, it is preferable that the determination mode of the weight rank determination unit is switched from the first determination mode to the second determination mode.

  According to the said structure, since the frequency | count of detection of a weight is counted, the timing of the transfer from the said primary measurement operation | work to the said secondary measurement operation | work can be made clear, and work efficiency can be improved more.

  The combination weighing device further includes an input device and a storage device, and the storage device stores at least the plurality of weight ranges, the target weight, and the predetermined number of times, and the input device includes: The weight range stored in the storage device, the target weight, and the predetermined number of times are preferably set by an input operation.

  According to the configuration, the weight range, the target weight, and the predetermined number of times can be set, so that the versatility of the combination weighing weighing device can be improved.

  In order to solve the above problems, the combination weighing system according to the present invention includes at least a weighing device and a storage device, and the weighing device detects a weight detector that detects the weight of an object to be weighed. A first determination mode for determining whether the weight corresponds to a plurality of weight ranks respectively corresponding to a plurality of preset weight ranges, or when the detected weight is an initial weight, the initial A weight rank determiner configured to perform one of the determination modes of a second determination mode in which a difference between a weight and a preset target weight corresponds to any of the plurality of weight ranks; A determination mode switching unit that switches the determination mode of the weight rank determination unit to any one; a transmitter that transmits information to the accommodation device; and a controller. The container is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of weight ranks, a plurality of storage containers for storing the objects to be weighed, a plurality of alarms provided corresponding to each of the storage containers, An alarm driver for driving the alarm, and a receiver for receiving information from the weighing device and outputting the information to the alarm driver, wherein the controller of the weighing device is the weight rank determiner. The weight rank determined in (2) is generated as notification information, and the transmitter is transmitted to the accommodation device, and the receiver of the accommodation device outputs the received notification information to the notification device driver. The alarm driver is configured to drive the alarm corresponding to the weight rank based on the alarm information acquired from the receiver.

  According to the above configuration, the weighing device that switches the determination mode to the first determination mode or the second determination mode, the storage container corresponding to the weight rank, and the storage container in which the weighing object is to be stored according to the determination result are notified. Therefore, it is possible to further improve the work efficiency of both the ranking work in the primary weighing work and the combination work in the secondary weighing work. Therefore, it is possible to perform combination weighing simply and quickly without using a large-scale combination weighing device.

  In the combination weighing system, the weighing device further includes a counter that counts the number of times the weight is detected by the weight detector, and the controller of the weighing device counts the counter counted by the counter. Preferably, the weight rank determination device is configured to switch the determination mode of the weight rank determination device from the first determination mode to the second determination mode when the number of times of weight detection exceeds a predetermined number of times set in advance. .

  In the combination weighing system, the weighing device further includes an input device and a storage device, and the storage device stores at least the plurality of weight ranges, the target weight, and the predetermined number of times, and It is preferable that the input device is configured to set the weight range, the target weight, and the predetermined number of times stored in the storage device by an input operation.

  If it is the structure which counts the frequency | count of detection of a weight, the timing of transfer from the said primary measurement operation | work to the said secondary measurement operation | work can be made clear, and work efficiency can be improved more. Moreover, if it is the structure which sets the said weight range etc., the versatility of the measuring apparatus for combination weighing can be improved.

  In order to solve the above-described problem, the combination weighing method according to the present invention provides a predetermined number of combinations from a set of a plurality of objects to be weighed so as to be within an allowable range of a preset target weight W0. When the objects to be weighed are selected, the total number of the objects to be weighed constituting the set is p, the number of the combinations of the objects to be weighed is n, and is 1 or more and n / 2 or less. In order to rank the i objects to be weighed according to weight, where i is the number of primary weighing operations and n is the number of secondary weighing operations j, a plurality of weight ranges and A step of setting a weight rank corresponding to a weight range, and an integer q that is closest to a number p / n obtained by dividing the total number p by the combination number n is the number of primary weighing operations, and the weight Wi of i objects to be weighed And the weight Wi is one of the weight ranks And repeating the primary weighing operation for classifying the i objects to be weighed into one set according to the weight rank q times, and after repeating the primary weighing operation q times, the remainder of the set From the p-q objects to be weighed, j objects to be weighed are selected and the weight Wj is measured, and W0-Wj which is the difference between the target weight W0 and the weight Wj is any of the weight ranks. And the one set of the objects to be weighed classified into the corresponding weight rank is combined with the j objects to be measured to form a package of n objects to be weighed. Repeating the weighing operation until the remainder becomes less than j.

  In the combination weighing method, in at least one of the primary weighing operation and the secondary weighing operation, the weight Wi or Wj is determined after first weighing the total weight of q or p-q objects to be weighed. The weighing is preferably performed by a subtraction method by removing i or j objects to be weighed.

  As described above, according to the present invention, the combination weighing device and the combination weighing system have an effect that the efficiency of combination weighing can be further improved with a simpler configuration.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same or corresponding elements are denoted by the same reference symbols throughout the drawings, and redundant description thereof is omitted.

(Embodiment 1)
[Configuration and basic operation of scale device]
First, the overall configuration and basic operation of the weighing apparatus for combination weighing according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an external configuration of a scale device 10a that is a weighing device for combination weighing according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration of a control system provided in the scale device 10a shown in FIG. FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a scale device 10a according to the present embodiment includes a scale mounting base 11, a scale body 20, a weight rank display section 31, a weight value display section 32, and a determination mode changeover switch 41. 2, a load cell 12, an A / D conversion circuit 13, a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a display unit control circuit 33 are provided. A plate-like or flat plate-like scale mount 11 is provided above the scale body 20.

  The scale body 20 is a known casing formed of various resins, metals such as stainless steel, and a load cell 12, an A / D conversion circuit 13, a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a display unit control circuit 33, and the like are included therein. Is provided. In addition, a weight rank display unit 31 and a weight value display unit 32 are provided in front of the scale body 20. That is, the scale device 10a can display the weight rank in addition to the weight of the object to be weighed. The weight rank display unit 31 and the weight value display unit 32 constitute the display unit 30 of the scale device 10a. For example, a liquid crystal panel is used as the display unit 30. In this embodiment, determination mode changeover switch 41 is provided on the right side surface as viewed from the front of scale body 20. As the determination mode changeover switch 41, a known electric switch is used.

  The weighing platform 11 is a platform for placing an object to be weighed, is supported by the load cell 12, and is configured to transmit a load to the load cell 12. The load cell 12 detects the weight of the object to be weighed, and is a load converter that converts a load such as a weight into an electric signal. The load cell 12 is connected to the A / D conversion circuit 13. The A / D conversion circuit 13 is connected to the control unit 21. The control unit 21 is connected to the determination mode switch 41, the storage unit 22, and the display unit control circuit 33. The display unit control circuit 33 is connected to the weight rank display unit 31 and the weight value display unit 32. The A / D conversion circuit 13, the control unit 21, the storage unit 22, and the display unit control circuit 33 can be configured as one circuit board.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the control unit 21 is configured to include a calculation unit 23, a determination mode switching unit 24, and a weight rank determination unit 25. The calculation unit 23 is connected to the A / D conversion circuit 13, the storage unit 22, the weight rank determination unit 25, and the display unit control circuit 33. The digital signal is input from the A / D conversion circuit 13 to the calculation unit 23, and the weight information is output from the calculation unit 23 to the display unit control circuit 33. The calculation unit 23, the storage unit 22, and the weight rank determination unit 25 are configured to input and output signals bidirectionally.

  The calculation unit 23 is constituted by, for example, a CPU of a microcomputer, and performs calculations related to the operation of the scale device 10a. As the said calculation, the calculation which produces | generates the said weight information and weight rank information is mentioned. The memory | storage part 22 memorize | stores the various information regarding operation | movement of the scale apparatus 10a. In the present embodiment, the storage unit 22 has a plurality of preset weight ranges, a plurality of weight ranks corresponding to the respective weight ranges, and a target value (target) for the total weight of the plurality of objects to be weighed. Weight) is stored. The specific configuration of the storage unit 22 may be configured as an internal memory of a microcomputer or may be configured as an independent memory. The storage unit 22 does not have to be a single unit, and may be configured as a plurality of storage devices (for example, an internal memory and an external hard disk drive).

  The determination mode switching unit 24 is configured to switch a determination mode preset in the weight rank determination unit 25 by operating the determination mode switching switch 41. The weight rank determination unit 25 is configured to determine which of a plurality of weight ranks corresponding to a plurality of weight ranges set in advance is detected by the load cell 12.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, the weight rank determination unit 25 is configured to perform determination in one of two types of determination modes, that is, the first determination mode and the second determination mode. The determination mode is a determination mode switching unit. 24. The first determination mode is a determination mode for determining which of the plurality of weight ranks the detected weight of the weighing object corresponds to. The second determination mode is a determination mode for determining which of a plurality of weight ranks the difference between the initial weight and a preset target weight corresponds to the detected weight as an initial weight. is there.

  The determination mode switching unit 24 and the weight rank determination unit 25 are functional configurations of the control unit 21 and are realized by the CPU as the calculation unit 23 operating according to a program stored in the storage unit 22. Alternatively, it may be configured as a logic circuit using a known switching element, subtractor, comparator, or the like. In the present embodiment, as a preferred example, an embedded type microcomputer configured to execute a preinstalled program can be employed as the control unit 21.

  Next, the basic operation of the scale device 10a having the above configuration will be described. When an object to be weighed is placed on the weighing platform 11, the weight of the object to be weighed is applied to the load cell 12 as a load. The load cell 12 converts a load such as weight into an analog electric signal (analog signal). The analog signal is input to the A / D conversion circuit 13, converted into a digital signal, and output to the calculation unit 23 of the control unit 21. The calculation unit 23 generates the weight of the object to be weighed as weight information by calculation based on the acquired digital signal. Moreover, the calculating part 23 memorize | stores the produced | generated weight information in the memory | storage part 22 as needed.

  The calculation unit 23 outputs the weight information to the weight rank determination unit 25. As will be described later, the weight rank determination unit 25 acquires a plurality of weight ranges and corresponding weight rank information stored in the storage unit 22, and determines the weight rank of the object to be weighed against the weight information. To do. Then, the weight rank determination unit 25 outputs the determination result to the calculation unit 23. The calculation unit 23 generates display information from the acquired weight rank determination result information and the weight information, and outputs the display information to the display unit control circuit 33. The display unit control circuit 33 displays the weight value of the object to be weighed on the weight value display unit 32 and also displays the weight rank of the object to be weighed on the weight rank display unit 31 based on the input display information.

[Weight rank judgment in primary weighing work]
Next, the weight rank determination performed by the scale device 10a according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2, 3A, 3B, 4 and 5. FIG. FIGS. 3A and 3B are schematic views showing an outline of the weight rank determination performed by the scale device 10a. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the control of the weighing operation including the determination of the weight rank in the first determination mode in the scale device 10a, and FIG. 5 also includes the determination of the weight rank in the second determination mode. It is a flowchart which shows an example of control of measurement operation | movement.

  In the present embodiment, for example, when the object to be weighed is carrot, the total number of carrots before packaging is 1000, and three carrots are packaged and sold at a target weight of 350 g per pack. This will be explained based on. In the present embodiment, 1000 carrots are preliminarily selected at the shipping stage before sale so that the weight of one carrot falls within the range of 100 g to 140 g. In general, agricultural products that can be sold in units such as carrots are shipped after being divided into sizes such as L size, M size, and S size.

  First, as a primary weighing operation, an operation is performed in which 333, which is 1/3 of 1000 carrots, are ranked by weight one by one. In the present embodiment, four weight ranges of 100 g or more and less than 110 g, 110 g or more and less than 120 g, 120 g or more and less than 130 g, and 130 g or more and less than 140 g are set for the weight per carrot. , Weight ranks 1, 2, 3, and 4. More specifically, the weight values 110g, 120g, and 130g that divide each weight rank are set as the boundary values L1, L2, and L3, respectively, and if the detected weight value is less than L1, the weight rank 1, L1 or more and less than L2 If so, weight rank 2, L2 or more and less than L3 may be weight rank 3, and L3 or more may be weight rank 4. These weight ranks and boundary values are stored in the storage unit 22 in advance.

  Moreover, in this Embodiment, as shown to Fig.3 (a), 333 carrots C are accommodated in the measurement container 55 first, and it mounts on the scale mounting base 11 of the scale apparatus 10a. Thereby, the total weight of the carrot C for 333 is measured, and the carrot C is taken out one by one, and the weight of one carrot C is detected by the decrease from the total weight. That is, in this embodiment, the weight of the object to be weighed (carrot C) is detected by a subtraction method.

  In performing the primary weighing work, in the weighing apparatus 10a, the determination mode of the weight rank determination unit 25 is set to the first determination mode by operating the determination mode changeover switch 41 (not shown in FIG. 3A). As shown in FIG. 3A, when the user weighs carrots C one by one, the load applied to the load cell 12 is reduced by the weight of one carrot C, so the weight of one carrot C is Detected. As shown in FIG. 4, with the detection of the weight of one carrot C, the calculation unit 23 generates the weight W1 of one carrot C as weight information (step S101). The weight W1 is output to the weight rank determination unit 25 (see FIG. 2).

  The weight rank determination unit 25 acquires boundary value information from the storage unit 22 and compares whether the weight W1 acquired from the calculation unit 23 is smaller than the first boundary value L1 = 110 g (step S102). If it is smaller than L1 (YES in step S102), the weight rank determination unit 25 determines that the weight of one carrot C whose weight is detected corresponds to the weight rank 1 because it is in the range of 100 g or more and less than 110 g ( Step S103). On the other hand, if it is larger than L1 (NO in step S102), it is compared whether the weight W1 is smaller than the next boundary value L2 = 120 g (step S104).

  If it is smaller than L2 (YES in step S104), the weight rank determination unit 25 determines that the weight of one detected carrot C corresponds to weight rank 2 because it is within the range of 110 g or more and less than 120 g (step S104). S105). On the other hand, if it is larger than L2 (NO in step S104), it is compared whether the weight W1 is smaller than the next boundary value L3 = 130 g (step S106).

  If it is smaller than L3 (YES in step S106), the weight rank determination unit 25 determines that the weight of one carrot C detected corresponds to the weight rank 3 because it is within the range of 120 g or more and less than 130 g (step S106). S107). On the other hand, if it is larger than L3 (NO in step S106), it is clear that it is within the range of 130 g or more and less than 140 g, so the weight rank determination unit 25 determines that the weight W1 corresponds to the weight rank 4 (step S108).

  The calculation unit 23 acquires the weight rank that is the determination result of the weight rank determination unit 25, and generates display information from this weight rank and one piece of generated weight information (weight W1) (step S109). And the calculating part 23 outputs the produced | generated display information to the display part control circuit 33, and while the display part control circuit 33 displays the weight rank of one carrot C to be measured by the weight rank display part 31, The weight value display unit 32 displays the weight value of the single carrot C (step S110).

  The user classifies the carrots C in the previously prepared ranking container base 50 according to the weight rank displayed on the weight rank display unit 31 of the scale device 10a. The ranked container base 50 includes storage containers 51, 52, 53, and 54 corresponding to the weight ranks 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively, and is positioned in front of the storage containers 51 to 54 or at a position that is easy for the user to check. Indicates the rank number. In the example shown in FIG. 3A, the scale device 10 a displays the weight rank of one taken out carrot C as “rank: 2”, so the user corresponds to the weight rank 2. The taken out carrot C is stored in the storage container 52. This primary weighing operation is repeated until the weighing of all 333 carrots C is completed.

[Weight rank judgment in secondary weighing work]
When the primary weighing operation is completed, next, as a secondary weighing operation, the operation of weighing 667 pieces, which are the remaining (2/3) of 1000 carrots, is performed two by two. As shown in FIG. 3 (b), 667 carrots C are accommodated in the weighing container 55, placed on the weighing platform 11 of the weighing apparatus 10a, and the total weight of the 667 carrots C is weighed. . Similar to the primary weighing operation, the carrots C are taken out two by two, and the weight of the two carrots C is detected by the subtraction method.

  Here, in the secondary weighing operation, the scale device 10a is configured not to determine the weight rank for the weight of the two carrots C but to determine the weight rank of one carrot C to be combined with the two carrots. Has been. That is, at the stage of entering the secondary weighing operation, the user operates the determination mode changeover switch 41 not shown in FIG. 3B to change the determination mode of the weight rank determination unit 25 from the first determination mode to the second determination mode. Switch to judgment mode. Then, as shown in FIG. 3 (b), when the user weighs two carrots C, the load applied to the load cell 12 is reduced by the weight of the two carrots C, so the weight of the two carrots C Detected. As shown in FIG. 5, with the detection of the weights of the two carrots C, the calculation unit 23 generates the weight (initial weight) W2 of the two carrots C as weight information (step S201). Further, the calculation unit 23 acquires the target weight W0 of one pack from the storage unit 22, generates a difference weight Wd that is a difference between the target weight W0 and the initial weight W2 as weight information (step S202), and this difference weight Wd. Is output to the weight rank determination unit 25.

  Thus, in this embodiment, since three carrots C are packaged as one pack, if the initial weight W2 for two bottles is subtracted from the target weight W0 of one pack, the resulting differential weight Wd is one. It corresponds to the weight of carrot. Therefore, when the weight rank is determined for the differential weight Wd, it becomes clear which weight rank of the remaining one carrot C is. Therefore, if one carrot C having a rank corresponding to the weight rank of the differential weight Wd is selected from 333 carrots C that have been ranked in the primary weighing operation and combined with two carrots C, the target weight W0 can be obtained. Three combinations can be obtained.

  The weight rank determination unit 25 acquires boundary value information from the storage unit 22 and compares whether the difference weight Wd acquired from the calculation unit 23 is smaller than the first boundary value L1 (step S203). If it is smaller than L1 (YES in step S203), since it is in the range of 100 g or more and less than 110 g, the weight rank determination unit 25 determines that the remaining one carrot C corresponds to the weight rank 1 (step) S204). On the other hand, if it is larger than L1 (NO in step S203), it is compared whether the difference weight Wd is smaller than the next boundary value L2 (step S205).

  If it is smaller than L2 (YES in step S205), since it is within the range of 110 g or more and less than 120 g, the weight rank determination unit 25 determines that the remaining one carrot C corresponds to the weight rank 2 (step) S206). On the other hand, if it is larger than L2 (NO in step S205), it is determined whether the difference weight Wd is smaller than the next boundary value L3 (step S207).

  If it is smaller than L3 (YES in step S207), the weight rank determination unit 25 determines that the remaining one carrot C corresponds to weight rank 3 because it is within the range of 120 g or more and less than 130 g (step S207). S208). On the other hand, if it is larger than L3 (NO in step S207), it is clear that it is within the range of 130 g or more and less than 140 g, so that the weight rank determination unit 25 corresponds to the weight rank 4 of the remaining one carrot C. Is determined (step S209).

  The calculation unit 23 acquires the weight rank that is the determination result of the weight rank determination unit 25, and generates display information from this weight rank and the generated two pieces of weight information (initial weight W2) (step S210). And the calculating part 23 outputs the produced | generated weight information to the display part control circuit 33, and the display part control circuit 33 displays the weight rank of the remaining one carrot C which should be combined with the weight rank display part 31. The weight value display unit 32 displays the weight values of the two carrots C to be weighed (step S211).

  The user selects one carrot C having a corresponding weight rank from the carrots C that have been ranked in the ranked container stand 50 according to the weight rank displayed on the weight rank display unit 31 of the scale device 10a, and weighed. Combine with 2 carrots C and pack as a pack. In the example shown in FIG. 3B, the scale device 10a displays the weight rank of the remaining one carrot C as “rank: 3”. Take out one carrot C from the container 53 and combine it with two weighed carrots C, and wrap them in a pack of 3 in a total weight of 350 g. This secondary weighing operation is repeated until all of the 333 carrots C classified in the primary weighing operation are eliminated.

[Combination weighing method]
As described above, in the present embodiment, simple and quick combination weighing can be performed only by using a weighing device having a weight rank display function without using a large-scale combination weighing device. As described above, the weighing device used in the present embodiment only needs to be configured to be able to switch between two types of weight rank determination modes. As a result, not only combination weighing can be performed with as few steps as possible, but also the weighing efficiency can be improved, and the efficiency of the packing operation can be greatly improved.

  Here, in the present embodiment, as described above, an example in which three carrots are packaged as one pack is given, but of course the present invention is not limited to this, and a preset target weight W0 is set. The present invention can be widely used for selecting a predetermined number of the objects to be weighed from a set S composed of a plurality of objects to be weighed so as to be within an allowable range.

  That is, the combination weighing method according to the present invention will be described in detail. The total number of all objects to be weighed constituting the set S is p, the number of objects to be weighed is n, and one or more n / 2 If the number less than or equal to the number is the number of primary weighing operations i and the number n−i is the number of secondary weighing operations j, the total weight Wn of the n objects to be weighed is ideally the target weight W0. Therefore, an allowable range of the target weight W0 is set as necessary (target weight allowable range setting step). The target weight W0 may be stored in a storage device such as the storage unit 22. In the carrot example, the set S is 1000 carrots, and the number of combinations n = 3. Therefore, the number of primary weighing operations i = 1 (1 to 3/2), the number of secondary weighing operations j = 2 (3-1 = 2). The scale device 10a stores the target weight W0 = 350 g in the storage unit 22 in advance in order to determine the weight rank.

  For example, in the case of combination weighing in which the minimum unit is 10 g and a weight less than 10 g is regarded as an error range, it is not necessary to set an allowable range of the target weight W0. In the carrot example, since the target weight W0 = 350 g, the allowable range of the target weight W0 can be set as 341 g to 359 g. However, if the error range is less than 10 g, such an allowable range is There is no need to set it.

  As the next step, in order to rank i objects to be weighed by weight, a plurality of weight ranges and weight ranks corresponding to the weight ranges are also set (weight rank setting step). The set weight range and weight rank may be stored in the storage device in the same manner as in the above step. In the example of the carrot, in order to rank one carrot, weight ranges of 100 g to 110 g, 110 g to 120 g, 120 g to 130 g, and 130 g to 140 g are set. In contrast, weight ranks 1, 2, 3, and 4 are paid out, respectively.

  As the next step, an integer q that is closest to the number p / n obtained by dividing the total number p by the number of combinations n is set as the number of primary weighing operations, and the weight Wi of i objects to be weighed is measured. The primary weighing work for classifying i objects to be weighed into one set and classifying by weight rank is repeated q times (primary weighing work step). For weighing and determining the weight Wi, the scale device 10a according to the present embodiment, the scale device 10b described later, or the combination weighing system 10c may be used. In the example of the carrot, since the integer q = 333 which is closest to the number 1000/3 obtained by dividing 1000 by 3, the number of primary weighing operations is 333. Then, the weight Wi = W1 of one carrot is detected by the load cell 12 (meter) and generated as weight information by the calculation unit 23, and it is determined whether the weight information corresponds to one of the weight ranks 1 to 4. This is determined by the unit 25. Since this primary weighing operation is repeated 333 times, in the above example, the total weight of 333 carrots is first weighed, and the weight of each carrot is weighed by the subtraction method.

  As the next step, after repeating the primary weighing operation q times, j weights are selected from the p-q weighted objects that are the rest of the set S, the weight Wj is measured, and the target weight W0 is obtained. It is determined whether W0−Wj = Wd, which is a difference in weight Wj, corresponds to one of the weight ranks, and one set of objects to be weighed classified in the corresponding weight rank is combined with j objects to be weighed, and n The secondary weighing operation for making a package of the objects to be weighed is repeated until the balance becomes less than j (secondary weighing operation step). In the carrot example, two carrots are selected from 1000-333 = 667, the weight Wj = W2 is detected by the load cell 12, and is generated as weight information by the calculation unit 23, and the difference weight is calculated by the calculation unit 23. Wd = W0-W2 is generated as weight information, and the weight rank determination unit 25 determines which of the weight ranks 1 to 4 corresponds to the weight information. If this secondary weighing operation is repeated, one carrot will be left, so it may be repeated until the remainder becomes less than two.

  The target weight W0, the total number of objects to be weighed p, the number of objects to be weighed n, the number of primary weighing operations i, the number of secondary weighing operations j, and the number of primary weighing operations q depend on the type of weighing object, sales conditions, etc. Needless to say, it can be changed as appropriate and is not limited to the present embodiment (particularly the example of carrot). In addition, as a specific configuration for carrying out each of the steps, a scale device disclosed in this embodiment or an embodiment to be described later can be suitably used, but other weighing devices and arithmetic devices can be used. There may be.

  In the primary weighing work and the secondary weighing work, any of an addition method and a subtraction method may be used as long as the weight Wi or Wj is appropriately measured. However, if the subtraction method is used, the work efficiency is improved as compared with the addition method. In other words, the addition method requires three steps, i.e., taking i or j objects to be weighed from a set of q pieces or pq pieces, weighing them with a measuring instrument, and ranking them. If there is, after first weighing the total weight of q or pq objects to be weighed, the ranking is completed by simply removing i or j objects to be weighed. It is to become.

[Modification]
The specific configuration of the scale device 10a or the combination weighing method according to the present embodiment is not limited to the above configuration. For example, in the present embodiment, the weight range or boundary value stored in the storage unit 22 of the scale device 10a, or the target weight of the combination may be reset, and the weight rank can be set in four or more stages. It's okay. In this case, the scale device 10a includes a known input device or the like whose settings can be changed. Further, in the present embodiment, the weight rank is determined by the control unit 21, but a mechanical configuration may be employed. That is, the weight cell may be mechanically weighed without using the load cell 12, and the weight rank may be mechanically displayed if the weight is within a predetermined weight range. At this time, the determination mode changeover switch 41 can adopt a mechanical configuration instead of an electrical switch.

  In this embodiment, the weight rank and the weight range are four ranks, but the present invention is not limited to this. By increasing the number of ranks of the weight rank, the accuracy of combination can be increased. For example, in the present embodiment, the carrot C is ranked so that it becomes 4 ranks in a weight range of 10 g by setting three boundary values within the maximum weight range of 100 g to 140 g. You may rank 8g by 5g, or you may rank 8g by 5 ranks. Unless the maximum weight range is changed, the number of ranks is increased by narrowing the weight range corresponding to each weight rank. Increasing the number of ranks can improve the accuracy of combination weighing, but if the number of ranks is increased too much, the weight range of each weight rank may fall within the allowable error range of the target weight. is there. In this case, there is a possibility that appropriate combination weighing cannot be performed. Accordingly, it is preferable to appropriately set the number of ranks from the type of the object to be weighed, the target weight, the allowable error range, and the like. Therefore, in order to give the scale device 10a versatility, it is preferable that the weight range, the boundary value, and the target weight of the combination can be reset.

(Embodiment 2)
In the first embodiment, the basic configuration has been described in which the balance device includes the determination mode changeover switch. However, in the present embodiment, as a more preferable configuration, the balance device includes an input unit. A configuration capable of switching modes, setting target weights and weight ranges, and setting the number of primary weighing operations will be described.

[Configuration and basic operation of scale device]
The overall configuration and basic operation of the weighing apparatus for combination weighing according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing an external configuration of the scale device 10b according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control system provided in the scale device 10b shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the scale device 10b according to the present embodiment includes a scale platform 11, a scale body 20, a display unit 30 (weight rank display unit 31 and weight value display unit 32), load cell 12, The point that the A / D conversion circuit 13, the control unit 21, the storage unit 22, and the display unit control circuit 33 are provided is the same as the scale device 10a according to the first embodiment. The difference is that the input unit 42 and the counter 14 are provided.

  For example, the input unit 42 includes a plurality of keys as shown in FIG. In FIG. 6, the input unit 42 is disposed adjacent to the lower side of the display unit 30, but is not limited to this configuration, and may be the right side of the display unit 30 or the like. As shown in FIG. 7, the control unit 21 has an I / O circuit, and the input unit 42 is connected to the I / O circuit 26 and inputs information to the calculation unit 23 by an input operation such as pressing a key. It is configured to The calculation unit 23 is connected not only to the storage unit 22 and the weight rank determination unit 25 but also to the determination mode switching unit 24. The counter 14 is connected to the A / D conversion circuit 13 and the calculation unit 23. The A / D conversion circuit 13 converts the analog signal of the load detected by the load cell 12 into a digital signal, and outputs the digital signal to the calculation unit 23 and also to the counter 14. The counter 14 is configured to count the number of times of detection (weighing) of the weight by the load cell 12 from the number of times of input of the digital signal from the A / D conversion circuit 13 and output it to the calculation unit 23.

  The calculation unit 23 is configured to operate the determination mode switching unit 24 based on the input information from the input unit 42 and the number of times of measurement from the counter 14. The determination mode switching unit 24 switches the determination mode of the weight rank determination unit 25 from the first determination mode to the second determination mode when the number of measurements counted by the counter 14 exceeds a predetermined number of times set in advance. It is configured as follows. In the present embodiment, as described later, the predetermined number of times is input to the calculation unit 23 by the input unit 42 and stored in the storage unit 22. The storage unit 22 is configured to store the predetermined number of times in addition to the plurality of weight ranges and weight ranks and the target weight.

  Next, the basic operation of the scale device 10b having the above configuration will be described. The basic weighing operation and the weight rank determining operation are the same as those of the scale device 10a according to the first embodiment, but the number of measurements from the counter 14 is also input to the calculation unit 23. The calculation unit 23 compares the predetermined number of times stored in the storage unit 22 with the number of measurement obtained from the counter 14 and determines that the determination mode switching timing has been reached when it is determined that the number of measurement has reached the predetermined number. Display information to be displayed is generated, and the display information is output to the display unit 30 (the weight rank display unit 31 and / or the weight value display unit 32). The user confirms this display information and inputs determination mode switching instruction information from the input unit 42. The calculation unit 23 operates the determination mode switching unit 24 according to the instruction information input via the I / O circuit.

  That is, in the present embodiment, the calculation unit 23 notifies the user that the number of times of measurement has reached a predetermined number of times, and then operates the determination mode switching unit 24 if instruction information is input from the user. It is configured as follows. Further, when the operation information is input from the calculation unit 23, the determination mode switching unit 24 determines that the number of measurements counted by the counter 14 exceeds a predetermined number set in advance, and the weight rank determination unit 25 The judgment mode is switched.

[Weight rank judgment]
Next, the weight rank determination performed by the scale device 10b according to the present embodiment will be described based on FIGS. 7 and 8 together with the control of the weighing operation. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of control of the weighing operation performed by the scale device 10b.

  In the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the objects to be weighed are carrots, the total number of carrots before packaging is 1000, and three carrots with a target weight of 350 g per pack. The explanation will be based on the case of packaging and selling. Therefore, in the primary weighing operation, 333, which is 1/3 of 1000 carrots, are ranked according to weight one by one, and in the secondary weighing operation, the remaining 667 are weighed two by two, Carry out the task of selecting and combining one carrot from the ranks determined in the primary weighing operation.

  First, the target weight W0 = 350 g, the weight range corresponding to the weight ranks 1 to 4, and the number of primary weighing operations q = 333 are input and set by the input operation of the input unit 42 (step S301). As in the first embodiment, the weight range set at this time is set to boundary values L1 = 110 g, L2 = 120 g, L3 = 130 g, and the weight W1 (or differential weight Wd) of one carrot. , W1 <L1, weight rank 1, L1 ≦ W1 <L2, weight rank 2, L2 ≦ W1 <L3, weight rank 3, W1 ≦ L3, weight rank 4. Based on the input information from the input unit 42, the calculation unit 23 causes the storage unit 22 to store the target weight W0, each weight range, and the number of primary weighing operations q. In addition, the calculation unit 23 operates the determination mode switching unit 24 so that the determination mode of the weight rank determination unit 25 becomes the first determination mode.

  Next, weighing is performed in the first determination mode (step S302). In step S302, the processing described in the “weight rank determination in the primary weighing operation” in the first embodiment is performed. That is, the control unit 21 (the calculation unit 23, the weight rank determination unit 25) performs the control of Step S101 to Step S110 illustrated in FIG. The carrot weight is detected by the subtraction method, as in the first embodiment.

  Next, the computing unit 23 determines whether or not the number of measurements counted by the counter 14 has reached a predetermined number q (step S303). If not reached (NO in step S303), step S302 is repeated. If it has been reached (YES in step S303), the calculation unit 23 displays on the display unit 30 that the determination mode switching time has been reached, and notifies the user of switching of the determination mode (step S304). Upon receiving this notification, the user inputs an instruction for switching the determination mode by an input operation of the input unit 42 (step S305). The calculation unit 23 receives the instruction information and operates the determination mode switching unit 24. The determination mode switching unit 24 switches the determination mode of the weight rank determination unit 25 from the first determination mode to the second determination mode (step S306). ), Weighing is performed in the second determination mode (step S307). In step S307, the processing described in the “weight rank determination in the secondary weighing operation” in the first embodiment is performed. That is, the control unit 21 (the calculation unit 23 and the weight rank determination unit 25) performs the control of Step S201 to Step S211 illustrated in FIG.

  Next, the computing unit 23 determines whether or not the remainder is less than j = 2 (step S308). If it is not less than two (NO in step S308), step S308 is repeated. If the number is less than two (YES in step S308), the number of objects (carrots) that can be combined (two) does not remain, so the control ends. The method for determining whether or not the remainder is less than j in this step is not particularly limited. However, if the weight is detected by the subtraction method as in the present embodiment, the detected weight is the carrot 2. What is necessary is just to determine whether it is less than this. In this case, the control unit 21 may be configured to set the weight for j pieces by the input operation of the input unit 42 in S301.

[Modification]
The specific configuration of the scale device 10b according to the present embodiment is not limited to the above configuration. For example, as the display unit 30, in addition to the weight rank display unit 31 and the weight value display unit 32, a display unit or a display area for displaying the number of times of measurement may be separately provided. Further, an alarm device such as a lamp for notifying whether the determination mode is the first determination mode or the second determination mode may be separately provided. Alternatively, the display unit 30 may be configured as a touch panel that also serves as the input unit 42. In this case, the touch panel may be configured to display a weight rank display area, a weight value display area, a touch key display area corresponding to the input unit 42, and the like on the display screen.

  In the control of the weighing operation, in the present embodiment, in step S304, the arrival of the determination mode switching time is displayed on the display unit 30 to notify the user, but a sound such as a warning sound or a guidance sound is provided. The determination mode switching timing may be left unattended based on information. Alternatively, in this embodiment, the determination mode is switched by the user's input operation in step S305 and step S306, but these steps may be automatically performed by the calculation unit 23. Alternatively, as a step of determining the end of the control of the weighing operation, a step of determining whether to end the weighing operation based on the number of times of measurement counted by the counter 14 may be employed instead of step S308.

(Embodiment 3)
In the second and third embodiments, the configuration in which the combination weighing is performed by the weighing device alone has been described. In the present embodiment, a combination weighing system including a weighing device and a storage device will be described as another preferable configuration.

[Composition and operation of combination weighing system]
The overall configuration and basic operation of the combination weighing system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing an external configuration of the combination weighing system 10c according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control system included in the combination weighing system 10c shown in FIG. is there.

  As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the combination weighing system 10 c according to the present embodiment includes a scale device 10 d and a storage device 60. The scale device 10d includes a scale platform 11, a scale body 20, a weight value display unit 32, an input unit 42, a load cell 12, an A / D conversion circuit 13, a counter 14, a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a display unit control circuit 33. Is the same as the scale device 10b according to the second embodiment, except that the weight rank display unit 31 is not provided but the interface 34 and the connector 35 are provided. The storage device 60 includes four storage containers 61a, 62a, 63a and 64a for storing objects to be weighed, notification lamps 61b, 62b, 63b and 64b corresponding thereto, a container base 65, a notification lamp light emitting circuit 66, and an interface. 67 and a connector 68 are provided.

  The interface 34 of the scale device 10d is a transmitter / receiver that transmits / receives information to / from an external device, and is connected to the interface 67 of the storage device 60 that is an external device via a connector 35 and a connector 68. In addition, the calculation unit 23 is connected to the interface 34, and is configured to generate notification information and transmit it to the storage device 60 via the interface 34. For example, a LAN board can be used as the interface 34, and a USB port can be used as the connector 35, for example.

  The interface 67 and the connector 68 of the storage device 60 have the same configuration as the interface 34 and the connector 35 of the weighing device 10d. The connector 35 of the scale device 10d and the connector 68 of the storage device 60 are connected by a cable 44. As the cable 44, for example, a USB cable can be used. The interface 67 is connected to the notification lamp light emission circuit 66, and outputs notification information received from the scale device 10 d to the notification lamp light emission circuit 66.

  The notification lamp light emitting circuit 66 is connected to the notification lamps 61b, 62b, 63b and 64b, and causes any one of the notification lamps 61b to 64b to emit light based on the notification information. The notification lamps 61b to 64b are provided corresponding to the storage containers 61a to 64a, respectively. The storage containers 61a to 64a correspond to the weight ranks 1 to 4, respectively, and as shown in FIG. 9, rank numbers are posted in front of the containers.

  As will be described later, if any of the notification lamps 61b to 64b emits light in accordance with the weighing operation, any of the storage containers corresponding to the emitted notification lamps corresponds to the weight rank of the weighed object to be weighed. This is to be notified. That is, the storage device 60 not only stores the weighed object to be weighed, but also serves as a notification device that notifies the weight rank of the object to be weighed.

  Next, the basic operation of the combination weighing system 10c having the above configuration will be described. The basic weighing operation and the weight rank determination operation of the scale device 10d are the same as those of the scale device 10b according to the second embodiment. However, the scale device 10d does not include the weight rank display unit 31, but instead includes an interface. 34 is configured to transmit the determination result to the storage device 60.

  That is, the calculation unit 23 generates weight information of the object to be weighed based on the digital signal acquired from the load cell 12 and outputs the weight information to the weight rank determination unit 25. The weight rank determination unit 25 determines the weight rank of the object to be measured as described above, and outputs the determination result to the calculation unit 23. The calculation unit 23 generates display information from the weight information and outputs the display information to the display unit control circuit 33. The display unit control circuit 33 displays the weight value of the object to be measured on the weight value display unit 32 based on the display information. Let In addition, the calculation unit 32 generates notification information from the acquired weight rank determination result information, and causes the interface device 34 to transmit the notification information. In the storage device 60, the notification information is received by the interface 67 and is output to the notification lamp light emission circuit 66. The notification lamp light emission circuit 66 outputs a notification lamp corresponding to the weight rank of the measurement object among the notification lamps 61b to 64b. Make it emit light.

  The scale device 10d can be used as a normal scale that does not determine the weight rank by removing the cable 44 from the connector 35.

[Weight rank judgment]
Next, weight rank determination performed by the combination weighing system 10c according to the present embodiment will be described based on FIGS. 11A, 11B, and 12 together with the control of the weighing operation. FIGS. 11A and 11B are schematic views showing an outline of weight rank determination performed by the combination weighing system 10c. FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating an example of control of the weighing operation performed by the combination weighing system 10c.

  In the present embodiment, as in the first or second embodiment, the object to be weighed is carrot, the total number of carrots before being packaged is 1,000, and the target of 3 carrots is 350 g per pack. The explanation will be based on the case where the products are packaged and sold by weight. Therefore, in the primary weighing operation, 333, which is 1/3 of 1000 carrots, are ranked according to weight one by one, and in the secondary weighing operation, the remaining 667 are weighed two by two, Carry out the task of selecting and combining one carrot from the ranks determined in the primary weighing operation.

  First, the target weight W0 = 350 g, the weight range corresponding to the weight ranks 1 to 4, and the number of primary weighing operations q = 333 are input and set by the input operation of the input unit 42 (step S401). As in the first embodiment, the weight range set at this time is set to boundary values L1 = 110 g, L2 = 120 g, L3 = 130 g, and the weight W1 (or differential weight Wd) of one carrot. , W1 <L1, weight rank 1, L1 ≦ W1 <L2, weight rank 2, L2 ≦ W1 <L3, weight rank 3, W1 ≦ L3, weight rank 4. Based on the input information from the input unit 42, the calculation unit 23 causes the storage unit 22 to store the target weight W0, each weight range, and the number of primary weighing operations q. In addition, the calculation unit 23 operates the determination mode switching unit 24 so that the determination mode of the weight rank determination unit 25 becomes the first determination mode.

  Next, weighing is performed in the first determination mode (step S402). In step S402, the process described in the “weight rank determination in the primary weighing operation” in the first embodiment is performed. That is, the control unit 21 (the calculation unit 23, the weight rank determination unit 25) performs the control of Step S101 to Step S110 illustrated in FIG. The carrot weight is detected by the subtraction method, as in the first or second embodiment.

  However, in this embodiment, since the scale device 10d does not include the weight rank display unit 31, in step S109 shown in FIG. 4, only the display information of the weight value is generated in the calculation unit 23, and in step S110, The display unit control circuit 33 causes the weight value display unit 32 to display the weight value of one carrot C. Instead of generating the weight rank display information in step S109, the calculation unit 23 generates notification information from the acquired weight rank determination result information, and transmits the notification information to the storage device 60 from the interface 34 (step S403). In the housing device 60, the notification information is received by the interface 67 and is output to the notification lamp light emission circuit 66. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 11A, among the notification lamps 61b to 64b, for example, the notification lamp 62b emits light, and thus it is understood that the weight of the measured carrot C is the weight rank 2. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11A, the user stores the extracted carrot C in the storage container 62a corresponding to the weight rank 2.

  Next, the computing unit 23 determines whether or not the number of measurements counted by the counter 14 has reached a predetermined number q (step S404). If not reached (NO in step S404), step S402 and step S403 are repeated. If it has reached (YES in step S404), the calculation unit 23 displays on the weight value display unit 32 that the determination mode switching timing has been reached, and notifies the user of switching of the determination mode (step S405).

  In response to this notification, the user inputs an instruction for switching the determination mode by an input operation of the input unit 42 (step S406). The calculation unit 23 receives the instruction information and operates the determination mode switching unit 24. The determination mode switching unit 24 switches the determination mode of the weight rank determination unit 25 from the first determination mode to the second determination mode (step S407). ), Weighing is performed in the second determination mode (step S408). In step S408, the process described in the “weight rank determination in the secondary weighing operation” of the first embodiment is performed. That is, the control unit 21 (the calculation unit 23 and the weight rank determination unit 25) performs the control of Step S201 to Step S211 illustrated in FIG.

  However, as in step S402, in this embodiment, the scale device 10d does not include the weight rank display unit 31, and therefore, only the weight value display information is generated in the calculation unit 23 in step S210 shown in FIG. In step S211, the display unit control circuit 33 causes the weight value display unit 32 to display the weight value of one carrot C. Instead of generating weight rank display information in step S210, the calculation unit 23 generates notification information from the acquired weight rank determination result information, and transmits the notification information to the storage device 60 from the interface 34 (step S409). In the housing device 60, the notification information is received by the interface 67 and is output to the notification lamp light emission circuit 66. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 11B, for example, the notification lamp 63 b among the notification lamps 61 b to 64 b emits light, and thus it is understood that the weight of the measured carrot C is the weight rank 3. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 11B, the user takes out one carrot C from the container 63a corresponding to the weight rank 3, and combines three carrots C in combination with two weighed carrots C, total weight. Package with 350g.

  Next, the computing unit 23 determines whether or not the remainder is less than j = 2 (step S410). If it is not less than two (NO in step S410), step S408 and step S409 are repeated. If it is less than two (YES in step S410), the number of objects (carrots) that can be combined (two) does not remain, and thus the control is terminated.

[Modification]
The specific configuration of the combination weighing system 10c according to the present embodiment is not limited to the above configuration. For example, the configuration of the scale device 10d is the scale device 10b according to the second embodiment except that the scale device 10d includes the interface 34 and the connector 35 and the weight rank display unit 31 is not provided as the display unit 30. Therefore, the modification of the scale device 10b can also be applied to the scale device 10d.

  In addition, the storage device 60 includes the notification lamps 61b to 64b as notification devices, but may include a configuration that emits sound as a notification device. Moreover, you may provide displays, such as a small liquid crystal panel corresponding to each container 61a-64a. In this case, the storage device 60 may include an alarm device driving circuit or a liquid crystal panel driving circuit instead of the alarm lamp light emitting circuit. Or it may be comprised so that the posting part of the weight rank of each container 61a-64a may light-emit, and display parts, such as a liquid crystal panel, may be sufficient as the posting part of the said weight rank. In other words, in the present invention, the storage device 60 may serve as an information display device that can display the weight rank of the object to be measured to the user.

  Here, in the present embodiment, only the notification information is transmitted from the scale device 10d to the storage device 60. However, the information may be transmitted from the storage device 60 to the scale device 10d. . For example, in the storage device 60, a weight detector may be provided in each of the storage containers 61a to 64a, and the weight of the objects to be weighed stored in the storage containers 61a to 64a may be transmitted to the weighing device 10d. In this case, for example, it can be displayed on the display unit 30 of the scale device 10d that there are too many or too few objects to be weighed in a specific weight rank when the primary weighing operation is completed.

  Alternatively, in the present embodiment, the scale device 10d and the accommodation device 60 are connected by wire, but may be connected wirelessly. Further, an external device other than the scale device 10d and the storage device 60 may be connected. For example, it may be connectable with a personal computer or a server via a network such as a LAN.

  It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the description of the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope shown in the claims, and are disclosed in different embodiments and a plurality of modifications, respectively. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining technical means are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

  The present invention can be widely used in the field of combination weighing. In particular, it is difficult to use a large scale combination weighing device in terms of usage environment or cost, for example, in a retail site such as a supermarket, where a variety of agricultural products, marine products, etc. are packaged and sold at a target weight. Can be suitably used.

It is a figure which shows typically the external appearance structure of the scale apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 1 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the control system with which the balance apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is provided. (A), (b) is a schematic diagram which shows the outline | summary of the weight rank determination which the balance apparatus shown in FIG. 1 performs. It is a flowchart which shows an example of control of measurement operation | movement including the determination of the weight rank in the 1st determination mode in the balance apparatus shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of control of the measurement operation | movement including determination of the weight rank in 2nd determination mode in the balance apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows typically the external appearance structure of the scale apparatus which concerns on Embodiment 2 of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the control system with which the balance apparatus shown in FIG. 6 is provided. It is a flowchart which shows an example of control of the measurement operation | movement which the balance apparatus shown in FIG. 6 performs. It is a figure which shows typically the external appearance structure of the combination measurement system which concerns on Embodiment 3 of this invention. FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a control system provided in the combination weighing system illustrated in FIG. 9. (A), (b) is a schematic diagram which shows the outline | summary of the weight rank determination which the combination weighing system shown in FIG. 9 performs. It is a flowchart which shows an example of control of the measurement operation | movement which the combination measurement system shown in FIG. 9 performs.

Explanation of symbols

10a Scale device (weighing device for combination weighing)
10b Scale device (weighing device for combination weighing)
10c Combination weighing system 10d Scale device (weighing device of combination weighing system)
12 Load cell (weight detector)
14 Counter (Counter)
21 Control unit (controller)
22 Storage unit (memory unit)
24 Judgment mode switching part (judgment mode switching unit)
25 Weight rank determination unit (weight rank determination unit, determination unit)
30 Display (display)
31 Weight rank display (display)
32 Weight value display (display)
34 Interface (transmitter)
35 Connector (external connection terminal)
42 Input section (input device)
60 Containment device (information display device)
61a, 62a, 63a, 64a Storage containers 61b, 62b, 63b, 64b Notification lamp (notification device)
66 Notification lamp light emitting circuit (notifier drive)
67 (container) interface (receiver)

Claims (10)

A weight detector for detecting the weight of the object to be weighed;
The first determination mode in which the detected weight corresponds to each of a plurality of weight ranks corresponding to a plurality of weight ranges set in advance, and is determined for each detection, or the detected weight Any of the second determination modes in which the difference between the initial weight and a preset target weight corresponds to which of the plurality of weight ranks is determined every time when the initial weight is set. A weight rank determiner configured to perform a determination mode;
A weighing apparatus for combination weighing, comprising: a determination mode switch that switches the determination mode of the weight rank determiner to any one.   The weighing apparatus for combination weighing according to claim 1, further comprising a display for displaying at least the weight rank determined by the weight rank determiner. An external connection terminal for connecting at least an information display device as an external device;
A transmitter for transmitting information to the external device via the external connection terminal; and
When the information display device is connected to the external connection terminal, the transmitter is configured to transmit the weight rank determination result determined by the weight rank determiner to the information display device. The weighing device for combination weighing according to claim 1 or 2. A counter for counting the number of times of detection of the weight by the weight detector;
The determination mode switching device switches the determination mode of the weight rank determination device from the first determination mode when the number of times of detection of the weight counted by the counter exceeds a predetermined number of times set in advance. The weighing apparatus for combination weighing according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the weighing apparatus is configured to switch to the second determination mode. An input device and a storage device;
The storage unit stores at least the plurality of weight ranges, the target weight, and the predetermined number of times,
The weighing device for combination weighing according to claim 4, wherein the input device is configured to set the weight range, the target weight, and the predetermined number of times stored in the storage device by an input operation. At least a weighing device and a storage device,
The weighing device includes a weight detector that detects the weight of an object to be weighed, and
When the detected weight is in a first determination mode for determining which of a plurality of weight ranks respectively correspond to a plurality of preset weight ranges, or when the detected weight is an initial weight The weight rank determination is configured to perform one of the determination modes of the second determination mode for determining which of the plurality of weight ranks corresponds to a difference between the initial weight and a preset target weight. And
A determination mode switching device for switching the determination mode of the weight rank determination device to any one of;
A transmitter for transmitting information to the containing device;
A controller, and
The storage device is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of weight ranks, and a plurality of storage containers for storing the objects to be weighed,
A plurality of alarms provided corresponding to each of the storage containers;
An alarm driver for driving the alarm;
A receiver for receiving information from the weighing device and outputting the information to the alarm driver;
The controller of the weighing device is configured to generate the weight rank determined by the weight rank determiner as notification information, and cause the transmitter to transmit the information to the storage device.
The receiver of the accommodation device is configured to output the received notification information to the notification driver,
The combination measuring system, wherein the notification driver is configured to drive the notification device corresponding to the weight rank based on the notification information acquired from the receiver. The weighing device further includes a counter that counts the number of times the weight is detected by the weight detector,
The controller of the weighing device sets the determination mode of the weight rank determination unit to the first determination when the number of times of detection of the weight counted by the counter exceeds a predetermined number of times set in advance. The combination weighing system according to claim 6, wherein the combination weighing system is configured to switch from a mode to the second determination mode. The weighing device further includes an input device and a storage device,
The storage unit stores at least the plurality of weight ranges, the target weight, and the predetermined number of times,
The combination weighing system according to claim 7, wherein the input device is configured to set the weight range, the target weight, and the predetermined number of times stored in the storage device by an input operation. When a predetermined combination number of the objects to be weighed is selected from a group composed of a plurality of objects to be measured within a permissible range of the preset target weight W0, the objects constituting the set are selected. The total number of objects to be weighed is p, the number of combinations of the objects to be weighed is n, the number of 1 to n / 2 is the number of primary weighing operations, i is the number of primary weighing operations, and n−i is the secondary weighing. When the number of work is j,
setting a plurality of weight ranges and weight ranks corresponding to the weight ranges in order to rank the i objects to be weighed by weight;
An integer q closest to the number p / n obtained by dividing the total number p by the combination number n is set as the number of primary weighing operations, and the weight Wi of i objects to be weighed is measured. Repeating the primary weighing operation for classifying the i objects to be weighed into one set according to the weight rank q times;
After repeating the primary weighing operation q times, j weights are selected from the p-q weighted objects that are the rest of the set, and the weight Wj is measured, and the target weight W0 and the weight It is determined which of the weight ranks W0-Wj, which is a difference in weight Wj, and the set of the objects to be weighed classified into the corresponding weight rank is combined with j objects to be weighed And repeating a secondary weighing operation to form a package of the n objects to be weighed until the remaining part becomes less than j.   In at least one of the primary weighing operation and the secondary weighing operation, the weight Wi or Wj is obtained by first weighing the total weight of q or pq of the objects to be measured, The combination weighing method according to claim 9, wherein weighing is performed by a subtraction method by removing one or j pieces.

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