JP2010179969A - Article removing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an article removing device capable of properly removing an article even by a constitution that an article is removed from a production line by blowing air. <P>SOLUTION: The article removing device 100 includes a line conveyor 1 conveying an article A in a fixed direction, an air jet device 2 removing the article A from a line conveyor 1 by blowing air, a conveying state detection device 3 detecting the conveying state of the article A, and a control part 5 controlling the air jet device 2. The control part 5 controls blowing by the air jet device 2 according to the conveying state of the article A detected by the conveying state detection device 3. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an article rejection apparatus that excludes specific articles flowing in a production line from the production line, and more particularly to an article exclusion apparatus that blows air to exclude articles.

  In the production line, not only when there is an abnormality in the product itself but also when there is no abnormality in the product, the product may be excluded. For example, there is a case where boxing is performed by a boxing device in the final process, but the boxing device packs the product well if the product is transported with a large inclination with respect to the transport direction or the products before and after contacting are transported. I can't. For this reason, when the products being conveyed are greatly inclined with respect to the conveyance direction or are in contact with each other, it is necessary to eliminate those products even if there is no abnormality in the products themselves. In addition, even when there is an abnormality such as failure of the boxing device, it is necessary to remove the product before the product is carried into the boxing device.

  There are several methods for excluding products from the production line, but an article excluding device for excluding products by blowing air may be used for reasons such as being relatively easy to install (for example, Patent Document 1). reference).

JP-A-9-301310

  Although the article exclusion device that blows air to remove articles has the advantage that it can be installed relatively easily as described above, the exclusion target is relatively light, such as a snack candy bag, and the bottom is not flat In some cases, when the product is blown with air, the product rotates and cannot be eliminated well. Even if it can be eliminated, the product before and after it is tilted due to contact with the products before and after the elimination, and the boxing operation may not be possible.

  In view of the circumstances as described above, it is an object of the present invention to provide an article exclusion device that can appropriately exclude articles even if it is configured to blow articles from the production line by blowing air. Yes.

  In order to solve the above problems, an article discharge apparatus according to the present invention includes a line conveyor that conveys articles in a certain direction, and an air jet apparatus that blows air to exclude specific articles from the line conveyor. A transport state detection device that detects the transport state of the article, and a control unit that controls the air jet device, the control unit depending on the transport state of the article detected by the transport state detection device The spraying by the air jet device is controlled. According to such a configuration, air can be blown against the articles according to the conveyance state of each article, so that the articles can be appropriately excluded.

  Further, in the article exclusion apparatus, the control unit estimates a center of gravity position of the specific article based on the conveyance state of the specific article detected by the conveyance state detection apparatus, and the specific article thus estimated The air jet device may be controlled so that air is blown toward the center of gravity position. The reason that “estimation” is used above is that, depending on the article, the calculated center-of-gravity position may not be the center-of-gravity position in a strict sense. According to such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the article to be excluded from rotating due to the blowing of air, and thus it is possible to prevent the preceding and following articles from being affected during the exclusion.

  In the article exclusion apparatus, the conveyance state detection device is a light shielding sensor configured to detect blocking of detection light whose optical axis intersects the conveyance path of the article, and the control unit includes the detection unit. Calculate the degree of inclination with respect to the conveyance direction of the article based on the time when light is blocked by the article, and based on the calculated degree of inclination with respect to the conveyance direction of the specific article, the position of the center of gravity of the specific article You may make it guess. According to such a configuration, even if a relatively inexpensive light-shielding sensor is used as the conveyance state detection device, the center of gravity position of the article can be estimated by calculating the degree of inclination with respect to the article conveyance direction.

  In the article rejection apparatus, the control unit calculates a degree of inclination with respect to the conveyance direction of the article based on a time when the detection light is blocked by the article, and a degree of inclination with respect to the conveyance direction of the article. The air jet device may be controlled so that air is blown out of the line conveyor and removed from the line conveyor. According to such a configuration, since an article having a large inclination with respect to the conveying direction is not carried out from the article exclusion apparatus, the boxing apparatus can operate normally and is effective in a production line in which the boxing apparatus is installed on the downstream side. .

  In the article rejection apparatus, the control unit calculates a distance between the adjacent articles based on a conveyance state of the article detected by the conveyance state detection apparatus, and applies to both articles in front and back contact with each other. The air jet apparatus may be controlled so that air is blown over the entire article and the articles are removed from the line conveyor. Even in such a configuration, since the articles contacting the front and rear are not carried out from the article exclusion apparatus, the boxing apparatus can operate normally and is effective in a production line in which the boxing apparatus is installed on the downstream side.

  In the article exclusion apparatus, the conveyance state detection device is a light shielding sensor arranged to detect blocking of detection light whose optical axis intersects the conveyance path of the article, and the control unit includes a light shielding sensor. The distance between the successive articles may be calculated based on the time when the detection light is blocked by the article. According to such a configuration, it is possible to reduce the cost of the article exclusion device itself by using a relatively inexpensive light-shielding sensor as the conveyance state detection device.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, even if it is the structure which blows off air and excludes articles | goods on a production line, the article exclusion apparatus which can exclude articles | goods appropriately can be provided.

It is a schematic perspective view of the article exclusion apparatus concerning one embodiment of the present invention. It is the flowchart which showed the action | operation of the article | item exclusion apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which showed the input display part of the article exclusion apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Below, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected to the element which is the same or it corresponds through all the drawings, and the overlapping description is abbreviate | omitted.

(Embodiment)
First, with reference to FIG. 1, the structure of the article exclusion apparatus 100 which concerns on embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an article exclusion device 100 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the article exclusion device 100 is disposed between the upstream discharge conveyor 200 and the downstream boxing device 300, receives the article A from the discharge conveyor 200, and transfers it to the boxing device 300. Transport. In addition, the article exclusion device 100 is disposed so that a slight gap is generated between the article exclusion device 100 and the discharge conveyor 200.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the article exclusion device 100 according to the present embodiment includes a line conveyor 1, an air jet device 2, a conveyance state detection device 3, an input display unit 4, and a control unit 5. It is mainly composed. In addition, in this embodiment, although the input display part 4 and the control part 5 are components used in common with the boxing apparatus 300, you may make it provide only for the article | item exclusion apparatus 100. FIG. Hereafter, each structure is demonstrated in order.

  The line conveyor 1 has a function of conveying the article A in a certain direction. In FIG. 1, the article A is conveyed from left to right. The line conveyor 1 includes a wide belt 6 formed in an annular shape, and a pair of pulleys (rollers) and a motor (not shown) that rotate the belt 6. The motor is controlled by the control unit 5. That is, the conveyance speed of the article A by the line conveyor 1 is controlled by the control unit 5. In the present embodiment, the motor is controlled so that the conveyance speed of the article A is constant.

  The air jet device 2 has a function of blowing the air and removing the article A from the line conveyor 1. The air jet device 2 includes an air nozzle 2a and an air valve 2b. The discharge port of the air nozzle 2 a has a shape that is long in the horizontal direction, and opens toward the upper side of the line conveyor 1. Therefore, when air is released from the air nozzle 2a, the air blows straight through the line conveyor 1 in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the article A. The air valve 2 b is a so-called electromagnetic valve, and its opening / closing is controlled by the control unit 5. When the air valve 2b is opened, compressed air is discharged from the air nozzle 2a. If necessary, air may be discharged from below the conveyance path of the article A to float the article A so that the article A can be easily removed.

  The conveyance state detection device 3 has a function of detecting the conveyance state of the article A. In the present embodiment, a light shielding sensor including a light projecting unit 3 a and a light receiving unit 3 b is used as the transport state detection device 3. The light projecting unit 3a is disposed above the gap between the carry-out conveyor 200 and the line conveyor 1, and the light receiving unit 3b is disposed below the gap between the carry-out conveyor 200 and the line conveyor 1 so as to face the light projecting unit 3a. ing. The light projecting unit 3a and the light receiving unit 3b are both located near the center of the line conveyor 1 in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction (hereinafter referred to as “width direction”). Light projected from the light projecting unit 3a (hereinafter referred to as “detection light”) passes between the carry-out conveyor 200 and the line conveyor 1 and is received by the light projecting unit 3b. That is, the conveyance path of the article A and the optical axis of the conveyance state detection device 3 intersect each other. When the light receiving unit 3b does not receive the detection light projected by the light projecting unit 3a, it is determined that the article A is interposed between the light projecting unit 3a and the light receiving unit 3b.

  The input display unit 4 is an interface that connects the article exclusion device 100 and an operator, and can input an operation condition of the article exclusion device 100 and has a function of displaying a conveyance state of the article A. . The input display unit 4 according to the present embodiment employs a touch panel. The specific display contents on the input display unit 4 will be described later.

  The control unit 5 includes a microcomputer or the like, and controls the air jet device 2 and has a function of receiving a signal related to the conveyance state of the article A from the conveyance state detection device 3. Further, the control unit 5 processes and stores the data input from the input display unit 4 and transmits a signal to the input display unit 4 so as to perform a required display. In the present embodiment, the control unit 5 is installed inside the rack of the boxing device 300. In addition, an exclusion signal is input to the control unit 5 from the outside. The “exclusion signal” here is a signal transmitted from an external device when the discharge of the article A is necessary due to circumstances of the external device, such as when there is an abnormality in the downstream boxing device 300. is there. In FIG. 1, the control unit 5 and other components are electrically connected, but the wiring is omitted. The above is the schematic configuration of the article exclusion device 100 according to the present embodiment.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the operation of the article rejection apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the article exclusion device 100. This operation is performed under the control of the control unit 5.

  First, the light blocking time by the article being conveyed (the time during which the detection light passing between the light projecting unit 3a and the light receiving unit 3b is blocked) is measured (step S1). Specifically, when the article A is conveyed from the carry-out conveyor 200 to the line conveyor 1 of the article discharge device 100, the article A passes between the light projecting unit 3a and the light receiving unit 3b, and is projected from the light projecting unit 3a. Block the detected light. When the detection light from the light projecting unit 3a is blocked and the light receiving unit 3b cannot receive the detection light, the transport state detection device 3 sends a signal to the control unit 5 that the light receiving unit 3b is not receiving the detection light. . The control unit 5 can measure the light shielding time by the article A by measuring the time during which the signal is received.

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the front and rear articles A are in contact (step S2). Specifically, the light blocking time measured in step S1 is compared with the maximum light blocking time for the article A alone. The “maximum light shielding time by the article A alone” here is a time during which the article A can be shielded to the maximum extent. For example, if the article A is rectangular in plan view, one corner of the article A is opposed to the other corner. This is the light blocking time when the detection light is blocked at the portion connecting the corners (diagonals). Note that the maximum light shielding time for the article A alone is input in advance from the input display unit 4 by the operator before the work. Generally, when the front and rear articles A are in contact, the light shielding time is longer than the maximum light shielding time for the article A alone. Therefore, when the measured light shielding time is longer than the maximum light shielding time of the article A alone, the control unit 5 determines that the preceding and following articles A are in contact, and the measured light shielding time is the maximum of the article A alone. When it is shorter than the light shielding time, it is determined that the front and rear articles A are not in contact.

  If it is determined in step S2 that the front and rear articles A are in contact (YES in step S2), air is blown onto the adjacent articles A and both articles A are removed from the line conveyor 1 ( Step S3). In this embodiment, the control part 5 controls the air jet apparatus 2 so that air may be blown to the whole part which blocked | interrupted detection light among both articles | goods A. FIG. More specifically, the article A that is in contact with the front and rear is conveyed by the line conveyor 1 in the direction of the boxing device 300, and the tip of the part that blocks the detection light of the article A on the front side is the air nozzle 2 a of the air jet device 2. When approaching the front, the control unit 5 opens the air valve 2b to release air. And the control part 5 opens air valve 2b as it is, and continues discharge | releases air to both articles | goods A which passes the front of the air nozzle 2a, and the rear end of the part which blocked | interrupted the detection light of the article | item A which hits back is air When passing through the front of the nozzle 2a, the air valve 2b is closed and the release of air is stopped.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S2 that the front and rear articles A are not in contact (NO in step S2), the degree of inclination of the article A with respect to the transport direction is calculated (step S4). Specifically, the difference between the light shielding time measured in step S1 and the light shielding time when the article A is not inclined with respect to the transport direction (normal time) is calculated. Note that the normal light-shielding time is input from the input display unit 4 by the operator before work. The light shielding time when the article A is inclined with respect to the transport direction is longer than the normal light shielding time if the degree of the inclination is large. Therefore, by obtaining the difference between the measured light shielding time and the normal light shielding time, the degree of inclination of the article A with respect to the transport direction can be calculated.

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the inclination of the article A is outside the allowable range (step S5). Specifically, the difference between the light blocking time measured in step S4 and the normal light blocking time is calculated, and it is determined whether or not this difference is outside a predetermined range. For example, it is assumed that the boxing device 300 cannot pack a box if the article A is inclined 15 degrees or more with respect to the transport direction. Then, when the normal light shielding time is 0.60 seconds, the light shielding time is longer than about 0.62 seconds divided by cos15 ° (that is, the measured light shielding time and the normal light shielding time are An article A in which the difference exceeds 0.02 seconds cannot be boxed by the boxing device 300. Using this principle, in this step, an allowable range of the difference between the measured light shielding time and the normal light shielding time is determined (0.02 seconds in the above example), and if the difference is outside the predetermined range, It is determined that the inclination of the article is out of the allowable range. The allowable range is input from the input display unit 4 by the operator before the work.

  If it is determined in step S5 that it is outside the allowable range (YES in step S5), the process proceeds to step S6. If it is determined that it is within the allowable range (NO in step S5), the process proceeds to step S8. When the process proceeds to step S6, the position of the center of gravity of the article A is estimated. Specifically, it is estimated that the center position of the article A is an intermediate position between the part of the article A that has been shielded from light and the part that has been shielded from light. The reason for “guessing” here is that even if the center of gravity position of the article A is calculated from the appearance shape, the calculated center of gravity position may not necessarily be the exact center of gravity position. For example, when the contents of the article A move, the centroid position in a strict sense cannot be calculated only with the appearance shape.

  Thereafter, air is discharged toward the center of gravity of the article A estimated in step S6 (step S7). Specifically, when the estimated center of gravity of the article A comes to the front of the air nozzle 2a, the air valve 2b of the air jet device 2 is opened and air is blown onto the article A. Thereby, the article A is removed from the line conveyor 1. Note that the estimated timing at which the center of gravity of the article A comes to the front of the air nozzle 2a is calculated based on the distance from the optical axis of the detection light to the front of the air nozzle 2a and the conveyance speed (rotational speed of the motor). The Thus, by blowing air aiming at the position of the center of gravity of the article A, the article A can be accurately removed from the line conveyor 1 while suppressing the rotation and displacement of the article A due to the blowing of air.

  In addition, when it determines with it being in an allowable range by step S5 (it is NO at step S5), the control part 5 determines whether the exclusion signal was received (step S8). As described above, when the article A needs to be removed from the line conveyor 1 due to a failure of the external device or the like, an exclusion signal is transmitted from the outside to the control unit 5. In this step, it is determined whether or not the exclusion signal has been received.

  If it is determined in step S8 that an exclusion signal has been received (YES in step S8), the process proceeds to step S6 and step S7 in order. That is, the control unit 5 estimates the center of gravity position of the article A (step S6), and discharges air toward the estimated center of gravity position of the article A (step S7). On the other hand, if it is determined in step S8 that the exclusion signal has not been received (NO in step S8), the process ends. That is, the article A received from the carry-out conveyor 200 is carried out to the boxing device 300 as it is.

  The above is the description of the operation of the article exclusion device 100. As described above, according to the article rejection apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, the air blowing position on the article A by detecting the conveyance state of the article A such as the distance between the front and rear articles A and the inclination of the article A with respect to the conveyance direction. Therefore, the article can be appropriately removed from the production line.

  Although the main functions of the article exclusion device 100 according to the present embodiment have been described in detail above, the article exclusion device 100 also has other functions. These functions will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the input display unit 4. In FIG. 3, a portion where the word “valid” is surrounded by a frame can be switched between “valid” and “invalid” by touching this, and a portion where the character “used” is surrounded by a frame Can switch between “use” and “not use” by touching this. In addition, when a number is touched with a frame, a numeric keypad pops up, and the numerical value can be changed by touching the number key. Hereinafter, each setting (display) item shown in FIG. 3 will be briefly described, including the contents already described.

  The item 21 of “product direction detection” is set to “valid”, so that the product (article A) conveyed in a different direction (in a lying state) is blown with air and is line conveyor Excluded from 1. For example, when the dimension of the article A in the conveyance direction (longitudinal direction) is larger than the dimension in the width direction in plan view, the measured shading time is shorter than the normal shading time (vertical shading time). It can be determined that the paper is being conveyed in a different direction.

  By setting the item 22 of “product supply interval detection” to “valid”, the article A is excluded from the line conveyor 1 when the front and rear intervals of the article A are so narrow that the boxing device 300 cannot process them. According to the conveyance state detection device 3 according to the present embodiment, the front-rear interval of the article A can be measured by measuring the time from the end of the light shielding until the time when the light shielding starts.

  The item 23 of “error and stopping” is set to “valid” so that when the boxing device 300 is in an error state or when the operation is stopped, that is, the control unit 5 outputs an exclusion signal from the boxing device 300. When received, the article A being conveyed is removed from the line conveyor 1 by blowing air.

  The item “external NG” is set to “valid”, and when the control unit 5 receives an NG signal (exclusion signal) from a device other than the boxing device 300, it is conveyed by blowing air. The article A is removed from the line conveyor 1.

  In the item 25 of “product detection time”, when the time during which the article A that is not inclined with respect to the conveyance direction is shielded (normal light shielding time) is 0.60 seconds, for example, Enter “0.60” in the field. As described above, the control unit 5 can grasp the conveyance state of the article A based on this numerical value.

  In the item 26 “commodity detection time reference value”, an actual measurement value of the time when the article A is shielded from light is displayed. This value is updated each time the article A passes between the light projecting unit 3a and the light receiving unit 3b of the transport state detecting device 3.

  The item “range” 27 displays an allowable error range of the light shielding time. In the case of the above-described example, the light shielding time at normal time is 0.60 seconds, and the light shielding time of the article A conveyed at the maximum allowable angle is 0.62 seconds. Enter "0.02".

  The item “over-capacity” 28 displays the front-rear interval of the article A that can be processed by the boxing device 300. For example, if “0.30” is entered, after the light shielding by the front article is finished and the light shielding by the rear article starts is shorter than 0.30 seconds, either of the front and rear articles is blown by blowing air. Or both are excluded from the line conveyor 1. This is because not only when the front and rear articles A are in contact, but also when the distance between the front and rear articles is closer than a certain distance, the boxing device 300 may have excessive capacity and boxing may not be performed normally.

  The item “overcapacity reference value” 29 displays an actual measurement value of the time when the light shielding by the article A behind the light shielding starts after the light shielding by the article A ahead. This value is updated each time the article A passes between the light projecting unit 3a and the light receiving unit 3b of the transport state detecting device 3.

  An item 30 of “discharge time” (when the product direction is abnormal) indicates air blowing time. For example, when “1.00” is displayed, air is blown for 1.00 seconds when the article A is removed from the line conveyor 1. The air blowing time may be set directly by the operator, or may be set by the control unit 5 according to the conveyance state of the article A. The discharge time can be changed depending on whether the inclination of the article A is large or small. Here, the set value when the inclination with respect to the conveyance direction of the article A is large is displayed.

  The item 31 of “delay time” (when the product direction is abnormal) indicates the time from when the degree of inclination of the article A is detected to when air blowing is started. That is, the timing for blowing air is displayed. For example, when “0.30” is displayed, air is blown 0.30 seconds after the degree of inclination of the product is detected. This value is set by the control unit 5 so that air is blown to the center of gravity of the article A based on the conveyance state of the article A (depending on the degree of inclination of the article A). However, it is also possible for the operator to set the value directly. Here, the set value when the inclination with respect to the conveyance direction of the article A is large is displayed.

  The item “discharge time” (when the product direction is normal) 32 indicates the air blowing time. This is basically the same as the item 30 of “discharge time” (when the product direction is abnormal). However, here, the set value for the case where the inclination with respect to the conveyance direction of the article A is small is displayed. That is, although the inclination with respect to the conveyance direction of the article | item A is small, the setting at the time of blowing air when the control part 5 receives the discharge signal from the outside is displayed.

  The item 33 of “delay time” (when the product direction is normal) indicates the time from when the degree of inclination of the article A is detected until the start of air blowing. This is basically the same as the item 31 for “delay time” (when the product direction is abnormal). However, here, the set value for the case where the article A has a small inclination with respect to the transport direction is displayed. That is, although the inclination with respect to the conveyance direction of the article | item A is small, the setting at the time of blowing air when the control part 5 receives the discharge signal from the outside is displayed.

  The item 34 of “product continuous detection time” displays a light blocking time during which it is determined that the preceding and following products are in contact with each other. For example, when “0.80” is set, if the light shielding time is longer than 0.80 seconds, the control unit 5 determines that the preceding and following products are in contact. This value is also set by the operator before driving.

  The item 35 “delay time at the time of continuous product detection” indicates the time from when it is detected that the preceding and following products A are in contact until the air is blown.

  In the item 36 of “external NG detection photoelectric tube”, when the setting is set to “use”, the article A which is being shielded when the control unit 5 receives the discharge signal from the outside is excluded, and when the setting is set to “unused”. The article A immediately before the commodity that is being shielded from light is excluded. This completes the description of each setting (display) item displayed on the input display unit 4.

  The embodiment according to the present invention has been described above with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to these examples, and there are design changes and the like without departing from the gist of the present invention. Are also included in the present invention. For example, the case where the air jet device is installed at one place has been described above, but a plurality of air jet devices may be provided. In this case, air may be blown to the front and rear ends of the article instead of blowing air to the position of the center of gravity of the article to be excluded. Furthermore, it is divided into an air jet device that operates when there is an abnormality in the article itself, and an air jet device that operates when there is no abnormality in the article but must be eliminated. The exclusion destination may be changed.

  In the above description, the air jet device blows air in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the article. However, the air jet device is configured to change the air discharge direction, and the control unit You may control an air jet apparatus so that the discharge direction of air may be changed according to a conveyance state. Furthermore, the discharge amount per hour may be changed according to the conveyance state of the article.

  In the above description, the light shielding sensor is used as the conveyance state detection device. Instead, a small camera is used so that the control unit detects the conveyance state such as the inclination and the center of gravity of the article based on the image data. Also good. According to such a configuration, it is possible to detect the conveyance state of the article more accurately.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, even if it is the structure which blows off air and excludes articles | goods on a production line, the article exclusion apparatus which can exclude articles | goods appropriately can be provided. Therefore, it is useful in the technical field of article exclusion devices.

100 Article Exclusion Device 1 Line Conveyor 2 Air Jet Device 3 Conveyance State Detection Device 4 Input Display Unit 5 Control Unit A Article

Claims (6)

A line conveyor for conveying articles in a certain direction;
An air jet device that blows air to exclude a specific article from the line conveyor among the articles;
A conveyance state detection device for detecting a conveyance state of the article;
A control unit for controlling the air jet device,
The said control part is an article | item exclusion apparatus which controls blowing by the said air jet apparatus according to the conveyance state of the said article detected with the said conveyance state detection apparatus.   The control unit estimates a center of gravity position of the specific article based on the conveyance state of the specific article detected by the conveyance state detection device, and air is directed toward the estimated center of gravity position of the specific article. The article rejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air jet apparatus is controlled so as to be sprayed. The transport state detection device is a light shielding sensor configured to detect blocking of detection light whose optical axis intersects the transport path of the article,
The control unit calculates the degree of inclination with respect to the conveyance direction of the article based on the time when the detection light is blocked by the article, and based on the calculated degree of inclination with respect to the conveyance direction of the specific article, The article exclusion apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the center of gravity of the specific article is estimated.   The control unit calculates the degree of inclination with respect to the conveyance direction of the article based on the time when the detection light is blocked by the article, and among the articles, the degree of inclination with respect to the conveyance direction is greater than or equal to a certain level. The article ejecting apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the air jet apparatus is controlled so as to eject air from the line conveyor.   The control unit calculates a distance between the adjacent articles based on the conveyance state of the article detected by the conveyance state detection device. The article rejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the air jet apparatus is controlled so that air is blown to exclude both articles from the line conveyor. The transport state detection device is a light shielding sensor arranged to detect blocking of detection light whose optical axis intersects the transport path of the article,
The article exclusion device according to claim 5, wherein the control unit calculates a distance between the articles that follow each other based on a time when detection light of a light shielding sensor is blocked by the article.

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