JP2018077074A - Weighing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a weighing device capable of handling mixed weighing of multiple kinds of articles with a compact configuration.SOLUTION: Plural trains of a measurement unit 3 which includes a supply hopper 5 and a measurement hopper 6 is arranged in line in upper and lower lines. Plural supply units 4 for supplying articles to each of the supply hopper 5 in each of the measurement units 3 are disposed close to the group of measurement units 3 facing each other. The supply unit 4 is configured to be movable in a separating direction from a supply position for supplying an article to the supply hopper 5.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a weighing device that measures a predetermined amount of various articles such as food and confectionery, and more particularly, to a weighing device that is suitable for mixing and weighing a variety of articles in small amounts.

  As a weighing device for mixing and weighing a plurality of types of articles, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1, a device using a combination weigher is known.

  In general, in a combination weigher, an article is supplied from a supply device that supplies articles to be weighed to a conical top cone of a dispersion feeder at the upper center of the combination weigher, and the articles are vibrated and conveyed outwardly by the dispersion feeder. It is further vibrated outward by a large number of linear feeders arranged radially around the feeder, and supplied to a number of weighing units arranged corresponding to each linear feeder.

  Each weighing unit includes a supply hopper that temporarily holds and discharges articles from the linear feeder, and a weighing hopper that measures articles discharged from the supply hopper. In each weighing hopper, the weight of the supplied article is measured by a weight sensor. Based on the weight of the weighed weighing hopper article, a combination calculation is performed to select an appropriate combination that is a combination of the weighing hoppers within the allowable weight range based on the target combination weight, and the article is selected from the weighing hopper of the selected appropriate quantity combination. Are discharged into a subsequent packaging machine or the like through a collecting chute.

JP 2012-237576 A

  When mixing and weighing a plurality of kinds of articles, for example, three kinds of articles using such a combination weigher, as shown in FIG. A circular area is divided into three along the circumferential direction, and each type of article is supplied to each divided area.

  However, when there are many varieties to be mixed and weighed, for example, 10 varieties, 10 supply devices are divided into 10 according to the number of varieties along the circumferential direction of the circular dispersion feeder. Furthermore, in order to ensure the combination accuracy, the number of weighing units in each divided area is also required.

  Therefore, forcibly, it is necessary to lengthen the circumference of each divided region divided along the circumferential direction with a large diameter of the dispersion feeder, and to supply a linear feeder or supply around the larger diameter of the dispersion feeder. Since a hopper or the like has to be disposed, the circular dispersion feeder further spreads outward and requires a very large size requiring a large occupied space, which is not realistic.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to such points, and it is a main object of the present invention to provide a weighing device having a compact configuration and capable of handling mixed weighing of various types of articles.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows.

(1) The present invention is a weighing unit having a supply hopper that holds and discharges articles to be supplied, and a weighing hopper that holds the articles discharged from the supply hopper and measures the weight thereof in series. And a supply unit for supplying the article to each of the plurality of supply hoppers,
The plurality of series of the weighing units are arranged so that the supply hoppers are arranged in a straight line, and the supply unit can supply the articles to the supply hoppers facing the plurality of series of the measurement units. Are arranged close to each other and can be moved away from the supply position for supplying the article to the supply hopper.

  According to the present invention, a plurality of weighing units each having a series of supply hoppers and weighing hoppers are arranged in a line so that the supply hoppers are arranged in a straight line, and the supply units that supply articles to the supply hoppers are weighed. Since the units are arranged close to each other so as to be opposed to a plurality of units, for example, when a large number of types of articles to be supplied to the supply hopper are desired, the number of units constituting a plurality of units of the weighing unit is increased. For this, it is only necessary to add a linearly arranged measuring unit and supply unit in a straight line. As described in Patent Document 1, the dispersion feeder has a large diameter, and the space occupied in all directions with the dispersion feeder as the center. There is no need to widen, and it is compact in plan.

  In addition, since each of the plurality of supply hoppers of the weighing unit is arranged in a straight line, the supply units arranged in close proximity to each other convey the article in a direction perpendicular to the straight line and feed the article to each supply hopper. There is no need to divide the circular dispersion feeder into a plurality of parts along the circumferential direction, and to transport and supply articles from different directions to each divided area, as in Patent Document 1 above. .

  In addition, since the supply unit arranged close to the plurality of weighing units is spaced from the supply position for supplying the articles to the supply hopper, the supply unit is moved greatly away from the supply position for supply. By providing a space for an operator to put between the unit and the weighing unit, cleaning by attaching and detaching the supply hopper and weighing hopper of the weighing unit, or inspection and maintenance of each unit can be easily performed.

  (2) In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of weighing units are provided in two rows, and the supply units respectively corresponding to the rows on both sides so as to sandwich the two rows are a plurality of the weighing units. Opposite the series, they are placed close together.

  According to this embodiment, the plurality of weighing units are arranged in two rows, and the supply units corresponding to each row are arranged close to each other so as to face the plurality of weighing units so as to sandwich the two rows. Compared with the case where the same number of stations is constituted by only one column, the length in the column direction can be shortened to effectively use the plane space, and the weighing unit and the supply unit can be arranged in a concentrated manner.

  (3) In another embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus includes a base body containing a weight sensor for detecting the weight of the article supplied to the weighing hopper, and the plurality of the supply hoppers and the plurality of supply hoppers on both sides of the base body. The weighing hopper is detachably attached to form the two rows, and the supply unit includes a supply feeder that vibrates and conveys the article to the supply hopper, and the supply unit is connected to each of the plurality of supply hoppers. Proximity is arranged so that the article can be supplied from the supply feeder.

  According to this embodiment, the weight sensor that detects the weight of the article supplied to the weighing hopper is housed in the base body to which the plurality of supply hoppers and the weighing hopper are attached, and the supply feeder that vibrates and conveys the article to each supply hopper is provided. The weight sensor that is provided in the supply unit, that is, the weight sensor that detects the weight of the article and the supply feeder that vibrates and conveys the article are provided in different cases. As a result, as in Patent Document 1 above, the center base body in which the weight sensor that detects the weight of the article supplied to the weighing hopper, the dispersion feeder that linearly conveys the article to the supply hopper, and the linear feeder are the same casing. The weight sensor can reduce the influence of vibrations received from the feeder, compared with the configuration provided in FIG.

  (4) In still another embodiment of the present invention, the supply unit includes a storage hopper for storing the article to be supplied to the supply hopper, and the supply unit is conveyed from the storage hopper to the supply hopper. The plurality of supply feeders are provided along the conveyance direction of the article, and the upstream supply feeders in the conveyance direction are arranged in a step shape so as to be higher than the downstream supply feeder.

  According to this embodiment, each of the plurality of supply feeders can be driven to vibrate with different vibration intensities (amplitudes), and therefore can be conveyed with vibration intensities according to the type of article, for example. Further, when an article is transferred from a high-level upstream supply feeder to a downstream supply feeder, it is possible to efficiently loosen and convey articles that are likely to clump due to a moderate drop impact due to a step. .

  (5) In one embodiment of the present invention, a weight signal is given from the weight sensor, and a combination calculation is performed based on the weight of the article supplied to the weighing hopper, and the weighing is selected as an appropriate combination. An arithmetic control unit for discharging the article from the hopper is provided.

  According to this embodiment, based on the weight of the weighing hopper article calculated based on the weight signal from the weight sensor, a combination calculation is performed to select a weighing hopper with an appropriate combination, and the selected weighing hopper article is discharged. Can be made.

  (6) In another embodiment of the present invention, each of the series of the weighing units includes a memory hopper that holds and discharges articles discharged from the weighing hopper, and the calculation control unit includes: Based on the weight of the article supplied to the weighing hopper and the weight of the article supplied to the memory hopper, the combination calculation is performed to discharge the article from the hopper selected as an appropriate combination.

  According to this embodiment, since not only the weighing hopper but also the memory hopper can participate in the combination calculation, the combination accuracy is improved.

  (7) In still another embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of series is composed of partial series divided into a plurality of parts, and the article disposed below the hopper of each partial series is discharged from the hopper. A plurality of first collective chutes that respectively collect, a first gate that opens and closes a discharge port of the first collective chutes, and a single second collective chute that collects the articles discharged from the plurality of first collective chutes And a second gate that opens and closes the outlet of the second collective chute.

  The number of the reams constituting each partial ream may be singular or plural, and the single or plural may be the same as or different from the number of reams constituting each other partial ream. .

  According to this embodiment, the first collective chute that collects and discharges the articles discharged from the hopper for each partial sequence obtained by dividing the multiple trains into a plurality of segments, and the plurality of first collective chutes are discharged. And a single second collective chute that collects and discharges the articles, and the first and second collective chutes each include a first and second gate that opens and closes a discharge port. The articles discharged from each are assembled by a plurality of first collecting chutes and temporarily held by the first gate, and then the articles discharged from the plurality of first chutes are collected by a single second collecting chute. Then, the second gate can be opened and the article can be discharged to a lower packaging machine or the like.

Therefore, after the article is discharged, the second gate of the second collecting chute is closed, and the movement distance of the article until the next article to be discharged reaches the second gate is the first gate of the first collecting chute. To the second gate of the second collective chute. As a result, when the first collective chute and the first gate are not provided,
Next, the moving distance of the articles to be discharged is shorter than the distance from the multiple hoppers to the second gate of the second collective chute, and the time required for the movement is shortened accordingly. can do.

  (8) In another embodiment of the present invention, there are at least three or more partial stations, the partial stations located outside in the row direction of the plurality of stations, the first collective chute corresponding to the partial stations, In addition, the first gate is disposed at a higher position than the partial station located on the inner side, the first collective chute corresponding to the partial station, and the first gate.

  When the number of the reams constituting the plurality of reams increases and becomes longer along the row direction, the articles discharged from the hoppers of the partial reams positioned outside the row direction are disposed at the center of the single second collecting chute. The inclination angle of the first collective chute on the outside to be assembled to the discharge port and the second collective chute on which the articles discharged from the first collective chute are gathered is reduced, and the partial collect on the outside is collected. It becomes difficult to collect the articles discharged from the hopper at a high speed at the outlet of the second collecting chute.

  According to this embodiment, the partial trains located on the outside in the row direction of the plurality of trains are higher in the hoppers in each partial train, the corresponding first collective chute and the first gate than the partial train located on the inside. Therefore, the inclination angle of the second collective chute for gathering articles discharged from the first collective chute and the second collective chute that gathers articles discharged from the first collective chute can be tightened. Articles discharged from the hopper can be gathered at high speed to the outlet of the second collecting chute.

  (9) In still another embodiment of the present invention, the supply unit supplies the articles of different varieties to the plurality of supply hoppers.

  According to this embodiment, since articles of different varieties are supplied from the supply unit to a plurality of supply hoppers, it is possible to mix and measure articles of different varieties.

  According to the present invention, a plurality of weighing units each having a series of supply hoppers and weighing hoppers are arranged in a line so that the supply hoppers are arranged in a straight line, and the supply units that supply articles to the supply hoppers are weighed. Since the units are arranged close to each other so as to be opposed to a plurality of units, for example, when a large number of types of articles to be supplied to the supply hopper are desired, the number of units constituting a plurality of units of the weighing unit is increased. In this case, the weighing units and supply units arranged in a straight line need only be added in a straight line, and the dispersion feeder has a large diameter as in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, and the occupied space in all directions around the dispersion feeder. There is no need to widen, and it is compact in plan.

  Moreover, since each of the plurality of supply hoppers of the weighing unit is arranged in a straight line, an article can be easily supplied from a supply unit disposed close to the plurality of units, as in Patent Document 1 above. In addition, it is not necessary to divide the circular dispersion feeder into a plurality of parts in the circumferential direction and supply articles to the divided areas along the circumferential direction from different directions.

  In addition, since the supply unit arranged close to the plurality of weighing units is spaced from the supply position for supplying the articles to the supply hopper, the supply unit is moved greatly away from the supply position for supply. By providing a space for an operator to put between the unit and the weighing unit, cleaning by attaching and detaching the supply hopper and weighing hopper of the weighing unit, or inspection and maintenance of each unit can be easily performed.

FIG. 1 is a front view of the weighing device with the front supply unit removed. FIG. 2 is a side view of the weighing device. FIG. 3 is a side view of the weighing device in which the supply unit is moved apart. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the weighing device in which some of the supply units are moved apart. FIG. 5 is a control block diagram of the weighing device. FIG. 6 is a side view showing the weighing unit and the rejection mechanism. FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway side view of the reject operating state. FIG. 8 is a side view showing a storage hopper position switching structure. FIG. 9 is a front view corresponding to FIG. 1 of another embodiment of the present invention.

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

  FIG. 1 is a front view showing a state in which the supply unit 4 on the near side of the weighing device according to one embodiment of the present invention is removed, FIG. 2 is a side view of the weighing device, and FIG. FIG. 4 is a plan view of the weighing device in which some of the supply units 4 are moved away from each other.

  The weighing device of this embodiment is for weighing various kinds of foods, confectionery, etc., for example, 10 kinds of articles in combination with each other in a predetermined small amount. 2 is used for a packaging line in which weighed articles are put into a packaging machine (not shown) installed downstairs and packed in a bag.

  In order to facilitate understanding of the structure, in the following description, the horizontal direction in FIG. 1, the front / back direction in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, and the vertical direction in FIG. The front and back directions in FIG. 1, the horizontal direction in FIGS. 2 and 3, and the left and right direction in FIG. 4 are referred to as front and rear directions.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, a center base body 1 is fixedly arranged on the floor surface 2 via a support frame (not shown) at the center in the front-rear direction of the weighing device.

  On each of the front side (left side in FIGS. 2 to 4) and the rear side (right side in FIGS. 2 to 4) of the center base body 1, a plurality of measuring units 3 arranged in a line on the left and right are arranged. ing. In this example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, each row of 16 measuring units 3 is arranged in a row, and the weighing unit 3 is provided in a total of 32 rows in total in two rows. The number of stations constituting the plurality of stations is arbitrary, and may be a number corresponding to the number of varieties of articles to be mixed.

  Weighing is performed on the front side (left side in FIGS. 2 to 4) of the weighing unit 3 group on the front side and on the rear side (right side in FIGS. 2 to 4) on the rear side. A supply unit 4 that supplies various types of articles to the upper part of each weighing unit 3 arranged in a straight line is disposed in close proximity to the weighing unit group 3.

  Each series of weighing units 3 includes a supply hopper 5 that temporarily holds and discharges articles conveyed from the supply unit 4, a weighing hopper 6 that holds and measures articles discharged from the supply hopper 5, It has a structure in which memory hoppers 7 holding articles discharged from the weighing hopper 6 are arranged vertically. The hoppers 5, 6, and 7 of the weighing unit 3 are detachably attached to the center base body 1 in the same manner as in the past.

  Although not shown in the drawings, a gate driving unit that opens and closes a discharge gate of the supply hopper 5, the weighing hopper 6, and the memory hopper 7, and a weight sensor described later for detecting the weight of an article supplied to the weighing hopper 6. And the like are housed and supported by the center substrate 1. The center base 1 and each supply unit 4 are connected by a cable or the like (not shown).

  Each weighing unit 3 includes the memory hopper 7 as described above, and can increase the number of hoppers (effective hoppers) that can participate in the combination calculation.

  In this embodiment, the front and rear weighing units 3 in a row of 16 are each composed of four partial units divided into four units adjacent in the left-right direction, as shown in FIG. The two partial trains are arranged at a higher position than the two inner partial trains.

  Below the weighing hopper 6 and the memory hopper 7 in each partial series, a first set for collecting a plurality of weighing hoppers 6 selected by a combination calculation so as to have a predetermined weight or articles discharged from the memory hopper 7 A chute 8 is provided.

  Below each first collective chute 8 corresponding to each partial train, a first gate 9 for opening and closing the discharge port of each first collective chute 8 is provided, and articles collected by each first collective chute 8 Can be temporarily received and discharged. Further, below the plurality of first gates 9, a single second collective chute 10 that slides down and collects the articles discharged from the first collective chutes 8 and collects them under the center of the weighing unit 3 group, and a second A second gate 11 that opens and closes the central outlet of the collective chute 10 is provided. Articles of all varieties weighed and collected by the front and rear weighing unit groups 3 are collected at one central location of the second collecting chute 10 and temporarily received and held by the second gate 11. 2 Open the gate 11 and discharge to the lower packaging machine. The second gate 11 is controlled to be opened based on a discharge request command from the packaging machine side.

  As described above, the left and right outer partial hoppers 5, 6, 7, the first collective chute 8 and the first gate 9 are connected to the inner partial series of hoppers 5, 6, 7, the first collective chute 8 and When installed higher than the first gate 9, the inclination angles of the first and second collective chutes 8 and 10 of the partial left and right outer can be made steep, and discharged articles are necessary for the weighing cycle. At speed, it can be slid along each collecting gate 8,10.

  One supply unit 4 corresponds to each of two partial stations, that is, an outer partial station in the left-right direction and an inner partial station adjacent thereto, and each partial station includes four stations. Articles are supplied to the eight weighing units 3 by the supply unit 4. Therefore, two supply units 4 in total, two in front of one group of weighing units 3 on the front side and two in the rear of one group of weighing units 3 on the rear side, are arranged in parallel on the left and right. ing.

  The supply unit 4 has a total of eight storage hoppers 13 and four articles fed from the lower ends of the respective storage hoppers 13 at the upper part of the frame 12, with different heights for accommodating the articles. Eight supply feeders 14 are provided in total, each having four different heights for vibration conveyance.

  Each supply feeder 14 includes two first and second linear feeders 14a and 14b that are arranged in a step-down shape in a step-down manner along the conveyance direction of the article, and an additional drive that individually vibrates each linear feeder 14a and 14b. It is comprised with the vibration mechanisms 15a and 15b. By configuring the supply feeder 14 with the two first and second linear feeders 14a and 14b in this way, the conveyance distance for vibrating and conveying the articles is increased, and the articles are leveled and supplied little by little. It is suitable for weighing a wide variety of small quantities.

  Further, since the vibration strength (amplitude) can be set for each of the linear feeders 14a and 14b, an appropriate vibration strength can be set according to the product type.

  Articles supplied and supplied from the storage hopper 13 to the first linear feeder 14a on the upstream side in the conveying direction are loosened while being conveyed by vibration, transferred to the second linear feeder 14b on the downstream side, and vibrated by the second linear feeder 14b. It is conveyed and fed into the supply hopper 5 of the weighing unit 3 little by little. Further, when the supply feeder 14 is vibrated and conveyed, the lump of articles is easily unraveled by an appropriate drop impact at a step portion between the first linear feeder 14a and the second linear feeder 14b formed in the conveyance path.

  Above each supply feeder 14, an article detection sensor 16 for detecting the stacking height of articles near the end of the first linear feeder 14a on the upstream side by, for example, ultrasonic waves is provided, and the detection output thereof is provided. Based on this, the vibration intensity of the vibration mechanisms 15a and 15b is controlled by a control device which will be described later, and articles are supplied to the weighing unit 3 little by little.

  Wheels 17 are provided at the lower four corners of the underframe 12 of the supply unit 4, and rails 18 for engaging and guiding the wheels 17 are laid along the front-rear direction on the floor surface 2. Each supply unit 4 can move toward and away along the rail 18 in a direction perpendicular to the group of measuring units 3 in the column direction.

  That is, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the supply unit 4 is moved largely away from the supply position for supplying the articles to the weighing unit 3, and the operator is placed between the supply unit 4 and the weighing unit 3. By opening the space for storing, the hoppers 5, 6, 7 of the weighing unit 3 and the members of the supply unit 4 can be easily cleaned and inspected.

  When the supply unit 4 is moved closer to the weighing unit 3 group after cleaning work, inspection and maintenance, the supply unit 4 is moved closer to the stopper 19 projecting in the vicinity of the rail 18 until the frame 12 comes into contact with the supply unit 4. The end of the feeder 14 is properly positioned with respect to the supply hopper 5. At the supply position thus positioned, the supply unit 4 is appropriately fixed by a lock means, and the weighing operation is started.

  In this embodiment, the front of the eight measuring units 3 can be opened by moving one supply unit 4 away from each other, and one supply unit 4 is opposed to the one measuring unit 3. Compared to the case of deployment, cleaning work and inspection and maintenance become easier. In addition, if one supply unit 4 is arranged opposite to the group of measuring units 3 in a row, in this example, 16 units of measuring units 3, the weight of the supplying unit 4 is increased, which makes it difficult to handle. .

  A supply feeder 14 that vibrates and conveys articles to the supply hopper 5 of the weighing unit 3 is provided on the frame 12 of the supply unit 4, while a weight sensor that detects the weight of the articles supplied to the weighing hopper 6 of the weighing unit 3 is provided. The weight sensor that detects the weight of the article and the supply feeder 14 that vibrates and conveys the article are provided in different casings 1 and 12, respectively. As a result, as in Patent Document 1, the dispersion feeder and the linear feeder that vibrate and convey the article to the supply hopper are attached to the center base body that is the same casing as the weight sensor that detects the weight of the article supplied to the weighing hopper. Compared with the provided configuration, the weight sensor can reduce the influence of vibrations received from the feeder.

  FIG. 5 is a control block diagram of the weighing device according to this embodiment.

  The control device 41 that controls each unit is housed in, for example, the center base 1, and is connected to an operation setting display 42 that displays various settings such as operations on the weighing device, operation parameters, and measurement values. . The control device 41 is supplied with the detection output of the article detection sensor 16 of the supply unit 4 and weight signals from the plurality of weight sensors 40 housed in the center substrate 1. The control device 41 controls the driving of the linear feeders 14 a and 14 b of the supply unit 4 and controls the opening and closing of the discharge gates and the first and second gates 9 and 11 of the hoppers 5, 6 and 7.

  The control device 41 has a function as a calculation control unit 43 that discharges articles from the hoppers 6 and 7 selected as an appropriate combination by performing a combination calculation based on the weights of the articles in the weighing hopper 6 and the memory hopper 7. When the weight of the article supplied to the weighing hopper 6 is an excessive amount exceeding the predetermined weight range, the arithmetic control unit 43 controls the operation of the rejection chute 21 to be withdrawn and retracted as will be described later. To eliminate excessive quantities of goods.

  Note that the control device 41 does not necessarily need to be configured by a single control device, and may be configured by a plurality of control devices that perform distributed control in cooperation with each other. The center base 1 on the weighing unit 3 side and the supply unit 4 may be provided respectively.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the frame 12 of the supply unit 4 is provided with a reject mechanism 20 for discharging an excessive amount of articles supplied to the weighing hopper 6.

  FIG. 6 is a side view showing the weighing unit 3 and the rejection mechanism 20.

  The lower end of the weighing hopper 6 is provided with an outer gate 6a and an inner gate 6b for discharge that can be opened and closed independently, and only the outer gate 6a is swung outward to open the weighed article. It is sent directly to the first collecting chute 8 below through the first delivery path (a), and only the inner gate 6b is rocked and opened inward, so that the weighed article is passed through the second delivery path (b). Then, it is sent to the memory hopper 7 and temporarily held.

  That is, the weighing hopper 6 can selectively discharge the held article in two different discharge directions, and the discharged article is a first delivery path (a) that is two paths, or It is sent to the first collecting chute 8 or the memory hopper 7 through the second delivery path (b).

  When the weight of the article supplied to the weighing hopper 6 is an excessive amount exceeding a predetermined weight range, the reject mechanism 20 for removing the excessive amount of articles moves the reject chute 21 and the front and rear horizontally. An air cylinder 22 serving as a drive mechanism is provided, and a collection container 23 for collecting the articles thrown into the reject chute 21 is provided.

  The reject chute 21 is arranged facing the first delivery path (a) of the weighing hopper 6 from the outside. At normal time, as shown in FIG. 6, the air cylinder 22 is shortened and the reject chute 21 is retracted outside the first delivery path (a), and the article accompanying the opening of the outer gate 6a of the weighing hopper 6 Is not prevented from being discharged to the first collecting chute 8.

  When the weight of the article weighed by the weighing hopper 6 exceeds the predetermined weight range, as shown in FIG. 7, the air cylinder 22 is extended and the reject chute 21 is moved to the first delivery path (a ) Will be rejected. In this state, when the outer gate 6a is opened, an excessive amount of articles in the weighing hopper 6 are discharged to a cylindrical reject chute 21 having an inlet and an outlet, and an excessive amount of articles is discharged to the collection container 23. It is collected by flowing down. When the collection is completed, the reject chute 21 returns to the original position retracted from the first delivery path (a), and the outer gate 6a of the weighing hopper 6 is closed to prepare for the next article supply. The collection container 23 is provided so that an excessive amount of articles can be collected for each type so that different types of articles are not mixed. As a result, the collected articles can be efficiently re-weighed without waste.

  A guide member 24 made of a plate material is provided at the tip of the reject chute 21. The guide member 24 is located at a position facing the first delivery path (a) from the outside when the reject chute 21 is in a position retracted outward from the first delivery path (a). The guide member 24 prevents the discharged articles from being released when the gate 6a is opened, so that the discharged articles are correctly guided to the first collecting chute 8.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the storage hopper 13 provided in the supply unit 4 is arranged at a relatively high position for the operator. It is convenient to be able to switch to a lower article supply position and to be raised and lowered.

  An example of the raising / lowering structure of this storage hopper 13 is shown by FIG. In this example, the storage hopper 13 provided with the article supply port 13b at the upper corner is vertically slid to the support bracket 31 provided on the frame 12 via the upper and lower elongated holes 32 and the two pins 33a and 33b, and It is supported so that it can be reversed and rotated.

  That is, a bent hole portion branched in a bifurcated shape is formed in the upper portion of the long hole 32. When the storage hopper 13 is raised, the pins 33a and 33b are respectively supported by the end portions of the bent holes. Thus, the storage hopper 13 is stably held at the article supply position where the storage hopper 13 stands up against the starting end of the supply feeder 14. When the storage hopper 13 is rotated 90 degrees outward about the pin 33 a from this state and then pulled outward slightly, both the pins 33 a and 33 b are positioned at the straight portion of the upper and lower elongated holes 32. As a result, the storage hopper 13 in the posture rotated outward can be lowered in the same posture by the guidance of both the pins 33 a and 33 b and the upper and lower elongated holes 32.

  The lowering limit becomes the low article supply position, and the article supply to the article supply port 13b of the storage hopper 13 can be easily supplied and cleaned. In addition, an elastic damper 34 is installed between the storage hopper 13 and the lower portion of the support bracket 31 to provide an appropriate resistance to the rotation and lowering of the storage hopper 13 and to assist the hopper lifting operation. Yes. In addition, the handle 13a used at the time of the position switching operation of the storage hopper 13 is provided over two adjacent storage hoppers 13, and the position switching operation of the storage hopper 13 is performed two by two.

  Thus, after the storage hopper 13 is lowered and replenished easily at a low position, the storage hopper 13 can be set to a predetermined article supply position simply by lifting the storage hopper 13, for example, to a storage hopper fixed at a high position. Replenishment work becomes easier compared with the case where the replenishment container is lifted and replenished.

  In this embodiment, a variety of goods, for example, 10 kinds of articles are mixed and weighed, and the 32 weighing units 3 are preliminarily taken into consideration, for example, the kind, etc. A series is appropriately assigned for each, and the operation setting display 42 is operated to register the series for each type assigned to the control device 42. The corresponding varieties of articles are stored in the storage hopper 13 of the supply unit 4 corresponding to each series of the registered weighing units 3, and the operation is performed.

  The calculation control unit 43 of the control device 41 performs a combination calculation based on the weights of the articles of each type of the weighing hopper 6 of the weighing unit 3 and the memory hopper 7 respectively corresponding to the articles of each type. This combination calculation is not particularly limited, and a conventionally known combination weighing combination calculation may be performed. For example, the hoppers to be discharged are determined for nine types of articles from the first type to the ninth type, each within a predetermined weight range, and the weight added to the total weight of the nine types of articles is the lower limit of the target combination weight. From the hoppers of the proper amount combination, the hoppers of the above-mentioned nine kinds of articles and the selected hoppers of the tenth kind of articles are selected as the hoppers of the appropriate amount combination. The article is discharged and put into the packaging machine through the first collecting chute 8, the first gate 9, the second collecting chute 10, and the second gate 11.

  Thereby, a mixed article in which ten kinds of articles whose total weight falls within the allowable weight range is packaged by the packaging machine.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, a plurality of weighing units 3 each having a series of supply hoppers 5 and weighing hoppers 6 are arranged in a line so that the supply hoppers 5 are arranged in a straight line. Since the supply unit 4 for supplying the article to the hopper 5 is arranged close to the plurality of units of the weighing unit 3 so as to face each other, for example, when the variety of articles to be supplied to the supply hopper 5 is various. When it is desired to increase the number of units constituting a plurality of units of the weighing unit 3, it is only necessary to add the weighing unit 3 and the supply unit 4 that are arranged in a straight line in a straight line. Since the dispersion feeder has a large diameter, it is not necessary to expand the occupied space in all directions around the dispersion feeder, and the planar feeder is compact.

  In addition, a plurality of measuring units 3 are provided in two rows on both sides of the center base 1, and the supply units 4 respectively corresponding to the respective rows are arranged in close proximity to the plurality of measuring units 3, so that the same number of stations is provided. Compared with the configuration of only one column, the length in the column direction can be shortened to effectively use the plane space, and the weighing unit 3 and the supply unit 4 can be arranged in a concentrated manner.

[Other Embodiments]
(1) As shown in FIG. 9, the heights of the partial runs located on the outer side and the inner side in the left-right direction may be aligned. In FIG. 9, the number of left and right stations of the weighing unit 3 is reduced by two, and a total of four is reduced together with the front and rear direction, the inner partials in the left and right direction are three, and the outer partials are four.

  (2) In the above embodiment, the description has been made by applying to the mixing and weighing of various kinds of articles. However, the weighing apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the mixing and weighing. It may be applied to combination weighing.

  (3) In the above embodiment, each weighing unit 3 has the memory hopper 7 to increase the number of effective hoppers that can participate in the combination calculation. However, the memory hopper 7 may be omitted.

  (4) In the above embodiment, the first collective chute 8 of each partial train is provided with the first gate 9 to temporarily hold the articles discharged from the hoppers of each partial train, The gate 9 may be omitted, and the articles discharged from the partial hoppers may be collected directly by the second collecting chute 10.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Center base | substrate 3 Weighing unit 4 Feeding unit 5 Feeding hopper 6 Weighing hopper 7 Memory hopper 8 1st collective chute 9 1st gate 10 2nd collective chute 11 2nd gate 12 Underframe 13 Storage hopper 14 Feeding feeder 14a 1st linear feeder 14b Second linear feeder 20 Reject mechanism 21 Reject chute 23 Collection container 41 Control device 43 Arithmetic control unit

Claims (9)

A plurality of weighing units having a supply hopper for holding and discharging supplied articles and a weighing hopper for holding and discharging the articles discharged from the supply hopper in series, and the plurality A supply unit for supplying the article to each supply hopper of the series,
The plurality of units of the weighing unit are arranged so that the supply hoppers are arranged in a straight line,
The supply unit is arranged close to the plurality of units of the weighing unit so as to supply the articles to the supply hoppers, and can be moved away from a supply position for supplying the articles to the supply hoppers. Is,
A weighing device characterized by that. The multiple units of the weighing unit are provided in two rows, and on both sides of the two rows so as to sandwich the two rows, the supply units respectively corresponding to the rows are arranged in close proximity to the multiple units of the weighing unit,
The weighing device according to claim 1. Comprising a substrate housing a weight sensor for detecting the weight of the article supplied to the weighing hopper;
The plurality of supply hoppers and the weighing hoppers are detachably attached to both sides of the base to constitute the two rows,
The supply unit includes a supply feeder that vibrates and conveys the article to the supply hopper,
The supply unit is disposed close to the supply hopper so that the article can be supplied from the supply feeder to the plurality of supply hoppers.
The weighing device according to claim 2. The supply unit includes a storage hopper for storing the article to be supplied to the supply hopper,
The supply unit includes a plurality of the supply feeders along a conveyance direction of the article conveyed from the storage hopper to the supply hopper, and the supply feeder on the upstream side in the conveyance direction is more than the supply feeder on the downstream side. Is also arranged in a staircase so that it is at a high position,
The weighing device according to claim 3. A calculation control unit for receiving a weight signal from the weight sensor and performing a combination calculation based on the weight of the article supplied to the weighing hopper and discharging the article from the weighing hopper selected as an appropriate combination; Prepare
The weighing device according to claim 3 or 4. Each series of the plurality of series of the weighing units includes a memory hopper that holds and discharges articles discharged from the weighing hopper,
The calculation control unit performs the combination calculation on the basis of the weight of the article supplied to the weighing hopper and the weight of the article supplied to the memory hopper, and selects the article from the hopper selected as an appropriate combination. Drain,
The weighing device according to claim 5. A plurality of first collective chutes each of which is composed of partial series divided into a plurality of parts, and is arranged below the hoppers of each partial series and collects the articles discharged from the hoppers; A first gate that opens and closes a discharge port of the one collective chute, a single second collective chute that collects the articles discharged from the plurality of first collective chutes, and an open and close port that discharges the second collective chute A second gate,
The weighing device according to claim 1. At least three or more of the partial trains, the partial trains located outside in the row direction of the plurality of trains, the first collective chute corresponding to the partial trains, and the first gate are located inside. Compared with the partial ream, the first collective chute corresponding to the partial ream, and the first gate,
The weighing device according to claim 7. The supply unit supplies the articles of different varieties to the plurality of the supply hoppers.
A weighing device according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

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