JP2018202370A - Rod-like body selector - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a rod-like body selector capable of preventing many rod-like bodies from falling from the bottom end of a chute in an overlapping state.SOLUTION: A rod-like body selector, which comprises an inclinedly arranged chute that transfers rod-like bodies in a state of orthogonality in a transfer direction, an optical detection means that detects the rod-like bodies falling from the bottom end of the chute at a detection position, a discrimination means that discriminates non-defectives and defectives of the rod-like bodies on the basis of detection signals by the optical detection means, and an ejector means that removes defectives of the rod-like bodies on the basis of discrimination results by the discrimination means, keeps a flow rate restriction means that restricts the transfer height of the rod-like bodies on the surface of the chute to restrict the fall amount of the rod-like bodies falling from the bottom end of the chute arranged above the chute.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a rod-shaped body sorter that removes defective products such as long pasta, rod-shaped noodles, rod-shaped dry noodles such as raw noodles, and other rod-shaped bodies that are colored or cracked.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known an apparatus that detects the occurrence of cracks and uneven color in a long pasta such as spaghetti or a stick-shaped food such as raw noodles and sorts defective products (see Patent Document 1).

  The separation apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes a vibration transfer unit that feeds pasta put into a hopper, a transfer conveyor on which the pasta drawn from the vibration transfer unit is transferred, and a path of the transfer conveyor that transfers the pasta A separation means for guiding different color pasta to be excluded based on the inspection result from the inspection space set in the middle and the pasta discharged from the conveyor is provided.

  According to the sorting apparatus described in Patent Document 1, it is possible to eliminate different colored pasta with uneven color without depending on the hands of an inspector.

  However, the separation apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is such that the conveyor is horizontally arranged, and an inspection space is set in the middle of the path of the conveyor. There is a problem that increases.

  On the other hand, an apparatus is known in which a raw material is transferred by a chute arranged in an inclined manner and sorted into a non-defective product and a defective product based on a detection result such as a color (see Patent Document 2).

  The sorting apparatus described in Patent Document 2 is a vibratory feeder that feeds granular materials stored in a tank, a chute that is arranged to be loaded with granular materials fed from the vibratory feeder, and a chute that is transferred on the chute. A pair of optical detectors disposed before and after the fall trajectory of the granular material falling from the lower end of the chute, and an ejector unit that eliminates defective products of the granular material based on the detection result of the optical detection device. .

  According to the sorting device described in Patent Document 2, the chute for transferring the granular material is disposed in an inclined manner, and the optical detection device is disposed along the dropping locus of the granular material, and the installation area is reduced. By reducing the size, the apparatus can be downsized compactly.

  In addition, the sorting apparatus described in Patent Document 2 can accurately detect defective products because the granular material falls from the lower end of the chute when the raw material to be sorted is a granular material. it can.

  However, the sorting device described in Patent Document 2 is easy to drop when a long product such as a stick-shaped food is used as a raw material, and a large number of long products overlap from the lower end of the chute. There is a problem that cannot be detected well.

Japanese Patent No. 3916619 JP 2007-283204 A

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a rod sorter having a chute arranged in an inclined manner and capable of preventing a large number of rods from falling in an overlapping state from the lower end of the chute. And

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides:
An inclined chute that transfers the rod-shaped body in a state orthogonal to the transfer direction;
Optical detection means for detecting at a detection position the rod-like body falling from the lower end of the chute;
A discriminating means for discriminating between a non-defective product and a defective product of the rod-shaped body based on a detection signal from the optical detection means;
Ejector means for eliminating defective products of the rod-like body based on the discrimination result by the discrimination means, and a rod-like body sorter comprising:
Above the chute, there is disposed a flow rate regulating means for restricting the transfer height of the rod-shaped body on the surface of the chute and regulating the amount of the rod-shaped body falling from the lower end of the chute. Features.

The present invention
The flow rate restricting means is a flow rate restricting plate disposed so as to cover the surface of the chute, and the flow rate restricting plate is rotatable about an upper end portion and urged downward at a lower end side. It is preferable that the flow regulating plate is pressed downward by the pressing plate to limit the transfer height of the rod-shaped body on the surface of the chute.

The present invention
It is preferable that the chute has a vibrating chute and the rod-like body is transferred by the vibrating chute in a state orthogonal to the transfer direction.

The present invention
It is preferable that the chute has a fixed chute disposed with a small gap on the tip side of the vibration chute, and the rod-like body drops from the tip of the fixed chute.

The present invention
It is preferable that pressing plates are disposed on both side portions of the chute, and the end portions of the rod-shaped body transferred on the chute are pressed by the pressing plate.

The present invention
It is preferable that a plurality of protrusions are provided on the surface of the chute along the transfer direction of the rod-shaped body, and the rod-shaped body is transferred on the protrusion.

The present invention
It is preferable that a vibration feeder for feeding out the rod-like body in a state orthogonal to the feeding direction is further provided, and the rod-like body fed out from the vibration feeder is transferred to the chute.

The rod-shaped body sorting machine of the present invention restricts the transfer height of the rod-shaped body on the surface of the chute above the chute and regulates the amount of the rod-shaped body falling from the lower end of the chute. Since the means is provided, the rod-like body can be dropped from the lower end of the chute in a thin layer of about one layer or two layers.
Therefore, according to the rod-shaped body sorting machine of the present invention, it is possible to prevent a large number of rod-shaped bodies from falling in an overlapping state from the lower end of the chute, so that defective products can be detected with high accuracy.

The rod-shaped body sorting machine of the present invention is a flow rate restricting plate disposed so that the flow rate restricting means covers the surface of the chute, the flow rate restricting plate being rotatable about an upper end portion and a lower end. If the side is biased upward and the flow restricting plate is pressed downward by the pressing plate to limit the transfer height of the rod-like body on the surface of the chute, the transfer direction of the chute The transfer height (flow rate) of the rod-shaped body transferred on the chute is regulated by restricting the transfer height of the rod-shaped body on the chute surface along It can prevent being transferred in a stacked state.
Therefore, according to the bar-shaped body sorter of the present invention, it is possible to prevent a large number of bar-shaped bodies from falling in a state where they overlap from the lower end of the chute.

In the rod-shaped body sorting machine according to the present invention, if the chute has a vibrating chute and the rod-shaped body is transferred by the vibrating chute in a state orthogonal to the transfer direction, Can be transported in an aligned state without changing the posture of the rod-shaped body.
Therefore, according to the bar-shaped body sorter of the present invention, it is possible to prevent a large number of bar-shaped bodies from falling in a state where they overlap from the lower end of the chute.

In the rod-shaped body sorting machine of the present invention, the chute has a fixed chute disposed with a minute gap on the tip side of the vibration chute, and the rod-shaped body drops from the tip of the fixed chute. For example, the rod-like body aligned and transported on the vibrating chute can be dropped from a fixed position of the fixed chute tip.
Therefore, according to the bar-shaped body sorter of the present invention, it is possible to prevent a large number of bar-shaped bodies from falling in a state where they overlap from the lower end of the chute.

In the rod sorter according to the present invention, if pressing plates are disposed on both side portions of the chute and the end portions of the rod-shaped body transferred on the chute are pressed by the pressing plate, It can be aligned and transferred while aligning the ends of the rod-like bodies protruding from the base.
Therefore, according to the bar-shaped body sorter of the present invention, it is possible to prevent a large number of bar-shaped bodies from falling in a state where they overlap from the lower end of the chute.

In the rod sorter of the present invention, a plurality of ridges are provided on the surface of the chute along the transfer direction of the rod, and the rod is transferred on the ridge. For example, friction between the rod-like body and the chute surface can be reduced, and the rod-like body can be smoothly transferred on the chute.
Therefore, according to the bar-shaped body sorter of the present invention, it is possible to prevent a large number of bar-shaped bodies from falling in a state where they overlap from the lower end of the chute.

The rod-shaped body sorting machine of the present invention further includes a vibration feeder that feeds the rod-shaped body in a state orthogonal to the feeding direction, and the rod-shaped body fed from the vibration feeder is transferred to the chute. The rod-shaped bodies fed out in an aligned state by the vibratory action of the feeder can be transferred to the chute while maintaining the alignment.
Therefore, according to the bar-shaped body sorter of the present invention, it is possible to prevent a large number of bar-shaped bodies from falling in a state where they overlap from the lower end of the chute.
In addition, if the rod-shaped body sorting machine of the present invention further includes the vibration feeder, it is possible to reduce the weight load caused by the subsequent rod-shaped body on the rod-shaped body transferred on the chute, It is possible to prevent the rod-like body having the property of being easily broken from breaking.

The principal part side sectional view of the rod sorter in an embodiment of the invention. The principal part enlarged view of FIG. The schematic explanatory drawing of a mode that a rod-shaped body falls from a chute | shoot lower end.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of an essential part for explaining the internal structure of a rod sorter according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows an enlarged view of a main part of the rod-shaped body sorting machine in the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic explanatory view of the rod-like body falling from the lower end of the chute as seen from the left direction of FIG.
A rod sorter 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a raw material supply unit 2, a chute 3, and an optical sorting unit 4. Here, the case where the raw material of the rod-shaped dry noodles as an example of a rod-shaped body is demonstrated.

  The raw material supply unit 2 includes a raw material hopper 21 that stores rod-shaped dry noodles such as long pasta, stick-raised noodles, and raw noodles as raw materials, and a vibration feeder 22 that feeds the rod-shaped dry noodles from the raw material hopper 21. The vibration feeder 22 is gently inclined forward toward the feeding direction of the rod-shaped dry noodles. Above the vibration feeder 22, a self-weight pressing plate 23 that rotates by its own weight around the rear end portion on the raw material hopper 21 side and whose front end abuts on the upper surface of the rod-shaped dry noodles fed on the vibration feeder 22 is arranged. Established. The vibration feeder 22 is mounted and fixed on a first vibration generating device 24 having a vibrator or the like, and controls the amount of sticky noodles fed out by adjusting the frequency and the like in the first vibration generating device 24.

  The chute 3 includes a vibration chute 31 and a fixed chute 32 that is disposed with a minute gap on the tip side of the vibration chute 31. The vibration chute 31 and the fixed chute 32 are arranged more steeply than the vibration feeder 22 in the transfer direction of the rod-shaped dry noodles. The vibration chute 31 is disposed below the vibration feeder 22 in a non-contact state. The vibration chute 31 is placed and fixed on the second vibration generator 37, and the amount of stick-shaped dry noodles transferred is controlled by adjusting the frequency and the like in the second vibration generator 37. The fixed chute 32 has a shorter length in the transfer direction than the vibrating chute 31 and both sides are fixedly supported by the casing. The falling position of the rod-shaped dry noodles falling from the lower end of the chute 3 is fixed at the tip of the fixed chute 32. Fix in position.

  Above the chute 3, a flow restriction plate 34 is disposed so as to cover the entire surfaces of the vibrating chute 31 and the fixed chute 32. As shown in FIG. 2, the flow restricting plate 34 is rotatable about the upper end portion, and the lower end side is biased upward by a spring 33, and is driven up and down by an air cylinder 35 with an encoder. A crow mouth-shaped transfer path is formed between the vibrating chute 31 and the surface of the fixed chute 32 by being pressed downward by the pressing plate 36, and on the surface of the chute 3 along the transfer direction of the chute 3. The transfer height of the rod-shaped dry noodles is limited.

On both side portions of the chute 3, pressing plates 38 that are horizontally driven are disposed. As shown in FIG. 3, the pressing plate 38 periodically presses the ends of the rod-shaped dry noodles transferred on the chute 3 in a state of protruding from both sides of the chute 3.
A plurality of protrusions 39 are provided on the surfaces of the vibrating chute 31 and the fixed chute 32 along the transfer direction of the rod-shaped dry noodles, and the rod-shaped dry noodles are surfaces of the vibrating chute 31 and the fixed chute 32. It is transported on the protrusion 39 provided on the surface.

  The optical sorting unit 4 includes a discrimination device (not shown) that discriminates whether the rod-shaped dry noodles are good or defective based on detection signals of a pair of optical detection devices 41a and 41b arranged before and after the dropping trajectory of the rod-like dry noodles. .

  Each of the optical detection devices 41a and 41b includes imaging means such as a CCD camera having a line sensor such as a CCD and an area sensor, illumination means such as an LED light source for illuminating the detection position of the rod-shaped dry noodles, and imaging at the detection position. It has a background as a background when imaging the stick-shaped dry noodles by means.

  The optical sorting section 4 includes a non-defective product discharge conveyor 42 disposed on the downstream side in the transfer direction of the chute 3 so that the start end side is positioned on the dropping trajectory of the rod-shaped dry noodles falling from the lower end of the chute 3; 42, a non-defective product discharge cascade chute 43 for dropping good dry noodles and a non-defective product collection box 44 for collecting the good dry noodles falling from the non-defective product discharge cascade chute 43.

  Further, the optical sorting unit 4 excludes a defective product from the drop locus toward the outside of the non-defective product discharge conveyor 42 based on the determination result of the determination device, and the defective product excluded by the exclusion plate 45. A defective product discharge cascade chute 46 from which dry noodles fall and a defective product collection box 47 that collects defective dry noodles falling from the defective product discharge cascade chute 46 are provided. The exclusion plate 45 is refracted in a direction in which the lower end side excludes the defective product from the dropping locus, and is swingably disposed before and after the dropping locus of the rod-shaped dry noodles with the upper portion serving as a fulcrum.

  The optical sorting unit 4 further includes a guide roller 48 disposed above the start end side of the non-defective product discharge conveyor 42 and below the exclusion plate 45. The guide roller 48 is disposed in the vicinity of the dropping trajectory of the bar-shaped dry noodle so that the rotation shaft is located on the chute 3 side, that is, on the side where defective products are excluded from the dropping trajectory. The guide roller 48 is a driving roller that is rotationally driven by a motor or the like, and is driven to rotate in the same direction as the driving direction of the non-defective product discharge conveyor 42 based on the non-defective product determination signal of the determining device. The rotational drive is stopped based on the result.

Next, the operation of the rod-shaped body sorter in the embodiment of the present invention will be described.
The rod sorter 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is stored in the raw material hopper 21 in a stacked state in the raw material supply unit 2 so that the rod-shaped dry noodles as raw materials are oriented perpendicular to the paper surface. The rod-shaped dry noodles stored in the raw material hopper 21 are aligned by the vibration action of the vibration feeder 22 while the upper surface is pressed by the self-weight pressing plate 23 in a state orthogonal to the feeding direction on the vibration feeder 22. It is paid out.

  The rod-shaped dry noodles fed from the vibration feeder 22 are transferred to the chute 3 while maintaining the aligned state. The rod-shaped dry noodles transferred to the chute 3 are orthogonal to the transfer direction along a crow-shaped transfer path formed between the flow regulating plate 34 and the surfaces of the vibration chute 31 and the fixed chute 32. Transported in state. At that time, the stick-shaped dry noodles are transferred while the stacked state is eliminated by the vibration action of the vibration chute 31 and the aligned state is maintained without changing the posture. Further, the rod-shaped dry noodles are aligned and transferred while the end portions protruding from both side portions of the chute 3 are pressed and aligned by the pressing plate 38.

  A plurality of protrusions 39 are provided on the surfaces of the vibrating chute 31 and the fixed chute 32 along the transfer direction of the rod-shaped dry noodles, and the rod-shaped dry noodles are surfaces of the vibrating chute 31 and the fixed chute 32. It is smoothly transported on the protrusion 39 provided on the surface with reduced friction.

  The bar-shaped dry noodles have a transfer path on the crow mouth formed on the surface of the chute 3 by the flow regulating plate 34, and the transfer height on the surface of the chute 3 is limited along the transfer direction of the chute 3. Since the transfer amount (flow rate) transferred on the chute 3 is regulated, it is prevented from being transferred in a multi-stacked state on the chute 3, and one layer or more from the fixed position of the tip of the fixed chute 32. It becomes a thin layer of about two layers and falls in a state perpendicular to the dropping direction along a predetermined dropping locus while maintaining the aligned state.

  The rod-shaped dry noodles falling from the lower end of the chute 3 are imaged by the imaging means in the pair of optical detection devices 41a and 41b at the detection position. The stick-shaped noodles picked up by the image pickup means are compared with threshold values for the amount of light and the signal level of the color component in the image pickup signal in the discriminating device (not shown), and the occurrence of coloring or cracks is detected. Determined as either.

  The rod-shaped dry noodles that are determined to be non-defective in the determination device fall toward the start end side of the non-defective discharge conveyor 42 along the predetermined drop locus, and are conveyed on the non-defective discharge conveyor 42 and are transferred from the end side to the non-defective product. It falls to the discharge cascade chute 43 and is collected in the non-defective product collection box 44.

  Further, the stick-shaped dry noodles determined as defective by the determination device are moved from the predetermined drop trajectory by the swing drive of the rejection plate 45 based on the defective product rejection signal sent from the determination device. 42 is removed toward the opposite side of 42, falls onto the defective product discharge cascade chute 46, and is collected in the defective product collection box 47.

  Here, when the rod-shaped dry noodles are determined to be non-defective products, the guide roller 48 is driven to rotate in the same direction as the conveying direction of the non-defective product discharge conveyor 42, so Even when it comes into contact with the guide roller 48 when falling, the good dry noodles can be reliably guided to the good discharge conveyor 42 side.

  In addition, when the rod-shaped dry noodles are determined to be defective, the rotation of the guide roller 48 is stopped, so that when the defective dry noodles are excluded from the predetermined drop locus and fall to the defective product cascade chute 46, Even when abutting against the guide roller 48, the defective dry noodles can be reliably guided to the defective product discharge cascade chute 46 and dropped.

In the rod sorter according to the embodiment of the present invention, since the transfer height of the rod-shaped dry noodles on the surface of the chute 3 is limited by the flow regulating plate 34, the amount of the rod-shaped dry noodles falling from the lower end of the chute 3 is small. The rod-shaped dried noodles are regulated as a single layer or two layers and fall in a state perpendicular to the dropping direction along a predetermined dropping locus.
Therefore, according to the rod-shaped body sorter in the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to prevent a large number of rod-shaped dry noodles from falling from the lower end of the chute 3 in an overlapping state, so that defective products can be detected with high accuracy.

  Moreover, the rod-shaped body sorter in the embodiment of the present invention supplies the rod-shaped dry noodles stored in the raw material hopper 21 to the vibrating chute 31 via the vibrating feeder 22, thereby transferring the rod-shaped dry noodles on the chute 3. Since the weight load by the subsequent stick-shaped dry noodles applied to the dry noodles can be reduced, it is possible to prevent the stick-shaped dry noodles such as the raw noodles from being easily broken.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the flow restricting plate 34 is disposed above the chute 3 so as to cover the entire surfaces of the vibration chute 31 and the fixed chute 32. As a means, for example, by arranging a shutter that moves up and down at the tip of the chute 3, the transfer height of the bar-shaped dry noodles on the surface of the chute 3 is limited, and the amount of the bar-shaped dry noodles falling from the lower end of the chute 3 is reduced. It can also be regulated.
You can also.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, the chute 3 includes the vibration chute 31 and the fixed chute 32. However, the chute 3 may be composed of only the vibration chute 31 or only the fixed chute 32. Moreover, although the exclusion plate 45 is used as the ejector means for eliminating the rod-shaped dry noodles that are determined to be defective, air can also be used. further. As the detection means for detecting the rod-shaped dried noodles, the pair of optical detection devices 41a and 41b disposed before and after the fall locus is used. However, the optical detection device provided only on either one before and after the fall locus is used. It can also be used.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, rod-like dry noodles such as long pasta, stick-noodles, and raw noodles have been described as examples. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and other rod-like bodies can be used as a raw material.

  Needless to say, the structure of the rod sorter of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and the configuration thereof can be changed as appropriate without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  Since the rod-shaped body sorting machine of the present invention can prevent a large number of rod-shaped bodies from falling in a state of being overlapped from the lower end of the chute, it can detect defective products with high accuracy and is extremely practical.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Bar-shaped body sorter 2 Raw material supply part 21 Raw material hopper 22 Vibrating feeder 23 Self-weight press plate 24 First vibration generator 3 Chute 31 Vibrating chute 32 Fixed chute 33 Spring 34 Flow restriction plate 35 Encoder air cylinder 36 Pressing plate 37 Second Vibration generator 38 Press plate 39 Projection section 4 Optical sorting sections 41a, 41b Optical detection apparatus 42 Non-defective product discharge conveyor 43 Non-defective product discharge cascade chute 44 Non-defective product collection box 45 Exclusion plate 46 Defective product discharge cascade chute 47 Defective product collection box 48 Guide roller

Claims (6)

An inclined chute that transfers the rod-shaped body in a state orthogonal to the transfer direction;
Optical detection means for detecting at a detection position the rod-like body falling from the lower end of the chute;
A discriminating means for discriminating between a non-defective product and a defective product of the rod-shaped body based on a detection signal from the optical detection means;
Ejector means for eliminating defective products of the rod-like body based on the discrimination result by the discrimination means, and a rod-like body sorter comprising:
Above the chute, there is disposed a flow rate regulating means for restricting the transfer height of the rod-shaped body on the surface of the chute and regulating the amount of the rod-shaped body falling from the lower end of the chute. Characteristic rod sorter.   The flow restricting means is a flow restricting plate disposed so as to cover the surface of the chute, and the flow restricting plate can be rotated around an upper end portion and a lower end side is urged upward. The bar sorter according to claim 1, wherein the flow restricting plate is pressed downward by a pressing plate to limit the transfer height of the bar on the surface of the chute.   The bar-shaped body sorter according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the chute has a vibration chute and the rod-shaped body is transferred by the vibration chute in a state orthogonal to a transfer direction.   4. The bar-shaped body sorter according to claim 3, wherein the chute has a fixed chute disposed with a minute gap on the tip side of the vibration chute, and the bar-like body drops from the tip of the fixed chute.   The rod-shaped body sorter according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein a pressing plate is disposed on both sides of the chute, and the end of the rod-shaped body transferred on the chute is pressed by the pressing plate.   The rod-shaped body sorter according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a vibration feeder that feeds the rod-shaped body in a state orthogonal to a feeding direction, wherein the rod-shaped body fed from the vibration feeder is transferred to the chute.

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