JP2020049455A - Sorter for granular material - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a sorter for a granular material capable of reducing a labor for confirming a storage state of a container for defective articles.SOLUTION: A sorter for a granular material includes a grain size selection part for selecting a granular material into a first nondefective article or a first defective article corresponding to the grain size of the granular material, and an optical selection part for selecting optically the first nondefective article into a second nondefective article or a second defective article. A constitution is adopted so that the first defective article and the second defective article are discharged from the same discharge port to the outside of the machine.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a sorter for particulate matter.

  A grain sorter provided with a particle size sorter and an optical sorter is known (for example, Patent Document 1 below). In such a sorting machine, the grain is sorted into good and defective products according to the grain size of the grain in the grain size sorting machine. Grains selected as good products in the particle size sorter are supplied to an optical sorter. In the optical sorter, grains are optically sorted into good and defective products. Defective products from the particle size sorter and defective products from the optical sorter are respectively discharged from different outlets to the outside of the device. Containers (for example, bags) are installed at these outlets, and when the container is full of defective products, the operator replaces the container with a new one.

JP 2010-142678 A

  However, in such a sorter, the flow of defective products will be interrupted if the user concentrates on, for example, bagging and weighing non-defective products and does not check the storage status of the containers for defective products. As a result, there is a possibility that a sorting failure or an overload stop of the transport unit may occur. Such a problem is not limited to a grain sorter, but is common to granular sorters having a particle size sorting function and an optical sorting function.

  For this reason, there is a need for a sorting machine for granular materials that can reduce the trouble of confirming the storage status of the defective product container.

  SUMMARY An advantage of some aspects of the invention is to solve at least a part of the problems described above, and the invention can be implemented as, for example, the following modes.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sorter for a granular material. The sorting machine includes a particle size sorting unit that sorts the granular material into a first non-defective product and a first defective product according to the particle size of the granular material, a second non-defective product and a second non-defective product from the first non-defective product. An optical sorting unit that optically sorts non-defective products. The sorting machine is configured to be able to discharge the first defective product and the second defective product from the same discharge port to the outside of the device.

  According to such a sorting machine, the first defective product from the particle size sorting unit and the second defective product from the optical sorting unit can be discharged from the same outlet to the outside of the machine. For this reason, the worker only needs to check the storage status of the defective product container with respect to only one discharge port, and the trouble of checking is reduced.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the sorting machine includes a first discharge port for discharging the first defective product to the outside, and a second discharge port for discharging the second defective product to the outside of the machine. And a second outlet for discharging. The same outlet is either the first outlet or the second outlet. The sorting machine further includes a discharge path for the first defective product and the second defective product, a first path for discharging the first defective product and the second defective product from the same discharge port, And a second path for discharging the defective product from the first discharge port and discharging the second defective product from the second discharge port. According to this aspect, the discharge route of the first defective product and the second defective product can be switched between the first route and the second route depending on the situation. For example, if the discharge path is set to the first path, the effect of the first embodiment can be obtained. On the other hand, if the discharge path is set to the second path, the second defective product from the optical sorting unit is visually checked individually without being mixed with the first defective product. Can be confirmed.

  According to the third aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, the same outlet is one of the first outlet and the second outlet provided at a relatively higher position. is there. According to this mode, the storage height of the containers provided for the same discharge port, and thus the storage capacity, can be largely secured. In other words, by installing a container having a large storage capacity, the time required for the container to be filled with the first defective product and the second defective product can be lengthened. Therefore, the frequency of checking the storage status of the defective product container can be reduced, and the trouble of checking can be further reduced.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, the sorting machine includes a transport device that transports the first defective product upward to the first discharge port. The same outlet is the first outlet. When the discharge path is set to the first path, the second defective product is guided to the transport device. According to this aspect, the first outlet used as the same outlet can be provided at a desired high position. Therefore, the effect of the third embodiment can be further enhanced.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect, the same outlet is the first outlet. When treating cereals as granules, the amount of the first defective product is generally larger than the amount of the second defective product. According to this aspect, a relatively small amount of the second defective product is transported to the first discharge port. Therefore, a relatively large amount of the first defective product is transported to the second discharge port. The transportation equipment can be made more compact as compared with the case of carrying out.

  According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, in any one of the second to fifth aspects, the sorter includes a control unit that controls the switching valve. The control unit controls the switching valve such that the discharge path becomes the second path during a predetermined time from the start of the optical sorting unit, and after a predetermined time has elapsed, the discharge path is switched from the second path to the first path. The switching valve is controlled so that it can be switched to. According to this aspect, at the time of starting the sorting machine, the operator can confirm the sorting accuracy of the optical sorting unit as in the second aspect. Then, after that, the discharge route is set as the first route, so that the trouble of checking the storage status of the defective product container can be reduced.

It is a block diagram showing a schematic structure of a sorter by one embodiment of the present invention. It is a side view of a sorter by a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view of the sorting machine of FIG. It is sectional drawing of the sorting machine of FIG. It is sectional drawing of a particle size selection part.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a sorting machine 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of the sorting machine 10. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the sorting machine 10. FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the sorting machine 10. FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the particle size sorting unit 20 provided in the sorting machine 10. In the present embodiment, the sorter 10 is used to sort cereals (for example, rice), but may be used to sort any granular material.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the sorting machine 10 includes a particle size sorting unit 20, a first outlet 21, a transport device 22, an optical sorting unit 30, a second outlet 31, a switching valve 40, , A tank 50, a measuring unit 60, and a control unit 70. In the sorting machine 10, the cereal is first put into the particle size sorting unit 20.

  The grain size sorting unit 20 sorts the grain into a first good product and a first defective product according to the grain size of the grain. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the particle size sorting unit 20 includes an input port 23, a sorting net 24, and a rotating body 25 having a blade. The cereal charged into the charging port 23 is supplied between the rotating body 25 and the sorting net 24. The grain receives a centrifugal force radially outward due to the rotation of the rotating body 25. At this time, a grain having a smaller particle size than the mesh of the sorting net tube 24 is sorted as a first defective product by passing through the mesh. Grains that have not passed through the mesh are sorted out as first good products.

  The first defective product falls down outside the sorting net 24 and is guided to the transport device 22 as shown in FIG. In the present embodiment, the transport device 22 is a vertical screw conveyor as shown in FIG. The transport device 22 transports the first defective product upward to the first discharge port 21 (see FIG. 2). Thus, the first defective product is discharged from the first discharge port 21 and stored in a container provided below the first discharge port 21. If the transfer device 22 is installed as in this embodiment, the position of the first discharge port 21 can be increased, and as a result, a large storage height for the first defective product can be secured. When processing grain in the sorter 10, the first defective product may be relatively large (for example, 10% of the input amount), but by securing a large storage height, the first defective product can be removed. The frequency of confirmation of containers for storage can be reduced.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, the first non-defective product is supplied to the optical sorting unit 30. In the present embodiment, the optical sorting unit 30 is of a so-called chute type, and includes a chute 33. As shown in FIG. 4, the grain quantitatively supplied onto the chute 33 by the rotary valve 32 flows down on the chute 33, and when dropped from the chute 33, is optically converted into a second good product and a second defective product. Is screened.

  Specifically, the optical sorting unit 30 includes a detection unit and an ejector nozzle. The detection unit irradiates visible light and near-infrared light to the grain dropped from the chute 33, and detects reflected light or transmitted light from the grain. The detection unit determines, for each grain of the grain, whether the sorting target is a non-defective product or a defective product based on an image obtained from the detected light. The trajectory of the grain determined to be defective is changed by the air injected from the ejector nozzle, and guided to the defective discharge gutter. On the other hand, the grain determined to be non-defective is guided to the non-defective discharge gutter without changing the trajectory.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the second non-defective product guided to the non-defective product discharge gutter is stored in a tank 50. Then, the second non-defective product in the tank 50 is appropriately cut out and weighed by the weighing unit 60, and then is carried out. As shown in FIG. 3, the weighing unit 60 includes a base 61 having a load cell, two rods 62 extending upward from the base 61 in parallel, and a bag for packing a second non-defective product. And an engaging portion 63 that can be engaged with the After a predetermined amount of the second non-defective product is cut out of the tank 50 in the bag engaged with the engagement portion 63, the measurement is performed.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the second defective product guided to the defective product discharge gutter is supplied to the switching valve 40. The switching valve 40 switches the discharge destination of the second defective product between the second discharge port 31 (see FIG. 2) and the transport device 22. When the second discharge port 31 is set as the discharge destination of the second defective product, the first defective product is discharged from the first discharge port 21 as described above. The first defective product and the second defective product from the optical sorting unit 30 are separated from other discharge ports (that is, the first discharge port 21 and the second discharge port 31) as in the conventional configuration. , Respectively. On the other hand, when the transport device 22 is set as the discharge destination of the second defective product, both the first defective product and the second defective product have the same discharge port (that is, the first discharge port 21). (Hereinafter, the discharge port used in common for the first defective product and the second defective product is also referred to as a common discharge port). As described above, the switching valve 40 sets the discharge path of the first defective product and the second defective product (hereinafter, simply referred to as a discharge route) to the same discharge type of the first defective product and the second defective product. A first path for discharging from the outlet (that is, the first discharge port 21), and a first defective product is discharged from the first discharge port 21 and a second defective product is discharged from the second discharge port 31. And switching to the second path.

  The control of the switching valve 40 is performed by the control unit 70. The control unit 70 basically sets the discharge path to be the first path, that is, so that both the first defective product and the second defective product are discharged from the first discharge port 21. The switching valve 40 is controlled. Therefore, the worker only needs to check the storage state of the container installed for the first outlet 21 out of the first outlet 21 and the second outlet 31. Can be reduced.

  However, when the optical sorting unit 30 is started (when the operation is started or when the operation is resumed after a temporary stop), there is a case where it is desired to check the sorting accuracy of the optical sorting unit 30 alone. For this reason, in the present embodiment, the control unit 70 controls the switching valve 40 so that the discharge path becomes the second path for a predetermined time from the start of the optical selection unit 30. That is, the first defective product from the particle size sorting unit 20 is discharged from the first outlet 21, and the second defective product from the optical sorting unit 30 is discharged from the second outlet 31. Then, after a lapse of a predetermined time, the control unit 70 controls the switching valve 40 so that the discharge path is switched from the second path to the first path. The control of the switching valve 40 does not necessarily need to be performed automatically, but may instead be performed by an operator operating a manual switch at a desired timing. In this case, the manual switch may be installed near the second outlet 31. By doing so, the operator can operate the switching valve 40 at a place where the second defective product discharged from the second discharge port 31 can be visually checked, which is convenient.

  In the above-described sorting machine 10, as shown in FIG. 2, the first outlet 21 is provided at a position relatively higher than the second outlet 31. When the discharge path is set to the first path, the first discharge port 21 is used as a common discharge port. According to such a configuration, the storage height of the container provided for the first discharge port 21 and thus the storage capacity can be largely secured. As a result, the time required for the container to be filled with the first defective product and the second defective product becomes longer, so that the frequency of checking the storage status of the container can be reduced.

  In particular, in the present embodiment, since the particle size sorting unit 20 includes the transfer device 22 that transfers the first defective product upward to the second discharge port 31, the first discharge port 21 is not required. Can be provided at a high position. For this reason, by installing a large container for the first outlet 21, the frequency of checking the storage status of the container can be reduced. Further, since a large space can be secured under the first discharge port 21, the degree of freedom of the container to be installed is also increased. Moreover, since the transport device 22 originally provided in the particle size sorting unit 20 is used, no additional equipment for transporting the second defective product to a high position is required. Furthermore, it is also possible to install a measuring device similar to the measuring unit 60 described above for the first discharge port 21 to measure the first defective product and the second defective product.

  As described above, some embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, the embodiments of the present invention described above are intended to facilitate understanding of the present invention, and do not limit the present invention. The present invention can be changed and improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and the present invention includes equivalents thereof. In addition, in a range in which at least a part of the above-described problem can be solved, or in a range in which at least a part of the effect is achieved, a combination or omission of the components described in the claims and the specification is possible. .

  For example, when the second outlet 31 is located higher than the first outlet 21, the second outlet 31 may be used as a common outlet instead of the first outlet 21. Good. Of course, the lower one of the first outlet 21 and the second outlet 31 may be used as the common outlet. Alternatively, the first outlet 21 may be used as a common outlet regardless of the installation height of the first outlet 21 and the second outlet 31. When the grain is sorted by the sorter 10, generally, the amount of the first defective product is larger than the amount of the second defective product. Since the second defective product is transported to the first discharge port 21, the transport equipment can be made more compact compared to the case where a relatively large amount of the first defective product is transported to the second discharge port 31. it can. Alternatively, the sorter 10 may not include the switching valve 40. In this case, only one of the first outlet 21 and the second outlet 31 may be provided as the only outlet for the first defective product and the second defective product.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Sorting machine 20 ... Particle size sorting part 21 ... 1st discharge port 22 ... Conveying device 23 ... Input port 24 ... Sorting net 25 ... Rotating body 30 ... Optical sorting section 31 ... Second discharge port 32 ... Rotary valve 33 Chute 40 Switching valve 50 Tank 60 Metering unit 61 Base unit 62 Rod unit 63 Engaging unit 70 Control unit

Claims (6)

A sorter for granules,
A particle size sorting unit that sorts the granular material into a first good product and a first defective product according to the particle size of the granular material;
An optical sorting unit that optically sorts the first good product into a second good product and a second defective product;
A sorter configured to be able to discharge the first defective product and the second defective product from the same discharge port to the outside of the machine. The sorter according to claim 1, wherein
A first outlet for discharging the first defective product out of the machine;
A second outlet for discharging the second defective product out of the machine,
The same outlet is either the first outlet or the second outlet;
The sorting machine further includes a discharge path for the first defective product and the second defective product, wherein the first defective product and the second defective product are discharged from the same discharge port. And a second valve for discharging the first defective product from the first discharge port and discharging the second defective product from the second discharge port. Equipped sorter. The sorter according to claim 2, wherein
The same discharge port is a discharge port provided at a relatively high position between the first discharge port and the second discharge port. The sorter according to claim 2, wherein
A transport device that transports the first defective product upward to the first discharge port,
The same outlet is the first outlet;
When the discharge path is set to the first path, the second defective product is guided to the transport device. The sorter according to claim 2, wherein
The sorter, wherein the same outlet is the first outlet. A sorter according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein
A control unit that controls the switching valve,
The control unit includes:
For a predetermined time from the start of the optical selection unit, the switching valve is controlled such that the discharge path becomes the second path,
A selector that controls the switching valve such that the discharge path is switched from the second path to the first path after the predetermined time has elapsed.

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