JP2021155142A - Article-feeding device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a novel dry food feeding device which is capable of feeding a predetermined number of dry foods etc. as roughly accurate as possible.SOLUTION: An article-feeding device 1 comprises: a plurality of endless conveyor devices 3 having a conveyance area for roughly horizontal conveyance after a conveyance area for conveyance in an obliquely upward direction from a lower side, and arranged to be adjacent to each other parallelly such that discharge ends of the conveyor devices 3 adjacent to each other are located at positions different from each other with respect to a conveyor traveling direction; an article feeding mechanism for feeding an article in the conveyance area for conveyance in the obliquely upward direction of the conveyor device 3 while utilizing the plurality of conveyor devices 3; a counter 21 for counting the number of articles discharged from the discharge end of each conveyor device 3 in the plurality of conveyor devices 3; a control mechanism for stopping conveyance of each conveyor device 3 when the number of discharged articles becomes a predetermined number; and a discharge passage 17 for the discharged articles.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a supply device for supplying a more accurate number of small-sized dried foods such as wonton, dumplings, and takoyaki in a food production line.

In the manufacturing process of processed foods, especially instant foods such as instant cup noodles, a predetermined number of dried wontons, dumplings, takoyaki, beef, pork, vegetables, fish and other small-sized dried foods are added to each cup. It may be necessary to do so. On the other hand, these dried foods have often used parts feeders and the like, but it has often been difficult to supply a predetermined number of the dried foods to products and the like in a relatively correct manner.

Especially in the production line of instant noodles and instant rice, it is necessary to continuously convey the cups by a conveyor and supply parts such as ingredients. Examples of the device for rapidly supplying the ingredients and the like for continuous production and mass production include the device described in the following prior art 1.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-145653 The above-mentioned prior art dry food supply device has an excellent quantitative supply function, but controls the amount to be supplied by an image, and does not control the number of dried foods almost accurately. No.

Therefore, the present inventors have made it an object to develop a new dried food supply device capable of supplying a predetermined number of small-sized dried foods such as wonton, dumplings, and takoyaki as accurately as possible.

As a result of diligent research by the present inventors, a plurality of endless conveyor devices having a transport area for transporting diagonally upward from the lower side are arranged adjacent to each other in parallel. The discharge end of the adjacent conveyor device uses a plurality of conveyor devices arranged at different positions with respect to the traveling direction of the conveyor, and supplies articles in a transport area for transporting the conveyor device in an obliquely upward direction. In the plurality of conveyor devices, a counter for counting the number of articles discharged at the discharge end of each conveyor device is provided, and when the number of articles to be discharged reaches a predetermined number, each conveyor device is conveyed. The present invention has been completed by finding that a predetermined number of dried foods can be supplied by using a control mechanism for stopping and an article supply device provided with an discharge path for the discharged article.
That is, the first invention of the present application is
"After the transport area that transports diagonally upward from the lower side, a plurality of endless conveyor devices having a transport area that transports substantially horizontally are arranged adjacent to each other in parallel, and the discharge end of the adjacent conveyor device is Multiple conveyor devices arranged at different positions with respect to the conveyor traveling direction,
An article supply mechanism for placing articles on a conveyor in a transport area for transporting the plurality of conveyor devices in an obliquely upward direction, and an article supply mechanism.
A counter that counts the number of articles discharged at the discharge end of each conveyor device in the plurality of conveyor devices, and
A control mechanism that stops the transfer of each conveyor device when the number of articles to be discharged reaches a predetermined number, and
An article supply device provided with an discharge path for the discharged article. “,.

Next, it is also possible by a method in which the article supply mechanism includes a transport area for transporting the article in the diagonally upward direction and a hopper portion for stocking the article is attached.
That is, the second invention of the present application is
"The article supply device according to claim 1, wherein the article supply mechanism includes a transport area for transporting articles in an obliquely upward direction and is a hopper unit for stocking articles."
Next, it is preferable that the conveyor belt of each conveyor device of the article supply device is provided with a partition portion for articles to be conveyed at predetermined intervals.

That is, the third invention of the present application is
"The article supply device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the conveyor belt of each conveyor device of the article supply device is provided with a partition for articles to be conveyed at predetermined intervals."
Next, when a convex region is provided in the partition portion between the conveyor devices in the transport region for transporting articles diagonally upward from the lower side in each of the conveyor devices and after the goods are supplied to the conveyor, the conveyor device rises. It is suitable because it can be eliminated when the goods to be carried are straddling between the conveyors.

That is, the fourth invention of the present application is
"In the first to third claims, the conveyor device has a transport region for transporting the goods diagonally upward from the lower side, and has a convex region at a partition between the conveyor devices in the transport region after the goods are supplied to the conveyor. The article supply device according to any one of them. ".
Next, by providing a stock portion capable of temporarily stocking the articles to be discharged in the discharge path of each of the conveyor devices, the articles can be discharged downward at the same time on the production line or the like.

That is, the fifth invention of the present application is
"The article supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a stock portion capable of temporarily stocking articles discharged in the discharge path of each of the conveyor devices."

By using the article supply device of the present invention, it is possible to supply a predetermined number of desiccant materials and the like that are substantially correct.

It is a perspective view of the article supply apparatus of 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing of the structure of the 1st sprocket of the article supply apparatus of 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of the example which supplies the article in the production line by using the article supply apparatus of 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is an enlarged view of the conveyor inclined surface including the convex region of the article supply apparatus of 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which showed the other example of the article supply mechanism in the article supply apparatus of this invention. It is an enlarged perspective view of the vicinity of the number counter part of the article supply apparatus of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is sectional drawing in the case of using the stock part using the butterfly valve in the discharge path of the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view which shows the area of the outlet end of a conduit (excretion path), and the area of a container opening. It is a perspective view of the example which supplies the article in the production line by using the article supply apparatus of 1st Embodiment of this invention.

1 Goods supply device 3 Conveyor device 5 Conveyor belt 7 Sprocket 71 First sprocket 73 Second sprocket 75 Third sprocket 9 Boundary 11 Partition 13 Power unit (motor unit)
17 Discharge route (conduit)
21 Counter 23 Convex region 25 Hopper 29 On-off valve (butterfly valve)
31 Production line DF Dried food (article)
CP cup-shaped container

Hereinafter, aspects of the present invention will be described with reference to embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the entire article supply device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

The article supply device of the present invention
"After the transport area that transports diagonally upward from the lower side, a plurality of endless conveyor devices having a transport area that transports substantially horizontally are arranged adjacent to each other in parallel, and the discharge end of the adjacent conveyor device is Multiple conveyor devices arranged at different positions with respect to the conveyor traveling direction,
An article supply mechanism for placing articles on a conveyor in a transport area for transporting the plurality of conveyor devices in an obliquely upward direction, and an article supply mechanism.
A counter that counts the number of articles discharged at the discharge end of each conveyor device in the plurality of conveyor devices, and
An article supply device provided with a control mechanism for stopping the transportation of each conveyor device when the number of articles to be discharged reaches a predetermined number, and an article supply device having a discharge path for the articles to be discharged. The contents will be explained.

─ Goods supply device ─
Although various articles can be supplied in the present invention, they are particularly suitable for supplying dried foods. For example, in the production of processed foods such as instant noodles, dried noodle lumps may be stored in a cup-shaped container, and various dried foods (drying ingredients) DF may be added as articles on the dried noodle lumps. In the present invention, it is preferable to target such a dried food DF as an article.
Further, in the case of dried food DF, the individual shapes do not always completely match, and there are many cases where there are some differences in shape for each solid. The article supply device of the present invention can be suitably used in the case of continuously supplying such dried food DF. Furthermore, it can be sufficiently applied to dried foods having a distorted shape.

Here, as dried foods, specifically, ingredients and moldings having a certain particle size such as fried dumplings, hot air-dried dumplings, wontons, kamaboko, dried vegetables, dried meat, plant protein lumps, and molded soups. Soup etc. are assumed.
The article supply device of the present invention can be used when supplying such a dried food DF. In particular, the article to be supplied in the present invention is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include dried foods having a size of about 5 mm square to a size of about 50 mm square.

─ Conveyor device ─
Regarding the article supply device 1 of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of endless conveyor devices 3 are arranged adjacent to each other in parallel. The plurality of conveyor devices 3 have a transport region for transporting in a substantially horizontal direction after a transport region for transporting diagonally upward from the lower side.
Although not shown in FIG. 1, each conveyor device 3 is supported and installed in a predetermined housing.

Further, it is needless to say that various inclination angles can be obtained by changing the inclination angle in the diagonally upward direction from the lower side.
Note that FIG. 1 shows an example in which nine conveyor devices 3 are arranged in parallel. In each conveyor device 3, each conveyor belt 5 is wound around a plurality of sprockets 7 and circulates in an endless manner. A boundary portion 9 is provided between adjacent conveyor belts. Further, it goes without saying that the number of conveyor devices arranged in the present invention is not limited.

It is preferable that each conveyor belt 5 is provided with a partition portion 11 for dividing the conveyor belt 5 at predetermined intervals. By providing the partition portion 11, it can be used as a storage space for articles for transporting the area provided between the partition portions.
The sprockets 7 do not rotate integrally, but are separated as shown in FIG. 2 and rotate independently and independently. That is, each conveyor device is configured to operate independently and individually. In addition, each conveyor device 3 is individually equipped with a motor unit 13 of a power unit and a control unit that controls the movement of the motor.

Each conveyor device 3 moves so as to rise diagonally upward from the first sprocket 71 at the lower end when the article is supplied, and then moves horizontally on the second sprocket 72 to move in a horizontal state. Reach the end of the conveyor after.

At the end of the conveyor, the conveyor belt is wound around the third sprocket 73, and when the conveyor belt reverses, the conveyed article falls from the conveyor belt and discharges the article below. It is configured so that the article can be supplied to a predetermined destination such as a cup-shaped container CP via a conduit 17 which is a route.
With respect to the ends of the respective conveyor devices 3, the discharge ends of the adjacent conveyor devices are arranged at different positions with respect to the conveyor traveling direction. By changing the position of the discharge end portion in this way, when the article supply device 1 is used for a production line of instant noodles or the like, it is easy to supply articles as shown in FIG. Has the advantage of becoming.

At the same time, there is an advantage that the counter 21 for the number of discharges and the power unit (motor unit) 13 described later in each conveyor device 3 can be easily arranged. Further, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the power unit 13 of each conveyor device 3 is provided on a side surface portion near the discharge end of each conveyor device. Further, at the end of each conveyor device, a number counter 21 is provided diagonally above the number counter 21 so as to be able to count the number of articles to be discharged below the discharge end of the conveyor device 3 (Fig.). 6).

─ About the convex part provided on the inclined surface of the conveyor ─
In the article supply device 1 of the present invention, it is also effective to provide a convex region 23 protruding from the boundary portion 9 between adjacent conveyor devices on the inclined surface of the conveyor. As shown in FIG. 4, the convex region 23 can prevent and eliminate the transfer of articles that are irregularly placed and transferred to the conveyor across the conveyor devices.

─ Goods supply mechanism to conveyor equipment ─
In the present invention, the conveyor device 3 is provided with a mechanism for supplying an article (for example, dried food DF). The mode of the supply mechanism is not particularly limited, and includes any mode as long as the article can be supplied to the conveyor device 3.
Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a case where the supply mechanism includes a transport area of the conveyor device 3 that transports the conveyor device 3 in the diagonally upward direction and is a hopper portion 25 that stocks articles is given as an example. By storing and stocking the articles to be supplied to the hopper portion 25, the articles are naturally entered and placed in the article placing portion, which is an area separated by the partition portion 11 and the boundary portion 9 on the conveyor. Then, as the conveyor belt 5 advances, the conveyor belt 5 is conveyed diagonally upward.

In addition, the first embodiment is an example, and it goes without saying that other embodiments include a mode in which an article is supplied using a parts feeder or a vibration feeder, and an embodiment in which an article is manually supplied by a person. , Any mode is included as long as it is a mechanism for supplying the article to be supplied to the conveyor device.

When the hopper portion 25 for stocking articles as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 is used, in FIGS. 1 and 3, the case where the two-stage (two) hopper portion 25 is used is shown. Of course, the mode is not limited to the above, and for example, as shown in FIG. 5, a one-stage hopper portion 25 may be used.

─ Counter ─
In order to supply a predetermined number of articles, each conveyor device 3 is provided with a counter 21 using a photoelectric sensor for measuring the number of articles supplied from the conveyor device 3. In the first embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 6, the number of articles is counted by detecting the presence of articles on the conveyor belt immediately before falling downward.

Further, as a counting method, a method of counting the number of articles passing by due to the difference in color between the conveyor belt 5 and the article can be used. For example, specifically, in the first embodiment of the present invention, the conveyor belt 5 is blue, and the article can be of a white type or the like. However, the method of counting the number in the present invention is not particularly limited, and it goes without saying that various aspects are included.

In the first embodiment of the present invention, the number of articles is counted from each conveyor device 3 when the conveyor belt 5 is reversed and the number of articles on the conveyor belt immediately before the article falls. The present invention is not limited to this aspect, and it goes without saying that, for example, a counter 21 for counting the number may be arranged at any position in the discharge path of the article. The timing of counting the number of articles can be set as appropriate.

Next, in the present invention, when the planned number of articles to be supplied is counted, the conveyor transportation of the articles is temporarily stopped, and after the supply of the articles to the predetermined cup-shaped container CP or the like to be supplied is completed, the next cup is used. It is preferable to move to a supply destination such as a container, start conveyor transportation again, discharge and count the articles, and supply the articles. By repeating such a cycle, the articles can be sequentially supplied to the cup-shaped container or the like which is the supply destination.

─ About the filling state of the article placing part on the conveyor belt ─
In the present invention, it is not necessary that all the parts on which the articles are placed on the conveyor belt are completely filled. That is, even if there is an empty part in the article placing portion where the article is not buried, it is possible to eject the predetermined number of articles because the counter 21 described later counts the number of articles to be ejected so as to reach the predetermined number. Become.

─ Control method ─
In the present invention, it is intended to supply a predetermined number of articles (for example, dried food DF), but it goes without saying that a number close to the target supply number is sufficient. This is because an irregular state may occur stochastically in a high-speed production line. Various specific methods for controlling the supply of articles in the article supply device 1 of the present invention are possible.

For example, as an example, the transfer of each conveyor device 3 is started at the same time, and when all the conveyor devices 3 have finished discharging a predetermined number to the lower portion, the row of cup-shaped containers to be supplied is changed to the next cup-shaped container. There is a method of replacing the CP column.
Further, as another example, the conveyor belt 5 is transported at each length or transfer interval, which corresponds to discharging a predetermined number of articles, which is larger than the target number of items discharged by each conveyor device 3 at the discharge end. In addition to the control to set the basic setting to repeat the stop, in addition to this, the control to stop the conveyor transfer when the target number is discharged even before the transfer of the basic setting is completed is prioritized. It is also effective to set it to.

By doing so, even if the timing of completing the discharge of the target number of articles by each conveyor device 3 is different, the timing of replacing the cup-shaped container or the like at the discharge destination is set to the length of the conveyor belt 5. By adjusting the transfer / stop at each transfer interval, it is possible to sequentially supply the articles to the supply destination.

For example, when it is desired to supply 7 articles as a target, the conveyor length corresponding to 10 articles is set to be conveyed, and the conveyor is further set to stop when the 7 articles are discharged. Such control.
In this case, even if the article is missing in the article placing portion on the conveyor belt, the conveyor length corresponding to 10 articles is set to be conveyed with a margin, so the target of 7 articles is set. In addition to being able to discharge, all the conveyor devices can be restarted at the same time after being replaced with the next supply destination such as a cup-shaped container.
In addition, the control method is not limited to the above, and of course, it can be appropriately selected.

─ Discharge route ─
The article supply device of the present invention has an discharge path for discharging a predetermined number of counted articles (for example, dried food DF). In the types shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a plastic conduit 17 is shown as the discharge path 17, but this is an example and is not limited to these.

Further, in the conduit 17 as the discharge path 17, by providing a butterfly valve 29 as an on-off valve as shown in FIG. 7 below, articles once discharged from the conveyor are temporarily stocked and intermittently downward. It is also possible to supply goods (Fig. 7 (A) → (B)). In this way, a valve (butterfly valve) or the like may be provided at the end on the inlet side or the outlet side of the conduit as the discharge path 17.

The butterfly valve 29 can be opened and closed at the same time in accordance with the replacement timing (conveyance timing in the continuous production line) of the cup-shaped container or the like of the supply destination.
By doing so, even if the timing of supplying a predetermined number of articles by each conveyor device 3 is deviated, the articles are simultaneously opened with respect to the cup-shaped container CP to be supplied on the line by opening the butterfly valve 29 at the same time. Can be supplied.
In this way, it is possible to collectively supply a predetermined number of articles to a cup-shaped container or the like to be supplied at one time.

The configuration capable of controlling the supply timing of the article such as the butterfly valve 29 may be provided not near the inlet side of the upper end of the conduit 17 but near the outlet side at the lower end. Of course, it may be provided at a plurality of places.
Next, when the supply target is the cup-shaped container CP, the position on the outlet side of the lower end of the conduit as the discharge path 17 of the present invention is located near the cup opening of the cup-shaped container and the outlet of the lower end. The size of the edges is preferably close to the size of the opening of the cup or the like to be supplied.

That is, as shown in FIG. 8, regarding the area of the outlet end of the conduit 17 and the area of the opening of the container (cup-shaped container) to which the article is supplied, the area of the outlet end of the conduit is the opening of the container to which the article is supplied. It is preferable that the area is in the range of about 60% to 100%. In particular, it is more preferably about 80% to 95%.
Depending on the article to be supplied, when the article is supplied from the conduit as the discharge path 17 to a container such as a cup-shaped container, the article may bounce significantly on the bottom surface of the cup-shaped container or the like. In this case, since it may pop out from the cup-shaped container, this can be prevented by increasing the area of the end portion on the outlet side of the conduit 17.

─ About the supply form on the production line ─
It can be supplied in a continuous production line of processed foods by using the article supply device of the present invention.
FIG. 9 shows a perspective view using the article supply device of the present invention in the continuous production line 31 of instant noodles as processed food. As shown in FIG. 9, the cup-shaped container CP is sequentially conveyed in a predetermined direction. A noodle mass has already been inserted into the cup-shaped container CP, and an embodiment in which an article (dried wonton) is supplied to the noodle mass by the article supply device of the present invention is shown. The article supply device 1 of the present invention can also be used in such an aspect.

─ When supplying goods on a continuous production line using the goods supply device of the present invention ─
Hereinafter, a case where an article (for example, a dried food DF) is supplied by using the article supply device 1 of the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 9 assumes a production line 31 for instant cup noodles. Cup-shaped containers already containing noodle masses are intermittently transported to the production line in the direction of the arrow.

The outlet end of the discharge path of the article supply device of the present invention is the cup-shaped container of each row so that the article (for example, dried food DF) can be supplied to the cup-shaped container of each row on the production line. It is fixedly arranged so as to be located at the upper part of the opening.
In the article supply device of the first embodiment of the present invention of FIG. 9, the article is supplied to the hopper portion 25 as the article supply mechanism. In the embodiment, the hopper portion 25 has two stages, and the article is supplied to each hopper portion 25 so that the article is not missed in the mounting portion on the conveyor belt as much as possible. ..

At the same time that the cup-shaped container CPs in the production line are conveyed and replaced, each conveyor device 3 of the article supply device of the present invention operates at the same time, and the article (for example, dried food DF) moves along with the transfer of the conveyor belt 5. The articles stored in the hopper portion 25 are placed in the article storage space provided on the conveyor belt 5 on the inclined surface and carried diagonally upward, but above the inclined surface, the articles are convex to the partition between the conveyor devices. The shape region 23 is provided, and the article straddling between the conveyor devices is prevented from being transferred upward by contacting the convex region 23 or the like.

The articles placed on the conveyor belt 5 near the discharge end of each conveyor device 3 are sequentially supplied to the cup-shaped container CP. When a predetermined number of articles are supplied via the count by the photoelectric sensor, the control device stops the transfer of the conveyor belt 5 and stops the supply of articles.
Since the timing at which the supply of a predetermined number of articles is completed differs depending on each conveyor device 3 of the article supply device 1 of the present invention, the timing at which each conveyor device 3 stops differs, but all of them are intermittent cup-shaped containers in the production line. It is set so that the supply of goods is completed in a time shorter than the typical transport interval.

With the supply of a predetermined number of articles finished in all rows on the production line, the cup-shaped container CP on the production line is transported and replaced with the next cup-shaped container.
By such a cycle, articles are sequentially supplied to cup-shaped containers on the production line.
Of course, in the discharge of the article in the discharge path, the stock portion of the article using the butterfly valve 29 may be used as shown in FIG.

Claims (5)

After the transport area for transporting diagonally upward from the lower side, a plurality of endless conveyor devices having a transport area for transporting substantially horizontally are arranged adjacent to each other in parallel, and the discharge end of the adjacent conveyor device is a conveyor. Multiple conveyor devices located at different positions in the direction of travel,
An article supply mechanism for placing articles on a conveyor in a transport area for transporting the plurality of conveyor devices in an obliquely upward direction, and an article supply mechanism.
A counter that counts the number of articles discharged at the discharge end of each conveyor device in the plurality of conveyor devices, and
A control mechanism that stops the transfer of each conveyor device when the number of articles to be discharged reaches a predetermined number, and
A discharge route for the discharged article is provided.
Goods supply device. The article supply device according to claim 1, wherein the article supply mechanism includes a transport area for transporting articles in an obliquely upward direction, and is a hopper unit for stocking articles. The article supply device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the conveyor belt of each conveyor device of the article supply device is provided with a partition for articles to be conveyed at predetermined intervals. 3. The article supply device described in Crab. The article supply device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a stock portion capable of temporarily stocking articles discharged in the discharge path of each conveyor device.

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