JP2512545B2 - Goods sorting equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION <Industrial Application Field> The present invention sorts articles transferred along a transfer path to the outside of the transfer path by the operation of a pusher arranged in the transfer path based on a sorting signal. Regarding the device.

<Prior Art> Conventionally, as an article sorter of this type, for example, a pusher is reciprocally moved by an air cylinder, and a delay time such as a response time of a solenoid or an operating time of a cylinder corresponding to a speed at which an article is transferred is preliminarily tested. There is a method in which the pusher is reciprocated by energizing the air cylinder by the delay time earlier than the timing when the articles to be sorted reach the operation position of the pusher by storing the obtained value.

<Problems to be Solved by the Invention> However, in such a conventional article sorting apparatus, since the delay time is a fixed value and the energization timing to the air cylinder is always constant, the article transfer speed does not change and is constant. However, there is no problem if the transfer speed of the article is gradually accelerated or decelerated, such as when the apparatus is started or stopped, or when the transfer rate of the article is changed in the continuous operation state. There is a time lag between the transfer speed of the articles to be sorted and the operation timing of the pusher, and the articles to be sorted cannot be reliably sorted or are transported before and after the articles to be sorted. There is a problem that even items that do not need to be sorted are sorted together.

Therefore, when changing the transfer speed during continuous operation, the energization timing to the air cylinder is artificially changed to adjust the operation timing of the pusher according to each transfer speed. Since it is difficult to adjust, the air cylinder is operated to sort continuously until one of the items to be sorted and the item that does not need to be sorted until the transfer speed becomes constant, or sort them to another place. However, as a result, there is a problem that a person is required for timing adjustment, and the sorting accuracy is lowered and sorting may be required again.

In view of such conventional circumstances, it is an object of the present invention to automatically adjust the operation timing of a pusher according to a change in transfer speed.

<Means for Solving the Problems> Technical means taken by the present invention to solve the above problems are speed detection means for detecting the transfer speed of an article and a signal output from the speed detection means in advance. The present invention is characterized by including a control means for selecting the closest one from a plurality of input set values and controlling the timing of energizing the drive unit of the pusher.

<Operation> According to the above technical means, the present invention is to select a set value corresponding to the transfer speed of the articles at the time of inputting the sorting signal, and to energize the drive unit to operate the pusher based on the selected set value.

<Example> Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the article (A) is a box-shaped body, and the transfer means is a pair of transfer belts (C) and (C) arranged opposite to both side edges of the transfer path (B). The two transfer belts (C) and (C) sandwich the article (A) and horizontally transfer the article (A) at appropriate intervals. By arranging and extending and shortening the rod (E ₁ ) of the air cylinder (E) and moving the pusher (D) up and down,
The article (A) to be horizontally transferred is pushed downward to be removed to the discharge port (F).

The transfer belts (C) and (C) have drive pulleys (C ₁ ) (C ₁ ) around which the drive belts (C ₁ ) (C ₁ ) and the same drive shaft (Fig. It is rotated by a not-shown) to be driven at the same speed as the conveying device, and a speed detecting means (1) is electrically linked to this drive shaft.

The speed detecting means (1) constantly detects the driving speeds of the transfer belts (C) (C) and the conveying device, and controls them by the control means (2).
In the case of the present embodiment, the drive speed is calculated for each cycle of the drive shaft based on the detection timing output from the detection timing generator (3) composed of, for example, an electronic cam. Are sequentially output to the control means (2).

The control means (2) electrically communicates with the speed detection means (1), the sorting means (4) described later, and the air cylinder (E), respectively, so that the air cylinder (corresponding to the change of the transfer speed of the article (A) ( E) the operation start timing of the rod (E ₁ ), more specifically, a plurality of energization timings at the time of extension start and contraction start are obtained in advance by an experiment, and these are stored as set values, and the sorting signal is sent from the sorting means (4). Each time is input, the closest one is selected from a plurality of set values, and the energization timing to the air cylinder (E) is controlled based on the set values.

In the case of the present embodiment, the control means (2) is composed of, for example, a sequencer or the like, and as shown in FIG. 3, set values (2a) (2b) (2) respectively corresponding to four transfer speeds which are different at equal intervals.
c) Stores (2d), compares the drive speed input from the speed detection means (1) with the four set values immediately before the start of energization to the air cylinder (E) when the sorting signal is input, and the lowest setting is obtained. Is designed to be selected.

In FIG. 3, T ₁ is the response time from the start of energization to the start of extending the rod (E ₁ ), T ₂ is the operating time from the start of extending the rod (E ₁ ) to the end of extension, T ₃ Is the response time from the start of energization to the start of shortening the rod (E ₁ ) when the rod (E ₁ ) is protruding, and T ₄ is the operating time from the beginning to the end of shortening the rod (E ₁ ). is there.

The sorting means (4) compares a signal detected by a sensor arranged upstream of the transfer belts (C) and (C) with a reference value input in advance, and determines, for example, the article (A) as a good article and a defective article. And the sorting signal is output to the control means (2) only when it is determined that the product is defective.

 Next, the operation of such an article sorting apparatus will be described.

Usually, the article (A) is continuously transferred from the upstream conveying device to the transfer belts (C) and (C), and along with this, the speed detection means (1) drives both of them, that is, the article (A). The transfer speed is constantly detected, and sequential control means (2)
Output to

In this state, when the sorting signal is not output from the sorting means (4) to the control means (2), the articles (A) to be transferred ...
Are all non-defective and are transferred to the subsequent process as they are.

When the sorting signal is output, the control means (2) selects a set value closest to the transfer speed immediately before the energization of the air cylinder (E), and based on the set value, the air cylinder (E) is selected.
Energize to extend and shorten the rod (E ₁ ), and the pusher (D) reciprocates accordingly to discharge the defective product (F)
Eliminate to.

The speed detecting means (1) is not limited to the above-mentioned one, and the transfer speed of the article (A) may be directly measured, and the air cylinder (E) is used as the drive part of the pusher (D). It is needless to say that the present invention is not limited to this, and may be anything operated by electricity, and the transfer means of the article (A), the pusher (D), and the like are not limited to those described above and various modifications are possible.

<Effects of the Invention> Since the present invention is configured as described above, it has the following advantages.

When a sorting signal is input, a set value corresponding to the article transfer speed is selected, and the pusher is activated by energizing the drive unit based on this, so that the operation timing of the pusher can be automatically adjusted according to the change in the transfer speed. You can

Therefore, as compared with the conventional one which requires adjustment in response to changes in the transfer speed, no adjustment person is required, unmanned operation is possible, sorting accuracy is improved, and there is no need to sort again.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view and block diagram of an article sorting apparatus showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view, and FIG. 3 is a graph showing set values input to a control means. A ... goods, B ... transport path D ... pusher, E ... driving unit 1 ... speed detection means, 2 ... control means 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d ... set value

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. An article sorting apparatus for sorting articles transported along a transport path to the outside of the transport path by the operation of a pusher disposed in the middle of the transport path based on a sorting signal to detect the transport speed of the preceding article. A speed detecting means; and a control means for selecting the closest one from a plurality of preset setting values based on a signal output from the speed detecting means and controlling a timing of energizing the drive unit of the pusher. Characteristic article sorting device.