JP4587035B2 - Orientation control device for spheroidal objects - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus for adjusting the mounting direction of a fruit having a spheroid shape such as olive, and in particular, by bringing a rotary roller into contact with the spheroid object, the major axis of the spheroid object is fixed. The present invention relates to a direction adjusting device for a spheroidal object that adjusts in a direction.

  There is a need to industrially separate fruits and seeds in edible plants having spheroid-shaped fruits represented by olives and the like (those having a major axis and a minor axis in their three-dimensional shape). Separation of the fruit and the seed is performed by extruding the seed with a plunger or the like. At this time, it is possible to increase the work efficiency by simultaneously removing the buttocks that are generally considered unfit for food. By extruding the seeds from above, the seeds that have been extruded can be easily treated. In this case, before the seed is pushed out by the plunger, a process of erecting the fruit having an unstable spheroid shape is required. However, since no means for mechanically erecting the fruits is known, these operations are performed manually.

As a closely related technique, Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus that aligns the directions of fruits and root vegetables in the conveying process. The apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes a pair of brush rollers formed so that the length of the bristles constituting the brush is long and short so that the tip of the brush is a mountain, and by a conveyor while rotating the brush By passing fruit and root vegetables between the brushes, the major axis direction of the conveyed product is aligned. Moreover, there exists some which are described in patent documents 2-4 about the direction arrangement apparatus regarding the egg which is a similar shape thing.
JP 2004-75380 A Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-24326 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-142639 JP 2003-231507 A

Among the above-mentioned patent documents, the device described in Patent Document 1 aligns the directions of the long axis and the short axis, and the devices described in Patent Documents 2 to 4 have their orientations according to the characteristics of the egg shape. To align. All of these apparatuses change the direction in a state where the conveyed product (spheroid-shaped object) is laid down. Therefore, although it is thought that these apparatuses can be used suitably in each field | area, it cannot respond to the needs of standing upright a fruit.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a rotating ellipsoidal object orientation control device that can erect a spheroidal object (eg, fruit) conveyed in a lying state.

  In order to erect a spheroid-shaped fruit that is transported on its side (the long axis of the elliptical shape is vertical), it is possible to realize a state of sandwiching the fruit while causing slippage on the contact surface with the fruit. It would be good if possible. By realizing such a state, the fruit changes its posture along the guide for pinching and finally becomes an upright state.

In view of the above, the spheroid-shaped object direction adjusting device according to the present invention includes a spheroid-shaped object accommodating portion configured by the roller surfaces of a plurality of rollers having rotational axes arranged in the vertical direction, and the roller surfaces are inclined. And the housing portion is configured to be constricted at least on the lower end side of the roller, and at least two of the plurality of rollers are drive rollers that rotate at different rotational speeds, and the roller surface is pressed against the spheroidal object. A pressing means is provided .

In the rotating ellipse direction arranging device configured as described above, it is desirable that the roller be a drum shape .
In addition, the pressing means moves the other rollers in conjunction with the movement of one roller, and the link mechanism is configured such that the moving direction of each roller is the center of rotation of the spheroid shaped object arranged in the accommodating portion. And a drive cylinder that presses the roller against the ellipsoidal object via the link mechanism.

  According to the direction arranging device for the spheroidal object having the above-described configuration, it is possible to erect the spheroidal object transported in a lying state.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A rotating ellipse direction adjusting device of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In addition, embodiment shown below shows a part of suitable embodiment which concerns on this invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited only to embodiment shown below.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment according to the directional control device for a spheroidal object of the present invention. A spheroid-shaped object orientation control device (hereinafter simply referred to as a device) 10 according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of rollers 12 (12a, 12b, and 12c) surrounding a spheroid-shaped product (hereinafter referred to as a fruit) 100 (see FIG. 2). ), A motor (driving means) 14 for applying a rotational driving force to the plurality of rollers 12, and a rotational driving force applied from the motor 14 to the roller 12 to change the rotational speed of the plurality of rollers 12. The rotation speed difference generating means that is different from each other is basically configured.

  Each of the plurality of rollers 12 has a drum shape in which a cylindrical body portion is constricted, and the body portion in which the constriction is formed is a roller surface. By forming the roller in such a shape, the roller surface has an inclination, and the fruit storage portion constituted by the roller surfaces of the plurality of rollers is narrowed toward the end of the roller. When a spheroid-shaped object such as olive fruit is sandwiched, the fruit is positioned near the center of the roller. Further, since the fruit is contained in the constricted portion, it is possible to stably hold the fruit in the sandwiched state.

  The roller 12 having such a shape is attached to a link mechanism 16 as shown in detail in FIGS. Then, by operating the link mechanism 16, each of the plurality of rollers 12 is moved toward the center so as to press the roller surface against the fruit 100 to be aligned.

  The link mechanism 16 includes a center link 40, arm links 50 and 60, and parallel links 52 and 62. The center link 40 is provided with the same number (three in this embodiment) of arms 40a, 40b, and 40c as the rollers 12 attached to the apparatus, and a fixing pin 70a is provided at the center of each arm. The center link 40 having such a configuration is rotatable around the fixed pin 70a. Moreover, in this embodiment, it is set as the structure which equips the arm 40b with the roller 12b, and is set as the structure which connects the below-mentioned parallel links 52 and 62 to the other arms 40a and 40c, respectively.

The apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment includes two arm links 50 and 60 formed in the shape of a “<” (or “F” or “L”), and fixing pins 70 b and 70 c, respectively. It is provided so as to be rotatable around the center. This is because the linear structure causes interference during operation.
The arm links 50 and 60 are provided with rollers 12a and 12c on one side 50a and 60a, respectively, and the other sides 50b and 60b are connected to parallel links 52 and 62 described later. Here, it is desirable that at least one side 50a, 60a has the same length as the arm 40b of the central link 40, and the other side 50b, 60b has the same length as the arm 40a, 40c of the central link 40. .

  Both ends of the parallel links 52 and 62 are connected to the arms 40a and 40c and the other sides 50b and 60b by free pins 72 (72a to 72d), respectively. In such a configuration, the distance between the fixed pin 70a and the fixed pin 70b, the distance between the free pin 72b and the free pin 72a, the distance between the fixed pin 70a and the fixed pin 70c, and the distance between the free pin 72c and the free pin 72b. Are preferably equal.

  According to the link mechanism 16 configured as described above, the three rollers 12a, 12b, and 12c are all aligned with the fruit 100 to be aligned only by operating the central link 40 or only by operating one roller. It will move so as to be pressed. Further, according to the above configuration, the parallel link mechanism is established, and the movement amounts given to the three rollers 12a, 12b, and 12c are equal to each other. Further, in the link mechanism 16 configured as described above, the three rollers 12a, 12b, and 12c can be equally pressed against the fruit 100 by arranging the three fixing pins 70a, 70b, and 70c in an equilateral triangle. It becomes.

  For example, the drive cylinder 90 may be used for the operation of the link mechanism 16. FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the link mechanism 16. Here, FIG. 3A shows a state before the roller 12 is pressed, and FIG. 3B shows a state after the roller 12 is pressed. In FIG. 3, the tip of the rod 90a of the drive cylinder 90 is connected to the free pin 72b that connects the arm 40b of the center link 40 and the parallel link 52.

  In the link mechanism 16 having such a configuration, by extending the rod 90a of the drive cylinder 90 from the state shown in FIG. 3A, the center link 40 rotates clockwise, and the roller 12b provided in the arm 40b It moves so as to be pressed against the fruit 100 (not shown in FIG. 3). Accordingly, the parallel link 52 is pushed up (in the drawing), the arm link 50 connected to the parallel link 52 rotates clockwise around the fixing pin 70b, and the roller 12a provided on one side 50a is rotated. It moves so as to be pressed against the fruit 100. On the other hand, the parallel link 62 is pulled down with the rotation of the center link 40 (in the drawing), and the arm link 60 connected to the parallel link 62 rotates clockwise around the fixing pin 70c. Thereby, the roller 12c provided on one side 60a moves so as to be pressed against the fruit 100. By such an operation, the rollers 12a, 12b, and 12c simultaneously move toward the center of the fruits 100 to be aligned, and the state shown in FIG.

With such a configuration, it is easy to position the fruit 100 to the center of the roller 12 even when the size of the fruit 100 to be organized is different.
The rotational driving force of the motor 14 as driving means is transmitted to the driving pulley 32 via the driving shaft 14a (see FIG. 1).

  The rotational speed difference generating means includes a rotational speed difference generating pulley 18 (18a, 18b, 18c), the driving pulley 32, and a belt 30 wound around the pulleys 18, 32. The rotational speed difference generating pulleys 18 are provided in the same number as the rollers 12 and have different diameters.

With such a configuration, a difference occurs in the rotational driving force transmitted from the drive pulley 32 via the belt 30, and a difference in rotational speed occurs for each rotational speed difference generating pulley 18.
Then, an interlocking pulley 20 (around the belt 24 (24a, 24b, 24c) for transmitting the rotational driving force to the rollers 12a, 12b, 12c is rotated around the rotational shafts of the rotational speed difference generating pulleys 18a, 18b, 18c. 20a, 20b, 20c). The interlocking pulleys 20 preferably have the same diameter. This is because the rotational driving force can be transmitted to the roller 12 while maintaining the rotational speed difference made different by the rotational speed difference generating pulley 18. The roller 12 is also provided with a rotation shaft 80 (80a, 80b, 80c), and the pulley 22 (22a, 22b, 22c) is fixed to each rotation shaft 80. Here, it is desirable that the diameters of the pulleys 22 provided on the rotating shafts 80 of the rollers 12 are also the same.

  In the rotational speed difference generating means having such a configuration, the drive pulley 32 is rotated by rotating the motor 14. By applying the rotational driving force to the driving pulley 32, the rotational driving force is transmitted to the rotational speed difference generating pulley 18 via the belt 30. As a result, the rotational speed difference generating pulleys 18 rotate at different speeds. As the rotational speed difference generating pulley 18 rotates, a rotational driving force is applied to the interlocking pulley 20 provided coaxially, and the rotational driving force is transmitted to the pulley 22 provided on the rotating shaft 80 of the roller 12 via the belt 24. Is done. As the pulley 22 rotates, each roller 12 rotates at a different rotational speed.

  The rotational speed difference generating pulley 18 may be provided rotatably on each of the fixed pins 70, and the interlocking pulley 20 may be configured to rotate in conjunction with the corresponding rotational speed difference generating pulley 18. By adopting such a configuration, even when the link mechanism 16 operates, the distance between the rotation speed difference generating pulleys 18 does not vary, so that the roller 12 can be stably rotated. Further, it is not necessary to newly provide a shaft (pin) for providing the pulley, and there is no possibility that the link mechanism 16 and the pulley or the shaft interfere with each other.

  In the apparatus 10 configured as described above, the fruit 100 is introduced into the center of the three rollers 12a, 12b, and 12c in a state where the roller 12 is open (the state shown in FIG. 3A). Hereinafter, with reference to FIG. 4, a mode that the direction of the fruit 100 after injection | bending is arranged is demonstrated. FIG. 4 illustrates two rollers (rollers 12a and 12b) for the sake of simplicity, but the operation is almost the same as in the case of the apparatus 10 of the above embodiment having three rollers.

  The fruit 100 is put between the roller 12a and the roller 12b with the roller 12 in the “open” state. The introduced fruit 100 remains on its side. After the fruit 100 is introduced, the roller 12a and the roller 12b sandwich the fruit 100 while rotating in the same direction at different speeds. The sandwiched fruit 100 starts rotating by obtaining a rotational driving force from the rollers 12a and 12b. The fruit 100 sandwiched between the rollers 12a and 12b slides on the roller surface of the roller 12 and moves to the constricted portion of the roller 12 where the accommodating portion is widened. Here, since the roller surface of the roller 12 and the fruit 100 are in point contact, slippage is likely to occur (see FIG. 4A).

  Moreover, since the roller 12a and the roller 12b have different rotational speeds, the surface of the fruit 100 to which the rotational driving force is applied from the roller 12 always slips between the roller surfaces of any one of the rollers. . In other words, the fruit 100 is in a state of being flipped by one of the rollers. For this reason, by moving the roller 12a and the roller 12b toward the center of the fruit 100 so as to press against the fruit 100, the fruit 100 is narrowed by changing its posture (direction) while sliding along the curved surface of the roller 12. It will be accommodated in the accommodation portion (see FIG. 4B).

  By bringing the roller 12a and the roller 12b closer to the center of the fruit 100 in such a state, the fruit 100 becomes an upright state. That is, the posture is changed in the direction in which the latitude line drawn at the contact point between the fruit 100 and the roller surface becomes the shortest (see FIG. 4C).

  As described above, the orientation of the fruit 100 by the apparatus 10 of the present embodiment is finished. Thereafter, the rotation of the roller 12 is stopped, and the seed and the heel portion can be removed at the same time by performing a process of pushing out the seed using a plunger or the like (not shown) as necessary. In addition, since the roller 12 of the present embodiment has a drum shape, it can stably hold the sandwiched fruit. Moreover, according to the apparatus 10 of this embodiment, since the conveyance path | route (for example, roller conveyor etc.) for changing the direction of the fruit 100 is not required, the space for performing direction alignment mechanically can be made small. .

Next, an application mode relating to the apparatus for aligning the spheroidal objects of the present invention is described. FIG. 5 shows a variation in the shape of the roller 12 in the above embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 5, the rollers 112 (112a, 112b) in the present embodiment have a conical shape (or a truncated cone shape). Therefore, the accommodating part constituted by a plurality of rollers becomes narrower toward the lower side of the rollers. The rollers 112a and 112b are configured to rotate at different rotational speeds.

In the apparatus 10 having the roller 112 configured as described above, when the fruit 100 is inserted between the rollers 112a and 112b, the fruit 100 is rotated while being laid down while sliding on the roller surface of the roller 112 (FIG. 5A). )reference).
As described above, since the roller 112a and the roller 112b rotate at different rotational speeds, the fruit 100 is always in a state of causing a slip between the roller surfaces of any one of the rollers 112. In such a state, gravity acts on the fruit 100 and a force of falling downward is generated. The fruit 100 that rotates while sliding between a plurality of rollers 112 having different rotational speeds moves downward while changing its posture so as to enter the narrower accommodating portion formed between the rollers 112 (FIG. 5 (B)).

The fruit 100 that moves (falls) to the lower side of the roller 112 while changing its posture has a gap (accommodating portion) formed between the rollers 112 than the elliptical short axis that the fruit 100 forms. It stops when it gets narrower. Here, the stop of the fall of the fruit 100 means that the latitude line drawn by the locus of the contact point between the fruit 100 and the roller surface is the shortest, that is, the fruit 100 is in an upright state ( (See FIG. 5C).
As described above, the orientation of the fruit 100 by the apparatus 10 of the present embodiment is finished.

  In this embodiment, the method of adjusting the direction of the fruit 100 using the fall of the fruit 100 by gravity is taken. Therefore, even if the link mechanism 16 (see FIG. 1) for moving the roller 112 toward the center of the fruit 100 is not provided, the direction of the fruit 100 can be achieved. In the case of the present embodiment, the portion where the distance between the roller surfaces of the roller 112 is the narrowest is set to be narrower than the short axis of the elliptical shape formed by the fruits to be aligned.

  As an application mode relating to the direction adjusting device for the spheroidal object of the present invention, the one shown in FIG. 6 can be cited. FIG. 6 is a view showing that the form of the roller 12 in the apparatus 10 is changed as in the above embodiment. The roller 212 (212a, 212b) shown in FIG. 6 has a cylindrical shape and is configured such that the roller surface is inclined by inclining the rotation axis indicated by the alternate long and short dash line.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 (A) to 6 (C), from the loading of the fruit 100 to the end of the direction adjustment, even with the roller 212 having such a configuration, the same effects as in the above embodiment can be obtained. it can. The roller 212 in the present embodiment needs to be devised for attachment to the apparatus 10, but can be solved by a contrivance within the range of design matters.

  In the embodiment, the direction adjusting device 10 of the spheroid-shaped object described above is configured to change the rotation speed of the roller 12 by changing the diameter of the rotation speed difference generating pulley 18. However, the diameters of the pulleys provided as the rotational speed difference generating pulley 18 are the same, and the roller 12 is changed by changing the diameter of the rotating shaft 80 of the roller 12 or the interlocking pulley 20 that rotates in conjunction with the rotational speed difference generating pulley 18. It is good also as a structure which gives a difference in the rotational speed of.

  Moreover, although it has been described that the rotational driving force is transmitted by the pulley and the belt, the rotational driving force may be transmitted by the sprocket and the chain, or may be transmitted by a gear or the like. Further, each roller may be provided with an actuator, and may be driven by other means.

In the above embodiment, the apparatus has three rollers. However, the number of rollers is not particularly limited as long as it is two or more. Moreover, in the said embodiment, it described that all the three rollers were driven. However, when three or more rollers are provided, at least two or more may be drive rollers that rotate at different rotational speeds.
Moreover, when comprising an accommodating part with two rollers, it is good to provide a guide so that the fruit to accommodate may not be flipped by a roller.

Note that, as in the above-described embodiment, when the roller shape is a drum shape, the posture of the fruit can be adjusted without depending on the influence of gravity. For this reason, when the apparatus 10 is placed horizontally, it can also be applied to a process of aligning the orientation (vertical / horizontal) of vegetables or the like conveyed by a belt conveyor or the like.
Moreover, in the said embodiment, although olive was mentioned as an example and demonstrated as a fruit, if it is the three-dimensional shape which consists of a rotation curved surface provided with the major axis and the minor axis, it can apply also to another fruit. .

It is a perspective view which shows the direction arrangement apparatus of the rotation ellipse shape object of this invention. It is a surface view which shows the link mechanism in the direction arrangement apparatus of a rotation ellipse shape thing. It is a perspective view which shows the operation | movement form of a link mechanism. It is a figure which shows a mode that the attitude | position of a rotation ellipse shape thing is adjusted with a drum-shaped roller. It is a figure which shows a mode that the attitude | position of a rotation ellipse shape thing is adjusted with a cone-shaped roller. It is a figure which shows a mode that the attitude | position of a rotation ellipse shaped object is adjusted with a cylindrical roller.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ......... Orienting device (device) of rotating ellipsoidal object, 12 (12a, 12b, 12c) ......... Roller, 14 ......... Motor (driving means), 14a ......... Driving shaft, 16 ......... Link mechanism, 18 (18a, 18b, 18c) ......... Rotational speed difference generating pulley, 20 (20a, 20b, 20c) ......... Interlocking pulley, 22 (22a, 22b, 22c) ......... Pulley, 24 (24a) 24b, 24c) ......... Belt, 30 ......... Belt, 32 ......... Drive pulley, 40 ......... Center link, 50 ......... Arm link, 52 ......... Parallel link, 60 ......... Arm link 62 ......... Parallel link, 70 (70a, 70b, 70c) ......... Fixed pin, 72 (72a, 72b, 72c) ......... Free pin, 80 (80a, 80b, 80c) ......... Rotating shaft, 90 ……… Drive Siri Da, 100 ......... spheroidal product (fruit).

Claims (3)

A rotating ellipse-shaped container is formed by the roller surfaces of a plurality of rollers in which a rotation axis is arranged in the vertical direction.
The roller surface is provided with an inclination, and the housing portion is configured to squeeze at least on the lower end side of the roller,
At least two or more of the plurality of rollers are drive rollers that rotate at different rotational speeds,
An apparatus for regulating the direction of a spheroidal object, comprising pressing means for pressing the roller surface against the spheroidal object.   2. A rotating ellipsoidal object direction arranging device according to claim 1, wherein the roller is a drum shape.   The pressing means moves the other rollers in conjunction with the movement of one roller, and the link mechanism configured such that the moving direction of each roller is the center of rotation of the spheroidal object disposed in the housing portion, and The directional control device for a spheroidal object according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a drive cylinder that presses the roller against the spheroidal object via a link mechanism.

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