JP5059676B2 - Combination weighing device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a combination weighing device.

  When a combination weighing device that measures the weight of an article and a packaging machine that packages a weighed article, the combination weighing device may be arranged above the packaging machine. For example, by installing a packaging machine on the floor and installing a gantry and installing a combination weighing device on the gantry, the combination weighing device is arranged above the packaging machine.

  In the combination weighing device, articles to be weighed are dropped onto the dispersion table from above the device main body. A plurality of supply troughs are circularly arranged around the distribution table. Articles placed on the dispersion table are radially distributed by the dispersion table and supplied to a plurality of supply troughs. A pool hopper is disposed below the tip of each supply trough. The articles conveyed by the supply trough are supplied to the pool hopper and stored in the pool hopper. A weighing hopper is disposed below the pool hopper. The articles discharged from the pool hopper are supplied to the weighing hopper and the weight thereof is weighed. A storage hopper (hereinafter referred to as “booster hopper”) is disposed below the weighing hopper. The articles discharged from the weighing hopper are supplied to the booster hopper, and are associated with the measured value and stored in the booster hopper. A collecting chute is disposed below the booster hopper, and a timing hopper is disposed below the collecting chute. Among all booster hoppers (and weighing hoppers), a combination of one or more hoppers that achieves a weighing value that matches or is closest to the target weight is selected. Then, the articles discharged from the selected hopper are gathered by the gathering chute, supplied to the timing hopper, and stored in the timing hopper.

  A packaging machine is disposed below the timing hopper. The timing hopper discharges the articles stored in the timing hopper toward the packaging machine at a predetermined timing synchronized with the operation of the packaging machine.

  In addition, the technique regarding a timing hopper is disclosed by the following patent documents 1, 2, for example. Further, Patent Document 3 below discloses a configuration in which a mounting hopper fixed to a mounting member using a locking pin is rotated about a rotation axis, and the mounting member and the mounting hopper are attached and detached while being inverted upside down. Has been.

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-14182 JP-T-2001-527498 JP 2008-26250 A

  In the example in which the combination weighing device is arranged above the packaging machine as described above, when removing the timing hopper from the device main body for cleaning or replacement, the operator installs a stepladder on the floor surface. Since it is necessary to climb the stepladder and access the timing hopper, the work is complicated for the operator.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to obtain a combination weighing device capable of improving the accessibility to a timing hopper.

  The combination weighing device according to the first aspect of the present invention distributes articles thrown in from above and supplies them to a plurality of first hoppers, and in one or more first hoppers selected according to a target weight. The articles stored in the apparatus are gathered, and the articles are supplied to a second hopper disposed at a predetermined position in the lower part of the apparatus main body, and the articles stored in the second hopper are used as downstream equipment at a predetermined timing. A combination weighing device that discharges toward the front, wherein the second hopper is movable above the predetermined position and in a direction away from the main body while maintaining the posture when the second hopper is disposed at the predetermined position. And a drive mechanism.

  According to the combination weighing device according to the first aspect, the second hopper can be moved by the drive mechanism above the predetermined position during operation and in a direction away from the device main body. Therefore, when removing the second hopper from the apparatus main body for cleaning or replacement, the operator moves the second hopper to the drive mechanism, so that the operator can remove the second hopper from the gantry on which the combination weighing device is installed. Two hoppers can be accessed. Moreover, since the drive mechanism moves the second hopper above a predetermined position during operation and away from the apparatus main body, it is easy to access the second hopper from the gantry. As a result, the accessibility to the second hopper can be improved as compared with the case where access is made from the floor using a stepladder or the like. Furthermore, the drive mechanism moves the second hopper while maintaining the posture when placed at the predetermined position. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the residue in the second hopper from spilling when the second hopper moves.

  The combination weighing device according to the second aspect of the present invention is the combination weighing device according to the first aspect, and in particular, an article placed on the second hopper and supplied to the second hopper in the second hopper. And a chute member that is assembled together, and the chute member is moved together when the drive mechanism moves the second hopper.

  According to the combination weighing device according to the second aspect, the chute member is also moved when the drive mechanism moves the second hopper. Therefore, the worker can access the chute member from the gantry. As a result, the accessibility to the chute member can be improved.

  The combination weighing device according to the third aspect of the present invention is an article that is disposed below each of the plurality of first hoppers and discharged from the first hopper, particularly in the combination weighing device according to the second aspect. Is stored in association with the measured value, and articles discharged from the third hopper are collected by the chute member and supplied to the second hopper, and the drive mechanism is connected to the second hopper. The chute member is engaged with the third hopper by moving the third hopper, and the third hopper is also moved together.

  According to the combination weighing device according to the third aspect, the third hopper is moved together when the drive mechanism moves the second hopper. Accordingly, since the labor of manually removing the third hopper from the apparatus main body can be saved, operations such as cleaning or replacement are simplified.

  The combination weighing device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the combination weighing device according to any one of the first to third aspects, in particular, wherein the second hopper is placed on a support member. It is a feature.

  According to the combination weighing device according to the fourth aspect, the second hopper is placed on the support member. Therefore, as compared with the case where the second hopper is fixed to the support member using a locking pin or the like, the attaching / detaching operation of the second hopper is simplified.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the accessibility to the timing hopper (second hopper).

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, the element which attached | subjected the same code | symbol in different drawing shall show the same or corresponding element.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of a combination weighing device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 is a top view of the combination weighing device 1 viewed from the direction of the arrow X1 shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a front view of the combination weighing device 1 viewed from the direction of the arrow X2 shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a side view of the combination weighing device 1 as viewed from the direction of the arrow X3 shown in FIG.

  1 to 4, the combination weighing device 1 includes a combination weighing device 1A and a combination weighing device 1B that are connected to each other. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the combination weighing device 1A includes a distribution table 2A, and the combination weighing device 1B includes a distribution table 2B. The distribution table 2A is arranged at the center (including almost the center) of the combination weighing apparatus 1A, and the distribution table 2B is arranged at the center (including almost the center) of the combination weighing apparatus 1B. Yes. As shown in FIG. 2, the combination weighing device 1A has a plurality of (in this example, nine) heads HA1 to HA9. Similarly, the combination weighing device 1B has a plurality (9 in this example) of heads HB1 to HB9. That is, each of the combination weighing devices 1A and 1B is a combination weighing device having 9 heads.

  FIG. 5 is a top view of the combination weighing device 1A extracted from FIG. The heads HA1 to HA9 are arranged side by side on a circumference 50 around the distribution table 2A. The circumference 50 may be not only the circumference of a perfect circle but also the circumference of an ellipse close to a perfect circle. In the present embodiment, it is possible to arrange a maximum of 14 heads side by side on the circumference 50, but in this example, of the 14 heads, an arc region 51 that is a part of the circumference 50. Are cut out (that is, the arrangement is omitted). The heads HA <b> 1 to HA <b> 9 are densely arranged in a region other than the arc region 51 on the circumference 50. Note that the number of heads to be cut out is not limited to the above five, but is an arbitrary number of one or more.

  Referring to FIG. 2, in combination weighing apparatus 1B as well as combination weighing apparatus 1A, heads HB1 to HB9 are arranged side by side on the circumference around dispersion table 2B, and a maximum of 14 heads are arranged. Five of the heads are cut away. The combination weighing device 1 </ b> A and the combination weighing device 1 </ b> B are connected to each other in such a manner that the regions in which the respective heads are cut out face each other and share the regions.

  FIG. 6 is a side view schematically showing the configuration of the head HA5. The head HA5 includes a trough 3A5, a pool hopper 4A5, a weighing hopper 5A5, and a storage hopper 6A5. The weighing hopper 5A5 is connected to weighing means 9A5 such as a load cell. The lower end of the storage hopper 6A5 extends to above the upper opening surface 7AU of the collecting chute 7A. An article discharge port 7AL is formed at the bottom of the collective chute 7A. A timing hopper 8A is disposed under the collecting chute 7A. The collective chute 7A is detachably fixed to the timing hopper 8A by fitting the lower end portion of the collective chute 7A inside the opening upper surface of the timing hopper 8A.

  Although not shown, the other heads HA1 to HA4 and HA6 to HA9 have the same configuration as the head HA5. Hereinafter, the troughs 3A1 to 3A9, the pool hoppers 4A1 to 4A9, the weighing hoppers 5A1 to 5A9, the storage hoppers 6A1 to 6A9, and the weighing means 9A1 to 9A9 respectively included in the heads HA1 to HA9 are collectively referred to as “trough 3A” and “pool”, respectively. Also referred to as “hopper 4A”, “weighing hopper 5A”, “storage hopper 6A”, and “weighing means 9A”.

  The operation of the combination weighing device 1A will be described below with reference to FIGS. Articles such as foods to be weighed are dropped into the central portion of the upper surface of the dispersion table 2A from above the dispersion table 2A. The articles placed on the dispersion table 2A are discharged from the outer peripheral edge of the dispersion table 2A while being radially dispersed by the dispersion table 2A, and are supplied to the inner ends of the troughs 3A of the heads HA1 to HA9. The trough 3A conveys the articles supplied from the dispersion table 2A from the inside toward the outside by vibration.

  The articles discharged from the outer end portion of the trough 3A are supplied to the pool hopper 4A and temporarily stored in the pool hopper 4A. The articles discharged from the pool hopper 4A are supplied to the weighing hopper 5A, temporarily stored in the weighing hopper 5A, and weighed by the weighing means 8A. The articles discharged from the weighing hopper 5A are supplied to the storage hopper 6A, and are temporarily stored in the storage hopper 6A in association with the measured value. Then, among all the storage hoppers 6A (and the weighing hoppers 5A) that store articles, one or a plurality of hopper combinations that achieve a weight value that matches or is closest to the target weight are selected by calculation. The article is discharged from the hopper.

  The articles discharged from the storage hopper 6A are supplied into the collecting chute 7A, gathered by the collecting chute 7A, and discharged from the article discharge port 7AL at the bottom of the collecting chute 7A. The articles discharged from the collecting chute 7A are supplied to the timing hopper 8A and temporarily stored in the timing hopper 8A. Downstream equipment such as a packaging machine is disposed below the timing hopper 8A. The timing hopper 8A discharges the articles stored therein toward the downstream device at a predetermined timing synchronized with the operation of the downstream device.

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the timing hoppers 8A and 8B in a state where they are arranged at predetermined positions during operation. 8 is a top view of the timing hopper 8A, 8B viewed from the direction of the arrow Y1 shown in FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 is a side view of the timing hopper 8A viewed from the direction of the arrow Y2 shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a front view of the timing hoppers 8A and 8B viewed from the direction of the arrow Y3 shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 7 to 10, the timing hopper 8 </ b> A is detachably fixed to a gate driving unit 10 </ b> A that opens and closes the gate of the timing hopper 8 </ b> A. The gate drive unit 10A is fixed to one end of the U-shaped frame 12A. The other end of the U-shaped frame 12A is rotatably fixed to one end of the rod 19A. The other end of the rod 19A is rotatably fixed to one end of the rod 13A. The other end of the rod 13A is fixed to one end of the rod 14A. The rod 14A penetrates the frame 60, and the other end of the rod 14A is connected to a drive mechanism 11A such as an air cylinder. Further, one end of the rod 62A is rotatably fixed to the other end of the U-shaped frame 12A in parallel with the rod 19A. The other end of the rod 62A is rotatably fixed to one end of the rod 61A. The other end of the rod 61A is rotatably fixed to the frame 60.

  Similarly, the timing hopper 8B is detachably fixed to a gate driving unit 10B that opens and closes the gate of the timing hopper 8B. The gate drive unit 10B is fixed to one end of the U-shaped frame 12B. One end of the U-shaped frame 12B is rotatably fixed to one end of the rod 19B. The other end of the rod 19B is rotatably fixed to one end of the rod 13B. The other end of the rod 13B is fixed to one end of the rod 14B. The rod 14B penetrates the frame 60, and the other end of the rod 14B is connected to a drive mechanism 11B such as an air cylinder. In addition, one end of the rod 62B is rotatably fixed to one end of the U-shaped frame 12B in parallel with the rod 19B. The other end of the rod 62B is rotatably fixed to one end of the rod 61B. The other end of the rod 61B is rotatably fixed to the frame 60.

  FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the timing hoppers 8A and 8B in a state where the timing hopper 8A is moved from a predetermined position during operation. 12 is a top view of the timing hopper 8A, 8B viewed from the direction of the arrow Y1 shown in FIG. 11, and FIG. 13 is a side view of the timing hopper 8A viewed from the direction of the arrow Y2 shown in FIG. FIG. 14 is a front view of the timing hoppers 8A and 8B viewed from the direction of the arrow Y3 shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIGS. 11-14, when the drive mechanism 11B rotationally drives the other end of the rod 14A, the rod 13A fixed to the one end of the rod 14A rotates and moves accordingly. As is clear from comparison between FIG. 10 and FIG. 14, one end portion (FIG. 14) of the rod 13 </ b> A after the rotational movement is positioned obliquely above the one end portion (FIG. 10) of the rod 13 </ b> A before the rotational movement. is doing. As one end of the rod 13A moves obliquely upward, the rod 19A connected to one end of the rod 13A, the U-shaped frame 12A connected to the rod 19A, and the gate drive unit fixed to the U-shaped frame 12A 10A moves obliquely upward from their original positions. As a result, the timing hopper 8A fixed to the gate driving unit 10A also moves obliquely upward from the original position.

  Moreover, referring to FIG. 14, the height of the other end of the rod 61 </ b> A is fixed at a position where it is attached to the frame 60. Therefore, even when the rod 13A is rotated, the parallelogram shape defined by the rod 13A, the rod 61A, the frame 60, and the U-shaped frame 12A is maintained. Therefore, even if the rod 13A is rotated, the U-shaped frame 12A maintains the horizontal posture. As a result, referring to FIGS. 10 and 14, the timing hopper 8A maintains a horizontal posture before and after movement. That is, the timing hopper 8A is moved obliquely upward (upward and away from the apparatus main body) from the predetermined position while maintaining the posture when the timing hopper 8A is disposed at the predetermined position during operation.

  11 to 14 show an example in which the timing hopper 8A is moved, but the timing hopper 8B of the combination weighing device 1B is moved obliquely upward from a predetermined position during operation by rotationally driving the rod 14B by the drive mechanism 11B. Can be made.

  FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing a specific structure of the timing hopper 8A. A gate 15A is rotatably fixed to the bottom of the timing hopper 8A. A roller 16A is rotatably fixed to the gate 15A. A pair of attachment members 17A for attaching the timing hopper 8A to the gate drive unit 10A is fixed to the back surface of the timing hopper 8A in a horizontal direction. Each attachment member 17A is formed with two hook structures 18A arranged in the vertical direction. Although not shown, the timing hopper 8B has the same structure as the timing hopper 8A.

  FIG. 16 is a perspective view showing a specific structure of the gate driver 10A. The gate drive unit 10A has a drive arm 20A having a hook structure formed at the tip. Further, the gate drive unit 10A has a support member 21A for attaching the timing hopper 8A to the gate drive unit 10A. Four protrusions 22A are formed on the support member 21A. Although illustration is omitted, the gate driving unit 10B has the same structure as the gate driving unit 10A.

  FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing a state in which the timing hopper 8A is attached to the gate driving unit 10A. The timing hopper 8A is placed on the support member 21A of the gate driving unit 10A without using a fixing device such as a locking pin or a screw. Specifically, the timing hopper 8A is locked to the gate driving unit 10A by hooking the four hook structures 18A of the timing hopper 8A onto the four protrusions 22A of the gate driving unit 10A from above. Further, by hooking the hook structure at the tip of the drive arm 20A to the roller 16A of the gate 15A, the drive arm 20A and the gate 15A are connected to each other, so that the gate drive unit 10A can open and close the gate 15A. It becomes. Although illustration is omitted, the timing hopper 8B is also attached to the gate driving unit 10B by the same method as in FIG.

  FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing a specific structure of the storage hopper 6A. A gate 32 is rotatably fixed to the storage hopper 6A. A roller 33 is rotatably fixed to the gate 32. On the back surface of the storage hopper 6A, a pair of attachment members 30A for attaching the storage hopper 6A to the main body of the combination weighing device 1A are fixed side by side in the horizontal direction. Each attachment member 30A is formed with two hook structures 31A arranged in the vertical direction. Although not shown in the drawings, the storage hopper 6A has four hook structures 31A hooked on four protrusions formed on the apparatus main body (or a gate drive unit for driving the gate 32) from above, thereby storing the storage hopper. 6A is locked to the apparatus main body.

  FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram showing stepwise how the timing hopper 8A is moved by the drive mechanism 11A (for example, see FIG. 7). In FIG. 19, in addition to the timing hopper 8A, the collecting chute 7A and the storage hopper 6A5 are also illustrated.

  FIG. 19A shows a situation where the timing hopper 8A is disposed at a predetermined position during operation. At this stage, the storage hopper 6A5 and the collecting chute 7A are not in contact with each other.

  FIG. 19B shows a situation in which the timing hopper 8A is slightly moved obliquely upward from a predetermined position during operation by the drive mechanism 11A. When the timing hopper 8A is moved obliquely upward, the inner surface of the upper end portion of the collective chute 7A and the outer surface of the lower end portion of the storage hopper 6A5 are in contact with each other.

  FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram showing a state where the collecting chute 7A and the storage hopper 6A5 are locked to each other. As shown in FIG. 20A, a locking pin 40A having a flange structure at the tip is fixed to a predetermined location on the outer surface of the lower end portion of the storage hopper 6A5. As shown in FIG. 20B, a through groove 41A is formed at a predetermined location on the inner surface of the upper end portion of the collective chute 7A. As shown in FIG. 19B, the inner surface of the upper end portion of the collecting chute 7A and the outer surface of the lower end portion of the storage hopper 6A5 come into contact with each other, so that the inside of the through groove 41A as shown in FIG. As a result, the collecting chute 7A and the storage hopper 6A5 are locked together.

  FIG. 19C shows a situation in which the timing hopper 8A has been moved obliquely upward from the stage of FIG. 19B. The timing hopper 8A is further moved obliquely upward in a state where the collecting chute 7A and the storage hopper 6A5 are locked to each other, whereby the collecting hopper 6A5 is lifted obliquely upward by the collecting chute 7A. As a result, the hook structure 31A (see FIG. 18) of the storage hopper 6A5 and the projection of the apparatus main body are disengaged, and the storage hopper 6A5 is detached from the apparatus main body. Then, as shown in FIG. 19C, the storage hopper 6A5 is also moved obliquely upward from a predetermined position during operation together with the timing hopper 8A. Similarly, the other storage hoppers 6A1 to 6A4 and 6A6 to 6A9 can be moved together with the movement of the timing hopper 8A.

  According to the combination weighing device 1A according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 11 to 14, the timing hopper 8 </ b> A is moved by the drive mechanism 11 </ b> A above the predetermined position during operation and away from the device main body. Can be moved. Therefore, when removing the timing hopper 8A from the apparatus main body for cleaning or replacement, the operator moves the timing hopper 8A to the drive mechanism 11A so that the operator can move from the top on which the combination weighing device 1A is installed. The timing hopper 8A can be accessed. Moreover, since the drive mechanism 11A moves the timing hopper 8A above the predetermined position during operation and away from the apparatus main body, the access to the timing hopper 8A from the gantry is easy. As a result, the accessibility to the timing hopper 8A can be improved as compared with the case where access is made from the floor using a stepladder or the like. Further, the driving mechanism 11A moves the timing hopper 8A while maintaining the posture when it is arranged at the predetermined position. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the residue in the timing hopper 8A from spilling outside the hopper when the timing hopper 8A moves. The same applies to the combination weighing device 1B.

  Further, according to the combination weighing device 1A according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 19, the driving mechanism 11A moves the timing hopper 8A, so that the collective chute 7A is also moved. Therefore, the worker can access the collective chute 7A from the gantry. As a result, the accessibility to the collective chute 7A can be improved. The same applies to the combination weighing device 1B.

  Further, according to the combination weighing device 1A according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 19, the storage hopper 6A is also moved by the drive mechanism 11A moving the timing hopper 8A. Therefore, since the labor of manually removing the storage hopper 6A from the apparatus main body can be saved, operations such as cleaning or replacement are simplified. The same applies to the combination weighing device 1B.

  Further, according to the combination weighing device 1A according to the present embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 15 to 17, the timing hopper 8A is placed on the support member 21A of the gate driving unit 10A. Therefore, the attaching / detaching operation of the timing hopper 1 </ b> A is simplified as compared with the case where the timing hopper is fixed using a fixing device such as a locking pin or a screw. The same applies to the combination weighing device 1B.

1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of a combination weighing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is the top view which looked at the combination weighing device from the direction of arrow X1 shown in FIG. It is the front view which looked at the combination weighing device from the direction of arrow X2 shown in FIG. It is the side view which looked at the combination measuring device from the direction of arrow X3 shown in FIG. It is a top view which extracts and shows one combination weighing | measuring apparatus from FIG. It is a side view which shows the structure of one head typically. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a timing hopper in the state arrange | positioned in the predetermined position at the time of operation | movement. It is the top view which looked at the timing hopper from the direction of arrow Y1 shown in FIG. It is the side view which looked at the timing hopper from the direction of arrow Y2 shown in FIG. It is the front view which looked at the timing hopper from the direction of arrow Y3 shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the structure of a timing hopper in the state which moved the timing hopper from the predetermined position at the time of operation | movement. It is the top view which looked at the timing hopper from the direction of arrow Y1 shown in FIG. It is the side view which looked at the timing hopper from the direction of arrow Y2 shown in FIG. It is the front view which looked at the timing hopper from the direction of arrow Y3 shown in FIG. It is a perspective view which shows the specific structure of a timing hopper. It is a perspective view which shows the specific structure of a gate drive part. It is a perspective view which shows the state which attached the timing hopper to the gate drive part. It is a perspective view which shows the specific structure of a storage hopper. It is a schematic diagram which shows a mode that a timing hopper is moved by a drive mechanism in steps. It is a schematic diagram which shows a mode that a collection chute and the storage hopper are mutually latched.

Explanation of symbols

1, 1A, 1B Combination weighing device 2A, 2B Dispersion table 4A Pool hopper 5A Weighing hopper 6A Storage hopper 7A, 7B Collecting chute 8A, 8B Timing hopper 11A, 11B Drive mechanism 21A Support member

Claims (4)

Articles charged from above are distributed and supplied to a plurality of first hoppers, and the articles stored in one or more of the first hoppers selected according to a target weight are assembled, and the articles are collected. A combination weighing device that supplies a second hopper disposed at a predetermined position in the lower part of the apparatus main body, and discharges an article stored in the second hopper toward a downstream device at a predetermined timing,
The second hopper includes a drive mechanism that is movable above the predetermined position and in a direction away from the apparatus main body while maintaining the posture when the second hopper is disposed at the predetermined position. Combination weighing device. A chute member that is placed on the second hopper and collects articles to be supplied to the second hopper in the second hopper;
The combination weighing device according to claim 1, wherein the chute member is moved together when the drive mechanism moves the second hopper. A third hopper disposed below each of the plurality of first hoppers and storing articles discharged from the first hopper in association with a measurement value;
The articles discharged from the third hopper are gathered by the chute member and supplied to the second hopper,
The said drive mechanism moves the said 2nd hopper, The said chute | shoot member engages with the said 3rd hopper, The said 3rd hopper is also moved collectively, The said 3rd hopper is characterized by the above-mentioned. Combination weighing device.   The combination weighing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second hopper is placed on a support member.

Images