JP5758726B2 - Combination scale - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a combination weigher for weighing objects to be weighed such as vegetables, fruits or confectionery.

  Generally, objects to be weighed such as vegetables and fruits that have been weighed with a combination weigher to have a predetermined weight are packaged by a packaging machine, for example.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing a schematic configuration of a conventional combination weigher of Patent Document 1. As shown in FIG.

  In this combination weigher, an object to be weighed is supplied from a supply device 30 to a conical central portion of a main feeder (dispersion feeder) 31, and the main feeder 31 sends out the object to be weighed toward the peripheral portion by vibration. Are conveyed to a plurality of linear feeders 32 that are radially installed around the periphery of the apparatus.

  A vibration device is attached to the plurality of linear feeders 32, and the objects to be weighed are conveyed and put into the plurality of supply hoppers 33 by vibrating each linear feeder 32. The plurality of supply hoppers 33 temporarily hold the objects to be weighed, open and close the charging gate 34, and load the objects to be weighed into the weighing hoppers 35 disposed below the supply hopper 33. In each weighing hopper 35, the weight of the object to be weighed is measured by the weight sensor 36, and the control unit (not shown) performs a combination calculation based on the measured value, thereby combining the combined measured values. A combination of the weighing hoppers 35 whose weight matches or is closest to the target combination weight is selected as an appropriate combination, and the discharge gate 37 of the weighing hopper 35 selected as the appropriate combination is opened and closed to be measured. The product is discharged, put into the packaging machine 39 through the collecting chute 38, and packaged by the packaging machine 39.

JP 62-1113024 A

  When such a combination weigher is used to produce a pack product containing several pieces by performing combination weighing of vegetables such as peppers, onions, potatoes, or fruits such as oranges and apples, the linear feeder is used. By vibrating 32, the number of objects to be weighed in the supply hopper 33 may be about 1, 2 for example.

  In the weighing cycle in such combination weighing, the discharge gate 37 is opened and closed in order to discharge the object to be weighed in the weighing hopper 35 selected as an appropriate combination.

  The feeding gate 34 of the supply hopper 33 is opened and closed in order to load the weighing object into the weighing hopper 35 that has been emptied by discharging the weighing object.

  Next, the linear feeder 32 is driven over the driving time in order to supply the object to be measured to the supply hopper 33 that has been emptied by feeding the object to be weighed into the weighing hopper 35, and the linear feeder 32 receives the object to be weighed from the linear feeder 32. The sample is put into the supply hopper 33.

  In the next weighing cycle, the discharge gate 37 of the weighing hopper 35 is opened and closed in order to discharge the object to be weighed by the weighing hopper 35 selected as an appropriate combination. In order to do this, the input gate 34 of the supply hopper 33 is opened and closed, and the linear feeder 32 is driven over the drive time in order to input an object to be measured to the supply hopper 33.

  In such a conventional combination weigher, for each weighing cycle, as described above, opening and closing of the discharge gate 37 of the weighing hopper 35 selected for an appropriate amount combination, opening and closing of the input gate 34 of the corresponding supply hopper 33, The corresponding linear feeders 32 are sequentially driven over the driving time, but the objects to be weighed are not supplied smoothly. For example, the objects to be weighed are not supplied from the linear feeder 32 to the supply hopper 33 and empty. In some cases, the charging gate 34 of the supply hopper 33 in the state is opened and closed, and the object to be weighed cannot be charged into the weighing hopper 35.

  In this case, after the input gate 34 of the empty supply hopper 33 is opened and closed, the linear feeder 32 is driven for the driving time and the object to be weighed is input to the weighing hopper 35 as described above. It is detected based on the measured value, the gate 34 for the supply hopper 33 is opened / closed again, the linear feeder 32 is driven for the driving time, and the object to be weighed is again input to the weighing hopper 35. If not, the opening and closing of the charging gate 34 of the supply hopper 33 and the driving of the linear feeder 32 are repeated.

  Thus, conventionally, although the supply hopper 33 is empty and the object to be weighed cannot be loaded into the weighing hopper 35 even if the loading gate 34 is opened and closed, the feeding hopper 33 is loaded. The gate 34 is opened and closed, and the opening and closing of the unnecessary charging gate 34 generates noise and wastes power.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described points, and an object thereof is to eliminate an unnecessary supply operation of a supply unit and to eliminate noise and unnecessary power consumption.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows.

(1) combination weigher of the present invention, a plurality of vibrating feeders for discharging from the transfer terminal end is conveyed respectively by vibration the objects to be weighed, while being arranged corresponding to each vibrating feeder, and is discharged from the transfer terminal end hold the objects to be weighed, the objects to be weighed held, a plurality of supply hoppers for supplying downward by opening and closing the charged gate, while being arranged in correspondence with each supply hopper is supplied from the feed hopper A plurality of weighing hoppers that hold the objects to be weighed and weigh the weight of the objects to be weighed by a weight sensor , perform a combination operation based on the weighing values of the objects to be weighed by the weighing hoppers , and An arithmetic control unit that controls driving of a plurality of vibration feeders and opening and closing of the gates for charging of the plurality of supply hoppers ,
The plurality of weighing hoppers discharge the held objects to be weighed,
The calculation control unit controls the discharging operation of the weighing hopper selected as an appropriate amount combination by the combination calculation, and the calculation control unit is configured to control the weighing hopper selected as the appropriate amount combination for each weighing cycle . The discharging operation is performed, the feeding gate of the supply hopper corresponding to the weighing hopper that has performed the discharging operation is opened and closed to perform the supplying operation, and the vibration feeder corresponding to the supplying hopper that has performed the supplying operation is driven. A combination scale,
A weighing object sensor for detecting a weighing object at the conveyance end of each vibration feeder ;
The calculation control unit controls a supply operation of the supply hopper based on a detection output of the measurement object sensor, and the calculation control unit is configured so that the supply hopper for each measurement cycle is the measurement target. When there is no object to be weighed at the conveyance end of the vibration feeder corresponding to the supply hopper at the timing of supplying the object to the weighing hopper , the opening and closing of the feeding gate of the supply hopper is prohibited.

  Since the object sensor detects the object to be weighed at the end of conveyance, it gives a detection output corresponding to the presence or absence of the object to be weighed at the end of conveyance.

Therefore, based on the detection output of the weighing object sensor, whether or not the weighing object to be discharged from the conveyance end and put into the supply hopper exists at the conveyance termination, that is, is supplied to the supply hopper. It is possible to grasp whether or not an object to be weighed is present at the end of conveyance.

The arithmetic control unit controls the weighing hopper , the supply hopper, and the vibration feeder to cause the weighing hopper selected as an appropriate combination to discharge the object to be weighed, and supply corresponding to the weighing hopper that has performed the discharging operation. the objects to be weighed to perform the supply operation of supplying to the weighing hoppers from the hopper by driving the vibrating feeders corresponding to the feed hopper of performing a feed operation, performs a cycle of discharging the objects to be weighed to the feeding hopper from the transfer terminal end .

The combination weigher of the present invention, the feed hopper timing of supplying the objects to be weighed to the weighing hopper, when the objects to be weighed to the transfer terminal end of the vibrating feeders corresponding to the feed hopper is not present, said charged gate of the feed hopper Opening and closing is prohibited.

The feed hopper timing of supplying the objects to be weighed to the weighing hopper, when the objects to be weighed without the transfer terminal end of the vibrating feeders corresponding to the feed hopper, if the supply to supply the objects to be weighed from a feed hopper to the weighing hoppers When the hopper is to become empty does not hold the objects to be weighed, then the objects to be weighed to be supplied to the feed hopper, there is no the conveying end of the vibrating feeder, the objects to be weighed are fed to the feed hopper Sarezu, then feed hopper is in the timing of supplying the objects to be weighed to the weighing hoppers, supply hopper remains empty, it will be unable to supply the objects to be weighed to the weighing hopper.

In contrast, as in the present invention, the feed hopper timing of supplying the objects to be weighed to the weighing hopper, when the objects to be weighed without the transfer terminal end of the vibrating feeders corresponding to the feed hopper for introduction of the feed hopper by prohibiting the opening and closing of the gate, the weighing together it is possible to prevent the empty state objects to be weighed is not held in the feed hopper arises from prohibits opening and closing of the input gate, then the feed hopper It is possible to wait for a new object to be carried into the conveyance end of the vibration feeder by the timing at which the object is supplied to the hopper .

Thus, according to the present invention, the supply hopper at the timing for supplying the objects to be weighed to the weighing hoppers, by allowing not a blank state objects to be weighed is not held in the feed hopper, feed hopper is empty This prevents the supply gate from being opened and closed in the state, so that the supply gate is opened and closed unnecessarily when the supply hopper is empty, generating noise or wasting power. It is possible to prevent consumption and to save energy.

(2) In addition, the combination weigher of the present invention, a plurality of vibrating feeders for discharging from the transfer terminal end is conveyed respectively by vibration the objects to be weighed, while being arranged corresponding to each vibrating feeder, discharge from the transfer terminal end hold the objects to be weighed which have been the objects to be weighed held, a plurality of supply hoppers for supplying downward by opening and closing the charged gate, while being disposed corresponding to each of the supply hopper, fed from the feed hopper A plurality of weighing hoppers for holding the objects to be weighed and weighing the weight of the objects to be weighed by a weight sensor, and performing a combination operation based on the weighing values of the objects to be weighed by the weighing hoppers An operation control unit that controls driving of the plurality of vibration feeders and opening / closing of the charging gates of the plurality of supply hoppers ,
The plurality of weighing hoppers discharge the held objects to be weighed,
The calculation control unit controls the discharging operation of the weighing hopper selected as an appropriate amount combination by the combination calculation, and the calculation control unit is configured to control the weighing hopper selected as the appropriate amount combination for each weighing cycle . The discharging operation is performed, the feeding gate of the supply hopper corresponding to the weighing hopper that has performed the discharging operation is opened and closed to perform the supplying operation, and the vibration feeder corresponding to the supplying hopper that has performed the supplying operation is driven. A combination scale,
A weighing object sensor for detecting a weighing object at the conveyance end of each vibration feeder ;
The calculation control unit controls a supply operation of the supply hopper based on a detection output of the measurement object sensor, and the calculation control unit is configured to control the supply hopper for each measurement cycle . When the supply hopper is not holding an object to be weighed at the timing of supplying the weighing hopper to the weighing hopper , the opening and closing of the charging gate of the supply hopper is prohibited.

  Since the object sensor detects the object to be weighed at the end of conveyance, it gives a detection output corresponding to the presence or absence of the object to be weighed at the end of conveyance.

Accordingly, the detection output of the weighing object sensor changes as the weighing object at the conveyance end is discharged from the conveyance termination and supplied to the supply hopper . Based on the detection output of the weighing object sensor, it is possible to grasp whether the weighing object at the conveyance end is discharged from the conveyance termination and is held by the supply hopper .

According to the combination weigher of the present invention, the feed hopper timing of supplying the objects to be weighed to the weighing hopper, the feed hopper when not holding the objects to be weighed prohibits the closing of the input gate of the feed hopper Therefore, there is no need to open and close the feeding gate in an empty state where the object to be weighed is not held in the supply hopper , and this makes it unnecessary to open and close the charging gate when the supply hopper is empty. It is possible to save energy by generating noise and preventing wasteful power consumption.

(3) In a preferred embodiment of the combination weigher of the present invention, a dispersion unit that disperses an object to be weighed supplied from a supply device to the plurality of surrounding vibration feeders , and an amount of the object to be weighed in the dispersion unit are detected. And a detecting unit that
The arithmetic control unit drives all the plurality of vibration feeders and all the plurality of vibration feeders when the amount of the object to be weighed in the dispersion unit is equal to or less than a predetermined amount based on the detection output of the detection unit . The opening and closing of the supply hopper charging gate is prohibited.

The predetermined amount is preferably an amount that hardly supplies the object to be weighed from the dispersing unit to the plurality of vibration feeders .

According to this embodiment, when the amount of the object to be weighed in the dispersing unit becomes a predetermined amount or less and the object to be weighed cannot be supplied to the vibration feeder and the supply hopper , the driving of the vibration feeder and the supply operation of the supply hopper are useless. Therefore, in such a case, the drive of all the vibration feeders and the supply operation of all the supply hoppers can be prohibited to eliminate the generation of noise and wasteful power consumption, thereby saving energy.

(4) In the embodiment of the above (3), it is provided with setting means for setting an end-of-day operation mode, and when the end-of-day operation mode is set by the setting means, the calculation control unit detects the output of the weighing object sensor. And the control of prohibiting the opening and closing of the charging gate of the supply hopper based on the driving of the plurality of vibration feeders and the charging gates of the plurality of supply hoppers based on the detection output of the detection unit The control for prohibiting the opening and closing of may not be performed.

Since the objects to be weighed flow from the upstream side to the downstream side in the order of the dispersion unit, vibration feeder , supply hopper , and weighing hopper , and are weighed , in the end-of-day operation mode, even if there is no upstream object to be weighed downstream While the object to be weighed exists in the, it is necessary to flow the object to be measured downstream. Accordingly, or the amount of the objects to be weighed of the dispersing section is getting low to below the predetermined amount, or for objects to be weighed is not the conveyance end of the vibrating feeder, resulting in inhibited the supply operation of the drive and the supply hopper of the vibrating feeder Then, the object to be weighed cannot flow downstream, and the object to be weighed remains. For this reason, in this embodiment, when the end-of-day operation mode is set, control for prohibiting the driving of the vibration feeder and the supply operation of the supply hopper is not performed. You can finish the work.

According to the present invention, the supply hopper can be prevented from opening and closing of the closing gate in an empty state holding no object to be weighed, thereby, as in the prior art, the supply hopper holding the objects to be weighed It is possible to save energy by preventing the generation gate from being opened and closed unnecessarily in an empty state and generating noise and consuming power wastefully.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a combination weigher according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the combination weigher of FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the combination weigher. FIG. 4 is a time chart for explaining an operation example of the combination weigher. FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation. FIG. 6 is a time chart for explaining an operation example of the combination weigher according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a time chart for explaining an operation example of the combination weigher according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the operation. FIG. 9 is a schematic configuration diagram of a conventional combination weigher.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(Embodiment 1)
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a schematic configuration of a combination weigher according to one embodiment of the present invention. The combination weigher of this embodiment has a conical top cone 3 that radially disperses the objects 20 to be weighed supplied from the supply device 1 at the center of the apparatus, and a main feeder that vibrates the top cone 3. (Dispersion feeder) 4, and a top cone weight sensor 5 that supports the top cone 3 and the main feeder 4 and measures the amount of the weighing object 20 supplied to the top cone 3. The top cone 3 and the main feeder 4 constitute a dispersion unit that radially disperses the object 20 to be weighed by vibration.

  The objects to be weighed 20 are not particularly limited. For example, the objects to be weighed 20 are suitable for weighing vegetables such as peppers, paprika, tomatoes and potatoes, and fruits such as oranges and apples. It is suitable for producing products.

  The supply device 1 conveys an object to be weighed 20 such as bell pepper supplied from a belt conveyor (not shown) by vibration and supplies it to the central portion of the top cone 3. In the top cone 3, the object to be weighed 20 supplied from the supply device 1 to the central portion thereof is conveyed toward the peripheral portion by vibration. Around the top cone 3, a plurality of linear feeder pans 6 for conveying the objects 20 to be weighed sent from the top cone 3 to a plurality of supply hoppers 12 and a plurality of linear feeder pans 6 for vibrating the linear feeder pans 6. Feeders 8 are provided radially.

  A plurality of supply hoppers 12 as supply units are provided below the peripheral edge of each linear feeder pan 6, and weighing hoppers 13 as measurement units are respectively provided below the supply hoppers 12. 13 are arranged in a circumferential shape. Under the supply hopper 12 and the weighing hopper 13, a closing gate 12 a and a discharging gate 13 a that can be opened and closed are respectively provided.

  The supply hopper 12 receives and holds the object 20 to be measured which is conveyed by the linear feeder pan 6 and dropped and discharged from the conveyance end 6a which is the leading end thereof. When the weighing hopper 13 disposed below the empty hopper 13 becomes empty, the supply hopper 12 The gate 12 a is opened and closed, and the object 20 is dropped into the weighing hopper 13. Each weighing hopper 13 is connected to a weight sensor 10 such as a load cell for measuring the weight of the object 20 in the weighing hopper 13, and a measured value from each weight sensor 10 is output to the control device 9.

  The plurality of linear feeder pans 6 and the plurality of linear feeders 8 that respectively vibrate the respective linear feeder pans 6 constitute a plurality of conveying units that respectively convey the objects 20 to be measured to the corresponding supply hoppers 12.

  The weighing hopper 13 can discharge the objects 20 to the collecting chute 14. When an appropriate amount combination of the weighing hoppers 13 from which the objects to be weighed 20 are to be discharged is obtained from a plurality of weighing hoppers 13 by a combination calculation described later by the control device 9, The objects 20 to be weighed 20 are discharged from the weighing hopper 13 corresponding to the appropriate amount combination to the collecting chute 14 and further put into the lower packaging machine 15 for packaging.

  In this embodiment, the amount of the weighing object 20 supplied from the supply device 1 to the top cone 3 is measured by the weight sensor 5 for the top cone supporting the top cone 3 and the main feeder 4, and the weight value thereof is determined. It is given to the control device 9. In the control device 9, based on the weight of the weighing object 20 on the top cone 3 measured by the top cone weight sensor 5, the amount of the weighing object 20 on the top cone 3 is supplied so as to be kept within a certain range. The apparatus 1 is controlled.

  In the control device 9, operation parameters and the like are set by an operation setting display unit 11 as setting means. The operation setting display unit 11 is configured by using, for example, a touch panel, and the operation speed, combination measurement value, and the like. Is displayed on the screen. The set operation parameters include a target combination weight that is a target value in the combination calculation and an allowable range thereof, vibration amplitude and drive time of the main feeder 4, vibration amplitude and drive time of the linear feeder 8, and the like. . Note that the end-of-day operation mode is set during the end-of-day operation as in the embodiment described later.

  The control device 9 performs operation control of the supply device 1 and overall operation of the combination weigher, and performs combination calculation. In the combination calculation, the weight sensor 10 in the weighing hopper 13 is weighed by the weight sensor 10. From the plurality of weighing hoppers 13, one appropriate combination is obtained in which the combined weight, which is the sum of the weight values of the objects to be weighed 20, is equal to the target combined weight or the closest predetermined weight range within the allowable range.

  In this embodiment, in order to eliminate unnecessary opening and closing of the gate 12a for feeding the supply hopper 12, a plurality of weighing objects sensors for detecting the weighing objects 20 at the conveying terminal ends 6a of the plurality of linear feeder pans 6 respectively. 7, the control device 9 controls the opening and closing of the gate 12a for feeding the supply hopper 12 as will be described later, based on the detection output of the object sensor 7.

  In this embodiment, a photoelectric sensor is used as the weighing object sensor 7, and the weighing object 20 in the detection area of the conveyance end 6a is detected. Note that the object sensor 7 is not limited to a photoelectric sensor, and may be another sensor such as a weight sensor such as a load cell, a limit switch, or an image sensor that processes an image captured by a camera.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control system of the combination weigher of this embodiment, and parts corresponding to those in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 9 includes a CPU unit 16 as an arithmetic control unit, a memory unit 17, an A / D conversion circuit unit 18, a gate drive circuit unit 19, a vibration control circuit unit 21, An I / O circuit unit 22 connected to the packaging machine 15 and an I / O circuit unit 25 to which a detection output of the object sensor 7 is given.

  The CPU unit 16 serving as a calculation control unit controls each unit and performs a combination calculation. The memory unit 17 stores an operation program for the combination weigher, operation parameters to be set, and the like, and serves as a work area for operations on the CPU unit 16.

  The A / D conversion circuit unit 18 includes a weight sensor 5 for detecting the weight of the weighing object 20 on the top cone 3 and a weight sensor 10 for detecting the weight of the weighing object 20 of each weighing hopper 13. The analog signal is converted into a digital signal and output to the CPU unit 16. Further, the CPU unit 16 is provided with a detection output from the weighing object sensor 7 for detecting the weighing object 20 at the conveyance end 6 a of each linear feeder pan 6 via the I / O circuit unit 25.

  The gate drive circuit unit 19 controls the opening / closing of the supply gate 12 a of the supply hopper 12 and the discharge gate 13 a of the weighing hopper 13 based on a control signal from the CPU unit 16. The vibration control circuit unit 21 controls each vibration operation of the supply device 1, the main feeder 4, and each linear feeder 8 based on a control signal from the CPU unit 16. The CPU unit 16 is connected so as to be able to communicate with the operation setting display unit 11.

  The control device 9 controls the operation of the supply device 1 and the entire combination weigher by the CPU unit 16 executing the operation program stored in the memory unit 17.

  In the combination weigher, it is necessary to set a large number of operation parameters for performing the operation as described above, and the setting is performed by the operator using the operation setting display unit 11, and the set operation parameter value is The data is sent to the CPU unit 16 and stored in the memory unit 17.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the entire processing operation of the combination weigher of this embodiment.

  First, the control device 9 performs ON / OFF control of the supply device 1 based on the detection output of the top cone weight sensor 5 to control the supply amount of the object 20 to be measured on the top cone 3. (Step s1).

  Next, the main feeder control for supplying the object 20 to the linear feeder pan 6 by controlling the driving of the main feeder 4 for vibrating the top cone 3 to disperse the object 20 on the top cone 3 to the surroundings is performed. (Step s2).

  Next, the driving of the linear feeder 8 that vibrates the linear feeder pan 6 is controlled, and the linear feeder pan 6 corresponding to the empty supply hopper 12 is vibrated so that the weighing object 20 on the linear feeder pan 6 is moved to the empty feeder hopper 6. Linear feeder control for supplying to the supply hopper 12 is performed (step s3).

  Next, the process proceeds to the supply hopper control in step s4. In this supply hopper control, the supply gate 12a of the supply hopper 12 corresponding to the empty weighing hopper 13 is opened and closed, the object 20 is introduced into the empty measurement hopper 13, and the process proceeds to step s5.

  In step s 5, when the weighing object 20 is supplied to the weighing hopper 13, the weight of the weighing object 20 supplied to the weighing hopper 13 is measured by the corresponding weight sensor 10, and the measured value is sent to the control device 9. Perform the weighing control.

  Next, based on the weight of the weighing object 20 supplied to the weighing hopper 13, combination calculation is performed, and whether the combined weight, which is the total weight of various weights of the weighing object 20, is equal to the target combined weight Alternatively, an appropriate combination that is a combination of the weighing hoppers 13 in a predetermined weight range that is heavier than the target combination weight and close to the target combination weight is selected (step s6). Thereafter, it is determined whether or not a discharge command signal is input from the packaging machine 15 (step s7). If a discharge command signal is input, the discharge hopper 13 for discharging the weighing hopper 13 of the appropriate combination selected by the combination calculation is used. Weighing hopper control for opening and closing the gate 13a and discharging the object 20 to be weighed is performed (step s8), and the process returns to step s1. Thereafter, the weighing object 20 of an appropriate amount combination is discharged to the packaging machine 15 by repeating the same weighing cycle as described above.

  In this embodiment, the control device 9 is used to input the supply hopper 12 based on the detection outputs of the plurality of objects to be measured 7 in order to eliminate unnecessary opening and closing of the input gate 12a of the supply hopper 12. The opening and closing of the gate 12a is controlled.

  Specifically, at the timing when the weighing object 20 is supplied from the supply hopper 12 to the weighing hopper 13, when the detection output of the weighing object sensor 7 is in a detection state where the weighing object 20 is detected, that is, When there is an object to be weighed at the conveyance end 6 a of the linear feeder pan 6, the gate 12 a for feeding the supply hopper 12 is opened and closed, and the object 20 is loaded into the weighing hopper 13, while the object sensor 7 When the measured output is in a non-detected state in which the object to be weighed 20 is not detected, that is, when there is no object to be weighed at the conveyance end 6a of the linear feeder pan 6, the gate 12a for opening the supply hopper 112 is opened and closed. Is prohibited.

  When the object to be weighed 20 is supplied from the supply hopper 12 to the weighing hopper 13 and the detection output of the object to be weighed sensor 7 is in the non-detected state, that is, the object to be weighed at the conveyance end 6a of the linear feeder pan 6 When there is not 20, there is no object 20 to be weighed at the conveyance end 6a even if the linear feeder 8 is driven after opening and closing the gate 12a for feeding the supply hopper 12, so that the object 20 to be weighed is supplied to the supply hopper 12. The supply hopper 12 becomes empty because it cannot be supplied. For this reason, next, at the timing when the weighing object 20 is supplied from the supply hopper 12 to the weighing hopper 13, the weighing object 20 cannot be put into the weighing hopper 13 from the supply hopper 12.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, at the timing when the weighing object 20 is supplied from the supply hopper 12 to the weighing hopper 13, the detection output of the weighing object sensor 7 is in the non-detection state, and the conveyance end of the linear feeder pan 6 is reached. When there is no object 20 to be weighed in 6a, the gate 12a for feeding the supply hopper 12 is prohibited from being opened and closed, and then the supply hopper 12 is in a timing to supply the object 20 to the weighing hopper 13 from the supply hopper 12. It prevents the situation from becoming empty.

  FIG. 4 is a time chart for explaining an example of the operation of this embodiment, and representatively shows a corresponding set of states of the weighing hopper 13, the supply hopper 12, the linear feeder 8 and the object sensor 7. Is. 4A shows the open / closed state of the discharge gate 13a of the weighing hopper 13, FIG. 4B shows the open / closed state of the input gate 12a of the supply hopper 12, and FIG. FIG. 4D shows the driving state, and the detection output of the object sensor 7 is shown.

  First, in the weighing cycle T1, the discharge gate 13a of the weighing hopper 13 selected as an appropriate combination is opened and closed as shown in FIG. 4A in response to the discharge command signal from the packaging machine 15, and the weighing is performed. The objects 20 to be weighed held in the hopper 13 are discharged to the collecting chute 14, put into the packaging machine 15, and packaged by the packaging machine 15.

  At the timing at which the weighing object 20 is discharged from the supply hopper 12 to the weighing hopper 13 that has been emptied by discharging the weighing object 20, as shown in FIG. Since the output is in the ON detection state and the workpiece 20 at the conveyance end 6a is detected, the charging gate 12a of the supply hopper 12 is opened and closed as shown in FIG. The object to be weighed 20 held in the hopper 12 is put into the weighing hopper 13. Based on the measured value of the weighing hopper 13 when the feeding gate 12a of the supply hopper 12 is opened and closed and the object 20 to be weighed is loaded into the weighing hopper 13 and the stabilization time has elapsed, the combination calculation is performed. Note that the detection output of the weighing object sensor 7 shown in FIG. 4D is turned on because the weighing object 20 is driven by the linear feeder 8 in the weighing cycle before the weighing cycle T1. This is because it is carried into the detection area of the object sensor 7.

  Next, in order to supply the weighing object 20 to the supply hopper 12 which has been emptied by putting the weighing object 20 into the weighing hopper 13, a linear feeder 8 is provided as shown in FIG. , Driven for a set drive time.

  By driving the linear feeder 8 shown in FIG. 4C, the object 20 to be weighed at the conveyance end 6a of the linear feeder pan 6 is discharged from the conveyance end 6a and supplied to the supply hopper 12. As shown in d), the detection output of the weighing object sensor 7 is in the non-detection state in which the weighing object 20 is not detected from the on detection state in which the weighing object 20 is detected at the conveyance end 6a. To change.

  Further, since the new object 20 is conveyed to the conveyance end 6a of the linear feeder pan 6 and is carried into the detection area of the object sensor 7, the detection output of the object sensor 7 is turned on again. It becomes a detection state.

  Also in the next weighing cycle T2, the discharge gate 13a of the weighing hopper 13 selected as an appropriate combination is opened and closed as shown in FIG. 4 (a) in response to the discharge command signal from the packaging machine 15, The objects 20 to be weighed held in the weighing hopper 13 are discharged to the collecting chute 14, put into the packaging machine 15, and packaged by the packaging machine 15.

  At the timing at which the weighing object 20 is discharged from the supply hopper 12 to the weighing hopper 13 that has been emptied by discharging the weighing object 20, as shown in FIG. The output is in the ON detection state, and since the weighing object 20 exists at the conveyance end 6a, the charging gate 12a of the supply hopper 12 is opened and closed as shown in FIG. The object 20 to be weighed held in is put into the weighing hopper 13.

  Next, in order to supply the weighing object 20 to the supply hopper 12 which has been emptied by putting the weighing object 20 into the weighing hopper 13, a linear feeder 8 is provided as shown in FIG. , Driven for a set drive time.

  By driving the linear feeder 8 shown in FIG. 4C, the object 20 to be weighed at the conveyance end 6a of the linear feeder pan 6 is discharged from the conveyance end 6a and supplied to the supply hopper 12. As shown in d), the detection output of the object sensor 7 changes from an ON detection state in which the object 20 is detected to an OFF non-detection state in which the object 20 is not detected.

  In this weighing cycle T2, unlike the previous weighing cycle T1, the new weighing object 20 is not conveyed to the conveying terminal 6a of the linear feeder pan 6 during the driving time of the linear feeder 8, and therefore, The detection output of the weighing object sensor 7 remains off and in the non-detection state.

  In the next weighing cycle T3, the discharge gate 13a of the weighing hopper 13 selected as an appropriate combination is opened and closed as shown in FIG. 4A in response to the discharge command signal from the packaging machine 15, The objects 20 to be weighed held in the weighing hopper 13 are discharged to the collecting chute 14, put into the packaging machine 15, and packaged by the packaging machine 15.

  At the timing at which the weighing object 20 is discharged from the supply hopper 12 to the weighing hopper 13 that has been emptied by discharging the weighing object 20, as shown in FIG. The output remains in the non-detected state of OFF, and there is no object to be weighed 20 at the conveyance end 6a, and there is no object to be weighed 20 that drives the linear feeder 8 to be supplied to the supply hopper 12.

  Therefore, in this state, if the weighing object 20 is thrown into the weighing hopper 13 by opening / closing the feeding gate 12a of the supply hopper 12, the linear feeder pan is driven even if the linear feeder 8 is driven thereafter. 6, the object to be weighed 20 cannot be supplied to the supply hopper 12 from the conveyance end 6 a, and the supply hopper 12 becomes empty.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, at the timing when the weighing object 20 is supplied from the supply hopper 12 to the weighing hopper 13, as shown in FIG. In the detection state, as shown by the crosses in FIG. 4B, the opening and closing of the supply gate 12a of the supply hopper 12 is prohibited.

  After prohibiting the opening and closing of the supply gate 12a of the supply hopper 12 in this way, the linear feeder 8 is driven over a set drive time as shown in FIG. 4 (c). As a result, a new object to be weighed 20 is conveyed to the conveying terminal 6a of the linear feeder pan 6, and the detection output of the object sensor 7 shown in FIG. Change to state.

  In the next weighing cycle T4, since the object 20 to be weighed is not put into the weighing hopper 13 in the previous weighing cycle T3, the weighing hopper 13 is empty and cannot participate in the combination calculation. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 4 (a), the discharge gate 13a of the weighing hopper 13 is not opened and closed, but the weighing hopper 13 is empty and as shown in FIG. 4 (d). Since the detection output of the weighing object sensor 7 is the ON detection state where the weighing object 20 is detected, as shown in FIG. 4B, the charging gate 12a of the supply hopper 12 is opened and closed, The object 20 to be weighed is fed from the supply hopper 12 to the weighing hopper 13.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 4 (c), the linear feeder 8 is used to supply the object 20 to the supply hopper 12 that has been emptied after the object 20 is put into the weighing hopper 13. Are driven over a set drive time.

  Since the weighing object 20 is supplied to the supply hopper 12 from the conveyance end 6a of the linear feeder pan 6 by the start of the driving of the linear feeder 8, the detection output of the weighing object sensor 7 shown in FIG. From the ON detection state to the OFF non-detection state, a new object 20 is carried into the detection area of the object sensor 7, and the detection output of the object sensor is again detected as ON. It becomes a state.

  As described above, when the weighing object 20 is not present at the conveyance end 6a of the linear feeder pan 6 at the timing when the weighing object 20 is supplied from the supply hopper 12 to the weighing hopper 13, the gate 12a for opening the supply hopper 12 is opened and closed. Next, at the timing of supplying the object 20 to be weighed from the supply hopper 12 to the weighing hopper 13, the supply hopper 12 does not become an empty state in which the object 20 is not held, As a result, there is no need to open and close the input gate unnecessarily when the supply hopper is empty, thereby generating noise or consuming power unnecessarily.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of this embodiment.

  The processing of FIG. 5 is executed every certain time, for example, every 10 ms.

  First, the number k for specifying the plurality of supply hoppers 1 to n is set to an initial value “1” (step s401).

  Next, it is determined whether or not the driving hopper 12 (k) driving flag is turned on (step s402). When the flag is turned on, opening / closing control of the feeding gate 12a of the feeding hopper 12 (k) is performed. (Step s403), it is determined whether or not the drive command flag of the linear feeder 8 (k) is turned on (Step s404). If the drive command flag is turned on, the process proceeds to Step s407.

  If the driving command flag of the linear feeder 8 (k) is not turned on in step s404, it is determined whether or not the gate 12a for feeding the supply hopper 12 starts to close (step s405). Proceed to s407.

  In step s405, when the feeding gate 12a of the supply hopper 12 starts to close, the drive command flag of the linear feeder 8 (k) is turned on to drive the linear feeder 8 (k) (step s406), and the supply hopper It is determined whether the opening / closing control of the 12 (k) closing gate 12a has been completed (step s407).

  When the opening / closing control of the charging gate 12a of the supply hopper 12 (k) is not completed, the process proceeds to step s414. When the opening / closing control of the charging gate 12a of the supply hopper 12 (k) is completed, the driving flag of the supply hopper 12 (k) is turned off and the process proceeds to step s414.

  In step s414, the number k is incremented by 1, and it is determined whether or not the number k has reached n + 1 (step s415). If not, the process returns to step s402 and the same processing is performed for the next supply hopper 12. When n + 1 is reached, the process ends for the plurality of supply hoppers 12.

  In step s402, when the driving flag of the supply hopper 12 (k) is not turned on, it is determined whether or not the drive command flag of the supply hopper 12 (k) is turned on (step s409). This supply hopper drive command flag is turned on when the discharge gate 13a of the weighing hopper 13 is opened or closed in the weighing hopper control process of step s8 in FIG. The

  When the drive command flag of the supply hopper 12 (k) is on, the drive command flag of the supply hopper 12 (k) is turned off (step s410), and the object to be weighed is detected by the object sensor 7 (k). (Step s411), and when an object to be weighed is detected, in order to open and close the supply hopper 12 (k), the driving flag of the supply hopper 12 (k) is turned on and step s414 is performed. (Step s412).

  When the object to be weighed is not detected in step s411, the linear feeder 8 (k) is turned on without turning on the driving flag of the supply hopper 12 (k) in order to prohibit the opening and closing of the supply hopper 12 (k). The driving command flag is turned on, and the process proceeds to step s414 (step s413).

  In this embodiment, the amount of the weighing object 20 on the top cone 3 is detected by the weight sensor 5 for the top cone. However, as another embodiment of the present invention, the weight sensor is used instead of the weight sensor. For example, a level detector such as an ultrasonic type may be provided, and the amount of the object to be weighed on the top cone 3 may be detected by this level detector, and the amount of the object to be weighed on the top cone 3 may be controlled.

(Embodiment 2)
In the above-described embodiment, at the timing when the object 20 is supplied from the supply hopper 12, the detection output of the object sensor 7 is in the non-detection state in which it is off, that is, the linear feeder pan 6 corresponding to the supply hopper 12 is conveyed. When the weighing object 20 does not exist at the terminal end 6a, the gate 12a for feeding the supply hopper 12 is prohibited from being opened and closed. However, in this embodiment, at the timing when the weighing object 20 is supplied from the supply hopper 12, When the supply hopper 12 is empty and does not hold the object to be weighed 20, the opening and closing of the supply gate 12a of the supply hopper 12 is prohibited.

  FIG. 6 is a time chart corresponding to FIG. 4 of this embodiment.

  In this embodiment, first, in the weighing cycle T1, the discharge gate 13a of the weighing hopper 13 selected as an appropriate combination is shown in FIG. 6A in response to the discharge command signal from the packaging machine 15. The weighing object 20 held in the weighing hopper 13 is discharged to the collecting chute 14, put into the packaging machine 15, and packaged by the packaging machine 15.

  With respect to the weighing hopper 13 that has been emptied by discharging the object to be weighed 20, the charging gate 12 a of the supply hopper 12 is opened and closed as shown in FIG. 6B and held by the supply hopper 12. The object 20 to be weighed is put into the weighing hopper 13.

  Next, in order to supply the object to be measured 20 to the supply hopper 12 which has been emptied by putting the object to be weighed into the weighing hopper 13, the linear feeder 8 is provided as shown in FIG. , Driven for a set drive time.

  By driving the linear feeder 8 shown in FIG. 6C, the object to be weighed 20 at the conveyance end 6a of the linear feeder pan 6 is discharged from the conveyance end 6a and supplied to the supply hopper 12. As shown in d), the detection output of the object sensor 7 changes from an ON detection state in which the object 20 is detected to an OFF non-detection state in which the object 20 is not detected.

  In this weighing cycle T1, the new weighing object 20 is not conveyed to the conveying terminal 6a of the linear feeder pan 6 by driving the linear feeder 8 shown in FIG. The detected output remains in the non-detected state of OFF.

  In the next weighing cycle T2, the discharge gate 13a of the weighing hopper 13 selected as an appropriate combination is opened and closed as shown in FIG. 6 (a) in response to the discharge command signal from the packaging machine 15, The objects 20 to be weighed held in the weighing hopper 13 are discharged to the collecting chute 14, put into the packaging machine 15, and packaged by the packaging machine 15.

  In this embodiment, unlike the above-described embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6D, even if the detection output of the weighing object sensor 7 is in the non-detection state of OFF, the charging gate of the supply hopper 12 12a is opened and closed as shown in FIG. 6B, and the object 20 to be weighed held in the supply hopper 12 is put into the empty weighing hopper 13.

  Next, in order to supply the object to be measured 20 to the supply hopper 12 which has been emptied by putting the object to be weighed into the weighing hopper 13, the linear feeder 8 is provided as shown in FIG. , Driven for a set drive time.

  By driving the linear feeder 8 shown in FIG. 6C, a new object to be weighed 20 is conveyed to the conveying terminal 6a of the linear feeder pan 6 and, as shown in FIG. 7 is changed from an off non-detection state in which the object to be weighed 20 is not detected to an on detection state in which the object to be weighed 20 is detected.

  By driving the linear feeder 8, a new object 20 is conveyed to the conveying terminal 6a of the linear feeder pan 6, but the detection output of the object sensor 7 is as shown in FIG. 6 (d). , The ON detection state has not changed to the OFF non-detection state, that is, the object 20 to be weighed at the conveyance end 6a is discharged from the conveyance end 6a and is not put into the supply hopper 12, and therefore the supply hopper 12 remains empty.

  In the next weighing cycle T3, the discharge gate 13a of the weighing hopper 13 selected as an appropriate combination is opened and closed as shown in FIG. 6 (a) in response to the discharge command signal from the packaging machine 15, The objects 20 to be weighed held in the weighing hopper 13 are discharged to the collecting chute 14, put into the packaging machine 15, and packaged by the packaging machine 15.

  In this embodiment, the supply hopper 12 sends the measurement object 20 from the supply hopper 12 to the measurement hopper 13 that has become empty after the measurement object 20 is discharged. Since it is an empty state that does not hold 20, opening and closing of the gate 12a for feeding the supply hopper 12 is prohibited, as indicated by a cross in FIG.

  In this way, when the weighing object 20 is not held at the timing when the weighing object 20 is supplied from the supply hopper 12, the opening and closing of the charging gate 12a of the feeding hopper 12 is prohibited and unnecessary opening and closing is not performed. I am doing so.

  After prohibiting the opening and closing of the gate 12a for feeding the supply hopper 12 as described above, the linear feeder 8 is driven for a set drive time as shown in FIG. 6C. As a result, the object 20 to be weighed at the conveyance end 6a of the linear feeder pan 6 is discharged from the conveyance end 6a and supplied to the supply hopper 12, and as shown in FIG. 7 is changed from an ON detection state in which the object to be weighed 20 is detected to an OFF non-detection state in which the object to be weighed 20 is not detected, and the new object to be weighed 20 is changed to the linear feeder. Since it is transported to the transport end 6a of the pan 6 and carried into the detection area of the weighing object sensor 7, the detection output of the weighing object sensor is turned on again.

  In the next weighing cycle T4, the object 20 to be weighed could not be put into the weighing hopper 113 in the previous weighing cycle T3, and it was empty and could not participate in the combination calculation. ), The discharge gate 13a of the weighing hopper 13 is not opened and closed, but the weighing hopper 13 is in an empty state. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 12 a is opened and closed, and the object 20 to be weighed is fed from the supply hopper 12 to the weighing hopper 13.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 6 (c), the linear feeder 8 is used to supply the object to be weighed 20 to the supply hopper 12 that has been emptied by putting the object to be weighed into the weighing hopper 13. Are driven over a set drive time.

  Since the object to be weighed 20 is supplied to the supply hopper 12 from the conveyance end 6a of the linear feeder pan 6 by the start of the driving of the linear feeder 8, the detection output of the object sensor 7 shown in FIG. From the ON detection state to the OFF non-detection state, a new object 20 is carried into the detection area of the object sensor 7, and the detection output of the object sensor is again detected as ON. It becomes a state.

  As described above, when the supply hopper 12 is in an empty state in which the object to be weighed 20 is not held based on the detection output of the object to be weighed sensor 7, the opening and closing of the supply gate 12 a of the supply hopper 12 is prohibited. As in the prior art, there is no need to open and close the input gate unnecessarily when the supply hopper is empty to generate noise or waste power.

  Other configurations are the same as those in the first embodiment.

(Embodiment 3)
The control device 9 controls the amount of the object to be weighed on the top cone 3 to be within a certain range based on the detection output of the weight sensor 5 for the top cone. For some reason, such as a delay in the supply of the weighing object 20 to the top 3, the weighing object 20 on the top cone 3 may be less than a predetermined amount and hardly exist. Since the weighing object 20 is not supplied from the top cone 3, even if the linear feeder 8 is driven or the closing gate 12a of the supply hopper 12 is opened and closed, the operation becomes useless.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, when the object to be weighed 20 on the top cone 3 becomes a predetermined amount or less, the driving of all the linear feeders 8 is prohibited and the gates 12a for all the supply hoppers 12 are opened and closed. Is prohibited. The predetermined amount is preferably an amount such that the weighing object 20 can hardly be supplied from the top cone 3 to the plurality of linear feeders 8. For example, the amount of the weighing object 20 on the top cone 3 is “0”, that is, The object 20 to be weighed on the top cone 3 may be completely removed.

  The prohibition of driving all the linear feeders 8 and the prohibition of opening / closing of the gates 12a for all the supply hoppers 12 may be performed until the amount of the weighing object 20 on the top cone 3 exceeds, for example, the predetermined amount, or It is canceled when the set amount exceeds the predetermined amount.

  FIG. 7 is a time chart corresponding to FIG. 4 described above in this embodiment.

  7 (a) shows the open / closed state of the discharge gate 13a of the weighing hopper 13, FIG. 7 (b) shows the open / closed state of the supply gate 12a of the supply hopper 12, and FIG. FIG. 7D shows the driving state, and FIG. 7D shows the detection output of the weighing object sensor 7, and FIG. 7E shows the detection output of the top cone weight sensor 5.

  When the detection output of the weight sensor 5 for the top cone shown in FIG. 7 (e) exceeds a predetermined level L corresponding to a predetermined amount of the object 20 to be weighed, the operation is the same as in the first embodiment. When the detection output of the top cone weight sensor 5 becomes a predetermined level L or less, the opening gates 12a of all the supply hoppers 12 are prohibited from being opened and closed, and the driving of all the linear feeders 8 is stopped.

  That is, in the weighing cycle T1, the discharge gate 13a of the weighing hopper 13 selected as an appropriate combination is opened and closed as shown in FIG. 7A in response to the discharge command signal from the packaging machine 15, and the weighing is performed. The objects 20 to be weighed in the hopper 13 are discharged to the collecting chute 14, put into the packaging machine 15, and packaged by the packaging machine 15.

  As shown in FIG. 7 (e), the detection output of the top cone weight sensor 5 exceeds a predetermined level L. The feeding gate 12 a of the supply hopper 12 is opened and closed as shown in FIG. 7B, and the workpiece 20 is loaded from the supply hopper 12 to the weighing hopper 13.

  Next, in order to supply the object to be weighed 20 to the supply hopper 12 which has been emptied by putting the object to be weighed 20 into the weighing hopper 13, the linear feeder 8 as shown in FIG. Driven for a set drive time.

  As the linear feeder 8 is driven, the weighing object 20 is supplied to the supply hopper 12 from the conveyance end 6a of the linear feeder pan 6, and the detection output of the weighing object sensor 7 shown in FIG. To the non-detection state of OFF, a new object 20 is carried into the detection area of the object sensor 7, and the detection output of the object sensor is turned ON again.

  Also in the next weighing cycle T2, as shown in FIG. 7A, the discharge gate 13a of the weighing hopper 13 selected as an appropriate combination is opened and closed, and the objects 20 to be weighed are discharged to the collecting chute 14. The

  As shown in FIG. 7 (e), the detection output of the top cone weight sensor 5 exceeds a predetermined level L. As shown in FIG. 7B, the charging gate 12 a of the supply hopper 12 is opened and closed, and the workpiece 20 is charged from the supply hopper 12 to the weighing hopper 13.

  Next, in order to supply the weighing object 20 to the supply hopper 12 which has been emptied by putting the weighing object 20 into the weighing hopper 13, as shown in FIG. Are driven over a set drive time.

  As the linear feeder 8 is driven, the weighing object 20 is supplied to the supply hopper 12 from the conveyance end 6a of the linear feeder pan 6, and the detection output of the weighing object sensor 7 shown in FIG. To the non-detection state of OFF, a new object 20 is carried into the detection area of the object sensor 7, and the detection output of the object sensor 7 is turned ON again.

  In the next weighing cycle T3, the discharge gate 13a of the weighing hopper 13 selected as an appropriate combination is opened and closed as shown in FIG. At this time, as shown in FIG. 7E, the detection output of the weight sensor 5 for the top cone is equal to or lower than a predetermined level L. Is prohibited from opening and closing and the linear feeder 8 is prohibited from being driven as indicated by a cross in FIG. In addition, prohibition of opening / closing of the charging gate 12a of the supply hopper 12 and prohibition of driving of the linear feeder 8 are performed for all of the plurality of supply hoppers 12 and all of the plurality of linear feeders 8.

  In the next weighing cycle T4, the discharge gate 13a of the weighing hopper 13 selected as an appropriate combination is opened and closed as shown in FIG. 7A, and the objects 20 to be weighed are discharged to the collecting chute 14. .

  As shown in FIG. 7 (e), the weighing object 20 is supplied onto the top cone 3, and the detection output of the weight sensor 5 for the top cone exceeds a predetermined level L. With respect to the weighing hopper 13 that has been discharged and emptied, the feeding gate 12a of the supply hopper 12 is opened and closed as shown in FIG. 7B, and the object 20 to be weighed 20 is supplied from the supply hopper 12 to the weighing hopper 13. Is inserted.

  Next, in order to supply the weighing object 20 to the supply hopper 12 which has been emptied by putting the weighing object 20 into the weighing hopper 13, as shown in FIG. Are driven over a set drive time.

  As the linear feeder 8 is driven, the weighing object 20 is supplied to the supply hopper 12 from the conveyance end 6a of the linear feeder pan 6, and the detection output of the weighing object sensor 7 shown in FIG. To the non-detection state of OFF, a new object 20 is carried into the detection area of the object sensor 7, and the detection output of the object sensor 7 is turned ON again.

  In this way, when the objects 20 to be weighed on the top cone 3 become less than a predetermined amount and almost disappear, and the objects to be weighed are not supplied from the top cone 3 to the linear feeder 8 and the weighing hopper 12, all the linear feeders are used. 8 and prohibiting the opening and closing of the supply gate 12a of all the supply hoppers 12 is prohibited, so that the linear feeder 8 can be driven unnecessarily, or the supply gate 12a of the supply hopper 12 can be opened and closed unnecessarily. Noise and power consumption can be reduced. In particular, the linear feeder 8 is effective for energy saving because it consumes a large amount of power.

  FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of this embodiment.

  The processing of FIG. 8 is executed every certain time, for example, every 10 ms.

  First, the number k for specifying the plurality of supply hoppers 1 to n is set to an initial value “1” (step s501).

Next, it is determined whether or not the driving hopper 12 (k) driving flag is turned on (step s502). If it is turned on, the opening / closing control of the feeding gate 12a of the feeding hopper 12 (k) is performed. (Step s503), it is determined whether or not the drive command flag of the linear feeder 8 (k) is turned on (Step s504),
When the drive command flag is on, the process proceeds to step s507.

  If the drive command flag of the linear feeder 8 (k) is not turned on in step s504, it is determined whether or not the gate 12a for feeding the supply hopper 12 starts to close (step s505). The process moves to s507.

  In step s505, when the charging gate 12a of the supply hopper 12 starts to close, the drive command flag of the linear feeder 8 (k) for driving the linear feeder 8 (k) is turned on (step s506), and the supply hopper is turned on. It is determined whether the opening / closing control of the 12 (k) closing gate 12a has been completed (step s507).

  If the opening / closing control of the charging gate 12a of the supply hopper 12 (k) is not completed, the process proceeds to step s513. When the opening / closing control of the charging gate 12a of the supply hopper 12 (k) is completed, the driving flag of the supply hopper 12 (k) is turned off and the process proceeds to step s513.

  In step s513, the number k is incremented by 1, and it is determined whether or not the number k is n + 1 (step s514). If not, the process returns to step s502 and the same processing is performed for the next supply hopper 12 When n + 1 is reached, the process ends for the plurality of supply hoppers 12.

  When the driving flag of the supply hopper 12 (k) is not turned on in step s502, it is determined whether or not the drive command flag of the supply hopper 12 (k) is turned on (step s509). This drive command flag is turned on when the discharge gate 13a of the weighing hopper 13 is not opened or closed or an object to be weighed is not inserted in the weighing hopper control process in step s8 of FIG.

  When the drive command flag of the supply hopper 12 (k) is turned on, the drive command flag of the supply hopper 12 (k) is turned off (step s510), and the top cone weight sensor 5 allows an object to be weighed above a predetermined amount. It is determined whether or not it is detected (step s 511), and when an object to be weighed exceeding a predetermined amount is detected, a driving flag of the supply hopper 12 (k) is turned on to open and close the supply hopper 12. Then, the process proceeds to step s513.

  In step s511, when an object to be weighed exceeding a predetermined amount is not detected, the process proceeds to step s513 without turning on the driving flag of the supply hopper 12 (k) in order to prohibit the opening and closing of the supply hopper 12.

  In this embodiment, when the amount of the object to be weighed 20 on the top cone 3 becomes a predetermined amount or less, the driving of all the linear feeders 8 and the opening and closing of the gates 12a for feeding all the supply hoppers 12 are prohibited. If the operation of all the linear feeders 8 and the opening and closing of the gates 12a for all the supply hoppers 12 are prohibited in this way during the end-of-day operation, the object to be weighed 20 is supplied to the linear feeder pan 6 or the supply. It will remain in the hopper 12 or the like.

  Therefore, in another embodiment of the present invention, at the time of closing operation, the operation setting display unit 11 as setting means is operated to set the closing operation mode, and when such closing operation mode is set, the top cone Even if the amount of the object to be weighed 20 on the 3 is equal to or less than the predetermined amount, the driving of all the linear feeders 8 and the prohibition of the opening and closing of the gates 12a for feeding all the supply hoppers 12 are not performed. Good. Further, as in the above-described first embodiment, even when there is no object to be weighed at the conveyance terminal end 6a of the linear feeder pan 6, the opening / closing of the gate 12a for feeding the supply hopper 12 may not be prohibited. .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Feeding device 3 Top cone 4 Main feeder 5 Top cone weight sensor 6 Linear feeder pan 6a End of conveyance 7 Weighing object sensor 8 Linear feeder 9 Control device 10 Weight sensor 12 Feeding hopper 13 Weighing hopper 15 Packaging machine 16 CPU unit 20 Covered Weighing item

Claims (4)

A plurality of vibration feeders that respectively convey the objects to be weighed by vibration and discharge them from the conveyance end;
A plurality of supply hoppers arranged corresponding to each vibration feeder , holding the objects to be weighed discharged from the conveyance end, and supplying the held objects to be weighed downward by opening and closing the charging gate ;
Together are arranged corresponding to each feed hopper, a plurality of weighing hoppers holding the objects to be weighed, weighing the weight of the objects to be weighed which have the holding by weight sensor is supplied from the feed hopper,
An arithmetic control unit that performs combination calculation based on a measurement value of an object to be weighed by the weighing hopper , and controls driving of the plurality of vibration feeders and opening / closing of the input gates of the plurality of supply hoppers. Prepared,
The plurality of weighing hoppers discharge the held objects to be weighed,
The calculation control unit controls the discharging operation of the weighing hopper selected as an appropriate amount combination by the combination calculation, and the calculation control unit is configured to control the weighing hopper selected as the appropriate amount combination for each weighing cycle . The discharging operation is performed, the feeding gate of the supply hopper corresponding to the weighing hopper that has performed the discharging operation is opened and closed to perform the supplying operation, and the vibration feeder corresponding to the supplying hopper that has performed the supplying operation is driven. A combination scale,
A weighing object sensor for detecting a weighing object at the conveyance end of each vibration feeder ;
The calculation control unit controls a supply operation of the supply hopper based on a detection output of the measurement object sensor, and the calculation control unit is configured so that the supply hopper for each measurement cycle is the measurement target. When there is no object to be weighed at the conveyance end of the vibration feeder corresponding to the supply hopper at the timing of supplying an object to the weighing hopper , the opening and closing of the charging gate of the supply hopper is prohibited.
A combination weigher characterized by that. A plurality of vibration feeders that respectively convey the objects to be weighed by vibration and discharge them from the conveyance end;
A plurality of supply hoppers arranged corresponding to each vibration feeder , holding the objects to be weighed discharged from the conveyance end, and supplying the held objects to be weighed downward by opening and closing the charging gate ;
Together are arranged corresponding to each feed hopper, a plurality of weighing hoppers holding the objects to be weighed, weighing the weight of the objects to be weighed which have the holding by weight sensor is supplied from the feed hopper,
An arithmetic control unit that performs combination calculation based on a measurement value of an object to be weighed by the weighing hopper , and controls driving of the plurality of vibration feeders and opening / closing of the input gates of the plurality of supply hoppers. Prepared,
The plurality of weighing hoppers discharge the held objects to be weighed,
The calculation control unit controls the discharging operation of the weighing hopper selected as an appropriate amount combination by the combination calculation, and the calculation control unit is configured to control the weighing hopper selected as the appropriate amount combination for each weighing cycle . The discharging operation is performed, the feeding gate of the supply hopper corresponding to the weighing hopper that has performed the discharging operation is opened and closed to perform the supplying operation, and the vibration feeder corresponding to the supplying hopper that has performed the supplying operation is driven. A combination scale,
A weighing object sensor for detecting a weighing object at the conveyance end of each vibration feeder ;
The calculation control unit controls a supply operation of the supply hopper based on a detection output of the measurement object sensor, and the calculation control unit is configured to control the supply hopper for each measurement cycle . When the supply hopper does not hold the object to be weighed at the timing of supplying the weighing hopper , the opening and closing of the charging gate of the supply hopper is prohibited.
A combination weigher characterized by that. A dispersion unit for dispersing an object to be weighed supplied from a supply device to the plurality of surrounding vibration feeders ;
A detection unit for detecting the amount of the object to be weighed in the dispersion unit,
The arithmetic control unit drives all the plurality of vibration feeders and all the plurality of vibration feeders when the amount of the object to be weighed in the dispersion unit is equal to or less than a predetermined amount based on the detection output of the detection unit . Prohibiting the opening and closing of the supply hopper charging gate ,
The combination weigher according to claim 1 or 2. It has a setting means to set the end-of-day operation mode,
The calculation control unit does not perform control for prohibiting the opening and closing of the feeding hopper of the supply hopper based on the detection output of the weighing object sensor when the end operation mode is set by the setting means, and the detection Do not perform control to prohibit the opening and closing of the input gates of all of the plurality of vibration feeders and the plurality of supply hoppers based on the detection output of the unit,
The combination weigher according to claim 3.

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