JP7106122B2 - Bulk material conveyor and weighing machine with bulk material conveyor - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a slat that forms a conveying surface for articles and a conveyor along which the slat moves along a circular track.

2. Description of the Related Art As one of devices for conveying articles, a conveyor is known in which plate-shaped slats are arranged along a circular track. In this conveyor, each of the slats moves along a circular track, and an article is placed on a conveying surface formed on the upper surface of these slats, and the article is conveyed.
As a structure used for the above-mentioned conveyor, a structure in which slats are arranged at intervals along a circular track so that the slats moving on a curved or curved track do not interfere with each other is known. (See Patent Documents 1 and 2).

Microfilm of Japanese Utility Model Application No. 62-92241 (Japanese Utility Model Application No. 63-199907) JP-A-11-268810

However, if the slats of the conveyor are spaced apart from each other as described above, the upper surfaces of the slats are intermittently arranged, resulting in a discontinuous conveying surface. Therefore, when bulk items such as bean sprouts and cut vegetables are conveyed, there is a risk that the conveyed articles may fall out of the gaps or be caught in the gaps.
Therefore, there is room for improvement in enhancing the transportability of the conveyor.

The slats and conveyor disclosed herein have been invented in view of the above problems, and one of the purposes is to improve the transportability of the conveyor. In addition to this purpose, it is also possible to achieve actions and effects that are derived from each configuration shown in the "Mode for Carrying Out the Invention" described later and that cannot be obtained with conventional techniques. It can be positioned as another purpose.

The slat disclosed here is a plate-shaped member that moves along a circular track in a conveyor that conveys articles. This slat includes a first slat arranged on one side in the plate thickness direction and a second slat arranged on the other side in the plate thickness direction. The first slats and the second slats are arranged alternately along the loop track, and end portions in a direction along the loop track overlap each other when viewed from the plate thickness direction, and the article conveying area is form a continuous uneven conveying surface.

The conveyor disclosed herein is provided with slats of plate-like members that move along a circular track to convey articles. The conveyor includes a first slat arranged on one side of the slat in the plate thickness direction, and a second slat arranged on the other side of the slat in the plate thickness direction. The first slats and the second slats are arranged alternately along the loop track, and end portions in a direction along the loop track overlap each other when viewed from the plate thickness direction, and the article conveying area is form a continuous uneven conveying surface.

The disclosed slats and conveyor allow for increased transportability of the conveyor.

It is a side view showing a weighing machine as this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of the weighing machine according to the present embodiment as viewed from the back (view from left to right in FIG. 1). FIG. 2 is a side view showing a main part of the conveyor as this embodiment; It is a side view which expands and shows the principal part of the weighing machine as this embodiment. 4 is a flow chart for explaining a weighing method according to the embodiment;

In the weighing machine of this embodiment, the articles conveyed by the conveyor are supplied to the loading unit, and the articles supplied from the conveyor are fed by the rollers rotating in the loading unit and loaded into the weighing hopper. Then, the weight of the articles put into the weighing hopper is measured.
The above-mentioned articles include bulk products such as bean sprouts and cut vegetables (also referred to as “bean sprouts”). In this embodiment, bean sprouts are exemplified as an article. Since the sprouts are weighed, they are objects to be weighed, and since they are transported, they can be said to be objects to be transported.

The bean sprouts conveyed by the conveyor are in a state of extending not only in the conveying direction (MD direction <Machine Direction>) but also in the width direction (CD direction <Cross Direction>), and the thickness direction (Thickness direction, also called TD direction <Transverse Direction>) is conveyed in a deposited state.
The conveyor that carries the bean sprouts has a circulating orbit like a crawler belt. A conveying route on which bean sprouts are placed is set along a part of this circular track.

In the following embodiments, directions are defined as follows.
The upstream and downstream are defined based on the direction in which the bean sprouts are conveyed on the conveyor.
The conveying direction, the width direction and the thickness direction are orthogonal (intersect) with each other. With respect to the thickness direction, the side surrounded by the circulating orbit of the conveyor is defined as the inner side (either one of the one side and the other side), and the side opposite to the inner side is defined as the outer side (the other of the one side and the other side). Viewing from the width direction is defined as side view.
As for the roller, the circumferential direction and the radial direction are determined based on the rotation axis.
In addition, the direction in which gravity acts is defined as downward, and the direction opposite to downward is defined as upward. The vertical direction is the vertical direction, and the direction perpendicular to the vertical direction is the horizontal direction.

[I. one embodiment]
In one embodiment described below, the configuration of the weighing machine will be described in item [1], and the configuration of the weighing method will be described in the subsequent item [2]. Then, in item [3], the actions and effects of the configurations of items [1] and [2] will be described.

[1. Weighing machine]
First, the weighing machine will be outlined with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG.
The weighing machine is provided with a conveyor 1 for conveying bean sprouts, a charging unit 2 for supplying the sprouts conveyed by the conveyor 1, and a hopper 3 for charging the sprouts from the charging unit 2. - 特許庁A loading unit 2 is attached to a frame (so-called “conveyor frame”) (not shown) that supports the conveyor 1 , and a hopper 3 is attached to a frame 4 (supporting member) provided separately from the conveyor 1 .

The bean sprouts put into the hopper 3 are subdivided into a predetermined amount and discharged to a container 5 such as a bucket or a packaging bag. The bean sprouts discharged in this manner are stored in the container 5 .
The hopper 3 is a device capable of downwardly discharging the bean sprouts introduced from above.
The hoppers 3 are provided with three types: a weighing hopper 31 (primary hopper), a timing hopper 32 (secondary hopper), and a gathering hopper 33 (tertiary hopper). The bean sprouts discharged from the weighing hopper 31 are dropped (thrown in) into the timing hopper 32 . Subsequently, the bean sprouts discharged from the timing hopper 32 are dropped (thrown in) into the collection hopper 33 .

In the gathering hopper 33, the thrown-in bean sprouts are discharged as they are. On the other hand, in the weighing hopper 31 and the timing hopper 32, the thrown sprouts are temporarily stored, and after being retained in this manner, they are all discharged.
Here, "all sprouts are discharged" means a state in which the bean sprouts are completely discharged, and includes not only a state in which no bean sprouts are completely present, but also a state in which a small amount of bean sprouts remains in the hopper 3.

As shown in FIG. 2, a group of units U1, U2, U3 consisting of a conveyor 1, a charging unit 2, a weighing hopper 31, and a timing hopper 32 are arranged in parallel and operate independently of each other. Here, an example in which three (plurality) of unit groups U1, U2, and U3 are provided side by side in the width direction will be given.
Only one collecting hopper 33 (singular number) is provided, and guides the bean sprouts discharged from the three timing hoppers 32 (three unit groups U1, U2, U3) to collect them in one container 5.

In this item [1], regarding the device configuration of the weighing machine, the conveyor 1 is explained in subsection [1-1], the input unit 2 is explained in subsection [1-2], and the hopper 3 is explained in subsection [1]. -3]. Furthermore, the control configuration of the weighing machine will be explained in subsection [1-4].

[1-1. Conveyor]
A conveyor 1 is a bean sprout conveying device. As shown in FIG. 1, the conveyor 1 is provided with a route for picking up and conveying the bean sprouts.
Bean sprouts conveyed by the conveyor 1 are supplied to the upstream section 1U, then conveyed to the downstream section 1D via the midstream section 1M, and the bean sprouts conveyed to the downstream section 1D drop and are supplied to the input unit 2. A bean sprout transport region is set over these upstream portion 1U, midstream portion 1M and downstream portion 1D.

The transport path of the conveyor 1 described here has an upstream portion 1U and a downstream portion 1D that are provided substantially horizontally, and a midstream portion 1M that is directed obliquely upward. Such a conveying path includes not only planar areas but also curved areas. For example, the first region P1 transitioning from the upstream portion 1U to the midstream portion 1M has an inwardly convex curved surface, and the second region P2 transitioning from the midstream portion 1M to the downstream portion 1D has an outwardly convex curved surface.

Conveyor 1 includes a drive system comprising a chain 1C (so-called "endless chain") disposed along a loop track, a drive sprocket 1S for rotating the chain 1C, and a guide roller 1G for guiding the chain 1C. is provided. A pair of the chain 1C, drive sprocket 1S, and guide roller 1G are arranged at intervals in the width direction.

The drive sprocket 1S is rotated by a drive source (not shown). A chain 1C is wound around the drive sprocket 1S. As the drive sprocket 1S rotates, the chain 1C is guided by the guide rollers 1G and revolves along the revolving track.
A slat 10, which is a plate-like member, is attached to the pair of chains 1C in the width direction. For this reason, the conveyor 1 is also called a "slat conveyor".

The slats 10 are arranged side by side along the loop track, and move along the loop track in conjunction with the looping chain 1C. An outer surface (mainly an upper surface) of the slats 10 forms a conveying surface 11 on which bean sprouts are placed.
As shown in FIG. 3, the slat 10 of this embodiment has two types of slats 1i and 1o with different positions in the thickness direction. One of the slats 1i and 1o is an inner slat 1i (one of the first slat and the second slat) arranged inside, and the other is an outer slat 1o arranged outside (the first slat and the second slat). slats). That is, the outer slat 1o is arranged outside the inner slat 1i, and the inner slat 1i is arranged inside the outer slat 1o.

These slats 1i and 1o are arranged alternately along the loop track. Therefore, the outer slats 1o are arranged upstream and downstream of the inner slats 1i, and the inner slats 1i are arranged upstream and downstream of the outer slats 1o.
The slats 1i and 1o are provided such that the ends 12 in the direction along the loop track overlap each other when viewed from the thickness direction.

Furthermore, the slats 1i, 1o form a continuous conveying surface 11 in the bean sprout conveying area. Specifically, the surface of the inner slats 1i exposed to the outside and the surface of the outer slats 1o exposed to the outside form a continuous uneven conveying surface 11 .
Moreover, the slats 1i, 1o are provided so that the ends 12 are slidable when moving along the orbit. Specifically, the end portion 12 of the inner slat 1i and the end portion 12 of the outer slat 1o are slidably arranged.

For example, the shape of the end portions 12 is set so that the end portions 12 of the slats 1i and 1o slide smoothly in places where the conveying direction changes, such as the first region P1 and the second region P2 (see FIG. 1). be.
Specifically, an end portion 12 of at least one of the inner slat 1i and the outer slat 1o is formed into a curved surface according to the shape of the loop track. This curved shape is designed based on the curvature of the transport path in the first area P1 and the second area P2.

Here, from the viewpoint of suppressing bean sprouts from being caught between the end 12 of the inner slat 1i and the end 12 of the outer slat 1o, the end 12 of the inner slat 1i is curved inward, An end portion 12 of the outer slat 1o is formed flat.
The bean sprouts placed on the slats 1i and 1o configured as described above may be transported in a mass that is entangled with each other, or may slide down in the midstream portion 1M (see FIG. 1) transported obliquely upward. There is

Therefore, in order to suppress the bean sprouts from sliding down and loosen the clumps of bean sprouts, as shown in FIG. Deployed.
As shown in FIG. 3, the needle-like bodies 1P are arranged in a forest in a state of protruding from the slats 1i and 1o. Specifically, a plurality of needle-like bodies 1P are attached to each of the slats 1i and 1o in a posture along the thickness direction. The slats 1i and 1o are formed so as not to interfere with the needle-like body 1P. Specifically, the dimensions, shape and size of the slats 1i, 1o are designed so that the end 12 does not come into contact with the needle-like body 1P when moving along the circular track. That is, the end portions 12 of the slats 1i and 1o are provided without contact with the needle-like body 1P.

As shown in FIG. 1, the leveling roller 1L is an additional device for leveling the accumulated state of bean sprouts transported on the slats 1i and 1o, and is rotated by a drive source (not shown).
The leveling roller 1L is provided with a needle-like member 1N protruding in the radial direction. Here, an example in which the leveling roller 1L is arranged in the midstream portion 1M of the conveyor 1 will be given.

One (common, singular) leveling roller 1L is provided for the three conveyors 1 (see FIG. 2).
The bean sprouts conveyed by the conveyor 1 are continuously supplied to the feeding unit 2 described below.

[1-2. Input unit]
Next, the input unit 2 will be described with reference to FIG.
The feeding unit 2 is a device that sequentially feeds bean sprouts into the weighing hopper 31 .
The input unit 2 is roughly divided into a movable portion (hereinafter referred to as "movable portion") 2M and a fixed portion (hereinafter referred to as "fixed portion") 2F.

--movable part--
The movable portion 2M is provided with a roller 2R that is rotated by the driving portion 2D and a pin 2P (only one location is labeled) attached to the roller 2R.
The drive unit 2D is a drive system that rotates the roller 2R. The drive unit 2D is provided with a motor (electric motor) that outputs rotational power, and is also provided with power transmission members such as chains, belts, and pulleys that transmit the rotational power of the motor to the rollers 2R.

The roller 2R is a rotating body for feeding bean sprouts, and has a cylindrical or columnar shape. The roller 2R has a rotation axis extending along the width direction, and rotates at a speed according to the output of the drive section 2D. If no power is output from the driving portion 2D, the roller 2R stops without rotating.
The pins 2P are members for raking the bean sprouts, and are arranged in a state of protruding radially from the outer peripheral surface of the roller 2R. Here, the pins 2P are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction, and the pins 2P are also arranged at equal intervals in the width direction. The pin 2P moves in the circumferential direction according to the rotation of the roller 2R, and this movement scrapes the bean sprouts.

--Fixed part--
The fixed portion 2F is provided with a guide surface 2G for guiding scraping of the bean sprouts by the pins 2P of the movable portion 2M.
The guide surface 2G extends along part of the trajectory formed by the tip of the pin 2P when the roller 2R rotates. That is, the guide surface 2G and the outer peripheral surface of the roller 2R are arranged to face each other.
The guide surface 2</b>G has a partially cylindrical shape and is curved toward the weighing hopper 31 . The guide surface 2G illustrated here forms a quarter circular arc in which the tangent line at the upstream end extends in the vertical direction and the tangent line at the downstream end extends in the horizontal direction when viewed from the side. Note that the guide surface 2G is extended with a small gap with respect to the pin 2P.

If the pins 2P and rollers 2R were not provided, the amount of sprouts deposited on the guide surface 2G would not be limited, and the sprouts would slide down the guide surface 2G and be thrown into the weighing hopper 31. For this reason, the guide surface 2G can also be said to be a "shoot surface".
On the other hand, since the guide surface 2G of the present embodiment is arranged to face the outer peripheral surface of the roller 2R, the amount is adjusted according to the size of the space existing between the guide surface 2G and the outer peripheral surface of the roller 2R. The amount of bean sprouts scraped by pin 2P is limited. The amount of bean sprouts that are scraped by the pins 2P and thrown into the weighing hopper 31 is adjusted by such a cooperative structure of the fixed part 2F and the movable part 2M.

In addition, the feeding unit 2 is also provided with a surge section 2S for temporarily storing the bean sprouts scraped by the pin 2P.
The surge part 2S has a structure for storing bean sprouts after being supplied from the conveyor 1 and before being scraped off by the pins 2P. The surge portion 2S is arranged above the guide surface 2G and provided so as to surround the bean sprouts supplied from the conveyor 1. As shown in FIG.
The bean sprouts stored in the surge portion 2S are scraped by the pin 2P and thrown into the weighing hopper 31 of the hopper 3 which will be described next.

[1-3. Hopper]
As described above, the hoppers 3 are provided with three types: the weighing hopper 31, the timing hopper 32, and the collection hopper 33 (see FIGS. 1 and 2).
The weighing hopper 31 and the timing hopper 32 are arranged side by side, and are provided with an opening/closing unit 6 for discharging sprouts according to predetermined discharge conditions, and are attached by a similar detachable structure 40 .

The gathering hopper 33 is a hopper that guides the thrown sprouts directly to the container 5 (see FIGS. 1 and 2), and is attached by the attachment structure 41 .
The attachment/detachment structure 40 and the opening/closing portion 6 will be described below as common configurations for the weighing hopper 31 and the timing hopper 32 . After that, the weighing hopper 31, the timing hopper 32, and the collection hopper 33 will be described in this order.
In the description of the attachment/detachment structure 40 and the opening/closing unit 6, the weighing hopper 31 and the timing hopper 32 are referred to as hoppers 31 and 32 without distinction.

--Detachable structure--
The attachment/detachment structure 40 is a structure for detachably attaching the hoppers 31 and 32 . The attachment/detachment structure 40 is provided with a notch groove 4N provided on the frame 4 side and protrusions 4P (hooking portions) attached to the hoppers 31 and 32. As shown in FIG.
In addition, in the attachment/detachment structure 40 of the weighing hopper 31, a notch groove 4N is formed in a support member 42 separate from the frame 4. As shown in FIG. A notch groove 4N is formed in the frame 4 of the attachment/detachment structure 40 of the timing hopper 32 .

The notch groove 4N is opened at the upper side and is notched in a downwardly inclined state, and is disposed at a location corresponding to the protrusion 4P. The protrusion 4P is hooked (hooked) on the notch 4N. That is, the cutout groove 4N and the protrusion 4P are provided in dimensions, shape, and size that are detachable from each other.
Here, two protrusions 4P forming a pair in the width direction are provided at two upper and lower positions (that is, two pairs, four positions in total). Similarly, a pair of notch grooves 4N are provided at two locations in the width direction.

--Opening part--
The opening/closing unit 6 is a functional unit that does not discharge bean sprouts in a closed state and discharges bean sprouts in an open state.
The opening/closing unit 6 includes a lid body 6L for opening and closing the bottoms of the hoppers 31 and 32, a stepping motor 6M for outputting power for opening and closing the lid body 6L, and a link mechanism 60 for interlocking the lid body 6L and the stepping motor 6M. is provided.

The lid body 6L forms the bottoms of the hoppers 31 and 32 in the closed state, opens the bottoms of the hoppers 31 and 32 in the open state, and is a member that swings when shifting from one of the closed state and the open state to the other. is. Here, an example in which two (a pair of) lid bodies 6L are provided for each of the hoppers 31 and 32 is shown.
The stepping motor 6M is a synchronous motor that operates in synchronization with a pulse signal, and generally has a characteristic of higher controllability of rotation angle and rotation speed than other motors (power sources). The rotation of the stepping motor 6M drives the lid 6L to open and close.

The link mechanism 60 is a power transmission mechanism that opens and closes the lid 6L according to the rotation of the stepping motor 6M.
The link mechanism 60 is divided into a first link mechanism 61 connected to the lid 6L and a second link mechanism 62 connected to the stepping motor 6M.
These link mechanisms 61 and 62 can be interlocked with each other, and the link mechanisms 61 and 62 come into contact with each other when the lid body 6L is opened and closed. However, when the lid body 6L is closed, the link mechanisms 61 and 62 are provided so as not to come into contact with each other.

As components for keeping the link mechanisms 61 and 62 out of contact as described above, the contactor 63 and the connecting/disconnecting groove 64 are provided.
The link mechanism 60 includes a contactor 63 projecting from the tip of the second link mechanism 62 side with respect to the first link mechanism 61 (one of the link mechanisms 61 and 62), and the second link mechanism 62 (link It has a connecting/disconnecting groove 64 formed by notching the tip portion on the side of the first link mechanism 61 with respect to either one of the mechanisms 61 and 62).

The contactor 63 is arranged so as to be surrounded by the connecting/disconnecting groove 64 regardless of whether the cover 6L is opened or closed. The contactor 63 is positioned at a location with a minute gap with respect to the connecting/disconnecting groove 64 when the lid 6L is in the closed state. That is, when the lid body 6L is closed, the hoppers 31 and 32 are continuous to the first link mechanism 61 through the lid body 6L, but the hoppers 31 and 32 are discontinuous to the second link mechanism 62. form.

On the other hand, when the link mechanisms 61 and 62 for opening and closing the lid body 6L are actuated, the contactor 63 slides (contacts) with the connecting/disconnecting groove 64, and the link mechanisms 61 and 62 are interlocked. That is, when the lid body 6L is opened and closed, the hoppers 31 and 32 are connected not only to the first link mechanism 61 but also to the second link mechanism 62 via the lid body 6L.
In addition, the opening/closing portion 6 is provided with a link guide 6G that guides the operation of the link mechanisms 61 and 62. As shown in FIG. Here, an example in which a link guide 6G that guides the first link mechanism 61 is provided is illustrated.

--Weighing Hopper--
The weighing hopper 31 is a hopper for measuring the weight of sprouts fed from the feeding unit 2 .
The weighing hopper 31 is provided with a weight sensor 3S for measuring the weight of bean sprouts. A known detector such as a strain gauge is used for the weight sensor 3S.

The weight sensor 3S detects the weight obtained by subtracting the total weight of the second weight and the third weight as the tare from the total weight, which is the sum of the first weight, the second weight and the third weight shown below, as the detection weight. .
- First weight: Weight of bean sprouts stored in weighing hopper 31 - Second weight: Weight of weighing hopper 31 itself - Third weight: Weight of weighing hopper 31 and continuous structure (for example, first link mechanism 61)

The weight sensor 3S is attached to the frame 4 (so-called "common frame") shared with the stepping motor 6M and the timing hopper 32 described above.
A support member 42 independent of the frame 4 is interposed between the weight sensor 3S and the weighing hopper 31 . The support member 42 is formed with the notch groove 4N (the attachment/detachment structure 40) described above. Such weighing hopper 31 is attached to frame 4 via support member 42 and weight sensor 3S.

The weighing hopper 31 of this embodiment alternately performs the following first weighing mode and second weighing mode.
・First weighing mode: Mode in which sprouts are not discharged until the detected weight reaches a predetermined amount ・Second weighing mode: Mode in which sprouts are discharged when the detected weight reaches a predetermined amount is a weight preset as an amount to be subdivided, and is appropriately set according to the size of the container 5 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) and required shipping specifications.

From the implementation of the first weighing mode described above, the predetermined storage conditions for storing bean sprouts in the weighing hopper 31 (requirements for implementing the first weighing mode, requirements for not implementing the second weighing mode) include the detected weight. It includes not reaching the fixed amount (predetermined discharge condition is not satisfied). The storage condition also includes that the timing hopper 32 is loaded with bean sprouts (that the timing hopper 32 is stocked with bean sprouts).

From the implementation details of the second weighing mode described above, the predetermined discharge condition for discharging bean sprouts from the weighing hopper 31 is that the storage condition is not satisfied. The discharge conditions include that the detected weight reaches a predetermined amount and that no bean sprouts have been put into the timing hopper 32 (that all the bean sprouts have been discharged from the timing hopper 32).
The bean sprouts discharged from the weighing hopper 31 are subdivided into predetermined amounts and fed to the timing hopper 32 which will be described next.

--Timing Hopper--
The timing hopper 32 is a hopper that adjusts the timing at which sprouts are thrown into the container 5 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). The timing hopper 32 alternately performs a storage mode and a loading mode described below.
・Storage mode: Mode that does not discharge bean sprouts unless the timing conditions are met ・Input mode: Mode that discharges bean sprouts if the timing conditions are met

The "timing condition" referred to here includes that the container 5 is in a state capable of containing bean sprouts. This is a requirement for storing bean sprouts in the container 5 .
In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, when three (plural) timing hoppers 32 are provided as in this embodiment, bean sprouts should not be thrown into the container 5 from the other timing hoppers 32. are also included in the “timing conditions”. This is a requirement for preventing the subdivided bean sprouts from joining together, and can also be said to be a requirement for feeding the bean sprouts from the three timing hoppers 32 into the container 5 alternatively.

In other words, the storage condition in which sprouts are not discharged from the timing hopper 32 is that the timing condition (predetermined discharge condition) is not satisfied. In other words, the feeding mode is that the predetermined discharge condition for discharging the bean sprouts from the timing hopper 32 is that the timing condition is satisfied.
The bean sprouts discharged from the timing hopper 32 are fed into the container 5 via the gathering hopper 33 which will be described below.

-- Collecting Hopper --
Since the three timing hoppers 32 are arranged side by side in the width direction, the bean sprouts are discharged from three different positions in the width direction toward one container 5 .
Therefore, the gathering hopper 33 is provided with a wide upstream portion 33U into which the bean sprouts discharged from the three timing hoppers 32 can be thrown, and a narrow downstream portion 33D into which the bean sprouts can be thrown into one container 5. is provided. The funnel-shaped gathering hopper 33 guides the bean sprouts to the container 5 even when the bean sprouts are discharged from any one of the three timing hoppers 32 .

The collecting hopper 33 is attached to the frame 4 by an attachment structure 41 so as to be switchable between a fixed state and a free state.
The mounting structure 41 includes a mounting groove 4G provided on the frame 4 side, a sliding plate 4S provided on the collecting hopper 33 side, and a fastening member 4M (mounting member 4M) for fixing the sliding plate 4S to the mounting groove 4G. member) and are provided.

The mounting groove 4G and the sliding plate 4S extend horizontally. The mounting groove 4</b>G is fixed to the frame 4 , while the slide plate 4</b>S is fixed to the gathering hopper 33 .
In the fixed state, the sliding plate 4S is sandwiched between the mounting grooves 4G, and at a predetermined mounting position corresponding to the mounting position of the gathering hopper 33, the fastening members 4M such as bolts and nuts slide in the mounting groove 4G. A plate 4S is fixed.
When the fastening member 4M is removed, the slide plate 4S is put into a free state in which it can freely slide with respect to the mounting groove 4G. Furthermore, when the sliding plate 4S is pulled out from the mounting groove 4G, the gathering hopper 33 can be removed.

[1-4. Control device]
Next, referring to FIG. 1, a device (hereinafter referred to as "controller") 9 for controlling the weighing machine will be described.
The control device 9 is a control unit capable of controlling a wide range of systems related to the weighing machine, such as the conveying system of the conveyor 1, the feeding system of the charging unit 2, and the opening/closing system of the hopper 3.
The control device 9 outputs an operation instruction to an object to be controlled based on the input information.

For example, input system information I to III exemplified below are input to the control device 9 .
・Information I: Detected weight (weight) measured by weight sensor 3S
・Information II: Open/closed state of the opening/closing part 6 ・Information III: Information on whether or not the container 5 can contain bean sprouts

Then, based on the input information I to III, the following output system targets I to III can be controlled by the control device 9 .
・Target I: Conveyance speed of conveyor 1 ・Target II: Sprout feeding speed (feeding speed) of bean sprouts in input unit 2
・Object III: Open/closed state of opening/closing unit 6

In the present embodiment, the control device 9 (rotation control device) will be described by focusing on feeding control for adjusting the amount of bean sprouts fed from the feeding unit 2 to the weighing hopper 31 .
The control device 9 uses the information I as the information of the input system, and also uses the elapsed time from the start of the first weighing mode to perform feeding control. Since the elapsed time is used, the starting point of the first weighing mode is also used as the information of the input system based on the information II.

In order to use the information I for control, the weight sensor 3S is connected to the control device 9, and the information I of the detected weight is transmitted from the weight sensor 3S to the control device 9. FIG.
In order to count the elapsed time, the controller 9 incorporates a timer that measures the elapsed time since the first weighing mode was implemented.
A stepping motor 6M for opening and closing the lid 6L of the weighing hopper 31 is connected to the control device 9 in order to grasp the start point of the first weighing mode. ) is transmitted to the control device 9 .

Further, the control device 9 sets the target II as the target of the output system. Therefore, the driving section 2D that rotates the roller 2R of the loading unit 2 is connected to the control device 9, and the information of the operation instruction is transmitted from the control device 9 to the driving section 2D.
This control device 9 alternatively performs three types of control as the feeding control: the first feeding control, the second feeding control, and the feeding stopping control. In these three types of control, as shown in Table 1 below, the rotational state of the roller 2R is controlled according to the mode of the weighing hopper 31 and the timing of execution of the control.

The first feeding control is control to rotate the roller 2R at the first speed during the first period when the first weighing mode is started.
The "first period" here is experimentally or experimentally set in advance so that the weight of the bean sprouts scraped by the pin 2P of the roller 2R rotating at the first speed and thrown into the weighing hopper 31 is less than a predetermined amount. It is a predetermined period set empirically. This first period may be fixed, or may be variably set according to the conveying speed of the conveyor 1, the rotational speed of the roller 2R, and the like.

The second feeding control is control to rotate the roller 2R at the second speed during the second period after the first period and until the execution of the first weighing mode is completed. The second speed is set lower than the first speed of the first feed control (second speed<first speed).
The “second period” referred to here is a period from immediately after the first period until the weight detected by the weight sensor 3S reaches a predetermined amount. This second period can vary depending on when the detected weight reaches a predetermined amount or the length of the first period.

By these first feeding control and second feeding control, the amount of bean sprouts put into the weighing hopper 31 per unit time is large at first when the first weighing mode is implemented, and then reduced to a small amount. .
The feeding stop control is control for stopping the rotation of the roller 2R during the third period during which the second weighing mode is being performed. By this stop feeding control, feeding of bean sprouts to the weighing hopper 31 is temporarily stopped during the execution of the second weighing mode.
Since the first weighing mode and the second weighing mode are alternately performed, the first feed control is performed again after the feed stop control is performed.

[2. Weighing method]
Next, the weighing method will be described with reference to FIG.
In this weighing method, after the conveying process (steps A10, B10, C10) is performed by the conveyor 1, the input unit 2 performs the input process (steps A20, B20, C20). Subsequently, the weighing process (steps A30, B30, C30) is performed in the weighing hopper 31, and then the timing process (steps A40, B40, C40) is performed in the timing hopper 32. Then, the collection step (step S50) is performed in the collection hopper 33, and the accommodation step (step S60) is performed in the container 5. As shown in FIG.

Three unit groups U1, U2, and U3 each consisting of a conveyor 1, a charging unit 2, a weighing hopper 31, and a timing hopper 32 are arranged in parallel and independently of each other. In operation, the three (plurality) groups of steps are performed independently of each other and in parallel. On the other hand, each of the gathering process and the accommodation process is performed independently.
For three process groups that are performed in parallel, each process performed in the first process group is denoted by "A", and each process performed in the second process group is denoted by "B". crowned with Similarly, each step carried out in the third step group is prefixed with a “C”. On the other hand, "S" is attached to the symbol of each step that is performed independently.

The conveying step is a step of conveying bean sprouts by the conveyor 1 .
The charging step is a step of charging sprouts into the weighing hopper 31 by the charging unit 2 .
In this loading process, a surge process (steps A21, B21, C21) is performed, and then a feeding process (steps A22, B22, C22) and a guide process (steps A22, B22, C22) are simultaneously performed.
The surge step is a step of temporarily storing bean sprouts in the surge section 2S of the feeding unit 2 . The bean sprouts stored in this surge process are scraped off while being guided in the feeding process and the guide process, which will be described below.

The feeding process is a process of scraping the bean sprouts with the pins 2P that are arranged in a state of protruding radially from the rotating roller 2R. The guiding step is a step of guiding the bean sprouts scraped off in the feeding step with the guide surface 2G.
In these feeding process and guiding process, the following three processes are alternatively carried out.
・First feeding process (steps A23, B23, C23): a process of performing first feeding control ・Second feeding process (steps A24, B24, C24): a process of performing second feeding control ・Feeding Feed Stopping Step (Steps A25, B25, C25): Step of Carrying Out Feed Stop Control In the first feeding step and the second feeding step, bean sprouts are fed into the weighing hopper 31 so as to be cut out.

The weighing step is a step of subdividing the bean sprouts into a predetermined amount with the weighing hopper 31 . In this weighing process, the following first weighing process (steps A31, B31, C31) and second weighing process (steps A32, B32, C32) are alternately performed.
・First weighing process: The process of implementing the first weighing mode ・Second weighing process: The process of implementing the second weighing mode

The timing step is a step of adjusting the timing at which the bean sprouts are introduced into the container 5 with the timing hopper 32 . In this timing step, the timing is adjusted before being discharged.
The collecting step is a step of guiding the bean sprouts discharged in the timing step to the container 5 .
The accommodation step is a step of accommodating the bean sprouts guided in the gathering step in the container 5 .

[3. Action and effect]
Since this embodiment is configured as described above, it is possible to obtain the following actions and effects.
In this item [3], the actions and effects of the conveyor 1 are described in sub-item [3-1], and the actions and effects of the input unit 2 are described in sub-item [3-2]. Actions and effects related to other configurations will be described in subsection [3-3].

[3-1. Conveyor]
According to the conveyor 1 of the present embodiment, since the slats 1i and 1o form the uneven conveying surface 11 that is continuous in the bean sprout conveying area, it is possible to prevent the conveyed bean sprouts from falling off or getting caught. Therefore, the transportability of the conveyor 1 can be improved.
Since the ends 12 of the slats 1i and 1o are slidable when moving along the loop track, the slats 1i and 1o can move smoothly along the loop track without interfering with each other.

Since the end portion 12 of at least one of the inner slat 1i and the outer slat 1o is formed in a curved surface shape corresponding to the shape of the loop track, the slats 1i and 1o can be formed even in a region convex inwardly or outwardly in the loop track. can move and orbit smoothly.
Furthermore, since the ends 12 of the inner slats 1i are curved inward and the ends 12 of the outer slats 1o are planar, the ends 12 of the inner slats 1i and the outer slats 1o It is possible to suppress the bean sprouts from being caught between the ends 12 .
In addition, since the end portions 12 of the slats 1i and 1o are provided in a non-contact manner with the needle-like body 1P, the needle-like body 1P scrapes up the bean sprouts while preventing the slats 1i and 1o from interfering with the needle-like body 1P. be able to. Also from this point, the transportability of the conveyor 1 can be improved.

[3-2. Input unit]
According to the input unit 2 of the present embodiment, since the guide surface 2G extends along part of the trajectory formed by the tip of the pin 2P when the roller 2R rotates, the outer peripheral surface of the roller 2R in the movable portion 2M and the guide surface 2G of the fixed portion 2F are arranged to face each other. Therefore, the amount of bean sprouts scraped by the pin 2P is controlled according to the size of the space existing between the guide surface 2G and the outer peripheral surface of the roller 2R. Also, when the pin 2P moves according to the rotation of the roller 2R, the bean sprouts are scraped by the pin 2P.
In this way, the bean sprouts are fed to the weighing hopper 31 so as to be cut out according to the amount of rotation of the roller 2R by scraping the bean sprouts by the pin 2P while bottoming out on the guide surface 2G. That is, the moving pin 2P and the stationary guide surface 2G cooperate with each other to equalize the amount of bean sprouts scraped by the pin 2P per unit rotation of the roller 2R.
Therefore, the amount of bean sprouts fed from the feeding unit 2 to the weighing hopper 31 can be easily adjusted. Therefore, the bean sprouts can be easily thrown by the throwing unit 2 .

The rotation of the roller 2R of the feeding unit 2 is controlled by feeding control performed according to the weight detected by the weight sensor 3S and the elapsed time from the start of the first weighing mode. Also from this point, it is possible to improve the throwing efficiency of the bean sprouts by the throwing unit 2 .
Specifically, according to the first feeding control that rotates the roller 2R at the first speed that is higher than the second speed during the first period at the beginning of the first weighing mode, the first feeding to the weighing hopper 31 starts. of bean sprouts can be secured. As a result, the time for subdividing the bean sprouts can be shortened, which contributes to the improvement of the subdivision accuracy and efficiency of the bean sprouts by the weighing machine.

Further, according to the second feeding control that rotates the roller 2R at a second speed lower than the first speed in the second period after the first period, the amount of bean sprouts thrown into the weighing hopper 31 per unit time is suppressed. Furthermore, according to the feeding stop control for stopping the rotation of the roller 2R during the implementation of the second weighing mode, the feeding of bean sprouts to the weighing hopper 31 is stopped.
Therefore, the amount of bean sprouts falling into the weighing hopper 31 between the feeding unit 2 and the weighing hopper 31 is suppressed immediately after the end of the second feeding control, and the amount of bean sprouts thrown into the weighing hopper 31 is reduced to a predetermined amount. can be suppressed from increasing from Therefore, it is possible to suppress variation in the weight of the subdivided bean sprouts.

Since the injection unit 2 is provided with the surge section 2S for temporarily storing the bean sprouts raked by the pins 2P, it is possible to cope with fluctuations in the amount of bean sprouts raked by the pins 2P.
For example, when the amount of bean sprouts supplied from the conveyor 1 to the input unit 2 per unit time is constant, a large amount of bean sprouts is scraped by the first feeding control, and a small amount of bean sprouts is scraped by the second feeding control. The bean sprouts are fed, and the feeding stop control stops the bean sprouts from being scraped. In this case, if the surge portion 2S is not provided, there is a risk that the sprouts scraped by the pin 2P during the first feeding control will be insufficient. During implementation, there is a risk that sprouts may overflow.

On the other hand, according to the surge unit 2S, it is possible to store the bean sprouts during the execution of the second feed control and the feed stop control in preparation for the execution of the first feed control, thereby suppressing the above problems. .
It should be noted that the action and effect of the charging unit 2 in the weighing machine can be obtained also by the weighing method.

[3-3. others]
Since the unit groups U1, U2, and U3 consisting of the conveyor 1, the charging unit 2, the weighing hopper 31, and the timing hopper 32 are arranged side by side and operate independently of each other, the operating efficiency of the weighing machine can be enhanced. Alternatively, securing the time for measuring the weight of the bean sprouts with the weight sensor 3S contributes to improving the accuracy of the detected weight.
Moreover, since the sprouts discharged from the unit groups U1, U2, and U3 are guided to one container 5 by the collecting hopper 33, the number of bean sprouts contained in the container 5 per unit time can be increased. This point also contributes to improving the operating efficiency of the weighing machine.

Since the link mechanisms 61 and 62 that interlock the lid body 6L and the stepping motor 6M can be interlocked with each other, the lid body 6L can be opened and closed by the stepping motor 6M. Since the stepping motor 6M has a characteristic of high controllability of the rotation angle and rotation speed, the lid 6L can be opened and closed at high speed or accurately compared to a structure in which the lid is opened and closed by an air cylinder, for example. .
Furthermore, since the link mechanisms 61 and 62 are provided so as not to contact each other when the lid 6L is in the closed state, the weight of the tare can be suppressed, which contributes to improving the accuracy of the weight detected by the weight sensor 3S.

According to the attachment/detachment structure 40, the protrusions 4P attached to the hoppers 31 and 32 are hooked to the notch grooves 4N that are opened at the upper side and inclined downward. , 32 can be attached and detached.
Specifically, the hoppers 31 and 32 can be attached to the support member 42 and the frame 4 simply by hooking the protrusions 4P on the notch grooves 4N. Further, the hoppers 31 and 32 can be removed from the support member 42 and the frame 4 simply by pulling out the protrusion 4P obliquely upward along the cutout groove 4N.
The ease of attachment and detachment of the hoppers 31 and 32 as described above contributes to improvement in cleaning workability and maintenance workability of the hoppers 31 and 32 .

[II. Modification]
The above-described embodiment is merely an example, and there is no intention to exclude various modifications and application of techniques not explicitly described in this embodiment. Each configuration of this embodiment can be modified in various ways without departing from the gist thereof. In addition, they can be selected as necessary, and can be combined as appropriate.
In item [II], a modified example of the conveyor is given in item [1], and a modified example of the input unit is given in item [2]. Other modifications are listed in item [3].

[1. Conveyor]
The ends of the outer slats may be curved according to the shape of the loop track. On the other hand, the ends of the inner slats and the outer slats are not limited to curved surfaces, and may be provided in other shapes.
In addition, the inner slat and the outer slat that move along the loop track are not limited to a form in which the ends slide, but may be in other forms such as a form that simply contacts or deforms.
It should be noted that the needle-like body and leveling roller projecting from the slat may be omitted.

[2. Input unit]
In the feeding control, only the first feeding control and the second feeding control may be performed alternately. In this case, since the bean sprouts are continuously fed from the feeding unit to the weighing hopper, it is preferable to add a shutter between the feeding unit and the weighing hopper to block the bean sprouts fed into the weighing hopper.
Further, in the feeding control, only the constant speed control for scraping the bean sprouts at a constant speed and the feeding stop control may be alternately performed.

By simplifying the content of the feed control as described above, the load on the control device can be reduced.
Furthermore, if the rotation of the rollers in the movable portion is set in advance, the control device may be omitted. In this case, the device configuration can be simplified, which contributes to the reduction of the device cost.

In addition, the surge section may be omitted. In this case, it is preferable to adjust the conveying speed of the conveyor according to the rotational speed of the rollers in the feeding unit in order to suppress the excess or deficiency of bean sprouts that are scraped by the feeding unit.
A device for controlling the conveying speed of the conveyor as described above (hereinafter referred to as "conveyance control device") may be provided. The manner in which the conveying speed is controlled by the conveying control device is not limited to the manner in which it matches the rotational speed of the rollers in the loading unit, and various control manners can be employed.
By adjusting the transport speed of the conveyor by the transport control device, it is possible to adjust the amount of bean sprouts supplied to the input unit. This helps control the amount of bean sprouts fed from the feeding unit to the weighing hopper.

Alternatively, the fixing unit may be omitted from the feeding unit after providing a control device for performing the first feeding control, the second feeding control, and the feeding stop control. In this case, although the amount of bean sprouts scraped by the pin 2P per unit rotation of the roller 2R varies, the amount of bean sprouts fed from the feeding unit to the weighing hopper can be adjusted by feeding control. It is possible to ensure the throwing efficiency of bean sprouts by the unit.

[3. others]
Only one (singular) unit group of the weighing hopper, the charging unit and the timing hopper may be provided. In this case, it is preferable to omit the gathering hopper from the viewpoint of simplifying the device configuration.
Also, in the opening/closing portion, an opening/closing driving device such as another motor or an air cylinder may be used in place of the stepping motor.

This opening/closing part may be provided in one of the weighing hopper and the timing hopper, or may be omitted. For example, when the opening/closing portion of the weighing hopper is omitted, it is preferable to add a shutter between the weighing hopper and the timing hopper to block sprouts thrown into the timing hopper.
The weighing hopper and the timing hopper may be attached by various known methods without being limited to the detachable structure. Similarly, the collection hopper may be attached by various known methods without being limited to the attachment structure.

Reference Signs List 1 conveyor 1U upstream section 1M midstream section 1D downstream section 10 slat 11 conveying surface 12 end 1i inner slat (either first slat or second slat)
1o outer slat (either the first slat or the second slat)
1C chain 1G guide roller 1L leveling roller (smoothing device)
1N Needle-shaped object 1P Needle-shaped object 1S Drive sprocket 2 Throwing unit 2D Drive part 2F Fixed part 2G Guide surface 2M Movable part 2P Pin 2R Roller 2S Surge part 3 Hopper 31 Weighing hopper 32 Timing hopper 33 Gathering hopper 33D Downstream part 33U Upstream part 3S weight sensor 4 frame (support member)
40 Detachable structure 41 Mounting structure 42 Supporting member 4G Mounting groove 4M Fastening member (mounting member)
4N Notch groove 4P Protruding part (hanging part)
4S Sliding plate 5 Container 6 Opening/closing part 60 Link mechanism 61 First link mechanism 62 Second link mechanism 63 Contactor 64 Disconnection groove 6G Link guide 6L Lid 6M Stepping motor 9 Control device (rotation control device)
P1 First area P2 Second area U1, U2, U3 Unit group

Claims (6)

A conveyer that conveys loose items such as bean sprouts or cut vegetables and sequentially inputs the loose items into an input unit,
The conveying path has a conveying path for conveying the bulk material, and the conveying path extends from an approximately horizontally oriented upstream portion to which the bulk material is supplied, to an inwardly convex curved surface-shaped first region, and obliquely upward to the bulk material. The loose objects conveyed through a midstream portion for conveying objects and a second region having a curved surface convex to the outside are dropped from a horizontally oriented downstream portion, and the bulk objects are sequentially thrown into the throwing unit. , has an orbit, and
A plurality of slats that move along the circular track and constitute a conveying surface of the bulk material are provided, and each of these slats is configured as a plate-like member,
The plurality of slats comprise a plurality of sets of inner slats and outer slats arranged inside and outside,
The inner slats and the outer slats are arranged alternately along the loop track, and both end portions of the inner slats and the outer slats in the direction along the loop track overlap each other, and the bulk object conveying region is is configured to form the uneven conveying surface that is continuous with
The both ends of the outer slat are formed flat, the both ends of the inner slat are curved inward, and the ends of the inner slat are curved toward the outside. abutting from the inside on each of the ends of the slats,
The overlapping end portions of the inner slat and the outer slat are slidably provided when the inner slat and the outer slat move along the loop track.
A conveyor for transporting loose objects, characterized by: When the loose objects conveyed by the conveyor are successively introduced into the throwing unit, the roller pin protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating roller scrapes the loose objects and bends them. When the roller rotates, the bulk material is weighed on a guide surface that extends along a part of the trajectory formed by the tip of the pin with a roller while leaving a minute gap with respect to the pin with a roller. It is configured as a throwing unit for temporarily storing the bulk before it is shot to a hopper and further scraped by the pins with rollers in a surge section provided at the top of the throwing unit,
The conveyor is configured as a conveyor attached to a weighing machine having the input unit,
The downstream portion of the conveying path is arranged above the surge portion of the loading unit.
2. The conveyor for transporting bulk objects according to claim 1, characterized in that: A pin is provided in a state of protruding from a surface forming a conveying surface of each of the inner slat and the outer slat,
When the inner slat and the outer slat move along the orbit, each of the overlapping end portions of the inner slat and the outer slat contacts the pin provided on the inner slat and the outer slat. designed not to
3. The conveyor for transporting bulk objects according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: A conveyor for transporting loose objects according to any one of claims 1 to 3;
the loading unit into which the bulk items conveyed by the conveyor are sequentially loaded;
a weighing hopper for measuring the weight of the bulk material supplied via the input unit;
The input unit is
a movable part for raking the bulk material with a pin with a roller provided in a state of protruding from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating roller;
a fixed portion having a guide surface extending along a portion of the trajectory formed by the tip of the pin with roller when the roller rotates;
The guide surface has a curved surface shape and extends with a minute gap with respect to the pin with roller,
Furthermore, there is provided a surge section for temporarily storing the loose articles after being supplied via the upstream portion of the conveying path and before being scraped by the pins with rollers.
A weighing machine with a conveyor for transporting bulk items, characterized in that: In the input unit,
The guide surface has a vertical tangent to its upstream end and a horizontal tangent to its downstream end, and forms a quarter arc that curves toward the weighing hopper.
5. The weighing machine with a conveyor for transporting bulk items according to claim 4, characterized in that: In addition to the weighing hopper, there is provided a timing hopper for adjusting the timing at which the bulk material is thrown into the container arranged below the weighing hopper.
6. The weighing machine with a conveyor for transporting bulk goods according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that:

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