JP7420758B2 - Article removal device and article inspection system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an article removal device and an article inspection system, and more particularly to an air blow type article removal device and an article inspection system.

Air blowing uses a jet of compressed air from an air nozzle to remove products with poor inspection results from the production line, or to distribute and discharge products destined for a specific destination to a specific delivery line on the product transport line. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Type article removal devices and article inspection systems have been widely used in the past.

In this type of article removal device and article inspection system, there are cases where it is not possible to apply air pressure to the article to be excluded due to the size, shape, transportation posture, etc. of the article, or when the effective air injection (air blow) time depends on the conveyance speed. If a sufficient amount cannot be secured, it may be difficult to perform an accurate removal operation.

Therefore, conventional methods have been developed to improve the accuracy of article removal by air injection by estimating the center of gravity of the article while taking into account changes in conveyance interval and orientation due to misalignment of the article on the conveyor. (For example, see Patent Document 1).

In addition, the timing of air injection and the timing of weight measurement are set so that the influence time range in which air injection pressure can affect weight measurement does not overlap with the timing of measurement by the weight measurement unit. There is a device designed to suppress the influence of air injection (for example, see Patent Document 2).

Furthermore, in recent years, the timing of air supply to multiple air nozzles is controlled so that air is injected sequentially from multiple air nozzles adjacent to each other in the conveyance direction. There are methods to ensure exclusion (for example, see Patent Document 3).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2010-179969 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-136249 JP2018-95327A

However, in the conventional article removal device and article inspection system as described above, the user actually sends the articles that will become products through the production line, and then determines whether or not to sort out the rejected items. It is necessary to narrow down and set the necessary and sufficient air blowing time, and this setting work has to be performed every time the number of types of articles to be manufactured increases, which poses a problem in that the burden on the user increases.

In addition, when controlling the transport speed of the conveyor for sorting and discharging, the burden on the user is increased due to the complexity of setting work due to the air injection (air blow) time and maximum discharge mass changing depending on the transport speed. There was a problem that it would become even larger.

Furthermore, since it was not recognized that the maximum actual ejected mass would vary greatly depending on predetermined conditions (workpiece shape, workpiece length in the transport direction, air nozzle width, workpiece posture, transport speed, air nozzle installation angle, etc.), the specifications were set under the worst-case conditions. There was a problem in that the system was limited to lightweight items, and even items with a mass that could be discharged were judged to be unable to be discharged.

The present invention has been made to solve such conventional problems, and provides an article removal device and an article inspection system that can easily set the air blow time for sorting and discharging, and can reduce the burden on the user. The purpose is to

(1) In order to achieve the above object, the article removal device according to the present invention is installed in an article conveyance line, and controls compressed air supplied from an air source to a predetermined pressure by a regulator, and operates an air nozzle according to the opening and closing of a solenoid valve. An article removal device that removes articles to be excluded from the article conveyance line by air blowing from the air nozzle, the jetting width of the air nozzle in the conveying direction of the articles to be excluded, and the width of each article to be excluded in the same direction. a storage means for storing basic discharge characteristics regarding the air blow time and the discharged mass that can be removed by the air blow, according to the contact condition of the air blow that changes depending on the length and the article conveyance speed of the article conveyance line; and the basic discharge characteristics. The present invention is characterized by comprising: a discharge capacity calculation means for calculating an optimum air blow time for an article to be excluded under predetermined discharge conditions based on the above.

With this configuration, the optimum air blow time for the article to be discharged under the predetermined discharge condition is calculated by the discharge capacity calculation means, based on the basic discharge characteristics regarding the air blow time and discharge mass for the article of each hit condition stored in the storage means. . Therefore, by utilizing the stored basic discharge characteristics, it is possible to reduce the work burden on the user, who is required to perform settings according to the air blowing condition and other discharge conditions each time the number of product types increases. Further, even when controlling conveyance conditions and the like according to other discharge conditions, the setting work can be simplified and the burden on the user can be reduced.

(2) In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the discharge capacity calculation means calculates the maximum actual discharge mass that can be discharged of the article under the predetermined discharge condition together with the optimum air blow time for the article under the predetermined discharge condition. It can be configured to do this.

With this configuration, it is possible to use the stored basic discharge characteristics to calculate the maximum actual discharged mass that can be discharged among multiple products and types with different air blowing conditions, reducing the burden on the user associated with setting work. This can be reduced.

(3) In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the storage means stores the article conveyance speed of the article conveyance line together with the basic discharge characteristics, and the discharge capacity calculation means stores the article conveyance speed of the article conveyance line based on the basic discharge characteristics. , the discharge capacity for the predetermined discharge conditions at a predetermined transport speed may be calculated.

In this case, the discharge characteristics of the air blow from the air nozzle are associated with the article conveyance speed, making it possible to easily calculate the discharge capacity (sorting capacity) for articles conveyed at a predetermined conveyance speed and under prescribed discharge conditions. It becomes possible to set it under favorable conditions.

(4) In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the invention further includes an operating condition setting means for setting operating conditions including the conveyance path width, conveyance speed, and air nozzle mounting angle of the article conveyance line, and the discharge capacity calculation means The optimum air blow time may be calculated based on the basic discharge characteristics and the operating conditions set by the operating condition setting means .

In this case, the discharge capacity calculation means calculates the optimum air blow time based on the basic discharge characteristics and the operating conditions set by the operating condition setting means , so it is easy to calculate the optimum air blow time according to the operating conditions of the article conveyance line. This makes it possible to calculate the emission conditions more favorably.

(5) In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the optimal air blowing time satisfies a predetermined lower limit time depending on the magnitude relationship between the jet width of the air nozzle in the transport direction of the exclusion target article and the length of the specific exclusion target article. a discharge condition setting means for setting a virtual length relatively shorter than the actual length for the specific exclusion target article as a discharge condition; and the optimum air blowing time according to the discharge condition set by the discharge condition setting means. The configuration may further include a correction means for correcting.

In this case, the shape and conveyance posture of the article are set as the discharge condition by the discharge condition setting means, and the optimum air blowing time is corrected by the correction means according to the shape and conveyance posture of the article under the predetermined discharge conditions. The optimum air blowing time according to the product discharge conditions can be easily and accurately calculated.

(6) In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the correction means is configured to determine the size of the wind pressure application area according to the jetting distance of the air nozzle for the article under the predetermined discharge condition and the air jet direction for the article under the predetermined discharge condition. The optimum air blowing time may be corrected using a correction coefficient depending on the size of the representative area.

In this case, although the size of the area where the air pressure is applied to the object to be removed from the air nozzle changes, the optimum air blow time is corrected according to the size of the representative area (projected area) of the object as seen in the air injection direction, so the air nozzle The optimum air blowing time can be easily and accurately calculated according to the specifications and the representative area size of the actual product.

(7) The article inspection system according to the present invention includes: a conveyance section that conveys the article along a predetermined conveyance path; an inspection section that inspects the quality of the article being conveyed according to predetermined inspection conditions; An article inspection system comprising: a sorting section that excludes articles to be excluded corresponding to a predetermined inspection result of the inspection section in a direction away from the predetermined conveyance path by air blow from an air nozzle arranged along the conveyance section. The sorting unit includes a solenoid valve provided between an air source and the air nozzle, and a control unit that controls opening and closing of the solenoid valve to inject the air blow based on an exclusion signal according to the test result. , the control unit is configured to control a blowing condition of the air blow that changes depending on the jetting width of the air nozzle in the conveying direction of the excluded articles, the length of each excluded article in the same direction, and the article conveying speed of the conveying section . Separately, a storage means for storing basic discharge characteristics regarding the air blow time and the discharged mass that can be removed by the air blow, and a discharge capability for calculating the optimum air blow time for an article to be excluded under predetermined discharge conditions based on the basic discharge characteristics. Calculation means.

With this configuration, in the article inspection system of the present invention, the optimum air blow time for the article to be discharged under the predetermined discharge condition is determined based on the basic discharge characteristics regarding the air blow time and the discharge mass for the article of each hit condition stored in the storage means. Calculated by discharge capacity calculation means. Therefore, by utilizing the memorized basic discharge characteristics, it is possible to reduce the work burden on the user, who is required to make settings according to the air blowing condition and other discharge conditions every time the number of types of items to be inspected increases. Become. Further, even when controlling conveyance conditions and the like according to other discharge conditions, the setting work can be simplified and the burden on the user can be reduced.

(8) In a preferred form of the article inspection system of the present invention, the discharge capacity calculation means calculates the maximum actual discharge that can be discharged of the article under the predetermined discharge condition in conjunction with the optimum air blow time for the article under the predetermined discharge condition. It can be configured to calculate the mass.

With this configuration, the basic discharge characteristics stored in the control unit can be used for a plurality of articles or types having different masses, and the burden on the user associated with setting work can be reduced.

(9) In a preferred embodiment of the article inspection system of the present invention, the storage means stores, together with the basic discharge characteristics, the conveyor length of a specific conveyance section of the conveyance section in which the air nozzle is disposed, and the conveyance of the article to be excluded. The jetting width of the air nozzle in the direction, the length of each object to be excluded in the same transport direction, and the transport speed of the transport unit are stored, respectively, and the discharge capacity calculation means calculates the discharge capacity based on the information stored in the storage means. The method is characterized in that a discharge capacity for the predetermined discharge conditions at a predetermined transport speed is calculated.

In this case, the discharge characteristics due to the air blow from the air nozzle are associated with the article conveyance speed, and it becomes possible to easily calculate the discharge capacity for articles conveyed at a predetermined conveyance speed and under predetermined discharge conditions. Furthermore, it is possible to set a product conveyance pitch that can prevent double-loading in the conveyor length of a specific conveyance section.

(10) In a preferred embodiment of the article inspection system of the present invention, the control unit controls operating conditions including the conveyance path width, conveyance speed, and air nozzle mounting angle on the conveyance section , and the shape of the article under the predetermined discharge conditions. and a setting means for respectively setting ejection conditions including a conveyance posture, and a correction means for correcting the optimum air blow time according to the operating conditions and the ejection conditions set by the setting means. Good too.

In this case, the setting means sets the operating conditions of the conveying section and the discharge conditions such as the shape and conveyance posture of the article, and the correcting means corrects the optimum air blow time according to the shape and conveyance posture of the article. Therefore, it is possible to easily and accurately calculate the optimal air blowing time according to the discharge conditions of the actual product.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an article removal device and an article inspection system that can easily set the air blow time for removing articles from the conveyance section and can reduce the burden on the user.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an article inspection system including an article removal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. (a) is a perspective view showing the basic discharging operation of the air jet sorter in the article inspection system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and (b) is an air blowing time Ta due to the basic discharging operation of the air jet sorting machine. FIG. 2 is a basic discharge characteristic diagram showing the relationship between the discharge mass M and the discharge mass M. (a) shows the optimum air blowing time according to the magnitude relationship between the jet nozzle width in the article conveyance direction of the air nozzle of the air jet sorter in the article inspection system according to an embodiment of the present invention and the length of the excluded article in the conveyance direction. FIGS. 3A and 3B are explanatory diagrams, in which (b) and (c) show the time course of the air blow rate and the ejection force of the article due to the air blow, depending on the size relationship of the jet nozzle width and the length in the conveyance direction of the article to be excluded, and the conveyance speed, respectively. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of waveform patterns shown for each conveyance speed (conveyor speed). (a) is a perspective view showing the relationship between the injection distance and the corresponding injection diffusion in the air jet sorter in the article inspection system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and (b) is a perspective view shown by the horizontal axis. It is a graph showing the degree of diffusion of air blow according to the air blow distance on the vertical axis. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the difference in air blowing operation time for two types of articles to be excluded with different shapes in the air jet sorter in the article inspection system according to an embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a diagram for excluding a rectangular parallelepiped article; (b) shows the time when an actual product such as a cylindrical product is removed. Description of a shape selection screen in which the shapes of products to be sorted by an air jet sorter in an article inspection system according to an embodiment of the present invention are stored and managed by pattern, and a setting screen for each shape pattern can be called up. It is a diagram. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a setting screen for each shape pattern as an example for storing product shapes to be sorted by an air jet sorter in an article inspection system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an air blow time correction method for extending the effective air blow time according to the size relationship between the air nozzle of the air jet sorter and the article size and the air blow time in the article inspection system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a method for correcting the actual discharged mass based on the pneumatic energy reduction ratio corresponding to the air blow waveform of the air jet sorter in the article inspection system according to an embodiment of the present invention, (a) is the air blow of the air nozzle in the article conveyance direction; The case where the width is less than the workpiece length is shown, and (b) shows the case where the air blow width of the air nozzle in the article conveyance direction is larger than the workpiece length. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a calculation procedure for basic product pitch time and sorting capacity in the article inspection system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of an article inspection system including an article removal device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(One embodiment)
1 to 10 show an article inspection system including an article removal device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

First, the configuration will be explained.

As shown in FIG. 1, the article inspection system 1 of this embodiment includes an inspection machine 10 and an air jet sorter 20 that is an article removal device.

The inspection machine 10 includes a conveyance section 11 that conveys a work Wp, which is an article to be inspected, in a predetermined conveyance direction (X direction in FIG. 1), and an inspection section 12 (article inspection section) that performs a predetermined article inspection. and a control section 13 that controls them.

The conveyance unit 11 is, for example, a belt conveyor type in which an endless conveyor belt is wound around a plurality of rollers, and has a conveyor conveyance path 11a that can convey articles in the X direction.

The inspection section 12 performs, for example, an X-ray inspection, and includes an X-ray generator and an X-ray detector (not shown) for the inspection. However, the inspection section 12 may perform other inspections, such as metal inspection, mass measurement, shape inspection, etc., or may perform at least one of a plurality of such inspections.

The control unit 13 includes, for example, a transport control means 13a that controls the transport speed and transport interval of the work Wp by the transport unit 11, and outputs a transport control signal Cb corresponding to the air jet sorter 20, and an output of an X-ray generator. and an inspection control means 13b for controlling the X-ray line detection cycle and inspection period of the X-ray detector according to the conveyance speed of the workpiece Wp, and various kinds of means for controlling article inspection and article conveyance by both means. An arithmetic control means 13c that calculates control values, a sorting control means 13d that outputs article detection information and inspection results from an article detection sensor (described later) to the air jet sorter 20, and an operation/display that allows operation input and screen display. It includes means 13e.

Specifically, the inspection machine 10 performs the current inspection according to the inspection result in the inspection unit 12, for example, according to the inspection result that a foreign object is detected in the workpiece Wp by the X-ray inspection of the workpiece Wp being inspected. A sorting command signal Rj for instructing the sorting and ejection of the workpiece Wp in which foreign matter has been detected is generated within a predetermined sorting delay time from the time when the workpiece Wp is detected to be carried in, and is output to the air jet sorter 20 side, which is the sorting section. It is supposed to be done.

On the other hand, the air jet sorting machine 20 has a conveyor section 21 having a conveyor conveyance path 21a located downstream of the conveyor conveyance path 11a which is the article conveyance line of the inspection machine 10, and a conveyor conveyance path 21a (sorting conveyance path) side. an air nozzle 22 disposed on the side, a solenoid valve 23 that opens and closes the air supply path on the upstream side of the air nozzle 22, and a predetermined pressure of compressed air supplied to the air nozzle 22 on the upstream side of the solenoid valve 23, that is, a predetermined air pressure. It is equipped with a filter regulator 24 (regulator) that controls the pressure Pj, a pressure gauge 27 that monitors the predetermined pressure Pj, and an air pipe 25 that connects to an air source such as an air compressor (not shown) on the upstream side of the filter regulator 24. ing.

Furthermore, on the upstream side of the filter regulator 24 of the air jet sorter 20, there is a flow meter 26 for detecting the flow rate of compressed air at a pressure Ps supplied from the air source side through the air piping 25, that is, the air supply flow rate Qs; A control unit 30 is provided that opens and closes the electromagnetic valve 23 in accordance with the sorting command signal Rj from the inspection machine 10 and detection information of air supply conditions such as detection values of the flow meter 26 and the pressure gauge 27.

The conveyance section 21 is, for example, a belt conveyor type in which an endless conveyor belt is wound around a plurality of rollers, and has a conveyor conveyance path 21a on the right side in FIG. 1 that can convey articles. Of course, this conveyance section 21 is not limited to the belt conveyor type. In addition, on the upstream end side of the conveyance section 21, there is an article detection sensor 38 that detects the leading end of the workpiece Wp when the workpiece Wp that has been inspected by the inspection machine 10 moves from the conveyor conveyance path 11a onto the downstream conveyor conveyance path 21a. is provided.

The air nozzle 22 is a flat type (which may be arranged in a horizontal position or may be arranged in parallel so as to be adjacent to each other in the conveyance direction in a vertical position), a round type, and a round type air nozzle located on the downstream side of the inspection section 12 of the inspection machine 10. When the spot-type air is controlled to a predetermined pressure Pj by the filter regulator 24 and is supplied via the electromagnetic valve 23, an air jet is injected into the sorting section Zj which is the predetermined transport section of the transport section 21. Workpieces Wp to be sorted (to be excluded) in the sorting section Zj are sorted and discharged by being blown away or slipped so as to be discharged from the conveyor transport path 21a in the Y direction (downward in FIG. 1).

When the solenoid valve 23 opens at a valve opening time ratio according to the opening/closing control signal input from the control unit 30, compressed air supplied from the air source and controlled to a predetermined pressure by the filter regulator 24 flows into the air nozzle 22. On the other hand, when the valve is closed due to no opening/closing control signal input from the control unit 30, it is possible to cut off the compressed air supplied from the air source and controlled to a predetermined pressure Pj by the filter regulator 24 from the air nozzle 22. It is now possible to do so.

The air piping 25 is connected to an air source such as an air compressor (not shown), and is also connected to a plurality of other devices A and B, each of which has a pneumatic operating part (not shown), and supplies compressed air from the air source to each device. A, B and the article inspection system 1 of this embodiment can be supplied.

The article discharging performance (discharge mass according to the supplied pneumatic energy (pneumatic power) per unit time) of the air jet sorter 20 configured with a pneumatic circuit downstream of the air piping 25 is approximately the same as the predetermined air pressure Pj and the supply. Although it is specified according to the flow rate Qs, the predetermined pressure Pj is set to, for example, 0.4 to 0.9 [MPaG]. In addition, the supply flow rate Qs is a flow rate value (ANR) converted to the atmosphere under standard conditions (20°C, 1 atm, humidity 65%), and is, for example, 400 [L/min], which is a general reference flow level for pneumatic parts. to 500 [L/min] (ANR). Thereby, the air jet sorter 20 supplies compressed air supplied from the air source to the air nozzle 22 via the solenoid valve 23, and the work Wp being conveyed is removed from the article conveyance line by the air blow injected from the air nozzle 22. can be excluded.

The flow meter 26 detects the flow rate of air flowing to the air nozzle 22 side through the filter regulator 24, here the supply flow rate Qs near the branch point of the air piping 25 to the article inspection system 1 side. A device that detects the flow rate by the displacement of a movable pressure-receiving part such as a diaphragm that responds to the differential pressure between the front and rear, or a vortex flowmeter, thermal mass flowmeter, Coriolis flowmeter, etc. placed upstream of the filter regulator 24. be. Note that an air power meter can be used instead of the flow meter 26 and the pressure gauge 27.

When the inspection result of the inspection section 12 or the corresponding sorting command signal Rj (exclusion signal) is input from the control section 13 of the inspection machine 10 to the workpiece Wp to be excluded, the control unit 30 controls the control unit 30 at the time of input. When the aforementioned sorting delay time has elapsed, the solenoid valve 23 is controlled to open and close at a predetermined timing and period for the workpiece Wp that has entered the sorting zone Zj by ON/OFF control using a programmable controller, control board, etc. It is configured as follows.

Although the specific hardware configuration is not shown, the control unit 30 is configured to include a programmable controller in addition to a CPU, ROM, RAM, input/output interface circuit, etc., and is stored in a ROM or other memory device. By executing transport control, inspection control, sorting operation control, etc. according to a plurality of control programs, it is possible to perform the functions of a plurality of means described below.

Specifically, the control unit 30 includes a memory 31 that stores data tables and calculation formulas for calculating the air blow time that are created based on experimental results in advance according to the mass and transport conditions of the work Wp to be excluded. I'm here. Then, the control unit 30 calculates the air blow time Ta required for article removal and the maximum actual ejected mass using the tables and calculation formulas stored in the memory 31, and calculates the calculated value of the air blow time and the sorting command signal Rj. In response to the input, an opening/closing control signal for the solenoid valve 23 is output.

More specifically, the control unit 30 first performs air blow control according to the mass of the object to be excluded (for example, M [g] in FIG. 2(b)) using a table or arithmetic expression stored in the memory 31. The air blowing time (sorting operation time; for example, Ta[s] in FIG. 2(b)), which is a condition for this, can be set in a rewritable manner.

As shown in FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b), the memory 31 sets the conditions for removing (sorting and discharging) the ideal rectangular parallelepiped-shaped work Wps from the conveyor transport path 21a by the air nozzle 22 as the basic discharge condition. , the basic discharge characteristics regarding the air blow time Ta [s] for the workpiece Wps under the basic discharge conditions and the discharge mass M [g] that can be eliminated are expressed as the air blow time Ta that increases as the discharge mass M [g] increases. [s] (Ta=xM+y, or M=(Ta-y)/x). Note that the basic discharge conditions mentioned here are set for a plurality of conveyor types having different conveyor belt widths and materials, for example, conveyor types A and B (conveyance conditions). Further, among x and y in the basic emission characteristic equation shown in FIG. 2(b), x is the slope of the basic emission characteristic equation, and y is the intercept of the basic emission characteristic equation.

As shown in FIGS. 3 to 6, the control unit 30 determines the ideal rectangular parallelepiped-shaped workpiece Wps based on the basic discharge characteristics of the conveyor type A or B corresponding to the workpiece conveyance conditions stored in the memory 31. The optimum air blowing time Ta is determined as the ejection capacity for a workpiece Wp with different predetermined ejection conditions (workpiece shape, workpiece length in the transport direction, air nozzle width, workpiece posture, transport speed, air nozzle installation angle, supply air pressure power, etc.) with different shapes and transport modes. It also has the function of a discharge capacity calculation means 32 that calculates the corresponding sorting capacity (maximum number of possible sorted discharges per unit time). Note that the sorting ability here may be equivalent to determining whether or not discharge is possible, and may include 0 (discharge is not possible). Moreover, the optimum air blow time referred to herein refers to the time during which the air blow from the air nozzle 22 can be caused to collide with the work Wp without leaking over the entire air blow region corresponding to the nozzle width Lg.

Further, the ejection capacity calculation means 32 of the control unit 30 calculates, based on the information stored in the memory 31, the optimal air blow time Ta [s] for the workpiece Wp under the predetermined ejection conditions, and determines whether the workpiece Wp under the predetermined ejection condition can be ejected. The maximum actual discharge mass M [g] can now be calculated.

In calculating the actual ejected mass M, the basic ejecting characteristic equation shown in FIG. In addition, for the workpiece Wp under the predetermined discharge conditions, the actual dischargeable mass Mr (=M*correction coefficient) tends to be smaller than the discharged mass M of the ideal rectangular parallelepiped-shaped workpiece Wps. The correction coefficient (≦1) is calculated.

Then, the control unit 30 takes into consideration the air supply conditions detected by the flow meter 26 and the pressure gauge 27, and controls the electromagnetic flow so that the corrected actual discharge mass Mr for each type is equal to or greater than the actual mass of the workpiece Wp. It constitutes an air blow control means 33 that executes air blow control to open and close the valve 23.

The control unit 30 further cooperates with the operation/display means 13e of the control section 13 on the inspection machine 10 side to control the conveyance path width Lw, conveyance speed Vrj, and air nozzle mounting angle β of the conveyance section 21 on the article conveyance line. A condition setting means 34 that has both the function of an operating condition setting means for setting the operating condition K1 including the operation condition K1 and the function of a discharge condition setting means for setting the shape, conveyance posture, mass, etc. of the workpiece Wp of the predetermined discharge condition as the discharge condition K2. Equipped with:

In addition, the control unit 30 controls the transport path width Lw, the air nozzle mounting angle β, and the transport speed set by the condition setting means 34 with respect to the optimum air blow time Ta calculated based on the basic discharge characteristics stored in the memory 31. It is equipped with a correction means 35 that performs correction according to the operating conditions K1 including Vrj and the ejection conditions K2 such as the shape, transport posture, and mass of the work Wp, and the operating conditions of this system for the actual work Wp and the work Wp. The optimum air blowing time Ta corrected according to the discharge conditions can be calculated.

Further, as shown in FIG. 3(a), when the product length L of the workpiece Wp is smaller than the nozzle width Lg, which is the plate width of the air nozzle 22, the control unit 30 controls the air blowing to the workpiece in the entire width region of the nozzle width Lg. Air blow rate Ak = L/Lg (however, if L is greater than or equal to Lg, Ak = 1) to calculate the actual emission amount Mw.

Further, the correction means 35 adjusts the size of the air blow area Zp (wind pressure application area) according to the injection distance Yaj (= conveyor width Lw - workpiece width Wd) of the air nozzle 22 with respect to the workpiece Wp under predetermined discharge conditions (in FIG. 4(a)). A correction coefficient corresponding to the width NL and thickness NH) of the workpiece Wp under the predetermined discharge conditions as seen in the air injection direction (transfer direction length L x thickness H) is stored in the memory 31 as the air blow rate Ak. The optimum air blowing time Ta may be corrected after being stored and reflecting the air blowing rate Ak.

Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 3(a) to 3(c), the control unit 30 causes the air blow to collide with the work Wp without omission during the time Ta during which the work Wp passes through the air blow area from the air nozzle 22. Set the condition to obtain Lr/Vrj≧Ta (however, Lr=|Lg−L|), and if Lr/Vrj<Ta and the air blow cannot collide without leaking, the corrected air blow time T4 is basically set. The actual discharge mass Mw is adjusted by applying the discharge characteristic formula (M[g] = (Ta-y)/x) and multiplying the decrease in discharge force by the energy correction coefficient Pk by the amount of air pressure energy that escapes without collision. It looks like this. In this case, the start timing of the air blow is when the workpiece Wp enters the entire nozzle width region of the air nozzle 22, or when the workpiece Wp enters the nozzle width region of the air nozzle 22 over its entire length.

More specifically, considering the ejection conditions depending on the shape and posture of the workpiece Wp, as shown in FIG. Compared to the case where a non-rectangular parallelepiped-shaped workpiece Wp of mass M [g] is sorted and discharged in the direction of the transport path width Lw (Y direction in Fig. 1) under a wind pressure load caused by an air blow from the side, When sorting and discharging in the direction of the conveyance path width Lw, the size of the representative area of the workpiece Wp seen in the air injection direction is small, and the side surface that receives wind pressure is no longer perpendicular to the air blow direction, so the discharge direction by air blow is Exhaust power decreases.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5(b), when the longitudinal direction of the workpiece Wp is disturbed at an inclination angle α to the transport direction, the drag component due to the air blow is reduced. Again, the ejection force in the ejection direction due to air blowing decreases by the transport attitude coefficient Tk (≦1).

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, a shape pattern selection screen is prepared in which a plurality of shape patterns that are close to the shape of the workpiece Wp are classified by specifying the value of their shape coefficient Ck, and when setting the type of each workpiece Wp. , tap any one of the plurality of shape patterns on the shape pattern selection screen 60 shown in FIG. 6 to open the setting input screen 77 shown in FIG. For a shape pattern close to the shape, the product length L [mm], product width W [mm], product height H [mm], product mass M [g], and shape parameter θ (not shown) (workpiece shape angle) is set and inputted, and the setting and registration work of discharge conditions to be stored in the memory 31 is executed. Note that the shape coefficient Ck is a coefficient set according to the pressure receiving area, drag coefficient, number of air blow Ray nozzles, etc. in each shape pattern.

Here, the shape pattern selection screen 60 displays a plurality of shape patterns, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped 1 shape 61 and a rectangular parallelepiped 2 shape 62, which have mutually different ratios of product length L, product width W, and product height H, and 1/2 Hemispherical cylindrical shape 63 and 1/2 inverted hemispherical cylindrical shape 64, cylindrical shape 65 and elliptical cylindrical shape 66, 1/2 (half) cylindrical shape 67 and (substantially) rectangular parallelepiped 3 shape 68, isosceles triangular prism shape 69 and An equilateral triangular prism shape 70 and a plurality of unset optional shape patterns 71 and 72 are displayed as thumbnail images, icons, etc., and each is included as an operation input element that allows a shape selection operation by a touch operation.

From the input value of the shape pattern on the shape pattern selection screen 60, at least one shape correction coefficient Ck (≦1) for correcting the decrease in ejection force related to the shape factor is calculated, and this shape correction coefficient Ck is calculated based on the actual ejection mass Mr. Use for calculation.

The article discharge direction when the air nozzle 22 is not installed vertically with respect to the conveyor conveyance direction as shown in FIG. The decrease in the discharge force to is also calculated using the air nozzle attachment coefficient Mk (≦1).

These transport attitude coefficient Tk, shape correction coefficient Ck, and air nozzle attachment coefficient Mk are obtained by special predetermined calculations that are different from normal vector calculations.

The control unit 30 controls, for example, a transport attitude coefficient Tk corresponding to the transport attitude disturbance α corresponding to the longitudinal inclination angle of the workpiece Wp with respect to the transport direction, an air nozzle mounting coefficient Mk corresponding to the air nozzle mounting angle β, an air blow rate Ak, and shape correction. The actual discharged mass Mr is calculated by correcting the relative decrease in discharged mass with respect to the ideal rectangular parallelepiped-shaped workpiece Wps using the coefficient Ck and the like.

Next, considering the correction of the discharge conditions of the workpiece Wp according to the operating conditions of the real product inspection system 1, it is found that the length in the conveying direction is The calculated air blow is caused by the small or small-sized work Wp passing through the air blow area of the air nozzle 22 (the area corresponding to the plate width Lg in FIG. 3(a)), or by the work Wp being transported at high speed passing through. It may become impossible to apply the air blow for the time Ta [s] to the workpiece Wp without fail.

Furthermore, when the product length L of the workpiece Wp is close to the plate width (nozzle width) Lg of the air nozzle 22, the time to receive the optimum air blow in the entire width region of the air nozzle 22 becomes very short, and the total length L of the workpiece Wp is If the air blow is started after entering the full width region, the pneumatic energy of the air blow time Ta, which is sufficient for sorting and discharging the work Wp, cannot be effectively used for discharging the work Wp.

Therefore, in this embodiment, apart from the above-mentioned air blow rate Ak, air blow time correction is performed in accordance with the operating conditions of the present system 1.

For example, as shown in FIG. 8A, the control unit 30 determines the air blowing time effective for sorting and discharging depending on the magnitude relationship between the nozzle width Lg of the air nozzle 22 in the transport direction and the length L of the work Wp in the transport direction. Determine whether Ta can be secured. Then, the control unit 30 determines that if the effective time (Lr/Vrj) corresponding to the ratio of the dimensional difference Lr in the transport direction corresponding to |Lg−L| and the transport speed Vrj is equal to or longer than the air blow time Ta effective for sorting and discharging. , the air blow can be applied to the workpiece Wp without leaking, but if the ratio (Lr/Vrj) is less than the air blowing time Ta effective for sorting and discharging, the pneumatic energy of the air blow required for sorting and discharging can be applied to the workpiece Wp without leaking. It is determined that the air blow time cannot be allocated, and the necessary air blow time correction is executed.

That is, in this embodiment, if the effective time (Lr/Vrj) is equal to or greater than the air blow time Ta effective for sorting and discharge, the air blow time Ta based on the basic discharge characteristics is normally considered to be equal to the air blow time Ta effective for sorting and discharge. As shown by the dotted line in FIG. 8(b), if the air blow time that can maintain the maximum discharge mass Mmax is shorter than the air blow time Ta that is effective for sorting and discharge, the air blow control of the workpiece Wp Based on the wind pressure load for a predetermined length that is effective for ejecting the workpiece Wp although it does not reach the full length, the corrected air blow time T4, which is larger than the air blow time Ta effective for sorting and ejection, is ensured as indicated by a solid line in the figure. The air blow pattern is changed to such that the corrected air blow time T4 is secured.

As shown in FIG. 9, when the effective air blow time Ta for sorting and discharge is less than the necessary effective time, the control unit 30 controls the rise and fall of the air blow of the air nozzle 22 in order to calculate the maximum actual discharge mass. The characteristics are understood as changes in the amount of pneumatic energy consumption (pneumatic power) per unit time, and the pneumatic energy Sta for the necessary effective time (in the case of Fig. 9(a), Sta = Ta * Mmax, Fig. 9(b) In the case of , set the actual effective air blow time Ta corresponding to Sta=Ta*Mmax*air blow rate Ak), and set the energy correction coefficient Pk in consideration of the ratio (decrease ratio) of pneumatic energy that is effectively used during that time Ta. (≦1) to calculate the actual emission amount. In FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b), the energy change of the rise and fall characteristics of the air blow of the air nozzle 22 is determined as the pneumatic energy St4 with a simplified waveform within the air blow time Ta, and the energy of both pneumatic energies Sta and St4 is The actual discharged mass can also be calculated using a simple calculation formula in which the ratio=St4/Sta is used as the energy correction coefficient Pk (≦1).

If the air blow time Ta cannot be secured and the actual ejected mass is insufficient, the maximum actual ejected mass and the transport speed Vrj of the transport section 21 are temporarily lowered than the required speed under those conditions to ensure the air blow time Ta. This also makes it possible to display the means for enabling ejection from the display/operation 13e.

Returning to FIG. 1, the control unit 30 detects carry-in from the article detection sensor 38 when each workpiece Wp is transferred from the conveyor conveyance path 11a of the inspection machine 10 to the conveyor conveyance path 21a of the air jet sorter 20. A signal is input, or an article detection signal from an upstream article detection sensor (not shown) that detects article introduction onto the conveyor transport path 11a of the inspection machine 10 is input. Furthermore, when the sorting command signal Rj is input for the workpiece Wp to be sorted and discharged, the control unit 30 determines the timing at which the workpiece Wp enters the sorting section Zj on the downstream conveyor conveyance path 21a and the timing from which the workpiece Wp enters the sorting section Zj on the conveyor conveyance path 21a on the downstream side. It is now possible to calculate the transport time until exiting the sorting section Zj.

Then, the control unit 30 determines the carry-in detection signal from the article detection sensor 38 or the entry timing of the workpiece Wp into the sorting zone Zj corresponding to the signal, the sorting delay time specific to this system, and the table or calculation described above. The timing for opening and closing the electromagnetic valve 23, for example, when the solenoid valve 23 is opened and closed, is set based on the air blow time Ta set by a formula or the like.

The control unit 30 controls the opening and closing of the solenoid valve 23 to perform sorting and discharge when the workpieces Wp to be sorted (to be excluded) in the sorting section Zj are sorted and discharged from above the conveyor transport path 21a in the Y direction by air blowing. Intermittent injection may be performed so that the air blow time Ta for the target workpiece Wp is limited to a choke flow period in which the compressed air passing through the electromagnetic valve 23 is brought to the sonic speed.

The choke flow period referred to here means that the upstream pressure P1 [MPa] of the solenoid valve 23 is higher than the downstream pressure P2 [MPa] of the solenoid valve 23, and the pressure ratio (P2+0.1)/(P1+0. 1) is smaller than the critical pressure ratio, this is the period of the choked flow state in which the flow velocity of air reaches the sonic velocity in the passage inside the solenoid valve 23 which is open.

The control unit 30 determines that the time interval between closing the solenoid valve 23 and opening the solenoid valve 23 for eliminating the next work Wp to be excluded is the time required for reliable sorting operation (sorting capacity). The function of the monitoring means to monitor whether the required time interval (referred to as product pitch equivalent time Twp) including the product pitch limit [s/piece] corresponding to It further has the function of a conveyance limiting means for limiting the conveyance speed of the work Wp to be excluded by the section 11.

Here, the product pitch equivalent time Twp is the processing time for each target workpiece Wp starting from the time of article detection when the corresponding workpiece Wp is carried onto the conveyor transport path 11a of the inspection machine 10, and is the processing time for each target workpiece Wp. This time corresponds to the sum of the transit time (L+Lg)/Vrj and the predetermined operation delay time (electromagnetic valve response time Delay and air tank filling time Toff when the air tank is installed in FIG. 10).

In addition, when the problem is two-piece mounting on the inspection machine 10, the basic product pitch time Twp [s/piece] is the air blow time Ta required to discharge the workpiece Wp, the corrected air blow time T4, and the solenoid valve response time Delay ( and the air tank filling time (Toff) are set at or above the product pitch limit [s/piece] that does not result in two pieces being mounted on the inspection machine 10.

Next, the setting work of the basic emission characteristics, correction coefficients, etc. stored in the memory 31 will be explained.

In this embodiment, the condition setting means 34 of the control unit 30 sets the conveyance path width Lw of the conveyance section 21, the air nozzle inclination angle β, and the basic discharge characteristics (Ta=xM+y) as internal parameters for each type of sorting section. The operating conditions including the transport speed Vrj are set for each product type, and discharge condition setting work is performed to set the shape, transport posture, mass, etc. of the typical workpiece Wps of each shape pattern.

First, regarding the specific shape pattern, the operation input elements 61-70 in FIG. -70 is selected, and the product length L [mm], product width W [mm], product height H [mm], product mass M [g], and transportation regarding the shape information of the example in Fig. 7 are selected. Posture disturbance α [°] and shape parameter θ [°] are set and stored in the memory 31.

Next, from the information on the shape size of product length L/product width W/product height H, the transport attitude coefficient Tk is calculated from the shape coefficient Ck, air nozzle ratio Ak, and transport attitude disturbance α, and the product length L and An energy correction coefficient Pk is calculated from the transport speed Vrj and stored in the memory 31.

Further, an air nozzle attachment coefficient Mk (≦1) is calculated from the air nozzle inclination angle β, which is an internal parameter, and is stored in the memory 31.

Then, based on the above various coefficients, the total coefficient Actk is calculated as Actk=Ak×Ck×Tk×Mk when the air blow time Ta without energy correction is used, and when the corrected air blow time T4 with energy correction is is calculated as Actk=Ak×Ck×Tk×Mk×Pk and stored in the memory 31.

In this way, the discharge characteristic (Ta=(x/Actk)M+y) of the actual product is determined from the basic discharge characteristic (Ta=xM+y), which is the base characteristic of the article removal ability by air blowing, as shown in FIG. 2(b). I can do that. In FIG. 2(b), when the masses M1 to M10 are, for example, 100 g to 1000 g in the basic discharge characteristics, the air blow time Ta is, for example, 0.2 [s] or less, and in the basic discharge characteristics, M5 = 500 [g]. In the case of , it is 0.1 [s], but in the case of the emission characteristic Tr of the actual product, Ta=0.2 [s] can be determined by the correction means 35.

To give an example of the air blow time Tr [s] required for an actual product, as shown in Fig. 2(b) where the air blow time Tr1=(x/Actk)M+y is an example, the time is longer than the basic discharge characteristics and can be eliminated. The discharge mass tends to be lighter compared to the basic discharge characteristics. In the above example, the maximum actual discharged mass is reduced from 1000g to 500g. Therefore, the plurality of types of correction coefficients (≦1) described above are set in the control unit 30 in consideration of such tendencies.

Next, the operation will be explained.

In the article inspection system 1 of the present embodiment configured as described above, the workpieces Wp with predetermined discharge conditions to be subjected to article inspection and sorting and discharge according to the inspection results are displayed on the shape pattern selection screen 60 of the condition setting means 34. When one of the plurality of shape patterns (see FIG. 6) is selected by tapping, the setting input screen 77 corresponding to the selection operation is displayed on the screen (see FIG. 7), and the work Wp for which the product type is set this time is displayed. For a shape pattern similar to the shape of A discharge condition setting registration work is performed for the condition work Wp.

When this setting registration work is completed or when it is selected as one of the shape patterns again after setting, the discharge capacity calculation means 32 of the control unit 30 selects the conveyor type A or Based on the basic discharge characteristics of B, the optimum air blow time Ta and the corresponding sorting capacity are calculated as the discharge capacity for the work Wp under the predetermined discharge conditions, and the maximum actual discharge that can be discharged for the work Wp under the predetermined discharge conditions is calculated. Mass M [g] is calculated.

Further, the correction means 35 adjusts the operating conditions including the conveyance path width Lw, conveyance speed Vrj, and air nozzle mounting angle β set by the condition setting means 34, and the shape and conveyance posture of the workpiece Wp with respect to the calculated optimum air blow time Ta. , mass, and other discharge conditions are executed, and the optimum air blow time Ta is calculated according to the system operating conditions and discharge conditions for the actual workpiece Wp.

Then, the air blow control means 33 of the control unit 30 controls the air blow to open and close the solenoid valve 23 (for example, (corresponding to the discharge characteristic Tr1 of the example actual product in FIG. 2(b)) is executed.

In the article inspection system 1 of the present embodiment, the basic discharge characteristics (Ta=xM+y) regarding the air blow time Ta and the discharge mass Mmax that can be eliminated for each workpiece Wp of each contact condition are stored in the memory 31. Thus, the optimum air blowing time Ta for the workpiece Wp under the predetermined discharge conditions is calculated.

Therefore, by utilizing the memorized basic discharge characteristics, the work burden on the user, who was required to perform settings according to the air blow contact and other discharge conditions each time the number of types of work Wp increases, can be greatly reduced. The Rukoto. Furthermore, even when controlling conveyance conditions and the like according to discharge conditions, the setting work can be simplified and the burden on the user can be reduced.

Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the discharge capacity calculation means 32 calculates the maximum actual discharge mass that can be discharged for the workpiece Wp in addition to the optimum air blow time Ta for the workpiece Wp under the predetermined discharge conditions. The stored basic discharge characteristics can be used for a plurality of workpieces Wp having different conditions and masses, and among their types, and the burden on the user associated with the setting work can be sufficiently reduced.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the transport speed of the workpiece Wp is stored together with the basic discharge characteristic, and the discharge capacity for the workpiece Wp under the predetermined discharge conditions at the predetermined transport speed Vrj is calculated based on the basic discharge characteristic. Therefore, the basic discharge characteristics due to the air blow from the air nozzle 22 are associated with the article conveyance speed Vrj, and it is possible to easily calculate the discharge capacity (sorting capacity) for the work Wp conveyed at the prescribed conveyance speed Vrj under the prescribed discharge conditions. Become.

In addition, in this embodiment, the optimal air blowing time Ta is calculated by the discharge capacity calculation means 32 based on the basic discharge characteristics and the set operating conditions, so that the optimal air blowing time Ta is calculated according to the operating conditions of the article conveyance line. can be easily calculated, and the emission conditions can be set to more favorable conditions.

In addition, in this embodiment, the shape and transport posture of the workpiece Wp under predetermined discharge conditions are set as the discharge conditions, and the optimum air blow time Ta is adjusted by the correction coefficients Ck, Ak, Tk, Since it is corrected by Pk, etc., it is possible to easily and accurately calculate the optimum air blow time Ta according to the discharge conditions of the actual product.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, although the size of the air blow area Zp for the work Wp to be excluded from the air nozzle 22 changes, the optimum air blow time is determined according to the size of the representative area (projected area) of the work Wp as viewed in the air injection direction. Since Ta is corrected, the optimal air blow time Ta can be easily and accurately calculated according to the specifications of the air nozzle 22 and the representative area size of the workpiece Wp, which is an actual product.

In addition, in the article inspection system 1 of the present embodiment, the basic discharge capacity is calculated by the discharge capacity calculation means 32 based on the basic discharge characteristics stored in the memory 31 of the control unit 30 and the setting information set for the workpiece Wp under the predetermined discharge conditions. A discharge capacity including the optimum air blow time Ta for a workpiece Wp under a predetermined discharge condition that has a different degree of contact from the workpiece Wps under the condition is calculated. Therefore, by utilizing the basic discharge characteristics stored in the control unit 30, the burden on the user, who is required to set the settings each time the number of product types increases, can be reduced to the extent of specifying the shape pattern and mass of a new product type. This makes it possible to reduce the burden.

Furthermore, even when controlling the transport conditions of the workpiece Wp in accordance with the discharge conditions, the basic discharge conditions stored in the memory 31 can be used to facilitate the setting work and reduce the burden on the user.

In addition, in this system, the ejection capacity calculation means 32 can calculate the maximum mass that can be ejected for the work Wp under the predetermined ejection conditions, together with the optimum air blow time Ta for the work Wp under the predetermined ejection conditions. The basic discharge characteristics stored in the control unit 30 can be used for different types of products and types, and the burden on the user associated with setting work can be reduced.

In addition, in this system, the conveyance speed Vrj of the workpiece Wp is stored, and the discharge capacity calculation means 32 calculates the discharge capacity for a predetermined discharge condition at a predetermined conveyance speed Vrj based on the basic discharge characteristics. , the discharge characteristics due to the air blow from the air nozzle 22 are associated with the article conveyance speed, and it becomes possible to easily calculate the discharge capacity for the workpiece Wp conveyed at the predetermined conveyance speed Vrj under the predetermined discharge conditions. Furthermore, it is possible to easily set the product conveyance pitch Aw that can prevent double-loading on the conveyor 21 in a specific conveyance section.

Further, in this system, the control unit 30 sets an operating condition K1 including the conveyance path width Lw, an air nozzle mounting angle β, and a conveyance speed Vrj, and a discharge condition K2 including the shape and conveyance posture of the workpiece Wp under predetermined discharge conditions. It has a condition setting means 34 for setting, and a correction means 35 for correcting the optimum air blow time Ta according to the operating conditions and discharge conditions set there. Therefore, it is possible to easily and accurately calculate the optimum air blowing time according to the discharge conditions of the actual product workpiece Wp.

As described above, in the air jet sorter 20 as the article removal device of the present embodiment and the article inspection system 1 equipped with the same, the air blow time Ta for eliminating articles from the article conveyance line can be easily set. This allows the user to reduce the burden of setting conditions for each product type.

(Other embodiments)
FIG. 11 shows an article inspection system including an article removal device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 11, this embodiment has substantially the same overall configuration as the previous embodiment, and an air tank 28 is added between the filter regulator 24 and the solenoid valve 23 of the air jet sorter 20. The configuration is different from the one embodiment in that the configuration is different from the one embodiment. Other configurations and operations are generally similar to the one embodiment.

In this embodiment, the time required for the sorting operation that starts from the start time of each sorting operation is the sorting operation time when starting the sorting operation from the reference timing, and the sorting operation time when the sorting operation starts from the reference timing. Contains the tank filling time (solenoid valve response time Delay and tank filling time Toff) set as the time essential for supply pneumatic power charging of the air source immediately after the time.

Moreover, the air blow time Ta can ensure an effective choke flow period of the solenoid valve 23, and can reliably set an air blow time that allows the work Wp of a predetermined mass to be removed to be sorted and discharged from the conveyor transport path 21a. This is a period, and is calculated based on a data table and calculation formula for air blow time calculation stored in the memory 31 in advance.

In addition, the tank filling time Toff is determined by the pneumatic power supplied from the air source by closing the solenoid valve 23 for each sorting and discharging (article removal) operation in which the solenoid valve 23 is opened for the sorting operation time Ta. This is the pneumatic power charge time to restore the required level, and in this embodiment, the response time of the solenoid valve 23 and the time required to accumulate pressure in the air tank 28 to a predetermined level are based on a data table or calculation formula corresponding to a predetermined filling characteristic. It is calculated as follows. Note that the pneumatic power of the compressed air from the air source side is approximately proportional to the product of the supplied air pressure and the supplied air flow rate at atmospheric temperature, but the kinetic energy of the compressed air in the pneumatic circuit upstream of the solenoid valve 23 is also It can be used for pneumatic power charging to increase the pressure accumulation level of 28.

In this embodiment as well, based on the basic ejection characteristics regarding the workpiece Wps under the basic ejection conditions stored in the memory 31 of the control unit 30, ejection performance including the optimum air blow time Ta for the workpiece Wp under predetermined ejection conditions different from the basic ejection characteristics can be easily determined. This greatly reduces the workload of the user, who is required to set the discharge conditions every time the number of types of workpieces Wp increases, so that the same effects as in the embodiment described above can be obtained.

As explained above, the article removal device and article inspection system of the present invention can easily set the air blow time for removing articles from the article conveyance line, and can also calculate the maximum actual ejected mass. It is possible to provide an article removal device and an article inspection system that can reduce burden. The present invention is useful for air blow type article removal devices and article inspection systems in general.

1 Article inspection system 10 Inspection machine 11 Conveyance section 11a Conveyor conveyance path (article conveyance line)
12 Inspection section 13 Control section 13a First conveyance control means 13b Inspection control means 13c Arithmetic control means 13d Sorting control means 13e Operation/display means 20 Air jet sorting machine (sorting section)
21 Transport section (sorting transport section)
21a Conveyor conveyance path 22 Air nozzle 23 Solenoid valve 24 Filter regulator (regulator)
25 Air piping 26 Flow meter 27 Pressure gauge 28 Air tank 29 Sorting unit 30 Control unit 31 Memory (storage means)
32 Discharge capacity calculation means 33 Air blow control means 34 Condition setting means 35 Correction means 36 Second conveyance control means 38 Article detection sensor 60 Shape pattern selection screen 61 Rectangular parallelepiped 1 shape (operation input element)
62 Rectangular parallelepiped 2 shape (operation input element)
63 Hemispherical cylinder shape (operation input element)
64 Inverted hemispherical cylinder shape (operation input element)
65 Cylindrical shape (operation input element)
66 Elliptical cylinder shape (operation input element)
67 Cylindrical shape (operation input element)
68 Three rectangular parallelepiped shapes (operation input elements)
69 Isosceles triangular prism shape (operation input element)
70 Equilateral triangular prism shape (operation input element)
71, 72 Option shape pattern (operation input element)
77 Setting input screen Cb Transport control signal Ck, Ak, Tk, Pk Correction coefficient H Product height K1 Operating condition K2 Discharge condition L Workpiece length (transfer direction length, product length)
Lg Nozzle width (air nozzle width in the conveyance direction)
M1, M2, M3, M4, M5, M6, M7, M8, M9, M10 Mass NH Injection width P1 Upstream pressure P2 Downstream pressure Pj Predetermined pressure Ps Supply pressure Qs Supply flow rate Rj Sorting command signal Sta, St4 Pneumatic energy T4 Correction air blow Time Ta Air blow time Ta1, Ta2, Ta3, Ta4 Air blow time for basic discharge characteristics Tr Air blow time for actual product Vrj Conveyance speed (article conveyance speed)
W Product width Wp Work (articles, articles under specified discharge conditions, products, inspected items)
Wps Work (articles, articles with basic discharge conditions, products, inspected items)
X Conveyance direction (article conveyance direction)
Y Discharge direction (air blow direction)
Yaj Injection distance Zj Sorting section α Conveying posture disturbance (angle)
β Air nozzle installation angle (angle)

Claims (10)

Built into the article conveyance line, compressed air supplied from an air source is controlled at a predetermined pressure by a regulator and supplied to an air nozzle according to the opening and closing of a solenoid valve, and the article to be excluded is transported to the article conveyance line by air blow from the air nozzle. An article removal device for removing articles from the
The air blow time and the air blow are determined according to the air blowing condition, which changes depending on the jet width of the air nozzle in the transport direction of the exclusion target article, the length of each exclusion target article in the same direction, and the article conveyance speed of the article conveyance line. a storage means for storing basic emission characteristics regarding the emission mass that can be eliminated;
discharge condition setting means capable of selecting a shape corresponding to the exclusion target article from a plurality of shapes;
An article removal device comprising: a discharge capacity calculation means for calculating an optimum air blow time for the article to be excluded under predetermined discharge conditions based on the basic discharge characteristics and the shape selected by the discharge condition setting means . The storage means stores, as the basic discharge characteristic, a table or an arithmetic expression showing a relationship between the air blow time and the discharged mass that can be eliminated by the air blow, for each degree of contact with the air blow;
The ejection capacity calculating means is characterized in that it calculates the maximum actual discharge mass that can be ejected of the article under the predetermined ejection condition using the table or calculation formula together with the optimum air blow time for the article under the predetermined ejection condition. The article removal device according to claim 1. The storage means stores the article conveyance speed of the article conveyance line together with the basic discharge characteristics,
The discharge capacity calculation means calculates the discharge capacity for the predetermined discharge conditions at a predetermined transport speed based on the basic discharge characteristics and the shape selected by the discharge condition setting means. Item 2. Article removal device according to item 1 or 2. further comprising operating condition setting means for setting operating conditions including a conveying path width, conveying speed, and air nozzle mounting angle of the article conveying line,
4. The discharge capacity calculation means calculates the optimum air blow time based on the basic discharge characteristics and the operating conditions set by the operating condition setting means . Article removal device described in . When the optimum air blowing time becomes less than a predetermined lower limit time depending on the size relationship between the jet width of the air nozzle in the conveying direction of the exclusion target article and the length of the specific exclusion target article, for the specific exclusion target article. discharge condition setting means for setting a virtual length relatively shorter than the actual length as a discharge condition;
The article removal device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a correction unit that corrects the optimum air blow time according to the discharge conditions set by the discharge condition setting unit. The correction means uses a correction coefficient according to a size of a wind pressure application area corresponding to a spraying distance of the air nozzle for the article under the predetermined discharge condition and a size of a representative area of the article under the predetermined discharge condition as viewed in the air injection direction. The article removal device according to claim 5, wherein the optimum air blowing time is corrected. a transport unit that transports the article along a predetermined transport path;
an inspection section that inspects the quality of the article being transported according to predetermined inspection conditions;
a sorting section that excludes articles to be excluded that correspond to a predetermined inspection result of the inspection section from among the articles in a direction away from the predetermined conveyance path by air blowing from an air nozzle arranged along the conveyance section; An article inspection system,
The sorting section is
a solenoid valve provided between an air source and the air nozzle;
a control unit that controls opening and closing of the solenoid valve to inject the air blow based on an exclusion signal according to the test result,
The control unit includes:
The air blow time and the air blow are determined according to the air blowing condition, which varies depending on the jetting width of the air nozzle in the conveying direction of the excluded articles , the length of each excluded article in the same direction, and the article conveying speed of the conveying section. storage means for storing basic emission characteristics regarding the possible emission mass;
discharge condition setting means capable of selecting a shape corresponding to the exclusion target article from a plurality of shapes;
An article inspection system comprising: a discharge capacity calculation means for calculating an optimum air blow time for the exclusion target article under predetermined discharge conditions based on the basic discharge characteristics and the shape selected by the discharge condition setting means . The storage means stores, as the basic discharge characteristic, a table or an arithmetic expression showing a relationship between the air blow time and the discharged mass that can be eliminated by the air blow, for each degree of contact with the air blow;
The ejection capacity calculating means is characterized in that it calculates the maximum actual discharge mass that can be ejected of the article under the predetermined ejection condition using the table or calculation formula together with the optimum air blow time for the article under the predetermined ejection condition. The article inspection system according to claim 7. The storage means stores, in addition to the basic discharge characteristics, a conveyor length of a specific conveyance section of the conveyance unit in which the air nozzle is arranged, a spray width of the air nozzle in the conveyance direction of the article to be excluded, and each object to be excluded in the same conveyance direction. The length of the article and the article conveyance speed of the conveyance section are each stored,
The discharge capacity calculation means calculates the discharge capacity for the predetermined discharge conditions at a predetermined transport speed based on the stored information in the storage means and the shape selected by the discharge condition setting means. The article inspection system according to claim 7 or 8. The control unit includes setting means for respectively setting operating conditions including a conveyance path width, conveyance speed, and air nozzle mounting angle of the conveyance unit , and discharge conditions including a conveyance posture of the article under the predetermined discharge conditions;
The article according to any one of claims 7 to 9, further comprising a correction unit that corrects the optimum air blow time according to the operating condition and the discharge condition set by the setting unit. Inspection system.

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