JP7455478B2 - combination scale - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a combination scale that weighs and discharges an object of a predetermined weight.

As a combination weigher, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1, an openable/closeable weighing scale having a buffer member in a supply path through which objects to be weighed discharged from a weighing hopper are fed into a packaging machine via a collection chute is used. There is a known structure in which a shutter is provided and the objects to be weighed are brought into contact with a buffer member and stored once before being fed into a packaging machine to prevent the objects to be weighed from cracking or chipping.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-156277

The structure shown in Patent Document 1 was proposed for the purpose of preventing cracks and chips of objects to be weighed. No particular consideration is given to the posture of discharging objects. For example, a long and slender object to be weighed will be discharged with its tip positions not aligned in the discharge direction.

In the above-mentioned combination weigher, when the objects to be weighed are discharged from the plurality of weighing hoppers selected by the combination calculation into the collection chute and are collected at a predetermined collection point by sliding down the collection chute, they are discharged from the collection chute the earliest. The longer the dimensional length from the tip of the object to be weighed to the end of the object to be weighed that is discharged the slowest (hereinafter referred to as "string-out length"), the more the object to be weighed is fed into the packaging machine below the collection point. It will take time to do so. Therefore, in order to increase the metering speed, it is necessary to shorten the above-mentioned "string out length".

The present invention has been made with attention to such points, and aims to improve the weighing speed of a combination scale by collectively discharging objects to be weighed that slide down a collection chute in the sliding direction. is the main purpose.

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

(1) The present invention is a combination weigher comprising a plurality of hoppers and a plurality of collecting chutes for collecting objects to be weighed discharged from the plurality of hoppers,
a shutter mechanism that is attached to each of the plurality of collecting chutes and has a shutter that is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the sliding surface on which the object to be weighed of the collecting chute slides down and closes a sliding path; opens the sliding path along the sliding direction of the object to be weighed.

According to the present invention, the objects to be weighed discharged from the plurality of hoppers are discharged to the corresponding collecting chutes and slide down along the sliding surface, but the shutter is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the sliding surface and closes the sliding path. For example, in the case of a long and slender object to be weighed, the object is temporarily stored in a fixed position with its lower ends aligned.

When the objects to be weighed have been discharged from the multiple hoppers, the shutter of the shutter mechanism in the collecting chute is opened along the sliding direction, and the objects to be weighed that have been temporarily stored in the collecting chute are aligned with their lower ends. They are all gathered together and ejected in the direction of the slide.

This shortens the string-out length, which is the length from the tip of the object to be weighed that is discharged earliest from multiple collecting chutes to the end of the object to be weighed that is discharged slowest, and increases the weighing speed. can be improved.

(2) A preferred embodiment of the present invention includes an opening/closing drive mechanism that opens and closes the shutter that opens and closes the sliding path, and the shutter mechanism engages and interlocks with the opening/closing drive mechanism so that it can be engaged and disengaged. has been done.

According to this embodiment, the shutter of the shutter mechanism mounted on the collection chute is opened and closed in conjunction with the drive of the opening/closing drive mechanism, while the shutter mechanism and the opening/closing drive mechanism are The shutter mechanism can be easily separated from the opening/closing drive mechanism together with the collecting chute for cleaning or the like.

(3) In one embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of collecting chutes are removably supported by a support frame, and the shutter mechanism is attached to each end side of the plurality of collecting chutes, and the shutter mechanism is attached to the terminal end side of the plurality of collecting chutes. The shutter mechanism mounted on the collecting chute can be engaged with and disengaged from the opening/closing drive mechanism in accordance with attachment and detachment from the support frame.

According to this embodiment, when cleaning the combination scale, the shutter mechanism can be disengaged from the opening/closing drive mechanism by removing the collection chute from the support frame. Furthermore, by attaching the collection chute to the support frame, the shutter mechanism can be engaged with the opening/closing drive mechanism, and the time from finishing cleaning etc. to restarting the operation can be shortened.

(4) In another embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of shutter mechanisms are engaged with and interlocked with the common opening/closing drive mechanism.

According to this embodiment, the number of opening/closing drive mechanisms can be reduced compared to the case where each shutter mechanism is driven by a separate opening/closing drive mechanism, and costs can be reduced.

(5) In still another embodiment of the present invention, each of the plurality of shutter mechanisms includes a passive member that rotates up and down to open and close the shutter, and an engagement arm connected to the passive member, The common opening/closing drive mechanism includes a drive member that reciprocates up and down, and a plurality of engagement rollers that extend from the drive member and are respectively engaged with the engagement arms of the plurality of shutter mechanisms. .

According to this embodiment, each shutter mechanism is connected to each shutter mechanism by each engagement arm connected to the passive member in each shutter mechanism, and the plurality of engagement rollers each engaged with each of the engagement arms in the opening/closing drive mechanism. The opening/closing drive mechanism can be engaged with and disengaged from the opening/closing drive mechanism, and each shutter of the plurality of shutter mechanisms can be opened/closed by vertical movement of the drive member of the opening/closing drive mechanism.

(6) In one embodiment of the present invention, the shutter of the shutter mechanism is rotatable, and the shutter and the passive member are connected via a toggle link.

According to this embodiment, when the shutter is in the closed state, the pivot point of the passive member, the connection point between the passive member and the toggle link, and the connection point between the toggle link and the shutter are arranged in a straight line or a substantially straight line. By setting it to , even if an external force is applied to the shutter in the closed state in the opening direction, the tension action of the toggle link will prevent it from rotating in the opening direction, and the closed state of the collection chute will be reliably maintained. Ru. This can prevent the shutter from opening due to an impact when the object to be weighed from the hopper slides down the collection chute and is received by the closed shutter.

(7) In another embodiment of the present invention, the shutter mechanism includes a bracket that is connected and fixed to the collecting chute, and the shutter and the passive member are rotatably supported by the bracket.

According to this embodiment, the shutter mechanism is constructed by assembling each member to the bracket, and it is possible to check the operation quality in advance before attaching it to the collecting chute, and each member can be attached to the collecting chute, which is a relatively large member. This results in superior assembly workability compared to the case where the operation is adjusted while assembling.

As described above, according to the present invention, objects to be weighed discharged from a plurality of hoppers slide down a collection chute and are collected by the closed shutter, and the shutters move in the direction in which the objects to be weighed slide down. The objects to be weighed are discharged all at once from the collecting chute, so the tip of the object to be weighed is discharged earliest from the multiple collecting chutes, and the end of the object is discharged slowest. Metering speed can be improved by shortening the string out length, which is the dimensional length to the tail.

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional front view showing a schematic configuration of a combination weigher according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing the vicinity of the opening/closing drive mechanism 21 and shutter mechanism 20 in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a side view of the shutter mechanism. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the shutter mechanism. FIG. 5 is a side view of the main parts showing the shutter closed state. FIG. 6 is a side view of the main parts showing the shutter open state.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional front view showing a schematic configuration of a combination weigher according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The combination scale of this embodiment weighs objects to be weighed, such as various confectionery and foods, in predetermined amounts and discharges them downward, and the weighed objects are fed into a packaging machine (not shown) located below. It is used for packaging lines that pack bags into bags.

This combination scale is installed on the upper floor F of a frame (not shown) assembled and erected in a tower shape, and is approximately above the base 1, which has a hollow structure with a large vertical opening in the center. A cylindrical center base 2 is supported via a plurality of legs 3. At the center of the upper part of the center base 2, a dispersion feeder 4 is installed which radially disperses and conveys objects to be weighed by vibration, which are dropped and supplied from the end of a supply conveyor (not shown). A large number of linear feeders 5 are radially provided around the distributed feeder 4 to transport the distributed and transported objects to be weighed in a straight line outward by vibration.

On the outer periphery of the center base 2, there are a plurality of supply hoppers 6 for temporarily storing and discharging the objects to be weighed from each linear feeder 5, and for measuring the weight of the objects to be weighed discharged from each supply hopper 6. A plurality of weighing hoppers 7 are equipped. Then, a combination of weighing and discharging of the objects to be weighed is performed by a large number of weighing units (for example, 14 sets) including the linear feeder 5, the supply hopper 6, and the weighing hopper 7.

Below each weighing hopper 7, there is an elongated collection chute 8 in the shape of a narrow gutter, which collects the objects to be weighed discharged from the weighing hoppers 7, which have been selected by combination calculation into an appropriate combination of amounts to achieve a predetermined weight range. placed at an angle. At the lower ends of these collecting chutes 8, circular collecting funnels 9 and 10 are provided to collect objects to be weighed that have slid down from the collecting chutes 8 below the center of the center base 2.

Further, below the collecting funnels 9 and 10, a collecting hopper 11 is arranged to temporarily receive and store the objects to be weighed in a predetermined weight range collected by the collecting funnels 9 and 10. The collecting hopper 11 is equipped with a horizontally sliding shutter mechanism 12, and the shutter mechanism 12 is configured to control discharge based on a discharge request command from a packaging machine installed downstairs.

The dispersion feeder 4 on the upper part of the center base 2 includes a top cone 13 and an electromagnetic vibration mechanism 14 that vibrates the top cone 13. The linear feeder 5 surrounding the distributed feeder 4 includes a gutter-shaped trough 16 extending inward and outward directions and an electromagnetic vibration mechanism 17 that vibrates the trough.

On the outer periphery of the center base 2, there is a drive unit 18 incorporating a drive mechanism for opening and closing the gates of the supply hopper 6 and the weighing hopper 7, a weight sensor for measuring the weight of the object to be weighed in the weighing hopper 7, etc. It is installed. A supply hopper 6 and a weighing hopper 7 are detachably mounted and supported on the outside of this drive unit 18.

The collection chute 8 is removably hooked onto and supported by a support frame 19 which is installed and fixed in an annular manner between the legs 3 above the base 1 .

This embodiment is suitable for elongated objects to be weighed, such as bar-shaped pretzels and jerky, and has the following structure in order to align the objects to be weighed and quickly collect them into the collecting hopper 11. It is equipped with

That is, in this embodiment, a shutter mechanism 20 having a shutter 23 that opens and closes a sliding path for objects to be weighed is attached to the terminal end of each collection chute 8. Further, an opening/closing drive mechanism 21 for opening and closing the shutters 23 of all the shutter mechanisms 20 is provided at the center of the lower surface of the center base 2 .

2 is a plan view schematically showing the vicinity of the opening/closing drive mechanism 21 and the shutter mechanism 20, FIG. 3 is a side view of the shutter mechanism 20, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the shutter mechanism 20.

The collection chute 8 has a bottom wall 8a that forms a sliding path along which objects to be weighed slide down, and opposing side walls 8b that stand up from both sides of the bottom wall 8a in the width direction. The objects to be weighed discharged from the weighing hopper 7 slide down along the inner surface of the bottom wall 8a of the collection chute 8. That is, the inner surface of the bottom wall 8a of the collecting chute 8 constitutes a sliding surface on which objects to be weighed slide down.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the shutter mechanism 20 includes a bracket 22 which is fixed by welding over the upper edge of the lower part of the collection chute 8, and is rotatably supported by the lower part of the bracket 22 around a horizontal fulcrum a. The shutter 23 , the passive member 24 rotatably supported on the upper part of the bracket 22 around a horizontal fulcrum b, the toggle link 25 that interlocks and connects the shutter 23 and the passive member 24 , and the engagement member connected to the passive member 24 A fork arm 26 is provided as an arm.

The bracket 22 includes a connecting plate 22a that is welded and connected across the upper end edge of the terminal end of the collecting chute 8, and a bracket main body 22b that is welded and fixed onto the connecting plate 22. The bracket main body 22b includes a pair of pivot parts 22c bent and erected at the lower part, and a pivot part 22d bent and erected at the upper part. A pair of fulcrum bases 23a, which are bent and connected to the upper part of the shutter 23, are rotatably connected to the pair of pivot parts 22c of the bracket main body 22b. Further, a passive member 24 is rotatably connected to a pivot portion 22d bent and erected at the upper part of the bracket main body 22b. A toggle link 25 is rotatably connected to the passive member 24 and one fulcrum base 23a of the shutter 23.

As shown in FIG. 5, the shutter 23 rotates toward the collecting chute 8 to close the lower end of the collecting chute 8, that is, the sliding path of the object to be weighed w, perpendicular to the sliding surface of the collecting chute 8. To receive and store a long and slender object to be weighed w with its tips aligned. Note that the shutter 23 is not limited to closing perpendicular to the sliding surface of the collection chute 8, but may be closed substantially perpendicular to the sliding surface. A preferable range of angles in which the sliding surface of the collecting chute 8 and the shutter 23 intersect is, for example, approximately 90 degrees ± 10 degrees, and more preferably approximately 90 degrees ± 5 degrees.

As shown in FIG. 6, the shutter 23 opens the lower end of the collecting chute 8 by rotating in a direction away from the collecting chute 8. At this time, at the beginning of the rotation of the shutter 23, the lower end of the collecting chute 8 begins to be opened along the sliding direction of the object to be weighed w, and as the rotation progresses, the lower end of the collecting chute 8 is completely opened.

In this way, the shutter 23 opens the lower end of the collecting chute 8 along the sliding direction of the object w to be weighed, so that the tip is The objects to be weighed w stored in a uniform state can be smoothly discharged.

The opening/closing drive mechanism 21 that drives the shutter 23 to open and close includes a drive case 27 connected to the lower surface of the center base 2, a pair of guide shafts 28 vertically disposed downward from the drive case 27, and a pair of guide shafts 28 extending parallel to each other along the guide shafts 28. A disk-shaped driving member 29 supported so as to be slidable up and down, etc. are provided.

A drive arm 30 is provided on the front surface of the drive case 27 and is driven and rotated by a motor built into the case. The drive arm 30 and the drive member 29 are interlocked and connected by a connecting rod 31. By rotating the drive arm 30 in forward and reverse directions over a certain angle range, the drive member 29 moves up and down in parallel with a predetermined stroke. The operating angle range of the drive arm 30 is regulated by a stopper 32 attached to the drive case 27.

A plurality of operation arms 33 corresponding to the number of shutter mechanisms 20 extend radially from the disk-shaped drive member 29 . An engagement roller 34 supported laterally in a cantilevered manner on the side surface of the tip of each operating arm 33 is engaged with the fork arm 26 of each shutter mechanism 20, and is interlocked with the up and down movement of the drive member 29 to engage the fork arm 26. The integrated passive member 24 is rotated forward and backward, and the shutter 23 is opened and closed.

In the present embodiment configured as described above, the objects to be weighed, for example, the elongated objects to be weighed w, which are discharged from the plurality of weighing hoppers 7 that are selected to have an appropriate amount combination within a predetermined weight range by the combination calculation, are It is discharged into the collection chute 8, which is in a closed position, and is received by the shutter 23 in the closed position, and is temporarily stored in a fixed position where the lower end is aligned with the plane perpendicular to the sliding surface, as shown by the imaginary line in Fig. 5. .

When a predetermined period of time has elapsed after the objects to be weighed w have been discharged from the plurality of weighing hoppers 7, the drive member 29 of the opening/closing drive mechanism 21 is moved upward, and the shutters 23 of the shutter mechanisms 20 in all the collecting chutes 8 are opened. , the objects to be weighed w temporarily stored in a plurality of collecting chutes 8 corresponding to the selected weighing hopper 7 are discharged all at once in an aligned state with their lower ends aligned, as shown by the imaginary line in FIG. It is sent to a collection hopper 11 via 9 and 10.

In this way, objects to be weighed that are aligned in a constant posture with their bottom edges aligned are discharged all at once, so the tip of the object to be weighed that is discharged earliest from the plurality of collecting chutes is followed by the object that is discharged latest. The string-out length, which is the length to the end of the object to be weighed, can be shortened, and the weighing speed can be improved.

Note that, after a set time has elapsed after the shutter 23 is opened, the drive member 29 is operated downward, and all the shutter mechanisms 20 are returned to the closed state, in preparation for the next weighing and discharging of the object to be weighed w.

When the shutter 23 is in the closed state, as shown in FIG. d are arranged in a straight line or in a substantially straight line, and even if the object to be weighed w is strongly received by the shutter 23 and an external force is applied to the shutter 23 in the opening direction, the toggle link 25 Rotation of the shutter 23 in the opening direction is prevented by the tensioning action of the shutter 23 . That is, it is possible to prevent the shutter 23 from opening due to the impact when the object to be weighed from the weighing hopper 7 slides down the collecting chute 8 and is received by the shutter 23 in the closed state.

Further, in a combination scale that weighs and processes food, periodic cleaning work is performed, and during such cleaning work, the top cone 13 of the dispersion feeder 4, the trough 16 of the linear feeder 5, the supply hopper 6, and , weighing hopper 7, etc., and the collection chute 8 is also removed from the support frame 19. At this time, by pulling out the collection chute 8 outward from the support frame 19, the fork arm 26 can be separated from the engagement roller 34. That is, the fork arm 26 of the shutter mechanism 20 provided on the collection chute 8 and the engagement roller 34 of the opening/closing drive mechanism 21 can be disengaged and separated.

In this manner, during cleaning work or the like, by removing the collection chute 8 from the support frame 19, the engagement and connection of the shutter mechanism 20 with the opening/closing drive mechanism 21 provided on the lower surface of the center base 2 is released. Thereby, the collection chute 8 provided with the shutter mechanism 20 can be easily and quickly removed without the trouble of releasing the engagement using a tool or the like.

Furthermore, by attaching the collection chute 8 to the support frame 19, the fork arm 26 of the shutter mechanism 20 can be easily engaged with the engagement roller 34 of the opening/closing drive mechanism 21, and the fork arm 26 of the shutter mechanism 20 can be reused after the cleaning operation is finished. The time required for operation can be shortened.

[Other embodiments]
The present invention can also be implemented in the following forms.

(1) In the above embodiment, each weighing hopper 7 is provided with a collecting chute 8, but a plurality of weighing hoppers 7, for example, one collecting chute 8 is provided corresponding to two or three weighing hoppers 7. You can do it like this.

(2) In the above embodiment, all the shutter mechanisms 20 are driven by a single opening/closing drive mechanism 21, but the plurality of shutter mechanisms 20 are divided into a plurality of sections, and a plurality of shutter mechanisms corresponding to each section are driven. They may be driven by the opening/closing drive mechanism 21, respectively.

(3) The opening/closing mode of the shutter 23 of the shutter mechanism 20 is not limited to the above-described embodiment including the toggle link 25, and the shutter 23 is simply rotated in the closing direction by a spring or the like and is opened/closed by the drive member 29. It can also be a form.

7 Weighing hopper 8 Collection chute 20 Shutter mechanism 21 Opening/closing drive mechanism 22 Bracket 23 Shutter 24 Passive member 25 Toggle link 26 Fork arm 29 Drive member 34 Engagement roller w Object to be weighed

Claims (6)

A combination weigher comprising a plurality of hoppers and a plurality of collection chutes for collecting objects to be weighed discharged from the plurality of hoppers,
comprising a shutter mechanism that is attached to each of the plurality of collecting chutes and has a shutter that is perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to a sliding surface on which the object to be weighed of the collecting chute slides down and closes a sliding path;
The shutter of the shutter mechanism opens the sliding path along the sliding direction of the object to be weighed,
an opening/closing drive mechanism that opens and closes the shutter that opens and closes the sliding path;
The shutter mechanism is engaged and interlocked with the opening/closing drive mechanism so that it can be engaged and disengaged.
Combination scale. The plurality of collecting chutes are removably supported by a support frame,
The shutter mechanism is attached to each terminal side of the plurality of collecting chutes,
The shutter mechanism attached to the collecting chute can be engaged with and disengaged from the opening/closing drive mechanism in accordance with attachment and detachment of the collecting chute to the support frame.
The combination weigher according to claim 1 . The plurality of shutter mechanisms are engaged and interlocked with the common opening/closing drive mechanism,
The combination weigher according to claim 1 or 2 . Each of the plurality of shutter mechanisms includes a passive member that rotates up and down to open and close the shutter, and an engagement arm connected to the passive member,
The common opening/closing drive mechanism includes a drive member that reciprocates up and down, and a plurality of engagement rollers that extend from the drive member and are respectively engaged with the engagement arms of the plurality of shutter mechanisms. ,
The combination weigher according to claim 3 . The shutter of the shutter mechanism is rotatable, and the shutter and the passive member are connected via a toggle link.
The combination weigher according to claim 4 . The shutter mechanism includes a bracket that is connected and fixed to the collection chute, and the shutter and the passive member are rotatably supported by the bracket.
The combination weigher according to claim 4 or 5 .

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