JP7474429B2 - Airflow control system for transported objects and transport device using the same - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an airflow control system for transported objects and a transport device using the same.

Conventionally, in a conveying device such as a parts feeder, an air current such as air may be blown onto a conveyed object in order to remove an improperly oriented object from the conveying path or to invert the orientation of the conveyed object while the object is being conveyed on the conveying path. An air outlet for blowing out the air current is provided on the conveying surface of the conveying path, and depending on the positional relationship between the air outlet and the conveyed object, the conveyed object may be blown off the conveying path or rotate on the conveying path. An air current control system and conveying device for conveying an object that applies an air current to such an object are known, as described in the following Patent Document 1.

In the above-mentioned conveying device, an airflow path is generally provided by airflow piping such as a resin tube, which supplies airflow from an airflow supply source such as compressed air from an air compressor or air cylinder through an on-off valve to the above-mentioned nozzle. At this time, a needle valve (throttle valve) that can be used as a speed controller and is configured to be able to control the air pressure with a needle is attached before the on-off valve (on the airflow supply source side), and the amount of threading of the needle of this needle valve is manually set to adjust the air pressure supplied to the on-off valve or the amount of air flowing when the valve is open.

JP 2006-335487 A

However, in recent years, it has become difficult to adjust the pressure and flow rate of the airflow sprayed from the nozzles in the above-mentioned conventional conveying devices, because there are cases where minute electronic components of millimeter or micro size are being conveyed, and there are cases where the conveyed objects need to be supplied at high speed. For example, if the airflow pressure or flow rate is insufficient, the conveyed objects cannot be removed or turned over, resulting in poor sorting of the conveyed objects. In addition, if the airflow pressure or flow rate is excessive, the conveyed objects before and after the airflow, which do not need to be blown, may be blown away or turned over, resulting in a decrease in the supply efficiency of the conveyed objects. In particular, when the conveying device is a vibration-type conveying device such as a parts feeder, the conveyed objects are in an unstable state because they are vibrated while being conveyed, and the probability of problems occurring increases depending on the settings of the airflow pressure and flow rate.

On the other hand, it is also possible to adjust the airflow control of the transported goods by adjusting the valve opening degree through proportional control of the drive voltage and current. However, in order to quickly select the above-mentioned fine transported goods, an on-off valve that can be opened and closed at high speed is required. With such a high-speed on-off valve, the airflow that the transported goods receive cannot be accurately reproduced by proportional control of the valve opening degree, and good airflow control of the transported goods cannot necessarily be achieved. For example, although piezoelectric valves operate at high speed, they have temperature characteristics and hysteresis characteristics, making it difficult to achieve airflow control of the transported goods with high precision and good reproducibility.

The present invention solves the above problem, and its objective is to realize a control mode of the airflow according to the condition of the transported object by configuring the supply mode of the airflow pressure, flow rate, etc. to be set over a wide range according to the type of transported object, transport conditions, control mode for the transported object, etc.

In order to solve the above problem, the airflow control system for transported objects of the present invention is a system for controlling the transported objects transported along a transport path by airflow, and includes an air outlet connected to an airflow path extending from an airflow source and facing the transport path, an on-off valve configured to open and close the airflow path in an opening/closing manner corresponding to the drive waveform of the drive signal upon receiving a drive signal, a transported object determination unit that performs a determination according to a detection manner of a transported object detector that detects the transported object moving toward the air outlet on the transport path, and an on-off valve control drive unit configured to output the drive signal having the drive waveform corresponding to the determination result when the determination result of the transported object determination unit indicates that control by the airflow of the transported object is required, and to control the on-off valve to open and close at the timing when the transported object faces the air outlet in the drive manner corresponding to the drive waveform. Here, the on-off valve control drive unit is configured to generate the drive waveform corresponding to the determination result, and form the drive signal based on the drive waveform, thereby being capable of outputting the drive signal based on multiple types of drive waveforms that are different from each other according to multiple determination results.

According to the present invention, the on-off valve opens and closes in an opening/closing manner corresponding to the driving waveform by a driving signal having a driving waveform corresponding to the judgment result of the transported object. Therefore, since the manner of the airflow supplied along the airflow path can be controlled to a manner corresponding to the driving waveform according to the judgment result, the control manner by the airflow for the transported object can be set in a wide range by the airflow manner that matches the judgment result. In this case, it is preferable that the relationship between the judgment result and the driving waveform is set as driving information that is predetermined according to the type of the transported object, the transport conditions, the control manner for the transported object, etc. This driving information (DAI) preferably has multiple driving element data sets (DAS). Here, each driving element data set (DAS) includes multiple driving element data (DA) corresponding to the judgment result (S). In addition, it is preferable that the airflow waveform (V) corresponding to the driving waveform (W) of the driving signal (D) is blown from the blowing port to the transported object by the opening/closing control of the on-off valve by the on-off valve control drive unit.

In the present invention, when the transported object determination unit obtains a specific determination result, it is preferable that the on-off valve control drive unit does not output the drive signal in accordance with the predetermined drive information. Here, it is preferable that, among the predetermined drive information (DAI), the drive element data (DA) corresponding to the specific determination result (S) sets the drive element of the drive waveform (W) to 0 (or invalid).

In the present invention, the on-off valve control drive unit preferably has an on-off valve control unit that outputs a command signal including drive element data corresponding to the judgment result in accordance with predetermined drive information by aligning it with the timing, and an on-off valve drive unit that outputs the drive signal having the drive waveform corresponding to the drive element data in order to drive the on-off valve when the command signal is received. In this case, it is preferable that the on-off valve drive unit has a drive waveform generation unit that generates the drive waveform corresponding to the drive element data, and a drive signal output unit that outputs the drive signal having the drive waveform to the on-off valve.

In the present invention, the driving element data preferably indicates a numerical value expressing the aspect of the driving waveform. For example, the numerical value may be a numerical value expressing the height, time width, duty ratio, number of pulses, etc. of the driving waveform.

In the present invention, it is preferable to further include an airflow mode detector that detects the mode of airflow in the airflow path, and an on-off valve drive mode correction unit that corrects the mode of the on-off valve control by the on-off valve control drive unit based on the detection mode of the airflow mode detector when the on-off valve is in an open state. In this case, it is preferable that the on-off valve drive mode correction unit corrects the drive information (drive element data set, or drive element data) according to the detection mode of the airflow mode detector when the on-off valve is in an open state. In addition, it is preferable that the airflow mode detector detects the mode of airflow in the airflow path between the on-off valve and the blowout port.

In the present invention, the on-off valve control drive unit is preferably configured to be capable of outputting a plurality of types of the drive signals whose time-dependent elements change according to the judgment result. Here, the time-dependent elements of the drive signal refer to elements of the drive mode that indicate the time-dependent fluctuation mode, such as the number of drive pulses, the duty ratio, and the time width. By changing the time-dependent elements of the drive signal, it is possible to change the time-dependent fluctuation mode of the on-off valve's open/close mode, so that by adjusting the airflow from a viewpoint other than the strength of the airflow (pressure and flow rate), it becomes possible to control the position and attitude of the transported object more easily and precisely.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the on-off valve control drive unit is configured to be capable of outputting a plurality of types of the drive signal whose strength changes according to the judgment result. Regardless of the above-mentioned time-dependent factors, the strength of the drive signal can directly change the pressure and flow rate of the airflow, and is therefore the factor that most greatly changes the state of the airflow.

In the present invention, the on-off valve is preferably a piezoelectric valve. This allows the opening and closing state to be controlled and driven at high speed, making it easy to handle high-speed and high-density transport of transported objects.

Next, the conveying device according to the present invention preferably includes the above-mentioned airflow control system for the conveyed object, and a conveying mechanism that conveys the conveyed object along the conveying path. In this case, it is preferable that the conveying mechanism conveys the conveyed object by vibrating the conveying path.

According to the present invention, the pressure and flow rate of the airflow can be set over a wide range according to the type of transported goods, transport conditions, control mode for the transported goods, etc., by controlling the opening and closing of the on-off valve by the on-off valve control drive unit, which makes it possible to realize the control mode of the airflow according to the condition of the transported goods, and ultimately prevents poor sorting of the transported goods and reduced supply efficiency.

1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a first embodiment of an airflow control system and a conveying device for a conveyed object according to the present invention; 1A to 1D are explanatory diagrams showing the appearance of a transported object in each embodiment and a transport posture corresponding to a determination result for the transported object. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing examples of drive signals (a) and airflow patterns (b) corresponding to each drive signal in each embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing examples of drive signals (a) and airflow patterns (b) corresponding to each drive signal in each embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing examples of drive signals (a) and airflow patterns (b) corresponding to each drive signal in each embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing examples of drive signals (a) and airflow patterns (b) corresponding to each drive signal in each embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing examples of drive signals (a) and airflow patterns (b) corresponding to each drive signal in each embodiment. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing examples of drive signals (a) and airflow patterns (b) corresponding to each drive signal in each embodiment. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a second embodiment. 1 is a schematic flowchart showing the procedure of an operation program that can be used in each embodiment. 13 is a schematic flowchart showing an example of a procedure of an on-off valve drive mode correction unit used in the second embodiment. 1A and 1B are a schematic cross-sectional view and a side view showing an example of a piezoelectric valve suitable as an on-off valve.

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. First, an example of the overall configuration of a first embodiment of an airflow control system and conveying device for conveyed objects according to the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. Here, Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of this embodiment, and Fig. 2 is a set of explanatory diagrams (a)-(d) showing examples of conveyed objects that are subject to control by the airflow of this embodiment.

The conveying device 100 of this embodiment has an airflow control system for conveying objects P used in the conveying mechanism 120 configured to convey the objects P along the conveying path 121 (conveying surfaces 121a, 121b). The conveying mechanism 120 is not shown in detail, but is configured, for example, by a known parts feeder or linear feeder as a vibrating conveying device. In the illustrated example, an air outlet 122 is opened in a part of the conveying surface 121b in each of the conveying paths 121, and the conveying position and conveying posture of the conveying object P are controlled by the airflow blown from the air outlet 122. The conveying mechanism 120 is configured so that the conveying object P is conveyed along the conveying path 121 by controlling and driving the conveying drive unit 114 by the conveying controller 113. In this embodiment, an electromagnetic drive unit or a piezoelectric drive unit is used as the conveying drive unit 114, and the conveying path 121 is vibrated at a predetermined vibration frequency, amplitude, and vibration direction, so that the conveying object P on the conveying path 121 advances individually. The transport controller 113 is controlled by the control unit 111, which manages the entire transport device 100.

In the airflow control system for the transported object of this embodiment, an airflow supply source (airflow source) 101 that supplies compressed air from a gas compression mechanism such as an air compressor or a gas cylinder, a regulator 102 that controls the pressure of the airflow, an airflow pipe 103 such as an air tube connected to the regulator 102, an opening/closing valve 104 such as an electromagnetic valve or a piezoelectric valve connected to the airflow pipe 103, an airflow pipe 105 such as an air tube connected to the opening/closing valve 104, and an airflow passage 120a connected to the airflow pipe 105 and formed in a transport block that constitutes the transport path 121 of the transport mechanism 120. In this airflow path, the airflow mode is controlled according to the opening/closing mode of the opening/closing valve 104, and the blowing mode of the airflow against the transported object P at the blowing port 122, which is the outlet of the airflow passage 120a, is determined. The airflow behavior in this airflow path includes the airflow pressure, airflow flow rate, airflow speed, airflow duration, and other changes in the airflow over time.

As the on-off valve 104, it is preferable to use an on-off valve that can perform high-speed opening and closing operations, and in particular, it is preferable to use a piezoelectric valve that opens and closes the airflow path by utilizing the deformation of a piezoelectric body. For example, the piezoelectric valve 134 shown in FIG. 12 includes a support 134d that is housed and fixed in an internal space 134c that communicates with an inlet 134b in a housing 134a, and a piezoelectric body 134f whose both ends are connected to a pair of tilting arms 134e. The tilting arms 134e are supported by the piezoelectric body 134f and the support 134d so that they can tilt. The pair of tilting arms 134e each hold a valve body 134h via an elastic body 134g. The tilting arms 134e and the elastic body 134g constitute a displacement magnification mechanism for the piezoelectric body 134f and drive the valve body 134h. In response to the longitudinal expansion and contraction of the piezoelectric body 134f caused by the voltage applied from the drive unit 134DR, the pair of tilting arms 134e tilt inward and outward, causing the valve body 134h to move via the elastic body 134g, opening and closing the outlet 134i of the internal space 134c.

The on-off valve 104 is not limited to one that can actually close the airflow path, but may be one that can achieve a state equivalent to that when it is substantially closed. For example, it may be one that is configured to be able to open the airflow path to the outside (atmosphere), and configured so that when it is open, the airflow flows to the outside (atmosphere), making it difficult for the airflow to flow downstream of the airflow path.

On the other hand, an image acquisition device 109 such as a camera is installed at a transported object detection location adjacent to the upstream side of the above-mentioned location 121b where the air outlet 122 of the transport path 121 is provided. The image acquisition device 109 captures an image of the transported object P at the above-mentioned transported object detection location and outputs the image to the transported object determination unit 115. In the transported object determination unit 115, the image processing unit 115a performs image processing on the above-mentioned image to determine whether the transported object P is good or bad, its transport posture, etc. For example, binarization of the image, edge extraction, patterning processing, etc. The judgment output unit 115b outputs a judgment result S from the information obtained by this image processing. This judgment result S is information indicating whether the transported object P is a good product, a defective product, a normal transport posture, an abnormal transport posture, or one of multiple transport postures. This judgment result S is sent to the on-off valve control drive unit 116, which sends a drive signal D corresponding to the judgment result S to the on-off valve 104, thereby controlling the on-off valve 104 to open or close in an opening or closing manner corresponding to the judgment result S. The opening and closing manner referred to here refers to the valve opening degree, opening time, and temporal fluctuation state of the on-off valve 104.

The control device of this embodiment includes a control unit 111 equipped with an arithmetic processing unit such as an MPU (microprocessor unit), and a memory unit 112 that stores drive information DAI including various drive element data sets DAS described below. The control unit 111 manages the entire airflow control system for the transported object. This control unit 111 also controls the transport mechanism 120 via the transport controller 113 as necessary. The memory unit 112 is composed of various memories, etc., and stores drive information DAI indicating the drive mode of the on-off valve 104 that is set in advance depending on the situation such as the type of transported object, transport conditions, and control mode of the transported object by the airflow. This drive information DAI includes multiple drive element data sets DAS corresponding to the drive waveform W provided in the drive signal D. More specifically, the driving element data set DAS is a collection of data (driving element data DA) for determining the driving waveform of the on-off valve according to, for example, the type of transported object P (values indicating product number, size, shape, weight, density, etc.), transport conditions (driving frequency, driving voltage, transport speed, transport density, etc. of the transport mechanism 120), the manner of control of the transported object P by the airflow (removal of the transported object P from the transport path 121, change in the transport posture such as inversion of the transported object P (including the amount of change angle), etc.), and the blowing conditions of the airflow against the transported object P (opening size, opening shape, opening position, opening height, opening direction, etc. of the blowing nozzle for the transported object P on the transport path). The driving element data set DAS further includes multiple driving element data DA corresponding to each of the multiple judgment results S output by the transported object judgment unit 115.

Figure 2 is a diagram (a)-(d) for explaining the transport posture of the transported object P determined by the transported object determination unit 115 of this embodiment. In this embodiment, the purpose is to align the four postures of the transported object P on the transport path 121 with the normal posture P0 shown in Figure 2(a), and an example is shown in which an air flow is blown from the air nozzle 122 to correct the other postures P1-P3 shown in Figures 2(b)-(d). Note that since the transported object P is configured in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, there are a total of eight transport postures if the postures before and after the transport direction on the transport path 121 are also taken into consideration, but in this embodiment, the postures before and after the transport direction of the transported object P are controlled at a different location on the transport path 121.

The transported object P has electrode portions Pa and Pb at both ends in the transport direction, and one side of the side portion Pc between these electrode portions Pa and Pb has a mark portion Pd with an appearance different from the other surfaces. The image acquisition device 109 is installed so that it can capture images of the two sides of the side portion Pc, excluding the two sides facing the transport surfaces 121a and 121b of the transport path 121. The normal transport position P0 is a position in which the mark portion Pd appears on the side facing the transport surface 121b, as shown in FIG. 2(a). Another transport position P1 is a position in which the mark portion Pd exists on the side of the side portion Pc facing the transport surface 121b, as shown in FIG. 2(b). This posture is determined when the mark portion Pd does not appear on either of the two side surfaces of the side surface portion Pc that do not face the conveying surfaces 121a and 121b, and the side edge Pds of the mark portion Pd can be recognized by the image acquisition device 109 on the conveying surface 121b side. Furthermore, the other conveying posture P2 is a posture in which the mark portion Pd exists on the side surface of the side surface portion Pc that faces the conveying surface 121a, as shown in FIG. 2C. This posture is determined when the mark portion Pd does not appear on either of the two side surfaces of the side surface portion Pc that do not face the conveying surfaces 121a and 121b, and the side edge Pdt of the mark portion Pd can be recognized by the image acquisition device 109 on the conveying surface 121a side. Furthermore, the other conveying posture P3 is a posture in which the mark portion Pd exists on the side surface of the side surface portion Pc that is exposed to the conveying surface 121a, as shown in FIG. 2D. This orientation is determined when the mark portion Pd appears on the side of the side portion Pc that is exposed on the side of the conveying surface 121a out of the two sides that do not face the conveying surfaces 121a and 121b. In addition, the remaining four conveying orientations (when the front and rear of the conveying direction are reversed) other than the four orientations P0-P3 described above are collectively referred to as P4.

The transported object determination unit 115 receives processing data stored in the memory unit 112 from the control unit 111, and operates the image acquisition device 109 based on this processing data, and processes the image captured and acquired by the image acquisition device 109 in the image processing unit 115a according to a default processing mode. In addition, the determination output unit 115b outputs a determination result S corresponding to the transport orientation P0-P4 of the transported object P from the information obtained by the image processing unit 115a. This determination result S is, for example, "0" if the transported object P is in the transport orientation P0, for example, "1" if the transported object P is in the transport orientation P1, for example, "2" if the transported object P is in the transport orientation P2, for example, "3" if the transported object P is in the transport orientation P3, and for example, "4" if the transported object P is in the transport orientation P4. The determination result S may be a numerical value (number) as described above, but may also be other letters or symbols, and is not particularly limited. In addition, the determination results S do not all have to be related to the same characteristics. For example, in this embodiment, the number "4" is used to indicate that the transport posture is not one of the transport postures P0-P3. Also, instead of or in addition to the method of determining the transport posture, the transport posture may be determined from other perspectives than the transport posture, such as whether the transported object is damaged or whether it is a good or defective item.

The on-off valve control drive unit 116 receives the drive information DI stored in the memory unit 112 from the control unit 111. The drive information selection unit 1161 selects the drive element data DA corresponding to the judgment result S output from the transported object judgment unit 115 based on this drive information DI. The judgment result S and the drive element data DA are associated in advance so as to have a predetermined correspondence relationship. The drive element data set DAS included in the drive information DI is at least one of a plurality of parameters indicating the drive waveform W, and each set DAS includes a plurality of drive element data DA corresponding to the plurality of judgment results S. For example, the drive element data set DAS (Hv) is composed of a plurality of data DA (Hv) indicating the height of the drive waveform W. In addition, the drive element data set DAS (Tm) is composed of a plurality of data DA (Tm) indicating the time width of the drive waveform W. Furthermore, the drive element data set DAS (Dt) is composed of a plurality of data DA (Dt) indicating the duty ratio of the drive waveform W. Furthermore, the driving element data set DAS (Np) is composed of multiple data DA (Np) indicating the number of driving pulses of the driving waveform W. There may be one or multiple driving element data sets DAS used simultaneously. The command signal output unit 1162 outputs a command signal C including driving element data DA corresponding to the judgment result S output from the transported object judgment unit 115 for the selected driving element data set DAS. The driving information selection unit 1161 and the command signal output unit 1162 correspond to the opening/closing valve control unit 116A.

The command signal C is input to the drive waveform generating unit 1163 of the opening/closing valve driving unit 116B, which generates a drive waveform W based on the drive element data included in the command signal C. Examples of this drive waveform W are shown in Figs. 3 to 8. In each example shown in Figs. 3 to 8, the conveying position P0 is a normal conveying position, no airflow control is required, the conveying position P1 is a 90-degree inversion due to the airflow, the conveying position P2 is a 180-degree inversion due to the airflow, the conveying position P3 is a 270-degree inversion due to the airflow, and the conveying position P4 is a case in which the conveying position P is removed from the conveying path 121 by the airflow. The blowing mode of the airflow that rotates these conveyed objects P, or the blowing mode of the airflow that removes the conveyed objects P, is related to the strength of the airflow (pressure, flow rate, etc.) and the duration of the airflow, and in some cases, may also be related to other variations in the airflow over time. The drive waveform W is output to a drive signal output unit 1165 consisting of an analog amplifier or the like, and the drive signal output unit 1165 forms a drive signal D using power supplied from a power supply unit 1164 so that the signal state is based on the drive waveform W. As described above, the on-off valve control drive unit 116 adjusts the drive signal D based on the drive element data DA or the drive element data set DAS, and outputs it to the on-off valve 104. The output timing of the drive signal D corresponds to the output timing of the command signal C. The output timing of the command signal C is set in advance or by adjustment so that the output timing of the drive signal D coincides with the timing at which the transported object to be judged is placed in a position facing the blowout port 122.

Figure 3 (a) shows the drive signal D corresponding to each drive waveform W when the judgment result S = 1-4 when the drive element data set DAS (Hv) is selected. For example, when the judgment result S = 0 (transport posture P0), the drive element data DA (Hv) = 0, when S = 1 (P1), DA (Hv) = 20, when S = 2 (P2), DA (Hv) = 30, when S = 3 (P3), DA (Hv) = 40, and when S = 4 (other), DA (Hv) = 100. In this example, the drive element data DA (Hv) is increased or decreased according to the judgment result S, and the height of the drive waveform W, that is, the voltage value Hv of the drive signal D is increased or decreased. As a result, the pressure P of the airflow shown in Figure 3 (b) increases or decreases according to the opening and closing state of the opening and closing valve 104 due to the opening and closing operation of the opening and closing valve 104 driven by the drive signal D output by the opening and closing valve control drive unit 116 based on the driving element data DA. In the illustrated example, since only the driving element data set DAS(Hv) is selected, the initial values for the driving element data sets not selected are a constant time width Tm of the driving signal D, a duty ratio Dt of 1, and the number of driving pulses Np of 1. Note that, when the determination result S=0 is at the conveying posture P0, the driving element data is DA(Hv)=0, so the driving signal D with the driving waveform W is not output. When these driving signals D are applied to the on-off valve 104, as shown in FIG. 3B, the state of the airflow in the airflow path (airflow waveform V) corresponds to the driving signal D. That is, the airflow strength (pressure) P of the airflow waveform V corresponds to the height of the driving waveform W corresponding to the value of the driving element data Hv. However, even in this example, in addition to the driving element data DA(Hv), time-dependent elements such as the number of driving pulses, the duty ratio of the driving signal, and the time width of the driving signal, which will be described later, may be changed according to the determination result. The fact that the drive waveform W and drive signal D can be appropriately formed based on the drive element data set DAS, which is an appropriate combination of multiple types of drive element data DA, is also the case in each of the examples shown in Figures 4 to 8 below.

Figure 4(a) shows the drive signal D corresponding to each drive waveform W when the determination result S = 1-4 when the drive element data set DAS (Tm) is selected. For example, when the determination result S = 0 (transport posture P0), the drive element data DA (Tm) = 0, when S = 1 (P1), DA (Tm) = 20, when S = 2 (P2), DA (Tm) = 30, when S = 3 (P3), DA (Tm) = 40, and when S = 4 (other), DA (Tm) = 100. In the illustrated example, since only the drive element data set DAS (Tm) is selected, the height Hv of the drive signal D is a constant value, the duty ratio Dt is 1, and the number of drive pulses Np is also 1 as the initial values for the drive element data sets that are not selected. Note that, when the determination result S = 0 when the transport posture is P0, the drive element data DA (Tm) = 0, so the drive signal D with the drive waveform W itself is not output. When these drive signals D are applied to the on-off valve 104, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the state of the airflow in the airflow path (airflow waveform V) corresponds to the drive signal D. In other words, the duration of the airflow of the airflow waveform V corresponds to the time width of the drive waveform W that corresponds to the value of the drive element data DA (Tm).

Figure 5 (a) shows the drive signal D corresponding to each drive waveform W when the determination result S = 1-4 when the drive element data set DAS (Dt) is selected. For example, when the determination result S = 0 (transport posture P0), the drive element data DA (Dt) = 0, when S = 1 (P1), DA (Dt) = 20, when S = 2 (P2), DA (Dt) = 30, when S = 3 (P3), DA (Dt) = 40, and when S = 4 (other), DA (Dt) = 90. In the illustrated example, since only the drive element data set DAS (Dt) is selected, the height Hv of the drive signal D is a constant value and the number of drive pulses Np is 3 as the initial value for the drive element data set that is not selected. Note that, when the determination result S = 0 when the transport posture is P0, the drive element data DA (Dt) = 0, so the drive signal D with the drive waveform W itself is not output. When these drive signals D are applied to the on-off valve 104, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the state of the airflow in the airflow path (airflow waveform V) corresponds to the drive signal D. In other words, the airflow strength (pressure) and duration of the airflow waveform V correspond to the duty ratio of the drive waveform W that corresponds to the value of the drive element data DA (Dt).

6A shows the drive signal D corresponding to each drive waveform W when the determination result S=1-4 when the drive element data set DAS(Np) is selected. For example, when the determination result S=0 (transport posture P0), the drive element data DA(Np)=0, when S=1 (P1), DA(Np)=3, when S=2 (P2), DA(Np)=6, when S=3 (P3), DA(Np)=9, and when S=4 (others), DA(Np)=12. In the illustrated example, since only the drive element data set DAS(Np) is selected, the height Hv of the drive signal D is a constant value as an initial value for the drive element data set that is not selected, and the duty ratio Dt is also a constant value. Note that, when the determination result S=0 when the transport posture P0 is used, the drive element data DA(Np)=0, so the drive signal D with the drive waveform W is not output. When these drive signals D are applied to the on-off valve 104, the state of the airflow in the airflow path (airflow waveform V) is changed as shown in FIG.
corresponds to the drive signal D. That is, the airflow strength (pressure) and duration of the airflow waveform V correspond to the number of drive pulses of the drive waveform W that corresponds to the value of the drive element data DA (Np).

Figure 7 (a) shows the drive signal D corresponding to each drive waveform W when the drive element data sets DAS (Hv) and DAS (Tm) are selected and the judgment result S = 1-4. For example, when the judgment result S = 0 (transport posture P0), the drive element data DA (Hv) = 0, DA (Tm) = 0, when S = 1 (P1), DA (Hv) = 40, DA (Tm) = 60, when S = 2 (P2), DA (Hv) = 60, DA (Tm) = 70, when S = 3 (P3), DA (Hv) = 80, DA (Tm) = 90, when S = 4 (other), DA (Hv) = 100, DA (Tm) = 100. In this example, the driving element data DA (Hv) and DA (Tm) are both increased or decreased according to the judgment result S, and the height and time width of the driving waveform W, i.e., the voltage value Hv and time width Tm of the driving signal D are both increased or decreased. As a result, the pressure P of the airflow shown in FIG. 3B increases or decreases according to the opening and closing state of the on-off valve 104 by the opening and closing operation of the on-off valve 104 driven by the driving signal D output by the on-off valve control driving unit 116 based on the driving element data set DAS. In the illustrated example, since the driving element data sets DAS (Hv) and DAS (Tm) are selected, the number of driving pulses Np of the driving signal D is 1 as an initial value for the driving element data set that is not selected. Note that, in the case where the judgment result S=0 when the conveying posture is P0, the driving element data DA (Hv)=0 and DA (Tm)=0, so the driving signal D with the driving waveform W itself is not output. When these drive signals D are applied to the on-off valve 104, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the state of the airflow in the airflow path (airflow waveform V) corresponds to the drive signal D. That is, the airflow strength (pressure) and duration of the airflow waveform V correspond to the height and duration of the drive waveform W, which correspond to each value of the drive element data DA (Hv) and DA (Tm).

Figure 8 (a) shows the drive signal D corresponding to each drive waveform W when the drive element data sets DAS (Hv) and DAS (Dt) are selected and the judgment result S = 1-4. For example, when the judgment result S = 0 (transport posture P0), the drive element data DA (Hv) = 0, DA (Dt) = 0, when S = 1 (P1), DA (Hv) = 50, DA (Dt) = 20, when S = 2 (P2), DA (Hv) = 70, DA (Dt) = 30, when S = 3 (P3), DA (Hv) = 85, DA (Dt) = 40, when S = 4 (other), DA (Hv) = 100, DA (Dt) = 90. In the illustrated example, the driving element data sets DAS (Hv) and DAS (Dt) are selected, so the number of driving pulses Np of the driving signal D is a constant value (3) as an initial value for the driving element data sets that are not selected. Note that when the determination result S=0 is when the conveying attitude is P0, the driving element data DA (Hv)=0 and DA (Dt)=0, so the driving signal D with the driving waveform W is not output. When these driving signals D are applied to the opening and closing valve 104, the state of the airflow in the airflow path (airflow waveform V) corresponds to the driving signal D, as shown in FIG. 8(b). In other words, the strength (pressure) and duration of the airflow of the airflow waveform V correspond to the height and duty ratio of the driving waveform W corresponding to each value of the driving element data DA (Hv) and DA (Dt).

When the various driving element data sets DAS described above are selected, the initial values of other non-selected types of driving element data sets are set in advance and stored in the memory unit 112 or the like. These initial values are read out as necessary when a specific driving element data set DAS is selected in order to determine conditions other than the selected driving element data set. Of course, even for non-selected driving element data sets, initial values that are not necessary for generating the driving waveform W are not necessary.

As described above, the on-off valve control drive unit 116 generates a drive waveform W based on the drive element data DA corresponding to the judgment result S from one or more drive element data sets DAS selected from the drive information DAI, and outputs a drive signal D having the drive waveform W to the on-off valve 104, so that the on-off valve 104 forms an airflow pattern (airflow waveform V) in the airflow path so that the airflow is blown from the blower port 122 to the transported object P, resulting in a control pattern of the transported object P by the airflow corresponding to the judgment result S of the transported object P. Here, the airflow waveform V is an airflow pattern including a time variation pattern of the airflow. Therefore, unlike the conventional case where the valve opening degree of the on-off valve 104 can only be controlled (proportionally) by the value of the drive voltage or drive current, the on-off valve 104 can realize a wide range of airflow patterns (airflow waveform V) corresponding to the drive waveform W by the drive signal D having the drive waveform W corresponding to the judgment result S. To achieve this, an on-off valve control drive unit 116 is required that has the function of generating a drive waveform W based on drive element data DA corresponding to a determination result S as in this embodiment, and an on-off valve 104 that is capable of forming an airflow pattern (airflow waveform V) that includes a time-dependent element that corresponds to the drive waveform W of a drive signal D as in this embodiment.

However, when a piezoelectric valve is used for the on-off valve 104 as described above, it may be difficult to realize the intended opening and closing state by the opening and closing operation of the on-off valve 104 corresponding to the drive signal D because the piezoelectric valve has a fast response. That is, there are cases where the fluctuation of the airflow pressure P corresponding to the drive waveform W of the drive signal D cannot be realized, such as an overshoot of the airflow at the rising edge of the drive signal D. In addition, even if a piezoelectric valve is not used, the same problem as above may occur due to the drive characteristics of the on-off valve 104. In these cases, when the drive waveform W is generated based on the drive element data in advance, the response and other drive characteristics of the on-off valve 104 are taken into consideration, and when the command signal C is output, the drive waveform generation unit 1163 is configured to correct (shape) the drive waveform W when generating the drive waveform W from the drive element data DA according to waveform correction data predetermined according to the drive characteristics of the on-off valve 104. In addition, the drive waveform W formed based on the drive element data DA may be shaped using a digital filter or the like. Furthermore, when outputting the drive signal D from the drive waveform W or when supplying the drive signal D to the on-off valve 104, the signal waveform may be corrected so that the drive signal D corresponds to the drive characteristics of the on-off valve 104 by using a circuit constant or the like instead of the waveform correction data. In this way, the on-off valve 104 can be appropriately driven without complicating the command signal C or increasing the data amount of the command signal C. However, the command signal output unit 1162 may be configured to output a command signal C including the drive element data DA and waveform correction data corresponding to the drive characteristics of the on-off valve 104, and the drive waveform generation unit 1163 may generate a waveform-corrected drive waveform W using the drive element data DA and the waveform correction data. Note that the means for correcting (shaping) the drive waveform W or the drive signal D to match the drive characteristics of the on-off valve 104 as described above can be configured in the same way in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 9 below.

Next, the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 9. This second embodiment has the same configuration as the first embodiment and basically operates in the same manner, so the description of the similar configuration and its operation mode will be omitted. The difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment is that it is equipped with an airflow mode detector 106 for detecting the airflow mode of the airflow path, and an on-off valve drive mode correction unit 1166 that corrects the mode of opening and closing control of the on-off valve 104 by the on-off valve control drive unit 116 based on the detection value of the airflow mode detector 106 when the on-off valve 104 is in an open state. In this embodiment, the control unit 111 detects the airflow mode (airflow waveform V) in the airflow path when the on-off valve 104 is in an open state based on the detection signal T of the airflow mode detector 106, and derives the correction content of the drive element data set DAS or the drive element data DA based on this airflow mode. Then, as shown in FIG. 9, the on-off valve drive mode correction unit 1166 corrects at least the selected drive element data set DAS, which may be included in the command signal C output by the command signal output unit 1162, or the predetermined drive element data DA corresponding to the judgment result S from the drive element data set DAS. Then, instead of the command signal C including this predetermined drive element data DA, it outputs a command signal C' including the corrected drive element data DA' obtained by correcting the predetermined drive element data DA. The drive waveform generation unit 1163 generates a drive waveform W' corresponding to the above correction using this command signal C', and the drive signal output unit 1165 outputs a drive signal D' corresponding to the above correction. As a result, the drive signal D' becomes consistent with the state of the airflow in the actual airflow path, and the state of the airflow blown from the blower 122 toward the transported object P is corrected to a more appropriate one.

The on-off valve drive mode correction unit may output a drive signal D' having a drive waveform W' corrected based on the detection signal T. Therefore, unlike the on-off valve drive mode correction unit 1166, the on-off valve drive mode correction unit of the present invention may be configured to correct the drive element data DA in the on-off valve control unit 116A before the command signal C' is output, or may be configured to correct the drive waveform W or drive signal D in the on-off valve drive unit 116B.

In the illustrated example, in this embodiment, the airflow mode detector 106 is preferably configured to detect the state of the airflow in the airflow piping 105 between the on-off valve 104 and the blowout port 122 (airflow passage 120a). This allows the state of the airflow corresponding to the opening and closing state of the on-off valve 104 to be detected more accurately. However, the airflow mode detector 106 may be configured to detect the state of the airflow in the airflow passage 120a or in the vicinity of the blowout port 122. In addition, since it is possible to estimate the pressure, flow rate, flow velocity, etc. of the airflow flowing to the blowout port 122 from the fluctuation state of the pressure and flow rate on the upstream side of the airflow path corresponding to the opening and closing state of the on-off valve 104, albeit indirectly, the airflow mode detector 106 may be configured to detect the state of the airflow in the airflow piping 103 upstream of the on-off valve 104.

Figure 10 is a schematic flow chart showing the processing procedure of the operation program executed by the control unit 111 in each of the above embodiments. Note that the control unit 111 is not limited to a configuration in which an MPU is used as the arithmetic processing unit as in this embodiment, and various hardware configurations can be adopted. In this case, it should be understood that Figure 10 shows a general operating procedure of the control unit 111, regardless of the hardware configuration.

First, the control unit 111 waits for an input to an operation unit (operation panel or other input means) not shown (step 141), and if there is an operation input regarding the type of transported object P, the transport conditions (driving frequency, transport speed, etc.), the structure of the transport path 121 (whether the transport surface is flat or concavely curved, etc.), the manner of airflow control for the transported object P (inversion or rejection, inversion angle, etc.), the conditions for blowing the airflow onto the transported object P (opening area of the nozzle, height position, etc.) (step 142), it calls up one or more drive element data sets DAS (the above-mentioned DAS(Hv), DAS(Tm), DAS(Dt), DAS(Np), etc.) corresponding to the operation input from the drive information DAI stored in the memory unit 112, and outputs it to the opening/closing valve control drive unit 116 (step 143). At this time, the control unit 111 may automatically select the drive element data set DAS (automatically inputting an input signal corresponding to the above operation input) according to the configuration conditions of the on-off valve control drive unit 116 of the output destination that have been registered in advance (for example, the mode of airflow control for the transported object P and the airflow spray conditions, etc.).

Next, the on-off valve control drive unit 116 can select one or more drive element data sets DAS from the drive information DAI, and extract drive element data DA corresponding to the judgment result S output by the transported object judgment unit 115 from the selected drive element data set DAS. Finally, the drive element data DA is set so that a drive signal D having a drive waveform W corresponding to the judgment result S can be output (step 144). After that, the transport mechanism 120 waits until the transport process of the transported object is started by an input signal such as an interlocking signal or an operation input output from the transport mechanism 120 (step 145). When the transport process is started, the image captured by the image acquisition device 109 (step 146) is processed in the transported object judgment unit 115, and the transported object P is judged, and the judgment result S is output (step 147). Here, the on-off valve control drive unit 116 that has received the judgment result S extracts the drive element data DA corresponding to the judgment result S. At this time, if the driving element data DA requires airflow control of the transported object P (in the case of transporting postures P1-P4) (step 148), a driving signal D having a driving waveform W is output based on the driving element data DA (step 149), and the on-off valve 104 is operated by opening and closing control according to the driving signal D, and the position and posture of the transported object P are controlled by blowing an airflow from the blowing port 122. Thereafter, the same judgment process is repeated for the next transported object P as long as the transport process is not completed. If the judgment result S does not require airflow control of the transported object P (in the case of transporting posture P0), the same judgment process is repeated for the next transported object as long as the transport process of the transported object is not completed. When the transport process is completed (step 150), the system returns to the standby state for the above-mentioned operation input unless a stop signal is output from the transport mechanism 120 or an operation input for stopping is made. The above processing procedure is also performed in the same way when the airflow mode detector 106 is provided. When the system is finally stopped (step 151), the process is completed. On the other hand, if the system is not stopped, it returns to the initial standby state (step 141).

11 is a schematic flow chart showing an additional procedure in the second embodiment in which the on-off valve 104 is driven by the drive signal D' corrected based on the detection signal T using the airflow mode detector 106 and the on-off valve drive mode correction unit 1166 in the above operation program. The control unit 111 determines whether or not the drive element data set DAS is required to be corrected based on the drive signal D when the on-off valve 104 is in an open state and the detection signal T of the airflow mode detector 106 at this time, and derives the correction content if the drive element data set DAS is required to be corrected. Specifically, the control unit 111 obtains detection information (values) indicating the airflow mode such as the pressure, flow rate, flow velocity, and duration of the airflow in the airflow path from the detection signal T when the on-off valve 104 is in an open state due to the drive signal D output from the on-off valve control drive unit 116, and determines how to correct the drive element data from the detection information. For example, in the case of the driving element data sets DAS(Hv), DAS(Tm), DAS(Dt), and DAS(Np), if the detection information is significantly different from the standard assumed by the driving signal D by a predetermined threshold value based on the relationship between the driving signal D and the detection information, the control unit 111 determines that the driving element data set DAS being used needs to be corrected, corrects the driving element data set DAS, and based on this, changes the command signal C to the command signal C' based on the driving element data DA' corrected in the on-off valve driving mode correction unit 1166. As a result, the driving signal generation unit 1163 generates the driving waveform W', and the driving signal output unit 1165 outputs the driving signal D'. Note that the correction target may not be the entire driving element data set DAS, but only the driving element data DA corresponding to the output judgment element S. Also, the correction target may be any of the command signal C, driving waveform W, and driving signal D, rather than the driving element data DA.

According to each embodiment described above, the control unit 111 selects a driving element data set from the driving information DI, the on-off valve control unit 116A forms command signals C, C' including the above driving element data corresponding to the judgment result S, and the on-off valve driving unit 116B provides the on-off valve 104 with driving signals D, D' having driving waveforms W, W' corresponding to the above driving element data, thereby forming an airflow pattern corresponding to the above driving waveforms W, W'. Therefore, a wide range of airflow patterns can be realized according to the situation, such as the type of transported object P, the structure of the transport path 121, and the type of airflow control for the transported object P, preventing poor sorting of the transported object and a decrease in supply efficiency.

In particular, in the second embodiment, the on-off valve drive mode correction unit 1166 can form a command signal C', drive waveform W', or drive signal D' that is corrected based on the detection signal T of the airflow mode detector 106, so that the airflow mode can be further optimized according to the situation, thereby making it possible to further improve the control mode by the airflow of the transported goods.

In addition, when a valve structure with a high speed and fast response speed is used as the on-off valve 104, it may be difficult to ensure the accuracy and reproducibility of the state of the airflow blown from the nozzle 122 toward the transported object P, i.e., the pressure, flow rate, flow velocity, etc. of the airflow. In particular, by using a high-speed response piezoelectric valve, it becomes possible to handle a high-density transport mechanism 120 with high-speed transport, but there is a problem that it is difficult to accurately and reproducibly set the state of the airflow for the airflow control of the transported object due to the temperature characteristics and hysteresis characteristics of a normal piezoelectric valve. However, in this embodiment, by driving the on-off valve 104 with a drive signal D having a drive waveform W based on one or more drive element data sets DAS, the state of the on-off valve 104's on-off control can be set over a wide range, which has the advantage that the state of the airflow for the airflow control of the transported object can be accurately and reproducibly set.

In particular, in the second embodiment, the driving element data, driving waveform W, driving signal D, etc. can be corrected based on the detection signal T of the airflow mode detector 106, so that the airflow control of the transported object can be performed more accurately and with good reproducibility. In addition, in this embodiment, the accuracy and reproducibility of the open state of the on-off valve 104 may be affected by the airflow mode (pressure and flow rate) and temperature of the airflow path, the shape of the driving signal, etc. In particular, in on-off valves capable of high-speed operation such as piezoelectric valves, the opening area in the open state changes depending on the pressure and flow rate of the airflow path, the environmental temperature, the driving voltage, the driving current, the opening speed, etc., so that the mode of the airflow blown from the nozzle 122 may not be realized with sufficient accuracy and good reproducibility. Even in such a case, it is possible to eliminate the influence of the on-off valve by correcting the driving mode by the on-off valve driving mode correction unit 1166 as described above.

In each of the above embodiments, an airflow filter can be formed in the air supply path (airflow piping 105) downstream of the on-off valve 104 in addition to or instead of the correction (shaping) of the drive waveform W or drive signal D required according to the drive characteristics of the on-off valve 104. This airflow filter is an airflow structure element that affects the airflow in the airflow path provided between the outlet of the on-off valve 104 and the airflow path 120a or the airflow nozzle 122 in order to make the state of the airflow flowing through the airflow path 120a and the state of the airflow ejected from the nozzle 122 suitable for airflow control for the transported object according to the opening and closing state caused by the opening and closing operation of the on-off valve 104 based on the drive signal D. Examples of airflow filters include path structures for mitigating pressure fluctuations of the airflow, such as an orifice (restriction section) or labyrinth structure formed in the pipe, and an airflow filter inserted in the pipe.

In the second embodiment, in order to make the opening and closing mode of the on-off valve 104 suitable so as to realize a good airflow mode regardless of the drive characteristics of the on-off valve 104, feedback control is applied to the opening and closing operation of the on-off valve 104 according to the airflow mode in the airflow path. This is because, particularly when a piezoelectric valve such as the piezoelectric valve 134 shown in FIG. 12 is used as the on-off valve 104, the operation mode of the piezoelectric element is sensitive to temperature changes, and the operating structure of the valve body is easily affected by the pressure before and after the airflow path. Here, an accurate output (flow rate or pressure) cannot be obtained by voltage control alone with an on-off valve such as a piezoelectric valve. This is also because there is a hysteresis characteristic between the applied voltage to the on-off valve and the discharge pressure (the movement distance of the valve body). For this reason, it is essential to implement feedback control in order to ensure the accuracy of the opening and closing operation of the on-off valve. The configuration of the second embodiment is extremely effective in stabilizing the opening and closing mode of the on-off valve 104 against disturbances such as temperature changes by the drive signal D regardless of the drive characteristics of the on-off valve 104, and realizing the desired airflow mode (pressure P) with high accuracy. As for feedback control, instead of or in addition to the feedback control based on the state of the airflow in the second embodiment, drive control may be performed according to the difference between the drive signal D and the detection signal based on a detection signal that directly indicates the opening and closing state of the valve body of the on-off valve 104. In the first and second embodiments, if the operation state (position, attitude, etc.) of the valve body of the on-off valve 104 is detected by a detector such as a strain sensor and the drive waveform W and drive signal D are controlled, an opening and closing state that is more suited to the drive characteristics of the on-off valve 104 can be realized.

The airflow control system and transport device for transported objects according to the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned illustrated examples, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the respective features of each of the above-mentioned embodiments can be combined with each other in any combination as long as no problems arise.

In this specification, the term "airflow mode" refers to the state, condition, and appearance of the airflow in the airflow path and the blower nozzle 122, such as the pressure, flow rate, and flow speed of the airflow in the airflow path and the blower nozzle 122. In addition, the control mode of the transported object refers to the mode in which the transported object is controlled by the airflow blown from the blower nozzle, that is, the state, condition, and appearance of the transported object being controlled by the airflow. Here, controlling the transported object refers to moving the transported object or changing its position by removing, inverting, distributing, etc.

100... conveying device (airflow control system for conveyed objects), 101... airflow supply source, 102... regulator, 103... airflow piping, 104... on-off valve, 105... airflow piping, 106... airflow pattern detector, 109... image acquisition device, 111... control unit, 112... memory unit, 113... conveying controller, 114... conveying drive unit, 115... conveyed object judgment unit, 115a... image processing unit, 115b... judgment output unit, 116...opening/closing valve braking drive unit, 116A...opening/closing valve control unit, 1161...drive information selection unit, 1162...command signal output unit, 116B...opening/closing valve drive unit, 1163...drive waveform generation unit, 1164...power supply unit, 1165...drive signal output unit, DI...drive information, Hv, Tm, Dt, Np...drive element data set, 120...transport mechanism, 120a...air flow passage, 121...transport path, 122...air nozzle

Claims (14)

1. A system for controlling an object being conveyed along a conveying path by airflow, comprising:
an air outlet connected to an air flow path extending from an air flow source and facing the transport path;
an on-off valve configured to receive a drive signal and open and close the airflow path in an opening/closing manner corresponding to a drive waveform of the drive signal;
a transported object determination unit that performs a determination according to a detection state of a transported object detector that detects the transported object heading toward the gas jet port on the transport path;
an on-off valve control drive unit that outputs the drive signal having the drive waveform corresponding to the determination result when the determination result of the transported object determination unit indicates that control by the air flow of the transported object is required, and is configured to control the on-off valve to open and close at the timing when the transported object faces the air outlet by a drive mode corresponding to the drive waveform;
Equipped with
The on-off valve control drive unit generates the drive waveform according to the judgment result, and forms the drive signal based on the drive waveform, thereby being capable of outputting a plurality of types of the drive signals whose time-dependent factors change based on a plurality of types of the drive waveforms that are different from each other according to a plurality of the judgment results.
Airflow control system for transported goods. The airflow control system for transported goods according to claim 1, wherein when the transported goods determination unit obtains a specific one of the multiple determination results, the on-off valve control drive unit does not output the drive signal in accordance with predetermined drive information. The on-off valve control drive unit is
an on-off valve control unit that outputs a command signal including driving element data corresponding to the determination result according to predetermined driving information in accordance with the timing;
an on-off valve driving unit that outputs the driving signal having the driving waveform corresponding to the driving element data in order to drive the on-off valve when the command signal is received;
having
3. An airflow control system for transporting an object according to claim 1 or 2. The on-off valve drive unit is
a drive waveform generation unit that generates the drive waveform corresponding to the drive element data;
a drive signal output unit that outputs the drive signal having the drive waveform to the on-off valve;
having
4. The airflow control system for transported goods according to claim 3. The driving element data indicates a numerical value expressing an aspect of the driving waveform.
5. An airflow control system for transporting an object according to claim 3 or 4. an airflow pattern detector for detecting an airflow pattern in the airflow path;
an on-off valve drive mode correction unit that corrects a mode of the on-off valve control drive unit to control the on-off valve based on a detection mode of the airflow mode detector when the on-off valve is in an open state;
Further comprising:
An airflow control system for transporting an object according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The system further includes a control unit that manages the entire system, and a storage unit that stores drive information indicating a preset drive mode of the on-off valve,
The drive information includes a plurality of drive element data sets corresponding to drive waveforms included in the drive signal;
The on-off valve control driving unit generates the driving waveform based on driving element data corresponding to the determination result from one or more driving element data sets selected from the driving information output by the control unit, and outputs the driving signal having the driving waveform.
7. An airflow control system for transporting an object according to claim 1, 2 or 6 . the time-dependent component being the number of drive pulses of the drive signal;
An airflow control system for transporting an object according to any one of claims 1 to 7 . The time-dependent element is a duty ratio of the drive signal.
An airflow control system for transporting an object according to any one of claims 1 to 8 . The time-dependent element is a time width of the drive signal.
An airflow control system for transporting an object according to any one of claims 1 to 9 . The on-off valve control drive unit is configured to be able to output a plurality of types of the drive signals whose intensities change depending on the determination result.
An airflow control system for transporting an object according to any one of claims 1 to 10. The on-off valve is a piezoelectric valve.
An airflow control system for transporting an object according to any one of claims 1 to 11. An airflow control system for transporting an object according to any one of claims 1 to 12;
a conveying mechanism that conveys the object along the conveying path;
A conveying device comprising: The conveying mechanism conveys the object by vibrating the conveying path.
14. The conveying device of claim 13.

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