JPH04318690A - Article fixed quantity collector - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To temporarily collect product groups to obtain necessary package units continuously by circularly conveying an arbitrary amount of part less than a package unit and by executing combinational arithmetic operation. CONSTITUTION:The upstream terminal of a circular conveyor 2 with continuously installed part pans 3 is equipped with a part chuter 5 that is used to chute a number of parts 4 less than a collecting quantity. Further, at a lower section of the circular conveyor 2, a collector unit 14 that receives parts 4 discharge from the part pans 3 and that temporarily collects an amount of part group as collecting unit. In this parts container 14, in order to chute a part group into part cases 12 in synchronous with traveling of the part cases 12 of part conveyor 11, the bottom section consists of hoppers 15 and 16 that can be freely opened and closed, and a chute 17. Furthermore, an arithmetic unit 19, while conveying parts 4 on the circular conveyor 2, combines part groups put on two sets of part pans 3 to obtain some amount of parts as a collecting unit. Thus, parts 4 are collected during conveying, thereby being able to collect parts temporarily and to obtain a necessary package unit.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention circulates and conveys articles in an amount smaller than the quantity or weight of the required packaging unit, and during the conveyance, at least two groups of articles are combined to reduce the number of said packaging units. Alternatively, the present invention relates to an article quantitative collection device for obtaining weight.

0002

[Prior Art] For example, when packing small parts such as screws into bags, a small parts counting device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-59888 uses a CCD for each required packaging unit.
There are some items that are packaged while accurately counting the number of items by taking images with a camera or the like.

0003

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] The present invention reduces the amount of fine-adjustment time required for adding several pieces, one piece at a time, or small amounts at a time in order to obtain the required amount of packaging units after measuring an amount close to the packaging unit. In order to save time, an arbitrary amount smaller than a packaging unit is transported in circulation as one unit, and by performing a combination calculation, it is collected at a release location on the way to transport, and the collected items are temporarily stored and needed. The aim is to obtain packaging units continuously.

0004

[Means for Solving the Problems] Therefore, the present invention provides a supply means for supplying an amount of articles smaller than a target amount to be collected, and a supply means for circulating and conveying the articles supplied by the supply means for each supplied amount. a dispensing means for selectively distributing the goods on the way; a tracking means for tracking the current position of the group of articles supplied by the supply means together with information on the amount of the group of articles in accordance with the movement of the dispensing means; computing means for combining at least two of the article groups to obtain the target quantity as a preset collection unit; and distributing means for distributing the combined article group resulting in the target quantity as a result of the combination by the computing means. There is provided an article quantitative collection device comprising a discharging means for discharging from the discharge means, and a storage means for temporarily storing the target amount of articles discharged by the discharging means.

[0005]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the apparatus for collecting a fixed quantity of small articles according to the present invention, particularly an apparatus 1 for collecting a fixed quantity of small articles, will be described with reference to the drawings. Reference numeral 2 denotes a circulation conveyor serving as a distribution means in which a large number of parts receiving trays 3 are arranged in series, and the small parts 4 placed in the parts receiving trays 3 are circulated and conveyed in units of units.

[0006] Reference numeral 5 denotes a parts loading device provided at the upstream end of the circulating conveyor 2 and serving as a supply means for loading parts 4 in a smaller number than the quantity to be collected. As shown in FIG. 3, this component feeding device 5 includes a supply chute 6 that supplies components 4, a loosening chute 7 that moves the components 4 supplied from this supply chute 6 while loosening them by vibrating them, and this loosening chute 7. to calculate the number of parts 4 falling from the tip of the circulation conveyor 2.
It consists of an input hopper 8 for inputting parts into the parts receiving tray 3, and a weighing device 9 for weighing the parts 4 in the input hopper 8.

Reference numeral 10 denotes a first encoder as a tracking means for detecting the conveyance speed of the circulation conveyor 2 attached to the drive shaft (not shown) of the circulation conveyor 2. The position of each component receiving tray 3 is confirmed by the speed signal.

[0008] Reference numeral 11 denotes a parts transport conveyor downstream of the circulation conveyor 2, in which a number of parts cases 12 are connected to each other, and the parts cases 12 are disposed downward at right angles to the direction of arrow A, which is the transport direction of the circulation conveyor 2. On the side of the circulation conveyor 2 where the parts conveyor 11 and the circulation conveyor 2 intersect, there is an opening device 13 as a release means for opening the bottom of the parts receiving tray 3 in response to an opening signal and releasing the parts 4 in the parts receiving tray 3. It is provided.

Further, below the circulation conveyor 2, there is a storage device 1 as a means for receiving the parts 4 discharged from the parts receiving tray 3 and temporarily storing a group of parts in a collection unit.
4 is provided. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the storage device 14 has a first structure whose lower part can be opened and closed in order to load the group of parts into the parts case 12 in synchronization with the transfer of the parts case 12 of the parts conveyor 11. It is composed of a hopper 15, a second hopper 16, and a chute 17. By the way, the drive unit (
(not shown) is attached with a second encoder 18 for intermittently positioning the parts case 12 below the chute 17.

[0010] 19 combines at least two units of parts 4, that is, parts groups in two sets of parts receiving trays 3, while the parts 4 are being transferred by the circulating conveyor 2, and collects them as a preset collection unit. This is a calculation device as a calculation means for obtaining a quantity, and is provided near the circulation conveyor 2 (see FIG. 1).

In addition, the arithmetic unit 19 has the following functions. The parts 4 charged into the input hopper 8 are weighed by a weighing device 9, and upon receiving the weighing signal, the calculation device 1
The number of parts 4 placed in the parts receiving tray 3 is calculated from the weight of each part inputted and stored in advance in the part 9. This calculated quantity of parts 4 in the parts tray 3 is stored in the arithmetic unit 19 in association with this parts tray 3.

Furthermore, since the position of each component receiving tray 3 is continuously determined by the speed signal of the circulation conveyor 2 inputted from the encoder 10, it is possible to determine which component receiving tray 3 is in a position opposite to the opening device 13. I know what it is. As a result of the combination calculated by the calculation device 19, when the component tray 3 to be opened by the storage device 14 is determined, the calculation device 19 releases it every time the determined component tray 3 is transported to the side of the release device 13. A signal is output. Further, each time the quantity of parts 4 released into the storage device 14 reaches a preset quantity as a collection unit, that is, each time a set of combined component trays 3 is released, the calculation device 19 sends the storage device 14 to the storage device 14. An opening/closing signal is output to the first hopper 15 or second hopper 16 to release the temporarily stored parts group. Further, the release signal for the second hopper 16 is output after confirming that the parts case 12 is positioned below the chute 17 based on the conveyance signal from the second encoder 18.

The operation of the small article constant quantity collection device 1 having the above configuration will be explained. Supply chute 6 of parts input device 5
The parts 4 supplied to the loosening chute 7 are gradually loosened by the vibrations of the loosening chute 7 and flow down into the input hopper 8. The weight of the parts 4 sequentially flowing down into the input hopper 8 is measured by a weighing device 9, and the measured weight is sent one by one to a calculation device 19. The weight of each part is stored in advance in the arithmetic unit 19, and the number of parts 4 that have entered the input hopper 8 is calculated from this weight.

[0014] In this embodiment, ten parts 4 are set as one collection unit, and about five parts, which is one-half of the number, are put into the parts receiving tray 3 irregularly as one unit. Therefore, the parts receiving tray 3 connected to the circulation conveyor 2 accommodates nearly five parts 4. Since the circulation conveyor 2 is conveying in the direction of the arrow A, the parts 4 are sequentially thrown into the parts receiving tray 3 which has come below the parts feeding device 5. Each component tray 3 accommodates a different number of components 4, but each of these component trays 3 always maintains its current position based on the conveyance speed signal from the encoder 10 provided on the drive shaft of the circulation conveyor 2. is understood.

An opening device 13 opens the bottom of the parts receiving tray 3 from the position where the parts 4 are placed in the parts receiving tray 3.
While the computing device 1 is being transported to the location where the
At step 9, a combination calculation is performed between the component groups in each component receiving tray 3 in order to obtain the quantity as a collection unit.

When the parts receiving tray 3 whose combination has been determined is transferred to the opening device 13, an opening signal from the arithmetic device 19 causes the parts receiving tray 3 to be transferred to the temporary storage device 14 provided below the circulating conveyor 2 at this position. parts tray 3
Part 4 inside is ejected. When a component 4 is discharged from the two component receiving trays 3 that are a set of combinations, a release signal is output from the computing device 19 to the first hopper 15 or the second hopper 16 of the storage device 14, and the component conveyor 11 is released. The parts are stored in the first hopper 15 or the second hopper 16 for temporary storage before being discharged into the parts case 12.

First hopper 15 or second hopper 1
6 is determined by the opening/closing signal from the arithmetic unit 19. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, when neither the first hopper 15 nor the second hopper 16 contains a group of parts, the first hopper 15 is opened (see A in FIG. 4). condition), the second hopper 1
6. Also, when a group of parts is stored only in the second hopper 16, it is stored in the first hopper 15 (
(state B in Figure 4). and first and second hoppers 15
, 16, the parts case 12 is positioned below the chute 17. Therefore, as shown in FIG.

Next, concrete combinational operations will be explained. The storage locations for combination calculations built into the calculation device 19 are illustrated in FIG. 6, and the number of parts accommodated in the parts receiving tray 3 and the order of conveyance, that is, the order of counting, are explained in Table 1.

[0019]

[Table 1]

Eleven storage locations P1 to P11 are set in the arithmetic unit 19. Each time it is counted sequentially, the stored number is shifted from P11 to P10 and from P10 to P9 based on the carrier signal from the first encoder 10. And every time it is shifted P11
It is calculated whether or not the number of pieces input as a collection unit is 10 pieces by combining the number inputted to the number and the number counted so far and already stored between storage positions P10 and P1.

First, when parts 4 are placed in the parts tray 3, the calculation device 19 calculates how many parts have been placed. Therefore, for example, from Table 1, the first four items in the counting order are stored in P11. Since nothing is yet stored between P10 and P1, no combinatorial operation is performed.

The four pieces in the storage position P11 are shifted to the storage position P10, and the second six pieces in the counting order are stored in the vacant storage position P11. Therefore, this time, it is calculated whether or not the six pieces at the storage position P11 and the four pieces at the storage position P10 are added to make ten pieces as a collection unit. As a result of the combination operation, there are ten pieces, so the four pieces in the first counting order and the four pieces in the second counting order
The sixth combination is determined as the first combination 1a.

Next, the four items stored in the storage location P10 are shifted to the storage location P9, and the six items stored in the storage location P11 are shifted to the empty storage location P10. The first three are memorized. After that, it is calculated whether or not the three pieces stored in memory location P11 and other numbers are combined to make ten pieces, but since memory position P10 and memory position P9 have already been determined as a combination, the combination calculation is not performed. Not done.

Next, the four pieces at the memory position P9 go to the memory position P8, the six pieces at the memory position P10 go to the memory position P9, and the six pieces at the memory position P9 go to the memory position P8.
Three pieces of No. 11 are shifted to the storage position P10, and five pieces are input to the empty storage position P11. and memory location P
Although a combination calculation is performed on the five pieces at P11 and the three pieces at the storage location P10, it does not result in ten pieces, which is the collection unit, so it is determined that the current combination does not exist.

After the numbers stored between each memory location P11 to P9 are shifted, the fifth five pieces in the counting order are input to the memory location P11, as shown in Table 1. A combination calculation is performed on the five memory locations P11 and the three memory locations P9 that have not yet been determined as a combination, but the collection unit cannot be satisfied, and the five memory locations P11 and the five memory locations P10 are combined. A combinatorial operation is performed between the . As a result, the fourth five pieces in the counting order and the five pieces fifth in the counting order are determined as the combination set 2a. Combinations are determined in this way.

The parts group of the combination set 1a is stored in the storage device 1.
4 is stored in the second hopper 16, and the combination set 2a is stored in the first hopper 15. During this time, when the parts case 12 of the parts conveyor 11 is positioned below the chute 17, the combination set 1 accommodated in the second hopper 16
The parts group a is released into the parts case 12.

The parts groups whose combinations have been determined in this manner are sequentially discharged in the order of transport. To explain the subsequent temporary storage procedure in the storage device 14, when the combination set 1a is released, the first hopper 15 is opened and the second hopper 1 is
6 and parts case 1 of parts conveyor 11.
It will be temporarily held until 2 is positioned. When the next combination set 2a is to be discharged, the first hopper 15 is closed by a command from the arithmetic unit 19 as in the state shown in FIG. be done. By the time the parts group of the combination set 3a is transported, the parts case 12 of the parts transport conveyor 11 is positioned below the chute 17, as shown in the state shown in FIG. A group of parts is put into the parts case 12.

Furthermore, if the next parts case 12 is positioned before the parts group of the combination set 3a is transported, the parts group in the first hopper 15 will be directly transferred to the parts case 1.
2, and the next parts case 12 is placed in chute 1.
If the parts of the combination set 3a are discharged before being positioned below 7, the arithmetic unit 19 sends a closing signal to the second hopper 16, and also sends a signal to the first hopper 1.
5, an opening/closing signal is output to the first hopper 15, and the parts of the combination 2a in the first hopper 15 are discharged to the second hopper 16, where they are temporarily stored, and the parts of the combination 3a are transferred to the first hopper 15. to accommodate.

[0029]

[Table 2]

As another embodiment, as shown in the electrical block diagram of FIG. 7, more efficient constant quantity packaging can be achieved by using two storage devices. That is, the opening device 13, 13' and the accommodation device 14,
14' were installed at two locations, and two parts conveyors were also installed.

Table 2 and FIG. 8 show the results of the combination calculation in such a case and the storage state between the storage positions P11 and P1 in the arithmetic unit 19. In the case of this embodiment, the four pieces in the first counting order and the six pieces in the second counting order are transferred to one storage device 14 as a combination set 1b, and the fourth one in the counting order.
The fifth five pieces and the fifth five pieces in the counting order are determined to be discharged as combination set 1c to the other storage device 14'. Since the release locations for combination sets 1b and 1c are different, the seven pieces in the seventh counting order inputted to the storage location P11 are different from the three pieces in the third counting order stored in the storage location P7, as shown in FIG. are calculated in combination, and as a result, they can be discharged to the one storage device 14 as a combination set 2b.

Furthermore, the electrical block diagram shown in FIG. 9 has two places for putting the parts 4 into the parts tray 3 and two places for discharging the assembled parts. Multiple collection units can be set. For example, if the collection unit is 20 pieces and 30 pieces, by putting around 10 pieces into the parts receiving tray 3, 20 pieces or 30 pieces will be packed, and about 15 pieces will be put into the parts receiving tray 3. 3. Packing of 30 pieces is carried out. In addition, 1/N of the required collection unit (N=3
, 4, 5, . . .) may be irregularly placed into the parts receiving tray 3.

[0033] Furthermore, for example, in order to carry out packing of ten pieces, the first feeding means may be used to feed a number close to ten, but not more than ten, and the second feeding means may be used to feed several pieces. .

Further, the charging device 20 shown in FIG. 10 is another embodiment for counting the parts 4, and is used instead of a scale to count the parts 4 thrown into the parts receiving tray 3 from the discharging end of the loosening chute 7. A CCD camera 21 is installed in the camera. In this case, the number of parts 4 is input to the arithmetic unit 19.

In addition, the opening device 13 has an operating rod of an air cylinder that protrudes from a protrusion provided on the bottom plate of the component receiving tray 3, and the bottom plate opens when it hits the protruding portion. , the conveyance path may be modified so that the parts 4 contained therein may be spilled.

Furthermore, the parts that have not been determined as a combination set may be discharged once and new small parts put in, or by newly putting the parts 4 into the empty parts tray 3, Items that could not be combined may be combined again.

By the way, as a combinatorial operation, the storage device P1
Although an example of a combination between a number inputted in 1 and a number in another storage location has been disclosed, the present invention is not limited to this, and the invention is not limited to this, but the present invention is a so-called general combination operation in which operations are performed in all combination patterns. It may also be a combination of nCr.

FIG. 11 shows a quantitative article collection device 23 in which a rotary distribution hopper 22 is employed as a distribution means, and the device 23 for collecting articles in an amount smaller than the target amount to be collected is shown in FIG. device 24 (in this case,
The weight of the supplied articles may be measured using a scale, and the weight of this group of articles may be used as a unit. ), rotating the parts supplied by the supply device 24 in the direction of arrow B for each supplied amount;
a rotary dispensing hopper 22 for selectively dispensing during its rotation; a tracking device 25 for tracking the position of a quantity of articles fed by said feeding device 24 in response to movement of said rotary dispensing hopper 22; a calculation device 26 that combines at least two units of a group to obtain the target amount as a preset collection unit; and a calculation device 26 that combines at least two units of a group to obtain the target amount as a preset collection unit; An upper and lower temporary storage hopper 30 having a discharge device 27 for discharging from the hopper 22 and lower opening/closing means 28 and 29
. It is comprised of a conveyance device 35 that receives the information in synchronization with the conveyance of the section 34. If the conveyance device 35 is a quantitative collection device for parts, screws, etc. that is conveyed to a product assembly process location, the conveyance device 35 returns with the receiving portion 34 empty.

When obtaining sales units for fixed quantity packaging of screws, etc., or sales units for fixed weight packaging of pet food, etc., a bagging and packaging device is placed adjacent to the conveyance path of the conveyance device 35. It may also be provided. In the case of fixed weight packaging, a set of combinations can be easily obtained by providing a tolerance range for the target amount. In addition, in the case of bolts and nuts or screws and washers, which are generally sold as a set of multiple types of screws, multiple types may be counted and combined. In that case, the temporary storage means will be temporarily held until the target numbers of multiple types are obtained.

[0040]

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, the present invention reduces the fine-adjustment time of adding several pieces, one piece at a time, or small amounts at a time in order to obtain the required amount of packaging units after measuring an amount close to the packaging unit. In order to avoid this problem, an arbitrary amount smaller than a packaging unit is transported in circulation as one unit, and a combination calculation is performed to collect the collected items at a release point along the way and temporarily store them as needed. It is possible to continuously obtain packaging units.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view schematically illustrating FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view illustrating the parts input device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of the accommodation device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an electrical block diagram of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a combinational operation showing storage locations of the arithmetic device shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an electrical block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram of a combinational operation showing storage locations of the arithmetic device shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 9 is an electrical block diagram showing another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a side view illustrating another embodiment of the parts loading device.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view illustrating another embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Small article constant quantity collection device 2 Circulation conveyor 3 Parts tray 4 Parts 5 Parts loading device 6 Supply chute 7 Loosen chute 8 Input hopper 9. Measuring instrument 10 First encoder 11 Parts conveyor 12 Parts case 13 Opening device 14 Containment device 15 First hopper 16 Second hopper 17 Shoot 18 Second encoder 19 Arithmetic device 20 Loading device 21 CCD camera 22 Rotating distribution hopper 23. Quantitative collection device for goods 24 Supply device 25 Tracking device 26 Arithmetic device 27 Release device 28, 29 Lower opening/closing means 30 Upper temporary storage hopper 31 Lower temporary storage hopper 32 Shoot 33 Containment device 34 Receiving part 35 Conveyance device 36 Drive device

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A supply means for supplying an amount of articles smaller than a target amount to be collected, and a distribution means for circulating and conveying the articles supplied by the supply means for each supplied amount and selectively distributing them during conveyance. and a tracking means for tracking the current position of the group of articles in the amount supplied by the supplying means, together with information on the amount of the group of articles, in accordance with the movement of the dispensing means; a calculation means for combining to obtain the target amount as a collection unit set in advance; a discharging means for discharging from the distributing means a group of articles in a combination that results in the target amount as a result of the combination by the calculation means; and the discharging means. and storage means for temporarily storing the target amount of articles discharged by the means.