JPH07196147A - Device for adjusting interval of vegetables - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an interval adjusting device for decreasing intervals of vegetables such as cucumbers which can therefore automatically packed in a box with the use of a machine. CONSTITUTION:More than two vegetable receivers 2 on which vegetables 1 are set, are attached to a guide member 3 so as to be lined up in a row and to be slidable, and are coupled to one another so that their intervals are variable. Of these vegetable receivers 2, the one at one end of the lined-up row, is secured to the guide member 3, and the one at the other end of the row is reciprocated in the direction of the lined-up row by means of a drive device 5, and accordingly, the space between each adjacent vegetable receivers 2 can be adjusted by this reciprocal motion.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fruit vegetable interval adjusting device which can reduce the interval between fruit vegetables such as cucumbers placed side by side, and can be used, for example, in an automatic box packaging device for fruit vegetables.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Up to now, there is no device capable of automatically packing long fruits and vegetables such as cucumbers in a cardboard box, and such long fruits and vegetables have been manually packed. For example, in FIG.
In the case of the cucumber A shown in (4), the cucumber A is classified according to grades by a sorting device (may be manually sorted by a fruit-picker), and each is transported by a belt conveyor, and the cucumber A is conveyed by the belt conveyor. The waiting workers pick up the cucumbers one by one, and the picked cucumbers A are lined up one by one in the empty packing box B while aligning the directions and bends, for example, 48 (12 x 2 rows x The cucumber A was packed in the box so that the second stage) was housed in the box B.

[0003]

However, the conventional manual packaging of cucumber A requires a large labor load on the worker, and the packaging work is slow and inefficient. Further, automation (mechanization) of cucumber A box packaging work has been strongly desired due to problems such as aging of agricultural workers and labor shortage.

An object of the present invention is to provide a fruit and vegetable interval adjusting device for automatically packing fruit and vegetable intervals such that fruit and vegetables such as cucumber can be automatically boxed by a machine.

[0005]

According to another aspect of the present invention, in the fruit vegetable interval adjusting device according to claim 1, two or more fruit vegetable receiving members 2 on which the fruit vegetables 1 are placed are arranged in a line and slidable in the arrangement direction. These fruit and vegetable receivers 2 are slid in the arrangement direction by a drive device 5 so that the interval between adjacent fruit and vegetable receivers 2 can be adjusted.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the fruit vegetable interval adjusting device according to the second aspect of the present invention allows two or more fruit vegetable receivers 2 on which the fruit vegetables 1 are placed to be slidable in a line on the guide member 3. It is attached to the fruit vegetable receiver 2
Are connected to each other by a connecting tool 4 so that the distance between them can be varied, and among the fruit and vegetable receiving tools 2, the fruit and vegetable receiving tool 2 at one end in the array direction is fixed to the guide member 3, and the fruit and vegetable receiving tool 2 at the other end in the array direction. Is reciprocally driven by the drive device 5 in the arrangement direction of the fruit and vegetable receiving tools 2, and the interval between the adjacent fruit and vegetable receiving tools 2 can be adjusted by this reciprocal driving.

As shown in FIG. 4, the apparatus for adjusting the interval between fruits and vegetables according to the third aspect of the present invention is provided with two or more fruit and vegetable receptacles 2 on which the fruits and vegetables 1 are placed so as to be slidable in a line on the guide member 3. At the same time, an elastic body 6 is arranged between these fruit and vegetable receiving tools 2 to push the adjacent vegetable and vegetable receiving tools 2 in the arrangement direction. Among the vegetable and vegetable receiving tools 2, the fruit and vegetable receiving tool 2 at one end in the arrangement direction is the guide member 3. The fruit and vegetable receiving tool 2 at the other end of the array direction is reciprocally driven in the arraying direction of the vegetable and vegetable receiving tool 2 by the driving device 5, and the interval between the adjacent fruit and vegetable receiving tools 2 can be adjusted by this reciprocal driving. It is what

[0008]

In the fruit and vegetable interval adjusting device of the present invention, since the interval between the adjacent fruit and vegetable receiving devices 2 can be adjusted by the drive device 5, the fruit and vegetables 1 are placed on the respective fruit and vegetable receiving devices 2 and the fruit and vegetables 1
You can adjust the interval.

[0009]

[Embodiment 1] FIGS. 1 to 3 show one embodiment of the fruit vegetable interval adjusting device of the present invention, in which twelve cucumber (fruit vegetables) 1 as shown in FIG. In order to be able to do so, it is a gap adjusting device constituted by arranging two elongated guide members 3 horizontally and in parallel, and attaching 12 fruit vegetable receivers 2 each capable of receiving the cucumber 1 to each of them.

The guide member 3 is formed by attaching a slender guide rail 13 along the longitudinal direction of the rod 12 on the surface of a rod 12 formed of a metal plate in the form of a slender rod. ) 5 is attached to the tip of the main body 11 of the gap adjusting device horizontally, so that the two are parallel to each other, and the guide rails 13 face each other. The distance between both guide members 3 is 1
The length of the cucumber 1 is made shorter than that of the cucumber 1, so that the cucumber 1 can be placed over both guide members 3 as shown by phantom lines in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 3, the fruit and vegetable receptacle 2 is a resin-made mounting member 14 slidably fitted to the guide rail 13, and is mounted on the mounting member 14 so that the cucumber 1 can be placed thereon. And a resin-made fruit receiving member 16 having a substantially V-shaped groove 15 formed therein.
12 are attached to the guide rails 13 of each guide member 3, and they are attached so as to be slidable in a line and in the direction of arrow fb.

On the right side surface 17 of the fruit receiving member 16 of each fruit receiving device 2, a connecting bolt (connecting device) 4 for connecting the fruit receiving device 2 of its own to the right adjacent fruit receiving device 2 is projected. Further, on the left side surface 19 of each fruit receiving member 16, the head 4 of the connecting bolt 4 protruding from the fruit receiving device 2 adjacent on the left side.
A locking space 20 is opened to allow locking by inserting a. The locking space 20 is formed in a large size, and the connecting bolt 4 locked in the space 20 can be moved from the position shown in FIG. The amount of insertion is variable.

For this reason, in each fruit and vegetable receiving tool 2 connected by the same connecting bolt 4, the interval between the adjacent vegetable and vegetable receiving tools is variable within a range in which the connecting bolt 4 can move in the fitting space 20.

Of the twelve fruit and vegetable receptacles 2 attached to the guide rails 13 of each guide member 3, the guide member 3
The fruit and vegetable receiving tool 2 on the tip side is fixed to the guide member 3 with a screw (not shown), and of the fruit and vegetable receiving tools 2, the fruit and vegetable receiving tool 2 on the base side of the guide member 3 is the main body 11 Is connected to a piston rod 21 of the air cylinder 5 via a bolt 22 and a metal fitting 23.

The piston rod 21 of the air cylinder 5
Is reciprocally movable in the direction of arrow fb in FIGS. 1 and 2 (arrangement direction of the fruit and vegetable receptacle 2), and air is sent from the external compressor to the air cylinder 5 to move the piston rod 21 into the direction of arrow f. When the fruit and vegetable receptacle 2 on the base side of the guide member 3 is pushed out in the direction of arrow f, the fruit and vegetable receptacles 2 are pushed out in succession in the direction of arrow f, and finally, 12 fruit and vegetable receptacles. 2 comes into close contact with each other as shown in FIG.

Further, air is sent into the air cylinder 5 from an external compressor, and the piston rod 21 is moved to the arrow b.
When the fruit and vegetable receptacle 2 on the base side of the guide member 3 is pulled out in the direction of arrow b, the fruit and vegetable receptacles 2 are successively pulled out in the direction of arrow b through the connecting bolts 4, and finally 12 The intervals between the individual fruit and vegetable receivers 2 become evenly spread as shown in FIG.

[0017]

[Embodiment 2] FIG. 4 shows another embodiment of the interval control apparatus for fruit and vegetables according to the present invention. As with Embodiment 1, the cucumber 1 shown in FIG.
This is a fruit and vegetable interval adjusting device in which two guide members 3 are arranged horizontally and twelve fruit and vegetable receiving tools 2 are attached to each of them so that two guide members 3 can be laid sideways.

The fruit and vegetable receptacle 2 of this fruit and vegetable interval adjusting device is
As shown in FIG. 4, a resin-made mounting member 14 slidably fitted to the guide rail 13, and a substantially V-shaped groove 1 mounted on the mounting member 14 so that the cucumber 1 can be placed thereon.
5 is formed of a resin-made fruit and vegetable receiving member 16 and
Two fruit and vegetable receptacles 2 are guide rails 1 of each guide member 3.
3 is attached in a line and slidably in the direction of arrow fb.

On the right side surface 17 of the fruit and vegetable receiving member 16 of the fruit and vegetable receiving device 2, a leaf spring (elastic body) 6 molded in a substantially V-shape is attached instead of the connecting bolt 4 of the first embodiment. The leaf spring 6 can push the fruit and vegetable receptacle 2 on the right side to the right.

In this fruit and vegetable interval adjusting device, air is sent to the air cylinder 5 of FIG. 1 to move the piston rod 21 in the direction of arrow f, and the fruit and vegetable receiving member 2 on the base side of the guide member 3 in the same direction. When pushed out, the respective fruit and vegetable receivers 2 are successively extruded in the direction of the arrow f, and the leaf springs 6 between the respective fruit and vegetable receivers 2 are compressed so that finally 12 of the vegetable and vegetable receivers 2 come into close contact with each other. Become.

Further, when air is sent to the air cylinder 5 of FIG. 1 to move the piston rod 21 in the direction of arrow b or to make the air cylinder 5 movable, the compressed leaf spring of each fruit and vegetable receptacle 2 is moved. Each vegetable receiver 2 with a spring force of 6
The intervals are increased, and the twelve fruit and vegetable receptacles 2 are evenly spread.

[0022]

[Examples of Use] The fruit vegetable interval adjusting device described in the first embodiment and the fruit vegetable interval adjusting device described in the second embodiment can be used in an automatic boxing device as shown in FIGS. Note that the following description will be given only for the fruit vegetable interval adjusting device of the first embodiment.

In this automatic boxing device, 12 cucumbers 1 are arranged in a horizontal direction at regular intervals so that the fruit receiving groove 2 can be arranged.
A large number of fruit and vegetable receivers 29 having 8 are provided. A number of these fruit and vegetable receiving bodies 29 are placed in an empty state on a carrier 30 provided in the automatic boxing device. When the carrier 30 is moved, they are sequentially delivered to the front of the worker. It is supposed to be.

In this automatic boxing device, when 12 cucumbers 1 are lined up on the empty fruit and vegetable receptacle 29 sent out in front of the worker (the cucumber 1 is arranged randomly by the worker, the arranged cucumbers are arranged). The bending directions of 1 are all different), and the same vegetable receiving body 29 is conveyed by the conveying body 30,
On the way, they are rearranged into two horizontal rows and delivered to a place where the fruit vegetable interval adjusting device 10 of the present invention is attached.

When the fruit and vegetable receiver 29 is fed to the interval adjusting device 10, the fruit and vegetable receiver 29 is temporarily stopped on the carrier 30 and lifted by a lift (not shown). The guide member 3 of the gap adjusting device 10 is inserted into the fruit receiving body 29 from the rear side. At this time, the interval between the fruit and vegetable receiving tools 2 of the guide member 3 is widened to be the same as the interval between the cucumbers 1 arranged on the fruit and vegetable receiving body 29.

When the guide member 3 of the space adjusting device 10 is completely inserted into the fruit and vegetable receiving body 29, the space adjusting device 10 is inserted.
Is lifted by a lift (not shown), and the cucumber 1 placed on the fruit receiving groove 28 of the fruit receiving body 29 is transferred to each fruit receiving device 2 of the interval adjusting device 10.

When the cucumber 1 is replaced on the space adjusting device 10, the space between the fruit and vegetable receptacles 2 is narrowed, so that the whole cucumber 1 is removed.
The two cucumbers 1 are closely packed (the cucumber 1 is well-spaced because all the cucumbers 1 are bent downwards).

The fruit and vegetable receptacle 29 which has been emptied by picking up the cucumber 1 descends and is returned to the carrier 30.
By this, the originals are rearranged into one row in the middle of transportation and are sent back to the front of the worker again. The cucumbers 1 are lined up again by the worker on the returned fruit and vegetable receiver 29.

The cucumber 1 whose intervals have been reduced by the fruit and vegetable interval adjusting device 10 is the cucumber storage case 31 in front of the cucumber 1 as it is.
Be transferred to. Then, the cucumber storage case 31 is moved to the upper side of the table 32 waiting on the lower front side thereof, and then the bottom surface of the storage case 31 is lowered to a height at which the bottom surface of the storage case 31 comes into close contact with the upper surface of the table 32. Then, the shutter (not shown) on the bottom surface of the cucumber storage case 31 is opened, and the cucumber 1 inside is softly transferred onto the table 32.

When the cucumber storage case 31 is moved twice and the cucumbers 1 are stacked in two stages on the table 32 (12 x
2 rows × 2 stages = 48), the table 32 is now rotated 180 degrees in the horizontal plane, and the table 32 is moved to the lower side of the empty box covering device 34 in FIG.

The table 32, which has been moved to the lower side of the empty box covering device 34, is covered by the packing box 35 with the opening facing downward by the device 34, and then the table 32 is pushed out from the side. The tool 36 is pressed against the bottom surface of the packaging box 35, and the packaging box 35 is fixed on the table 32.

The packaging box 35 fixed to the table 32 is turned upside down 180 degrees together with the table 32 and the pressing tool 36, and when the opening of the packaging box 35 faces upward, its bottom surface (downward in this state). ) Is lifted from its lower side, and the pressing tool 36 is removed from the bottom of the packing box 35, and then the packing box 35 is lowered by the lift 37 to the lower roller conveyor 38. Can be replaced. The packing box 35 transferred to the roller conveyor 38 is transported to the shipping site by the worker closing the vinyl sheet 39 laid inside the packing box 35.

[0033]

According to the fruit vegetable interval adjusting device of the present invention,
Even fruit vegetables such as cucumber, which are easily scratched, can be safely and quickly packed in intervals, and by using this, a more practical automatic fruit and vegetable packing device can be manufactured.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a fruit and vegetable interval adjusting device of the present invention, in a state in which the interval between fruit and vegetable receiving tools is widened.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the fruit and vegetable interval adjusting device of the present invention, in a state in which the interval between the fruit and vegetable receiving tools is narrowed.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view for explaining the structure of a fruit and vegetable receptacle in the fruit and vegetable interval adjusting device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial perspective view showing another embodiment of the fruit and vegetable interval adjusting device of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a front portion of an automatic cucumber boxing apparatus using the fruit vegetable interval adjusting apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a rear portion of an automatic cucumber boxing apparatus using the fruit vegetable interval adjusting apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of cucumber.

FIG. 8A is a plan view showing an example of packaging cucumbers,
(B) is the longitudinal cross-sectional view.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Fruit and vegetables 2 Fruit and vegetables receiver 3 Guide member 4 Connector 5 Drive device 6 Elastic body

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code Internal reference number FI technical display location // B65G 47/28 D 7716-3F

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. Two or more fruit and vegetable receptacles (2) on which the fruit and vegetables (1) are placed are arranged in a row and slidable in the arrangement direction, and these fruit and vegetable receptacles (2) are driven by a drive device (2). 5) The fruit-vegetable-spacing adjusting device, characterized in that the spacing between adjacent fruit-and-vegetable receivers (2) can be adjusted by sliding in the arrangement direction by 5). 2. Two or more fruit and vegetable receptacles (2) on which the fruit and vegetables (1) are placed are attached to the guide member (3) so as to be slidable in a line and the fruit and vegetable receptacles (2) are connected. (4) are connected so that the distance between them can be varied, and of the fruit and vegetable receiving devices (2), the fruit and vegetable receiving device (2) at one end in the arraying direction is fixed to the guide member (3) and the other end in the arraying direction. The vegetable receiving device (2) is a drive device (5)
The fruit vegetable receiving device (2) is reciprocally driven by the reciprocating direction, and the interval between the adjacent fruit vegetable receiving devices (2) can be adjusted by this reciprocating drive. 3. Two or more fruit and vegetable receptacles (2) on which the fruit and vegetables (1) are placed are attached to the guide member (3) so as to be slidable in a line and between these fruit and vegetable receptacles (2). An elastic body (6) that pushes adjacent fruit and vegetable receivers (2) in the arrangement direction is arranged, and the fruit and vegetable receiver (2) at one end of the fruit and vegetable receiver (2) in the arrangement direction is a guide member (3). The fruit vegetable receiver (2) which is fixed and is arranged at the other end of the arrangement direction is reciprocally driven by the drive device (5) in the direction of arranging the vegetable vegetable receivers (2), and by this reciprocal drive, the interval between the adjacent fruit vegetable receivers (2) is increased. A fruit vegetable interval adjusting device characterized in that it is adjustable.