JPH10265032A - Greens feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce an occupying space for elimination or reduction in the size of a return device in a device for feeding a plurality of vegetables and fruits one by one. SOLUTION: This greens feeder 1, which is a device for feeding a plurality of green vegetables and fruits one by one, is formed with a body 2, a turning drum 3 in which a number of vegetables and fruits are carried, a bottom plate 4, and a driving unit 5 which rotates the rotating drum 3. The rotating drum 3 involves a drum body 3a and a cushion ball, and is supported so as to be rotating freely by the body 2 in such a condition as a rotational axis O-O is inclined against a horizontal ground surface 9. The cushion ball is formed so as to be protruded to the inside from the inner peripheral surface of the drum body 3a. The bottom plate 4 is disposed vertically against the rotational axis O-O, and fixed on the body 2 so as to seal the lower end of the turning drum 3. An opening which permits the vegetables and fruits to pass through is formed at the bottom plate 4.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fruit and vegetable sending-out device for sending out a large number of fruits and vegetables coming in one by one.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Harvested fruits and vegetables, such as carrots and potatoes, are often sorted by size and then packed at retail stores or the like in several pieces. This packing work is done manually or by machine,
Carrots and the like are transported to this work site one by one on a conveyor or the like. If they are not transported one by one as described above, the efficiency of the packing operation will deteriorate. For this reason, a device that sends out many fruits and vegetables one by one and places them on a conveyor is required.

Conventionally, fruits and vegetables transported on a wide conveyor are sequentially transferred to narrow conveyors, and the width of the partition on the conveyor is adjusted to the width of the fruits and vegetables to manually remove the overlying fruits and vegetables. Then, a method of sending the products one by one on a conveyor is adopted.

[0004]

However, in the above-described apparatus in which a large number of conveyors are combined, the apparatus becomes large-scale and occupies a large space, and is protruded when moving onto a conveyor having a narrower width. A separate return device is required to return the fruits and vegetables to the first conveyor. In the case of manually removing excess fruits and vegetables, a separate return device is required as described above, in addition to the drawback of requiring manual labor.

[0005] It is an object of the present invention to reduce the occupied space in a device for sending out a large number of fruits and vegetables one by one, and to make the return device unnecessary or small.

[0006]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fruit and vegetable delivering device for delivering a large number of fruits and vegetables one by one, comprising a main body, a rotating drum, a bottom plate, and driving means. . The rotating drum has a cylindrical portion and a protruding portion, and is rotatably supported by the main body in a state where the rotating shaft is inclined with respect to a horizontal ground surface. The protruding portion protrudes inward from the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion, and at least one protruding portion is provided. A large number of fruits and vegetables are carried into the rotating drum.
The bottom plate is disposed substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotating drum, and is fixed to the main body so as to close one lower end of the rotating drum. The bottom plate is provided with an opening through which fruits and vegetables can pass. The driving means is
Rotate the rotating drum.

When the fruit and vegetable feeding device of the present invention is operated, the driving means rotates the rotating drum, and the rotating drum rotates with respect to the main body and the bottom plate. A large number of fruits and vegetables transported by a conveyor or the like are carried in from above the rotating drum.
Many fruits and vegetables are once stored here. The fruits and vegetables in the rotating drum rotate according to the rotation of the rotating drum, and one of them is caught by a protrusion protruding inside the cylindrical portion and carried to the opening of the bottom plate. Then, the fruits and vegetables caught on the protruding portion are discharged from the opening of the bottom plate, and are conveyed to a subsequent process by a conveyor or the like installed below the opening.

Here, first, by appropriately setting the size and shape of the openings and protrusions in accordance with the type and size of the fruits and vegetables, the fruits and vegetables can be reliably sent out one by one. . Secondly, while fruits and vegetables are arranged on a conveyor by combining a plurality of conveyors in the related art, the apparatus according to the present invention employs means for storing fruits and vegetables in a space inside a rotary drum. Therefore, the space occupied by the device is reduced.

Third, even if the fruits and vegetables caught on the protrusion are not discharged from the opening, they return to the inside of the rotating drum and do not go out of the rotating drum. That is, there is no need to provide a return device which has been conventionally required. Even if fruits and vegetables are spilled out of the device of the present invention due to irregularities in the size of the fruits and vegetables relative to the capacity of the rotating drum and the opening, a return device smaller than the conventional device may be installed because the device is compact.

Fourth, the apparatus according to the present invention can store a certain amount of fruits and vegetables in the rotating drum, and the apparatus functions as a buffer when a line stops or decelerates in a previous process or a subsequent process. It is easy to respond to line stop and deceleration. It should be noted that, if at least one protrusion is provided, it will function, but in order to send out fruits and vegetables at a higher speed, it is necessary to provide a plurality of protrusions in the circumferential direction with an interval of at least the length of fruits and vegetables. desirable. Further, by changing the number of rotations of the rotary drum by controlling the driving means, it is possible to correspond to the time pitch of the sending-out required in the subsequent process.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fruit and vegetable feeding device according to the first aspect, wherein the protrusion of the rotary drum is located at a lower end of the cylindrical portion. Here, since the protrusion that plays the role of hooking the fruits and vegetables to the opening is arranged at the lower end of the cylindrical portion near the bottom plate, the fruits and vegetables are easily caught, and even when the number of fruits and vegetables in the rotating drum is small. Fruits and vegetables catch on the protrusion.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the fruit and vegetable feeding device according to the second aspect, wherein a size of a protrusion of the rotary drum in a direction along a rotation axis of the rotary drum is equal to or smaller than a width of the fruit and vegetable. . Here, since the width of the protrusion is equal to or smaller than the width of the fruits and vegetables, the ratio of the protrusions catching two or more fruits and vegetables when the fruits and vegetables are hooked decreases. This gives 2
The disadvantage that one or more fruits and vegetables are discharged from the opening at one time can be suppressed. In addition, it is possible to suppress a problem that the side of the fruits and vegetables is caught and the direction of the fruits and vegetables does not match so that the fruits and vegetables cannot be discharged from the opening.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fruit and vegetable feeding device according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the opening of the bottom plate is a portion of the bottom plate surrounded by the intersection of the cylindrical portion and the bottom plate. It is located above the central part. Further, the opening of the bottom plate is located along the intersection of the cylindrical portion and the bottom plate, of the portion of the bottom plate surrounded by the intersection line between the cylindrical portion and the bottom plate. The space where fruits and vegetables can be stored inside the rotary drum is at least a space below the opening in order to prevent anything other than fruits and vegetables carried to the opening by the protruding portion from arbitrarily discharging from the opening. Here, the opening is located above the central portion of the bottom plate portion surrounded by the intersection of the cylindrical portion and the bottom plate, and the amount of fruits and vegetables that can be stored increases.

In this case, since the opening is provided along the intersection line between the cylindrical portion and the bottom plate, even if the length of the protrusion protruding inside the protrusion is suppressed so as not to catch extra fruits and vegetables, the protrusion may be provided. The fruits and vegetables trapped by the are carried to the opening. According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fruit and vegetable feeding device, wherein the bottom plate further has an introduction guide. The introduction guide extends obliquely downward from a portion of the bottom plate surrounded by the intersection line between the cylindrical portion and the bottom plate on the inner peripheral side of the opening.

Here, the introduction guide reduces the degree to which other fruits and vegetables falling from the upper part of one of the fruits and vegetables hooked on the projecting portion collide with one of the fruits and vegetables. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the one fruit and vegetable from colliding with the other fruit and vegetable, so that the one fruit and vegetable is not caught by the protrusion or the posture of the one fruit and vegetable is not easily discharged from the opening. Therefore, the fruits and vegetables caught on the protruding portion are more reliably sent out.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a fruit and vegetable delivering device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, further comprising a tilt adjusting mechanism. This inclination adjusting mechanism is a mechanism for adjusting the degree of inclination of the rotating drum and the bottom plate with respect to the main body. Here, the inclination of the rotating drum or the like can be changed according to the type of fruit and vegetable, surface condition, and the like so that feeding can be performed more smoothly.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the device for delivering fruits and vegetables, the projecting portion of the rotary drum comprises a mounting projection and a cushioning member. The mounting projection is fixed to the cylindrical portion. The buffer member is detachable from the mounting projection. Here, the protruding portion is formed by attaching a buffer member, which is a separate component, to the mounting protrusion fixed to the cylindrical portion. Therefore, if the buffer member is broken, only the buffer member can be replaced, and there is no need to replace or repair the entire rotating drum. Further, since the cushioning member is used, it is possible to prevent the fruits and vegetables from being damaged. Although the cushioning member is used only for the protruding portion here, in order to suppress damage to the fruits and vegetables, the cushioning material is also attached to the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion that rubs with the fruits and vegetables, though not as frequently as the protruding portion. It is desirable.

[0018]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIGS. 1 and 2 show a fruit and vegetable feeder 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The fruit and vegetable sending-out device 1 is a device that sends out the carrots 8 transported by the conveyor 90 from the preceding process one by one to the conveyor 91 connected to the subsequent process. The vegetable output device 1 mainly includes a main body 2, a rotary drum 3, a bottom plate 4, a drive unit (drive means) 5, and a delivery chute 6.

The main body 2 is attached to a lower main body 21 installed on a horizontal ground plane 9 in a factory or the like so that one end of the main body 2 is rotatable and inclined with respect to the lower main body 21 via a hinge 22. And an upper body 20. Upper body 20
By changing the tightening of the adjustment bolt 20a provided on the other end side, the inclination with respect to the lower body 21 can be adjusted within a predetermined range.

The drive unit 5 is fixed to the upper main body 20 and rotates the rotary drum 3. The drive unit 5 mainly includes an inverter-controlled motor 5a and a sprocket 5
b, roller chain 5c (see FIG. 2), shaft 5
d, a roller 5e, and a bearing 5f. The motor 5a and the four bearings 5f are fixed to the upper main body 20. The two shafts 5d are each supported by two bearings 5f, and a sprocket 5b is fixed to a lower end. As shown in FIG. 2, the sprocket 5b fixed to the shaft 5d and the sprocket 5b fixed to the shaft of the motor 5a are connected by a roller chain 5c. Roller 5
e is fixed to each of the two shafts 5d.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the rotating drum 3 includes a drum main body 3a, a lower end support 3b,
c. The drum main body 3a is formed by attaching a resin material such as vinyl chloride to the inside of a thin steel plate formed into a hollow cylindrical shape. At the lower end of the drum main body 3a, a metal mounting protrusion 3d (protruding portion) protruding from the inner peripheral surface to the inner peripheral side is provided. This mounting projection 3d
Are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and this interval is longer than the length of the ginseng 8 (see FIG. 3). The buffer ball 30 (projection) is mounted so as to cover the mounting projection 3d. The buffer ball 30 is a spherical member made of resin, has a hole that fits into the mounting projection 3d, and is detachable from the mounting projection 3d. The diameter of the buffer ball 30 is smaller than the width of the ginseng 8. The lower end support member 3b has a pipe flange shape with the diameter of the outer peripheral surface of the drum main body 3a as the diameter of the inner peripheral surface, and the flange portion is orthogonal to the surface of the drum main body 3a. The band-shaped disk 3c is a member arranged corresponding to the position of the roller 5e and abutting against the roller 5e, and the diameter of the inner peripheral surface is the diameter of the outer peripheral surface of the drum main body 3a. Fixed. Strip-shaped disk 3
c is a strength member of the drum main body 3a,
It has a plate thickness larger than the plate thickness of a. The rotating drum 3 is configured such that a portion of the band-shaped disc 3c is placed on four rollers 5e, and a flange portion of the lower end supporting member 3b is supported by wheels of four casters 25 fixed to the upper body 20. It is supported by the upper body 20. Then, the rotation of the roller 5e causes the rotating drum 3 to move the upper body 2
Rotate to zero. The rotation axis is OO in FIG. 1 and is inclined with respect to the ground plane 9.

As shown in FIG. 6, the bottom plate 4 has a substantially octagonal shape, and is provided with a notch 4d at the top. FIG.
, The bottom plate 4 is disposed inside the wheels of the lower and side casters 25, and the wheels of the upper casters 25 are located in the notches 4d. FIG.
The outer peripheral end of the flange portion of the rotary drum 3 is shown by a two-dot chain line. The flange portion of the rotating drum 3 is a caster 25
Accordingly, the bottom plate 4 is supported by the upper body 20 with the bottom plate 4 interposed therebetween. Between the rotating drum 3 and the bottom plate 4, there is a carrot 8
Is provided with a gap smaller than the width. Also, the bottom plate 4
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, an opening 4a is opened above the central portion and along the line of intersection of the bottom plate 4 surrounded by the intersection when the drum body 3a is projected onto the bottom plate 4. Have been. The circumferential length of the opening 4a is longer than the length of the ginseng 8, and the width in the radial direction is larger than the width of the ginseng 8. An introduction guide 4b is attached to the bottom plate 4 obliquely downward from a portion near the inner periphery of the lower end of the opening 4a. The introduction guide 4 b projects perpendicularly to the bottom plate 4 by a length slightly shorter than the width of the ginseng 8. The bottom plate 4 is fixed to the upper main body 20 by bolts 4f (see FIG. 1) that pass through bolt holes 4c provided at four locations.

The delivery chute 6 is a cylindrical member fixed to the back surface (lower surface) of the bottom plate 4, and is attached to the position of the opening 4a. The lower end of the delivery chute 6 serves as a discharge (delivery) port for the carrot 8. Next, the operation of the fruit and vegetable feeder 1 will be described. Motor 5
When a is operated, the rotation is transmitted to the shaft 5d by the sprocket 5b and the roller chain 5c, and the roller 5e rotates. Then, the roller 5e is moved to the belt-shaped disk 3b.
The rotating drum 3 is rotated via the. The rotating drum 3
Since the upper body 20 is rotatably supported by the casters 25, the upper body 20 rotates about the rotation axis OO with respect to the upper body 20.

Many carrots 8 conveyed by the conveyor 90
Is carried into the rotating drum 3 from the upper end of the rotating drum 3. A large number of ginseng 8 will be temporarily stored here. The ginseng 8 in the rotating drum 3 rotates according to the rotation of the rotating drum 3, one of which is the buffer ball 3.
0 and is carried to the opening 4a. And ginseng 8
Is discharged by the delivery chute 6 through the opening 4a, and is conveyed to a subsequent process by the conveyor 91 installed below the lower end of the delivery chute 6.

Here, first, since the size and shape of the opening 4a and the buffer ball 30 are set according to the shape and size of the ginseng 8, the ginseng 8 is reliably sent out one by one. Secondly, in contrast to the conventional arrangement in which a plurality of conveyors are combined and ginseng is arranged on the conveyors, the fruit and vegetable feeder 1 stores the ginseng 8 in the space inside the rotating drum 3. Therefore, the space occupied by the device 1 is small.

Third, the ginseng 8 caught on the cushioning ball 30 is not discharged from the opening 4a.
Returns back into the rotating drum 3 and does not move out of the rotating drum 3. That is, there is no need to provide a return device that has been conventionally required. Fourth, the fruit and vegetable feeder 1 can store the ginseng 8 in the rotating drum 3 to some extent,
If the line stops or decelerates in the preceding or subsequent process, the fruit and vegetable sending-out device 1 functions as a buffer and absorbs some deviation.

Fifth, eight cushion balls 30 are provided in the circumferential direction.
Are provided, and eight ginseng 8 can be sent out while the rotary drum 3 makes one rotation. Therefore, ginseng 8
Can be sent out one at a time at high speed. In addition, by controlling the number of revolutions of the motor 5a with an inverter,
It can be made to correspond to the time pitch of sending out required in the post-process.

Sixth, since the buffer ball 30 is arranged at the lower end of the rotary drum 3 near the bottom plate 4, the ginseng 8 is easily caught and even when the number of the ginseng 8 in the rotary drum 3 is small, the buffer ball 30 is buffered. The ginseng 8 is securely caught on the ball 30.
Seventh, since the diameter of the buffer ball 30 is equal to or less than the width of the ginseng 8, the buffer ball 30 does not catch two or more ginsengs when the ginseng 8 is hooked. This prevents two or more carrots 8 from being discharged from the opening 4a at one time. Further, it is suppressed that the side of the ginseng 8 is caught and the ginseng 8 cannot be discharged from the opening 4a because the direction of the ginseng 8 does not match.

Eighth, the degree of collision of another ginseng 8 falling from the top of one ginseng 8 with the one ginseng 8 by the introduction guide 4b is reduced. Therefore, it is less likely that the other ginseng 8 collides with the one ginseng 8 caught by the cushioning ball 30 to release the one ginseng 8 from being caught, and the posture of the one ginseng 8 is discharged from the opening. It is suppressed that it is hard to change.

Ninth, by changing the inclination of the upper main body 20, that is, the rotating drum 3, in accordance with the kind of the ginseng 8 and the state of the surface thereof, it is possible to perform adjustment so that feeding can be performed smoothly. Tenth, buffer ball 3
If 0 is damaged, only the buffer ball 30 can be replaced, and there is no need to replace or repair the entire rotating drum 3. Further, since the buffer ball 30 is made of resin, the carrot 8 is prevented from being damaged. The mounting projections 3 are made of metal and are fixed to the steel plate portion of the drum main body 3a. Therefore, the mounting projections 3 have sufficient strength against repeated loads from the ginseng 8. A resin material serving as a cushioning material is also attached to the inner peripheral surface of the drum main body 3a that rubs against the ginseng 8, and also protects the ginseng 8 from scratches and the like. [Other Embodiments] In the above-described embodiment, the apparatus 1 for sending out the carrots 8 one by one is shown. However, a device for sending out other fruits and vegetables such as potatoes one by one with the same structure can be manufactured. By changing the pitch of the mounting projections 3d and the size and shape of the buffer ball 30 and the opening 4a of the device 1 of the above embodiment, the device 1 can be diverted to a device corresponding to other fruits and vegetables.

[0031]

According to the present invention, by providing a structure having a rotating drum having an inclination with respect to a horizontal contact surface,
In the device for feeding fruits and vegetables one by one, the occupied space is small, and the return device can be unnecessary or small.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of a fruit and vegetable sending-out device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view taken in the direction of arrows II-II in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a view taken in the direction of arrows III-III in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the rotating drum.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the rotating drum.

FIG. 6 is a front view of a bottom plate.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Fruit and vegetable sending-out apparatus 2 Main body 3 Rotary drum 3a Drum main body (cylindrical part) 3d Mounting projection 4 Bottom plate 4a Opening 4b Introduction guide 5 Drive unit (driving means) 8 Carrot (vegetables) 9 Grounding surface 30 Buffer ball (buffer member)

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[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] August 12, 1997

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0023

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

The delivery chute 6 is a cylindrical member fixed to the back surface (lower surface) of the bottom plate 4, and is attached to the position of the opening 4a. The lower end of the delivery chute 6 serves as a discharge (delivery) port for the carrot 8. Next, the operation of the fruit and vegetable feeder 1 will be described. Motor 5
When a is operated, the rotation is transmitted to the shaft 5d by the sprocket 5b and the roller chain 5c, and the roller 5e rotates. Then, the roller 5e is moved to the belt-shaped disk 3c.
The rotating drum 3 is rotated via the. The rotating drum 3
Since the upper body 20 is rotatably supported by the casters 25, the upper body 20 rotates about the rotation axis OO with respect to the upper body 20.

[Procedure amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] 0030

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

Ninth, by changing the inclination of the upper main body 20, that is, the rotating drum 3, in accordance with the kind of the ginseng 8 and the state of the surface thereof, it is possible to perform adjustment so that feeding can be performed smoothly. Tenth, buffer ball 3
If 0 is damaged, only the buffer ball 30 can be replaced, and there is no need to replace or repair the entire rotating drum 3. Further, since the buffer ball 30 is made of resin, the carrot 8 is prevented from being damaged. The mounting projection 3d is made of metal, and the drum main body 3a
Since it is fixed to the steel plate portion, it has sufficient strength against repeated load from ginseng 8. Ginseng 8
A resin material serving as a cushioning material is also attached to the inner peripheral surface of the drum main body 3a where the ginseng 8 is rubbed, also protecting the ginseng 8 from scratches and the like. [Other Embodiments] In the above-described embodiment, the apparatus 1 for sending out the carrots 8 one by one is shown. However, a device for sending out other fruits and vegetables such as potatoes one by one with the same structure can be manufactured. By changing the pitch of the mounting projections 3d and the size and shape of the buffer ball 30 and the opening 4a of the device 1 of the above embodiment, the device 1 can be diverted to a device corresponding to other fruits and vegetables.

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A fruit and vegetable feeding device for feeding a large number of fruits and vegetables one by one, comprising: a main body; a cylindrical portion; and at least one protruding portion projecting inward from an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical portion. A rotary drum rotatably supported by the main body in a state where a rotation axis is inclined with respect to a ground contact surface, and a rotary drum into which the large number of fruits and vegetables are carried; and an opening through which the fruits and vegetables can pass, the rotary drum being provided. A fruit and vegetable feeder comprising: a bottom plate that is disposed substantially perpendicular to the rotation axis of the rotating drum and fixed to the main body so as to close a lower end of the rotating drum; and a driving unit that rotates the rotating drum. apparatus. 2. The fruit and vegetable dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein the protrusion of the rotary drum is located at a lower end of the cylindrical portion. 3. The fruit and vegetable feeding device according to claim 2, wherein a size of a protrusion of the rotary drum in a direction along a rotation axis of the rotary drum is equal to or smaller than a width dimension of the fruits and vegetables. 4. The bottom plate according to claim 1, wherein an opening of said bottom plate is located above a center portion and along said intersection line among portions of said bottom plate surrounded by an intersection of said cylindrical portion and said bottom plate. 4. The device for delivering fruits and vegetables according to any one of 1 to 3. 5. The bottom plate further includes an introduction guide that obliquely extends downward from a portion of the bottom plate surrounded by an intersection line of the cylindrical portion and the bottom plate, the portion being on the inner peripheral side of the opening. The fruit and vegetable sending-out device according to claim 4, wherein 6. The fruit and vegetable feeding device according to claim 1, further comprising a tilt adjusting mechanism for adjusting a degree of tilt of the rotary drum and the bottom plate with respect to the main body. 7. The projection of the rotary drum includes a mounting projection fixed to the cylindrical portion and a cushioning member detachable from the mounting projection.
A fruit and vegetable sending-out device according to any one of the above.