JPH11343018A - Conveyor and metering device employing the conveyor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To facilitate mounting and demounting of a conveyor to a body during cleaning through simple constitution, to perform safe mounting and demounting, and to prevent a fall of a part during mounting and demounting. SOLUTION: Both a conveyance unit 3 and a motor unit 4 are removably mounted on a support unit. The conveyance unit 3 is removably arranged above the support unit. The motor unit 4 is separably coupled to the drive roller 11a of the conveyance unit 3 through a coupling tool 15. After, when the conveyance unit 3 is removed for cleaning, a fixing tool 30 is released and fixing of the conveyance unit 3 to a support unit is released, coupling at a coupling tool 15 part is released and removal toward above is practicable.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a conveyor for transporting articles and a weighing apparatus provided with the conveyor for weighing articles, and more particularly, to a conveyor capable of easily exchanging belts and a weighing apparatus using the conveyor. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a conveyor portion of a conventional weighing device. 1A is a perspective view, and FIG. 1B is a partial side sectional view. The weighing device can measure the mass of the article by the weighing unit while transporting the article by driving the conveyor 51. The conveyor 51 includes a pair of side plates 52.
A cradle 54 is supported therebetween. A drive roller 55a and a driven roller 55b are pivotally supported on both sides of the receiving table 54,
An endless belt 56 is provided between these rollers 55a and 55b.
Is stretched. The drive roller 55a is driven to rotate by a motor (not shown).

[0003] The side plate 52 is placed on a weighing unit such as a load cell, and the weighing unit weighs the entire conveyor 51 and the mass of articles, and outputs a weighing signal to a calculation unit (not shown). The calculation unit obtains the mass of the article by subtracting the weight of the conveyor 51 in the calculation processing.

[0004]

The conveyor 51 described above
It is necessary to periodically perform a maintenance check such as cleaning or replacing each component (for example, the belt 56). In particular, when the article is food, sterilization, disinfection, and the like of the conveyor 51 are required. However, the conveyor 51 has a configuration in which some of the articles spilled from the belt 56, dust, and the like easily enter the mating surface between the receiving table 54 and the side plate 52 (location D in FIG. 3B).

The dust and the like entering the mating surface cannot be easily removed. Also, when washed with water or the like, this water was likely to stay on the mating surfaces. As described above, a conveyer having poor cleaning properties is easy for bacteria to propagate, which is a problem when the article is food.

To remove the belt 56, the side plate 5
Although it is necessary to remove the pedestal 54 from the position 2, since the pedestal 54 enters the inside of the side plate 52, there is a problem that the hand is easily pinched. Further, as for the fixing of the receiving table 54 and the side plate 52, a groove 52a is formed in the side plate 52 and the bolt 57 must be fixed using a jig, which is troublesome. The weight is easily added to the bolt 57, and there is a problem that the durability is reduced. Also, the bolt 57 is easily lost. Conveyor 51
When weighing food, it is absolutely necessary to avoid mixing components in the food.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and a conveyer which can prevent stagnation of dust and the like without revealing a gap or a mating surface and which can be easily cleaned and an article using the conveyer. It is an object to provide a weighing device for weighing mass.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a conveyor according to the present invention is a conveyor for conveying and driving articles by driving an endless belt stretched between a driving roller and a driven roller. An upper surface (10a) having a predetermined length and width along the transport direction, a receiving table (10) having downwardly bent side pieces (10b) on both widthwise sides of the upper surface, A drive roller (11a) and a driven roller (11b) that are respectively supported at both ends in the length direction.
And an endless belt (1) stretched between the rollers.
2) and a pair of support plates (6a, 6b) which are arranged at a smaller interval than each side piece of the pedestal and support the pedestal at an upper edge (6c). It is characterized by the following.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a conveyor for conveying and driving articles by driving an endless belt stretched between a driving roller and a driven roller, wherein the conveyor has a predetermined length and width along the conveying direction of the articles. (10) having an upper surface, a pedestal (10) having side pieces (10b) bent downward on both sides in the width direction of the upper surface, and a link between the side pieces of the pedestal. A plurality of supporting rods (17) and driving rollers (11
a) and a driven roller (11b), an endless belt (12) stretched between the rollers, and a narrower space than the space between the side pieces of the cradle, and A pair of support plates (6a, 6b) for supporting the receiving table with a receiving groove (45) with which each support rod can be engaged.

[0010] Further, as described in claim 3, on the upper portions of the support plates (6a, 6b), inclined pieces (6d) which are respectively inclined inward in the width direction are formed by bending, so as to be bent. The side piece (10b) may be configured to be guided to a position outside the support plate.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a side piece (10b) of the pedestal (10) and the support plates (6a, 6).
b) may be fixed by a fixing tool (30), and the receiving table may be configured to be detachable upward with respect to the support plate by operating the fixing tool.

A motor unit (4) provided on the support plate and having a motor for rotating the drive roller, an output shaft (4b) of the motor unit, and the drive roller The rotation axis of (11a) (11
ab) and a coupling (15) that transmits or separates the driving force and that can be detached from the support plate by separating the coupling.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a base (9) for supporting the support plates (6a, 6b), the base having a width and a length formed by the pair of support plates. A configuration having a size within the range may be adopted.

Further, as described in claim 7, an upper surface of the base (9) may be provided with an inclined portion (9a) inclined at a predetermined angle.

The weighing device of the present invention uses the above-mentioned conveyor, and the support plates (6a, 6b) are mounted and fixed on a weighing section (8), and the weighing section is connected to the receiving table (10). )
The mass of the article conveyed and moved on the upper belt (12) is measured.

The pedestal 10 is placed on the support plates 6a and 6b from above, and the side pieces 10b of the pedestal 10 are
Are located outside the support plates 6a and 6b. This allows
Even if the mating surface is not exposed to the outside and the article conveyed on the belt 12 is spilled, the article does not enter a gap or the like, can be easily cleaned, and propagation of bacteria can be prevented.

[0017]

1 is a plan view showing a main part of a weighing device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a front view, and FIG. 3 is a side view. In these figures, a conveyor 1 provided at an upper position of the weighing device is described.

The conveyor 1 is generally constituted by a support unit 2, a transport unit 3, and a motor unit 4. The support unit 2 includes a pair of left and right support plates 6a and 6b, and mounts 7a and 7b that fix and support the space between the support plates 6a and 6b. The gantry 7a, 7b is fixed on the measuring section 8,
Weigh the entire conveyor 1 and the mass of the article. The weighing unit 8
For example, it comprises a load cell and an electronic balance. The weighing signal of the weighing unit 8 is output to a calculation unit (not shown), and the weight of the article is obtained by subtracting the weight of the conveyor 1 in the calculation processing of the calculation unit. The weighing unit 8 is fixed on a base 9 of the apparatus, and is set within a range of the outer diameter (length and width) of the conveyor 1.

The transport unit 3 is detachably mounted on the support unit 2 from above. The transport unit 3 has a receiving table 10 having substantially the same width and length as the supporting unit 2, a driving roller 11a and a driven roller 11b provided at both ends of the receiving table 10, and a stretch between the rollers 11a and 11b. The endless belt 12 is generally constituted.

As shown in the side view of FIG. 3A, the receiving table 10 is made of a flat plate member and has a top surface 1 having a predetermined width.
0a and side pieces 10b bent at both sides in the width direction. The interval between the side pieces 10b is determined by the support plate 6a,
6b are formed wider than the interval between them.

As shown in an enlarged sectional view of the same side in FIG. 3B, the receiving table 10 has upper edges 6c of the supporting plates 6a and 6b.
And is fixed to the support unit 2. Support plate 6
In FIGS. 2A and 2B, the upper edge 6c is a horizontal flat surface. As shown in FIG. 2, the upper edge 6c has a flat surface that is continuous over the entire length of the support plates 6a and 6b in the longitudinal direction. It is not necessary to form it, and it is sufficient if it has a length that can support the receiving table 10 horizontally, and a configuration that partially contacts the receiving table 10 may be used. Further, the inside of the cradle 10 is reinforced in the vertical and horizontal directions with ridges and the like.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another example of the structure for fixing the receiving table 10. As shown in FIG. FIG. 1A is a partial front view, and FIG. 1B is an enlarged sectional view of a side portion. As shown in this figure, between the side pieces 10b, 10b of the cradle 10, a reinforcing rod 17 is connected in the width direction. This support 17
Screw holes are formed at both ends of the side piece 1.
0b is formed with an opening slightly smaller in diameter than the supporting rod.
0b is fixed with a screw.

The support rod 17 is constituted by a circular shaft.
A substantially U-shaped receiving groove 45 into which the support rod 17 is fitted is provided on the support plates 6a and 6b side. Thereby, the cradle 10
The support rod 17 is fitted in the receiving groove 45 of the support plates 6a and 6b, and is fixed on the support plates 6a and 6b. At the same time, the receiving table 10 is positioned without being moved in the length direction of the support plates 6a and 6b (the direction in which the articles are transported) by fitting the support rods 17 and the receiving grooves 45 together.

According to this configuration, since the support rod 17 is fitted into the receiving groove 45 to support the receiving table 10, the support plate 6a,
6b, the upper edge 6c does not need to be in contact with and held by the pedestal 10, and a gap can be provided between the upper edge 6c and the pedestal 10 (the back of the upper surface 10a). At the same time, as shown
The inclined surfaces 6d can be formed by bending the upper portions of the support plates 6a and 6b inward in the width direction. Thereby, the support plate 6
When the pedestal 10 is mounted from above the a and 6b, the side pieces 10b of the pedestal 10 are supported by the support plates 6a and 6b by the inclined surface 6d.
The mounting operation can be easily performed by being guided to the outside. Although not shown in its entirety, these support rods 17 are not shown.
The receiving groove 45 is provided at a plurality of positions (at least two positions) in the longitudinal direction of the receiving table 10 and the support plates 6a and 6b.

A motor unit 4 is provided on one end of the drive roller 11a and on the support plate 6b of the support unit 2. The motor unit 4 includes a drive motor and a speed reducer, and these are housed in a waterproof case 4a. The output shaft 4b of the motor unit 4 is
They are arranged coaxially with a, and are connected by the connecting portion 15. The connecting portion 15 includes an output shaft 4b of the motor unit 4,
And a pair of (male and female) couplings 18 (18a, 18a) fixed to the rotating shaft 11ab of the drive roller 11a, respectively.
b).

The transport unit 3 and the motor unit 4
Is attached to the support unit 2 via fixtures 30 and 31. The fixtures 30 and 31 can be configured by catch clips as shown. Support plate 6 of support unit 2
a and 6b each have a catch clip 3 at the center position.
0 is provided and engages with the engaging piece 30a of the transport unit 3 to fix and hold the transport unit 3 at the upper position of the support unit 2.

The waterproof cover 4a of the motor unit 4 includes
A catch clip 31 is provided on at least two surfaces, and engages with the engaging piece 31a of the facing support plate 6b to fix and hold the motor unit 4 at a side position of the support unit 2 (drive roller 11a). Between the catch clip 31 provided on the motor unit 4 and the support plate 6b,
A fall prevention tool 33 is provided. The falling-off prevention device 33 holds the motor unit 4 in a state of being suspended on the side of the support plate 6b in a state where the fixing of the catch clip 31 is released, and prevents the motor unit 4 from falling off. For example, a chain or plate having a predetermined length between the catch clip 31 and the support plate 6b,
Alternatively, a screw for fixing the motor unit 4 to the support plate 6b, and a flange provided at an end of the screw to prevent the screw from dropping off, etc. The falling-off preventing device 33 holds the motor unit 4 by such a moving amount that the coupling between the couplings 18a and 18b of the coupling portion 15 is in the detaching state in the fixing release state.

In the conveyor 1 having the above structure, the rotational force of the drive motor of the motor unit 4 is reduced through the reduction gear, and the output shaft 4b rotates. The output shaft 4b is connected to the drive roller 11a of the transport unit 3 via the coupling 18 of the connecting portion 15.
Of the rotating shaft 11ab. Thereby, the driving roller 11a rotates, and the belt 12 stretched between the driving roller 11a and the driven roller 11b moves in one direction.

When the articles are transferred onto the belt 12, the weighing section 8 weighs the conveyor 1 and the articles. The calculation unit obtains the mass of the article by subtracting the weight of the conveyor 1 in a calculation process based on the weighing signal. The calculation unit performs control such as judging the quality of the article according to the mass of the article, and sorting the articles according to the mass.

Next, an operation of attaching and detaching the transport unit 3 having the above-described configuration will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the attaching / detaching operation. FIG. 1A is a plan view, and FIG. 1B is a side view. The transport unit 3 is regularly cleaned (sterilized, disinfected)
Or, it is removed from the support unit 2 for maintenance. To remove the transport unit 3, first, the catch clip 30 holding the fixing with the support unit 2 is released. Next, the catch clip 31 holding the connection with the motor unit 4 is released.

Thus, the output shaft 4 of the motor unit 4
The connection state of the connection portion 15 that connects the rotation shaft 11b to the rotation shaft 11ab of the drive roller 11a is released. That is, the fitting between the protective cover 20 and the seat 23 is released, and the coupling 1
The meshing state of the eight pieces is disengaged. The motor unit 4
Is held in a suspended state on the support plate 6b by the drop-off preventing device 33. Therefore, the transport unit 3 can be removed in the upper direction of the support unit 2. By removing, the entire transport unit 3 can be cleaned, or the transport unit can be disassembled into rollers, pedestals, and belt parts for cleaning. Also, parts can be replaced.

Thereafter, the transport unit 3 is moved to the support unit 2.
Can be easily mounted by the reverse operation. That is, the transport unit 3 is placed on the support unit 2 and the transport unit 3 is fixed and held by the catch clips 30. After that, the motor unit 4 may be fixed to the support unit 2 with the catch clip 31.

The motor unit 4 and the driving roller 11
a is connected by the connecting portion 15. That is, when the motor unit 4 is fixed to the support plate 6b of the support unit 2,
By fitting the protective cover 3 to the protective cover 20, the couplings 18a and 18b can be engaged with each other so that the axial center positions thereof are the same. Also, coupling 1
8a and 18b are couplings 18a and 18b because the end faces 19c of the engaging teeth 19 are inclined at a predetermined angle.
Even if the peaks and valleys of the tooth surfaces do not match when they come close to each other in the axial direction, they can rotate and mesh with each other.

During the weighing operation, the connecting portion between the motor unit 4 and the driving roller 11a is covered by the protective cover 20 of the connecting portion 15. Thus, the rotating parts (such as the couplings 18a and 18b) are not exposed to the outside, and safety can be achieved. In addition, even when the transfer unit 3 is attached or detached, the coupling 18 is not used until the motor unit 4 is removed from the support unit 2.
Since a and 18b are covered with a protective cover 20 and are exposed to the outside in a state where the couplings 18 are disconnected from each other, safety can be ensured.

Then, in a state where the transport unit 3 is mounted on the support unit 2, the receiving table 1 of the transport unit 3
0 indicates that the side piece 10b is located outside the support plates 6a, 6b so as to cover the upper part of the support unit 2. in this way,
Since the mating surfaces of the support plates 6a and 6b and the side pieces 10b do not appear to the outside, the article being conveyed to be weighed is
If the spill is spilled from above, the spill falls from the side of the cradle 10 downward.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing the entire weighing device. As shown in the drawing, the base 9 of the apparatus is formed in a size within the area (width and length) of the conveyor 1, and the upper surface of the conveyor 1 has the largest area. The base 9 is configured by assembling a plurality of aggregates in a frame shape as shown in the figure. The upper portion of the base 9 has an inclined portion 9a. Thereby, even if articles, dust, etc. fall from the upper surface of the conveyor 1, they can be dropped directly on the floor without touching the base 9. In addition, even if the base 9 is touched, the inclined portion 9a that is inclined at a predetermined angle promotes a downward drop, so that the base 9 does not remain on the base 9.
Further, by assembling the base 9 with only the aggregate, the adhesion and accumulation of the base 9 can be further prevented, and the floor surface under the base 9 can be easily cleaned. In particular, when the articles to be conveyed are foods, food residues and the like do not accumulate on the base, so that propagation of various bacteria and the like can be reduced.

In the illustrated example, the weighing section 8 is provided below the conveyor 1 to weigh articles. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the conveyor 1 is provided directly on the base 9. It is also possible to adopt a configuration that has been provided. For example, on a base 9, a weighing conveyor provided with a weighing unit 8 for weighing articles,
It is also possible to provide a run-up conveyor on the near side in the conveying direction of the weighing conveyor and a sorting conveyor on the rear side in the conveying direction of the weighing conveyor.

[0038]

According to the conveyor of the present invention, since the side piece of the pedestal covers the upper part of the support plate in a state where the pedestal is fixed on the support plate, the mating surface is not exposed to the outside and the article and the It is possible to prevent garbage and the like from being retained, and it is easy to clean and maintain cleanliness. The pedestal, roller, and belt constituting the conveyor can be attached to and detached from the fixed support plate as a unit, and can be easily attached and detached only by operating the fixture. Further, by providing the connecting member, the connecting portion of the driving roller of the conveyor and the connecting portion of the output shaft of the motor can be easily connected and detached at the time of attachment and detachment. And by forming the upper part of the support plate in an inclined shape, the pedestal can be easily attached. Furthermore, since there is no need to remove components when attaching / detaching the conveyor, the components can be prevented from falling off and being lost due to attachment / detachment. Further, by setting the base supporting the support plate to have a size within the range of the width and the length formed by the pair of support plates, when articles, dust, and the like during transportation fall from the belt. , Can be discharged to the floor as it is without collecting on the base,
Cleaning can be performed easily. Further, by providing the inclined portion on the upper portion of the base, even if a dropped article or the like touches the base, discharge of the article or the like to the floor surface is promoted, and adhesion to the base can be prevented.

According to the weighing device of the present invention, the conveyor can be easily attached and detached, and the conveyor can be easily cleaned. In particular, when weighing food or the like, it is necessary to frequently sterilize and disinfect the conveyor, and this cleaning can be performed easily. Also, it is possible to prevent components from being mixed into food.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a conveyor which is a main part of an embodiment of a weighing device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front view of the weighing device.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the weighing device.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing another configuration example of the conveyor.

FIG. 5 is an operation diagram showing attachment and detachment of a conveyor.

FIG. 6 is a side view showing the entire weighing device.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a conventional conveyor.

[Explanation of symbols]

1. Conveyor, 2. Support unit, 3. Transport unit,
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 4 ... Motor unit, 4b ... Output shaft, 6a, 6b ... Support plate, 6c ... Upper edge part, 8 ... Measuring part, 9 ... Base, 9a ... Inclined part, 10 ... Receiving stand, 10a ... Upper surface, 10b ... side Piece, 11
a: drive roller, 11b: driven roller, 12: belt,
15 ... connecting part, 17 ... support rod, 18 (18a, 18b) ...
Coupling, 45 ... receiving groove.

Claims (8)

[Claims] A conveyor for conveying and driving an article by driving an endless belt stretched between a driving roller and a driven roller, comprising: an upper surface (10) having a predetermined length and width along the article conveying direction;
a), a pedestal (10) having side pieces (10b) bent downward on both sides in the width direction of the upper surface, and a drive pivotally supported at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the pedestal. A roller (11a) and a driven roller (11b); and an endless belt (12) stretched between the rollers.
And a pair of support plates (6a, 6b) that are arranged at an interval smaller than the interval between the respective side pieces of the pedestal and support the pedestal at the upper edge (6c). Conveyor characterized. 2. A conveyer for conveying and driving an article by driving an endless belt stretched between a driving roller and a driven roller, wherein an upper surface (10) having a predetermined length and width along the article conveying direction.
a), a pedestal (10) having side pieces (10b) bent downwards on both sides in the width direction of the upper surface, and a plurality of pedestals bridged between the side pieces of the pedestal. Prop (1
7), a drive roller (11a) and a driven roller (11b) that are respectively supported at both ends in the length direction of the receiving table, and an endless belt (12) stretched between the rollers.
A pair of support plates which are arranged at intervals smaller than the intervals between the respective side pieces of the pedestal and which are provided with receiving grooves (45) at which the respective support rods can be engaged and which support the pedestal. (6a, 6b),
A conveyor comprising: 3. An upper portion of the support plate (6a, 6b)
The conveyor according to claim 3, wherein the inclined pieces (6d), each of which is inclined inward in the width direction, are bent, and the side pieces (10b) of the pedestal are guided to an external position of the support plate. 4. A side piece (10b) of the pedestal (10) and the support plate (6a, 6b) can be freely fixed by a fixture (30). The conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the conveyor is detachable upward from the support plate. 5. A motor unit (4) provided on the support plate and having a motor for rotating the drive roller, an output shaft (4b) of the motor unit, and a rotation shaft (11ab) of the drive roller (11a). 3) a connecting member (15) provided between the supporting plate and the supporting plate, the receiving member being detachable from the support plate by separating the connecting member. Conveyor. 6. A base (9) for supporting said support plates (6a, 6b), said base having a size within a width and a length formed by said pair of support plates. Item 7. The conveyor according to Item 1. 7. The conveyor according to claim 6, wherein an inclined portion (9a) inclined by a predetermined angle is provided on an upper surface of the base (9). 8. The support plate (6a, 6b) is mounted and fixed on a weighing section (8), and the weighing section is connected to the pedestal (1).
8. The weighing device using a conveyor according to claim 1, wherein the weight of the articles conveyed and moved on the belt (0) is weighed.