JP3181803B2 - Raw material recovery device and cleaning robot device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a raw material recovery apparatus for recovering raw materials attached to a stirring blade or the like of a raw material processing apparatus for mixing and filling food raw materials and the like, and for recovering the raw materials,
The present invention relates to a robot device for collecting and cleaning raw materials for cleaning the inside of a raw material processing apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, liquid foods such as curries, soups, sauces, etc., paste foods such as kneaded mustard, paste greens, grated garlic and the like, or products such as toothpaste, detergent, shampoo, etc. are manufactured in factories. There is known a continuous production system in which the respective production apparatuses are connected by a transfer pipe to continuously feed the raw materials, and a batch system in which the raw materials are fed by a fixed amount without using a pipe to produce the raw materials. The continuous production method is suitable for mass production of the same product, but if one product is manufactured and then a different product is manufactured, the raw materials remaining in the pipe will be wasted, and cleaning of the pipe, etc. Therefore, it is not suitable for high-mix low-volume production because pipe switching is required. On the other hand, since the batch method does not have the above-mentioned problems, it is suitable for efficiently producing various kinds of foods and the like. In batch-type production, after manufacturing one product and before switching to the next product, collect the raw materials attached to the stirring blades etc. to reuse the raw materials, and then clean the inside of the raw material processing equipment. Had been washed. Conventionally, such a collection operation and a cleaning operation have been performed manually. That is, the adhered raw material is scraped off using a scoop or the like, collected in a collection container, and then a cleaning liquid is jetted toward a cleaning location by a hose or the like, and the cleaning liquid is applied to the adhered material to remove the adhered material.

[0003]

However, every time a product is switched, it is necessary to collect the raw materials adhering to the processing apparatus and further wash the processing apparatus. In the case of high-mix low-volume production, this must be done manually. Is time consuming and reduces overall manufacturing efficiency. In order to increase the efficiency of raw material collection, a suction device having a raw material collecting tube attached thereto is used to bring the tip end of the raw material collecting tube close to the position where the raw material is attached. An attempt was made to aspirate the deposits, however, the paste-like raw material having a particularly high viscosity adhered to the inner wall of the raw material collecting tube, and the raw material collecting tube was blocked, so that a sufficient collecting effect could not be obtained. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, the present invention enhances the effect of recovering highly viscous raw materials such as paste-like raw materials, and also enables raw material recovery and washing operations to be performed efficiently without requiring human labor. It is an object to provide an apparatus and a cleaning robot apparatus.

[0004]

According to the present invention, there is provided a raw material collecting pipe, a raw material collecting vessel attached to one end of the raw material collecting pipe, and a suction of the raw material into the raw material collecting vessel through the raw material collecting pipe. And a suction device in which a vacuum blower and a vacuum pump are arranged in parallel. The invention is also formed with an open top,
A washing container installed in the raw material processing apparatus, and a raw material recovery apparatus that sucks the raw material attached to the inside of the raw material processing apparatus,
A raw material recovery nozzle attached to an end of a raw material recovery pipe connected to the raw material recovery device, a cleaning spray device for injecting a cleaning liquid, the cleaning spray device provided in the cleaning container, Nozzle for material recovery,
A robot which can be selectively attached to a connection portion at the tip of an articulated arm of a robot having an articulated arm mechanism. The embodiments of the present invention are as follows. An air suction flow ratio of the vacuum pump and the vacuum blower is 1: 9 to 4: 6. A material recovery nozzle connected to the distal end of the articulated arm of the robot having the articulated arm mechanism is attached to the other end of the material collection pipe. It is characterized by further comprising means for automatically exchanging the material collecting nozzle and the cleaning spray device. The raw material recovery apparatus includes a raw material recovery pipe, a raw material recovery nozzle attached to one end of the raw material recovery pipe, and connected to a distal end of the arm of the robot, and a collection container attached to the other end of the raw material collection pipe. And a suction device for sucking the raw material into the collection container via the raw material collection pipe. The suction device includes a vacuum blower and a vacuum pump arranged in parallel.

[0005] The embodiment of the present invention is as follows. The apparatus further comprises means for automatically exchanging the raw material recovery device and the cleaning spray device. The raw material recovery device, a raw material recovery pipe, a nozzle attached to one end of the raw material collection pipe and connected to the tip of the arm of the robot, a collection container attached to the other end of the raw material collection pipe,
And a suction device for sucking the raw material into the collection container through the raw material collection pipe. The suction device has a vacuum pump and a vacuum blower operating in cooperation.

[0006]

According to the present invention, in the raw material recovery apparatus of the present invention, the vacuum pump and the vacuum blower operate in cooperation. Therefore, clogging of the raw material collecting tube with the raw material can be prevented, and the raw material can be smoothly sucked. Moreover, since the inside of the raw material processing apparatus can be automatically collected and cleaned without requiring any manpower, the working efficiency can be improved. In addition, since the robot operates according to a program stored in advance, it is possible to reliably collect and clean the raw material.

[0007]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a state in which a robot A for raw material recovery and cleaning of the present invention is installed in a raw material processing apparatus B. Here, the raw material processing apparatus B is a housing-like apparatus for mixing or filling a food raw material such as powder and liquid. As shown in FIG. 1, the raw material processing apparatus B includes:
A lid 20 is provided on the upper side, and a stirrer 21 for stirring a food material supplied from a material input port (not shown) is hung downward on the inner wall of the lid 20. The stirrer 21
Rotary shaft 21a rotatably attached to the inner wall of the lid
And a plurality of stirring blades 21b integrally attached to the rotating shaft 21a. In the raw material processing apparatus B, extra raw materials are attached to the stirring blades 21b of the stirrer 21 and the like. Therefore, after manufacturing one product, when manufacturing a different product, first, in order to reuse the raw materials, The raw material C adhering to the inside of the raw material processing device B is recovered, and then the raw material processing device B
It is necessary to clean the inside. Robot device A of the present invention
Is to perform the collection operation and the cleaning operation automatically without requiring any manual operation. The robot A for raw material recovery and cleaning according to the present invention includes a cylindrical cleaning container 1 formed with an open top, and an arm rotation table 2 that is horizontally rotatably attached to the bottom of the cleaning container 1. A robot 3 fixedly mounted on the arm turntable 2 and a raw material recovery device 4 for recovering raw materials adhered inside the raw material processing device B;
A cleaning spray device 5 for spraying a cleaning liquid is provided.

An acrylic acrylic cover 6 formed in a cylindrical shape is fitted on the inner wall of the washing container 1 so as to be vertically movable.
A cover elevating cylinder 7 is provided at the bottom of the washing container 1, and the tip of a rod 8 of the cover elevating cylinder 7 is attached to a lower portion of the sealing cover 6, and the sealing cover 6 is moved up and down by expansion and contraction of the rod 8. I have. The sealing cover 6 helps prevent washing water or the like from splashing outside during the washing operation. A positioning projection 22 provided at a predetermined position on the floor of the raw material processing apparatus B is provided on the bottom of the cleaning vessel 1.
It has a leg 9 for mounting on it. The cleaning spray device 5 is connected to a liquid feed pipe (not shown), and the cleaning liquid is ejected from the spray device 5 through the liquid feed pipe. The raw material recovery device 4 includes a flexible raw material recovery pipe 10, a nozzle unit 11 attached to one end of the raw material recovery pipe 10,
Collection container 12 attached to the other end of raw material collection tube 10
And a suction device 13 that sucks the raw material into the collection container 12 through the raw material recovery pipe 10. The collection container 12 has 20
It has about one volume. A pressure sensor (not shown) for transmitting the start of the vacuum pump is provided in the collection container 12.
Is attached. As the suction device 13, a combination of a vacuum pump (not shown) and a vacuum blower (not shown) is used. Here, a vacuum pump refers to a pump having a pressure ratio (ratio of discharge pressure to suction pressure) of 2 or more, and a vacuum blower refers to a pump having a pressure ratio of 1.1 to less than 2. Preferably, the vacuum pump and the vacuum blower are combined so that the air suction flow ratio of each device is 1: 9 to 4: 6. As a result, the raw material clogged in the raw material recovery pipe can be removed in a short time by using a minimum vacuum pump, and the raw material can be recovered smoothly, and the size of the entire apparatus can be reduced. In this case, when the suction flow ratio of the vacuum pump is reduced, the entire apparatus can be made smaller, and when the suction flow ratio is increased, clogging of the raw material can be removed in a shorter time.

A collection box 14 is provided inside the washing container 1, and the collection container 12 and the suction device 13 described above are provided.
Is provided in the collection box 14. A plurality of (two in the embodiment) stands 15 are provided above the collection box 14, and the nozzle 15 and the spray device 5 of the raw material collection device 4 are detachably hung on the stand 15. The robot 3 includes a gantry 3a provided on the arm rotation base 2 so as to be able to move up and down, a plurality of rotation arms 3b,
It has a multi-joint arm mechanism including a joint 3c for connecting each rotating arm 3b. Each rotating arm 3b has a joint 3c
Are pivotally connected about the fulcrum. The lower part of each rotary arm 3b is configured to be rotatable in the horizontal direction about its axis. At the end of the arm of the robot 3, there is provided a connecting portion 3 d which can selectively and automatically connect the cleaning spray device 5 and the nozzle portion 11 of the raw material collecting device 4. The cleaning process of the robot 3 is programmed in advance, and can be remotely controlled by a handy operating device (not shown) such as a remote controller. Next, the operation of the material recovery and cleaning robot apparatus A of the present invention will be described. First, an automatic carrier (not shown) on which the robot apparatus A of the present invention is mounted
Is transported into the raw material processing apparatus B to be recovered and cleaned. Then, the robot apparatus A is lowered from the automatic transport vehicle, and the leg 9 of the cleaning container 1 is placed on the positioning projection 22 provided on the floor. Then, the elevating cylinder 7 is actuated, the rod 8 of the cylinder 7 is extended, the sealing cover 6 is raised, and the upper edge of the sealing cover 6 is brought into contact with the inner surface of the lid 20, so that the sealing space is provided in the raw material processing apparatus B. make.

Next, the nozzle section 11 attached to the end of the raw material collection pipe 10 suspended on the stand 15 is connected to the connecting section 3d of the robot 3, and the nozzle section 11 is extracted from the stand 15. Then, the robot 3 is operated in accordance with a preset program to bring the nozzle portion 11 closer to the location where the raw material is attached. Then, due to the suction force of the suction device 13, the attached raw material is recovered from the nozzle portion 11 through the raw material recovery pipe 10 into the recovery container 12. After the raw material collection work is completed, the connecting portion 3d of the robot 3
The nozzle unit 11 of the raw material collecting pipe 10 connected to the robot 3 is removed and returned to the original stand 15, and then the spray unit 5 suspended on another stand 15 is connected to the connecting unit 3 d of the robot 3. Automatically performs the replacement work. Then, the robot 3 is positioned at a predetermined washable position by rotating and rotating the rotary arm 3b. Then, the cleaning liquid is sprayed from the spray device 5 to a desired cleaning location. After the cleaning is completed, the rod 8 of the elevating cylinder 7 is shortened, and the hermetic cover 6 is lowered to be housed in the cleaning container 1. Next, the robot apparatus A is mounted again on the automatic transport vehicle, and is transported by the automatic transport vehicle to another raw material processing device to be next collected and cleaned.

According to the present invention, since the inside of the raw material processing apparatus B can be automatically collected and cleaned without requiring any manpower, the working efficiency can be improved. Further, even if the place where the raw material is to be collected and washed is a place where it is difficult to manually work such as the stirring blade 21b or a narrow gap,
Since the robot operates in accordance with the program stored in advance, it is possible to reliably collect and clean the raw material.
Furthermore, in the case of a highly adhesive raw material such as a paste, there is a possibility that the raw material collecting pipe 10 may be clogged with the vacuum blower alone. Although clogging can be prevented by using a large-sized vacuum pump device, it is difficult to provide a large-sized device in a limited space in the cleaning container 1. Thus, as shown in FIG. 2, the vacuum blower 16 and the vacuum pump 17 may be arranged in parallel. Then, when the vacuum blower 16 and the vacuum pump 17 are simultaneously operated at the time of suction, or when the raw material starts closing the raw material collecting pipe 10 and the pressure sensor detects a pressure drop in the raw material collecting container 12, the two devices are operated. By simultaneously operating, the clogging in the raw material recovery pipe 10 can be instantaneously removed, so that even highly viscous raw materials can be sucked smoothly without requiring a large-sized apparatus. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 18 denotes a check valve for preventing the vacuum blower 16 from flowing backward due to the operation of the vacuum pump 17.

While the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above, various modifications may be made to the disclosed embodiment without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention without departing from the scope of the invention. Can be.

[0013]

According to the present invention, since the inside of the raw material processing apparatus B can be automatically subjected to the raw material collecting work and the cleaning work without requiring any manpower, the working efficiency can be improved. In addition, even if the location where the material should be collected and washed is a place where it is difficult to work manually such as a stirring blade or a narrow gap, the robot operates according to the program stored in advance, so that the material can be collected and washed reliably. It can be carried out. Furthermore, the raw material in the raw material collecting pipe, particularly the highly viscous raw material, can be smoothly collected by suction without requiring a large-sized apparatus.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic side sectional view showing the configuration of a robot apparatus for collecting and cleaning raw materials according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing a suction device in which a vacuum pump and a vacuum blower operating in cooperation are arranged in parallel.

[Explanation of symbols]

 A: Robotic device for collecting and cleaning raw material B: Raw material processing device C: Raw material attached 1 ... Cleaning container 3 ... Robot 4 ... Raw material collecting device 5 ... Spraying device 6 ... Sealing cover 7 ... Cylinder for elevating cover 9 ... Leg 10 … Raw material collecting pipe 11… nozzle part 12… collecting container 13… suction device 14… collection box 15… stand 16… vacuum blower (suction device) 17… vacuum pump (suction device) 20… cover 21… stirrer 21a… rotary shaft 22b ... stirring blade

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B08B 5/04 B65G 45/22 B65G 45/26 B65G 53/24

Claims (7)

(57) [Claims] And 1. A raw material recovery pipe, and one raw material recovery container mounted on the end of the raw material recovery pipe, the raw material through the raw material recovery pipe vacuum blower and a vacuum pump for sucking in the raw material recovery container parallel material recovery apparatus characterized by having a suction <br/> drawing device disposed in the. 2. A suction flow ratio of air in the vacuum pump and the vacuum blower is 1: 9 to 4: characterized in that it is a 6
The raw material recovery apparatus according to claim 1, wherein To 3. The other end of the raw material recovery tube, articulated A
At the tip of the articulated arm of a robot with a robot mechanism
Material recovery apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the nozzles for raw material recovery coupled is attached. 4. A cleaning container formed with an open upper part and installed in the raw material processing apparatus, a raw material collecting apparatus for sucking raw materials adhered to the inside of the raw material processing apparatus, and a cleaning container connected to the raw material collecting apparatus. At the end of the raw material collection tube
An attached raw material recovery nozzle , a cleaning spray device for injecting a cleaning liquid, the cleaning spray device provided in the cleaning container, and
The material recovery nozzle has an articulated arm mechanism
Material recovery and cleaning robot system and robot can be selectively attached to the connecting portion of the tip of the articulated arm of the robot, characterized by having a to that. 5. The apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising means for automatically exchanging the material recovery nozzle and the cleaning spray device. Wherein said raw material recovery device, a raw material recovery pipe, a nozzle for material recovery, which is connected to the distal end of the arm of the robot is attached to one end of the raw material recovery tube, the other end of the raw material recovery pipe 5. The apparatus for collecting and cleaning raw materials according to claim 4, further comprising a collecting container to be attached, and a suction device for sucking the raw materials into the collecting container through a raw material collecting pipe. 7. The suction device according to claim 6, wherein the suction device includes a vacuum blower and a vacuum pump arranged in parallel.
4. A robot device for collecting and washing raw materials according to item 1.