JP3355431B2 - Combination weighing 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 plurality of sets of hopper groups including a plurality of vertically arranged hoppers including a weighing hopper for weighing an object to be weighed. The present invention relates to a technique for simplifying the cleaning of a hopper in a combination weighing apparatus that selects a combination of objects to be weighed and collectively discharges the selected objects to be weighed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A combination weighing apparatus has been conventionally used in order to efficiently and individually discharge articles having different weights in a desired amount.

The combination weighing device supplies the objects to be weighed from the respective pool hoppers to the weighing hoppers, weighs the objects, selects an optimum combination of the objects to be weighed based on the weighing results, and selects the weighing object selected for the combination. It is configured to collectively discharge objects.

In a combination weighing apparatus for weighing food or the like, it is necessary to clean the transfer path of the object to be weighed including each hopper periodically or when switching the type of the object to be weighed. For this reason, in the conventional combination weighing device, each hopper is configured to be detachable from the device main body, and the hoppers removed from the device main body can be individually washed with water.

However, in the case of an object to be weighed having high adhesiveness, such as pickles or cooked meat products, cleaning must be performed frequently. As described above, each hopper is detached from the apparatus main body and washed with water. The work of attaching it to the apparatus body is extremely complicated and requires a great deal of labor and time.

As a technique for solving this, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 6-3
No. 2584 proposes that all the hoppers are kept open so that the cleaning operation can be performed by flowing water into the hopper from above the main body of the weighing device without removing the hopper.

[0007]

However, as described above, in the method in which all the hoppers are kept open and water flows along the transfer path of the object to be weighed, the hopper has a sliding shutter. In the case of the rotary type in which the opening angle of the shutter is large, the contact surface of the shutter with the object to be weighed cannot be cleaned, so that the shutter portion of each hopper must be individually cleaned.

An object of the present invention is to solve this problem and to provide a combination weighing device that can be easily cleaned regardless of the structure of the hopper.

[0009]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a combination weighing device according to the present invention comprises a plurality of sets of hopper groups vertically arranged in a plurality of stages including a weighing hopper for weighing an object to be weighed. A combination weighing device that selects a combination of objects to be weighed based on the weighing results of the respective weighing hoppers and collectively discharges the selected objects to be weighed, for designating an operation of the combination weighing device to a cleaning mode. An operation mode designating unit, a cleaning opening / closing pattern storage unit that stores a hopper opening / closing pattern for the cleaning mode in advance, and, when a cleaning mode is designated by the operation mode designating unit, the cleaning opening / closing pattern storage unit. A hopper opening / closing controller is provided for opening the hoppers of each hopper group in accordance with the stored hopper opening / closing pattern.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 6 show the appearance of a combination weighing device 20 according to an embodiment for weighing an adhesive object to be weighed and the schematic structure of each part.

In these figures, the combination weighing device 20
A substantially rectangular parallelepiped casing 22 is supported on the base 21. An electromagnetic vibration device 23 is provided at an upper part in the housing 22.
Are arranged in a line in the width direction of the housing 22 (in this example, one
The vibration shafts 23a of the vibration devices 23 protrude from the upper surface 22a of the housing 22.

At the upper end of each vibrating shaft 23a, a transfer trough 24 formed in a gutter shape is attached so as to face forward of the housing 22. The objects to be weighed are supplied to each of the transport troughs 24 by a chute, a bucket conveyor, or a manual input (not shown). Each vibrating device 23 vibrates each transport trough 24 by energizing for a predetermined time, and transports the object to be weighed on the transport trough 24 to the front end side.

Below the front end of each transport trough 24, a pool hopper 25 in the form of a hollow square tube whose upper and lower sides are opened in a substantially rectangular shape.
Are arranged respectively. The pool hopper 25 is shown in FIG.
As shown in the figure, a flange 26 is formed at the front and rear edges of the lower opening slightly smaller than the upper opening, and two locking holes are formed in one flange 26. 27 are provided.

Each pool hopper 25 is provided on the front surface 2 of the housing 22.
2b is supported by a frame 28 attached to the left and right sides. That is, five pin fixing plates 29 are attached to the inside of the front plate 28 a of each frame 28 at predetermined intervals, and each pin fixing plate 29 has the same locking hole 27 as the pool hopper 25. Two locking pins 31 are erected at intervals.
A pair of guide shafts 32 are respectively installed between the front plate 28a of the frame body 28 and the front surface 22b of the housing 22 in parallel on both sides of the pair of locking pins 31.
The shutters 33 are respectively supported on the top. Each shutter 33 is engaged with one of the guide shafts 32 on its rear side, and is supported so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction.

Each pool hopper 25 has a pair of locking pins 3.
In a state where the locking hole 27 is locked to the shutter 1, it is supported so as to be placed on the shutter 33.

Each of the shutters 33 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape large enough to close the lower opening surface of the pool hopper 25, and the rear side of one side thereof has a cylinder shaft 34 a projecting from the front surface 22 b of the housing 22. It is detachably connected to the tip.
Each cylinder 34 provided in the housing 22 includes a shutter 3
Each of the cylinder shafts 34a is retracted until the front end of the pool hopper 3 is below the rear flange of the pool hopper 25 to open the lower opening surface of each pool hopper, and the front end of the shutter 33 is positioned at the front flange of the pool hopper 25. Each of the cylinder shafts 34a is pushed out until the lower side of the pool hopper 25 is closed. Since the upper surface of the shutter 33 slides while being in contact with the lower edge of the hopper, the object to be weighed on the shutter is scraped off by the lower edge of the hopper.

Below each pool hopper 25, weighing hoppers 35 having the same shape as the pool hopper 25 are arranged in a row in the horizontal direction. Each weighing hopper 35 is a pool hopper 2
5 is supported so that the front and rear directions are opposite to each other.
As shown in (2), two locking holes 37 provided in one flange portion 36 are supported by hopper supports 40 supported on the front surface 22b of the housing 22.

On the upper surface of the hopper support 40, two locking pins 41 are protrudingly provided. On both ends of the hopper support 40, the locking pins 41 extend forward at a slightly wider interval than the interval between the locking pins 41. A pair of guide shafts 42 is attached, and a shutter 43 slidable in the front-rear direction is guided by the pair of guide shafts 42 on the guide shafts 42.
Are supported respectively. Each of the weighing hoppers 35 is supported so as to be mounted on the shutter 43 in a state where the locking holes 37 are locked by the pair of locking pins 41.

Each of the shutters 43 is formed in a rectangular shape having a size to cover the lower opening surface of the weighing hopper 35, just like the shutter 33 of the pool hopper 25. It is detachably connected to the tip of a cylinder shaft 44a projecting from the front surface. Each cylinder 44 provided in the housing 22 pushes out each cylinder shaft 44a, moves each shutter 43 forward, and moves each weighing hopper 3
5, the lower opening surface of each weighing hopper 35 is closed by moving each shutter 43 toward the housing by retracting each cylinder shaft 44a.

Each of the hopper supports 40 is detachably connected to a disc-shaped connecting plate 45 disposed on the front surface of the housing 22 via a locking mechanism 46. Each connecting plate 45
Each of the cylinders 44 is also fixed to the connecting plate 45 by being supported by each measuring device 47 fixed as a measuring device in the housing, and the cylinder shaft 44a is inserted through the connecting plate 45, It protrudes forward of the housing 22.

Therefore, each weighing device 47 includes a weighing hopper 35, a hopper support 40, a guide shaft 42, a shutter 4
3. The load of the cylinder 44, the connecting plate 45, and the locking mechanism 46 is constantly applied, and the load by the object to be weighed is added to this steady load.

Below each weighing hopper 35, a timing hopper 50 having the same shape as the pool hopper 25 is disposed. Each of the timing hoppers 50 is supported in a single row on the front side of the housing 22 just like the pool hopper 25. That is, as shown in FIG. 4, two locking holes 52 provided in one flange portion 51 at the lower end of each timing hopper 50 are provided with frame members 53 fixed to the left and right sides of the front surface 22 b of the housing 22. The front plate 53 of the frame 53 is locked by a locking pin 56 projecting from a pin fixing plate 54 on the inner edge of the front plate 53a.
a shutter 59 supported on a pair of guide shafts 58 laid in parallel between
It is placed on.

Each shutter 59 is provided with a timing hopper 50
The rear side of one side is detachably connected to a tip of a cylinder shaft 60 a protruding from the front surface of the housing 22. Each cylinder 60 in the housing 22 pulls in each cylinder shaft 60a, moves each shutter 59 toward the housing 22, opens the lower opening surface of each timing hopper 50, and pushes out each cylinder shaft 60a. Each shutter 59 is moved forward to close the lower opening surface of each timing hopper 50.

Below the plural (ten in this embodiment) timing hoppers 50, two conveyors 65, 66 are provided.
Are arranged on the left and right. Two conveyors 65, 66
Are symmetrically formed, the left conveyor 65 receives the objects to be weighed discharged from the five left timing hoppers and conveys them to the right end, and the right conveyor 66 is discharged from the right five timing hoppers. Receiving the object to be weighed and transporting it to the left end.

The two conveyors 65, 66 are provided by a pair of rollers 67, 68, a conveyor belt 69 stretched between the rollers, and a motor 70 in the housing 22 that drives one of the rollers 67 to rotate. And a pair of rollers 67, 68
, One end of which is rotatably supported by the front surface 22 b of the housing 22, is arranged side by side in a direction parallel to the front surface of the housing 22, and is parallel to the horizontal direction. Is received on the upper surface of the transport belt 69, and is transported to one roller 67 side.

A member (not shown) is provided between the rollers of the conveyors 65 and 66 to support the transport belt 69 from its lower surface and prevent the transport belt from bending due to the weight of the object to be weighed. I have.

Below the two conveyors 65 and 66, a funnel-shaped collecting chute 80 is supported. The upper opening surface 81 of the collecting chute 80 is, as shown in FIG.
It is formed in a square shape of a minimum size necessary to receive the objects to be weighed carried out from the ends of the conveyors 65 and 66,
The slope of the inner wall surface from the upper opening surface 81 to the lower discharge port 82 is steep so that the received sticky object can be reliably discharged.

The collecting chute 80 is mounted on the front surface 22 of the housing 22.
A pair of support members 83 projecting in parallel from the front side from b. A long plate-like shape is provided between the left edge of the upper opening surface 81 of the collecting chute 80 and the lower surface of the right end of the conveyor 65 and between the right edge of the upper opening surface 81 and the lower surface of the left end of the conveyor 66. Return control plates 84 and 85 are arranged along the width direction of each conveyor.

The return restricting plates 84 and 85 are thin rectangular and have a length substantially equal to the belt width of the conveyors 65 and 66, and their upper edges 84a and 85a
6 is close to (almost in contact with) the conveyor belt on the lower surface side
In this state, a pair of rotating shafts 86, 8 whose lower edges 84b, 85b protrude forward from the front surface of the housing 22 in parallel.
7 is fixed.

The rotation shafts 86 and 87 are moved by two return motors 88 and 89 provided in the housing 22 to the return restricting plate 8.
4 and 85 are driven to rotate a predetermined angle inward of the collecting chute 80 and return to the original position.

Each of the vibration devices 23, cylinders 34,
The motors 44 and 60 and the motors 88 and 89 are controlled by a control unit shown in FIG.

That is, the operation mode designating means 90 is for designating the operation of the combination weighing device to one of the weighing mode and the cleaning mode. For example, one of the modes can be designated by a key operation. It has become.

The weight detecting means 92 takes in the weighing value at the timing when the signal of the weighing device 47 of the weighing hopper 35 receiving the weighing object from the pool hopper 25 becomes stable, and the weighing object supplied to each of the weighing hoppers. Calculate the weight of The combination selection unit 93 selects a combination whose total weight is within a preset target weight range from the objects whose weights are detected by the weight detection unit 92.

Weight detecting means 92 and combination selecting means 9
3 performs the above operation when the weighing mode is specified by the operation mode specifying means 90, and stops the operation when the cleaning mode is specified.

When the weighing mode is designated by the operation mode designating means 90, the hopper opening / closing control means 94 collectively discharges the objects to be weighed selected by the combination selecting means 93, and supplies the empty hopper with the upper hopper. A new object to be weighed is stored from the hopper.

For example, as shown in FIG. 8A, after the four weighing hoppers 35 containing the objects to be weighed selected in combination are opened and closed and discharged to the timing hopper 50,
As shown in FIG. 7B, the pool hopper 25 on the upper side of the empty weighing hopper is opened and closed to store a new object to be weighed in each weighing hopper. As shown in e), the timing hopper 50 receiving the object to be weighed from the weighing hopper is opened and closed in order from the collecting chute 80 in accordance with the conveyor speed, and the objects to be weighed are gathered at almost the same position on the conveyors 65 and 66. To the collecting chute 80 side.

When the cleaning mode is designated by the operation mode designating means 90, the hopper opening / closing control means 94 sets the opening / closing pattern information of each hopper for cleaning stored in advance in the cleaning opening / closing pattern storage means 95. And every time the switch 96 is operated, the opening / closing operation of the pool hopper 25, the weighing hopper 35, and the timing hopper 50 is sequentially advanced in accordance with the opening / closing pattern.

The cleaning opening / closing pattern storage means 95 stores information for opening / closing each hopper, for example, as shown in FIG. That is, after the cleaning mode is designated by the operation mode designating means 90, first, the switch 96 is set.
Is operated, the upper and lower hoppers are all opened as shown in FIG. 9A, and all the objects W to be weighed remaining in each hopper when the weighing operation is stopped are transferred to the conveyors 65 and 6.
6. Discharge on top.

Next, when the switch 96 is operated, all the hoppers are closed as shown in FIG.
Each time is operated, as shown in (c) to (e) of the same drawing, the pool hopper 25 is opened sequentially from the uppermost pool hopper 25 to the lower one, and after the lowermost timing hopper 50 is opened, The operation of returning to the state of (b) is repeated.

In the weighing mode, the feeder driving means 97 operates the vibrating device 23 corresponding to the empty pool hopper.
Is driven for a predetermined time to supply an object to be weighed to the pool hopper, and the operation is stopped in the cleaning mode state.

The return regulating plate driving means 98 is provided for the conveyor 6.
The objects to be weighed adhering to the transfer surfaces 5 and 66 are collected by a collecting chute 8.
Each time the objects discharged on the conveyors 65 and 66 are carried out to the collecting chute 80, the return regulating plates 84 and 85 are rotated by a predetermined angle toward the collecting chute 80 to scrape the objects into the collecting chutes 80. Return to the original position.

In the combination weighing apparatus constructed as described above, while the operation mode designating means 90 designates the weighing mode, as shown in FIG. Timing hopper 5 from 35
The pool hopper at the top of the empty weighing hopper that has been discharged to 0 is opened and closed, and a new object to be weighed is supplied to the weighing hopper, and the empty hopper is supplied with the object to be weighed from the transport trough 24. Is repeated. Also,
The objects to be weighed stored in the timing hopper 50 are discharged in order of distance from the collecting chute 80, and are conveyed by the conveyors 65 and 66.
It is gathered above and discharged collectively from the gathering chute 80.

Then, when the time when cleaning is necessary comes and the cleaning mode is designated by the operation mode designating means 90,
The functions of the weight detecting means 92, the combination selecting means 93, and the feeder driving means 97 are stopped, and the hopper opening / closing control means 94 reads the opening / closing pattern information stored in the cleaning opening / closing pattern storage means 95, and operates the switch 96. Each time it is performed, as shown in FIG. 9, the opening and closing control of each hopper is advanced one step at a time according to its opening and closing pattern.

During this cleaning mode, the operator continuously flows the washing water onto each transport trough 24. At this time, assuming that the pool hopper, the weighing hopper, and the timing hopper are closed as shown in FIG.
The washing water together with the residue w adhered on the top 4 falls into the uppermost pool hopper 25 and is temporarily stored therein. The cleaning water falling from the transport trough 24 releases the residue w attached to the inner wall of the pool hopper 25 and the upper surface of the shutter 33.

Next, as shown in FIG. 9B, when the shutter 33 of the pool hopper 25 slides and the hopper is opened, the washing water in the pool hopper is transferred into the weighing hopper 35 together with the residue w. Once dropped and accommodated, as before,
The residue w adhering in the measuring hopper is released. As shown in FIGS. 9 (c) and 9 (d), the washing water is transferred to the lower hopper together with the residue w, and the lowermost timing hopper 50 is moved as shown in FIG. 9 (e). After being opened and the cleaning water and the residue w in the timing hopper are discharged to the conveyors 65 and 66, the state returns to the state of FIG. 9B, and the same operation is repeated thereafter. During this time, since the washing water from the transport trough 24 is continuously flowing down, the residue w does not adhere to the hopper again.
Residues w that have not fallen during the transfer of the washing water are also washed away by the continuously flowing washing water.

If the conveyors 65 and 66 and the return regulating plates 84 and 85 are kept in the operating state as in the case of the weighing operation, a part of the residue w flowing down on the conveyors 65 and 66 is collected by the collecting chute 80. In addition, the conveyor and the return regulating plate itself can be cleaned.

FIG. 9 shows the operation of one set of the pool hopper 25, the weighing hopper 35, and the timing hopper 50, but the operations of the other sets of hoppers are also synchronized.

A pattern that opens and closes one set (or a plurality of sets) in order from the leftmost set to the rightmost set without synchronizing all the sets, or five sets on the left and five sets on the right
A pattern in which a pair is alternately opened and closed may be used. In this case, for example, a lamp is provided for each hopper group in advance, and a lamp corresponding to the hopper group that repeats the opening / closing operation in the cleaning mode is driven to be lit, so as to urge the worker to pour washing water. This will eliminate unnecessary water injection.

When the hopper is opened, the shutter is not simply moved in the opening direction. For example, as shown in FIG. If the pattern is used, the movement of the cleaning water in the hopper becomes violent, and the residue adhered on the shutter is easily peeled off, so that the cleaning effect is further enhanced.

In the above-described embodiment, the opening and closing pattern is advanced by operating the switch 96 so that the cleaning can be performed while checking the amount of the residue and the like. You may make it advance automatically whenever time passes.

The switch 96 may be of a remote control type so that one operator can operate the switch while performing water injection work. At this time, the switch and the apparatus main body are connected by a cord, or The connection may be made wirelessly via a communication device using radio waves or infrared rays.

A plurality of sets of the above-mentioned opening / closing patterns may be stored, so that the cleaning pattern can be selected and operated according to the type of the object to be weighed.

In this embodiment, the case where three hoppers are vertically arranged has been described.
The present invention can be similarly applied to a case of four or more stages. Further, in this embodiment, the shutter of each hopper has a structure in which the shutter slides to open and close. However, the present invention is similarly applied to a combination weighing apparatus having a hopper in which the shutter is rotated to open and close. it can.

[0054]

As described above, in the combination weighing device of the present invention, when the cleaning mode is designated, the hoppers of each hopper group are opened and closed according to the opening and closing patterns stored in advance in the opening and closing pattern storage means for cleaning. Since the hopper can be operated, the shutter of the hopper can be easily washed off, including the slide-attached shutter and the attached matter, regardless of whether the shutter is attached.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing the appearance of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of one embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of one embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of one embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a main part of one embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control unit according to an embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation during the weighing operation of the embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram illustrating an operation during a cleaning operation according to one embodiment.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining another operation during the cleaning operation of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 20 combination weighing device 25 pool hopper 35 weighing hopper 50 timing hopper 90 operation mode specifying means 92 weight detecting means 93 combination selecting means 94 hopper open / close control means 95 cleaning open / close pattern storage means 96 switch

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] A plurality of sets of hoppers including a plurality of vertically arranged hoppers including a weighing hopper for weighing an object to be weighed are selected based on the weighing result of each weighing hopper. An operation mode designating unit for designating an operation of the combination weighing device to a cleaning mode, and a hopper opening / closing pattern for the cleaning mode is stored in advance. Hopper opening / closing for opening hoppers of each hopper group according to a hopper opening / closing pattern stored in the cleaning opening / closing pattern storage means when a cleaning mode is designated by the operation mode designating means; A combination weighing device comprising control means. 2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein the hopper opening / closing control means is configured to sequentially advance the opening / closing operation of the hopper according to the hopper opening / closing pattern each time a manual switch is operated. Weighing device.