JP5877649B2 - Sorting device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a sorting device that discharges and sorts a workpiece in an appropriate conveyance direction among a plurality of conveyance paths branched on the downstream side in accordance with a workpiece inspection result or a workpiece type by an upstream inspection device. It is.

  Conventionally, quality inspections such as weight inspections and metal contamination checks have been performed on transported goods (hereinafter referred to as “workpieces”) to be inspected in production lines that produce food, etc., and normality based on the inspection results For example, as a device for sorting normal articles and defective articles by a so-called pusher system that pushes a conveyed work piece in a predetermined direction and sorts the conveyed work piece in a predetermined direction if it is defective, for example, the following patent The sorting device of Document 1 is known.

JP 2001-48345 A

  By the way, if the workpiece is a heavy and large product, such as a large amount of commercial cheese or processed meat packed in corrugated cardboard, it must be pressed with a force greater than the friction force acting on the workpiece in order to reliably discharge the workpiece. It is necessary to extrude non-defective workpieces. Therefore, when such a relatively heavy workpiece is selected, a drive cylinder using air or hydraulic pressure is used as a drive source for the push-out member. Will work.

For this reason, when a defective product sorting operation is performed, a worker who works in an area (hereinafter referred to as “dangerous zone”) that may be dangerous to the worker as the sorting mechanism is driven during the sorting operation. On the other hand, it is notified that the sorting operation is started by the lighting / flashing of the warning lamp or the display notification to the display device provided in the apparatus.
However, there is a problem that a worker who is working in a position where the notification cannot be confirmed or the display device cannot be seen cannot confirm the notification, and the safety of the worker cannot be ensured.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and provides a sorting device that can reduce exposure of workers in the vicinity to the danger during the sorting operation of the workpiece by the pushing member. It is aimed.

In order to achieve the above object, a sorting apparatus according to claim 1 of the present invention includes an extruding member 12a capable of moving forward and backward with respect to a conveyance path 11a into which a work W is carried, and inspecting the work. In the sorting apparatus 1 that sorts and sorts the workpiece by passing the workpiece on the conveyance path or by pushing it out of the conveyance path by moving the pushing member forward and backward according to the inspection result of 20,
An informing unit 13 for informing by a warning sound that the selection operation by the forward and backward movement of the pushing member is performed;
A control unit 17 that controls the notification unit so as to notify a predetermined time before starting the sorting operation by the forward and backward movement of the push member;
A sorting operation instruction means 15 that outputs a sorting start signal based on the operator's confirmation operation according to the notification of the notification unit ,
The control unit controls the normal sorting mode for controlling sorting and sorting at a timing when a work sorted out of the conveyance path reaches a predetermined sorting position on the sorting device based on the inspection result; and the inspection result; A confirmation sorting mode for controlling the sorting and sorting of the workpiece from the sorting position based on the sorting start signal, and switching both sorting modes on the basis of the mode selection signal output from the mode switching means. The member is controlled .

The sorting apparatus according to claim 2 is the sorting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit 17 is conveyed immediately before the notification target workpiece with respect to the notification target workpiece Wa notified by the notification unit 13. The notification unit is controlled so that notification is started after completion of the sorting operation of the workpiece W.

According to the sorting apparatus of the present invention, since the sorting operation of the workpiece by extrusion member before starting the sorting operation is carried out is notified by the warning sound, prompting risk aversion to workers on the periphery sorting device The sorting operation can be performed safely.

  In addition, when the confirmation sorting mode is selected, the sorting operation is started by operating the sorting operation instruction means in response to the notification from the notification unit. The danger can be avoided.

  Further, since the notification is given after the sorting operation of the workpiece conveyed immediately before the notification target workpiece is completed, it is possible to easily grasp which workpiece is subjected to the sorting operation by the pushing member.

It is a schematic top view which shows the apparatus structure of the sorting device based on this invention. It is a system block diagram of the same apparatus. (A), (b) It is a timing chart figure which shows the alerting | reporting timing when a workpiece | work is conveyed.

  Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited by this embodiment, and all other forms, examples, operation techniques, etc. that can be implemented by those skilled in the art based on this form are included in the scope of the present invention. .

  In this specification, the “sorting position” is a position where the sorting mechanism starts a defective workpiece conveyed from the inspection apparatus, and the “extrusion start position” is a sorting operation of the defective workpiece by the sorting mechanism. This is a position where the movement of the extrusion member is started, and is an initial position where the extrusion member waits without performing a sorting operation when the workpiece is a non-defective product. The “extrusion end position” is a sorting mechanism for defective products by the sorting mechanism. Each position is defined as a position where the pushing member moved during operation pushes the workpiece.

  In addition, as a workpiece conveyance direction, the “non-defective product conveyance direction” is a direction in which a workpiece determined to be non-defective by the inspection device (in this embodiment, the same direction as the workpiece conveyance direction from the inspection device), The term “defective product conveyance direction” is defined as a direction in which a workpiece determined as a defective product by the inspection device is conveyed (in this embodiment, a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the workpiece from the inspection device).

[Device configuration]
First, the configuration of the sorting apparatus 1 according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The sorting apparatus 1 of this example is incorporated in a part of a production line that conveys a heavy work piece W at a low pitch, and is arranged on the upstream side of the apparatus (for example, an X-ray inspection apparatus, a metal detection apparatus). The work W inspected by the weight inspection apparatus) is selected based on the determination result.

Further, the sorting device 1 has a predetermined transport distance between the inspection device 20 and the transport means 12 so that the transport interval of the workpiece W is provided to some extent, and the work W transported from the inspection device 20 is sorted. A relay conveyor 30 that conveys the workpiece W determined as a non-defective product in the inspection apparatus 20, and a non-defective product conveying means 40 that conveys the workpiece W determined as a non-defective product in the inspection device 20. Defective product transport means 50 for transporting to the lower side of the transport path 11a in FIG. 1 is provided adjacent to each other.
In this embodiment, the relay conveyor 30 and the non-defective product transporting unit 40 are configured by a circular transport belt that circulates around a transport belt roller that is rotatably supported in a direction orthogonal to the non-defective product transport direction. The non-defective product conveying means 50 is an example constituted by a plurality of rollers arranged in a rotatable manner in parallel with the good product conveying direction.

  The sorting device 1 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 2, the sorting device 1 of this example carries the workpiece W transported from the inspection device 20 through the relay conveyor 30 and follows the non-defective product transport direction. A transport unit 11 that transports the non-defective product transport unit 40 to the non-defective product transport unit 40; , A notification unit 13 for notifying that the sorting operation of the workpiece W by the sorting mechanism 12 is started, a mode switching unit 14 for switching an appropriate operation mode during the sorting operation, and sorting by the pushing member 12a based on a predetermined operation. The sorting operation instruction means 15 that gives an instruction to start the operation, the storage unit 16 that stores various information for driving the sorting device 1, and the drive control of each part constituting the sorting device 1 are performed. And a control unit 17.

  When the inspection start is instructed by, for example, a button operation or a switch operation, the inspection device 20 sequentially carries in the workpieces W and executes a predetermined inspection, and the sorting device 1 in advance for each workpiece starting from the end of the inspection. (Ie, sorting delay time and sorting operation time of sorting mechanism 12 determined based on workpiece W transport speed, workpiece W weight, workpiece W transport pitch, defective product sorting operation time) At the same time, the workpieces W are successively carried in, a predetermined inspection is executed, and pass / fail judgment information indicating the inspection result is output to the sorting device 1 from the end of the inspection.

  The conveying means 11 is configured by a circular conveying belt that circulates around a conveying belt roller that is rotatably supported in a direction orthogonal to the non-defective conveying direction, and the conveying belt and the conveying belt roller cooperate with each other. The work W on the transport path 11a is transported in the non-defective product transport direction. The transport unit 11 carries in the work W from the relay conveyor 30 based on the control from the control unit 17 and transports the work W determined to be non-defective to a subsequent post-processing unit (not shown). 40.

  The sorting mechanism 12 includes an extruding member 12a and a driving unit 12b. Under the control of the control unit 17, the selecting mechanism 12 moves the extruding member 12a forward and backward in a direction perpendicular to the conveying path 11a by the driving unit 12b. The workpieces W are sorted by sorting them in a predetermined conveyance direction (non-defective product conveyance direction or defective product conveyance direction).

  The extruding member 12a is made of, for example, a plate-like member made of stainless steel plate, and has a central portion on the back side of the abutting surface that abuts against a defective workpiece W during the sorting operation, and a distal end portion of a movable member 12c of the driving means 12b described later. Are joined so that the contact surface is perpendicular to the transport path 11a.

Further, the contact surface of the extrusion member 12a has a contact area that can be stably pushed in the defective product transport direction without being influenced by the size or shape of the workpiece W. Therefore, in the extruding member 12a of this example, as shown in FIG. 1, a rectangular shape having a non-defective product conveyance direction as a longitudinal direction so that even a heavy and large workpiece W can be stably discharged in the defective product conveyance direction. When viewed from above in the vertical direction, the connection shape with the movable member 12c is T-shaped.
The pushing member 12a is not particularly limited as long as it is a material having rigidity that can be discharged without being deformed when it comes into contact with the workpiece W that is a defective article to be conveyed.

  The driving unit 12b is configured by a driving device such as a pneumatic or hydraulic driving cylinder, a stepping motor, and the like, and is provided at a position facing the defective product conveying unit 50 across the conveying path 12a. Further, the driving means 12b moves forward and backward along the defective article conveyance direction to transmit its own driving force to move the pushing member 12a within a movable range surrounded by a dotted line in FIG. In the case of a rod and stepping motor, a shaft connected via a power transmission mechanism that converts the rotational force of the motor into a straight direction is provided.

  The drive unit 12b moves the movable member 12c back and forth along the defective product conveyance direction based on the discharge drive signal from the control unit 17, thereby causing the push member 14a to reciprocate between the push start position and the push end position. In a state where there is no signal from the control unit 17, the movable member 12c is kept waiting at the standby position.

  The notification unit 13 is composed of a lighting device such as a warning lamp, various acoustic devices such as a speaker and a buzzer, a display device such as an LCD, and the like, and a notification signal from the control unit 17 when a defective product sorting operation starts. Based on, for example, lighting / flashing of a warning lamp, output of an alarm sound by a buzzer, output of synthesized voice by a speaker, and display of a display device, a dangerous area near the movable range of the sorting mechanism 12 during the sorting operation (one point in FIG. 1) The worker who works within the range of the chain line) is informed that the sorting operation by the sorting mechanism 12 (hereinafter also referred to as “defective product sorting operation”) will be performed.

  The mode switching unit 14 is configured by a switch mechanism that selectively switches the operation mode for executing the selection operation, and outputs a mode selection signal indicating the currently selected operation mode (normal selection mode or confirmation selection mode) to the control unit 17. doing.

  The sorting operation instruction means 15 is a switch mechanism that is operated when an instruction to perform the sorting operation is performed in the confirmation sorting mode, and is based on the forward / backward movement of the pushing member 12a while the operator is intentionally moved out of the danger zone. It is arranged at a position out of the danger area so that the sorting operation (defective product sorting operation) is started. The sorting operation instruction means 15 can be operated only in the confirmation sorting mode, and when operated by an operator, outputs a sorting start signal corresponding to this operation to the control unit 17.

  The storage unit 16 is composed of, for example, a magnetic or optical storage medium or a semiconductor memory such as a ROM or a RAM. The sorting delay time and sorting operation time of the sorting mechanism from the point in time are stored.

  The control unit 17 is composed of, for example, a microcomputer such as a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM, and performs drive control of each unit constituting the sorting device 1. Further, the control unit 17 performs drive control according to the currently selected operation mode based on the pass / fail determination information (non-defective product determination information, defective product determination information) from the inspection device 20 and the mode selection signal from the mode switching unit 14. It is carried out. Further, the control unit 17 selects the defective product when the selection operation by the forward / backward movement of the pushing member 12a is performed, that is, when the quality determination information of the inspection device 20 is the defective product determination information (determined that the workpiece W is defective). In order to notify the surrounding workers in advance that the operation is started, a notification signal is output to the notification unit 13.

Here, the control content of the selection operation according to each operation mode based on the mode selection signal will be described.
(Normal sorting mode)
When the mode selection signal from the mode switching unit 14 indicates the normal selection mode, the control unit 17 stores the storage unit 16 when the quality determination information of the inspection apparatus 20 is defective product determination information (determined that the workpiece W is defective). In accordance with the sorting timing signal stored in, the discharge drive signal is output to the sorting mechanism 12 at a timing when the workpiece W is conveyed to the sorting position after a predetermined time has elapsed since receiving the pass / fail judgment information.

(Confirmation sorting mode)
When the mode selection signal from the mode switching means 14 indicates the confirmation selection mode, the control unit 17 determines that the defective product is defective when the quality determination information of the inspection device 20 is defective product determination information (work W is defective). During the selection delay time of the selection timing signal stored in the storage unit 16 after the notification to the determined workpiece W is performed (the notification signal is output to the notification unit 13), that is, from the notification to the start of the selection operation. When a sorting start signal is input from the sorting operation instruction means 15 in the meantime, the workpiece W is transported to the sorting position after a predetermined time has elapsed after receiving the pass / fail judgment information in accordance with the sorting timing signal stored in the storage unit 16. A discharge drive signal is output to the sorting mechanism 12 at the timing.

On the other hand, the control unit 17 receives the selection start signal from the selection operation instruction unit 15 during the selection delay time of the selection timing signal stored in the storage unit 16 after the notification of the workpiece determined as defective is performed. If not, the conveying means 11 is controlled to stop when the sorting delay time of the sorting timing signal, which is the timing at which the defective workpiece W reaches the sorting position. Thereafter, when a sorting start signal is input from the sorting operation instruction means 15, a discharge drive signal is output to the sorting mechanism 14 using this as a trigger, and the transport of the transport means 12 is resumed.
In addition to the stop control of the transport means 11, information indicating that the sorting apparatus is stopped for stopping the transport of the upper apparatus is output to the relay conveyor 30 and the inspection apparatus 20 which are the upper apparatus, so that the work W Can be prevented.

The control unit 17 outputs a notification signal to the notification unit 13 as described above. Here, the output timing of the notification signal will be described. As shown in FIG. 3A, based on the selection timing signal stored in the storage unit 16, a predetermined time from the start of the selection operation is selected between the selection delay times. The point in time is set as the notification start timing, and the notification signal is output until the sorting operation is completed.
On the other hand, when the sorting operation of the workpiece W conveyed immediately before the notification target workpiece Wa is not completed at the notification start timing, the workpiece W is transferred immediately before the notification target workpiece Wa as shown in FIG. The notification signal is output so that the notification unit 13 is notified after the sorting operation of the workpiece W is completed.
If the workpiece W immediately before the notification target workpiece Wa is a non-defective workpiece W, the sorting operation by the forward / backward movement of the pushing member 12a is not performed, but the sorting timing signal stored in the storage unit 16 A notification signal is output after the elapse of the sorting operation time based on.
Further, when the workpiece W immediately before the notification target workpiece Wa is a workpiece W that has been determined to be defective, the notification target workpiece Wa extends the time from the notification output of the immediately preceding workpiece W and outputs a notification signal.

[Processing operation]
Next, the processing operation of the sorting apparatus 1 described above will be described. Here, it is a process after pass / fail judgment for the workpiece W when the apparatus is arranged at the subsequent stage of the inspection apparatus 20 in the production line, and the processing operation in the normal sorting mode and the processing action in the confirmation sorting mode will be described respectively. .

(Processing in normal sorting mode)
As a processing operation in the normal sorting mode, an operator first operates the mode switching means 14 of the sorting device 1 for a predetermined operation to set the operation mode to the normal sorting mode. When the inspection apparatus 20 starts the inspection, the inspection apparatus 20 outputs a selection timing signal set in advance for each workpiece W to the selection apparatus 1, and the selection apparatus 1 stores the selection timing signal. Then, the inspection is started, and the quality determination information indicating the inspection result is output from the inspection device 20 to the sorting device 1 from the end of the inspection.

<When judging good products>
At the time of the non-defective product determination in the normal sorting mode, the sorting device 1 receives the non-defective product determination information from the inspection device 1, and waits the pushing member 12a at the extrusion start position and transports the target workpiece W in the good product transport direction. For the purpose of control, a discharge drive signal is not output to the sorting mechanism 12, and the work W loaded from the inspection device 20 via the relay conveyor 30 is transported in the non-defective product transport direction as it is by the transport means 11 to perform the sorting operation. finish.

<When judging defective products>
At the time of defective product judgment in the normal sorting mode, the sorting device 1 sorts the defective workpiece W at the sorting position according to the sorting timing signal stored in the storage unit 16 after receiving the defective product judgment information. A discharge drive signal is output to the selection mechanism 12 after the delay time has elapsed. Based on the discharge drive signal from the control unit 17, the sorting mechanism 12 projects the pushing member 12 a at the timing when the workpiece W carried from the inspection device 20 via the relay conveyor 30 reaches the sorting position. W is discharged to the defective product conveying means 50 and the sorting operation is completed.

(Processing in confirmation sorting mode)
As a processing operation in the confirmation sorting mode, the operator first operates the mode switching means 14 of the sorting device 1 for a predetermined operation to set the operation mode to the confirmation sorting mode. When the inspection device 20 is instructed to start inspection, the inspection device 20 outputs a selection timing signal set in advance for each workpiece W from the inspection device 20, and the selection device 1 stores the selection timing signal in the storage unit. 16 to store. Then, the inspection is started, and the quality determination information indicating the inspection result is output from the inspection device 20 to the sorting device 1 from the end of the inspection.

<When judging good products>
At the time of the non-defective product determination in the confirmation sorting mode, the sorting device 1 receives the non-defective product determination information from the inspection device 20 and waits the pushing member 12a at the extrusion start position so as to convey the target workpiece W in the good product carrying direction. For the purpose of control, a discharge drive signal is not output to the sorting mechanism 12, and the work W loaded from the inspection device 20 via the relay conveyor 30 is transported in the non-defective product transport direction as it is by the transport means 11 to perform the sorting operation. finish.

<When judging defective products>
At the time of the defective product determination in the confirmation sorting mode, the sorting device 1 notifies the workpiece W that has been determined as defective by inputting the defective product determination information when the mode selection signal from the mode switching means 14 indicates the confirmation sorting mode. When a sorting start signal is input from the sorting operation instruction means 15 during the sorting delay time of the sorting timing signal stored in the storage unit 16 after the operation is performed, that is, from the notification to the start of the sorting operation, the storage unit In accordance with the sorting timing signal stored in 16, a discharge drive signal is output to the sorting mechanism 12 at the timing when the defective workpiece W reaches the sorting position (after the sorting delay time has elapsed since receiving the defective product determination information). Based on the discharge drive signal from the control unit 17, the sorting mechanism 12 projects the pushing member 12 a at the timing when the workpiece W carried from the inspection device 20 via the relay conveyor 30 reaches the sorting position. W is discharged to the defective product conveying means 50 and the sorting operation is completed.

  On the other hand, when the sorting start signal is not input from the sorting operation instruction means 15 from the notification to the beginning of the sorting operation, the timing at which the defective workpiece W reaches the sorting position (the sorting delay time after receiving the defective product determination information). After the passage), the conveyance means 11 is controlled to stop. Thereafter, when a sorting start signal is input from the sorting operation instruction means 15, it is used as a trigger to output a discharge drive signal to the sorting mechanism 14 so that the pushing member 12 a protrudes, and the workpiece W is discharged to the defective article conveying means 50. At the same time, the conveyance of the conveying means 12 is resumed and the sorting operation is completed.

  Note that the timing of notification by the notification unit 13 goes back a predetermined time from the start of the selection operation between the selection delay times based on the selection timing signal stored in the storage unit 16 as shown in FIG. Notification is performed until the sorting operation ends with the time point as the notification start timing. In addition, when the sorting operation of the workpiece W conveyed just before the notification target workpiece Wa is not finished despite the original notification start timing, as shown in FIG. 3B, the notification target workpiece Wa. Notification is started after the sorting operation of the workpiece W conveyed just before is completed, and the notification is performed until the sorting operation of the workpiece to be notified Wa is completed.

  As described above, since the above-described sorting device 1 controls the notification unit 13 to notify the predetermined time before starting the sorting operation by the forward / backward movement of the pushing member 12a, before the sorting operation is started. The execution of sorting of the workpiece W by the pushing member 12a is notified, and the worker in the vicinity of the sorting device 1 can be urged to avoid danger to perform the sorting operation safely.

  In addition, the confirmation switching mode is selected by the mode switching means 16, and the operator operates the sorting operation instruction means 15 in response to the notification by the notification unit 13 to instruct execution of the sorting operation by the forward / backward movement of the pushing member 12 a. Therefore, the worker in the vicinity of the sorting apparatus 1 can surely avoid the danger.

  Furthermore, since the notification is made after the sorting operation of the workpiece W conveyed just before the notification target workpiece Wa is completed, it is possible to easily grasp which workpiece W is sorted by the pushing member 12a.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Sorting device 11 ... Conveyance means (11a ... Conveyance path)
12 ... Sorting mechanism (12a ... Extruding member, 12b ... Driving means, 12c ... Movable member)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 13 ... Notification part 14 ... Mode switching means 15 ... Sorting operation instruction means 16 ... Storage part 17 ... Control part 20 ... Inspection apparatus 30 ... Relay conveyor 40 ... Non-defective article conveying means 50 ... Defective article conveying means

Claims (2)

A push member (12a) that can move forward and backward with respect to the conveyance path (11a) into which the work (W) is carried is provided, and the push member is moved forward and backward according to the inspection result of the inspection device (20) that inspects the work. In the sorting apparatus (1) for sorting and sorting by passing the work on the transport path or pushing it out of the transport path by
A notifying unit (13) for notifying by a warning sound that the sorting operation by the forward and backward movement of the pushing member is performed;
A control unit (17) for controlling the notification unit so as to notify a predetermined time before starting the sorting operation by the forward / backward movement of the pushing member;
Sorting operation instruction means (15) for outputting a sorting start signal based on the operator's confirmation operation according to the notification of the notification unit ,
The control unit controls the normal sorting mode for controlling sorting and sorting at a timing when a work sorted out of the conveyance path reaches a predetermined sorting position on the sorting device based on the inspection result; and the inspection result; A confirmation sorting mode for controlling the work to be sorted and sorted from the sorting position based on the sorting start signal, and switching both sorting modes based on the mode selection signal output from the mode switching means (14). A sorting apparatus for controlling the pushing member . The control unit (17) starts notification to the notification target workpiece (Wa) notified by the notification unit (13) after the sorting operation of the workpiece (W) conveyed immediately before the notification target workpiece is completed. The sorting apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the notification unit is controlled so as to be

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