JP7603638B2 - Item sorting device and item inspection device - Google Patents

Description

Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act applies June 11, 2021 Product catalog (Catalog No. 43579-A-1) Anritsu Corporation June 15, 2021 ACHEMA Pulse 2021 (Web exhibition) https:/ /www. sensum. eu/ja/achema-pulse-2021-ja/ June 15, 2021 https://www. anritsu. com/ja-jp/about-anritsu/news/news-releases/2021/2021-06-15-jp01 June 16, 2021 https://www. anritsu. com/ja-JP/infivis/products/checkweighers/for-pharma/capsule-checkweigher July 19, 2021 Email newsletter for subscribers (title: ■ New product information ■ Capsule weight sorter [Anritsu ］） November 26, 2021 Mail magazine for subscribers (Title: Easy-to-understand explanation with video! Metal detector for tablets and capsules [Anritsu]) December 1, 2021 Capsule auto checker Brochure Anritsu Anritsu Corporation Infivis December 8th to 10th, 2021 The 23rd Interphex Week Tokyo (Interphex Japan) December 8th, 2021 Capsule Checkweigher 20-series and 30-series models Anritsu Corporation Infivis Company January 4, 2022 Product Catalog (Catalog No. 43579-D-1) Anritsu Corporation January 19, 2022 https://www. anritsu. com/ja-JP/infivis/products/checkweighers/for-pharma/capsule-checkweigher February 2, 2022 Email newsletter for subscribers (Title: New capsule weight sorting machine with 20-row and 30-row types now available! [Anritsu]) February 15 to 18, 2022 JAPAN PACK 2022 March 17, 2022 YouTube address: https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=c1N3mmkP-Ys March 30, 2020 Pharm Tech Japan (Web exhibition)

Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act applies April 4, 2020 YouTube address: https://www. youtube. com/watch? v=3_N37bHY5L8 April 7, 2020 https://video-pqa. anritsu. com/ja-jp/detail/videos/latest-videos/video/6302795751001

The present invention relates to an item sorting device and an item inspection device.

There is a known item inspection device that inspects and transports objects, such as cylindrical capsules filled with medicine and formed into hemispherical ends, and selects the objects based on the results (see Patent Document 1).

This item inspection device has a main gate that operates according to the inspection results of the objects to separate the objects into NG and non-NG items, a non-NG item path that is inclined downstream of the main gate, a transport confirmation means that determines whether the objects have been transported normally to the main gate, and a rejection gate that operates according to the results of the transport confirmation means to separate objects that have passed as non-NG items into OK items and items that have been inspected with unknown results.

When an unknown inspected product is transported to the non-NG product path, the rejection gate protrudes upward from the non-NG product path, captures the non-NG product, and distributes it to the unknown product path.

JP 2017-15514 A

However, in the item sorting device described in Patent Document 1, when an unknown inspected item is transported to the non-NG item path, the rejection gate protrudes upward from the non-NG item path to capture the non-NG item and sort it into the unknown item path, but the rejection gate itself does not have a transport path formed.

As a result, it is not possible to give direction to the unknown items sorted by the exclusion gate, and there is a risk that the behavior of the unknown items will become unstable.

The present invention aims to provide an item sorting device and an item inspection device that can stabilize the behavior of the objects being sorted by imparting directionality to the objects being sorted that are transported in a direction different from that on the inclined chute.

The article sorting device of the present invention is an article sorting device that sorts objects sliding down an inclined chute that inclines from above to below, and includes a first sorting member having a first inclined surface on its upper surface that forms part of the inclined surface of the inclined chute, and being provided movably between a first sorting position that protrudes above the inclined surface of the inclined chute and a retracted position where the first inclined surface is continuous with the inclined surface of the inclined chute, the first sorting member having a first transport path therein, and the first transport path being a second transport path that opens on the upstream side. The inclined chute has a first inlet, a first outlet that opens on the downstream side , a first straight section that extends in a straight line in the vertical direction from the first inlet, and a first curved section that curves from the downstream part of the first straight section in the inclined direction of the inclined chute , and when an object to be sorted slides down the inclined chute, the first sorting member moves to a first sorting position and guides the object to be sorted that has flowed from upstream through the first inlet to the first conveying path, thereby sorting the object in a direction different from the inclined chute.

With this configuration, the first sorting member has a first transport path inside, and the objects to be sorted that flow from upstream are guided to the first transport path through a first inlet of the first transport path, sorting them in a direction different from the inclined chute. This allows the objects to be sorted to be transported along the first transport path, giving the objects to be sorted directionality and stabilizing the behavior of the objects to be sorted.

This improves the degree of freedom in the discharge direction of the objects to be sorted, and prevents the objects to be sorted from clogging the first transport path.
In addition, the length of the inclined chute in the inclined direction can be shortened compared to when the first transport path extends linearly in the inclined direction of the inclined chute, thereby shortening the overall length of the inclined chute and enabling the article sorting device to be made more compact.

The present invention also provides an article sorting device for sorting objects sliding down an inclined chute inclined from above to below, comprising a first sorting member having, on its upper surface, a first inclined surface forming a part of the inclined surface of the inclined chute, and movably provided between a first sorting position protruding above the inclined surface of the inclined chute and a retracted position where the first inclined surface is continuous with the inclined surface of the inclined chute, the first sorting member having a first transport path therein, the first transport path having a first inlet opening on the upstream side and a first outlet opening on the downstream side, and a second sorting member located downstream of the first sorting member and movably provided between a second sorting position and a third sorting position located below the second sorting position, the second sorting member having a second inclined surface on its upper surface and a second transport path therein, the second transport path having a first inlet opening on the upstream side and a second outlet opening on the downstream side, The inclined chute has a second inlet and a second outlet that opens on the downstream side, and when the first sorting member is at the first sorting position and the second sorting member is at the second sorting position, the first outlet and the second inlet are connected, and when the objects to be sorted slide down the inclined chute, the first sorting member moves to the first sorting position and guides the objects to be sorted that have flowed from upstream through the first inlet to the first conveying path, thereby sorting them in a direction different from the inclined chute, and when the second sorting member is at the third sorting position, the objects to be sorted that are transported on the first conveying path pass through the second inclined surface to sort them in a first direction, and when the second sorting member is at the second sorting position, the objects to be sorted that are transported on the first conveying path pass through the second conveying path to sort them in a second direction.

With this configuration, the first sorting member has a first conveying path inside, and the objects to be sorted flowing from upstream are guided into the first conveying path through a first inlet of the first conveying path, thereby sorting in a direction different from that of the inclined chute. This allows the objects to be sorted to be transported along the first conveying path, giving the objects to be sorted a directional property and stabilizing the behavior of the objects to be sorted.
This improves the degree of freedom in the discharge direction of the objects to be sorted, and prevents the objects to be sorted from clogging the first transport path.
In addition, when the first sorting member is positioned at the first sorting position, the second sorting member can be positioned at the second sorting position and the third sorting position, thereby switching the conveying path and classifying the objects into two types of sorting objects.

As a result, one of the objects to be sorted can be transported along the first transport path and the second transport path, and the behavior of one of the objects to be sorted can be stabilized by imparting directionality to the object, while the other object to be sorted can be transported along the first transport path, and the behavior of the other object to be sorted can be stabilized by imparting directionality to the object.

The article sorting device of the present invention is also configured to have a drive section that drives the first sorting member in the vertical direction .

With this configuration, the installation space for the drive unit in the inclined direction of the inclined chute can be reduced, and the length of the inclined chute in the inclined direction can be shortened, thereby reducing the overall length of the inclined chute and making the article sorting device more compact.

In addition, the item sorting device of the present invention is configured such that the first conveying path has a first straight section that extends in a straight line from the first entrance in the vertical direction and a first curved section that curves from the downstream portion of the first straight section in the inclined direction of the inclined chute, and the second conveying path has a second straight section that extends in a straight line from the second entrance in the vertical direction and a second curved section that curves from the downstream portion of the second straight section in the inclined direction of the inclined chute.

This configuration allows the length of the inclined chute in the inclined direction to be shortened compared to when the first and second conveying paths extend linearly in the inclined direction of the inclined chute. This allows the overall length of the inclined chute to be shortened, making the item sorting device more compact.

The item sorting device of the present invention is also configured to have a drive unit that drives the first sorting member and the second sorting member in the vertical direction.

This configuration reduces the installation space required for the drive unit in the inclined direction of the inclined chute, and shortens the length of the inclined chute in the inclined direction. This allows the overall length of the inclined chute to be shortened, making the item sorting device more compact.

The article inspection device of the present invention is configured to include the article sorting device described in any one of claims 1 to 5 and an inspection unit that inspects the objects sorted by the article sorting device.

This configuration makes it possible to provide an item inspection device equipped with an item sorting device that can provide directionality to the objects to be sorted that are transported in a direction different from the inclined chute, thereby stabilizing the behavior of the objects to be sorted.

The present invention can provide an item sorting device and an item inspection device that can stabilize the behavior of the objects being sorted by imparting directionality to the objects being sorted that are transported in a direction different from the inclined chute.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an article inspection apparatus equipped with an article sorting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which the inclined chute is removed from the main body member of the article sorting device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a view of an inclined chute of an article sorting device according to one embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from above and in front. FIG. 4 is a side view of a first sorting member of an article sorting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VV in FIG. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the size, length, and outer diameter of capsules selected by an article selection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 7(a) shows a state in which a capsule No. 5 is being transported along the transport path of an item selection device according to one embodiment of the present invention, and (b) shows a state in which a capsule No. 000 is being transported. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a downstream inclined chute of an article sorting device according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 shows a state in which a correct-weight article is selected by an article selection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 shows a state in which light items are sorted by an article sorting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 shows a state in which an overweight article is sorted by an article sorting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 shows a state in which an unknown item is sorted by an item sorting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a movement trajectory of a capsule as it slides down the downstream inclined chute of an article sorting device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Below, with reference to the drawings, the configuration of an item sorting device and an item inspection device according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described based on Figs. 1 to 13.

The item inspection device according to this embodiment will be described as a weight measuring device 1 that inspects, i.e., weighs, the weight of an object (item) to be inspected.

In addition to weight inspection, the item inspection device can also be used as an item inspection device that selects objects based on the results of inspection, such as an appearance inspection device that inspects the shape and appearance of an object, an X-ray inspection device that irradiates an object with X-rays and inspects the object's mass, defects, and the presence or absence of foreign matter based on the amount of X-rays that penetrate the object, and a metal detection device that detects changes in the magnetic field or residual magnetism in the object to detect metallic foreign matter.

In this embodiment, the object is a long, cylindrical capsule 50 with both ends formed into a hemispherical shape.

Materials that can be used for the capsule 50 include gelatin and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose.

Other objects that can be inspected by the item inspection device include stick packets (stick-shaped packages) that contain tablets, granulated medicine, sugar, etc.

In FIG. 1, the weight measuring device 1 as an item inspection device is configured to include a supply unit 2 for capsules 50, an item sorting device 3 that sorts the capsules 50 into good items (non-NG items) and defective items (NG items), a weighing unit 4 that constitutes the inspection unit, a sorting confirmation sensor 5, and a control unit (not shown).

The capsules 50 are transported from the supply section 2 to the item sorting device 3. The item sorting device 3 includes a main body member 21 and an inclined chute 22 attached to the main body member 21.

The inclined chute 22 is inclined downward from the upstream to the downstream in the sliding direction of the capsule 50, and the capsule 50 slides down the inclined chute 22 by its own weight. For ease of explanation, in Figures 1 to 5 and 7 to 13, the weight measuring device 1 will be described with the supply unit 2 side (upstream side) as the rear side, and the inclined chute 22 side (downstream side) relative to the supply unit 2 as the front side.

Here, upstream and downstream refer to the upstream and downstream in the sliding direction of the capsule 50. In other words, the inclined chute 22 is downstream of the supply unit 2, and the supply unit 2 is upstream of the inclined chute 22.

The supply section 2 has a hopper 6, a magazine 7 and a shutter 8, and the hopper 6, the magazine 7 and the shutter 8 are installed above the inclined chute 22.

Multiple capsules 50 are placed into the hopper 6. The magazine 7 is connected to the bottom of the hopper 6, and the capsules 50 are supplied from the hopper 6 to the magazine 7 by gravity.

A supply path 7A is formed inside the magazine 7, extending in the vertical direction, and the supply paths 7A are formed in, for example, 10 rows in the left-right direction of the weight measuring device 1.

Inside the magazine 7, the capsules 50 are stored in a vertical line along the supply path 7A, and adjacent supply paths 7A in the left-right direction are divided by a partition (not shown). This ensures that adjacent capsules 50 in the left-right direction do not come into contact with each other and do not interfere with each other.

The hopper 6 and magazine 7 move vertically periodically, and the capsules 50 that fall from the hopper 6 under their own weight are guided downward along the supply path 7A of the magazine 7.

The shutter 8 is located near the bottom opening 7a of the magazine 7 and moves vertically together with the magazine 7.

The shutter 8 is movable between a closed position where it closes the bottom opening 7a of the magazine 7 and an open position where it opens the bottom opening 7a of the magazine 7.

When the magazine 7 is in the lower end position, the shutter 8 is in the open position, allowing the capsule 50 located at the lowest end of the supply path 7A to fall from the lower end opening 7a, and when the magazine 7 moves upward from the lower end position, the shutter 8 closes the lower end opening 7a to stop the capsule 50 from falling from the lower end opening 7a.

In other words, when the magazine 7 is in the lower end position, the shutter 8 moves to the release position for a time that allows one capsule 50 to fall through the lower end opening 7a.

The supply unit 2 has a holding unit 9. The holding unit 9 is provided below the magazine 7 and extends in the left-right direction with a length approximately equal to that of the magazine 7.

The holding unit 9 has 10 rows of curved recesses 9a, which are arranged in a discontinuous and independent manner in the left-right direction. The curved recesses 9a are aligned with each of the 10 rows of supply paths 7A in the direction in which the capsules 50 slide down.

When the capsule 50 falls from the magazine 7, it lands in the curved recess 9a and is held in the curved recess 9a in an inclined position with its long axis pointing diagonally upward. In other words, the bottom surface of the curved recess 9a is formed as an inclined surface that slopes diagonally upward from the rear to the front.

The supply unit 2 has a pusher 10. The pusher 10 is provided upstream of the holding unit 9 and is movable horizontally. The pusher 10 moves from the rear to the front of the holding unit 9, pushing the capsule 50 located in the curved recess 9a forward.

The weighing section 4 includes a weighing platform 4A, which is provided on the opposite side of the pusher 10 across the holding unit 9 in the front-to-rear direction. Ten weighing platforms 4A (ten rows) are provided so as to align with the ten rows of curved recesses 9a in the direction in which the capsules 50 slide down.

The weighing platform 4A has a pair of left and right side walls 4a (only the left side wall is shown) that sandwich the capsule 50 from the left and right directions, and the capsule 50 pushed forward from the curved recess 9a by the pusher 10 is placed on the weighing platform 4A and sandwiched between the pair of left and right side walls 4a.

The supply unit 2 has an ejector 11. The ejector 11 is provided on the opposite side of the pusher 10 across the holding unit 9 in the front-rear direction and above the weighing platform 4A.

There are ten ejectors 11, each paired with a weighing platform 4A, and they can move freely in the vertical and horizontal directions.

A push-out section 11a is provided at the lower rear end of the ejector 11. When the capsule 50 placed on the weighing platform 4A is transported to the next process, the ejector 11 moves downward from a state in which the push-out section 11a is located above the capsule 50 and behind the rear end of the capsule 50 (the state shown in FIG. 1), and moves forward when the push-out section 11a and the rear end of the capsule 50 are at the same height, and the push-out section 11a pushes the capsule 50 forward from the weighing platform 4A.

After this, the ejector 11 moves upward away from the weighing platform 4A, and then moves backward so that the pushing part 11a is positioned rearward of the rear end of the capsule 50 (as shown in FIG. 1). By repeating this operation, the capsule 50 is pushed out of the weighing platform 4A to the next process at regular intervals.

The timing at which the ejector 11 pushes the capsule 50 forward from the weighing platform 4A and the timing at which the pusher 10 pushes the capsule 50 from the curved recess 9a onto the weighing platform 4A are synchronized, and the capsules 50 are supplied to the weighing platform 4A at a constant cycle.

The weighing unit 4 is provided in the next process after the supply unit 2, and the capsules 50 sent out from the supply unit 2 at a regular interval are placed on the weighing unit 4 one by one to measure the weight of each capsule 50.

The weighing section 4 is equipped with a measuring device 4B that supports the weighing platform 4A. The weighing platform 4A is supported by the measuring device 4B via a Roberval mechanism. The Roberval mechanism has a parallelogram-shaped framework in which each side can move freely.

The weighing platform 4A is attached to one of the pillars of this framework, and the other pillar serves as a fixed end of a weighing sensor. This allows the capsule 50 to be accurately weighed no matter where it is placed on the weighing platform 4A. The measuring device 4B has, for example, a load cell (not shown) as a weighing sensor.

The weighing unit 4 measures the weight of the capsule 50 by an electrical signal from a load cell to which a load is applied when the capsule 50 is placed on the weighing platform 4A. Note that the weighing sensor is not limited to a load cell, and various other weighing sensors can be used.

The item sorting device 3 is installed in the next process after the weighing section 4. The inclined chute 22 has an upstream inclined chute 23 and a downstream inclined chute 24.

As shown in FIG. 2, the upstream inclined chute 23 is integral with the main body member 21 and has an inclined surface 23a that slopes downward from the weighing platform 4A toward the front.

The downstream inclined chute 24 is detachably attached to the main body member 21. The upper part of the main body member 21 is open below the downstream inclined chute 24, and as shown in Figure 1, when the downstream inclined chute 24 is attached to the main body member 21, the opening of the main body member 21 is closed.

As shown in FIG. 1, the downstream inclined chute 24 is inclined downward toward the front from the upstream inclined chute 23, and has an inclined surface 24a that is inclined at the same angle as the inclined surface 23a of the upstream inclined chute 23.

In other words, the upstream inclined chute 23 and the downstream inclined chute 24 have inclined surfaces 23a, 24a that slope downward from the weighing platform 4A toward the front, and the capsule 50 pushed out from the weighing platform 4A slides downward from upstream to downstream along the upstream inclined chute 23 and the downstream inclined chute 24 due to its own weight. The inclined surfaces 23a, 24a in this embodiment form the inclined surfaces of the inclined chute.

The left-right direction of the weight measuring device 1 is a direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction and the inclination direction of the inclined surface 23a of the upstream inclined chute 23 and the inclined surface 24a of the downstream inclined chute 24.

As shown in FIG. 3, the upstream inclined chute 23 is provided with a plurality of partition walls 23c, which are installed at regular intervals in the left-right direction. The partition walls 23c protrude upward from the upstream inclined chute 23, and the capsules 50 are partitioned in the left-right direction by the partition walls 23c.

That is, the upstream inclined chute 23 is provided with 10 rows of weighing tables 4A and 10 rows of conveying lanes aligned in the sliding direction of the capsules 50, and the upstream inclined chute 23 is arranged so that 10 rows of capsules 50 can slide down aligned in the left-right direction.

In this embodiment, the supply path 7A, curved recess 9a, weighing table 4A and upstream inclined chute 23 of the magazine 7 are aligned in the left-right direction and form 10 rows of conveying lanes aligned in the direction in which the capsules 50 slide, so that the capsules 50 sliding down the supply path 7A, curved recess 9a, weighing table 4A and upstream inclined chute 23 of the magazine 7 do not interfere with each other.

In other words, the weight measuring device 1 of this embodiment allows 10 capsules 50 to slide down the supply path 7A of the magazine 7, the curved recess 9a, the weighing platform 4A, and the upstream inclined chute 23 at the same time, side by side, at a fixed interval, and can simultaneously measure the weight of the 10 capsules 50 by the weighing unit 4. As shown in FIG. 3, no partition plate is provided in the downstream inclined chute 24.

As shown in FIG. 1, the item sorting device 3 has a first sorting member 26, and one first sorting member 26 is provided for each of the 10 rows of conveying lanes of the upstream inclined chute 23. In other words, the first sorting members 26 are arranged in 10 rows in the left-right direction of the item sorting device 3.

The first sorting member 26 extends longer in the up-down direction than it does in the front-to-rear direction. In other words, the up-down direction is the long side of the first sorting member 26, and the front-to-rear direction is the short side.

A first conveying path 26A is formed inside the first sorting member 26, and the first conveying path 26A has a first inlet 26a that opens on the upstream side and a first outlet 26b that is located below the first inlet 26a and opens on the downstream side (see Figure 4).

The first conveying path 26A has a first straight section 26c that extends vertically in a straight line from the first entrance 26a, and a first curved section 26d that curves from the downstream portion of the first straight section 26c in the inclined direction L of the inclined chute 22.

As shown in FIG. 5, the first transport path 26A has a U-shaped horizontal cross section, and the opening of the U-shaped cross section is closed by the side wall 21A to form a rectangular closed space for transporting the capsules 50.

Specifically, the main body member 21 is partitioned in the left-right direction by multiple side walls 21A, and the first sorting member 26 and the second sorting member 27 described below are provided between the side walls 21A.

As shown in FIG. 1, the upstream inclined chute 23 has an opening 23b through which the first sorting member 26 can be inserted.

A first air cylinder 28 is attached to the bottom of the first sorting member 26, and the first sorting member 26 can be moved freely in the vertical direction by the first air cylinder 28.

The first air cylinder 28 has a main body portion 28A housed in the housing portion 21B of the main body member 21 and a rod portion 28B that is provided so as to be freely retractable into the main body portion 28A.

A coil spring (not shown) is housed in the main body portion 28A, and the rod portion 28B is constantly biased upward by the coil spring.

When air is not supplied to the main body 28A, the rod 28B is biased upward by the coil spring, and the first sorting member 26 protrudes above the inclined surfaces 23a and 24a such that the first inlet 26a is located above the inclined surfaces 23a and 24a of the upstream inclined chute 23 and the downstream inclined chute 24.

A first inclined surface 26e is formed on the upper surface of the first sorting member 26, and the first inclined surface 26e is formed at the same inclination angle as the inclined surface 23a of the upstream inclined chute 23 and the inclined surface 24a of the downstream inclined chute 24.

When air is supplied to the main body 28A of the first air cylinder 28, the rod 28B moves downward against the biasing force of the coil spring and sinks into the main body 28A. At this time, the first inclined surface 26e of the first sorting member 26 is continuous with the inclined surfaces 23a and 24a so as to form part of the inclined surface 23a of the upstream inclined chute 23 and the inclined surface 24a of the downstream inclined chute 24.

In this way, the first sorting member 26 is movable between a first sorting position that protrudes above the inclined surfaces 23a and 24a, and a retracted position that is continuous with the inclined surfaces 23a and 24a.

In this embodiment of the item sorting device 3, when the capsule 50 to be sorted slides down the upstream inclined chute 23, the first sorting member 26 moves to the first sorting position, and the defective products that have flowed from upstream are guided through the first inlet 26a to the first conveying path 26A, and sorted in a direction different from the inclined chute 22.

In addition, when a good capsule 50 slides down the upstream inclined chute 23, the first sorting member 26 moves to a retracted position, and the good capsule 50 flowing from the upstream flows from the upstream inclined chute 23 through the first inclined surface 26e of the first sorting member 26 to the downstream inclined chute 24.

A final inclined chute 25 is provided downstream of the downstream inclined chute 24, and the final inclined chute 25 is provided integrally with the main body member 21.

The good capsules 50 slide down the final inclined chute 25, and the good capsules 50 that slide down the downstream inclined chute 24 are transported from the downstream inclined chute 24 through the final inclined chute 25 to the next process.

The item sorting device 3 is equipped with second sorting members 27. The second sorting members 27 are installed downstream of the first sorting members 26 below the downstream inclined chute 24, and are arranged in 10 rows in the left-right direction of the item sorting device 3 so as to pair with the first sorting members 26 in the inclination direction L of the downstream inclined chute 24.

The second sorting member 27 extends longer in the up-down direction than it does in the front-to-rear direction. In other words, the up-down direction is the long side of the second sorting member 27, and the front-to-rear direction is the short side.

A second transport path 27A is formed inside the second sorting member 27, and the second transport path 27A has a second inlet 27a that opens on the upstream side and a second outlet 27b that is located below the second inlet 27a and opens on the downstream side.

The second conveying path 27A has a second straight section 27c that extends vertically in a straight line from the second entrance 27a, and a second curved section 27d that curves from the downstream portion of the second straight section 27c in the inclined direction L of the inclined chute 22.

The second sorting member 27 in this embodiment is formed in the same shape as the first sorting member 26, and the second sorting member 27 can also be used as the first sorting member 26, and the first sorting member 26 can also be used as the second sorting member 27. Therefore, the second conveying path 27A is also formed in a U-shape in horizontal cross section, like the first conveying path 26A, and forms a square space for conveying the capsules 50.

An inclined chute 30 is provided below the downstream inclined chute 24, and faces the downstream inclined chute 24 in the vertical direction. The inclined chute 30 has an inclined surface 30a that is inclined at the same angle as the inclined surface 24a of the downstream inclined chute 24, and extends parallel to the downstream inclined chute 24.

The second sorting member 27 is located upstream of the upstream portion of the inclined chute 30 and is not in contact with the inclined chute 30 in the inclination direction L of the inclined chute 30.

A second air cylinder 29 is attached to the bottom of the second sorting member 27, and the second sorting member 27 can be moved freely in the vertical direction by the second air cylinder 29.

The second air cylinder 29 has a main body portion 29A housed in the housing portion 21B of the main body member 21 and a rod portion 29B that is retractable into the main body portion 29A.

A coil spring (not shown) is housed in the main body portion 29A, and the rod portion 29B is constantly biased upward by the coil spring.

When air is not supplied to the main body 29A, the rod 29B is biased upward by the coil spring, and the second sorting member 27 is positioned at the top so as to be close to the downstream inclined chute 24.

When the second sorting member 27 is in the uppermost position, the second inlet 27a communicates with the first outlet 26b of the first sorting member 26. In this embodiment, the first air cylinder 28 and the second air cylinder 29 constitute a drive unit.

A second inclined surface 27e is formed on the upper surface of the second sorting member 27, and the second inclined surface 27e is formed at the same inclination angle as the inclined surface 30a of the inclined chute 30.

When air is supplied to the body 29A of the second air cylinder 29, the rod 29B moves downward against the biasing force of the coil spring and retracts into the body 29A. At this time, the second inclined surface 27e of the second sorting member 27 is continuous with the inclined surface 30a of the inclined chute 30 so as to form part of the inclined surface 30a (see FIG. 2).

In this way, the second sorting member 27 is provided so as to be freely movable between the second sorting position and the third sorting position, which is located below the second sorting position and forms part of the inclined surface 30a. Note that a hydraulic cylinder or the like may be used as the driving unit instead of the air cylinder.

Below the inclined chute 30 are a light product discharge section 32 where light products 50b (see FIG. 9) are discharged, and an overweight product discharge section 33 where overweight products 50c (see FIG. 9) are discharged. Light products 50b are those that contain less content than regular products 50a (see FIG. 9) that contain the proper amount of content, and overweight products 50c are those that contain more content than regular products 50a that contain the proper amount of content, and both are sorted into regular products 50a.

Of the capsules 50 selected by the item sorting device 3, the normal weight capsules 50a correspond to good products. The light weight capsules 50b, the overweight capsules 50c, and the unknown capsules 50d (see FIG. 9) described below correspond to defective products, and the light weight capsules 50b, the overweight capsules 50c, and the unknown capsules 50d correspond to the objects to be sorted.

In the item sorting device 3 of this embodiment, when the first sorting member 26 is in the first sorting position and the second sorting member 27 is in the second sorting position, the first outlet 26b of the first conveying path 26A and the second inlet 27a of the second conveying path 27A are connected.

When the second sorting member 27 is positioned at the third sorting position, the overweight item 50c transported along the first conveying path 26A of the first sorting member 26 passes through the second inclined surface 27e, is sorted in the first direction, and is discharged to the overweight item discharge section 33.

On the other hand, when the second sorting member 27 is positioned at the second sorting position, the light goods 50b transported along the first conveying path 26A of the first sorting member 26 are passed through the second conveying path 27A, sorted in the second direction, and discharged to the light goods discharge section 32.

In this way, when the first sorting member 26 is located at the first sorting position, the second sorting member 27 is located at the second sorting position and the third sorting position, whereby the light weight products 50b and the overweight products 50c are sorted from the normal weight products 50a that slide down the upstream inclined chute 23, and are transported in a different direction from the downstream inclined chute 24.

Note that the capsule 50 slides down along the first conveying path 26A and the second conveying path 27A, and hereafter the capsule 50 sliding down the first conveying path 26A and the second conveying path 27A will be referred to as being conveyed.

Here, we will explain the groove width W1 (see Figure 4) of the first conveying path 26A and the second conveying path 27A, which are perpendicular to the forward/backward direction or the upward/downward diagonal direction relative to the sliding direction of the capsule 50.

Capsules are classified into a number of sizes as defined by the Japanese Pharmacopoeia (see Figure 6). In Figure 6, the length (mm) is the length of the capsule in the longitudinal direction (long axis direction), and the outer diameter (mm) is the dimension in the transverse direction (short axis direction) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the capsule. The dimensional tolerance is ±0.76 mm, with max indicating the maximum allowable dimensions of the capsule's length and outer diameter, and min indicating the minimum allowable dimensions of the capsule's length and outer diameter.

As shown in Figure 6, capsules are classified into sizes with decreasing capacity, starting with "000" (the largest capacity), followed by "00", "0", "1", "2", "3", "4", and "5", and the length and outer diameter dimensions are specified for each size.

When handling capsules of different sizes like this, it is desirable to use sorting members 26, 27 with conveying paths 26A, 27A of a common groove width W1 so that there is no need to prepare dedicated sorting members 26, 27 with conveying paths 26A, 27A with different groove widths W1 set according to the capsule size. In other words, it is desirable to be able to smoothly convey capsules of all sizes from "000" to "5" using sorting members 26, 27 with one type of conveying path 26A, 27A.

Specifically, we assumed that the groove width W1 of the transport paths 26A and 27A would be set based on the outer diameter of the capsule so that larger capsules could pass through, and then considered a range of dimensions that would not match the length of each capsule size.

This is because if the groove width W1 of the transport paths 26A and 27A were to match the length of the capsule, the capsule would form a bridge inside the transport paths 26A and 27A, which could cause the following capsule to become stuck.

For example, if the largest size is "No. 000," as shown in Figure 6, the outer diameter of the capsule is approximately 9.9 mm, and if the dimensional tolerance is 0.76 mm, the groove width cannot be less than 10.7 mm, and if the dimensional tolerance is 0.4 mm, it cannot be less than 10.3 mm.

Here, since the length range of the "No. 5" capsules and the outer diameter range of the "No. 000" capsules are similar, it was found that if the groove width W1 of the conveying paths 26A, 27A is set to a dimension that is slightly larger than the outer diameter range of the "No. 000", there is a risk that the "No. 5" capsules will become clogged in the conveying paths 26A, 27A.

It was found that by setting the groove width W1 of the transport paths 26A, 27A in the range of 11.9 to 13.5 mm between the length range of the "No. 5" capsule and the length range of the "No. 4" capsule, the transport paths 26A, 27A can be used in common for the commonly used "No. 000" to "No. 5" capsules, and the groove width W1 of the transport paths 26A, 27A can be minimized, allowing the sorting members 26, 27 to be made smaller.

In other words, if the groove width W1 of the transport paths 26A, 27A is set in the range of 11.9 to 13.5 mm, a "No. 5" capsule 50 will not form a bridge on the transport paths 26A, 27A even if it is transported lying sideways (see FIG. 7(a)), and capsules 50 of other sizes will not be transported lying sideways on the transport paths 26A, 27A from the start. FIG. 7(b) shows a "No. 000" capsule 50 being transported.

In addition, it was found that if a sealing defect occurs during the process of filling capsules with medicine, etc., the length of the capsule may exceed the standard range. Such sealing defects are likely to occur when capsules are overfilled with medicine, etc., and care must be taken to prevent clogging and ensure that the capsules are correctly sorted.

For example, the length of a No. 5 capsule when it is not properly sealed is longer than the standard dimensions, at approximately 12.3 to 13.3 mm. Therefore, it was found that by setting the groove width W1 of the conveying paths 26A and 27A in the range of 11.9 mm to 12.2 mm, there is no risk of clogging and the sorting members 26 and 27 can be made smaller.

In short, the groove width W1 of the conveying paths 26A and 27A should be set to a minimum groove width W1 that allows capsules of the maximum size (No. 000) to the minimum size (No. 5) to be conveyed without clogging.

The groove width of the conveying paths 26A and 27A, which are perpendicular to the left-right direction of the sliding direction of the capsule 50, is set to a groove width slightly larger than the groove width W1 so that the capsule 50 does not tilt in the left-right direction.

In this way, by setting the groove width W1 of the conveying paths 26A, 27A to the minimum necessary and miniaturizing the sorting members 26, 27, the item sorting device 3 can be miniaturized, and as a result, the weight measuring device 1 can be miniaturized.

As shown in FIG. 2, a discharge outlet 24b opens at the downstream portion of the downstream inclined chute 24, and an unknown item discharge section 34 is provided below the discharge outlet 24b, through which unknown items 50d are discharged.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the main body member 21 is provided with an exclusion gate 35, which is movable in the vertical direction. Specifically, the exclusion gate 35 is biased upward by a coil spring (not shown), and when driven by an actuator, it moves downward against the biasing force of the coil spring.

The rejection gate 35 has a vertical plate portion 35A extending in the vertical direction and an inclined plate portion 35B bent from the vertical plate portion 35A toward the first sorting member 26. The inclined plate portion 35B is inclined at the same inclination angle as the inclined surface 24a of the downstream inclined chute 24.

When the vertical plate portion 35A is at the lowest position, the inclined plate portion 35B closes the discharge opening 24b in continuity with the inclined surface 24a so as to form part of the inclined surface 24a of the downstream inclined chute 24, and when the vertical plate portion 35A is at the highest position, the inclined plate portion 35B opens the discharge opening 24b.

When the vertical plate portion 35A is in the highest position, the vertical plate portion 35A protrudes upward from the downstream inclined chute 24, causing the unknown item 50d sliding down the downstream inclined chute 24 to come into contact with the vertical plate portion 35A, and the unknown item 50d is selected from the downstream inclined chute 24 and discharged to the unknown item discharge section 34.

Unknown items 50d are objects that cannot be sorted when a power outage occurs, or objects whose shape differs from that of the correct items 50a due to a defective shape or the like. If these unknown items 50d are mixed with the correct items 50a, it will be necessary to separate the correct items 50a from the unknown items 50d in the next process, so the unknown items 50d that slide down the downstream inclined chute 24 are discharged to the unknown item discharge section 34 together with the correct items 50a.

In other words, if unknown products 50d are mixed with the normal products 50a that slide down the downstream inclined chute 24, the normal products 50a are also treated as unknown products 50d. The rejection gate 35 of this embodiment constitutes an opening and closing member.

The sorting confirmation sensor 5 is capable of detecting capsules 50 passing through the upstream part of the upstream inclined chute 23, and detects capsules that slide down the downstream inclined chute 24 at a different time than the correct quantity capsules 50a due to defective shape or other reasons, and transmits the detection result to the control unit.

The control unit is composed of a computer unit equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), a hard disk drive, and input/output ports, none of which are shown.

The control unit, for example, compares the capsule weight information stored in the RAM with the weight information of the capsule 50 transmitted from the weighing unit 4, determines whether the capsule 50 is a correct weight 50a, an overweight 50c, or an underweight 50b, and based on the determination result, drives the first sorting member 26 and the second sorting member 27 by the first air cylinder 28 and the second air cylinder 29 to sort the capsule 50.

When the control unit determines, based on the information transmitted from the sorting confirmation sensor 5, that an unknown item 50d has slid down the downstream inclined chute 24, it releases the rejection gate 35 and opens the discharge outlet 24b.

In other words, based on the detection information of the sorting confirmation sensor 5, when the sorting confirmation sensor 5 detects a capsule 50 or foreign object sliding down the upstream inclined chute 23 at a timing different from that of the correct quantity product 50a, the control unit releases the rejection gate 35 and opens the discharge outlet 24b.

The downstream inclined chute 24 is provided with protruding chute sections 36, 37, which are located upstream of the discharge port 24b and downstream of the upstream inclined chute 23.

As shown in Figures 2 and 8, the protruding chute sections 36 and 37 include upstream protruding chute sections 36A and 37A and downstream protruding chute sections 36B and 37B. The upstream protruding chute sections 36A and 37A and the downstream protruding chute sections 36B and 37B are integrally formed with the downstream inclined chute 24.

The upstream protruding chute sections 36A and 37A are bent from the downstream inclined chute 24 so as to protrude upward from the downstream inclined chute 24, and have sliding surfaces 36a and 37a on their upper surfaces for sliding the capsule 50 down.

The downstream protruding chute sections 36B and 37B are bent from the downstream inclined chute 24 so as to protrude upward from the downstream inclined chute 24, and are connected to the downstream sections of the upstream protruding chute sections 36A and 37A. The upstream protruding chute sections 36A and 37A constitute the protruding chute sections of this embodiment.

The protruding chute sections 36, 37 extend from one end (left end) of the downstream inclined chute 24 to the other end (right end), and the 10 rows of capsules 50 slide down side by side on the sliding surfaces 36a, 37a.

As shown in FIG. 8, the inclination angle θ1 (symbol omitted on the protruding chute section 36 side) of the sliding surfaces 36a, 37a relative to the horizontal plane H is smaller than the inclination angle θ2 (symbol omitted on the protruding chute section 36 side) of the inclination surface 24a of the downstream inclined chute 24 relative to the horizontal plane H.

Figure 8 shows the range S1 over which the downstream inclined chute 24 extends and the range S2 over which the protruding chute sections 36 and 37 extend.

As shown in Figures 1 and 3, side plates 38, 39 are provided at both ends (left and right ends) of the downstream inclined chute 24 in the width direction, and the side plates 38, 39 protrude upward from the downstream inclined chute 24. Only one side plate 38 is shown in Figure 1.

As shown in Figures 3 and 8, the left and right ends of the regulating walls 40, 41 are attached to the side plates 38, 39, and the regulating walls 40, 41 extend in the width direction of the downstream inclined chute 24.

The restricting walls 40 and 41 are located on the side of the discharge gate 35 relative to the protruding chute sections 36 and 37, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 8, the regulating walls 40, 41 extend from a position lower than the sliding surfaces 36a, 37a to a position higher than the sliding surfaces 36a, 37a, and face the sliding surfaces 36a, 37b in the inclination direction L of the sliding surfaces 36a, 37a.

The restricting walls 40, 41 have vertical wall portions 40a, 41a and bent portions 40b, 41b that extend in the up-down direction. The bent portions 40b, 41b are bent from the lower ends of the vertical wall portions 40a, 41a toward the discharge port 24b along the downstream inclined chute 24.

The capsule 50 sliding down the downstream inclined chute 24 slides down along the sliding surfaces 36a, 37a of the protruding chute sections 36, 37 from the downstream inclined chute 24, and thus slides in a direction different from the inclination direction L of the downstream inclined chute 24. At this time, the sliding speed of the capsule 50 is decelerated relative to the sliding speed when sliding down the downstream inclined chute 24.

The capsule 50 sliding down along the sliding surfaces 36a, 37a is further decelerated by contacting the vertical wall portions 40a, 41a of the regulating walls 40, 41, and then passes between the vertical wall portions 40a, 41a and the downstream protruding chute portions 36B, 37B, before sliding down between the bent portions 40b, 41b and the downstream inclined chute 24.

The gap W2 between the vertical wall portions 40a, 41a and the downstream protruding chute portions 36B, 37B, the gap W3 between the folding portions 40b, 41b and the downstream inclined chute 24, and the groove width W1 between the first conveying path 26A and the second conveying path 27A are the same dimension.

This prevents clogging of capsules 50 of all sizes passing between the vertical wall portions 40a, 41a and the downstream protruding chute portions 36B, 37B, and between the folding portions 40b, 41b and the downstream inclined chute 24.

The inclination angle θ3 of the regulating walls 40, 41 relative to the sliding surfaces 36a, 37a is set to an angle that reduces the impact when the capsule 50 that has passed the sliding surfaces 36a, 37a collides with the regulating walls 40, 41 and can reliably reduce the sliding speed of the capsule 50.

The downstream inclined chute 24 of this embodiment is configured by integrally providing the protruding chute sections 36, 37, the side plates 38, 39, and the restricting walls 40, 41, and the protruding chute sections 36, 37, the side plates 38, 39, and the restricting walls 40, 41 are attached to and detached from the main body member 21 as a unit. The protruding chute sections 36, 37 and the restricting walls 40, 41 of this embodiment constitute the sliding direction change section.

Next, the operation of the article selection device 3 of this embodiment will be described.
The capsules 50 that have been placed on the weighing platform 4A and have their weight measured are pushed out of the weighing platform 4A by the ejector 11 while being aligned in ten rows in the left-right direction.

The capsule 50 pushed out from the weighing platform 4A slides down the upstream inclined chute 23 due to its own weight.

First, the operation of the article sorting device 3 when sorting the correct-weight article 50a will be described with reference to FIG.
When the control unit determines that all of the capsules 50 sliding down the conveying lane of the downstream inclined chute 24 are of the correct weight 50 a, air is supplied to the main body 28 A of the first air cylinder 28 .

In this state, the rod portion 28B moves downward against the biasing force of the coil spring and sinks into the main body portion 28A, the first sorting member 26 is positioned in the retracted position, and the first inclined surface 26e of the first sorting member 26 is continuous with the inclined surfaces 23a, 24a so as to form part of the inclined surface 23a of the upstream inclined chute 23 and the inclined surface 24a of the downstream inclined chute 24.

In addition, the control unit does not supply air to the main body 29A of the second air cylinder 29, so the rod 29B is biased by the coil spring and protrudes upward from the main body 29A. As a result, the second sorting member 27 is located at the second sorting position.

When the product 50a slides down the downstream inclined chute 24, the rejection gate 35 is driven by the actuator to its lowest position. Therefore, the inclined plate portion 35B is continuous with the downstream inclined chute 24 so as to form part of the inclined surface 24a of the downstream inclined chute 24.

In this way, the control unit controls the first sorting member 26 and the second sorting member 27, so that the correct-weight product 50a flows from the upstream inclined chute 23 through the first inclined surface 26e of the first sorting member 26 to the downstream inclined chute 24, slides down through the inclined plate portion 35B of the rejection gate 35 to the final inclined chute 25, and is then transported from the final inclined chute 25 to the next process. Figure 9 shows the movement trajectory A of the correct-weight product 50a.

The operation of the article sorting device 3 when sorting light items 50b will be shown with reference to FIG.
When the control unit determines that the capsule 50 sliding down along the conveying lane of the downstream inclined chute 24 contains light goods 50b, air is discharged from the main body 28A of the first air cylinder 28 of the conveying lane through which the light goods 50b are flowing.

At this time, the rod portion 28B is biased by the coil spring and moves upward, protruding from the main body portion 28A. As a result, the first sorting member 26 is located at the first sorting position, and the first inlet 26a of the first sorting member 26 is located above the inclined surface 23a of the upstream inclined chute 23. The control unit also controls the second air cylinder 29 to position the second sorting member 27 at the second sorting position.

In this way, the control unit controls the first sorting member 26 and the second sorting member 27, so that the first outlet 26b of the first sorting member 26 and the second inlet 27a of the second sorting member 27 are connected to each other.

As a result, the lightweight items 50b flowing through the conveying lane of the downstream inclined chute 24 are fed into the first conveying path 26A through the first entrance 26a, pass through the second conveying path 27A of the second sorting member 27 from the first conveying path 26A, and are then discharged from the second exit 27b to the lightweight item discharge section 32. Figure 10 shows the movement trajectory B of the lightweight items 50b.

The operation of the article sorting device 3 when sorting an overweight article 50c will be shown with reference to FIG.
When the control unit determines that the capsule 50 sliding down along the conveying lane of the downstream inclined chute 24 contains an overweight item 50c, air is discharged from the main body 28A of the first air cylinder 28 of the conveying lane through which the overweight item 50c is flowing.

At this time, the rod portion 28B is biased by the coil spring and moves upward, protruding from the main body portion 28A. As a result, the first sorting member 26 is positioned at the first sorting position.

The control unit also supplies air to the main body 29A of the second air cylinder 29. At this time, the rod 29B moves downward against the biasing force of the coil spring and retracts into the main body 29A. As a result, the second sorting member 27 is positioned in the third retracted position, and the second inclined surface 27e of the second sorting member 27 is continuous with the inclined chute 30 so as to form part of the inclined chute 30.

In this way, by controlling the first sorting member 26 and the second sorting member 27 by the control unit, the first outlet 26b of the first sorting member 26 and the second inlet 27a of the second sorting member 27 are brought into a non-communicating state.

As a result, the overweight item 50c flowing through the conveying lane is introduced into the first conveying path 26A through the first entrance 26a, and the overweight item 50c discharged from the first exit 26b passes through the second inclined surface 27e of the second sorting member 27, and is then discharged along the inclined chute 30 to the overweight item discharge section 33. Figure 11 shows the movement trajectory C of the overweight item 50c.

Here, we explain the relationship between the interval at which capsules 50 are inserted and the sorting time for capsules 50.

The timing at which the ejector 11 pushes out the capsule 50 from the weighing platform 4A is set to the timing at which the previous capsule 50 passes through the first conveying path 26A and the second conveying path 27A and reaches the light product discharge section 32.

In other words, the period during which the capsules 50 are sequentially fed from the weighing platform 4A to the item sorting device 3 is set so that it is longer than the time it takes for the capsules 50 to pass through the first conveying path 26A and the second conveying path 27A to be selected.

It is desirable for this insertion period to be short, since it represents the weight measurement capability of the weight measuring device 1, but it is not desirable for the period to be shorter than the time required for the capsule 50 to pass through the longest transport path (transport paths 26A, 27A).

As a result, regardless of the pattern of weight measurement results associated with the capsules 50 sequentially fed from the weighing platform 4A to the item sorting device 3 (sorting of light items 50b or overweight items 50c), the first sorting member 26 and the second sorting member 27 are controlled to form a conveying path in the sorting direction according to the weight measurement results.

This is the capsule 50 injection period in which the distance between the light weight item 50b located upstream of the first inlet 26a and the light weight item 50b located downstream of the second outlet 27b shown in FIG. 10 is the shortest.

The operation of the article sorting device 3 when sorting the unknown item 50d will be shown with reference to FIG.
When the control unit determines that an unknown item 50d has slid down the downstream inclined chute 24, there is a possibility that the unknown item 50d has been mixed in with the normal items 50a flowing down the downstream inclined chute 24, so the actuator is controlled to move the exclusion gate 35 upward.

At this time, the inclined plate portion 35B opens the discharge port 24b, so that all capsules 50 flowing through the downstream inclined chute 24 collide with the vertical plate portion 35A and are guided to the discharge port 24b, through which they are discharged to the unknown item discharge section 34. Figure 12 shows the movement trajectory D of the unknown item 50d.

In addition, if a power interruption occurs, the ejection gate 35 is biased upward by the coil spring, so that all capsules 50 flowing through the downstream inclined chute 24 are ejected from the ejection port 24b to the unknown item ejection section 34.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 13, the capsules 50 flowing through the downstream inclined chute 24 slide down the sliding surfaces 36a, 37a of the protruding chute sections 36, 37, and thus slide down in a direction different from the inclination direction L of the downstream inclined chute 24.

The inclination angle θ1 of the sliding surfaces 36a, 37a relative to the horizontal plane H is smaller than the inclination angle θ2 of the inclined surface 24a of the downstream inclined chute 24 relative to the horizontal plane H, so that the capsule 50 sliding down the sliding surfaces 36a, 37a of the protruding chute portions 36, 37 slides in a direction closer to the horizontal direction than the downstream inclined chute 24, and the sliding speed of the capsule 50 is slower than the sliding speed of the capsule 50 sliding down the downstream inclined chute 24, and the capsule 50 is decelerated by the sliding surfaces 36a, 37a.

In addition, since restricting walls 40, 41 are provided downstream of each of the protruding chutes 36, 37, the capsule 50 that passes through the sliding surfaces 36a, 37a of the protruding chutes 36, 37 is further decelerated by contacting the restricting walls 40, 41. Figure 13 shows the movement trajectory E of the capsule 50.

In this embodiment, two pairs of protruding chute sections and restricting walls are provided when the protruding chute section 36 and the restricting wall 40 are considered as one pair, and the protruding chute section 37 and the restricting wall 41 are considered as one pair. However, the number of pairs of protruding chute sections and restricting walls may be one pair or three or more pairs.

The inclination angle θ3 of the protruding chute sections 36, 37 may be adjusted to adjust the deceleration time of the capsule 50 depending on the size, viscosity, etc. of the capsule 50.

In addition, the protruding chute sections 36 and 37 are molded integrally with the downstream inclined chute 24, but the protruding chute sections may be formed as separate members integral with the downstream inclined chute 24. In this case, the protruding chute sections may be made of a different material than the downstream inclined chute 24, and the deceleration time of the capsule 50 may be adjusted.

In this way, the item sorting device 3 of this embodiment can drive the first sorting member 26 and the second sorting member 27 according to the weighing result of the capsule 50, thereby sorting out the light weight items 50b and the overweight items 50c from the normal weight items 50a sliding down the inclined chute 22, and transport them in a direction different from the inclined chute 22.

Next, the effects of the article selection device 3 of this embodiment will be described.
The item sorting device 3 of this embodiment has a first inclined surface 26e on its upper surface that forms part of the inclined surface 23a of the upstream inclined chute 23, and has a first sorting member 26 that is freely movable between a first sorting position that protrudes upward above the inclined surface 23a of the upstream inclined chute 23 and the inclined surface 24a of the downstream inclined chute 24, and a retracted position where the first inclined surface 26e is continuous with the inclined surfaces 23a, 24a.

The first sorting member 26 has a first conveying path 26A inside, and the first conveying path 26A has a first inlet 26a opening on the upstream side and a first outlet 26b opening on the downstream side. When the light weight product 50b or overweight product 50c to be sorted is conveyed onto the upstream inclined chute 23, the first sorting member 26 moves to the first sorting position and guides the capsule 50 to be sorted that has flowed from upstream through the first inlet 26a to the first conveying path 26A, thereby sorting in a direction different from the upstream inclined chute 23 and the downstream inclined chute 24.

This allows the light weight items 50b and the overweight items 50c to be transported along the first transport path 26A, and the behavior of the light weight items 50b and the overweight items 50c can be stabilized by giving directionality to the light weight items 50b and the overweight items 50c.

This improves the freedom of the discharge direction of the light weight items 50b or overweight items 50c, and prevents the light weight items 50b or overweight items 50c from clogging the first conveying path 26A.

The item sorting device 3 of this embodiment also has a second sorting member 27 that is provided downstream of the first sorting member 26 and is movable between a second sorting position and a third sorting position that is located below the second sorting position, and the second sorting member 27 has a second inclined surface 27e on its upper surface and a second conveying path 27A inside.

The second conveying path 27A has a second inlet 27a that opens on the upstream side and a second outlet 27b that opens on the downstream side, and when the first sorting member 26 is in the first sorting position and the second sorting member 27 is in the second sorting position, the first outlet 26b and the second inlet 27a are connected.

When the second sorting member 27 is positioned at the second sorting position, it sorts overweight items 50c transported along the first conveying path 26A in a first direction by passing them over the second inclined surface 27e, and when it is positioned at the third sorting position, it sorts light items 50b transported along the first conveying path 26A in a second direction by passing them over the second conveying path 27A.

As a result, when the first sorting member 26 is located at the first sorting position, the second sorting member 27 can be positioned at the second sorting position and the third sorting position, thereby switching the conveying path and classifying the items to be sorted into light items 50b and overweight items 50c.

As a result, the lightweight item 50b can be transported along the first transport path 26A and the second transport path 27A, and the behavior of the lightweight item 50b can be stabilized by imparting directionality to the lightweight item 50b. In addition, the overweight item 50c can be transported along the first transport path 26A, and the behavior of the overweight item 50c can be stabilized by imparting directionality to the overweight item 50c.

In addition, according to the item sorting device 3 of this embodiment, the first conveying path 26A has a first straight section 26c that extends in a straight line in the vertical direction from the first entrance 26a, and a first curved section 26d that curves from the downstream part of the first straight section 26c in the inclination direction L of the upstream inclined chute 23 and the downstream inclined chute 24.

As a result, the length of the upstream inclined chute 23 and the downstream inclined chute 24 in the inclined direction L can be shortened compared to when the first conveying path 26A extends linearly in the inclined direction L of the upstream inclined chute 23 and the downstream inclined chute 24, making it possible to miniaturize the item sorting device 3.

In addition, according to the item sorting device 3 of this embodiment, the second conveying path 27A has a second straight section 27c that extends in a straight line in the vertical direction from the second entrance 27a, and a second curved section 27d that curves from the downstream part of the second straight section 27c in the inclination direction L of the upstream inclined chute 23 and the downstream inclined chute 24.

As a result, the length of the upstream inclined chute 23 and the downstream inclined chute 24 in the inclined direction L can be shortened compared to when the second conveying path 27A extends linearly in the inclined direction L of the upstream inclined chute 23 and the downstream inclined chute 24, making it possible to miniaturize the item sorting device 3.

In addition, the item sorting device of this embodiment has the first air cylinder 28 and the second air cylinder 29 that drive the first sorting member 26 and the second sorting member 27 in the vertical direction, so that the installation space for the first air cylinder 28 and the second air cylinder 29 relative to the inclination direction L of the upstream inclined chute 23 and the downstream inclined chute 24 can be reduced, and the length of the inclination direction L of the upstream inclined chute 23 and the downstream inclined chute 24 can be shortened. As a result, the item sorting device 3 can be made more compact.

In addition, the weight measuring device 1 of this embodiment has an item sorting device 3 and a weighing unit 4 that inspects the capsules 50 sorted by the item sorting device 3, so that the behavior of the objects to be sorted can be stabilized by providing directionality to the light weight items 50b and the overweight items 50c that are transported in a different direction from the upstream inclined chute 23 and the downstream inclined chute 24.

Although an embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed, it is apparent that modifications may be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. All such modifications and equivalents are intended to be included in the following claims.

1. Weight measuring device (item inspection device)
3. Item sorting device 4. Weighing section (inspection section)
22 Inclined chute 23a, 24a Inclined surface (inclined surface of inclined chute)
26 First sorting member 26A First conveying path 26a First inlet 26b First outlet 26c First straight portion 26d First curved portion 26e First inclined surface 27 Second sorting member 27A Second conveying path 27a Second inlet 27b Second outlet 27c Second straight portion 27d Second curved portion 27e Second inclined surface 28 First air cylinder (driving portion)
29 Second air cylinder (drive unit)
50 capsules (object)
50b Lightweight items (items to be sorted)
50c Excessive items (items to be sorted)
50d Unknown item (item to be sorted)

Claims (7)

An article sorting device (3) for sorting objects (50) sliding down an inclined chute (22) that inclines from above to below, comprising:
a first sorting member (26) having a first inclined surface (26e) on an upper surface thereof that forms a part of the inclined surface of the inclined chute, the first sorting member (26) being movably provided between a first sorting position that protrudes above the inclined surface of the inclined chute and a retracted position where the first inclined surface is continuous with the inclined surface of the inclined chute;
The first sorting member has a first conveying path (26A) therein,
the first conveying path has a first inlet (26a) opening on the upstream side, a first outlet (26b) opening on the downstream side , a first straight portion (26c) extending linearly in the vertical direction from the first inlet, and a first curved portion (26d) curved from a downstream portion of the first straight portion in the inclined direction (L) of the inclined chute ;
When an object to be sorted (50b, 50c) slides down the inclined chute, the first sorting member moves to a first sorting position, and the object to be sorted flowing from upstream is guided through the first inlet to the first conveying path, thereby sorting in a direction different from the inclined chute. An article sorting device (3) for sorting objects (50) sliding down an inclined chute (22) that inclines from above to below, comprising:
a first sorting member (26) having a first inclined surface (26e) on an upper surface thereof that forms a part of the inclined surface of the inclined chute, the first sorting member (26) being movably provided between a first sorting position that protrudes above the inclined surface of the inclined chute and a retracted position where the first inclined surface is continuous with the inclined surface of the inclined chute;
The first sorting member has a first conveying path (26A) therein,
The first transport path has a first inlet (26a) that opens on the upstream side and a first outlet (26b) that opens on the downstream side,
a second sorting member (27) located downstream of the first sorting member and movably provided between a second sorting position and a third sorting position located below the second sorting position;
the second sorting member has a second inclined surface (27e) on an upper surface thereof and a second conveying path (27A) therein;
the second conveying path has a second inlet (27a) opening on the upstream side and a second outlet (27b) opening on the downstream side, and when the first sorting member is located at the first sorting position and the second sorting member is located at the second sorting position, the first outlet and the second inlet are communicated with each other;
When the objects to be sorted (50b, 50c) slide down the inclined chute, the first sorting member moves to the first sorting position, and the objects to be sorted that have flowed from upstream are guided to the first conveying path through the first inlet, thereby sorting the objects in a direction different from the inclined chute;
An item sorting device in which, when positioned at the third sorting position, the second sorting member sorts the objects to be sorted transported on the first conveying path in a first direction by passing them over the second inclined surface, and, when positioned at the second sorting position, sorts the objects to be sorted transported on the first conveying path in a second direction by passing them over the second conveying path. 2. The article sorting device according to claim 1, further comprising a drive unit (28) for driving the first sorting member in a vertical direction . the first conveying path has a first straight portion extending linearly in a vertical direction from the first inlet, and a first curved portion curved from a downstream portion of the first straight portion in a tilted direction of the inclined chute,
The item sorting device of claim 2, wherein the second conveying path has a second straight section (27c) extending linearly in the vertical direction from the second inlet, and a second curved section (27d) curved from a downstream portion of the second straight section in the inclined direction of the inclined chute. The article sorting device according to claim 2 or claim 4, which has a drive unit (28, 29) that drives the first sorting member and the second sorting member in the vertical direction. An item inspection device (1) having the item sorting device described in any one of claims 1 to 4 and an inspection unit (4) that inspects the objects sorted by the item sorting device. An article inspection device having the article sorting device described in claim 5 and an inspection unit that inspects the objects sorted by the article sorting device.

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