JPH0342410B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION This invention measures individual items (hereinafter referred to as lumps) that vary in weight, such as confectionery, fruits, vegetables, etc., and determines the optimum weight of the lumps to achieve the desired weight. The present invention relates to a combination selection device for a combination weighing machine used to find combinations of and ultimately pack a plurality of lumps into bags.

Even if an attempt is made to combine lumps whose individual weights vary by the set weight, the individual weights will vary, resulting in variations in the cumulative value and an error between the set weight and the set weight. For this reason,
Conventionally, a combination weighing device has been used to always reduce the error from the set weight as much as possible and group the weights together.

That is, in the combination weighing device, as shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of lumps are sequentially supplied to a plurality of weighing hoppers 1 ₁ to 1 _o , and a measuring device 2 ₁ provided for each weighing hopper 1 ₁ to 1 _o is used. ~2 _o , respectively weigh the plurality of lumps strained, and input the measured values of each measuring device 2 ₁ ~ 2 _o to the calculator 3 to calculate the combined weight for every combination. The combination of weighing hoppers that has the smallest difference from the set weight among all the combined weights obtained by is set. Then, the lumps in the plurality of weighing hoppers set in this manner are discharged into a collection chute or the like and are collected together.

However, in conventional combinational weighing devices of this type, all combinational calculations are performed by one computing unit, so when there are many weighing hoppers, the number of combinations is extremely large and the calculation time becomes long. There were flaws.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a combination selection device for a combination weighing machine that overcomes the above-mentioned drawbacks and enables combination selection in a short time.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, 4 is an actually measured measurement value storage circuit, and N
Each weighing value signal G ₁ from each weighing device _{2 1} to 2 _o that measures the weight of the object to be weighed in each weighing hopper 1 ₁ to 1 _o
It is provided with N storage elements 4 _{1 to} 4 _o for temporarily storing ~G _o , respectively. 5 is an address counter that sequentially generates address values consisting of binary numbers. Numerals 6a, 6b, and 6c store in advance different non-overlapping combination patterns of weighing hoppers corresponding to addresses, and each time an address signal from the address counter 5 is received, N represents a different combination pattern corresponding to the address. It is a combinatorial pattern generator that generates a bit signal.

FIG. 3 shows combination pattern generators 6a, 6b, 6.
An example of a combination pattern stored in advance corresponding to an address is shown in c.

For example, in response to the binary number 1 consisting of N bits of the address counter 5, the combination pattern generator 6
a, 6b, and 6c store binary numbers 1, 2, and 3, respectively, and combination pattern generators 6a, 6b, and 6c store binary numbers 4, 5, and 6, respectively, corresponding to the binary number 2 of the address counter 5. address counter 5
The combinational pattern generator 6 corresponds to the 3 binary numbers of
a, 6b, and 6c store binary numbers 7, 8, and 9, respectively, and similarly, each time the output of the address counter 5 increases by one, three combination patterns of binary numbers 10, 11, 12, etc. are generated. The values assigned to the containers 6a, 6b, and 6c in order are stored. That is, if the binary number of the address counter 5 is p, then the combination pattern generator 6a generates 3×(p-1)+
1. The combination pattern generator 6b is 3×(p-1)+
2. The combination pattern generator 6c is 3×(p-1)+
The binary number 3 is stored in correspondence.

7a, 7b, and 7c receive the combination pattern signals from the combination pattern generators 6a, 6b, and 6c, respectively, and store memory elements 4 ₁ corresponding to the bits of the signal that are set to "1" in the N-bit combination pattern. This is a measurement value selector that selectively passes the measurement value signals G ₁ to G _o stored in ~ _4o . Reference numeral 8 denotes a target weight setter; 9a, _9b , _9c select weighing value selectors _7a , ₇ for each address signal of the address counter 5;
b, 7c, and stores the added value (combined weight) closest to the target weight set in the target weight selector 8 and its combination pattern.

Reference numeral 10 denotes a general calculator which selects the combination weight closest to the target weight by comparing the combination weights stored in the calculators 9a, 9b, and 9c, and outputs the combination pattern.

Next, the operation of the sorting device according to the above embodiment will be explained.

First, a target weight value is set in the target weight setting device 8. Subsequently, the objects to be weighed are supplied to the N weighing hoppers 1 ₁ to 1 _o . A weighing value signal G ₁ is sent from each measuring device _{2 1} to 2 _o provided for each weighing hopper 1 1 to 1 _o .
~G _o is outputted and stored in the storage elements 4 ₁ to 4 _o of the measured value storage circuit 4, respectively, and each measured value signal G ₁ to _{G o} is input in parallel to the selectors 7a, 7b, and 7c. .

On the other hand, when the address counter 5 sequentially outputs the address value as 1, 2, 3, etc. in binary, the combination pattern generators 6a, 6b, 6c sequentially output the N-bits shown in FIG. 3 in response to the address value. The combination pattern signals are sent to the weighing value selectors 7a, 7b, 7, respectively.
Output to c. The weighing value selectors 7a, 7b, 7c are first connected to the combination pattern generators 6a, 6b, 6b, respectively.
The measured values of the storage elements corresponding to the N bits of the N-bit combination pattern signal from 6c are selectively passed through the computing units 9a, 9b, and 9c, respectively.

That is, as shown in FIG.
For example, when the output of the combination pattern generator 6a is a binary number 1 (0...0001), the output signal of the combination pattern generator 6a is 0...
...0001, the arithmetic unit 9a receives a weighing value signal.
Only G ₁ ~ is input, the calculation result G ₁ is obtained, and the output signal 0 of the combination pattern generator 6b is input to the calculation unit 9b.
...Only the weighing value signal _G2 is input based on 0010 to obtain the calculation result _G2 , and the calculation unit 9c receives _G1 and _G2 based on the output signal 0...0011 of the combination pattern generator 6c. Input the calculation result G ₁ + G ₂ .

In each of the computing units 9a, 9b, and 9c, the address value output from the address counter 5 is sequentially counted up from 1 until it reaches 2 n/3, and the combination weight is calculated in parallel and sequentially in the combination pattern corresponding to the address. , the combination weight and combination pattern closest to the target weight input from the target weight setter 8 are updated and stored.

When the address counter 5 starts counting from address 1 to address 2 n/3, the general calculation unit 10 compares the three combination weights stored in calculation units 9a, 9b, and 9c, and calculates the target weight. A combination pattern with a combination weight close to is selected and output. Then, the weighing hoppers corresponding to this combination pattern are opened and the weighing hoppers are gathered together.

In this way, the three combination pattern generators 6a,
Since the three arithmetic units 9a, 9b, and 9c perform calculations in parallel based on the combination pattern of 6b and 6c, the calculation speed is reduced to one-third of that in the conventional case.

Note that in the above embodiment, processing is performed in parallel using three rows of combination pattern generators and arithmetic units, but the number can be arbitrary as long as there are more than one, and if there are P arithmetic units, the calculation time will be reduced to 1/P. be shortened.

Further, in the above embodiment, all the combination patterns from nC ₁ to _o C _o are generated by the combination pattern generator 6a,
6b and 6c are shown, but combinations that do not yield a combination close to the target weight, such as a combination of n weighing hoppers, a combination of n-1, a combination of only 2 weighing hoppers, a combination of only 1 weighing hopper, etc. If a combination pattern is stored that excludes such items in advance, the calculation time can be further reduced.

In the embodiment described above, each weighing value is added by the computing units 9a, 9b, and 9c, but it is also possible to subtract each weighing value from the target weight value to obtain a combination pattern that is closest to zero.

Also, as a combination using the weighing hopper, if the weighed object is discharged and stored in the memory hopper and the weighing hopper is used to weigh the next object, the combination can be selected from both the weighing hopper and the memory hopper. You can also.

As described above, the combination selection device of the combinational weighing machine of the present invention allows P pattern generators that store N-bit different combination patterns divided into approximately the same number in the same address range to address signals are simultaneously output, P types of different combination patterns of N bits are simultaneously outputted, and combination calculations of measurement values corresponding to the P types of combination patterns are performed in parallel by P calculation units. Therefore, the combination calculation time can be significantly reduced.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a conventional combination weighing device, FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a combination pattern. 1 ₁ ~ 1 _o ... Weighing hopper, 2 ₁ ~ 2 _o ... Measuring instrument, 3 ... Arithmetic unit, 4 ... Measurement value storage circuit, 4 ₁
~4 _o ...Storage element, 5...Address counter,
6a, 6b, 6c... combination pattern generator, 7
a, 7b, 7c...Measurement value selector, 8...Target weight setting device, 9a, 9b, 9c...Calculator, 10...
...Comprehensive arithmetic unit.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. A measurement value storage circuit for storing the measurement values of objects to be measured supplied to N hoppers, and different combination patterns of N bits divided into approximately the same number, respectively, in the same address range. outputting address signals within the address range almost simultaneously to P pattern generators (P>1) stored in advance in the P pattern generators and the P pattern generators;
an address counter that outputs P types of N-bit different combination patterns; and an address counter that receives P types of combination pattern signals from the P combination pattern generators, and from the measured values stored in the measured value storage circuit, P measurement value selectors each selectively outputting a measurement value corresponding to the received combination pattern signal; and P measurement value selectors respectively provided corresponding to the P measurement value selectors, each of which selects and outputs a measurement value corresponding to the received combination pattern signal. A combination selection device for a combination weighing machine, comprising P calculation units that perform combination calculations of each measured value in parallel.