JPH0342411B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is capable of weighing a plurality of objects (hereinafter referred to as lump objects) whose individual weights vary, such as confectionery, fruits, vegetables, etc., so that the weight is approximately constant. The present invention relates to a combination selection device for a combination weighing machine used when bulking items into bags.

Even if an attempt is made to group lumps whose individual weights vary by a set weight, an error will occur between the set weight and the set weight. For this reason, a combination weighing machine has conventionally 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 machine, 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 to 2} provided for each weighing hopper 1 1 to 1 _o is used. 2 _o , weigh each of the plurality of lumps accommodated, input the measured values of each measuring device 2 ₁ to 2 _o to the calculator 3, calculate the combined weight for every combination, and perform the calculation. Of all the combined weights thus obtained, the combination of weighing hoppers that has the smallest difference from the set weight is set. Then, the lumps in the plurality of weighing hoppers in the combination set in this way are discharged into a collection chute or the like and collected.

However, with this type of conventional combination weighing machine, 1
Since all combinational calculations are performed by a single computing unit, when there are many hoppers, the number of combinations becomes extremely large, resulting in a disadvantage that the calculation time becomes long.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a combination selection device that overcomes the above-mentioned drawbacks and can select combinations 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 a measured 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 a combination pattern generation circuit that sequentially generates different combination patterns, N-1 (i.e., N-
(M and M=1) is provided with a counter 6 for generating a binary number of bits.

The variable pattern output of each bit of counter 6 is 2
The first group is divided into two group loops in parallel, and a signal line 7a to which a fixed bit signal of "0" is always output is added at the lowest position to form an N-bit combination pattern signal line 8a. In the second group, a signal line 7b to which a fixed bit signal of "1" is always outputted is also added at the lowest position to form an N-bit combination pattern signal line 8b.

FIG. 3 shows that the first group of N-bit combination pattern signal lines 8a and the second group of N-bit combination pattern signal lines 8b change in response to the N-1 bit binary number generated by the counter 6. An example is shown.

For example, in response to a binary number of 0 consisting of N-1 bits of the counter 6, the combination pattern signal lines 8a, 8
b generates binary numbers 0 and 1 each consisting of N bits, and corresponding to the binary number 1 consisting of N-1 bits of the counter 6, the combination pattern signal lines 8a and 8
b generates binary numbers 2 and 3 each consisting of N bits, and similarly, each time the output of the counter 6 increases by one, the binary numbers 64, 5, etc. are generated on the two combination pattern signal lines 58a and 8b. Generates the assigned value. That is, assuming the binary number of the counter 6, the combination pattern signal line 8a generates a binary number of 2P, and the combination pattern signal line 8b generates a binary number of 2P+1.

9a and 9b correspond to each bit that is set to "1" of the N-bit combination pattern signal when the combination pattern signal lines 8a and 8b output from the combination pattern generation circuit 5 receive the combination pattern signal respectively generated. This is a metric value selector that selectively passes the metric values G ₁ to G _o stored in the storage elements 4 ₁ to 4 _o .

Reference numeral 10 indicates a target weight setter, and reference numerals 11a and 11b refer to measurement value selectors 9a and 9b for selecting the weighing values G ₁ to G _o stored in the storage elements 4 ₁ to 4 _o for each combination pattern generated by the combination pattern generation circuit 5. This is a computing unit that calculates the combinations selected by and stores the combination weight and combination pattern that are closest to the target weight set in the target weight selector 10.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a general calculator which selects the combination weight closest to the target weight by comparing the combined weights stored in the calculators 11a and 11b, and outputs the combination pattern.

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

First, a target weight value is set in the target weight setting device 10. 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 output and the memory element 4 of the measured value memory circuit 4 ₁
~4 _o respectively. and each measurement value G ₁
~G _o are input in parallel to the measurement value selectors 9 and 9b.

On the other hand, counter 6 converts the N-1 bit binary number to 0,
1, 2, . . . , the combination pattern generator 5 outputs N-bit combination pattern signals to the measured value selectors 9a, 9b through the combination pattern signal lines 8a, 8b, respectively.

The measured value selectors 9a and 9b selectively pass the measured values of the storage elements corresponding to the bits set to "1" in the N-bit combination pattern signal from the combination pattern generation circuit 5 to the respective calculation units 11a and 11b. .

That is, as shown in FIG. 3, when the output of the counter 6 is, for example, a binary number 1 (0...0001), based on the output signal 0...0010 of the combination pattern generation circuit 5, the output signal is sent to the arithmetic unit 11a. inputs only the measured value G ₂ and obtains the calculation result G ₂ , and the measured values G ₁ and G ₂ are input to the calculation unit 11b based on the output signal 0...0011 of the combination pattern generator 5 and calculates the calculation result. G ₁ + G ₂
is obtained.

In each arithmetic unit 11a, 11b, the binary number output from the counter 6 is counted up from 0.
The combined weight is sequentially calculated in parallel in a combination pattern corresponding to this binary number until it reaches 2 ⁿ /2, and the combined weight and combination pattern closest to the target weight input from the target weight setting device 10 are updated and stored. Ru.

When the counter 6 starts from 0 and finishes counting up to 2 ⁿ /2, the general arithmetic unit 12
The two types of combination weights respectively stored in 1b are compared, and the combination pattern that provides the combination weight closest to the target weight is output. Then, the weighing hoppers corresponding to this combination pattern are opened and the weighing hoppers are gathered together.

In this way, since the two arithmetic units 11a and 11b perform calculations in parallel based on the two groups of combination patterns, the calculation speed is reduced to half that of the conventional case.

Note that in the above embodiment, processing is performed in parallel using two columns of weighing value selectors and arithmetic units, but the number is arbitrary as long as there are more than one, and if there are R arithmetic units, the calculation time will be reduced to 1/R. be shortened.

For example, when using 4 columns of arithmetic units (i.e. M=2
), as shown in FIG. 4, the counter 6 of the combination pattern generation circuit 5 generates an N-2 bit binary number, and a fixed bit signal of "00" is always output to the first group. Signal lines 13a, 13b
is added at the lowest position to form an N-bit combination pattern signal line 8a, and the second group includes:
Signal lines 13a and 13b to which a fixed bit signal of "01" is always output are added to constitute a combination pattern signal line 8b, and the third group has "10"
Signal lines 13e and 13f that output "11" are added to form a combination pattern signal line 8c, and the fourth group includes signal lines 13g, 13f that output "11".
13h is added and the combination pattern signal line 8d
Configure.

Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, when the output of the counter 6 is, for example, a binary 0 (0...00), the combination pattern signal lines 8a, 8b, 8c, and 8d are 0, 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Outputs an N-bit binary number.

Then, the four groups of combination patterns are respectively input to the four metric value selectors, and the four arithmetic units can perform a process of selecting the optimal combination pattern in parallel.

In the above embodiment, the calculation units 11a and 11b add each weighed value, but conversely, each weighed value may be subtracted from the target weight value to obtain a combination pattern that is closest to zero.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the weighing values of the objects to be weighed stored in the weighing hopper directly connected to the weighing instrument were combined, but the weighing objects weighed in the weighing hopper are discharged and stored in the memory hopper, and the weighing hopper performs the following calculations. If the object to be weighed is to be weighed, a combination may be selected from both the weighing hopper and the memory hopper.

As described above, the combination selection device of the combination weighing machine of the present invention is compatible with multiple sets of N-bit combination patterns in which different M-bit fixed patterns are added to the N-M bit variable pattern output from the counter. Since the combined calculations are performed in parallel by the respective calculation units, the combination calculation time can be significantly reduced.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a conventional combination weighing machine, FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between a counter and a combination pattern signal line, and FIG. This figure is a block diagram showing another embodiment of the combination pattern generation circuit, and FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the counter and the combination pattern signal line in another embodiment of the combination pattern generation circuit. 1 ₁ - 1 _o ... Weighing hopper, 2 ₁ - 2 _o ... Measuring instrument, 3 ... Arithmetic unit, 4 ... Measurement value storage circuit, 4 ₁ -
4 _o ... Memory element, 5... Combination pattern generation circuit, 6... Counter, 7a, 7b... Signal line, 8
a, 8b, 8c, 8d...Combination pattern signal line, 9a, 9b...Measurement value selector, 10...Target weight setter, 11a, 11b...Calculator, 12...
...Comprehensive arithmetic unit, 13a to 13h...Signal line.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A weighing value storage circuit that stores weighed values of objects to be weighed supplied to N hoppers, and N-M bits (N
A combination pattern generator that almost simultaneously generates a plurality of sets of N-bit combination pattern signals obtained by adding different M-bit fixed patterns to a variable pattern of M>0), and a plurality of sets from the combination pattern generator. a plurality of measurement value selectors each receiving a combination pattern signal and selectively outputting a measurement value corresponding to the received combination pattern signal from the measurement values stored in the measurement value storage circuit; A combination selection device for a combination weighing machine, comprising a plurality of computing units that are respectively provided corresponding to the value selectors and perform combination calculations of each measurement value selected by each measurement value selector in parallel.