JPH0629064B2 - Fruit cartoning equipment - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of application] The present invention relates to a box packaging in which fruits and vegetables are sorted and discharged from a fruit selection conveyor in a sorting and packaging facility for sorting and packing fruits and vegetables. Related to the device.

[Problems to be Solved by Conventional Techniques and Inventions] Conventionally, perishable fruits such as peaches and vegetables (hereinafter simply referred to as "fruits") have been packed in boxes in the tray pack in order to protect the fruits. It is being held. As shown in FIG. 13, this conventional box packing is provided with a pool device such as a receiving box or a turntable for receiving fruits carried out by the pulling conveyor 2 and a packing table 1 on the side of the fruit selecting conveyor 1.
5 is placed, an empty cardboard box is placed on the packing table 15 by the packing operator, and an empty tray pack 51 is placed therein.
Put the fruits in the tray pack 51 into the tray pack 51 one by one, and pack the packed product box 40
1 is carried and carried by a worker on a product conveyor 12 arranged behind the worker.

However, in the conventional packaging described above, as shown in FIG. 13, a large number of empty tray packs 5 are provided around the packaging base 15.
Since 1s are stacked and stocked, a pile of tray packs 51 is formed around the worker, which hinders the lateral movement of the worker.

For this reason, the boxing worker cannot take charge of boxing of other classes, and the workers are assigned to each class, so that the efficiency of the work for inputting the staff is different between the concentrated class and the sparsely discharged class. There was a problem that the work efficiency did not improve as a whole because of the large difference.

Further, since the boxing operator holds and carries the boxed product box on the product conveyor, there is a problem that fatigue increases due to the passage of time and the work efficiency decreases.

[Object of the Invention] The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to classify the classes concentrated according to the variation of the distribution rate of the classes and the classes appearing sparsely. The objective is to provide a fruit cartoning device that can move laterally freely according to the situation of (1) so that the cartoning work can be carried out efficiently and that the cartoned product carton can be directly sent downward without being held by the worker. .

[Means for Solving Problems] The present invention takes the following technical means in order to achieve the above object.

That is, the present invention provides a plurality of drawer conveyors for each class that receives the fruit discharged by each class from the fruit selection conveyor and carries it out to the side of the fruit selection conveyor, in each of the latter stages of the end portions of the respective drawer conveyors. The tray pack inside the cardboard box containing the tray pack sent on the lower feed conveyor is provided with a packing section for packing fruits, and a part of these packing sections is the manual packing section and the rest is automatically packed. And a plurality of packaging material supply means for each class that supplies empty tray-packed corrugated cardboard boxes on the feed conveyor below each packing section are provided closer to the fruit selection conveyor than the packing section. A tray-packed corrugated cardboard box in which fruits are packed in empty packs from the packing section and sent by the feed conveyors to the respective subsequent stages of the feed conveyors. It is obtained by the configuration of the packing apparatus of the fruit, characterized in that a drop device sends out the cardboard boxes are lowered After receiving the upper.

That is, since fruits have a normal distribution from the largest to the smallest classes (7 steps from 3L to 3S, as an example), there is a large amount in the central class (L, M, S), and both ends The number of fruits that are sorted into and discharged from each grade varies greatly because the number of categories is the smallest, and it is not rational in terms of cost efficiency to use the same packing method for each grade, and automatic packing The parts and the hand-packed packing part are appropriately arranged and arranged.

[Embodiment] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings (FIGS. 1 to 12).
It will be described based on FIG.

1 and 2 are explanatory views in which an automatic packing section for automatically packing fruits and a hand packing section for manually packing fruits are arranged side by side for the purpose of explaining the packing section. is there. FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 2 and shows an automatic packing section. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 2, showing a hand-packed packing section.

In the figure, 1 is a selection conveyor, 2 is a pulling belt conveyor, 3 is a sorting conveyor, 4 is an empty box carrying conveyor, 5 is a pack feeding device, 6 is a sending device, 7 is a pack carrying conveyor, 8 is a pack sending conveyor, 9 is a rapid delivery device, 10 is a box lowering device, 11 is a product delivery device, 12 is a product conveyor, 13 is a fruit receiving part, 14
Is a delivery conveyor.

The fruit picking conveyor 1 is a multi-row type (four-row type) of the same length,
The weight or shape and size of the fruits transferred on the conveyor are measured, and the fruits are discharged from the predetermined sorting and discharging unit 100 according to the class.

The pull-out belt conveyor 2 is provided so as to penetrate the fruit selection conveyor 1 at the same sorting discharge section 100 of each line.

Reference numeral 21 is a constant-speed belt conveyor provided subsequent to the drawer belt conveyor 2 so that the fruit 102 conveyed by the drawer belt conveyor 2 is sent out in accordance with the packing ability of the sorting conveyor 3 in the subsequent step. Has become.

The distribution conveyor 3 is provided following the constant speed belt conveyor 21 as well shown in FIGS. 5 to 8, and is a conveyor 30 that can convey the fruit 102 as an example.
1, and a pressing conveyer 302 that presses the fruit 102 softly from above and conveys it at the same speed as the conveying conveyer 301.
It is configured by combining and.

The carrying conveyor 301 has a starting end portion 303 connected to the terminating end portion of the constant speed conveyor 21, and the starting end portion 303 is pivotally supported on the upper frame 31 by a fulcrum pin 304, whereby the terminating end portion 305 is started. It is designed to swing from side to side.

Reference numeral 33 is a slide rail, which is installed between the side frames 32 and slidably supports the end portion 305 of the conveyor 301.

The pressing conveyer 302 is for preventing the fruits on the conveyer conveyer 301 from rolling or falling sideways when the inching swing is performed. It can also be configured with a side belt or the like that softly wraps and holds the fruit 102 from both sides to convey.

As a means for softly wrapping and holding the fruit 102, flocking of the belt surface, flocking of short fibers (electro-deposition flocking),
The fibers can be moped or other cushioning material can be used.

A small gear motor 306 is incorporated in the frame of the starting end portion 303 of the transfer conveyor 401, and drives the transfer conveyor 301 and the pressing conveyor 302 in association with each other.

The swing mechanism for swinging the sorting conveyor 3 in the left-right direction is the idler 3 provided on the side frames 32, 32.
07 and the drive pulley 308, between the conveyor 301
A oscillating belt 309 is stretched across and traversing the frame of No. 3, and the oscillating belt 309 is fixed to a part of the end portion 305 of the conveyor 301.

The drive pulley 308 is rotatably moved by a forward / reverse squeeze drive motor 310 via a belt, and slews the sorting conveyor 3 leftward or rightward.

311 is a tip confirmation sensor provided at the end portion 305 of the conveyer 301, and the fruit 102 is at the end portion 305.
It is supposed to check that it falls from.

The empty box conveyor 4 is provided on the opposite side of the sorting conveyor 3 from the arrangement side of the sorting conveyor 3 in the direction parallel to the sorting conveyor 1, and the corrugated cardboard box 42 adapted to each class is provided. It can be configured by a roller conveyor having a width suitable for carrying in one line or a chain conveyor with a top plate.

Reference numeral 41 is an empty box stopper that appears on the upper surface of the empty box conveyor 4, and is provided so as to stop the cardboard box 42 conveyed on the conveyor in a position aligned with the pack supply device 5 described later.

Reference numeral 43 denotes a box distribution device, which is the drawer belt conveyor 2
The cardboard box 42 stopped by the empty box stopper 41 is fed to a predetermined position below the pack supply device 5.

This box distribution device 43 can be sent out by a method of pushing out using an air cylinder or the like, or by providing an attached chain conveyor for transferring an empty box in a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction of the empty box transport conveyor 4.

The pack supply device 5 is provided for each class adjacent to the empty box conveyer 4, stacks a large number of tray packs 51 above the separating claws 52, and alternately separates the separating claws 52 and the stopper 53. The tray packs 51 piled up and down are taken out one by one from the lowermost part and supplied to the cardboard box 42 which stands by at a predetermined lower position.

The feeding device 6 is provided below the pack supply device 5, draws the cardboard box 42 arranged by the box arrangement device 43 up to the retractable stopper 61, and the pack supply device above the cardboard box 42. One tray pack 51 is put in from 5 and is sent out toward the pack transport conveyor 7 of the other side.

The pack transfer conveyor 7 is provided below the drawer belt conveyor 2 so as to penetrate the fruit selection conveyor 1, and is provided with the tray pack 51 sent from the delivery device 6.
The corrugated cardboard box 42 is supplied onto the pack feeding conveyor 8 or the feeding conveyor 14.

In this embodiment, the packaging material supplying means for supplying the tray pack 51 in the cardboard box 42 as described above is provided on the opposite side from the packing section side across the fruit selection conveyor 1 and the cardboard box containing the tray pack 51 is provided. Although 42 is supplied, this packaging material supply means may be provided on the packing section side by providing the pull-out belt conveyor 2 long, for example.

The pack feeding conveyer 8 is provided below the sorting conveyer 3, and its tail pulley 81 is connected to the end portion of the pack conveying conveyer 7, and the head pulley 8 is provided.
The reference numeral 2 is provided at a position where the tail pulley 81 is inclined upward in the traveling direction, and is provided at a position extending from the terminal end portion 305 of the sorting conveyor 3 by about one corrugated cardboard box.

The pack feeding conveyor 8 can be configured by a belt conveyor, a chain conveyor with a feeding piece, or the like.

The rapid delivery device 9 has a length corresponding to approximately one cardboard box, and its tail pulley 91 is provided adjacent to the head pulley 82 of the pack delivery conveyor 8.

As well shown in FIG. 5, the pack feeding conveyor 8 and the rapid feeding device 9 respectively include an inching feeding motor 83 and a rapid feeding motor 92 so that they can be independently driven. The shaft of the head pulley 82 of the pack feeding conveyor 8 and the shaft of the tail pulley 91 of the rapid feeding device 9 are interlocked with each other through a reversible clutch 84, and when the pack feeding conveyor 8 is inching forward, a rapid feeding device. 9 is also designed to move forward in a synchronized manner. At this time, the rapid delivery motor 92 is electrically stopped (OFF). And the rapid delivery device 9
The sensor box 93 detects when the product box 401 containing the fruit 102, which has been sent from the pack feed conveyor 8 in an inching manner, has finished transferring from the pack feed conveyor 8 onto the rapid delivery device 9. The product box 401 detected by the sensor 93 is sent to the boxing and lowering device 10 at high speed by the operation of the rapid sending motor 92.

When the rapid delivery device 9 operates at a high speed, the reversible clutch 84 becomes free in the interlocking portion between the tail pulley 91 and the pack delivery conveyor 8, and only the rapid delivery device 9 operates regardless of the pack delivery conveyor 8. ing.

The boxing and lowering device 10 is installed adjacent to the outside of the rapid feeding device 9, and as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 in detail, chains 101 running vertically are stretched on both left and right sides. The product box 4 packed in this chain 111
The attachment 102 that receives 01 is attached at symmetrical positions. Reference numeral 103 denotes an interlocking shaft, which is adapted to synchronously interlock the left and right chains 101. 104
Is a motor with a brake for driving the interlocking shaft 103, and when the product box 401 is sent to the boxing and lowering device 10, an operation switch (not shown) is operated to perform an inching drive by the signal. Has become.

If a sensor (not shown) for detecting the sent product box 401 is provided in a part of the boxing and lowering device 10, the product box 401 can be automatically lowered.

Reference numeral 105 is a stop switch for stopping the attachment 102 at a fixed position, and in order to stack the product boxes 401 in a plurality of stages and lower the stack, the stop switches 105a and 105b are moved to the ninth position.
As shown in the figure, it is provided in a plurality of stages, and each time one box is received, it is moved down by one box, and after reaching a predetermined number of stacks, it is lowered.

FIG. 11 shows a case where the product boxes 401 are stacked in a plurality of stages. When stacking the boxes, the protrusions 44 at the upper corners of the boxes and the notches 45 at the lower corners of the boxes are fitted to each other so that the boxes will not be displaced. .

The product feeding device 11 is configured by arranging a large number of rollers 111 from the lower part of the lowering device 10 to the direction of the fruit selection conveyor 1 below the rapid feeding device 9 and has an outlet portion 112 which will be described later. It is connected to 12.

The exit portion 112 is provided with a retractable stopper 113 for temporarily stopping the product box 401.

The product delivery device 11 can be configured by using other transfer devices such as a chain conveyor and a slat conveyor in addition to the roller conveyor.

Reference numeral 114 denotes a printing device, which is provided at a predetermined position above the boxing and lowering device 10 so as to perform predetermined printing on the product box 401 sent to the boxing and lowering device 10.

The printing device 114 can print by temporarily stopping the product box 401 delivered by the product delivery device 11 with the stopper 113.

The product conveyor 12 is provided at the exit portion 112 of the product delivery device 11 in a direction parallel to the fruit selection conveyor 1 so that the product boxes 401 sent out for each class are merged and conveyed.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of a pack pattern in which two packs form one set, and a control device (not shown) having a built-in CPU.
To be set in advance.

This pack pattern is No. No. as shown in FIGS. 12 (a) and 12 (b).
No. 1, No. 2 and two tray packs are set as a set, and each hole of each tray pack is in the first row, the second row ...
... and No. 1 when the number of columns is odd as shown in Fig. 12 (a).
The first hole in the first row of and the first hole in the first row of No. 2 are symmetrical in the left-right direction. That is, the first row of No. 2 is N
Set so that it is considered as the next column (sixth column) of the last column of o.1. The setting of the pack pattern means the forward / reverse inching drive motor 310 and the pack feed conveyor 8 which actuate the swinging of the sorting conveyor 3 according to the step size between the holes.
An electronic circuit is configured in a control device (not shown) so as to digitize and control the rotation angle of the inching feed motor 83 for inching and moving.

The operation of the automatic packing section for automatically packing the fruits thus structured will be described.

Empty cardboard box 42 conveyed on the empty box conveyor 4
Is stopped on the empty box conveyor 4 by the empty box stopper 41 and is supplied to the delivery device 6 below the pack supply device 5 by the box distribution device 43. Then, when the empty tray pack 51 is supplied to the empty cardboard box 42 by the pack supply device 5, the cardboard box 42 containing the tray pack 51 is transferred to the pack transport conveyor 7 by the delivery device 6.
Send it up. The cardboard box 42 containing the tray packs 51 supplied to the pack transport conveyor 7 is sent to the pack feed conveyor 8 and further advanced.

It should be noted that the pack transfer conveyor 7 is provided with a sensor (not shown) for detecting that the cardboard box 42 containing the tray pack 51 sent from the sending-out device 7 is full, and automatically operates the box distribution device 43. It is preferable to control so that

The cardboard box 42 containing the tray pack 51 sent from the pack transfer conveyor 7 onto the pack transfer conveyor 8 is
The pack feed conveyor 8 advances the first row of holes of the tray pack 51 so as to face the terminal end portion 305 of the conveyor 3. The hole of the advancing tray pack 51 has the end portion 30.
5, the pack feeding conveyor 8 is temporarily stopped, and at the same time, the sorting conveyor 3 travels and rotates to put the fruit 102 into the first hole of the tray pack 51.

The forward / reverse inching drive motor 310 is driven by the signal from the tip confirmation sensor 311 that confirms that the fruit 102 is input.
Rotates in the forward direction so that the terminal end portion 305 of the sorting conveyor 3 faces the second hole of the tray pack 51. At this time, the pack feeding conveyor 8 is still stopped, and the sorting conveyor 3 continues to run to move the next fruit 102 to the second position.
Add to the hole.

Hereinafter, this loading operation is performed by the pack pattern (12th
The product box 401 which has been packed based on the drawing) is sent to the box lowering device 10 to perform printing of a preset grade and class, and is stacked in one box or in a plurality of stages to lower the product sending device 11 below. Get down. The product box 401 that has been unloaded onto the product delivery device 11 is delivered from the outlet 112 thereof onto the product conveyor 12 with the timing of merging.

A series of operations of each of the above devices and apparatuses is executed according to a preset program in a control device (not shown) having a built-in CPU.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, and 4, the configuration of the hand-packed packing unit for manually packing fruits will be described.

The hand-packed packing unit is configured to be placed in a class having a low distribution rate. Reference numeral 13 denotes a fruit receiving portion, which is provided at the end portion of the drawer belt conveyor 2 and receives the fruit 102 conveyed by the drawer belt conveyor 2.

In the embodiment, the fruit receiving portion 13 is formed as a flat plate with a slightly downward inclination. The size of the flat plate can be arbitrarily determined, but is preferably determined according to the class distribution ratio of the fruits 102 to be sorted and discharged.

14 is a delivery conveyor, and its tail pulley 14
1 is adjacent to the end of the pack conveyor 7 below the fruit receiving portion 13, and the head pulley 142 is at least one cardboard box 42 in the horizontal direction at the end of the fruit receiving portion 13 which is inclined up to a predetermined position. It is provided at the extended position.

In addition, although the delivery conveyor 14 is configured to be tilted upward from the tail pulley 141 in the embodiment, it is made horizontal without tilting from the tail pulley 141, and the cardboard box containing the tray pack 51 is provided below the tip of the fruit receiving portion 13. It may be configured so as to send out while facing 42.

As the delivery conveyor 14, other conveyors such as a conveyor with an attachment or a slat type conveyor can be used.

In order to drive the delivery conveyor 14, a box packing operator uses a foot switch or a manual switch (not shown).
Is configured so that inching can be driven arbitrarily.

The configuration of the hand-packed packing unit other than the fruit receiving unit 13 and the feed-out conveyor 14 is the same as the automatic pack-packing unit for automatically packing, and the same reference numerals are used and the description thereof is omitted.

With the above configuration, the fruit 1 sent to the fruit receiving portion 13
02 is packed in a tray pack 51 in a cardboard box 42 which is conveyed by the feed-out conveyor 14 while adjusting its posture by a packing operator. When the packing is completed, the switch is operated by a foot or hand to drive the delivery conveyor 14, and the product box 40 on the delivery conveyor 14 is driven.
1 is sent toward the boxing and lowering device 10. The boxing and lowering device 10 receives the product box 401, performs predetermined printing, stacks the product box 401 in a plurality of boxes, and lowers it onto the product delivery device 11 below.

As described above, an efficient packaging facility is configured by appropriately arranging the hand-packing unit for manually packing the fruits 102 and the automatic packing unit for automatically packing the fruits 102 according to the distribution ratio of the fruits. can do.

[Effects of the Invention] According to the present invention, the selected fruits are packed in a tray pack by a hand-packed packing section and an automatic packing section and packed in a box, so that efficient box packing can be performed with a small equipment cost.

Further, since the present invention eliminates the pile of tray packs standing around the boxing operation section to facilitate the lateral movement of the boxing operator to another class, the operator can perform a boxing operation of another class adjacent to the boxing operation. There is an effect that it is possible to take charge of the work of managing the operating status of other devices and to carry out the boxing work efficiently with a small number of people.

Further, according to the present invention, since the packed product box can be directly sent out downward without the operator having to take care of it, the fatigue of the operator can be significantly reduced and the production accuracy can be improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an essential part showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view of the same, FIG. 3 is a sectional view (automatic packing section) along AA of FIG. 2, and FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG. 2 (hand-filled packing unit), FIG. 5 is a plan view illustrating the automatic packing unit, and FIG. 6 is a side view of the sorting conveyor,
FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the sorting conveyor, and FIG. 8 is FIG. 6X.
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line X, FIG.
The front view seen from the arrow, FIG. 10 is the plan view of FIG.
FIG. 1 is an explanatory view of stacked product boxes, and FIGS. 12 (a) and 12 (b) are explanatory views of a pack pattern in which two tray packs form one set. FIG. 13 is a schematic plan view showing a conventional sorting and packing facility. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Fruit picking conveyor, 100 ... Sorting discharge part 102 ... Fruit 2 ... Drawing belt conveyor 21 ... Constant speed belt conveyor 3 ... Sorting conveyor 301 ... Conveying conveyor 302 ... Pressing conveyor 303 ... Starting end part, 304 ... Support point pin 305 ... End part 306 ... Small geared motor 307 ... Idler, 308 ... Drive pulley 309 ... Swing belt 310 ... Forward / backward drive motor 311 ... Tip confirmation sensor 31 ... Upper frame, 32 ... Side frame 33 ... Slide rail 4 ... Empty box transfer Conveyor 41 ... Empty box stopper 42 ... Cardboard box, 401 ... Product box 43 ... Box placement device, 44 ... Projection part 45 ... Notch part, 5 ... Pack supply device 51 ... Tray pack, 52 ... Separation claw 53 ... Stopper, 6 ... Sending device 61 ... Stopper 7 ... Pack transfer conveyor 8 ... pack feeding conveyor 81 ... tail pulley, 82 ... head pulley 83 ... inching feed motor 84 ... reversible clutch, 9 ... rapid delivery device 91 ... tail pulley 92 ... rapid delivery motor 93 ... sensor, 10 ... boxing lowering device 101 ... chain 102 ... Attachment 103 ... Interlocking shaft 104 ... Brake motor 105 ... Stop switch 11 ... Product feeding device 111 ... Roller, 112 ... Exit part 113 ... Stopper, 114 ... Printing device 12 ... Product conveyor, 13 ... Fruit receiving part 14 ... Sending out Conveyor 141 ... Tail pulley 142 ... Head pulley 15 ... Box packing stand

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A 61-11318 (JP, A) JP-A 50-41690 (JP, A) JP-A 61-103591 (JP, A) JP-A 60- 38075 (JP, A)

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of class-specific pull-out conveyors for receiving fruits discharged by class from the fruit-picking conveyor and carrying them out to the side of the fruit-picking conveyor, each of which is provided at the rear end of each of the pull-out conveyors. The tray pack inside the cardboard box containing the tray pack sent on the lower feed conveyor is provided with a packing section for packing fruits, and a part of these packing sections is the manual packing section and the rest is automatically packed. And a plurality of packaging material supply means for each class that supplies empty tray-packed corrugated cardboard boxes on the feed conveyor below each packing section are provided closer to the fruit selection conveyor than the packing section. In each of the subsequent stages of the feed conveyors, there is a cardboard box with a tray pack in which fruits are packed into empty packs from the packing section and sent by the feed conveyor. Packing apparatus of the fruit, characterized in that a drop device sends out the cardboard boxes are lowered after accepted in parts.