JP5819167B2 - Combination scale - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a combination weigher that weighs objects to be weighed such as confectionery and other foods and discharges the objects to be weighed to a packaging machine or the like.

  As the combination weigher, a plurality of weighing hoppers arranged in a circle are divided into two groups, a combination calculation is performed for each group, and a measured object weighed by a predetermined amount is discharged to the collecting chute for each group. It is known that the processing speed of the entire combination weigher is increased by weighing the objects to be weighed in two systems (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 60-161530 A

  In a combination weigher, if the object to be weighed is easily broken or broken like biscuits, rice crackers or stick-shaped confectionery, the weighed object is placed below via the collecting chute. In order to reduce damage when thrown into the packaging machine, a shutter that can be opened and closed is provided in the middle of the supply path from the collecting chute to the packaging machine, and the objects to be weighed are temporarily stored and then thrown into the packaging machine Is effective.

  In a combination weigher that divides multiple weighing hoppers into two groups as described above and performs combination calculation and discharges them to the collective chute for each group, the discharge port for each group is narrowed toward each center in general. If it is formed in a typical funnel shape, the outlets of each group are greatly separated from side to side. Thus, when the left and right discharge ports are largely separated from each other, the entire combination weigher becomes large, and it is necessary to separately install a shutter for opening and closing each discharge port and its driving mechanism.

  Further, when the shutter is closed, in order to securely store the object to be weighed, it is necessary to closely adhere a seal portion made of an elastic material or the like to the wall surface so as not to generate a gap through which the object to be weighed passes. During the opening and closing operation, it is necessary to prevent such a seal portion from being worn unevenly and the wear pieces from being mixed as foreign matter.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to such a situation, and in a combination weigher that divides a plurality of weighing hoppers into a plurality of groups, performs a combination operation, and discharges an object to be measured to a collective chute for each group. An object of the present invention is to reduce damage to an object to be weighed, to reduce the size and space of a combination weigher, and to reduce the wear of a shutter.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows.

(1) In the combination weigher of the present invention, a plurality of weighing hoppers arranged in a circle and weighing the weight of the objects to be weighed are divided into a plurality of groups, and the objects to be weighed are measured by the weighing hopper for each group. A combination weigher that performs a combination operation based on the measurement value of the selected item, selects a weighing hopper in which an object to be weighed in an appropriate amount is inserted, and discharges the object to be measured to the collective chute corresponding to the group,
A plurality of collective funnels for discharging the objects to be weighed from the collective chutes together for each group, and a plurality of shutters capable of moving up and down in the plurality of collective funnels; The collective funnel has a semi-circular shape or a fan-like shape in plan view, and the linear portions thereof are arranged close to each other so as to be close to each other. Facing the lower end of the collective chute, a semicircular or fan-shaped discharge port is provided on the linear portion side of each collective funnel, and each of the plurality of shutters has a plan view shape, A semicircular or fan-shaped peripheral wall portion having a diameter larger than that of the discharge port, and when in the lower position, the discharge port of the collective funnel is closed by the peripheral wall portion to cover the cover from the collective chute. Temporarily damming the amount thereof, when in the upper position, is intended to discharge the objects to be weighed which have dammed by opening the outlet.

  The plurality of collective funnels have a semicircular shape or a fan shape in plan view, but when the weighing hoppers arranged in a circle are divided into two groups, the two collective funnels have a plan view shape, The circular shape is divided into two semicircular shapes, and the linear parts are arranged close to each other so that the two collective funnels are arranged in a circular shape. For example, when divided into four groups, the four collective funnels have a fan shape with a central angle of 90 degrees by dividing the circular shape into four, and approaching the straight portions facing each other. The four assembly funnels are arranged in a circular shape. Further, each collective funnel has a semicircular or fan-shaped discharge port that is opened and closed by a shutter, the same as the planar view shape of each collective funnel.

  The circular shape, semicircular shape, and fan shape are not limited to a circular shape, a semicircular shape, and a fan shape, but include a substantially circular shape, a substantially semicircular shape, and a substantially fan shape.

  According to the above-described configuration, each of the plurality of collective funnels that receive the objects to be weighed from the collective chutes of each group and discharge downwards can have a shape that is narrowed down toward the lower central portion of the combination weigher. The shape of the collective funnel in plan view and the discharge port thereof are circular shapes that are equally divided by the number of groups.

  Therefore, according to the combination weigher of the present invention, the collective funnels having the same configuration and the shutters for opening and closing the discharge ports of the collective funnels can be arranged close to each other and face each other, and the combination calculation is performed for each group. In the combination weigher that discharges the objects to be weighed to the collecting chute, it is possible to reduce the size and space while preventing the objects to be weighed from being damaged.

  (2) In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each collective funnel has a vertical wall portion forming the linear portion in the planar view shape, and the shutter is moved along the vertical wall portion as the shutter moves upward. It is made to incline so that the space | interval with the circumferential direction edge part of the said surrounding wall part may become large.

  According to this embodiment, when the shutter is in the lower closed position, the circumferential end of the peripheral wall portion of the shutter can be brought into close contact with the vertical wall portion of the collecting funnel, and a reliable closed state can be obtained. The distance between the vertical wall portion and the circumferential end portion of the peripheral wall portion of the shutter increases as the shutter moves upward, so that the circumferential end portion of the peripheral wall portion of the shutter is the vertical wall even when the shutter is repeatedly moved up and down. It is possible to prevent wear by sliding contact with the part.

  (3) In another embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of groups are two groups, and the two collective funnels corresponding to the two groups have a semicircular shape in plan view, and the straight line The parts are arranged close to each other, the two collective funnels have a circular shape in plan view, a semicircular discharge port is provided on the straight line part side of each collective funnel, The shutter has a semicircular peripheral wall portion whose plan view shape is larger in diameter than the discharge port.

  According to this embodiment, the collective funnel having a semicircular shape in plan view and the shutter that opens and closes the semicircular discharge port of each collective funnel can be arranged close to each other to face each other, thereby damaging the object to be weighed. While preventing this, it is possible to reduce the size and space of the combination weigher.

  (4) In another embodiment of the present invention, the peripheral wall portion of each shutter is constituted by a skirt made of an elastic material.

  According to this embodiment, the object to be weighed that slides down from the collecting chute and flows into the collecting funnel is received by the skirt with little impact, and damage to the object to be weighed can be effectively suppressed. In addition, when the shutter is closed, the end of the skirt can be securely adhered to the wall surface of the collective funnel.

  (5) In still another embodiment of the present invention, a shutter drive mechanism that individually drives the shutters of each collective funnel up and down is provided above a central portion of the collective funnel, and the shutter drive mechanism is a motor. The shutter is driven up and down by rotation of the crank.

  According to this embodiment, since the discharge ports of the respective collective funnels are provided close to each other, the shutters for opening and closing the respective discharge ports are also provided close to each other, and the shutter installed above the central portion of the collective funnel. The drive mechanism is also relatively small, and the shutter can be driven up and down by a simple slider crank mechanism.

  Thus, according to the present invention, in a combination weigher that performs combination calculation for each group and discharges the objects to be weighed to the grouping chute for each group, while preventing damage to the objects to be weighed by the shutter, The outlets can be arranged close to each other for downsizing and space saving.

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal front view of a combination weigher according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view crossing the main part of the combination weigher of FIG. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal front view of the vicinity of the collective funnel of the combination weigher of FIG. 4 is a longitudinal side view of the vicinity of the collective funnel of the combination weigher of FIG. FIG. 5 is a plan view of the collective funnel of the combination weigher of FIG. FIG. 6 is a plan view of the shutter of the combination weigher of FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a longitudinal front view of a combination weigher 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 shows a schematic plan view across the main part thereof.

  This combination weigher 1 measures a predetermined amount of products to be packaged, such as confectionery and other foods, and the combination weigher 1 is placed on a raised floor frame 2 that is assembled and set up in a bowl shape. Installed. Then, an object to be weighed conveyed from a production line or the like is lifted by a bucket lifter or the like, supplied and supplied from above the center of the combination weigher 1, and an object to be weighed in an appropriate amount weighed to a predetermined amount is combined with the combination weigher. It is discharged downward from the center of 1 and is put into a packaging machine installed below the high-floor frame 2 for packaging.

  A center column 3 having a substantially cylindrical shape is provided at the center of the combination weigher 1, and the center column 3 is connected to a base 4 installed on the floor surface of the raised floor frame 2 via a plurality of legs 5. It is supported. A conical dispersion feeder 6 that disperses and conveys the objects to be weighed supplied by a bucket lifter or the like radially by vibration is mounted on the upper part of the center column 3, and is distributed and conveyed around the dispersion feeder 6. Linear feeders 7 that oscillate and transfer the objects to be weighed outward are provided radially.

  Further, below each linear feeder 7, a supply hopper 8 that temporarily stores and discharges an object to be weighed from the linear feeder 7, a weighing hopper 9 for storing and weighing the discharged object to be weighed, and Collective chutes 10 that slide and transfer the objects to be weighed discharged from the weighing hopper 9 downward toward the center of the center column 3 are respectively provided correspondingly, and are arranged in a linear feeder 7, a supply hopper 8, a weighing hopper 9, In addition, a large number (16 in this example) of measuring units including a series of collecting chutes 10 are arranged around the center column 3 in an annular shape at an equal pitch.

  Although not shown, drive units such as a vibration device for the dispersion feeder 6 and the linear feeder 7 and a gate opening / closing device for the supply hopper 8 and the weighing hopper 9 are accommodated in the center column 3, and Is provided with a weight sensor such as a load cell for measuring the weight of an object to be weighed in the hopper, and this weight sensor is also housed in the center column 3 together with the drive unit.

  A pair of left and right collective funnels 11 is arranged in the lower center of the collective chute 10 group, and a plurality of appropriate combinations that have a predetermined weight, for example, an allowable range that is equal to or close to the target combination weight. The objects to be weighed discharged from the weighing hopper 9 are temporarily dammed and stored in each collecting funnel 11, and then discharged downward and put into a lower packaging machine.

  The collective chute 10 is locked to a support rod 12 that is installed in an annular shape across the five groups of legs, and its lower end is received and supported on the upper part of the collective funnel 11, and the collective funnel 11 itself is from the outer surface of the funnel. It is connected and fixed to the base 4 via the protruding fitting 11f.

  As shown in FIG. 2, in this combination weigher 1, 16 measuring units arranged in a ring are divided into two groups on the left and right, and each group performs individual combination weighing, and two systems are used. The left and right collective funnels 11 are configured to discharge the objects to be weighed, and the left and right collective funnels 11 are respectively provided with shutters 13 that dam the objects to be weighed from the collective chute 11 and temporarily store them. Equipped to move up and down.

  Specifically, the left and right collective funnels 11 are generally circular in plan view (strictly speaking, regular polygons corresponding to the number of collective chutes 11), and each collective funnel 11 is circular in plan view. Is formed in a semicircular shape which is divided into left and right halves. The left and right collective funnels 11 formed in a semicircular shape in plan view have a structure in which the linear portions corresponding to the diameter of the semicircular shape are arranged on the left and right sides so as to face each other.

  FIG. 3 is a longitudinal front view of the periphery of the assembly funnel 11, and FIG. 4 is a longitudinal side view of the periphery of the assembly funnel 11.

  As shown in FIG. 2, each collective funnel 11 is formed in a constricted funnel shape having an upper end opened in a semicircular shape in plan view, and a semicircular shape concentrically with the upper end opening of the collective funnel 11 at a lower portion thereof. The discharge port 11a is formed. Furthermore, each collective funnel 11 is provided with a cylindrical discharge cylinder 11c that is biased toward the straight portion side below the discharge opening, and the discharge opening 11a and the upper end of the discharge cylinder 11c are connected via a small funnel portion 11b. ing.

  In addition, a vertical wall portion 14 formed in a semicircular shape concentric with the collective funnel 11 in plan view is connected to the upper portion of each collective funnel 11 via radial stays 15. The shutter 13 is mounted so as to be movable up and down along with the shutter drive mechanism 16 that opens and closes the shutter 13 and is mounted at the center of the lower surface of the center column 3.

  The shutter 13 is disposed along a shutter base material 17 having a semi-cylindrical peripheral wall portion 17a fitted into the vertical wall portion 14 and an upper wall portion 7b connected to the upper end thereof, and along an inner surface of the peripheral wall portion 17a. The skirt 18 is made of an elastic resin that extends downward, and a comb-like pad plate 19 that supports the skirt 18 from the inner surface side. The skirt 18 is interposed between the peripheral wall portion 17 a and the pad plate 19. By being sandwiched and connected, the skirt 18 is held in a semi-cylindrical shape slightly larger in diameter than the discharge port 11a.

  As shown in FIG. 6, a planar G-shaped support connected and fixed to the upper wall portion 17 b of the shutter base material 17 through three longitudinal stays 20 inside the shutter base material 17. A pair of front and rear guide shafts 23 suspended from the shutter drive mechanism 16 are inserted into slide bushes 22 provided at two positions on the front and rear sides of the support plate 21, and the entire shutter 13 extends along the guide shaft 23. It is supported so that it can slide up and down in parallel. Note that the lower ends of the guide shafts 23 are connected to each other by the lower support 24 so that both guide shafts 23 are held in parallel.

  The shutter drive mechanism 16 has a base plate 25 connected to the lower surface of the center column 3, a lower support plate 26 to which the upper end of the guide shaft 23 is connected and supported, and connects the base plate 25 and the lower support plate 26. A pair of front and rear connecting plates 27 are provided.

  A stepping motor 28 is attached to each connecting plate 27 in the front-rear direction, and a tip end portion of a crank arm 29 connected to each motor shaft 28a and a bracket 30 provided on the upper surface of the support plate 21 in each shutter 15 are driven rods. The shutter 15 is vertically driven by the crank movement of the drive rod 31 accompanying the rotation of the motor shaft 28a.

The motor shaft 28a is attached with a disc 32 having slits formed in the outer peripheral portion thereof, and a transmission type optical sensor 33 acting on the outer peripheral portion of the disc 32 is attached to the connecting plate 27 so as to be circular. rotation of the plate 32 is adapted to be detected optically, by controlling the stepping spider over data 28 based on the detection information, and is configured to perform the vertical position control of the shutter 15.

  Further, the vertical wall portion 11d that forms a straight portion in the plan view of the collective funnel 11 is slightly inclined upward and outward, and the circumferential end of the skirt 18 is also inclined outward and upward at the same angle. When 13 is in the closed position, the circumferential end of the skirt 18 is in contact with the vertical wall 11d of the collecting funnel 11, and the circumferential end of the vertical wall 11d and the skirt 18 as the shutter 13 moves upward. The interval between and increases. This prevents the circumferential end of the skirt 18 from being slidably contacted with the vertical wall portion 11d due to repeated vertical movement of the shutter 13.

  Further, the tongue 11e extends upward and outward from the front and rear end portions of the vertical wall portion 11d in the collective funnel 11, and when the shutter 13 moves downward from the upper limit position, the circumferential end portion of the skirt 18 By guiding the lower end corner portion with the tongue piece 11e, the skirt 18 is prevented from being caught and damaged by the upper end edge of the vertical wall portion 11d in the collective funnel 11.

  The combination weigher 1 according to the present invention is configured as described above, and the shutter 13 is moved downward, and the lower end of the skirt 18 contacts the inner surface of the collective funnel 11 slightly outside the discharge port 11a. Is closed, and a groove-shaped space s having a semicircular shape in a plan view and a V-shaped cross section is formed between the collecting funnel 11 and the skirt 18, and the object to be measured is accommodated and stored in the groove-shaped space s. Accordingly, the objects to be weighed that have been sent from the plurality of weighing hoppers 9 selected by the combination operation and have slipped down the collecting chute 10 flow into the collecting funnel 11 and are received by the skirt 18 with little impact, and are formed around the shutter 13. The grooved spaces s are stored in different positions.

  In this way, the receiving impact when the objects to be weighed flow into the collecting funnel 11 is mitigated by the skirt 18, and the objects to be weighed from the plurality of collecting chutes 10 are not concentrated in one place. By dispersing and receiving and storing in a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction, it is possible to reduce the chance of collision between the objects to be measured and effectively suppress the damage of the objects to be weighed.

  In addition, the collective funnel 11 having the same configuration and the shutter 13 that opens and closes the discharge port 11a can be disposed close to each other in the central portion below the combination weigher, so that the combination weigher can be reduced in size and space. Can be planned.

  When the shutter 13 is moved upward and the discharge port 11a is opened, the objects to be weighed that are dispersed and stored in the groove-like space s slide down the funnel portion 11b and are collected in the discharge cylinder 11c and discharged downward. However, in this case, since the sliding length at the funnel portion 11b is short and the momentum of sliding is still small, damage is caused by the objects to be weighed together and colliding with each other in the discharge cylinder 11b. It does not occur.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention can also be implemented in the following forms.

  (1) In the above embodiment, a case is shown in which a pair of left and right collective funnels 11 whose planar shape is formed in a substantially semicircular shape are arranged close to each other to perform two systems of calculation measurement. It is also possible to introduce three or several collective funnels 11 having a fan-like shape in plan view and to supply an object to be measured to these collective funnels 11 in three or several systems.

  (2) In the shutter 13 of the embodiment, the skirt 18 made of elastic resin is attached along the semi-cylindrical peripheral wall portion 17 a of the shutter base 17, and the object to be weighed slid down from the collective chute 10 with the skirt 18. Although the object to be weighed that is easily damaged can be suitably temporarily stored as an object that receives less impact, when the object to be weighed is relatively difficult to damage, the semi-cylindrical peripheral wall portion of the shutter base 17 is used. It can also be implemented as a structure in which 17a is extended greatly downward and an elastic seal member is attached to the lower end thereof.

  (3) As a means for moving the shutter 13 up and down, a link mechanism such as a pantograph or a parallel quadruple link can be used.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Combination scale 3 Center column 6 Dispersion feeder 7 Linear feeder 8 Supply hopper 9 Weighing hopper 10 Collecting chute 11 Collecting funnel 11a Discharge port 11d Vertical wall part 13 Shutter 16 Shutter drive mechanism 17 Shutter base material 17a Peripheral wall part 18 Skirt s Groove space

Claims (5)

Dividing a plurality of weighing hoppers arranged in a circle and weighing the weight of the objects to be weighed into a plurality of groups, for each group, a combination calculation is performed based on the measured values of the objects to be weighed by the weighing hopper. A combination weigher that selects a weighing hopper in which an object to be weighed in an appropriate amount is placed and discharges the objects to be collected to the collective chute corresponding to the group,
A plurality of collective funnels for discharging the objects to be weighed from the collective chutes together for each group, and
A plurality of shutters movable up and down in each of the plurality of collective funnels;
Each of the plurality of collective funnels has a semicircular shape or a fan shape in plan view, and is arranged close to each other so that the linear portions thereof are opposed to each other, so that the shape of the plurality of collective funnels is circular in shape. In addition, facing the lower end of the collective chute on the circumferential side of each collective funnel, a semicircular or fan-shaped discharge port is provided on the linear portion side of each collective funnel,
Each of the plurality of shutters has a semicircular or fan-shaped peripheral wall portion having a larger diameter than the discharge port in a plan view, and when the shutter is in a lower position, the discharge port of the collective funnel is formed by the peripheral wall portion. To close the object to be weighed from the collective chute temporarily, and when in the upper position, open the discharge port to discharge the object to be weighed.
A combination weigher characterized by that. Each collective funnel has a vertical wall portion that forms the linear portion in the plan view shape, and the vertical wall portion is connected to a circumferential end portion of the peripheral wall portion of the shutter as the shutter moves upward. Inclined so that the interval is large,
The combination weigher according to claim 1. The plurality of groups are two groups;
The two collective funnels corresponding to the two groups have a semicircular shape in plan view, and are arranged close to each other so that the straight portions thereof are opposed to each other, so that the shape in plan view is the whole of the two collective funnels. And a semicircular discharge port is provided on the straight part side of each collective funnel,
Each of the plurality of shutters has a semicircular peripheral wall portion whose plan view shape is larger in diameter than the discharge port.
The combination weigher according to claim 1 or 2. The peripheral wall portion of each shutter is composed of a skirt made of an elastic material,
The combination weigher according to any one of claims 1 to 3. Above the central portion of the collective funnel, a shutter drive mechanism that individually drives the shutter of each collective funnel up and down,
The shutter drive mechanism drives the shutter up and down by rotation of a crank by a motor.
The combination weigher according to claim 1.

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