Combination scale

Abstract

A combination weigher comprises: a plurality of metering conveyors arranged in parallel and used to transport manually supplied objects to be weighed; a collecting conveyor used to transport the objects to be weighed discharged from the plurality of metering conveyors along the parallel direction of the plurality of metering conveyors; and a protective cover arranged on the outside of the starting side of the conveying direction of the metering conveyors and extending in the parallel direction, the protective cover being supported to be able to rotate freely between a closed position opposite to the starting side of the conveying direction of the metering conveyors and an open position rotated to the outside.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a combination weigher for combining and weighing objects so as to achieve a weight within a prescribed weight range and then discharging the objects. Background Art

[0002] Combination weighers can be roughly divided into automatic, semi-automatic and manual types according to the different methods of supplying and discharging the objects to the weighing part. In manual combination weighers, the supply and discharge of the objects are performed manually. In semi-automatic combination weighers, the supply of the objects is performed manually, and the discharge of the objects is performed automatically. In automatic combination weighers, the supply and discharge of the objects are performed automatically.

[0003] For objects that cannot be automatically fed to the combination weigher or are not suitable for automatic feeding, a manual or semi-automatic combination weigher is used.

[0004] As a conventional semi-automatic combination weigher, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1, the weighed objects are supplied to a plurality of weighing conveyors arranged in parallel in a horizontal row by manual operation. Combination calculation is performed based on the weight of the weighed objects supplied to the plurality of weighing conveyors, and a discharge combination of weighing conveyors within a specified weight range is selected. The weighing conveyors of the selected discharge combination are driven to discharge the weighing conveyors to a collection conveyor that transports the weighing conveyors in the parallel direction of the plurality of weighing conveyors. The weighing conveyor is configured to transport the weighed objects within a specified weight range through the collection conveyor and discharge them to a subsequent device such as a packaging machine.

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-66600

[0006] This type of semi-automatic combination weigher is provided with a protective cover to prevent an operator standing in front of a plurality of weighing conveyors arranged in parallel from accidentally getting too close to the weighing conveyors and causing a part of his body to come into contact with the vicinity of the starting end of the conveying direction of the weighing conveyors. The protective cover is arranged at the starting end side of the conveying direction of the plurality of weighing conveyors arranged in parallel and is connected to the combination weigher body by screws.

[0007] Since fragments and residues of the weighing object such as food are easily attached to and remain on the weighing conveyor or the protective cover, it is desired to be able to open the protective cover and clean it easily.

[0008] In addition, a control box having a built-in power supply unit and control substrate, etc., is provided below the collecting conveyor that transports the objects discharged from the plurality of weighing conveyors. Therefore, for example, pieces or residues of the objects that fall when the objects are transferred from the weighing conveyors to the collecting conveyor are easily accumulated on the upper surface of the control box.

[0009] The combination weigher that weighs foods is cleaned, so that the debris and residue of the weighed objects accumulated on the upper surface of the control box can be cleaned and removed. However, the cleaning water is likely to remain, which is not preferable in terms of hygiene. Summary of the invention

[0010] The present invention has been made in view of this point, and an object of the present invention is to provide a combination weigher that can be easily maintained by cleaning or the like.

[0011] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is constructed in the following manner.

[0012] (1) The combination weigher involved in the present invention comprises: a plurality of weighing conveyors arranged in parallel and used to transport manually supplied objects to be weighed; a collecting conveyor used to transport the objects to be weighed discharged from the plurality of weighing conveyors along the parallel direction of the plurality of weighing conveyors; and a protective cover arranged on the outer side of the starting end side of the conveying direction of the weighing conveyors and extending along the parallel direction, the protective cover being supported to be able to rotate freely between a closed position opposite to the starting end side of the conveying direction of the weighing conveyors and an open position rotated to the outside.

[0013] According to the combination weigher of the present invention, although the protective covers corresponding to the plurality of weighing conveyors arranged in parallel are long in the parallel direction and heavy, they can be opened and closed simply and easily by rotating operation for maintenance such as cleaning without the trouble of disassembly.

[0014] (2) In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, metering conveyor groups composed of the plurality of metering conveyors are respectively arranged on both sides of the collective conveyor in a manner of clamping the collective conveyor, and the protective covers are respectively arranged in a manner corresponding to each metering conveyor group.

[0015] According to this embodiment, by arranging the metering conveyor units on both sides of the collective conveyor, the length of the collective conveyor can be shortened, the discharge time of the weighed objects can be shortened and the combination weigher can be made compact. Furthermore, since the length of each metering conveyor unit and its corresponding protective cover can also be shortened, the protective cover becomes easier to operate.

[0016] (3) In another embodiment of the present invention, the protection cover is rotatably supported by a torque hinge.

[0017] According to this embodiment, even without operating a special locking mechanism, the protective cover can be held in the closed position and the open position by the rotation resistance of the torque hinge, and the operation becomes easy.

[0018] (4) In still another embodiment of the present invention, a control box for rotatably supporting the protection cover is disposed below the protection cover.

[0019] According to this embodiment, the control box is not arranged below the collecting conveyor as in the past, but is arranged below the outer protective cover provided on the starting side of the conveying direction of the weighing conveyor, so that the space below the collecting conveyor can be set as an open space without a control box.

[0020] Thus, for example, when the weighing conveyor is supplied with the weighing conveyor or the weighing conveyor is transferred to the collecting conveyor, the pieces or residue of the weighing conveyor or the collecting conveyor fall onto the floor surface. Thus, unlike the conventional method, the pieces or residue of the weighing conveyor or the like are not accumulated on the upper surface of the control box or the washing water remains, so it is hygienic.

[0021] (5) In another embodiment of the present invention, the upper surface of the control box is an inclined surface that is inclined downward toward the outside.

[0022] According to this embodiment, during washing, since the washing water flows down along the inclined surface of the upper surface of the control box and is discharged, the washing water does not remain on the upper surface of the control box, so it is hygienic.

[0023] (6) In still another embodiment of the present invention, a gap is formed between an outer side edge of an upper portion of the control box and the protection cover in the open position.

[0024] According to this embodiment, when the protective cover is opened for cleaning, the cleaning water flows down smoothly together with the fragments and residues of the object to be weighed through the gap between the open protective cover and the upper part of the control box and is discharged, so that the cleaning work can be performed efficiently.

[0025] (7) In another embodiment of the present invention, the protective cover is provided with indicator lights corresponding to the respective weighing conveyors.

[0026] According to this embodiment, since a plurality of indicator lamps corresponding to a plurality of weighing conveyors are collectively provided on the protective cover, wiring and waterproofing thereof are easier than in the case where indicator lamps are provided separately beside each weighing conveyor.

[0027] As described above, according to the combination weigher of the present invention, the protective covers corresponding to the plurality of weighing conveyors arranged in parallel do not require the trouble of removal, but can be opened and closed simply and easily by a rotation operation, and maintenance such as cleaning can be easily performed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 It is a perspective view of a combination weighing machine according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 2 yes Figure 1Top view of the combined weigher.

[0030] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Front view of the combination weigher.

[0031] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional view of the combination weigher with the protective cover opened.

[0032] Figure 5 This is a top view of the combination weigher with the protective cover opened.

[0033] Figure 6 This is the front view of the combination weigher with the protective cover opened.

[0034] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of the combination weigher with the weighing conveyor disassembled.

[0035] Figure 8 It is a three-dimensional diagram of a metering conveyor.

[0036] Fig. 9 It is a top view of the metering conveyor.

[0037] Fig.10 It is a side view of the metering conveyor.

[0038] Fig.11 is a top view of a conveyor frame in a metering conveyor.

[0039] Fig.12 It is the longitudinal section front view of the conveyor frame.

[0040] Fig.13 It is an exploded perspective view of the conveyor frame. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0042] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a combination weighing machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 This is its top view. Figure 3 is its main view.

[0043] The combination weigher 1 of this embodiment is a semi-automatic combination weigher in which an operator manually supplies objects to be weighed and automatically discharges objects to be weighed within a predetermined weight range. The combination weigher 1 includes: a collecting conveyor 2 composed of a belt conveyor for conveying objects to a conveying direction A, a plurality of weighing conveyors 3 composed of belt conveyors arranged in parallel on both sides of the collecting conveyor 2 so as to sandwich the collecting conveyor 2, a touch panel type operation setting display 4 for setting operation control parameters of the combination weigher 1 and displaying the operation status, and a stand 5 for supporting these.

[0044] The collecting conveyor 2 is used to transport the objects within a predetermined weight range discharged from the weighing conveyor 3, for example, to a packaging machine (not shown) at a subsequent stage. The discharged objects are bagged by the packaging machine.

[0045] The weighing conveyors 3 as weighing parts are arranged in a plurality of lines in a straight line on both sides of the collecting conveyor 2 along the conveying direction of the collecting conveyor 2. In this example, seven conveyors are arranged in two rows. That is, a weighing conveyor group consisting of a plurality of weighing conveyors 3 is arranged on both sides of the collecting conveyor 2. Each weighing conveyor 3 conveys the object to be weighed in a conveying direction B that is orthogonal to the conveying direction A of the collecting conveyor 2.

[0046] Each weighing conveyor 3 is detachably supported on a load measuring unit 6 arranged in parallel on the upper part of the frame 5. The weight of the weighing conveyor carrying the object to be weighed is detected by a weight sensor such as a load cell assembled in the load measuring unit 6, and is output to a control unit (not shown). Each weighing conveyor 3 is driven by a drive motor assembled in the load measuring unit 6.

[0047] The operator manually supplies and places the objects to be weighed on the stopped empty weighing conveyor 3. The control unit (not shown) obtains the weight value of the objects to be weighed based on the detection output of the weight sensor for detecting the weight of the weighing conveyor 3 and performs a combination operation. In the combination operation, a discharge combination is selected, which is a combination of weighing conveyors 3 whose total weight after various combinations of the weights of the objects on each weighing conveyor 3, that is, a combination weight within a specified weight range. When there are multiple discharge combinations within the specified weight range, the discharge combination with the smallest absolute value of the difference between the combination weight and the target combination weight is selected from the multiple discharge combinations. Then, the objects on the weighing conveyor 3 selected as the discharge combination are transported by the weighing conveyor 3 and discharged onto the collecting conveyor 2. The objects discharged onto the collecting conveyor 2 are transported to the packaging machine by the collecting conveyor 2 and discharged.

[0048] In the following description, for easy understanding of the structure, the parallel direction of the weighing conveyors 3 (the longitudinal direction of the collecting conveyor 2) is referred to as the left-right direction, and the longitudinal direction of the weighing conveyors 3 is referred to as the front-rear direction.

[0049] A control box 7 for accommodating a power supply unit and a control substrate is provided at the outer side and lower side of each metering conveyor unit on both sides of the collecting conveyor 2, that is, at the outer side and lower side of the conveying direction start side of each metering conveyor 3. Each control box 7 is supported by a stand 5. Since the control box 7 is provided at the outer side and lower side of each metering conveyor unit on both sides of the collecting conveyor 2, the control box is not provided at the lower side of the collecting conveyor 2, and an open space is formed.

[0050] Therefore, for example, the pieces or residue of the weighed objects falling from the weighing conveyor 3 or the collecting conveyor 2 fall on the floor surface. Thus, the pieces or residue of the weighed objects do not accumulate on the upper surface of the control box or residual washing water as in the past, so it is hygienic.

[0051] In addition, since the space below the load measuring unit 6 supporting the weighing conveyor 3 and the collecting conveyor 2 is open, the collecting conveyor 2 can be easily cleaned and maintained using a large work space.

[0052] A protective cover 8 that is long in the left and right direction and covers the control box 7 is provided on the upper part of the control box 7. Since the protective cover 8 is located between the operator who manually supplies the weighing conveyor 3 and the weighing conveyor 3, it is possible to prevent the operator from accidentally approaching and contacting the conveying start end or the driving part of the weighing conveyor 3. This can prevent the weighing conveyor 3 from making mistakes in weighing and improve safety.

[0053] Figure 4 is a three-dimensional view of the combination weigher 1 with the protective cover 8 opened. Figure 5 is a top view of the combination weigher 1 with the protective cover 8 opened. Figure 6 This is a front view of the combination weigher 1 with the protective cover 8 opened.

[0054] like Figure 5 As shown, the protective cover 8 is rotatably supported on the upper part of the control box 7 by a plurality of hinges 9. The protective cover 8 can be switched to rotate as follows Figure 1 to Figure 3 The closed position shown in the swing upwards and Figures 4 to 6 The protective cover 8 is shown in the open position in which the protective cover 8 is swung to a direction away from the central collecting conveyor 2 (direction away from the central collecting conveyor 2), that is, to the outside. In the closed position, the protective cover 8 is close to and opposite to the starting end side of the conveying direction of the weighing conveyor 3. In the open position in which the protective cover 8 is rotated to the outside, the inner surface of the protective cover 8 is exposed, and the starting end side of the conveying direction of the weighing conveyor 3 and the load measuring unit 6 are exposed.

[0055] The hinge 9 is a torque hinge that applies appropriate resistance to the rotation of the protective cover 8. The protective cover 8 using the torque hinge can be stably maintained in the closed position and the open position without requiring a special locking operation.

[0056] Furthermore, by keeping the protective cover 8 in the open position with being rotated outward, the side panels of the control box 7 can be attached and detached from the outside.

[0057] In addition, on the upper surface of the protective cover 8, a display lamp 10 is provided corresponding to each weighing conveyor 3, and an emergency stop button 11 for stopping the operation is provided. The display lamp 10 is used, for example, to inform the operator that the weighed object supplied to the weighing conveyor 3 is not within the appropriate weight range and to urge the operator to replace the weighed object. These display lamps 10 and the emergency stop button 11 are connected to the control box 7 after waterproofing.

[0058] During normal operation, the protective cover 8 is kept in a closed position, but during cleaning, the protective cover 8 is opened, and the weighing conveyor 3 is disassembled to wash away the fragments or residues of the weighed object. Figure 6 As shown in FIG. 1 , the upper surface 7a of the control box 7 is an inclined surface that is inclined downward toward the outside. Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, a gap c for drainage is formed between the outer edge of the upper portion of the control box 7 and the opened protective cover 8. Thus, the washing water flows outward along the inclined surface of the upper surface 7a of the control box 7, flows down and is discharged from the gap c with the protective cover 8, and does not remain on the upper surface 7a of the control box 7.

[0059] Next, the structure of the weighing conveyor 3 will be described.

[0060] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of the combination weigher 1 with the weighing conveyor 3 removed. Figure 8 is a perspective view of the weighing conveyor 3, Fig. 9 is a top view of the metering conveyor 3, Fig.10 It is a side view of the weighing conveyor 3. In addition, Fig.11 is a top view of the conveyor frame 21 in the metering conveyor 3, Fig.12 is a longitudinal sectional front view of the conveyor frame 21, Fig.13 It is an exploded perspective view of the conveyor frame 21.

[0061] The weighing conveyor 3 is configured by winding a wide conveyor belt 24 around a driving roller 22 axially supported on a conveyor frame 21 at a starting end in the conveying direction and a tension roller 23 axially supported on a terminal end in the conveying direction.

[0062] Connected to one end of the driving roller 22 Fig.10 and Fig.11 The driven gear 25 shown meshes with a driving gear 26 provided in the load measuring unit 6 from above. The driving gear 26 is linked to a driving motor (not shown) built into the load measuring unit 6. The driving gear 26 is provided on the upper portion of the load measuring unit 6 so as to be exposed upward.

[0063] like Fig.13As shown in the figures, the conveyor frame 21 is a structure in which a pair of opposite left and right side plates 21a and a top plate 21b are formed integrally by bending and stamping a metal plate such as stainless steel. The drive roller 22 is axially supported on the two side plates 21a at one end (rear end) of the conveyor frame 21 so as to be free to rotate. The tension roller 23 is axially supported on two bearing brackets 27 of other components respectively connected to the two side plates 21a at the other end (front end) of the conveyor frame 21 in a state in which it is free to rotate and is elastically urged to slide outward by a tension mechanism 29 assembled with a spring. In addition, a supply guide 28 is detachably mounted on the conveyor frame 21, and the supply guide 28 is used to prevent the objects to be weighed extending on both sides of the width direction of the conveyor belt 24 and the starting side of the conveying direction from protruding.

[0064] Although the detailed structure is not shown, the driving roller 22 and the tension roller 23 are rotatably supported on a support shaft inserted along the axis through a bearing. Both ends of the support shaft of the driving roller 22 are fixed to the side plate 21a of the conveyor frame 21. In addition, the support shaft of the tension roller 23 is inserted and supported on the bearing bracket 27 in a manner that it cannot rotate but can slide forward and backward.

[0065] A gear housing portion 21c for housing the driven gear 25 of the driving roller 22 is connected to one end of one side plate portion 21a of the conveyor frame 21. The gear housing portion 21c is formed so as to protrude from the outside and from above to cover the driven gear 25. The lower portion of the gear housing portion 21c is open so as to allow the lower end of the driven gear 25 to mesh with the exposed upper end of the driving gear 26.

[0066] The top plate 21b of the conveyor frame 21 slides from below and guides the inner circumference of the conveyor belt 24 on the conveying path side. The top plate 21b is bent in the middle of the left and right directions to form a groove 30 that runs across the entire length of the top plate. The groove 30 avoids contact with the inner circumference of the conveyor belt 24. Fig.11 , Fig.12 The guide ridges 24 a shown for preventing meandering from interfering with each other function as ribs for increasing the rigidity of the conveyor frame 21 as a whole.

[0067] In addition, cantilevered belt guides 27 a and 27 a extend from the bearing bracket 27 to prevent the conveyor belt 24 from being sunk between the tension roller 23 and the top plate 21 b.

[0068] A plurality of circular openings 31 are formed in a staggered pattern on the top plate 21b of the conveyor frame 21. By forming the plurality of openings 31 in this way, the contact area between the top plate 21b and the conveyor belt 24 is reduced, the sliding resistance is reduced, and the overall weight of the conveyor frame 21 is reduced.

[0069] The opening 31 is formed by pressing from the front side. Thus, the opening edge on the front side that comes into sliding contact with the conveyor belt 24 becomes an arc surface, and chamfering of the opening edge is unnecessary.

[0070] A pair of front and rear headed connecting pins 32 are provided at the lower outer surface of the left and right side plates 21a of the conveyor frame 21 for attachment and detachment to the load measuring unit 6. The connecting pins 32 are inserted and pulled out from above into the locking grooves 34 of the connecting metal fittings 33 installed and erected on the left and right outer sides of the load measuring unit 6. The conveyor frame 21 is inserted between the left and right connecting metal fittings 33, and the connecting pins 32 are inserted into the locking grooves 34 in a press-fit manner. In this way, the weighing conveyor 3 can be positioned and assembled and fixed relative to the load measuring unit 6 in the front and rear directions and in the left and right directions.

[0071] In addition, along with this assembly, the driven gear 25 of the driving roller 22 automatically meshes with the driving gear 26, thereby enabling the driving control of the weighing conveyor 3. In addition, by pulling the conveyor frame 21 upward from the connecting metal fitting 33 and removing it, the weighing conveyor 3 can be separated from the load measuring unit 6, and the linkage with the driving gear 26 can be automatically released.

[0072] In addition, a pair of front and rear headed connecting pins 35 are provided on the upper outer surface of the left and right side plates 21a in the conveyor frame 21 for attaching and detaching the supply guide 28. The connecting pins 35 are inserted and removed from below in the locking grooves 36 of the connecting edges 28a extending downward from the left and right lower ends of the supply guide 28. The left and right side plates 21a are inserted between the left and right connecting edges 28a in a sandwiched manner, and the locking grooves 36 are pressed into the connecting pins 35. In this way, the supply guide 28 can be positioned and assembled and fixed with respect to the conveyor frame 21 in the front and rear directions.

[0073] As described above, according to the present embodiment, although the protective cover 8 corresponding to the plurality of metering conveyors 3 arranged in parallel is long in the parallel direction and heavy, it does not require the trouble of disassembly, and can be simply switched between the closed position and the open position by rotating operation. Therefore, during maintenance such as cleaning, the maintenance can be performed by rotating the protective cover 8 to the open position, and when the maintenance is completed, the protective cover 8 can be rotated to the closed position, so that maintenance such as cleaning can be easily performed.

[0074] In addition, since there is no control box under the collecting conveyor 2 and the space is open, the debris and residue of the objects to be weighed fall to the floor surface and do not accumulate on the upper surface of the control box or residual washing water as in the past, so it is hygienic.

[0075] [Other embodiments]

[0076] The present invention can also be implemented in the following manner.

[0077] (1) It is also possible to implement the configuration in which the three weighing conveyors are arranged only on one side of the collecting conveyor 2 .

[0078] (2) The protective cover 8 may be supported rotatably by a simple hinge and maintained in a closed position by a self-locking mechanism. However, in this case, an unlocking operation is required when opening the protective cover 8.

[0079] (3) In the above-mentioned embodiment, by keeping the protective cover 8 in an open position with a large rotation to the outside, the side panel of the control box 7 can be loaded and unloaded from the outside. However, if the protective cover 8 can be swung further and rotated to the outside and below, the metering conveyor 3 can be maintained without being hindered by the protective cover 8.

[0080] (4) When the number of weighing conveyors 3 arranged in parallel is large and the protection area of ​​the protective cover 8 is long, the protective cover 8 may be divided into a plurality of parts in the longitudinal direction.

[0081] (5) The above embodiment is configured such that the protective cover 8 is opened and closed by rotating it up and down. However, if there is a wide working space around the combination weigher, the protective cover 8 may be opened and closed by rotating it around the longitudinal axis fulcrum at one end. In this case, since the operator does not need to support the weight of the protective cover 8, the protective cover 8 can be opened and closed easily.

[0082] Description of Reference Numerals

[0083] 1Combination weigher

[0084] 2 Collection conveyor

[0085] 3. Measuring conveyor

[0086] 6 Load measurement unit

[0087] 7. Control Box

[0088] 8 Protective cover

[0089] 9 Hinge

[0090] 10 Display lights

[0091] c Gap

Claims

1. A combination weigher, comprising: A plurality of metering conveyors are arranged in parallel and used to transport the manually supplied objects to be metered; a collecting conveyor for conveying the objects discharged from the plurality of measuring conveyors along the parallel direction of the plurality of measuring conveyors; and A protective cover is arranged outside the starting end side of the conveying direction of the metering conveyor and extends along the parallel direction. The protective cover is supported so as to be rotatable between a closed position facing the starting end side of the weighing conveyor in the conveying direction and an open position rotated outward.

2. The combination weigher according to claim 1, wherein: The measuring conveyor groups composed of the plurality of measuring conveyors are respectively provided on both sides of the collecting conveyor in a manner of sandwiching the collecting conveyor, and the protective covers are respectively provided in a manner corresponding to the respective measuring conveyor groups.

3. The combination weigher according to claim 1, wherein: The protection cover is rotatably supported by a torque hinge.

4. The combination weigher according to claim 2, wherein: The protection cover is rotatably supported by a torque hinge.

5. The combination weigher according to claim 1, wherein: A control box is disposed below the protection cover to rotatably support the protection cover.

6. The combination weigher according to claim 2, wherein: A control box is disposed below the protection cover to rotatably support the protection cover.

7. The combination weigher according to claim 3, wherein: A control box is disposed below the protection cover to rotatably support the protection cover.

8. The combination weigher according to claim 4, wherein: A control box is disposed below the protection cover to rotatably support the protection cover.

9. The combination weigher according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein: The upper surface of the control box is an inclined surface that is inclined downward toward the outside.

10. The combination weigher according to any one of claims 5 to 8, wherein: A gap is formed between an outer end edge of an upper portion of the control box and the protection cover in the open position.

11. The combination weigher according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The protective cover is provided with display lights corresponding to the respective weighing conveyors.

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