Sorting device and article inspection device

Abstract

A sorting device is provided with: a detection sensor (17) for detecting an article (W); a pressurization point setting means (49) for setting a necessary pressurization point (Ep) for the compressed air-based article (W) for each type using a transport time (Lt / V) corresponding to the transport speed (V) and the distance (Lt) from the tip of the article (W); a management timer (53) that manages a sorting delay time (Td) that is set using a delay time (Tx) from a detection time (t12) at which the rear end of the article (W) is detected by the detection sensor (17) to a point (Ep) at which pressure must be applied entering the discharge biasing section (Za); and a sorting command means (55) for inputting a sorting command signal for a predetermined command time (Tw ') to the sorting unit (30) from the timeout time (t13) of the management timer (53).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sorting device and an article inspection device, and more particularly to a sorting device such as a jetting method for discharging an article in a short time, and an article inspection device in which the sorting device is disposed on the downstream side of an inspection unit that performs a predetermined article inspection as a sorting unit. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, on a high-production-line with a small article conveyance pitch, as a sorting device for discharging defective products or the like that are not suitable for post-stage article processing in a short time, a sorting device using a jetting method is commonly used.

[0003] In addition, an article inspection device in which a sorting unit using a jetting method that performs a sorting operation based on the inspection result is disposed on the downstream side of an inspection unit that performs article inspection is also commonly used.

[0004] As such a conventional sorting device and article inspection device, for example, an article discharging device is known, which includes: an air jetting device that jets air at a presumed center-of-gravity position of an article to discharge the article from a conveyor on a production line; a conveyance state detection device that detects the conveyance state of the article by a light projector / receiver; and a control unit that controls the air jetting device. When the control unit detects that the degree of inclination of the article with respect to the conveyance direction is greater than a certain level based on a change in the shielding time of the light projector / receiver, the control unit discharges the article that is not suitable for post-stage packing processing from the conveyor on the production line by jetting air from the air jetting device, and when performing this discharge, calculates the time until the presumed center-of-gravity position of the front-end article reaches the front of the air nozzle based on the inclination of the article with respect to the conveyance direction (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-179969

[0006] However, in the above-described conventional sorting device and article inspection device, in order to reliably discharge the article to be discharged while suppressing the inclination or displacement of the front and rear articles with respect to the conveyance direction, a timing for jetting air at the presumed center-of-gravity position of the article to be discharged is set.

[0007] Therefore, the time for jetting air is limited to a short time. In order to prevent the jetting of air from deviating from the presumed center-of-gravity position, not only fine setting using a setting screen is required, but also there is a problem that the discharge direction of the article to be discharged easily becomes unstable.

[0008] In contrast, it is also possible to consider using a discharge mechanism unit that pushes out the object to be excluded in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction. However, since the push plate needs to reciprocate between the pulled-in standby position and the pushed-out completion position, on a production line with a small article conveying pitch, the article conveying speed is restricted to a relatively low speed, resulting in a problem of reduced productivity.

[0009] In addition, it is also possible to consider increasing the width of the air nozzle. However, on a production line with a small article conveying pitch, adverse effects on the conveying postures of the front and rear articles or on the previous weight measurement unit become problems. Summary of the Invention

[0010] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a sorting device and an article inspection device that can easily and accurately set the injection timing of air that applies a force to the conveyed article to be sorted from the side toward the exclusion direction without reducing productivity and can perform a stable article exclusion operation.

[0011] To achieve the above object, a sorting device according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a conveying unit including a sorting conveying path for conveying an article, and a discharge mechanism unit that responds to an input of a sorting command signal and discharges the article that has entered a specific discharge force application section in the sorting conveying path to the outside of the sorting conveying path by compressed air. The sorting device is characterized by having: a sorting article detection sensor disposed on the entrance side of the sorting conveying path and detecting the article; a pressurization point setting member that sets, for each type of the article, a required pressurization point of the article when a discharge force toward the outside of the sorting conveying path based on the compressed air is applied from the discharge mechanism unit, using a conveying time corresponding to a distance from any end in the conveying direction of the article and a conveying speed; a delay time management member that manages a sorting delay time set using a delay time from a detection time when the article is detected by the sorting article detection sensor at any end in the conveying direction of the article until the required pressurization point of the article enters the discharge force application section; and a sorting command member that inputs a sorting command signal of a specified command time to the discharge mechanism unit from the timeout time of the delay time management member.

[0012] According to this structure, the mandatory pressurization points of the article are preset in association with the information of its type as the conveyance time corresponding to the distance in the conveyance direction from either end in the conveyance direction of the article and the conveyance speed. Further, if the sorting delay time is set based on the delay time from the detection time when the article to be discharged is detected by the sorting article detection sensor at either end of the article to the time when the mandatory pressurization point of the article enters the discharge force application section, the delay time management member becomes overtime (i.e., the time has elapsed), and the sorting instruction member inputs a sorting instruction signal for a specified instruction time to the discharge mechanism section from that moment. Therefore, in cases where the center of gravity position of the article to be excluded is biased in a specific direction with respect to the center of the conveyance direction length based on the detection information of the sorting article detection sensor, or where the center of pressure position based on the discharge force (wind pressure load) of the jet compressed air is biased in a specific direction from the center of the conveyance direction length, etc., by setting the mandatory pressurization point that can determine the direction of the bias and the adjustment amount of the minimum timing, it is possible to easily and accurately set the jet timing of the air that applies force to the conveyance article to be sorted from the side to the exclusion direction without reducing the productivity, and a sorting device capable of performing a stable article exclusion operation can be achieved.

[0013] In addition, the minimum adjustment amount mentioned here can also be set as the minimum adjustment time suitable for the stepwise adjustment of the jet timing of the compressed air. In this case, in the case where a significant shift in the center of gravity occurs depending on the type of the article, only by determining its direction, the minimum adjustment amount can be set. Of course, it can also be set as the mandatory pressurization point that is several times the minimum adjustment time or the optimal calculated value of the mandatory pressurization point based on the center of gravity of the net article in a container such as a packing box. Further, in the appearance of the article, in a case where the center of pressure point of the wind pressure from the side deviates from the center of the conveyance direction length based on the detection information of the sorting article detection sensor, the mandatory pressurization point can also be set on the center of pressure side of the wind pressure, and the discharge force can be stably ensured by receiving the effective wind pressure.

[0014] The sorting device according to the second aspect of the present invention is the sorting device according to the first aspect, characterized in that either end in the conveying direction of the article is the rear end in the conveying direction of the article, the delay time management member manages the sorting delay time set using the delay time from the detection time when the sorting article detection sensor detects the article from the rear end in the conveying direction of the article to the time when the article enters the discharge force application section in the sorting conveying path at the required pressurization point, and the sorting instruction member controls the instruction time of the sorting instruction signal according to the time equivalent to the article length from the first detection time when the sorting article detection sensor detects the article from the front end in the conveying direction of the article to the second detection time when the sorting article detection sensor detects the article from the rear end in the conveying direction of the article. In this case, the instruction time of the sorting instruction signal can be accurately controlled according to the article size.

[0015] The sorting device according to the third aspect of the present invention is the sorting device according to the first or second aspect, characterized in that the article is an article in which a shaped net article heavier than the container is accommodated in a shaped packaging box or other container, and the center of gravity of the net article deviates from the central position in the conveying direction of the article, and the pressurization point setting member sets the required pressurization point of the article at a position closer to the center of gravity position of the net article in the article length than the center of the article length in the conveying direction.

[0016] If such a structure is adopted, the pressurization point setting member determines the direction in which the center of gravity of the net article deviates from the apparent center of gravity of the article based on the detection information of the sorting article detection sensor as the position information of the required pressurization point. Therefore, at least for the injection timing of the compressed air on the apparent center of gravity of the article, the direction for adjusting the timing is determined, so that the injection timing of the air applying force to the conveyed article to be sorted from the side to the discharge direction can be easily and accurately set.

[0017] The sorting device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention is the sorting device according to the first or second aspect, characterized in that the centroid position of the projection pattern of the article observed from the discharge force application direction of the compressed air from the discharge mechanism section deviates from the central position in the conveying direction of the article, and the pressurization point setting member sets the required pressurization point of the article at a position closer to the centroid position of the projection surface shape observed from the discharge force application direction than the center of the article length in the conveying direction.

[0018] If it is set to this structure, when the position of the center point of pressure, which becomes the wind pressure, i.e., the centroid position of the projected figure of the article as observed from the discharge force application direction, deviates from the apparent center of gravity of the article based on the detection information of the sorting article detection sensor, the pressure application point setting member can determine the direction of deviation of the centroid position based on the position information of the required pressure application point. Therefore, at least for the injection timing of compressed air to the apparent center of gravity of the article, the direction of the timing to be adjusted is determined, so that the injection timing of the air applying force to the conveyed article to be sorted from the side to the discharge direction can be set easily and accurately. In addition, the case where the centroid position of the projected figure as observed from the discharge force application direction deviates from the apparent center of gravity means, typically, for example, the case where one end portion on the lower surface side when conveying the article protrudes with a hole in a manner having a hook or handle function.

[0019] In the sorting device according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, in the sorting device according to the first aspect or the second aspect, it is characterized in that the delay time management member has an encoder that detects the rotational angle displacement of the conveyance drive motor that drives the conveyance unit in a prescribed angular unit and outputs detection pulses for each of the prescribed angles, and a counting circuit that counts the output pulses of the encoder and inputs the detection signal of the sorting article detection sensor, and grasps the sorting delay time based on the count value of the output pulses of the encoder after the detection time when any one end in the conveyance direction of the article is detected by the sorting article detection sensor.

[0020] In this way, it is also possible to detect from the article detection time based on the sorting article detection sensor according to the output pulses of the encoder that detects the rotational angle displacement of the conveyance drive motor, and it is possible to calculate the sorting delay time as the corresponding article conveyance distance / conveyance speed based on the encoder output, and the sorting delay time can be managed based on the conveyance distance reference.

[0021] The article inspection apparatus according to the sixth aspect of the present invention includes a conveying unit configured to convey an article along a predetermined conveying path, an inspection unit configured to inspect a predetermined quality state of the article being conveyed within a predetermined inspection section in the conveying path, an ejection mechanism unit configured to eject, in response to an input of a sorting command signal, the article that has been inspected within a predetermined sorting section in the conveying path to the outside of the conveying path by a jetting method, and a control unit having an inspection control unit configured to control the inspection unit and a sorting control unit configured to control the ejection mechanism unit. The article inspection apparatus is characterized in that the ejection mechanism unit includes: a sorting article detection sensor disposed on the entrance side of the predetermined sorting section; a pressurization point setting member configured to set, for each type of the article, a required pressurization point of the article at which an ejection force based on compressed air is applied to the outside of the conveying path from the ejection mechanism unit, based on a conveying time corresponding to a distance from either end in the conveying direction of the article and a conveying speed; a delay time management member configured to manage a sorting delay time set using a delay time from a detection time when the sorting article detection sensor detects either end in the conveying direction of the article to a time when the required pressurization point of the article enters an ejection force application section; and a sorting command member configured to input a sorting command signal having a predetermined command time to the ejection mechanism unit from a time when the delay time management member times out, based on the inspection result in the inspection unit.

[0022] According to this configuration, a required pressurization point of the article is preset in association with information on its type as a conveying time corresponding to a distance in the conveying direction from either end in the conveying direction of the article and a conveying speed. Further, when the sorting delay time set using the delay time from the detection time when either end of the article to be ejected is detected by the sorting article detection sensor to the time when the required pressurization point of the article enters the ejection force application section elapses, the delay time management member times out, and the sorting command member inputs a sorting command signal having a predetermined command time to the ejection mechanism unit from that time. Therefore, in a case where the center of gravity position of the article to be excluded is biased in a specific direction with respect to the center of the conveying direction length based on the detection information of the sorting article detection sensor, or in a case where the center of the pressure receiving position based on the ejection force (wind pressure load) of the jetting compressed air is biased in a specific direction from the center of the conveying direction length, etc., by setting the required pressurization point that can determine the direction of the bias and the adjustment amount of the minimum timing, it is possible to easily and accurately set the jetting timing of the air that applies a force to the conveyed article to be sorted from the side toward the exclusion direction, and an article inspection apparatus capable of performing a stable article exclusion operation is achieved.

[0023] A seventh aspect of the article inspection device of the present invention is characterized in that, in the article inspection device of the sixth aspect, the either end in the conveying direction of the article is the rear end of the article in the conveying direction, the delay time management component manages a sorting delay time set using the delay time from the moment the rear end of the article in the conveying direction is detected by the sorting article detection sensor to the moment the required pressure application point of the article enters the discharge force application zone in the conveying path, and the sorting command component controls the command time of the sorting command signal based on the time equivalent to the article length from the first detection moment when the front end of the article in the conveying direction is detected by the sorting article detection sensor to the second detection moment when the rear end of the article in the conveying direction is detected by the sorting article detection sensor. In this case, the command time of the sorting command signal can be accurately controlled according to the size of the article.

[0024] Effects of the Invention

[0025] According to the present invention, a sorting device and an article inspection device can be provided that can easily and accurately set the injection timing of air for applying force to the conveyed articles to be sorted from the side in the rejection direction without reducing productivity, and can perform stable article rejection operations. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] Figure 1 This is an explanatory diagram of sorting control timing, showing corresponding control signal waveforms, together with a schematic configuration diagram of an article inspection device including a sorting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic configuration diagram of an article inspection device of a weight sorting type including an air-jet type sorting device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a plan view of the main structure of an article inspection device including a sorting device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic block diagram of a control unit of an article inspection device of a weight-sorting type including a sorting device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 5 This is a timing chart showing changes in signals of various components of a control unit of an article inspection device including a sorting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 6It is an explanatory diagram of a setting example that emphasizes the center of gravity of the necessary pressing points of a variety of articles to be inspected in an article inspection device equipped with the sorting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 7 It is an explanatory diagram of a setting example that emphasizes the center of wind pressure reception of the necessary pressing points of a variety of articles to be inspected in an article inspection device equipped with the sorting device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 8 It is an explanatory diagram of a modified mode that manages the sorting delay time based on the conveying distance reference in an article inspection device equipped with the sorting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed implementation mode

[0034] Hereinafter, modes for implementing the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0035] Figures 1 to 7 An article inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0036] First, the structure will be described.

[0037] As Figures 1 to 4 shown, the article inspection device 1 of the present embodiment is a device of a weight sorting method, and includes: a conveying unit 10 that conveys an article W on a predetermined conveying path; an inspection unit 20 that inspects a predetermined quality state of the article W in a predetermined inspection section Z1 in the conveying path, for example, inspects the propriety of the net content by weight measurement; a sorting unit 30 that operates according to an input of a sorting command signal and sorts the inspected article W inspected by the inspection unit 20 according to the inspection result; and a control unit 40 that controls the conveying unit, the inspection unit, and the sorting unit.

[0038] The conveying unit 10 is composed of a plurality of conveyor units 11, 12, 13, 14 arranged in a row in the Figure 1 left - right direction and their conveying drive members. Although the detailed content is not shown, these conveyor units 11 to 14 respectively support a plurality of annular conveyor belts in a conveyable and drivable manner by a plurality of driving - side and driven - side rollers parallel to each other, and thus can convey the article W in the Figure 1 right direction in sequence. And the conveying drive members of the plurality of conveyor units 11, 12, 13, 14 are composed of a conveying drive motor or an encoder for speed detection thereof, and are controlled by the control unit 40 to be a conveying speed set for each type of the article W.

[0039] The inspection unit 20 has a weighing table 21 that supports the conveyor unit 12 and a weighing unit 22 that measures the load applied from the weighing table 21 by an electromagnetic balance scale or a load cell scale, and is capable of outputting a measurement signal corresponding to the weight of the article W to the control unit 40 side. Additionally, here, the weighing table 21 and the weighing unit 22 are schematically illustrated, but their configurations, quantities, metering conditions, etc. are not particularly limited. And here, the inspection unit 20 is set to be able to measure the weight of the article W, but of course, it can also be an inspection unit for other article inspection methods.

[0040] As Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, the sorting unit 30 has: air nozzles 31A, 31B, which are arranged on one side in the width direction of the conveying path of the conveyor unit 13 so as to be substantially in the same direction and have a prescribed nozzle interval Lnp in the conveying direction; an air supply control mechanism unit 35 that selectively supplies compressed air to the two air nozzles 31A, 31B; and chutes 36A, 36B that collect a plurality of discharged and dropped objects corresponding to the air nozzles 31A, 31B.

[0041] Each of the air nozzles 31A, 31B is, for example, a flat nozzle having one or more blowout ports, but it can also be a nozzle in which a plurality of small-diameter spray holes or slits are arranged in a row at a prescribed interval in the conveying direction, or a nozzle in which a plurality of spray holes or slits are arranged in multiple rows at their respective arrangement intervals in the conveying direction and the height direction.

[0042] In addition, the air nozzles 31A, 31B can also be arranged on both sides in the width direction of the conveying path of the conveyor unit 13 so that the jet directions of the compressed air from their respective blowout ports cross each other. And, for example, when the jet angle is greater than 0 degrees (straight line) and less than 30 degrees, each of the air nozzles 31A, 31B can be arranged so that the central axis of each of the air nozzles 31A, 31B is inclined toward the downstream side in the conveying direction at an inclination angle of about 1 / 2 or less of the jet angle.

[0043] The air supply control mechanism unit 35 is configured to include: a first and a second electromagnetic valve 32A, 32B, which are connected to the first and the second air nozzles 31A, 31B; an air tank 33, which is communicated with the corresponding air nozzle 31A and / or 31B via the electromagnetic valve 32A and / or 32B that is opened when any one or both of these electromagnetic valves 32A, 32B are opened; and a filter regulator 34 that filters the air (compressed air) from the air source 91 into a prescribed quality and controls it to a set pressure.

[0044] The sorting unit 30 serves as a discharge mechanism unit that, in response to the input of a sorting command signal from the sorting control unit 42, discharges an article W that has entered a specific discharge application range Za and / or Zb on the conveyor unit 13 forming the sorting range Z2 (sorting conveyance path) to the outside of the sorting conveyance path by compressed air ejected from the corresponding air nozzles 31A and / or 31B via the solenoid valves 32A and / or 32B that are open.

[0045] Near the upstream end of the conveyor unit 12, which is the entrance side of the specified inspection range Z1 of the inspection unit 20, an inspection article detection sensor 15 for detecting the article W being carried onto the conveyor unit 12 is provided. Near the upstream end of the conveyor unit 13 of the sorting unit 30, which is on the downstream side of the specified inspection range Z1, that is, Figure 3 on the entrance side of the sorting range Z2 in, a sorting article detection sensor 17 for detecting the article W that can be sorted and carried onto the conveyor unit 13 is provided. These inspection article detection sensor 15 and sorting article detection sensor 17 are each constituted by, for example, a light projector / receiver type photoelectric sensor in which a light receiving element receives light emitted from a light emitting element, and when the article W blocks between the light projector and the light receiver, the article is detected. In addition, the two article detection sensors 15 and 17 are not limited to optical sensors. For example, they can also be sensors that detect the timing of the article W reaching a specified position based on a camera image including an index of a reference position and an image of the article and the conveyance speed.

[0046] As Figure 2 and Figure 4 shown, the control unit 40 is configured to include an inspection control unit 41, a sorting control unit 42, and a display operation unit 43. The measurement signal output from the weighing unit 22 is input to the inspection control unit 41 to perform specified measurement and inspection processing. And the input operation or result confirmation by the staff is performed through the display operation unit 43.

[0047] The control unit 40 has a computer structure including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and an I / O interface, and includes, for example, a programmable controller that provides input / output signals to various driving drivers. Of course, the hardware structure of the control unit 40 is not limited to a specific manner, and the software including a plurality of control programs or control parameters, etc., that perform the functions required for the inspection and sorting of the article W is also not limited to a specific manner.

[0048] As Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, the specified measurement and inspection process in the inspection control unit 41 is as follows. For example, it determines whether the measured weight of the article W based on the measurement signal from the weighing unit 22 is within the allowable range, whether it deviates to the upper side beyond the allowable range, or whether it deviates to the lower side below the allowable range. When the specified inspection time Tp (measurement time) has elapsed since the carry-in detection time t0 based on the inspection article detection sensor 15, it outputs an OK signal, an NG1 signal, or an NG2 signal. The inspection control unit 41 has a plurality of measurement and inspection process programs for performing this processing function.

[0049] And, the sorting control unit 42 performs the following sorting control: If it has passed the conveyance time Tw equivalent to the article length from the time t11 when the front end Eh of the article W is detected due to the sorting article detection sensor 17 being blocked by the article W to be sorted (hereinafter, also referred to as the first detection time) to the time t12 when the blocking state of the sorting article detection sensor 17 is released and the rear end Et of the article W is detected (hereinafter, also referred to as the second detection time) (refer to Figure 1 ), then from the time t12, the timer measures the specified sorting delay time Tx. At the timeout time t13 when this sorting delay time Tx has elapsed, it reads the determination result from the inspection control unit 41, namely the NG1, OK, or NG2 signal, and outputs the sorting instruction RJ1 or RJ2 corresponding to this determination result as the discharge instruction signal, or does not output the NG1 signal or the NG2 signal corresponding to the OK signal, and sets it as the OFF instruction signal for allowing qualified passage to the subsequent conveyor unit 14 side.

[0050] In addition, in Figure 1 and other figures, the conveyance speed in the run-up section is shown as V, the conveyance speed in the inspection section is shown as V1, and the conveyance speed in the sorting section is shown as V2. However, these speeds V, V1, V2 indicate that they are equal to each other or the conveyance speed on the downstream side is set to be equal to or higher than the conveyance speed on the upstream side (V = V1 or V ≤ V1, V1 = V2 or V1 ≤ V2). And, in Figure 5 , the conveyance time equivalent to the article length Lw at the conveyance speed V1 in the inspection unit 20 is represented by Tw1 (= Lw / V1), and the conveyance time equivalent to the article length Lw at the conveyance speed V2 in the sorting unit 30 is represented by Tw2 (= Lw / V2). Hereinafter, unless specifically specified as the speeds V1, V2, it refers to the conveyance speed V2 in the sorting section and is simply referred to as the conveyance speed V. And, unless specifically specified as the conveyance time Tw1, it refers to the latter conveyance time Tw2 and is simply referred to as the conveyance time Tw.

[0051] Specifically, as Figure 4As shown, the inspection control unit 41 is configured to include, for example, a sampling circuit 44, a weight calculation component 45, a determination component 46, a determination result memory 47, a measurement time management timer 48, and a type registration memory 49. The sorting control unit 42 is configured to include, for example, a delay time management timer 53 (delay time management component) and a sorting instruction output unit 55.

[0052] Here, the sampling circuit 44 is a circuit that closes the switch 44a at a prescribed measurement timing in response to the article detection signal d1 when receiving the detection signal d1 of the article to be inspected from the inspection article detection sensor 15. Its measurement timing is set according to the time from when the article W starts to be carried onto the conveyor unit 12 until the measurement signal stabilizes, that is, the stabilization waiting time ts (refer to Figure 5 ).

[0053] After the stabilization waiting time ts, the measurement signal is input to the weight calculation component 45 via the switch 44a, and the weight calculation component 45 calculates the weight value of the carried-in article W through average operation or the like.

[0054] The weight calculated by the weight calculation component 45 is input to the determination component 46 as the measured weight. In the determination component 46, it is compared with the preset allowable weight range, and a determination signal corresponding to the determination result is output. In addition, the determination component 46 may also be input with a pre-stage inspection signal from the pre-stage inspection machine and output a comprehensive determination result.

[0055] When the determination signal output from the determination component 46 includes, for example, the pre-stage inspection signal and is output, for example, as Figure 5 shown, it can be set as a 4-bit determination signal. If the pre-stage inspection signal is OK, for example, the first bit is "0", and it can be known from which position among the remaining 3 bits the "1" exists the determination result for the weight.

[0056] For example, this 4-bit determination signal becomes the following signal: When there is a "1" in the second bit, a single article exclusion action is requested to eject compressed air from one of the air nozzles 31A and 31B of the sorting unit 30 for a prescribed operation time. When there is a "1" in the third bit, another article exclusion action is requested to eject compressed air from the other of the air nozzles 31A and 31B for a prescribed operation time. When there is a "1" in the fourth bit, it is requested to be held on the non-exclusion side (qualified side) where no compressed air is ejected from both the air nozzles 31A and 31B or to return to the non-exclusion side.

[0057] In addition, when there is a "1" in the first bit, although in Figure 5Although not shown in the figure, as an NG determination based on an abnormality or failure occurring upstream of the inspection unit 20, an article removal operation of ejecting compressed air from one or both of the air nozzles 31A and 31B can be requested.

[0058] The determination signals output from the determination unit 46 are sequentially stored in the determination result memory 47. The determination result memory 47 is constituted by, for example, a FIFO (First-In First-Out) memory, in which a pointer to a write address is updated according to a bit signal of "1" that is always included in the determination signal, and a plurality of determination signals are sequentially stored in the order of determination.

[0059] The measurement time management timer 48 is a delay timer that constitutes a delay component for outputting the judgment result together with the judgment result memory 47, and has a timer function that delays the timing of outputting the judgment signal from the judgment component 46 by a specified inspection time Tp from the time t0 of the inspection article detection sensor 15 at which the article W is moved in.

[0060] The predetermined inspection time Tp set in the measurement time management timer 48 is determined based on, for example, the conveying speed V of the article W and the length L of the inspection unit 20 (see FIG. Figure 2 ) is based on the inspection section passage time (L / V) of the center of gravity of the article W calculated by the inspection section, and the time range from the moment when the article W is detected by the inspection article detection sensor 15 to the time when the article W is moved onto the conveyor unit 12 of the inspection section 20 and all or part of the weight of the article W is input as a load to the weighing section 22 is set for each type, and at least the time when the weight of the article W is supported only by the conveyor unit 12 of the inspection section 20 and the center of gravity moves on the conveying path surface of the conveyor unit 12 is set to a delay time that includes a certain time or more than the time required for weighing.

[0061] Thus, the control unit 40 includes a measurement time management timer 48, which measures the time from a specific point of interest of the article W, for example, Figure 1 The inspection time Tp from the time t0 when the front end Eh of the article W is detected by the inspected article detection sensor 15 to the time when the inspection result of the inspected article W in the inspection unit 20 is output from the determination means 46 is managed as the first delay time.

[0062] Here, the determination result memory 47 updates the pointer of the write address based on the bit signal of "1" that must be included in the determination signal from the determination component 46, and updates the pointer of the read address each time it receives the output of the delay time management timer 53 from the sorting control unit 42. Further, the reading from the determination result memory 47 based on the determination result of the determination component 46 is executed by the sorting instruction output unit 55 of the sorting control unit 42, and when this reading is executed, a determination result signal is output from the determination result memory 47 to the sorting instruction output unit 55.

[0063] The type registration memory 49 stores in the following manner: when a predetermined setting request Rqm for a specific operation mode such as a requested type setting is issued from the display operation unit 43, and in this specific operation mode, a plurality of main parameters that define inspection conditions together with the product name or number that determines the type (for example, Figure 4 "A008" in ) are set, the stored parameters at least include the distance Lrj from the sorting article detection position (second detection position) of the sorting article detection sensor 17 to the upstream end of the discharge application section Za of the upstream air nozzle 31A, the length Lt from the front end Eh of the article W to the predetermined required pressurization point Ep, and the conveyance speed V2 of the conveyor unit 13 of the sorting section 30. Further, the length Lt may also be registered as the length (Lw - Lt) from the rear end Et of the article W to the predetermined required pressurization point Ep.

[0064] Here, the length Lt from the front end Eh of the article W to the predetermined required pressurization point Ep is set as the conveyance time Lt / V corresponding to the conveyance speed V2 in the sorting control parameters. When, depending on the accommodation form or shape of the content of the article W, the center of gravity position of the article W to be excluded significantly deviates from the center Ec of the conveyance direction length Lw (= Tw·V) based on the detection information of the sorting article detection sensor 17 in a specific direction (front or rear side in the conveyance direction) or the pressure receiving center position of the wind pressure in the discharge direction of the jet compressed air significantly deviates from the center Ec of the conveyance direction length in a specific direction, it is set to a value different from the conveyance time (Tw / 2) corresponding to the apparent center of gravity position Ec of the article W, and in other cases, it is set to a value equal to the conveyance time (Tw / 2) corresponding to the center of gravity position of the article W.

[0065] The length Lt from the front end Eh of the article W to the predetermined required pressurization point Ep represents the conveyance distance from the inspected article W that has entered the sorting section Z2 until it starts to enter the discharge application area Za in front of the air nozzle 31A until the pressure receiving area of the wind pressure generated when the compressed air starts to be ejected from the air nozzle 31A increases to the extent that the article W can be excluded, and can automatically adjust the timing at which an effective wind pressure load is generated when the compressed air starts to be ejected from the air nozzle 31A to the optimal side.

[0066] In addition, regarding the discharge force application section Za for the air nozzle 31A, the sorting delay time Td = (Tx + Tw) from the moment t11 when the front end Eh of the inspected article W enters the sorting section Z2 and is detected by the sorted article detection sensor 17 until the necessary pressurization point Ep starts to enter the discharge force application area Za in front of the air nozzle 31A can be calculated as the conveying distance (Lrj + Lt) / conveying speed V2. And regarding the discharge force application section Zb for the downstream air nozzle 31B, it is the conveying time until the inspected article W starts to enter the discharge force application area Zb in front of the air nozzle 31B. Therefore, the sorting delay time Td can be calculated as the conveying distance (Lrj + Lnp + Lt) / conveying speed V2, and the conveying time Lnp / V2 corresponding to the nozzle pitch Lnp is added.

[0067] Regarding the length Lt from the front end Eh of the article W to the specified necessary pressurization point Ep stored in the type registration memory 49, for example, when an input is made to determine the deviation direction (front end side or rear end side) of the center Ec of the length Lw of the article W in the conveying direction (e.g., positive (+) or negative (-)), the deviation amount is automatically set by default to a value corresponding to the adjustment amount α (time) at the minimum timing. If the necessary pressurization point Ep is on the front side in the conveying direction, the length Lt is set to correspond to (Tw / 2) - α from the front end Eh, and if the necessary pressurization point is on the rear side in the conveying direction, the length Lt is set to correspond to (Tw / 2) + α from the front end Eh. In this case, the adjustment amount α of the timing is preset as the adjustment time n·α (n is a natural number) suitable for the stepwise adjustment of the injection timing of the compressed air. In the case where the center of gravity of the article W in the container such as a packaging box is shifted with respect to the center of the length Lw in the conveying direction according to the type of the article W, the adjustment amount α can also be added stepwise according to the magnitude of the deviation amount and set as the adjustment amount n·α. Moreover, it can also be set as follows: according to the center of gravity of the net article in the container such as a packaging box, etc., the necessary pressurization point Ep that is several times the minimum adjustment time is made close to the pressurization point of the optimal calculation value.

[0068] And, on the appearance of the article W, when the pressure-receiving center point of the wind pressure from the side during the conveyance of the article W significantly deviates from the center of the conveying direction length based on the detection information of the sorted article detection sensor, the necessary pressurization point Ep can also be set on the pressure-receiving center side of the wind pressure to stably ensure the discharge force by receiving the effective wind pressure.

[0069] That is, the display operation unit 43 and the type registration memory 49 constitute the following pressing point setting member: when a discharging force based on compressed air is applied to the article W from the air nozzles 31A and / or 31B to the outside of the sorting conveyance path, the required pressing point Ep of the article W is set for each type of the article W as the conveyance time Lt / V (or (Lw - Lt) / V from the rear end Et) corresponding to the distance Lt in the conveyance direction and the conveyance speed V from any end in the conveyance direction of the article W, for example, the front end Eh.

[0070] On the other hand, the delay time management timer 53 of the sorting control unit 42 has a function of setting the sorting delay time Td according to the registration information of the type registration memory 49 and measuring the delay time (Tw + Tx) from the detection time t11 when any end of the article W, for example, the front end Eh, is detected by the sorted article detection sensor 17 until the required pressing point Ep of the article enters the discharge application section Za, and has a function of outputting an output signal t13 notifying the elapse of the sorting delay time Td to the determination result memory 47 at the timeout time t13 after the sorting delay time Td has elapsed from the detection time t11, updating the pointer of the read address, and outputting the output signal t13 to the sorting instruction output section 55 as a delay time management member. In addition, when the length Lt is registered in the type registration memory 49 as the length (Lw - Lt) from the rear end Et of the article W to the required pressing point Ep, the delay time management timer 53 sets and measures the delay time Tx from the detection time t12 when the rear end Et of the article W is detected by the sorted article detection sensor 17 until the required pressing point Ep of the article enters the discharge application section Za, and sets the sorting delay time Td to the same value. The delay time (Tw + Tx) is, of course, the distance Lrj from the detection position of the sorted article detection sensor 17 to the upstream end of the discharge application section Za based on the upstream air nozzle 31A when the front end Eh of the article W is conveyed, and further, the conveyance distance (Lrj + Lt) until the required pressing point Ep reaches the upstream end of the discharge application section Za divided by the sorting conveyance time V2 to obtain the speed value ((Lrj + Lt) / V). Therefore, the sorting delay time Tx can be calculated by the formula (Lrj + Lt) / V - Tw.

[0071] Moreover, the sorting instruction output section 55 outputs sorting instruction signals RJ1, RJ2, or OFF corresponding to the determination results NG1, NG2, or OK of the determination member 46 to the air supply control mechanism section 35 of the sorting section 30 for a specified instruction time Tw' from the timeout time t13 of the delay time management timer 53. When outputting the sorting instruction signals RJ1 and / or RJ2, the corresponding solenoid valves 32A and / or 32B are driven to open, and compressed air is ejected from the corresponding air nozzles 31A and / or 31B.

[0072] In the present embodiment, either end in the conveying direction of the article W can be set as the rear end Et in the conveying direction of the article W. In this case, the delay time management timer 53 manages the sorting delay time set using the delay time Tx from the detection time t12 when the rear end Et of the article W in the conveying direction is detected by the sorted article detection sensor 17 until the article W enters the discharge force application section Za in the sorting conveyance path at the required pressurization point Ep.

[0073] In this case, if a timing signal indicating that the conveyance time Tw (the time from the detection time t11 to the detection time t12) corresponding to the actually measured length of the article W has elapsed since the timeout time t13 of the delay time management timer 53 is supplied to the sorting instruction output section 55, the sorting instruction output section 55 can control the instruction time Tw' of the sorting instruction signal within a necessary and sufficient time approximately equal to the time Tw corresponding to the article length from the first detection time t11 when the front end Eh of the article W in the conveying direction is detected by the sorted article detection sensor 17 to the second detection time t12 when the rear end Et of the article W in the conveying direction is detected by the sorted article detection sensor 17.

[0074] And, as Figure 6 (a) shows, when the article W is a shaped net article having a weight greater than that of the container Wex such as a shaped packing box and is contained in the container Wex, for example, Figure 6 (a) shows a tubular product P2 filled with paste and having a lid P1, and when the center of gravity Ep' of the net article P2 deviates from the center position Ec in the conveying direction of the article W, as described above, in the type registration memory 49 as a pressurization point setting member, by setting the length Lt from the front end Eh of the article W to the required pressurization point Ep, the required pressurization point Ep of the article W can be set to be closer to the center of gravity position Ep' of the net article in the article length Lw on the side closer to the net article in the article length Lw than the center Ec of the article length Lw in the conveying direction (refer to Figure 6 ). In addition, in Figure 6 (a), the adjustment amount α is made smaller than the separation distance between the center Ec of the article length Lw and the center of gravity Ep' of the net article P2, but it can be made closer by re-setting or setting change by setting the adjustment amount α to n times (for example, 2 times). When the net article in the container Wex such as the packing box of the article W is Figure 6 (b) shows a case of a confectionery P4 such as a candy with a gripping rod P3, Figure 6 (c) shows a case of a canned or plastic boxed product P6 with a product extraction or can opening tool P5, and Figure 6The same applies to food products P8 such as Frankfurt sausages or grilled meats with a gripping rod or skewer P7 as shown in (d).

[0075] Moreover, as Figure 7 (a) shows, when the article W is in a product form with a hanging or gripping protrusion Wk and the centroid position Eu' of the projected figure when viewed from the direction of the discharge force of the compressed air from the air nozzles 31A and / or 31B of the sorting unit 30 deviates from the center position Ec in the conveying direction of the article, as described above, in the type registration memory 49 as the pressurization point setting member, the necessary pressurization point Ep of the article W can be set to a position closer to the centroid position Eu' side of the projected surface shape when viewed from the discharge force direction than the center Ec of the article length Lw in the conveying direction. Additionally, in Figure 7 (a), the adjustment amount α is made smaller than the separation distance between the centroid position Eu' and the center Ec of the article length Lw, but it can be made closer by re-setting or setting change with the adjustment amount α set to n times (e.g., 2 times). The projected figure of the container Wex such as the packaging box of the article W when viewed from the discharge force direction of the compressed air is as Figure 7 (b) shows, in the case of a product form where it is packaged with a support plate with a hanging or gripping window Wk2 and a wrapping material and the heavy part is located on the lower end side, and the same also applies to the product form where a food product with a rod or a product with a handle (which can also be multiple) as shown in Figure 7 (c) is packaged with a bottom paper and a transparent resin box.

[0076] Thus, in the present embodiment, there is provided an article inspection device including: a jet-type sorting unit 30 (discharge mechanism unit) that discharges the inspected article W within a specified sorting section Z2 to the outside of the conveying path in response to the input of sorting command signals RJ1, RJ2, or OFF and according to the inspection result in the inspection unit 20; and a control unit 40 having an inspection control unit 41 and a sorting control unit 42. When, based on the accommodation form or shape of the content of the article W, the center of gravity position of the article W to be excluded significantly deviates from the center Ec of the conveying direction length Lw (= Tw·V) based on the detection information of the sorting article detection sensor 17 in a specific direction (front or rear side in the conveying direction) or the center of pressure position Eu' based on the discharge force (wind pressure load) of the jet compressed air significantly deviates from the center Ec of the conveying direction length, a value different from the value (Tw / 2) corresponding to the apparent center of gravity position of the article W is set, and in other cases, a value corresponding to the center of gravity position of the article W (Tw / 2) is set.

[0077] Further, by means of the delay time management timer 53, the sorting delay time Td that is preset by managing the delay time (Tw + Tx) or the delay time Tx from the detection time t11 or t12 detected by the sorted item detection sensor 17 at the front end Eh or the rear end Et of the item W until the item W enters the discharge application force section Za at the required pressurization point Ep is managed. From the timeout time t13 of the delay time management timer 53, a sorting instruction signal Rj1, RJ2 or OFF of a specified instruction time Tw′ is input to the sorting section 30 by the sorting instruction output section 55 according to the inspection result in the inspection section 20.

[0078] Next, the operation will be described.

[0079] In the article inspection device 1 of the present embodiment configured as described above, when the article W to be inspected is sequentially carried into the inspection section 20 side from the conveyor unit 11 on the front stage side at a specified conveyance pitch and conveyance speed V, if each article W is detected by the carry-in detection inspection article detection sensor 15 on the entrance side of the inspection section Z1, the weighing section 22 measures based on the article detection signal d1, the article weight is calculated by the weight calculation member 45, and according to the output of the measurement time management timer 48 that notifies that a specified inspection time Tp has elapsed from the carry-in time t0 of the article W and the signal information included in the determination signal, the determination signals corresponding to the determination results in the determination member 46 are sequentially stored in the determination result memory 47.

[0080] Moreover, according to the output of the delay time management timer 53, at the time t13 when the sorting delay time Td has elapsed again from the second detection time t12 detected by the sorted item detection sensor 17 at the rear end Et in the conveyance direction of the item W, the determination result of each item stored in the determination result memory 47 is read from the determination result memory 47 and output to the sorting instruction output section 55.

[0081] Moreover, when the sorting instruction from the sorting instruction output section 55 is an ON signal of the discharge instruction RJ1 and / or RJ2, the electromagnetic valves 32A and / or 32B of the air supply control mechanism section 35 of the sorting section 30 are opened according to the generation time t13 of the sorting instruction and the holding time Tw′ from the generation time t13, and compressed air is ejected from the air nozzles 31A and / or 32B. As a result, the article W being conveyed is applied with a force in the discharge direction outside the conveyance path due to the wind pressure applied from the side, and the article W is blown off or slips due to the wind pressure load and is discharged outside the conveyance path.

[0082] Also, when the sorting instructions from the sorting instruction output unit 55 are OFF signals for RJ1 and / or RJ2, the solenoid valves 32A and / or 32B of the air supply control mechanism unit 35 of the sorting unit 30 are kept in the closed valve state, so that compressed air is not ejected from the air nozzles 31A and / or 32B, and the article W that enters the specific discharge applying section Za and / or Zb on the conveyor unit 13 is not affected by the wind pressure of the article W being conveyed and pressed from the side.

[0083] Therefore, when the sorting instructions from the sorting instruction output unit 55 are OFF signals for both RJ1 and RJ2, both the solenoid valves 32A and 32B are kept in the closed valve state, so that neither of the air nozzles 31A and 31B ejects compressed air, and the article W is in a sorted state of passing through properly and moving downstream without being affected by the wind pressure towards the outside of the conveying path from the side within the specific discharge applying sections Za and Zb.

[0084] As described above, in the present embodiment, before performing such a conventional inspection and sorting operation, a prescribed setting request Rqm for requesting a specific operation mode is made through the display operation unit 43, and main parameters are set in the specific operation mode such as when registering types. Moreover, at this time, the inspection control unit 41 automatically sets a prescribed inspection time Tp based on the main parameters of the inspection unit 20, and the sorting control unit 42 automatically sets a sorting delay time Td from the second detection time t12 based on the sorting article detection sensor 17 through the delay time management timer 53.

[0085] That is, through the delay time management timer 53, the sorting delay time Td is set by setting the delay time (Tw + Tx) or the delay time Tx from the detection time t11 or t12 when the front end Eh or the rear end Et of the article W is detected by the sorting article detection sensor 17 until the necessary pressurization point Ep of the article W enters the discharge applying section Za.

[0086] Moreover, if a sample of the article W for which the type registration has been completed is requested to be input into the article inspection device 1 by the display operation unit 43 and the sample of the article W is input, after the front end Eh of the article W is detected by the inspection article detection sensor 15, a weight inspection is performed by the inspection unit 20 within the prescribed inspection time Tp, and the inspected article W is carried onto the conveyor unit 13 of the sorting unit 30. If the article is detected by the sorting article detection sensor 17, it is confirmed whether the automatically set sorting delay time Td from the detection time t12 is appropriate, and a process of resetting or changing the setting of the additional adjustment amount α is performed as needed.

[0087] Then, when the normal operation of the process of weight checking and sorting the article W starts, each time an article W is detected by the sorting article detection sensor 17, the sorting delay time Td is measured by the delay time management timer 53 from the second detection time t12. When the timeout time t13 is reached, a signal notifying the elapsed time t13 of the sorting delay time Td or a signal further notifying the holding time Tw' of the sorting instruction for each type is output to the determination result memory 47 and the sorting instruction output unit 55. Moreover, the sorting instruction signals Rj1, RJ2, or OFF corresponding to the inspection results in the inspection unit 20 are sent from the sorting instruction output unit 55 to the air supply control mechanism unit 35 of the sorting unit 30 at a fixed instruction time or a prescribed instruction time Tw'.

[0088] As described above, in the present embodiment, the necessary pressurization point Ep of the article W is preset in association with the information of its type as the conveyance time Lt / V corresponding to the distance Lt in the conveyance direction from any one end, for example, the front end Eh, in the conveyance direction of the article W and the conveyance speed V. Moreover, when the second detection time t12 of detecting the rear end Et is reached after the conveyance time Tw corresponding to the conveyance direction length of the article W to be discharged has elapsed from the first detection time t11 when the front end Eh of the article W to be discharged is detected by the sorting article detection sensor 17, when the sorting delay time Td of the delay time Tx from this second detection time t12 until passing through the necessary pressurization point Ep and entering the discharge application force section Za, or the sorting delay time Td of the delay time Tw + Tx from the first detection time t11 until passing through the necessary pressurization point Ep and entering the discharge application force section Za has elapsed and the delay time management timer 53 times out, a sorting instruction signal of a prescribed instruction time Tw' is input from the time t13 by the sorting instruction output unit 55 to the air supply control mechanism unit 35 of the sorting unit 30.

[0089] Therefore, in the case where the center of gravity position Ep' of the net article of the article W to be excluded is biased in a specific direction with respect to the center Ec of the conveyance direction length Lw based on the detection information of the sorting article detection sensor 17, in the case where the pressure receiving center position Eu' based on the discharge force (wind pressure load) of the jet compressed air is biased in a specific direction from the center Ec of the conveyance direction length Lw, etc., by setting the necessary pressurization point Ep that can determine the bias direction and the adjustment amount α of the minimum timing, it is possible to easily and accurately set the jet timing of the air that applies force to the conveyance article W to be sorted from the side to the exclusion direction without reducing the productivity, and a stable exclusion operation of the article W can be performed.

[0090] Also, in the present embodiment, either end in the conveying direction of the article W is the rear end Et in the conveying direction of the article W. The delay time management timer 53 manages the sorting delay time Td preset using the delay time Tx from the second detection time t12 when the rear end Et in the conveying direction of the article W is detected by the sorted article detection sensor 17 until the article W enters the discharge force application section in the sorting conveying path at the required pressurization point Ep. And the sorting instruction output unit 55 controls the instruction time Tw′ of the sorting instruction output unit 55 according to the time Tw equivalent to the article length from the first detection time t11 when the front end Eh in the conveying direction of the article W is detected by the sorted article detection sensor 17 to the second detection time t12 when the rear end Et in the conveying direction of the article W is detected by the sorted article detection sensor 17. Therefore, according to the size of the article W, the instruction time Tw′ of the sorting instruction signal can be accurately controlled.

[0091] Moreover, in the present embodiment, when the article W is an article in which a shaped net article having a weight greater than that of the container is accommodated in a shaped packaging box or the like, and the center of gravity Ep′ of the net article deviates from the center position Ec in the conveying direction of the article W, the type registration memory 49 as the pressurization point setting member sets, in addition to the aforementioned distance Lrj based on the specifications of the sorting unit 30, the aforementioned length Lt, the conveying speed V2, etc. as setting parameters for each type. Thus, based on these set parameter values, the required pressurization point Ep of the article W can be set at a position closer to the center of gravity Ep′ of the net article in the article length Lw than the center Ec of the article length Lw in the conveying direction.

[0092] Therefore, based on the position information of the required pressurization point Ep, the direction in which the center of gravity Ep′ of the net article deviates from the apparent center of gravity Ec of the article W based on the detection information of the sorted article detection sensor 17 or the corresponding conveying time Tw / 2 can be determined. At least for the injection timing of the compressed air on the apparent center of gravity Ec of the article W, the direction in which the timing needs to be adjusted is determined, so that the injection timing of the air applying force to the conveyed article W to be sorted from the side surface to the discharge direction can be easily and accurately set.

[0093] In addition, in the present embodiment, even when the centroid position Eu' of the projection pattern of the article W, observed from the discharge force application direction of the compressed air from the air supply control mechanism unit 35 of the sorting unit 30, deviates from the center position Ec in the conveyance direction of the article W, the type registration memory 49 as the pressurization point setting member sets, in addition to the aforementioned distance Lrj based on the specifications of the sorting unit 30, the aforementioned length Lt, the conveyance speed V2, etc. as setting parameters for each type. Based on these set parameter values, the necessary pressurization point Ep of the article W can be set at a position closer to the centroid Eu' of the projection surface shape, observed from the discharge force application direction, than the center Ec of the article length in the conveyance direction. Therefore, at least for the apparent injection timing of the compressed air for the article W, the direction for adjusting the timing is determined, and thus the injection timing of the air that applies a force to the conveyed article W to be sorted from the side to the discharge direction can be set easily and accurately.

[0094] As described above, in the article inspection apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the air supply control mechanism unit 35 of the sorting unit 30 includes: a sorting article detection sensor 17 disposed on the inlet side of a prescribed sorting section Z2; a type registration memory 49 as a pressurization point setting member that sets, for each type of the article W, the necessary pressurization point Ep of the article W when a discharge force based on compressed air is applied from the air supply control mechanism unit 35 of the sorting unit 30 to the outside of the conveyance path, as the conveyance time Lt / V corresponding to the distance Lt in the conveyance direction and the conveyance speed V from the front end Eh of the article W in the conveyance direction (or, the conveyance time (Lw - Lt) / V corresponding to the distance (Lw - Lt) from the rear end Et to the front side in the conveyance direction and the conveyance speed V); a delay time management timer 53 that manages the sorting delay time Td set using the delay time (Tw + Tx) or the delay time Tx from the detection time t11 or the detection time t12 when the front end Eh or the rear end Et (either end) of the article W is detected by the sorting article detection sensor 17 until the necessary pressurization point of the article W enters the discharge force application section Za; and a sorting instruction output unit 55 that inputs a sorting instruction signal RJ1, RJ2, or OFF of a prescribed instruction time Tw' to the air supply control mechanism unit 35 of the sorting unit 30 from the timeout time t13 of the delay time management timer 53 according to the inspection result of the inspection unit 20.

[0095] Moreover, if the necessary pressurization point Ep of the article W is preset in association with information on its type, for example, with respect to the conveying time Lt / V, and the sorting delay time Td is set through the use of the delay time Tx from the detection time t12 until the necessary pressurization point Ep of the article W enters the discharge force application section Za, and the delay time management timer 53 times out, the sorting instruction output section 55 inputs a sorting instruction signal Rj1, Rj2, or OFF of a prescribed instruction time Tw' to the air supply control mechanism section 35 of the sorting section 30 from that time t13 onward.

[0096] Therefore, in cases where the center of gravity position Ep' of the article W to be excluded is offset in a specific direction from the center Ec of the conveying direction length based on the detection information of the sorting article detection sensor 17, or the center of pressure position Eu' based on the discharge force of the ejected compressed air is offset in a specific direction from the center of the conveying direction length, etc., by setting the necessary pressurization point Ep that can determine the amount of adjustment α for its offset direction and the minimum timing, it is possible to easily and accurately set the ejection timing of the air that applies force to the conveyed article W to be sorted from the side toward the exclusion direction, resulting in an article inspection device capable of performing a stable exclusion operation of the article W.

[0097] As a result, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to provide a sorting device and an article inspection device that can easily and accurately set the ejection timing of the air that applies force to the conveyed article W to be sorted from the side toward the exclusion direction without reducing productivity, and can perform a stable exclusion operation of the article W.

[0098] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, one end, which is the focus for determining the position of the necessary pressurization point Ep of the article W, is set as the front end Eh. However, as described above, it is possible to use the rear end of the article W as the focus to determine the position of the necessary pressurization point Ep. And, as described above, it is possible to consider the workpiece conveying time Tw obtained by dividing the conveying direction length Lw of the article W by the conveying speed V, and increase or decrease the time for outputting the sorting instruction signal from the sorting instruction output section 55 to the air supply control mechanism section 35, or alternatively, instead of such variable control, a sorting instruction signal of a fixed time can be output each time the article W passes through each discharge force application section Za, Zb, etc.

[0099] Moreover, the article inspection method of the inspection section 20 is not limited to the method of performing weighing or measurement based on the weighing section 22. Of course, it can also be other various article inspection devices such as foreign object detection, shortage inspection, packaging defect inspection, appearance inspection, etc., and accordingly, the main setting parameters can also change. However, when the article inspection process in the inspection section 20 can be completed within a relatively short cycle and at a relatively high conveying speed, the present invention can be effectively applied.

[0100] Further, in the present embodiment, for the sake of illustration, the air nozzles 31A and 31B are shown in a side-by-side arrangement facing the same direction and separated by a predetermined nozzle pitch Lnp in the conveying direction. However, the nozzles may be arranged in an opposed configuration such that the jet directions of the compressed air cross each other, or in an opposed configuration with the blowout ports facing the conveyor unit 13 side and arranged to be separated by a predetermined nozzle pitch Lnp in the conveying direction. Alternatively, the jet direction of the compressed air may be set to be inclined downward with respect to the article conveying direction. Moreover, by utilizing the air pressure, it is also possible to apply a suction force to the article W in the discharge application force sections Za and Zb from the vertically upper side, or apply an upward pushing force from below.

[0101] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the sorting delay time management member according to the present invention is configured as the delay time management timer 53. However, instead of this structure, it is also possible to configure it to manage the sorting delay time based on the conveying distance. That is, as Figure 8 shown, it is possible to provide a member (corresponding to the distance calculation member for the delay time) that, based on a detection signal or a control signal for detecting the rotational position or displacement of the conveyance drive motor 51 of the conveyor unit 13, such as the output pulse ple of a rotary encoder 52 (encoder) that detects the rotational angle displacement of the conveyance drive motor 51 in predetermined angle units, detects the conveyance direction position of the article W at the rear end detection time t12 of the article W based on the article detection sensor ...... Figure 8)After that, based on the number of output pulses and resolution (pulses per revolution) of the rotary encoder 52, the driving radius rc of the conveyor belt, etc., the article conveyance distance Lm (distance corresponding to the delay time) corresponding to the sorting delay time is calculated. And, in this case, as the rotary encoder 52, an incremental rotary encoder that outputs signals of phase A and phase B whose output pulses rise at different phases and a signal of phase Z that rises once per revolution can be used, for example. And, the delay time management component in the present invention, for example, in the sorting control unit 42, in addition to the rotary encoder 52 (which may also be a linear encoder that measures the moving distance of the belt surface) that detects the rotational displacement of the conveyance drive motor 51 of the conveyor unit 13 that drives the conveyance unit 10 in units of a prescribed angle and outputs detection pulses for each such prescribed angle (prescribed pulse period ut), a counting circuit 42a that counts the output pulses ple of the rotary encoder 52 and inputs the article detection signal d2 of the sorting article detection sensor 17 as a clear request signal for the count value is provided, and at the sorting article detection time, that is, the first detection time t11 or the second detection time t12, the count value of the encoder output pulses in the counting circuit 42a is cleared (reset), and based on the count value np of the encoder output pulses ple that starts counting again from the sorting article detection time t11, the sorting delay time Td after the sorting article detection time t11 can be grasped as the conveyance distance (Lrj + Lt) / conveyance speed (V2) corresponding to the sorting delay time Td (= np × ut).

[0102] As described above, the article inspection device of the present invention can provide a sorting device and an article inspection device that can easily and accurately set the jet timing of air that applies a force to the conveyed article to be sorted from the side in the exclusion direction and can perform a stable article exclusion operation. The present invention is useful in both sorting devices such as a jetting method that requires excluding articles in a short time and article inspection devices that have such a sorting device configured as a sorting unit on the downstream side of an inspection unit that performs article inspection.

[0103] Symbol Explanation

[0104] 1 - Article inspection device, 10 - Conveyor section, 11, 12, 13, 14 - Conveyor units, 15 - Inspection article detection sensor, 17 - Sorting article detection sensor, 20 - Inspection section, 21 - Weighing table, 22 - Weighing section (measurement section), 30 - Sorting section (discharge mechanism section), 31A, 31B - Air nozzles, 32A, 32B - Solenoid valves, 33 - Air tank, 34 - Filter regulator, 35 - Air supply control mechanism section (sorting drive control member), 36A, 36B - Chutes, 40 - Control section, 41 - Inspection control section, 42 - Sorting control section, 42a - Counting circuit, 43 - Display operation section, 44 - Sampling circuit, 44a - Switch, 45 - Weight calculation member, 46 - Judgment member, 47 - Judgment result memory, 48 - Measurement time management timer, 49 - Type registration memory, 51 - Conveyor drive motor, 52 - Rotary encoder (encoder), 53 - Delay time management timer (delay time setting member, sorting delay time timer), 55 - Sorting instruction output section (sorting instruction member), 91 - Air source, d1 - Detection signal (inspection article detection signal, first detection signal), d2 - Detection signal (sorting article detection signal, second detection signal), Ec - Center (center of the conveying direction length of the article), Eh - Front end, Ep - Point to be pressurized, Ep′ - Center of gravity (center of gravity position), Et - Rear end, Eu′ - Pressurized center position (center of mass position), L - Machine length (conveying direction length of the inspection section), Lm - Article conveying distance (distance equivalent to the delay time), Lnp - Nozzle pitch, Lrj - Distance (distance from the second detection position to the upstream end of the discharge application interval).Lt - Length (length from the front end of the article to the point where pressure must be applied), Lw - Article length (length in the conveying direction of the article), NG1, NG2 - Judgment result (defect judgment), np - Count value, OK - Judgment result (good product judgment), P1 - Lid, P2 - Tubular product (net article), P3 - Rod (rod-shaped object), P4 - Candy such as sugar, P5 - Can-opening tool, P6 - Can product, P7 - Rod or skewer, P8 - Food, ple - Output pulse, RJ1, RJ2 - Sorting instruction (discharge instruction), t0 - Detection time (loading detection time, inspection article detection time), t11 - Detection time (first detection time, detection time of the front end of the sorted article), t12 - Detection time (second detection time, detection time of the rear end of the sorted article), t13 - Time (elapsed time, timeout, occurrence time, output signal), Td - Sorting delay time, ts - Stable waiting time, Tw, Tw1, Tw2 - Conveying time (conveying time corresponding to the article length), Tx - Delay time (prescribed sorting delay time from the second detection time), ut - Prescribed pulse period, V, V1, V2 - Conveying speed, Z1 - Inspection section (inspection conveying path), Z2 - Sorting section (sorting conveying path), Za, Zb - Discharge force application section, α - Adjustment amount (minimum adjustment time, minimum adjustment time).

Claims

1. A sorting device, comprising a conveying unit (10) including a sorting conveying path (13) for conveying an article (W), and a discharging mechanism unit (30) that responds to an input of a sorting command signal and discharges the article in a specific discharging force application section (Za) that enters the sorting conveying path to the outside of the sorting conveying path by compressed air. The sorting device is characterized by having: A sorting article detection sensor (17), disposed on the inlet side of the sorting conveying path, for detecting the article; A pressurization point setting member (49), which sets a required pressurization point (Ep) of the article when a discharging force to the outside of the sorting conveying path based on the compressed air is applied from the discharging mechanism unit for each type of the article according to a conveying time (Lt / V or (Lw - Lt) / V) corresponding to a distance from any one end (Eh or Et) in the conveying direction of the article and a conveying speed; A delay time management member (53), which manages a sorting delay time (Td) set using a delay time ((Tw + Tx) or Tx) from a detection time (t11 or t12) when the article is detected by the sorting article detection sensor at any one end in the conveying direction of the article until the required pressurization point of the article enters the discharging force application section (Za); and A sorting command member (55), which inputs a sorting command signal with a specified command time (Tw′) to the discharging mechanism unit from an overtime time (t13) of the delay time management member.

2. The sorting device according to claim 1, characterized in that Any one end in the conveying direction of the article is the rear end (Et) in the conveying direction of the article, The delay time management member manages a sorting delay time set using a delay time (Tx) from a detection time (t12) when the article is detected by the sorting article detection sensor at the rear end in the conveying direction of the article until the required pressurization point of the article enters the discharging force application section (Za) in the sorting conveying path, and the sorting command member controls the command time (Tw′) of the sorting command signal according to a time (Tw) corresponding to the article length from a first detection time (t11) when the article is detected by the sorting article detection sensor at the front end (Eh) in the conveying direction of the article to a second detection time (t12) when the article is detected by the sorting article detection sensor at the rear end (Et) in the conveying direction of the article.

3. The sorting device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The article is an article in which a shaped net article heavier in weight than a container such as a shaped packing box is accommodated, and the center of gravity of the net article is deviated from the central position in the conveying direction of the article, The pressurization point setting member sets the required pressurization point of the article at a position closer to the center of gravity position of the net article in the article length than the center of the article length in the conveying direction.

4. The sorting device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The centroid position of the projection pattern of the article, as observed from the discharge force application direction based on the compressed air discharged from the discharge mechanism section, is deviated from the center position in the conveyance direction of the article. The pressurization point setting member sets the required pressurization point of the article at a position closer to the centroid position side of the projection surface shape as observed from the discharge force application direction than the center of the article length in the conveyance direction.

5. The sorting device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The delay time management member includes an encoder (52) that detects the rotational angle displacement of the conveyance drive motor (51) that drives the conveyance section in a prescribed angular unit and outputs a detection pulse for each such prescribed angle, and a counting circuit (42a) that counts the output pulses (ple) of the encoder and inputs the detection signal of the sorting article detection sensor. Based on the count value (np) of the output pulses of the encoder after the detection time when either end in the conveyance direction of the article is detected by the sorting article detection sensor, the sorting delay time is grasped.

6. An article inspection device, comprising: a conveyance section (10) including a prescribed conveyance path (12, 13) for conveying an article (W); an inspection section (20) that inspects a prescribed quality state of the article being conveyed within a prescribed inspection section (Z1) in the conveyance path; an ejection mechanism section (30) of a jetting method that responds to the input of a sorting instruction signal and ejects the article that has been inspected within a prescribed sorting section (Z2) in the conveyance path to the outside of the conveyance path based on the inspection result in the inspection section; and a control section (40) having an inspection control section (41) that controls the inspection section and a sorting control section (42) that controls the ejection mechanism section. The article inspection device is characterized in that the ejection mechanism section has: A sorting article detection sensor (17) disposed on the entrance side of the prescribed sorting section; A pressurization point setting member (43, 49) that sets the required pressurization point (Ep) of the article when a discharge force toward the outside of the conveyance path based on the compressed air is applied from the ejection mechanism section for each type of the article according to the conveyance time (Lt / V or (Lw - Lt) / V) corresponding to the distance from either end (Eh or Et) in the conveyance direction of the article and the conveyance speed; A delay time management member (53) that manages the sorting delay time set using the delay time ((Tw + Tx) or Tx) from the detection time (t11 or t12) when either end in the conveyance direction of the article is detected by the sorting article detection sensor until the required pressurization point of the article enters the discharge force application section (Za); and A sorting instruction member (55) that inputs a sorting instruction signal of a prescribed instruction time (Tw') to the ejection mechanism section from the timeout time (t13) of the delay time management member based on the inspection result in the inspection section.

7. The article inspection device according to claim 6, characterized in that Either end in the conveying direction of the article is the rear end (Et) in the conveying direction of the article. The delay time management member manages the sorting delay time set using the delay time (Tx) from the detection time (t12) when the sorting article detection sensor detects the rear end in the conveying direction of the article until the article enters the discharge application force section (Za) in the conveying path at the must-press point of the article. And the sorting instruction member controls the instruction time (Tw') of the sorting instruction signal based on the time (Tw) equivalent to the article length from the first detection time (t11) when the sorting article detection sensor detects the front end (Eh) in the conveying direction of the article to the second detection time (t12) when the sorting article detection sensor detects the rear end (Et) in the conveying direction of the article.

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