Sorting device and article inspection apparatus

Abstract

To provide a sorting device and an article inspection apparatus capable of easily and accurately setting sorting operation timing, even when an article transport speed is increased.SOLUTION: A control unit 40 that controls a sorting unit 30 includes: an article detection sensor 15; a delay time management timer that measures a sorting delay time Tdly from a detection time point t0 of a leading end E1 of an article W by the sensor 15 until a pressurization point Ep at the time of discharge biasing by compressed air of the article W enters a discharge biasing section Za; sorting command means that inputs a sorting command signal to the sorting unit 30 for a predetermined command time Trj from a time-up point t13; and delay time setting means 53 that sets the sorting delay time Tdly on the basis of a transport delay time Tdly1+Tdly2 from the detection time point t0 until the pressurization point Ep enters the discharge biasing section Za, and a command response time Ton from the input of the sorting command signal by the sorting command means to the sorting unit 30 until the compressed air is jetted from an air nozzle 31A through opening of an electromagnetic valve.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sorting device and an article inspection device, and more particularly to an air jet type sorting device and an article inspection device provided with the sorting device that performs a sorting operation according to the inspection result of an inspection unit that inspects articles.

Background Art

[0002] In an article production line, when the conveyance pitch needs to be relatively small to increase the production capacity, an air jet type sorting device is frequently used as a sorting device capable of excluding articles from the production line in a short time.

[0003] Also, in an article inspection device that performs inspection of a predetermined quality state on articles being conveyed in a production line, there is one that uses an air jet type sorting device as a sorting unit that sorts inspected articles according to the inspection result on the downstream side of the inspection unit.

[0004] As a conventional article inspection device of this type, for example, a first delay time required for inspection and measurement in an inspection unit and a second delay time required from the output of the inspection measurement result to the start of the sorting operation are respectively preset, and a weight sorter that executes the sorting operation of the sorting device based on these set times is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0005] In addition, as a sorting device of this type, for example, there is an air jet device that blows air onto the estimated center of gravity position of an article, a conveyance state detection device that detects the conveyance state of the article using a light transmitter and receiver, and a control unit that controls the air jet device according to the conveyance state of the article. When it is detected from the change in the light shielding time of the light transmitter and receiver that the degree of inclination with respect to the conveyance direction of the article is greater than or equal to a certain level, the article that is not suitable for the boxing process on the subsequent stage side is excluded from the line conveyor by blowing air from the air jet device. At the time of the exclusion, an article exclusion device is known in which the time until the estimated center of gravity position of the article detected at the tip reaches the front of the air nozzle is calculated according to the inclination of the article with respect to the conveyance direction (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] However, in the conventional sorting device and article inspection device as described above, when the conveyance speed is high, such as in a weight sorter, the time for the sorting operation is limited to a short time so as not to affect the sorting operations of the articles before and after. Therefore, when the article conveyance speed becomes higher, there has been a problem that it is difficult to accurately automatically set the timing of article exclusion by an air jet.

[0008] In contrast, it is also conceivable to confirm the appropriateness of the set value of the delay time for the sorting operation, such as the second delay time described above, by a sorting operation test using an article sample or the like, and perform an adjustment operation to add or subtract the set value by manual input. However, even in such a case, when the article conveyance speed becomes higher, it has been the case that it becomes difficult to accurately automatically set the timing of article exclusion by an air jet.

[0009] The present invention has been made to solve the above-described conventional problems, and an object thereof is to provide a sorting device and an article inspection device capable of easily and accurately setting the sorting operation timing even when the article conveyance speed is increased.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a sorting device including: (1) a conveyance unit that conveys an article along a predetermined conveyance path; an air jet type discharge mechanism unit that operates in response to an input of a sorting command signal and discharges the article that has entered a specific discharge biasing section in the conveyance path to the outside of the conveyance path by compressed air at a predetermined pressure; and a control unit that controls the discharge mechanism unit. The discharge mechanism unit includes an air nozzle that jets the compressed air in a predetermined jet direction intersecting the article conveyance direction from the side of the conveyance path, and a solenoid valve that connects and disconnects a supply path of the compressed air to the air nozzle. The control unit includes an article detection sensor that detects the article at a predetermined position on the conveyance path, a delay time management timer that measures a sorting delay time from the detection time when the tip of the article is detected by the article detection sensor until the pressurization point at the time of discharging the article by the compressed air enters the discharge biasing section, sorting command means for inputting the sorting command signal to the discharge mechanism unit for a predetermined command time from the time when the delay time management timer times out, and delay time setting means for automatically setting the sorting delay time based on a conveyance delay time from the detection time until the pressurization point at the time of discharging the article enters the discharge biasing section and a command response time from when the sorting command means inputs the sorting command signal to the discharge mechanism unit until the compressed air at the predetermined pressure is jetted from the air nozzle by opening of the solenoid valve.

[0011] With this configuration, in the sorting device of the present invention, the time required from the point of detecting an article being conveyed to the start of the sorting operation by the ejection mechanism of the air jet method is adjusted and managed as the sorting delay time until the pressurization point at the time of ejecting the article enters the ejection biasing section by the air jet, and is set to the sorting delay time corresponding to the command response time of the ejection mechanism with respect to the start command of the sorting operation. Therefore, even when the article conveyance speed is increased, the timing of ejecting the article by the air jet can be accurately and automatically set. Note that although the command response time from when a sorting command signal is input to the ejection mechanism until compressed air of a predetermined pressure is ejected from the air nozzle by opening the solenoid valve can vary depending on the fluid pressure circuit configuration before and after the solenoid valve, since it corresponds to the response time to the opening operation input of the solenoid valve, a suitable command response time can be automatically calculated in consideration of the circuit configuration and the like.

[0012] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, (2) the delay time setting means sets the timing at which the pressurization point at the time of ejection biasing enters the ejection biasing section to the time when the tip of the article reaches the position corresponding to the rear end on the upstream side by the length in the conveyance direction of the article from the tip of the article when the pressurization point at the time of ejection biasing has passed through the injection port width region of the air nozzle in the article conveyance direction, and sets the sorting delay time so that the delay time management timer times out at the time when the pressurization point at the time of ejection biasing reaches the upstream side by the conveyance distance corresponding to the command response time from the position corresponding to the rear end.

[0013] In this case, when the solenoid valve of the ejection mechanism of the air jet method is operated according to the sorting delay time, while the article to be ejected passes in front of the injection port of the air nozzle from the tip to the rear end, the article is biased in the article ejection direction by the compressed air of a predetermined pressure from the air nozzle. Therefore, even when the article conveyance speed is increased, compressed air can be ejected with an effective wind pressure and flow rate during the effective ejection biasing period automatically set as the sorting operation timing, enabling reliable air jet sorting.

[0014] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, (3) the sorting command means may be configured to set the predetermined command time based on the conveyance speed and the conveyance direction length of the article. In this case, it is possible to input a sorting command signal to the discharge mechanism unit for only a necessary and sufficient command time corresponding to the conveyance direction length of the article, enabling reliable air jet sorting.

[0015] The present invention also relates to an article inspection apparatus comprising: (4) an inspection unit that performs inspection of an article by a predetermined inspection method; and a sorting unit disposed downstream of the inspection unit, wherein the sorting unit is constituted by any one of the above-described sorting apparatuses, and when the inspection unit performs inspection of an article by a predetermined inspection method on the article upstream of the conveyance path, the article detection sensor detects the article being carried into the article inspection section by the inspection unit, and the delay time management timer measures the sorting delay time until the pressurization point at the time of discharging the article enters the discharge biasing section.

[0016] With this configuration, in the article inspection apparatus of the present invention, the time required from the point of detecting an article to be inspected until the start of the sorting operation according to the inspection result is adjusted and managed as the sorting delay time until the pressurization point at the time of discharging the article enters the discharge biasing section by air jet, and is set to the sorting delay time corresponding to the command response time of the discharge mechanism unit with respect to the start command of the sorting operation. Therefore, even if the conveyance speed of the inspected article is high, it is possible to accurately and automatically set the timing of ejecting the article by air jet.

[0017] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, (5) the inspection unit may inspect the weight of the article, and the sorting unit may be configured to operate according to the inspection result of the inspection unit.

[0018] In this case, since it is an article inspection apparatus using a weight sorting method, even when the conveyance speed of the article is relatively high and the conveyance pitch of the article is relatively small, it is possible to inject compressed air with an effective wind pressure and flow rate during the automatically set effective discharge biasing period, enabling reliable air jet sorting.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, (6) the sorting command means may be configured to set the predetermined command time based on the conveyance speed and the conveyance direction length of the article. In this case, based on the inspection result of the inspected article, a sorting command signal is input to the discharge mechanism unit for a necessary and sufficient command time corresponding to the conveyance direction length, so that air jet sorting can be surely performed.

Advantages of the Invention

[0020] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a sorting device and an article inspection device capable of easily and accurately setting the sorting operation timing even when the article conveyance speed is increased.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0021]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0023] (One Embodiment) Figs. 1 to 5 show a sorting device according to an embodiment of the present invention and a weight sorting type article inspection device including the same as a sorting unit.

[0024] First, the configuration will be described.

[0025] As shown in Figs. 1 to 4, the article inspection device 1 of the present embodiment includes a transport unit 10 that transports an article W along a predetermined transport path, an inspection unit 20 that inspects a predetermined quality state of the article W within a predetermined inspection section Z1 (see Fig. 3) in the transport path, a sorting unit 30 that operates in response to an input of a sorting command signal within a predetermined sorting section Z2 and sorts the inspected article W inspected by the inspection unit 20 according to the inspection result, and a control unit 40 that controls these transport unit 10, inspection unit 20, and sorting unit 30, and is of a weight sorting type.

[0026] The transport unit 10 is composed of a plurality of conveyor units 11, 12, 13, 14 arranged in a row in the left - right direction in Figs. 1 and 2 and their transport drive means. Although not shown in detail, these conveyor units 11 to 14 support a plurality of loop - shaped conveyor belts by a plurality of drive - side and driven - side rollers parallel to each other so as to be transport - drivable, thereby forming a predetermined transport path capable of sequentially transporting the article W in the right direction in Fig. 1. Further, the transport drive means of the plurality of conveyor units 11, 12, 13, 14 is composed of a motor for transport drive, an encoder for detecting its speed, etc., and is controlled by the control unit 40 so as to achieve the transport speed set for each type of the article W. Depending on the inspection method of the inspection unit 20, the plurality of conveyor units 11, 12, 13, 14 may be configured as a single conveyor.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 2, the inspection unit 20 includes a weighing platform 21 that supports the conveyor unit 12, and a weighing unit 22 that measures the weight (load) applied to the weighing platform 21 by an electromagnetic balance scale or a load cell scale. The weighing unit 22 is capable of outputting a measurement signal corresponding to the load to the control unit 40 side. In FIG. 2, the weighing platform 21 and the weighing unit 22 are schematically illustrated, but it goes without saying that their arrangements, numbers, weighing conditions, etc. are not particularly limited. Here, the inspection unit 20 is capable of measuring the weight of the article W, but of course, it may be an inspection unit of another article inspection method.

[0028] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the sorting unit 30 (discharge mechanism unit) includes air nozzles 31A and 31B that are spaced apart from each other in opposite directions on both sides in the width direction of the conveyance path of the conveyor unit 13 and are spaced apart by a predetermined nozzle pitch Lnp in the conveyance direction, an air supply control mechanism 35 that selectively supplies compressed air to both air nozzles 31A and 31B, and shoots 36A and 36B that collect a plurality of discharged and dropped articles corresponding to the air nozzles 31A and 31B.

[0029] Each of the air nozzles 31A and 31B injects compressed air in a predetermined injection direction that intersects the article conveyance direction from the side of the conveyor unit 13. For example, it has one or a plurality of flat-type blowout ports (injection ports), but a plurality of small-diameter injection holes or slits arranged in a row so as to be spaced apart by a predetermined pitch in the conveyance direction, or a plurality of injection holes or slits arranged in a plurality of rows so as to be spaced apart by their respective arrangement pitches in the conveyance direction and the height direction may also be used.

[0030] The air nozzles 31A and 31B may be arranged on one side in the width direction of the conveyance path of the conveyor unit 13 such that the blowing directions of the compressed air from their respective air outlets face the same direction. Also, each of the air nozzles 31A and 31B may be arranged with an inclination angle of about 1 / 2 or less of the injection angle, for example, when the injection angle is greater than 0 degrees (straight) and less than 30 degrees, and the central axis of each of the air nozzles 31A and 31B is inclined from a direction perpendicular to the article conveyance direction to the downstream side in the conveyance direction.

[0031] The air supply control mechanism 35 includes one and the other electromagnetic valves 32A and 32B that connect and disconnect the supply paths f1 and f2 of compressed air to the one and the other air nozzles 31A and 31B, and an air tank 33 that communicates with the corresponding air nozzle 31A or / and 31B through the electromagnetic valve 32A or / and 32B that is open when any one or both of these electromagnetic valves 32A and 32B open, and a filter regulator 34 that filters the air (compressed air) from the air source 91 to a predetermined quality and controls it to a set pressure and supplies it into the air tank 33. Each of the electromagnetic valves 32A and 32B has a function of connecting the air passage in the corresponding air nozzle 31A or 31B to the inside of the air tank 33 when it is open, and blocking the air passage in the corresponding air nozzle 31A or 31B from the inside of the air tank 33 when it is closed.

[0032] The sorting unit 30 having this air supply control mechanism 35 responds to the input of a sorting command signal from the sorting control unit 42, and discharges the article W that has entered a specific discharge biasing section Za or / and Zb on the conveyor unit 13 that forms the sorting section Z2 (sorting conveyance path) to the outside of the sorting conveyance path by the compressed air jetted from the corresponding air nozzle 31A or / and 31B through the electromagnetic valve 32A or / and 32B that is open, serving as a discharge mechanism section.

[0033] Near the upstream end (a predetermined position on the transport path) of the conveyor unit 12, which is on the inlet side of the predetermined inspection section Z1 of the inspection unit 20, an article detection sensor 15 for detecting the tip E1 of the article W being carried onto the conveyor unit 12 is disposed. This article detection sensor 15 is composed of, for example, a light emitting and receiving type photoelectric sensor that emits light from a light emitting element and receives the light with a light receiving element, and an article is detected when the light is blocked between the light emitting and receiving elements.

[0034] Here, the article detection sensor 15 has a function that enables calculation of the start timing of the sorting operation in the sorting unit 30 and the time of that operation based on the detection time t0 of the tip E1 of the article W and the light blocking time Tw1, by detecting the tip E1 of the article W in the transport direction. Also, the light blocking time Tw1 corresponds to the time Lw / V1 during which the article detection sensor 15 is blocked by the article W having a transport direction length Lw transported at the transport speed V1. Further, in FIG. 5, the transport time corresponding to the article length Lw at the transport speed V1 in the inspection unit 20 is shown as the light blocking time Tw1 (=Lw / V1), and the transport time Tw2 corresponding to the article length Lw at the transport speed V2 in the sorting unit 30 is shown as the article length Lw / transport speed V2.

[0035] In FIG. 1, the transport direction length of the upper running surface of the conveyor belt stretched between the transport rollers of the conveyor unit 12 of the inspection unit 20 is defined as Lcw, and the interval between the upper running surfaces of the conveyor units 12 and 13 of the inspection unit 20 and the sorting unit 30 (the recessed section between adjacent rollers) is defined as Lr. Also, the air nozzle 31A of the sorting unit 30 is spaced from the upper running surface side of the conveyor unit 13 by a sorting transport distance Lrj greater than the interval Lr, and further forms a blowing outlet with an opening width Lg in the transport direction. Furthermore, the air nozzles 31A and 31B of the sorting unit 30 have an axial distance between the centers of their respective openings equal to the nozzle pitch Lnp, and the air nozzle 31B is disposed downstream of the air nozzle 31A by the nozzle pitch Lnp.

[0036] As shown in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), when the estimated center of gravity Ep of the article W reaches the upper running surface of the conveyor unit 13 of the sorting unit 30 through the interval Lr, the tip E1 of the article W in the conveying direction has moved downstream by a predetermined distance Lt which is about 1 / 2 of the conveying direction length Lw of the article W from the interval Lr. That is, the estimated center of gravity Ep of the article W is here assumed to be at a position separated from the tip E1 by a distance (Lw / 2) which is half of the conveying direction length Lw. However, when it is clear that the estimated center of gravity position deviates from the center of the conveying direction length of the article W, it may be set manually from the display operation unit 43.

[0037] Also, in FIG. 3, the conveying speed of the conveyor unit 11 which is the running-up section is shown as V, the conveying speed of the conveyor unit 12 which is the inspection section is shown as V1, and the conveying speed of the conveyor unit 13 which is the sorting section is shown as V2. These speeds V, V1, V2 are equal to each other, or the conveying speed on the downstream side is set to be equal to or higher than the conveying speed on the upstream side (V = V1 or V ≦ V1, V1 = V2 or V1 ≦ V2). Hereinafter, unless otherwise specified as the speeds V1, V2, the conveying speed V2 in the sorting section is simply referred to as the conveying speed V. Also, unless otherwise specified as the conveying time Tw1, the latter conveying time Tw2 is simply referred to as the conveying time Tw.

[0038] As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the control unit 40 includes an inspection control unit 41, a sorting control unit 42, and a display operation unit 43. The weighing signal of the article W output from the weighing unit 22 is taken into the inspection control unit 41 so that predetermined measurement and inspection processes are performed. Also, a display operation unit 43 through which an operator performs input operations and result confirmation is connected to the control unit 40.

[0039] The control unit 40 has a computer configuration including, for example, a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and an I / O interface, and is configured to include, for example, a programmable controller that gives input / output signals to various drivers.

[0040] The predetermined measurement and inspection process in the inspection control unit 41 determines, for example, whether the measured weight of the article W based on the weighing signal from the weighing unit 22 is within the allowable range, whether it exceeds the allowable range on the over side, or whether it is below the allowable range on the under side. When a predetermined inspection time Tp (measurement time) has elapsed from the time point (time) t0 of the carry-in detection by the article detection sensor 15, the determination result is output as 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 exerting its processing function.

[0041] Here, the predetermined inspection time Tp is based on the passing time (Lcw / V1) of the estimated center of gravity Ep of the article W calculated based on the conveyance speed V of the inspection unit 20 and the machine length Lcw (see FIG. 2) of the inspection unit 20. It is set for each article type within the time range from the detection time t0 of the article W by the article detection sensor 15 to the time when the article W is carried onto the conveyor unit 12 of the inspection unit 20 and all or part of the self-weight of the article W is input as a load to the weighing unit 22. Also, the predetermined inspection time Tp is set as the required measurement time including, for at least the time when the article W is supported only by the conveyor unit 12 of the inspection unit 20 with its center of gravity (which can be substituted solely by the midpoint in the conveyance direction length) moving on the conveyor unit 12, a certain time required for weighing.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 4, the inspection control unit 41 specifically includes, for example, a sampling circuit 44, a weight calculation means 45, a determination means 46, a measurement time management timer 48 (inspection time management timer), and an article type registration memory 49. The sorting control unit 42 includes, for example, a determination result memory 51, a delay time management timer 52, a delay time setting means 53, and a sorting command output unit 55 (sorting command means).

[0043] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, when the sampling circuit 44 receives the detection signal d1 of the carried-in article W from the article detection sensor 15, it is a circuit that closes the switch 44a at a predetermined measurement timing that operates the weighing inspection unit 20 in response to the detection signal d1. The measurement timing is set according to a predetermined stabilization waiting time ts (see FIG. 5) from the start of carrying the article W onto the conveyor unit 12 until the weighing signal stabilizes.

[0044] The weighing signal after the elapse of the stabilization waiting time ts is input to the weight calculation means 45 via the switch 44a, and the weight calculation means 45 is configured to calculate the weight value of the carried-in article W by means of average calculation or the like.

[0045] The weight calculated by the weight calculation means 45 is taken into the determination means 46 as the measured weight. In the determination means 46, it is compared with a preset allowable weight range, and a determination signal corresponding to the determination result is output. Note that the determination means 46 may also receive the previous inspection signal from the previous inspection machine and output a comprehensive determination result.

[0046] The determination signal output from the determination means 46 can be a 4-bit determination signal with NG1 being 0100, NG2 being 0010, and OK being 0001 when outputting, for example, including the previous inspection signal. If the previous inspection signal is OK, for example, the first bit is "0", and the determination result for the weight can be known by which bit position among the remaining 3 bits has a "1".

[0047] For example, when there is a "1" in the second bit of this 4-bit determination signal, it is a NG1 signal indicating an over determination that the weight measurement value of the article W exceeds the allowable range, and it becomes a signal that requests the output of a sorting command signal RJ1 that causes the solenoid valve 32A of the sorting unit 30 to perform an opening operation (discharge biasing) for a predetermined discharge command time Trj. When there is a "1" in the third bit, it is a NG2 signal indicating an under determination that the weight measurement value is below the allowable range, and it becomes a signal that requests the output of a sorting command signal RJ2 that causes the solenoid valve 32B of the sorting unit 30 to operate toward the article discharge side for a predetermined discharge command time Trj. Further, when there is a "1" in the fourth bit, it is an OK signal indicating a pass determination that the weight measurement value is within the allowable range, and it requests an OFF signal output (stopping the output of the sorting command signals RJ1 and RJ2) that does not operate the sorting unit 30.

[0048] In addition, when there is a "1" in the first bit of this 4-bit determination signal, although not shown in FIG. 5, as an NG determination due to an abnormality or defect occurring upstream of the inspection unit 20, it is possible to request that the solenoid valve 32A or 32B of the sorting unit 30 operate toward the article discharge side.

[0049] The measurement time management timer 48 executes counting (time measurement) from the detection time t0 of the carried-in article W by the article detection sensor 15 until a predetermined inspection time Tp elapses, times out at the elapse time t1 (=t0 + Tp) of the inspection time Tp, and notifies and outputs the elapse time t1 to the determination means 46. When the determination means 46 receives the notification output t1 from the measurement time management timer 48, it writes and outputs the determination result to the determination result memory 51 of the sorting control unit 42 as if the inspection time Tp has elapsed.

[0050] The variety registration memory 49 stores in advance the basic main parameters determined by the device configuration, and also stores the main parameters registered for each variety. When a predetermined setting request Rqm for requesting a specific operation mode such as variety setting is made from the display operation unit 43, and a plurality of main parameters that define the inspection conditions are set together with the product name and variety number that identify the variety in that specific operation mode, they are to be stored in the variety registration memory 49. Here, the parameters stored in the variety registration memory 49 include at least the parameters related to the distance from the sorting article detection position by the article detection sensor 15 to the upstream end of the discharge biasing section Za by the air nozzle 31A on the upstream side, for example, the conveyance direction length Lcw of the upper running surface of the conveyor unit 12, the interval Lr between the upper running surfaces of the conveyor units 12 and 13, the sorting conveyance distance Lrj from the interval Lr to the air nozzle 31A, the opening width Lg in the conveyance direction of each of the air nozzles 31A and 31B, the nozzle pitch Lnp between the nozzles of the air nozzles 31A and 31B. In addition, the length Lt from the tip E1 to the estimated center of gravity Ep in the conveyance direction of the article W, the conveyance speed V2 of the conveyor unit 13, and the like.

[0051] Also, based on the stored information of the basic main parameters determined by the device configuration as described above and the main parameters registered for each variety, the variety registration memory 49 further stores and holds the predetermined inspection time Tp and sorting delay time Tdly for each variety calculated by the delay time setting means 53 described later.

[0052] The effective conveyance direction widths of the discharge biasing sections Za and Zb by each of the air nozzles 31A and 31B can vary depending on the conveyance direction width Lg of the blowout port 31a of each of the air nozzles 31A and 31B, the injection angle (without sign), the injection direction, and the distance dj from the blowout port 31a to the pressure receiving surface of the article W (see Fig. 1(a)), etc. However, the delay time until the estimated center of gravity Ep, which is the pressurization point during the discharge biasing of the inspected article W, passes through the interval Lr and enters the discharge biasing section Za can be set as follows.

[0053] As shown by the solid line d in FIGS. 1(a) and 1(b), when the article W reaches the conveyance position P1 at the time of inspection loading, the tip E1 thereof is detected by the article detection sensor 15 on the entrance side of the inspection unit 20. As shown in FIG. 5, when the predetermined inspection time Tp elapses from the detection time t0, at which the article W is weight-inspected in the inspection unit 20, and the time point t1 is reached, an inspection determination signal (over, pass, or under) is output.

[0054] Then, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, when the tip of the inspected article W passes through the interval Lr between the conveyor units 12 and 13 from the detection time t0, and further, the delay time Tdly1 until the estimated center of gravity Ep of the inspected article W reaches the conveyance position P2 (the article position shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1(a)) where it starts to enter the sorting section Z2 after passing through the interval Lr is calculated using the conveyance distance Lcw of the conveyor unit 12 of the inspection unit 20, the interval Lr between the conveyor units 12 and 13, the distance Lt from the tip E1 of the article W to the estimated center of gravity Ep, and the conveyance speed V1 of the conveyor unit 12, by the following formula Tdly1=(Lcw+Lr+Lt) / V1 ···[1] and can be calculated by this formula.

[0055] Also, the delay time Tdly2 until the article W at the conveyance position P2 is continuously conveyed and its estimated center of gravity Ep starts to enter the discharge biasing section Za in front of the air nozzle 31A is calculated using, respectively, the conveyance distance Lrj from the entrance of the conveyor unit 13 to the upstream end of the blowout port 31a of the air nozzle 31A, the conveyance direction width Lg of the blowout port 31a, the distance Lt from the tip E1 of the article W to the estimated center of gravity Ep, the conveyance direction length Lw of the article W, the conveyance speed V2, and the command response time Ton until compressed air at a predetermined pressure Prj is ejected from the air nozzle 31A or 31B by opening the electromagnetic valve 32A or 32B after the sorting command signal RJ1 or RJ2 is input to the sorting unit 30, by the following formula Tdly2=(Lrj+Lg-Lt-Lw) / V2-Ton ···[2] and can be calculated by this formula.

[0056] Therefore, the sorting delay time Tdly from the detection time t0 until the estimated center of gravity Ep starts to enter the discharge biasing section Za in front of the air nozzle 31A at time t13 is the total time of the delay times Tdly1 and Tdly2, and is given by the following equation Tdly = Tdly1 + Tdly2 ···[1] and can be calculated by this equation.

[0057] The sorting control section 42 of the control section 40 has a delay time setting means 53 that automatically calculates this sorting delay time Tdly based on the total delay time (Tdly1 + (Lrj + Lg - Lt - Lw) / V2) required for conveyance from the detection time t0 until the pressurization point at the time of discharge biasing enters the discharge biasing section Za, and the command response time Ton from when the sorting command output section 55 inputs a sorting command signal RJ1 to the air supply control mechanism 35 of the sorting section 30 until compressed air at a predetermined pressure is ejected from the air nozzle 31A by opening the solenoid valve 32A.

[0058] When a predetermined setting request Rqm for requesting a specific operation mode is made by the display operation section 43, for example, and main parameter settings are made in a specific operation mode such as at the time of product type registration, this delay time setting means 53 cooperates with the product type registration memory 49 to set the timing at which the estimated center of gravity Ep of the article W enters the discharge biasing section Za to the time t14 (Tdly1 + Tdly2 + Ton) when it reaches the position corresponding to the rear end E2 (hereinafter simply referred to as the rear end corresponding position) of the article W (see FIG. 1(b)) at the conveyance position P3 that has finished passing through the region of the injection port width Lg of the air nozzle 31A in the article conveyance direction by the conveyance length Lw of the article W upstream from the tip E1, and calculates the sorting delay time Tdly so that the delay time management timer times out at time t13 when the estimated center of gravity Ep reaches a position upstream by a conveyance distance corresponding to the command response time Ton from the rear end corresponding position.

[0059] After inputting the sorting command signal RJ1 or RJ2 to the sorting unit 30, until compressed air with a predetermined pressure Prj is injected from the air nozzles 31A or 31B by opening the solenoid valves 32A or 32B, the command response time Ton can vary depending on the fluid pressure circuit configuration before and after each of the solenoid valves 32A and 32B, but it corresponds to the response time to the valve opening operation input of the solenoid valve 32A or 32B. Therefore, after considering the fluid pressure circuit configuration and the like before and after each of the solenoid valves 32A and 32B, it is possible to set a suitable command response time by conducting a preliminary response test or the like, or based on information that can be obtained as typical valve characteristic data.

[0060] In addition to the delay time setting means 53, the sorting control unit 42 includes a determination result memory 51 that sequentially stores the determination signals written and output from the determination means 46, and an estimated center of gravity Ep which is the pressurization point during the discharge biasing of the article W by compressed air from the detection time point t0 when the tip of the article W is detected by the article detection sensor 15 until it enters the discharge biasing section Za. A delay time management timer 52 that counts (measures with a timer) the sorting delay time Tdly and notifies and outputs the time point t13 when the sorting delay time Tdly has elapsed from the detection time point t0, and a sorting command output unit 55 that operates in response to the notification output from the delay time management timer 52.

[0061] The determination result memory 51 is configured by, for example, a FIFO (first in first out) memory, and can sequentially store a plurality of determination signals in the determination order while updating the pointer of the write address with the "1" bit signal that is always included in the determination signal. Further, the determination result memory 51 is configured to update the pointer of the read address when it receives the output notifying the time point t13 of the elapse of the sorting delay time Tdly from the delay time management timer 52.

[0062] The sorting instruction output unit 55 (sorting instruction means) determines whether the determination result data read from the determination result memory 51 at time point t13 when receiving the output notifying the elapse of the sorting delay time Tdly from the delay time management timer 52 is a determination result of NG1 having "1" in the second bit, and if it is a determination result of NG1, it outputs a sorting command signal RJ1 when receiving the output notifying the elapse time point t13 of the sorting delay time Tdly from the delay time management timer 52.

[0063] On the other hand, when at the elapse time point t13 of the sorting delay time Tdly, it is not a determination result of NG1 having "1" in the second bit among the determination result data read from the determination result memory 51 (in the case of OK or NG2 having no "1" in the second bit), on this condition, the sorting instruction output unit 55 measures the conveyance delay time Lnp / V2 with a delay timer function (hereinafter referred to as the second timer function) that measures the conveyance delay time Lnp / V2 until the time point t15 when the conveyance delay time Lnp / V2 corresponding to the nozzle pitch Lnp further elapses from the elapse time point t13 of the sorting delay time Tdly, and selectively outputs a sorting command signal RJ2 according to whether there is "1" in the third bit among the determination result data read from the determination result memory 51 at the elapse time point t15 of the conveyance delay time Lnp / V2.

[0064] Note that instead of the sorting instruction output unit 55, the delay time management timer 52 may have, in addition to the first timer function that notifies the output of the time point t13 when the sorting delay time Tdly elapses from the detection time point t0 of the tip E1 of the article W by the article detection sensor 15, a second timer function that notifies the output of the time point t15 when the conveyance delay time Lnp / V2 corresponding to the nozzle pitch Lnp further elapses from the elapse time point t13 of the sorting delay time Tdly, and may be configured to exhibit two timer functions with two timers. When the second timer function is provided in the delay time management timer 52 in this way, the determination result memory 51 is set to update the pointer of the read address not when receiving the output notifying the elapse time point t13 of the sorting delay time Tdly from the delay time management timer 52, but when receiving the output notifying the elapse time point t15 of the conveyance delay time Lnp / V2 corresponding to the nozzle pitch Lnp from the elapse time point t13.

[0065] Therefore, when the output unit 55 for sorting command receives the output notifying the passing of the delay time Tdly (time point t13) from the delay time management timer 52, and also when the passing of the conveyance delay time Lnp / V2 corresponding to the nozzle pitch Lnp (time point t15) is notified, the determination result (NG1, OK, or NG2) stored and held in the read address is read out and output to the sorting command output unit 55. In this case, at the time point t13 when the sorting delay time Tdly has passed, the sorting command output unit 55 outputs the sorting command signal RJ2 selectively according to whether there is a "1" in the third bit of the determination result data read from the determination result memory 51 at the time point t15 when an additional conveyance delay time Lnp / V2 corresponding to the nozzle pitch Lnp has passed since the time point t13, on the condition that the determination result is OK or NG2 with no "1" in the second bit of the determination result data read from the determination result memory 51.

[0066] The sorting command output unit 55 also has a function of performing sorting control to input the sorting command signal RJ1 or RJ2 corresponding to the NG1 signal or NG2 signal to the air supply control mechanism 35 of the sorting unit 30 during a predetermined command time Trj from the time point t13 when the delay time management timer 52 times out, or to output an OFF command signal that allows passage to the subsequent conveyor unit 14 side without outputting either the sorting command signal RJ1 or RJ2 corresponding to the OK signal.

[0067] This sorting command output unit 55 is configured to set the aforementioned predetermined command time Trj based on the conveyance speed V2 of the article W and the conveyance direction length Lw, so that the entire area of the conveyance direction length Lw can surely receive the pressure of the compressed air with a predetermined pressure Prj jetted from the air nozzle 31A in the discharge direction as the article P is conveyed. That is, when the solenoid valve 32A of the sorting unit 30 (discharge mechanism unit) of the air jet method is operated according to the sorting delay time Tdly, while the front end E1 to the rear end E2 of the article W to be excluded passes in front of the jet port 31a of the air nozzle 31A, the vicinity of the estimated center of gravity Ep of the article W is set to a timing such that it is surely discharged and biased in the article exclusion direction by the compressed air (wind pressure) with the predetermined pressure Prj from the air nozzle 31A.

[0068] As described above, the article inspection apparatus 1 of the present invention is an article inspection apparatus including an inspection unit 20 that performs article inspection of a predetermined inspection method for measuring the weight of the article W and determining good or bad, and a sorting unit 30 that operates according to the inspection result on the downstream side of the inspection unit 20. When the inspection unit 20 performs article inspection of a predetermined inspection method on the article W upstream of the conveyor units 12 and 13 that are the conveyance paths, the article detection sensor 15 detects the article W carried into the article inspection section Z1 by the inspection unit 20, and the delay time management timer 52 measures the sorting delay time Tdly from the detection time t0 of the front end E1 of the article W by the article detection sensor 15 until the estimated center of gravity Ep of the article W enters the discharge biasing section Za by timer. Further, the sorting command output unit 55 is configured to set a necessary and sufficient discharge biasing time Tw2 for the predetermined command time Trj based on the conveyance speed V2 of the article W and the conveyance direction length Lw.

[0069] Note that the timing for jetting compressed air from the air nozzle 31B is set to a timing delayed by a predetermined time (Lnp / V2) according to the nozzle pitch Lnp between the air nozzles 31A and the conveyance speed V2 of the article W in the sorting unit 30 with respect to the air nozzle 31A. Other points are set to the same timing as the timing for jetting compressed air from the air nozzle 31A.

[0070] Next, the operation will be described.

[0071] In the article inspection apparatus 1 of the present embodiment configured as described above, when the article W to be inspected is sequentially carried into the conveyor unit 12 on the inspection unit 20 side from the conveyor unit 11 for a run-up at a predetermined conveyance pitch and conveyance speed V, each article W is detected by the article detection sensor 15 for carry-in detection at the entrance side of the inspection section Z1, and its detection signal d1 (see FIG. 4) is output from the article detection sensor 15.

[0072] Also, when the load applied to the weighing table 21 from the conveyor unit 12 into which the article W has been carried is measured by the weighing unit 22, a measurement signal corresponding to the load is output from the weighing unit 22 to the control unit 40 and taken into the inspection control unit 41, the article weight is calculated by the weight calculation means 45, and a determination signal according to the determination result in the determination means 46 is written and stored in the determination result memory 51 at the output time point t1 (= t0 + Tp) of the measurement time management timer 48 that notifies that a predetermined inspection time Tp has elapsed since the detection time point t0.

[0073] Furthermore, the determination result (OK, NG1 or NG2) of each article W stored in the determination result memory 51 is stored and held until a predetermined sorting delay time Tdly has elapsed from the carry-in time point t0 of each article W, and at the time point t13 (= t0 + Tdly) when the sorting delay time Tdly has elapsed, it is read out and output from the determination result memory 51 to the sorting command output unit 55.

[0074] Next, by the sorting command output unit 55 exerting the aforementioned second timer function according to the determination result, when the determination result is NG1, a sorting command signal RJ1 is output at the time point t13 when the sorting delay time Tdly has elapsed, and when the determination result is NG2, a sorting command signal RJ2 is output at the time point t15 when a conveyance delay time Lnp / V2 corresponding to the nozzle pitch Lnp has further elapsed from the time point t13 when the sorting delay time Tdly has elapsed.

[0075] Then, the sorting unit 30 operates according to the sorting command signal RJ1, RJ2, or OFF signal from the sorting command output unit 55. When the sorting command is the ON signal of the discharge command RJ1 or RJ2, according to the generation timing of the sorting command and its command time Trj, the solenoid valves 32A and / or 32B of the air supply control mechanism 35 of the sorting unit 30 are driven to open the valves, and compressed air is jetted from the air nozzles 31A or 32B. As a result, the article W being conveyed is urged in the discharge direction outside the conveyance path by the wind pressure received from the side, and is blown off outside the conveyance path.

[0076] Also, when the sorting command from the sorting command output unit 55 is the OFF signal of RJ1 and / or RJ2, the solenoid valves 32A and 32B of the air supply control mechanism 35 of the sorting unit 30 are held in the valve-closed state, so that compressed air is not jetted from the air nozzles 31A and 32B, and the article W being conveyed that has entered the specific discharge urging sections Za and Zb on the conveyor unit 13 does not receive the wind pressure received from the side. Therefore, at the time of OK determination allowing passage, the article W is not urged by wind pressure to be discharged from the side outside the conveyance path within the specific discharge urging sections Za and Zb, and is in the sorting state of passing through to move downstream.

[0077] As described above, in the present embodiment, prior to the normal inspection and sorting operations, a predetermined setting request Rqm for requesting a specific operation mode is made by the display operation unit 43, and main parameter settings are made in the specific operation mode such as at the time of product type registration. And at that time, a predetermined inspection time Tp is automatically set based on the main parameters of the inspection unit 20 by the inspection control unit 41. Further, from the detection time t0 when the tip E1 of the article W is detected by the article detection sensor 15, the sorting delay time Tdly until the estimated center of gravity Ep, which is the pressurization point at the time of discharging the article W, reaches within the discharge urging section Za, and the discharge posture holding time Trj that defines the operation time of the air jet sorting by the sorting unit 30 thereafter are set respectively.

[0078] When the normal operation in which the weight inspection and sorting processes of the article W are executed is started, each time an article W is detected by the article detection sensor 15, timer measurement of the sorting delay time Tdly by the delay time management timer 52 is executed from the detection time point t0. When the time-up time point t13 is reached, a signal notifying the elapsed time point t13 of the sorting delay time Td to the determination result memory 51 and the sorting command output unit 55 is output. Further, at the time of selecting the product type, a notification signal notifying the holding time Tw2 of the sorting command signals RJ1 and RJ2 is output to the sorting command output unit 55. Then, from the sorting command output unit 55, a sorting command signal RJ1 or RJ2 corresponding to the inspection result in the inspection unit 20 is transmitted to the air supply control mechanism 35 of the sorting unit 30 for a fixed command time Trj (= Ton + Tw2), and then, an OFF signal of the sorting command signal RJ1 or RJ2 is output for the command response time Toff at the time of valve closing.

[0079] In this way, in the sorting unit 30 as the sorting device of the present embodiment, the time required from the article detection time point t0 of the conveyed article W to the start of the sorting operation by the sorting unit 30 which is the discharge mechanism unit of the air jet method is adjusted and managed as the sorting delay time Tdly until the estimated center of gravity Ep which is the pressurization point at the time of discharge biasing of the article W enters the discharge biasing section Za or Zb, and is set to the sorting delay time Tdly corresponding to the command response time Ton for the start command of the sorting operation of the sorting unit 30. Therefore, even when the article conveyance speed becomes high, it is possible to accurately and automatically set the timing of article exclusion by the air jet in the sorting unit 30.

[0080] Also, in the present embodiment, the delay time setting means 53 sets the timing at which the estimated center of gravity Ep which is the pressurization point at the time of discharge biasing enters the discharge biasing section Za or Zb to the time point when it reaches the position corresponding to the rear end E2 of the article W (P3) when the estimated center of gravity Ep finishes passing through the region of the jet port width Lg of the air nozzle 31A or 31B in the article conveyance direction, and the sorting delay time Tdly is set so that the delay time management timer 52 times out at the time point t13 when the estimated center of gravity Ep reaches the upstream side by the conveyance distance corresponding to the command response time Ton from the position corresponding to the rear end.

[0081] Therefore, when the solenoid valve 32A or 32B of the air jet type sorting unit 30 is actuated according to the sorting delay time Tdly, while the front end E1 to the rear end E2 of the article W to be excluded passes in front of the injection ports of the air nozzles 31A or 31B, the article W is urged to be discharged in the article exclusion direction by the compressed air at a predetermined pressure from the air nozzles 31A or 31B. Therefore, even if the article conveyance speed is increased, compressed air can be injected at an effective wind pressure and flow rate during the effective discharge urging period automatically set as the sorting operation timing, and the sorting unit 30 capable of reliable air jet sorting can be obtained.

[0082] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, since the sorting command output unit 55 sets a predetermined command time Trj based on the conveyance speed V2 and the conveyance direction length Lw of the article W, the sorting command signal RJ1 or RJ2 can be input to the sorting unit 30 for a necessary and sufficient command time corresponding to the conveyance direction length Lw of the article W.

[0083] In the article inspection apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, when the inspection unit 20 performs an article inspection of a predetermined inspection method on the article W on the conveyor unit 12, the article detection sensor 15 detects the article W carried into the article inspection section Z1 of the inspection unit 20, and the delay time management timer 52 counts the sorting delay time Tdly or Tdly + Lnp / V2 until the estimated center of gravity Ep, which is the pressurization point at the time of discharging and urging of the article W, enters the discharge urging section Za or Zb.

[0084] Therefore, the time required from the detection time t0 of the article W to be inspected until the start of the sorting operation according to the inspection result is adjusted and managed as the sorting delay time Tdly or Tdly + Lnp / V2 until the estimated center of gravity Ep of the article W enters the discharge urging section Za or Zb by air jet, and is set to the sorting delay time Tdly corresponding to the command response time Ton of the sorting unit 30 with respect to the start command of the sorting operation. Therefore, even if the conveyance speed of the inspected article W is high, the timing of article exclusion by air jet in the sorting unit 30 can be accurately and automatically set.

[0085] In this embodiment, since the inspection unit 20 inspects the weight of the article W and the sorting unit 30 operates according to the inspection result of the inspection unit 20, even when the conveyance speed of the article W is relatively high and the conveyance pitch of the article W is relatively small because it is the article inspection apparatus 1 of the weight sorting method, compressed air can be injected with an effective wind pressure and flow rate during the automatically set effective discharge biasing period, enabling reliable air jet sorting.

[0086] Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the command time Trj from the sorting command output unit 55 is set based on the conveyance speed V2 and the conveyance direction length Lw of the article W, a sorting command signal is input to the sorting unit 30 for a necessary and sufficient command time Trj corresponding to the conveyance direction length Lw based on the inspection result of the inspected article W, ensuring reliable air jet sorting.

[0087] Thus, in this embodiment, even when the article conveyance speed is increased, it is possible to provide a sorting unit 30 and an article inspection apparatus 1 capable of easily and accurately setting the sorting operation timing.

[0088] In the above-described embodiment, the air nozzles 31A and 31B are arranged in opposite directions, but it goes without saying that a plurality of them may be arranged so that the blowing directions are the same, and compressed air of a predetermined pressure may be blown from the plurality of air nozzles 31A and 31B to the same article W according to the conveyance direction length of the article W for sorting and discharging. Also, although the article inspection method measures the weight of the article W in the above-described embodiment, it is conceivable to replace the inspection unit 20 with apparatuses of various conventionally known article inspection methods.

[0089] As described above, the article inspection apparatus of the present invention can provide a sorting apparatus and an article inspection apparatus capable of easily and accurately setting the sorting operation timing even when the article conveyance speed is increased. Such a present invention is useful for air jet type sorting apparatuses and article inspection apparatuses generally provided with a sorting unit that performs a sorting operation according to the inspection result of an inspection unit that inspects articles.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0090] 1 Article inspection device 10 Conveyor section 11 Conveyor unit (run-up conveyor, conveying path) 12 Conveyor unit (inspection conveyor, conveying path) 13 Conveyor unit (sorting conveyor, conveying path) 14 Conveyor unit (conveying path) 15 Article detection sensor (sorting article detection sensor) 20 Inspection section (weighing inspection section) 21 Weighing table 22 Weighing section 30 Sorting section (sorting device, discharge mechanism section) 31A, 31B Air nozzles 31a Jet port 32A, 32B Solenoid valves 33 Air tank 34 Filter regulator 35 Air supply control mechanism 36A, 36B Shoots 40 Control section 41 Inspection control section 42 Sorting control section 43 Display operation section 44 Sampling circuit 44a Switch 45 Weight calculation means 46 Judgment means 48 Measurement time management timer 49 Variety registration memory 51 Judgment result memory 52 Delay time management timer 53 Delay time setting means 55 Sorting command output section 91 Air source d1 Detection signal (article detection signal) E1 Tip E2 Rear end Lnp Nozzle pitch Lnp / V2 Conveying delay time Lw Conveying direction length P2 Conveyor Position P3 Conveyor Position Prj Specified Pressure (Specified Wind Pressure) RJ1 Sorting Command Signal (Discharge Command) RJ2 Sorting Command Signal (Discharge Command) t0 Detection Time (Loading Time, Article Detection Time) t1 Time (Elapsed Time of Inspection, Output Time, Notification Output) t11 Time (Time when the tip of the article has completed passing through the inspection section) t13 Time (Timeout Time, Elapsed Time) t14 Time (Time when the pressurization point during discharge pressurization has completed passing through the opening width of the upstream nozzle) t15 Time (Time when the pressurization point during discharge pressurization has completed passing through the opening width of the downstream nozzle) Tdly Sorting Delay Time (Delay Time) Tdly1 Delay Time Tdly2 Delay Time Tw1 Conveyor Time (Light Shielding Time) Tw2 Conveyor Time (Discharge Biasing Time, Holding Time) V1 Conveyor Speed (Conveyor Speed of Inspection Section, Inspection Conveyor Speed) V2 Conveyor Speed (Conveyor Speed of Sorting Section, Sorting Conveyor Speed) Z1 Inspection Section (Article Inspection Section) Z2 Sorting Section (Article Sorting Section) Za, Zb Discharge Biasing Section

Claims

1. A sorting device comprising: a conveying unit (10) for conveying an article (W) along a predetermined conveying path (13); an air jet type discharging mechanism unit (30) that responds to an input of a sorting command signal and discharges the article that has entered a specific discharging biasing section (Za) in the conveying path to the outside of the conveying path by compressed air at a predetermined pressure; and a control unit (40) for controlling the discharging mechanism unit, wherein the discharging mechanism unit includes air nozzles (31A, 31B) that jet the compressed air in a predetermined jet direction intersecting the article conveying direction from the side of the conveying path, and solenoid valves (32A, 32B) for connecting and disconnecting a supply path (f1, f2) of the compressed air to the air nozzles, the control unit includes, an article detection sensor (15) for detecting the article at a predetermined position on the conveying path, a delay time management timer (53) for measuring a sorting delay time (Tdly) from a detection time point (t0) when the tip of the article is detected by the article detection sensor until a pressurization point (Ep) at the time of discharging biasing of the article by the compressed air enters the discharging biasing section, a sorting command means (55) for inputting the sorting command signal to the discharging mechanism unit for a predetermined command time (Trj) from a time-up time point (t13) of the delay time management timer, and a delay time setting means (53) for automatically setting the sorting delay time based on a conveyance delay time (Tdly1 + Tdly2) from the detection time point until the pressurization point at the time of discharging biasing enters the discharging biasing section, and a command response time (Ton) from when the sorting command means inputs the sorting command signal to the discharging mechanism unit until the compressed air at the predetermined pressure is jetted from the air nozzles by opening of the solenoid valve.

2. The delay time setting means sets the timing at which the pressurization point during the discharge biasing enters the discharge biasing section to the point in time ((Lcw + Lr + Lt) / V1 + (Lrj + Lg - Lt - Lw) / V2) when the leading end of the article reaches a position corresponding to the rear end on the upstream side by the length (Lw) in the conveyance direction of the article after passing through the injection port width region of the air nozzle in the article conveyance direction when the pressurization point during the discharge biasing passes through the injection port width region of the air nozzle in the article conveyance direction, and sets the sorting delay time so that the delay time management timer times out at the point in time (t13) when the pressurization point during the discharge biasing reaches the upstream side by the conveyance distance corresponding to the command response time from the position corresponding to the rear end. The sorting device according to claim 1, characterized in that.

3. The sorting command means sets the predetermined command time based on the conveyance speed and the length in the conveyance direction of the article. The sorting device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that.

4. An article inspection apparatus comprising an inspection unit (20) for inspecting an article by a predetermined inspection method, and a sorting unit (30) disposed downstream of the inspection unit, wherein the sorting unit is configured by the sorting device according to claim 1 or 2, when the inspection unit performs an article inspection by a predetermined inspection method on the article upstream of the conveyance path, the article detection sensor detects the article being carried into the article inspection section (Z1) by the inspection unit, and the delay time management timer measures the sorting delay time until the pressurization point during the discharge biasing of the article enters the discharge biasing section. An article inspection apparatus characterized by that.

5. The inspection unit inspects the weight of the article, and the sorting unit operates according to the inspection result of the inspection unit. The article inspection apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that.

6. The sorting command means sets the predetermined command time based on the conveyance speed and the length in the conveyance direction of the article. The article inspection apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that.

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