Combination scale

Abstract

To provide a combination scale which is configurated in a manner to collect measured objects discharged from a measurement part in a collection funnel so as to supply them to a collection hopper, and which can easily and securely prevent the adherence and deposition of the measured objects in the collection funnel.SOLUTION: A collection funnel has scrapers which slidingly contact with an inner surface of the funnel.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a combination scale configured to collect predetermined weights of objects to be weighed sent from a plurality of weighing units selected by combinatorial calculation in a collective funnel, temporarily hold them, discharge the held objects to be weighed based on a discharge command, and send them to a subsequent processing device such as a packaging machine.

Background Art

[0002] As such a combination scale, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1, an article discharged from a weighing hopper selected by combinatorial weighing is configured to slide and guide downward below the center of the device through a collective chute and be led to and collected in a collective funnel.

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] In the combination scale having the above configuration, each time of the weighing and discharging operation, the objects to be weighed that are weighed are concentrated and fed into the collective funnel. Therefore, when weighing objects to be weighed such as those with seasoning powder sprinkled on the surface, for example, engraved kelp with salt or gummies, free substances such as seasoning powder are likely to adhere to the inner surface of the collective funnel.

[0004] When the objects to be weighed discharged from the collective chute are fed into the collective funnel, the seasoning powder is likely to adhere and accumulate on the upper half part of the collective funnel facing the end of the collective chute, which is the place where the objects to be weighed first come into contact with the collective funnel.

[0005] Also, when the objects to be weighed themselves are powdery, such as powdered detergents or sugar, similar adhesion and accumulation may occur in the collective funnel.

[0006] The adhesion deposits generated in the collecting funnel may grow large, peel off, and be fed into the packaging machine, resulting in problems such as the weight of the bagged contents exceeding the appropriate value or the weight ratio of the object to be weighed and the seasoning powder deviating from the predetermined range.

[0007] In addition, in order to address such problems, a means has been proposed to apply vibration to the collecting funnel to intentionally peel off and remove the deposits.

[0008] However, even with such a means, problems such as vibration wear of metal parts at the funnel mounting location, generation of noise, and adverse effects on the weighing section due to vibration occur, and there are practical difficulties. In addition, the adhesion deposits generated in the collecting funnel grow large, peel off, and get caught in the sealing part of the packaging machine, resulting in time-consuming restoration work including cleaning.

[0009] The present invention has been made by focusing on such points, and an object thereof is to provide a combination scale capable of easily and surely preventing adhesion deposits in the collecting funnel.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows.

[0011] (1) The combination scale according to the present invention is In a combination scale configured to collect the object to be weighed discharged from the weighing section in a collecting funnel and supply it to a collecting hopper, a scraper that slidably contacts the inner surface of the funnel is provided inside the collecting funnel.

[0012] According to this configuration, before deposits such as seasoning powder adhering to the inner surface of the collecting funnel grow large by deposition, they can be scraped off and removed by the scraper, and it is possible to prevent the large deposits from peeling off unexpectedly.

[0013] In addition, since the deposits are removed by scraping with a scraper, there is no occurrence of problems seen in means for removing deposits by applying vibration, and it can be preferably implemented.

[0014] (2) In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, The scraper is configured to act only on the inner surface of the upper half of the collecting funnel.

[0015] According to this configuration, since the supplied material to be measured tends to concentrate and adhere to the inner surface of the upper half of the collecting funnel where it first comes into contact, it is possible to efficiently scrape only the adhesion generation area, reduce the sliding contact working area of the scraper, and reduce unnecessary sliding contact resistance. As a result, it is possible to reduce the size of the actuator for driving the scraper and save power consumption.

[0016] (3) In another embodiment of the present invention, The collecting funnel is configured in a circular funnel shape, and the scraper is configured to pivotally operate in the circumferential direction along the inner surface of the collecting funnel.

[0017] According to this configuration, the scraper can be driven simply and quietly by a driving motor or the like.

[0018] (4) In another embodiment of the present invention, The operating posture of the scraper is configured to be changeable and adjustable.

[0019] According to this configuration, appropriate scraping can be performed according to the properties of the adhesion and deposition on the inner surface of the collecting funnel.

[0020] (5) In another embodiment of the present invention, A center base body with a group of weighing hoppers as the weighing unit attached to the outer peripheral part is installed and supported above the center of the apparatus via legs arranged at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction, and between adjacent ones of the legs, a collecting chute for guiding the object to be weighed discharged from the weighing hopper to the collecting funnel is installed, and the circumferential stop position of the scraper is made to correspond to the circumferential position where the leg is installed.

[0021] According to this configuration, it is possible to avoid the object to be weighed discharged from the collecting chute from contacting or adhering to the scraper in the operation stop state, and it is possible to accurately collect the object to be weighed discharged from the collecting chute into the collecting funnel.

Effect of the Invention

[0022] In this way, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a combination scale that can easily and surely prevent adhesion and accumulation in the collecting funnel.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0024] In FIG. 1, a longitudinal front view showing a schematic configuration of a combination scale according to an embodiment of the present invention, in FIG. 2, a perspective view of a scraper, in FIG. 3, a perspective view showing a scraper drive structure, and in FIG. 4, a schematic plan view when the scraper stops are respectively shown.

[0025] This combination scale measures and discharges objects to be measured, such as various foods and confectioneries, in predetermined amounts. It is installed on the floor surface F of the upper floor in a frame assembled in a gantry shape, and is used in a packaging line that feeds the measured objects of a predetermined weight into a packaging machine (not shown) installed downstairs for bagging.

[0026] On the floor surface F, a base 1 with a hollow structure having a large vertical through-opening in the central part is installed. Above the center of the base 1, a center base 2 with a hollow structure formed in a polygonal short column shape is supported via legs 3 arranged at a plurality of locations in the circumferential direction.

[0027] Above the center of the center base 2, a dispersion feeder 4 is equipped. The dispersion feeder 4 places the objects to be measured dropped and supplied from a supply conveyor (not shown) on a vibration-driven top cone 4a and dispersedly conveys them radially.

[0028] Surrounding the dispersion feeder 4, a number of linear feeders 5 are provided radially. The linear feeders 5 place the dispersedly conveyed objects to be measured on a vibration-driven trough 5a and convey them straight outward.

[0029] Furthermore, on the outer peripheral part of the center base 2, a supply hopper 6 and a weighing hopper 7 are equipped. The supply hopper 6 temporarily stores and discharges the objects to be measured conveyed by each linear feeder 5. The weighing hopper 7, as a weighing unit, measures the weight of the objects to be measured discharged from each supply hopper 6 and discharges the objects to be measured of a predetermined weight obtained by combined calculation.

[0030] The combined weighing and discharging of the objects to be measured in the combination scale are performed by a number of consecutive weighing units including these linear feeders 5, supply hoppers 6, and weighing hoppers 7.

[0031] Below each metering hopper 7, a collecting chute 8 and a collecting funnel 9 are provided. The collecting chute 8 guides the material to be measured discharged from a plurality of metering hoppers 7 selected in combination to have a predetermined weight downward toward the lower part of the center of the apparatus. The collecting funnel 9 is in the shape of a circular funnel and collects the material to be measured flowing down along the collecting chute 8 at the center below the collecting chute 8 toward the center of the apparatus.

[0032] Furthermore, a collecting hopper 10 is provided below the center of the apparatus. The collecting hopper 10 temporarily holds the material to be measured collected by the collecting funnel 9 and discharges it based on a discharge request from the packaging machine.

[0033] In the present invention, a scraper 11 is provided on the inner surface of the collecting funnel 9. The scraper 11 prevents seasonings powder and the like separated from the material to be measured from adhering and accumulating.

[0034] Hereinafter, the detailed structure of the scraper 11 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4.

[0035] The scraper 11 is arranged to pivot around a vertical axis p concentric with the center of the collecting funnel 9 below the center of a support case 12 connected to the bottom surface of the center base 2.

[0036] The support case 12 is configured in a cylindrical shape, and a drive motor 13 that rotates vertically is installed inside the bottom thereof. The scraper 11 is detachably attached to an operating shaft 13a protruding below the case.

[0037] The scraper 11 is composed of a pair of pivoting arms 15 horizontally extending from a boss portion 14 that can be inserted into and detached from the operating shaft 13a, a support bracket 17 attached to each pivoting arm 15 via a support fitting 16, and a scraper body 19 attached to the support bracket 17 via a contact plate 18. By loosening the knob bolt 20, the entire scraper 11 can be removed from the operating shaft 13a.

[0038] The scraper body 19 is formed of a plate made of an elastic resin material with excellent wear resistance, such as urethane rubber or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, and is arranged to be in sliding contact with the upper half of the funnel, which is an area where deposits on the inner surface of the collective funnel 9 are likely to accumulate, in a state of being elastically pressed appropriately.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 3, at the upper surface of the drive motor 13, the upper end portion of the operating shaft 13a protrudes, and a disk 21 for detecting the rotational position is connected to the protruding portion. A notch recess 22 is formed at one location in the circumferential direction of the disk 21, and this notch recess 22 is configured to be detected by the proximity sensor 23.

[0040] When the scraper 11 is stopped, the notch recess 22 is in a state facing the proximity sensor 23. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4, the scraper 11 is set to be in a turning position facing the leg 3. This prevents the metered material discharged from the collective funnel 9 from being caught or adhering to the scraper 11 in the stopped position.

[0041] The scraper 11 configured as described above can be controlled to operate with arbitrary specifications according to the type of the metered material, the frequency of adhesion in the collective funnel 9, and the like. For example, various specifications can be considered, such as a specification in which the scraper 11 is turned only once each time the discharge operation from the collective hopper 10 reaches a predetermined number of times, or a specification in which the scraper 11 is turned only once each time the metering operation elapses for a set time.

[0042] Another embodiment of the scraper 11 is shown in FIG. 5.

[0043] In this example, the support shaft 24 extends horizontally from the support fitting 16, and the support bracket 17 is rotatably attached to the support shaft 24. The support bracket 17 can be rotated around the support shaft 24 by loosening the set bolt 25, and the support bracket 17 can be fixed by tightening the set bolt 25. As a result, it is possible to change and adjust the scraping action posture of the scraper body 19 with respect to the collecting funnel 9, that is, the inclination angle of the scraper body 19 with respect to the scraper turning direction, and the scraping function can be adjusted according to the properties of the adhering matter, etc.

[0044] 〔Other embodiments〕 The present invention can also be implemented in the following forms.

[0045] (1) In the scraper 11 of the above embodiment, a pair of scraper bodies 19 are in sliding contact with two circumferential positions on the inner surface of the collecting funnel 9, but it may be configured such that one scraper body 19 acts at one circumferential position on the inner surface of the collecting funnel 9. Also, it can be configured such that the scraper bodies 19 act in the number corresponding to the number of legs 3.

[0046] (2) The scraping action edge of the scraper body 19 may be linear, but it may be formed into a corrugated or serrated action edge in order to enhance the scraping performance.

[0047] (3) The scraper 11 can be configured to be movable up and down between an action position in sliding contact with the inner surface of the collecting funnel 9 and a non-action position separated upward, and it can be implemented in a form where it is lowered to the action position only during the scraping operation and rotated, and usually raised and retracted to the non-action position.

[0048] (4) It can also be applied to a combination scale configured with a weighing conveyor as a weighing unit instead of the weighing hopper 7.

[0049] (5) In the above embodiment, a combination scale with a specification in which a group of weighing hoppers 7 are arranged in a circular shape in a plan view is shown, but the present invention can also be applied to a combination scale with a specification in which the group of weighing units are arranged in a horizontal row.

Explanation of Symbols

[0050] 2 center substrate 3 legs 7 measuring unit (measuring hopper) 8 collecting chute 9 collecting funnel 11 scraper

Claims

1. In a combination weigher configured to collect the weighed material discharged from the weighing unit in a collecting funnel and supply it to a collecting hopper, a scraper that slidably contacts the inner surface of the funnel is provided inside the collecting funnel. The combination weigher is characterized by this.

2. The scraper is configured to act only on the inner surface of the upper half of the collecting funnel. The combination weigher according to Claim 1.

3. The collecting funnel is configured in a circular funnel shape, and the scraper is configured to rotate circumferentially along the inner surface of the collecting funnel. The combination weigher according to Claim 3.

4. The operating posture of the scraper is configured to be adjustable. The combination weigher according to Claim 3.

5. A center base body with a weighing hopper group as the weighing unit mounted on the outer periphery is installed and supported above the center of the apparatus via legs provided at a plurality of circumferential locations, and between adjacent legs, a collecting chute for guiding the weighed material discharged from the weighing hopper to the collecting funnel is installed, and the circumferential stop position of the scraper corresponds to the circumferential position where the leg is installed. The combination weigher according to Claim 3 or 4.

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