Rubber weighing and cutting apparatus and method
The described system addresses the challenge of high-precision rubber metering and cutting by using volume and density estimation to control the feed amount, ensuring accurate separation and weighing of rubber materials.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- BRIDGESTONE CORP
- Filing Date
- 2025-10-24
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-03
AI Technical Summary
Existing rubber metering and cutting devices struggle with achieving high-precision metering and cutting, particularly when dealing with rubber materials that have varying outer shapes and sizes.
A system that includes a cutting device, conveying device, volume measuring device, and control device to measure and control the feed amount based on volume and density estimation, allowing for precise cutting and weighing of rubber materials, with recovery and storage mechanisms to manage material consistency.
Enables high-precision weighing and cutting of rubber materials by accurately estimating weight and density, improving accuracy and efficiency in the separation process.
Smart Images

Figure 2026091246000001_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
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[0001] The present invention relates to a rubber metering and cutting device and method.
Background Art
[0002] There is known a rubber metering and cutting device that measures, cuts, and separates a portion corresponding to a target weight from a rubber material (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a rubber metering and cutting device and method that are easy to achieve high-precision metering.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0005] One aspect of the present invention is as follows.
[0006] [1] A cutting device that cuts and separates a separation target portion that has exceeded the cutting position by the feed amount in the feed direction from the rubber material, A conveying device that relatively moves the rubber material with respect to the cutting device so that the rubber material is fed until it exceeds the cutting position by the feed amount in the feed direction for one separation, A volume measuring device that measures the volume by measuring the three-dimensional surface shape of the separation target portion before separation to obtain a volume measurement value, And a control device that controls the operation of the conveying device. The control device includes a weight estimation unit that obtains a weight estimate of the portion to be separated by multiplying the volume measurement value by a density estimate, and a feed amount setting unit that sets the feed amount so that the weight estimate becomes a set value that is less than or equal to the target weight, wherein the device is a rubber weighing and cutting device.
[0007] [2] A second volume measuring device that measures the volume of the separated portion after separation to obtain a second volume measurement value, The system includes a weight measuring device that measures the weight of the separated portion after separation to obtain a weight measurement value, The rubber weighing and cutting apparatus according to [1], wherein the control device has a density estimation unit that divides the weight measurement value by the second volume measurement value to obtain a density calculation value of the separated portion after separation, and sets the density estimate value for the next separation based on the density calculation value.
[0008] [3] The feed amount setting unit sets the feed amount for the first separation such that the estimated weight is less than the target weight, and sets the feed amount for the second separation such that the sum of the measured weight of the separated portion separated in the first separation and the estimated weight for the second separation is less than or equal to the target weight, and The rubber weighing and cutting apparatus according to [2], wherein the density estimation unit obtains the density calculation value of the portion to be separated in the first separation, and sets the density estimation value for the second separation based on the density calculation value.
[0009] [4] The system includes a recovery device for recovering the rubber material and a storage unit for storing the rubber material recovered by the recovery device. The control device has a pre-separation determination unit that determines whether the weight of the rubber material is less than or equal to the set value, If the pre-separation determination unit determines that the weight of the rubber material is less than the set value, the recovery device recovers the rubber material and stores it in the storage unit, as described in any one of items [1] to [3].
[0010] [5] The system comprises a weight measuring device that measures the weight of the separated portion after separation to obtain a weight measurement value, a recovery device that collects the separated portion after separation, and a storage unit that stores the separated portion collected by the recovery device. The control device has a separation determination unit, When the weight measurement is obtained from the portion to be separated after the first separation, the post-separation determination unit determines whether the weight measurement is less than or equal to the target weight, or greater than the target weight. If the weight measurement is greater than the target weight, the recovery device recovers the portion to be separated after separation and stores it in the storage unit. When the weight measurement is obtained from the separated portion after a predetermined number of separations, which is the second or later, the post-separation determination unit determines whether the cumulative weight of the weight measurements of the separated portion separated up to the predetermined number of separations is less than or equal to the target weight, or greater than the target weight, and if the cumulative weight is greater than the target weight, the recovery device recovers the separated portion after the predetermined number of separations and stores it in the storage unit, the rubber weighing and cutting device according to any one of [1] to [4].
[0011] [6] The rubber weighing and cutting apparatus according to [4] or [5], wherein the control device has a storage unit that associates storage location information of the material recovered by the recovery device and stored in the storage unit with the physical property information of the material and stores it as material information.
[0012] [7] A discharging unit that discharges the material of the target weight composed of one or more of the separated target parts obtained by one or more separations by the cutting device; and a supply device that supplies the material stored in the storage unit to the conveying device for cutting by the cutting device or to the discharging unit based on the material information stored in the storage unit. The rubber metering and cutting device according to [6].
[0013] [8] The control device has a material selection unit. When starting to measure the rubber material of a predetermined component by setting the target weight, the material selection unit selects, based on the material information, a suitable material from the materials stored in the storage unit that has the predetermined component, has a weight equal to or greater than the target weight, and has the weight closest to the target weight. When the weight of the suitable material matches the target weight, the control device controls the supply device so that the suitable material is supplied to the discharging unit; and when the weight of the suitable material is greater than the target weight, the suitable material is supplied to the conveying device. The rubber metering and cutting device according to [7].
[0014] [9] The volume measurement device is composed of a laser displacement meter or a three-dimensional sensor. The rubber metering and cutting device according to any one of [1] to [8].
[0015]
[10] The control device controls the operation of the cutting device. The rubber metering and cutting device according to any one of [1] to [9].
[0016]
[11] The feeding amount is 1 to 1000 mm. The rubber metering and cutting device according to any one of [1] to
[10] .
[0017]
[12] A cutting step of cutting and separating a separated target part that exceeds the cutting position by the feeding amount in the feeding direction from the rubber material by the cutting device. A conveying step of relatively moving the rubber material with respect to the cutting device by a conveying device so that the rubber material is conveyed until it exceeds the cutting position by the feeding amount in the feeding direction for one separation; A volume measurement step of measuring the volume by a volume measurement device by measuring the three-dimensional surface shape of the separation target portion before separation to obtain a volume measurement value; A control step of controlling the operation of the conveying device by a control device; The control step includes a weight estimation step of obtaining a weight estimation value of the separation target portion by multiplying the volume measurement value by a density estimation value by a weight estimation unit of the control device, and a feeding amount setting step of setting the feeding amount so that the weight estimation value becomes a set value not exceeding a target weight by a feeding amount setting unit of the control device. A rubber weighing and cutting method.
Advantages of the Invention
[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a rubber weighing and cutting device and method that are easy to achieve high-precision weighing.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0019] [Figure 1] It is a schematic diagram showing a rubber weighing and cutting device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a timing diagram showing the implementation timing of each step for a rubber weighing and cutting method as an example by the rubber weighing and cutting device shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a schematic diagram showing a modified example of a volume measurement device in the rubber weighing and cutting device shown in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is a schematic diagram showing a rubber weighing and cutting device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a schematic diagram showing a rubber weighing and cutting device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
Modes for Carrying Out the Invention
[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be illustrated and described with reference to the drawings.
[0021] In the first embodiment of the present invention, the rubber weighing and cutting device 1 weighs and cuts a portion of the rubber material 2 corresponding to a target weight, and separates it. The separation (weighing) of the portion corresponding to the target weight from the rubber material 2 may be performed in one step or in multiple steps. In this embodiment, it is performed in multiple steps.
[0022] As shown in Figure 1, the rubber weighing and cutting device 1 of this embodiment includes a cutting device 3 that cuts and separates the portion to be separated 2e from the rubber material 2 that exceeds the cutting position by a feed amount in the feed direction, a conveying device 4 that moves the rubber material 2 relative to the cutting device 3 so that the rubber material 2 is fed out until it exceeds the cutting position by a feed amount in the feed direction for one separation, a volume measuring device 5 that measures the volume by measuring the three-dimensional surface shape of the portion to be separated 2e before separation and obtains a volume measurement value, and a control device 6 that controls the operation of the conveying device 4. The control device 6 includes a weight estimation unit 6b that calculates the weight estimate of the portion to be separated 2e by multiplying the volume measurement value by a density estimate, and a feed amount setting unit 6c that sets the feed amount so that the weight estimate is less than or equal to the target weight (unlike this embodiment, if the portion equivalent to the target weight is obtained in one separation, the target weight).
[0023] In this embodiment, the rubber weighing and cutting device 1 preferably has a second volume measuring device 7 that measures the volume of the separated portion 2e to be separated and obtains a second volume measurement value, and a weight measuring device 8 that measures the weight of the separated portion 2e to be separated and obtains a weight measurement value, and the control device 6 preferably has a density estimation unit 6a that calculates the density of the separated portion 2e to be separated by dividing the weight measurement value by the second volume measurement value and sets a density estimate value for the next separation based on the density estimate value. This configuration is also suitable when separating the portion corresponding to the target weight in one step.
[0024] In this embodiment, when the separation of the portion corresponding to the target weight is performed in multiple steps, it is preferable that the feed amount setting unit 6c sets the feed amount for the first separation so that the weight estimate is less than the target weight (referred to as the setting value (1st)), and for the second separation, sets the feed amount so that the sum of the weight measurement value of the separated portion 2e separated in the first step and the weight estimate for the second separation is less than or equal to the target weight (or the target weight if the portion corresponding to the target weight is obtained by two separations), and that the density estimation unit 6a calculates the density of the separated portion 2e separated in the first step and sets the density estimate for the second separation based on the density calculation value. The setting value can be set appropriately depending on how many steps the separation is performed in. The setting value may be calculated by the control device 6, or it may be input to the control device 6 from an external source (for example, by the user).
[0025] The rubber weighing and cutting device 1 of this embodiment can perform the rubber weighing and cutting method described below. As shown in Figure 2, the rubber weighing and cutting method of this embodiment performs the following steps in order to separate the portion corresponding to the target weight in multiple steps: volume measurement step (1st time) S2, weight estimation step / control step (1st time) S3, feed amount setting step / control step (1st time) S4, cutting step (1st time) S5, second volume measurement step S6, weight measurement step S7, density estimation step / control step S8, volume measurement step (2nd time) S9, weight estimation step / control step (2nd time) S10, feed amount setting step / control step (2nd time) S11, and cutting step (2nd time) S12. The transport step S1 is performed at appropriate timings while all of the above steps are being performed.
[0026] The rubber weighing and cutting method of this embodiment includes a cutting step of cutting and separating the portion to be separated 2e that exceeds the cutting position by a feed amount in the feed direction from the rubber material 2 using a cutting device 3; a transport step S1 of moving the rubber material 2 relative to the cutting device 3 using a transport device 4 so that the rubber material 2 is fed out by a feed amount in the feed direction for one separation; a volume measurement step of measuring the volume of the portion to be separated 2e before separation using a volume measuring device 5 to obtain a volume measurement value; and a control step of controlling the operation of the transport device 4 with a control device 6. The control step includes a weight estimation step of obtaining a weight estimate of the portion to be separated 2e by multiplying the volume measurement value by a density estimate using a weight estimation unit 6b of the control device 6; and a feed amount setting step of setting the feed amount using a feed amount setting unit 6c of the control device 6 so that the weight estimate becomes a set value that is less than or equal to the target weight. According to this configuration, the feed rate and cutting are performed using a weight estimate obtained based on the volume of the portion to be separated 2e before separation, making it easier to achieve highly accurate weighing (i.e., weighing in which the difference between the weight of the portion obtained by weighing and the target weight is small). The above configuration, which performs weighing based on volume, is particularly suitable when separating rubber material 2, whose outer shape and size in a cross-section perpendicular to the feed rate are not constant in the feed rate, with a feed rate of 1 to 1000 mm. For this reason, in this embodiment, the feed rate is preferably 1 to 1000 mm, more preferably 1 to 500 mm, and even more preferably 1 to 300 mm.
[0027] Furthermore, the rubber weighing and cutting method of this embodiment includes a second volume measurement step S6 in which the volume of the separated portion 2e is measured by a second volume measuring device 7 to obtain a second volume measurement value, and a weight measurement step S7 in which the weight of the separated portion 2e is measured by a weight measuring device 8 to obtain a weight measurement value. The control step includes a density estimation step in which the density estimation unit 6a divides the weight measurement value by the second volume measurement value to obtain a density calculation value of the separated portion 2e, and sets a density estimation value for the next separation based on the density calculation value. With this configuration, the accuracy of the density estimation value is improved in the next separation, and thus the accuracy of weighing can be improved. This configuration is also suitable when the separation of the portion corresponding to the target weight is performed in one step.
[0028] In this embodiment, the control process includes a first-time feed amount setting step in which the feed amount setting unit 6c sets the feed amount for the first separation so that the weight estimate is less than the target weight (first time), and a second-time feed amount setting step in which the feed amount setting unit 6c sets the feed amount for the second separation so that the sum of the weight measurement value of the separated portion 2e separated in the first time and the weight estimate for the second separation is less than or equal to the target weight (or the target weight if the portion equivalent to the target weight is obtained by two separations) (second time). In the density estimation step, the density estimation unit 6a calculates the density of the separated portion 2e separated in the first time and sets the density estimate for the second separation based on the density calculation value. With this configuration, when separating the portion corresponding to the target weight in multiple steps, the accuracy of the density estimate is improved in at least the second separation, thus improving the accuracy of weighing. Furthermore, if the separation is performed in three or more stages, applying this configuration to the third and subsequent stages of separation will improve the accuracy of the density estimates from the third stage onward, thereby improving the accuracy of the measurement.
[0029] It is preferable that the control device 6, as in this embodiment, controls the operation of the cutting device 3 in addition to the operation of the conveying device 4. With this configuration, the control device 6 can control the operation of the conveying device 4 and the cutting device 3 so that the portion to be separated 2e is cut and separated by the cutting device 3 when it has been fed out by the conveying device 4 by the amount of feed in the feed direction to the cutting position. Therefore, since both conveying and cutting can be performed automatically, weighing can be performed efficiently.
[0030] In this embodiment, the cutting device 3 is composed of a blade, but it is not limited to this; for example, it may be configured to cut by spraying high-pressure water. In this embodiment, the cutting device 3 cuts the rubber material 2 by lowering the blade tip, but the direction of cutting is not limited to this. The blade may also have a surface treatment or coating to suppress rubber adhesion, or it may be vibrated by ultrasonic waves, and it may have a cooling mechanism to suppress heat generation during cutting. In this embodiment, the conveying device 4 is composed of a belt conveyor 4a, but it is not limited to this. In this embodiment, the conveying device 4 conveys the rubber material 2 to the stationary cutting device 3, but it is not limited to this; the conveying device 4 may be configured to convey the cutting device 3 to the stationary rubber material 2.
[0031] The volume measuring device 5 can be configured, for example, with a camera, a laser displacement meter, or a 3D sensor, and from the viewpoint of measurement accuracy, it is preferable to configure it with a laser displacement meter or a 3D sensor. Also, from the viewpoint of measurement accuracy, it is preferable that the volume measuring device 5 be configured, as in this embodiment, to measure the volume by measuring the three-dimensional surface shape of the portion to be separated 2e before separation from multiple viewpoints that compensate for blind spots, thereby obtaining the volume measurement value. For this purpose, in this embodiment, the volume measuring device 5 has a measuring instrument 5a that measures the three-dimensional surface shape of the portion to be separated 2e before separation while moving relative to the rubber material 2 in a direction that circumfers the rubber material 2 in a plane that intersects the feeding direction (for example, perpendicular), as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 1. With this configuration, the number of measuring instruments 5a used can be reduced.
[0032] The volume measuring device 5 may have a configuration that includes multiple measuring instruments 5a, each positioned at different locations in a direction circling the rubber material 2 within a plane intersecting the feeding direction (for example, perpendicular), in order to measure from multiple viewpoints to compensate for blind spots, and each measuring instrument measures the three-dimensional surface shape of the separation target portion 2e before separation. This configuration can reduce the time required for measurement. The multiple measuring instruments 5a may be positioned above the horizontal plane to which the upper surface of the rubber material 2 belongs, or below the horizontal plane to which the upper surface of the rubber material 2 belongs. If the multiple measuring instruments 5a are positioned below the horizontal plane to which the upper surface of the rubber material 2 belongs, the device can be made more space-efficient and high-precision weighing can be achieved. Alternatively, the multiple measuring instruments 5a may be positioned both above and below the horizontal plane to which the upper surface of the rubber material 2 belongs.
[0033] The volume measurement using the volume measuring device 5 may be performed while moving the measuring instrument 5a relative to the rubber material 2 in the direction of delivery or the opposite direction. In this case, the measurement may be performed by stopping the transport of the rubber material 2 by the transport device 4 and moving only the measuring instrument 5a, or the transport of the rubber material 2 by the transport device 4 may be utilized. When measuring while moving the measuring instrument 5a, it is preferable to control the operation of the measuring instrument 5a by the control device 6 as in this embodiment.
[0034] The conveying process S1 may be configured such that a portion of the rubber material 2 is conveyed beyond the cutting position in the dispensing direction only after the dispensing amount has been set, or it may be configured such that a portion of the rubber material 2 is conveyed beyond the cutting position in the dispensing direction only before the dispensing amount has been set. In the latter case, it is preferable that the volume measuring device 5 measures the volume of the region including the portion that has crossed the cutting position in the dispensing direction, and when the estimated weight obtained based on the volume measurement value for that region reaches the set value, the dispensing amount is set so that that region becomes the portion to be separated 2e. With this configuration, smooth weighing, cutting, and separation can be performed by conveying in one direction. In Figure 1, the volume measuring device 5 is located at the cutting position, but it is not limited to this, and may be located upstream or downstream of the cutting position in the conveying process. From the viewpoint of performing weighing, cutting, and separation with higher accuracy, it is preferable that the volume measuring device 5 is located at the cutting position or upstream of the cutting position in the conveying process.
[0035] The rubber material 2 preferably has a first main surface 2a and a second main surface 2b located opposite the first main surface 2a, and is elongated in the direction of delivery. In this embodiment, the rubber material 2 is transported on a belt conveyor 4a with the first main surface 2a facing upwards. In this embodiment, the rubber material 2 has a first side surface 2c that is smaller in area than either the first main surface 2a or the second main surface 2b and connects the first main surface 2a and the second main surface 2b, and a second side surface 2d located opposite the first side surface 2c in a direction perpendicular to the direction of delivery. In this embodiment, the rubber material 2 is cut by a cutting device 3 so that a cut surface is formed that extends perpendicular to the direction of delivery from the first side surface 2c to the second side surface 2d.
[0036] The material forming the rubber material 2 may be rubber, or it may be a rubber composition containing rubber and other components. The rubber forming the rubber material 2 may be natural rubber or synthetic rubber. Furthermore, the rubber material 2 may be bale rubber or clam rubber obtained by press-molding scrap rubber. The separated portion 2e, which is weighed, cut, and separated from the rubber material 2, is mixed with functional materials such as reinforcing materials in a specific proportion to become the material for the rubber product.
[0037] The second volume measuring device 7 is preferably configured to measure the volume by measuring the three-dimensional surface shape of the separated portion 2e after separation, as in this embodiment, and to obtain the volume measurement value. In this case, the second volume measuring device 7 can be configured, for example, by a laser displacement meter or a three-dimensional sensor. From the viewpoint of volume measurement accuracy, the second volume measuring device 7 is preferably configured to measure the volume by measuring the three-dimensional surface shape of the separated portion 2e after separation from multiple viewpoints that compensate for blind spots, as in this embodiment, and to obtain the volume measurement value. For this purpose, in this embodiment, the volume measuring device 5 has a measuring instrument 7a that measures the three-dimensional surface shape of the separated portion 2e after separation while moving relative to the separated portion 2e after separation in a direction that circumfers the separated portion 2e, as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 1. The volume measuring device 5 may also be configured to have multiple measuring instruments 7a that are arranged at different positions in the direction that circumfers the separated portion 2e after separation, and each measures the three-dimensional surface shape of the separated portion 2e after separation, in order to measure from multiple viewpoints that compensate for blind spots.
[0038] The method of measuring weight by the weight measuring device 8 is not particularly limited, and for example, a load cell type can be used. In this embodiment, the weight measuring device 8 is provided independently of the belt conveyor 4a, but it is not limited to this and may be built into the belt conveyor 4a.
[0039] The density of rubber material 2 may be lower than the density assuming no voids exist, for example, in the case of clam rubber, due to the voids inside the rubber material 2, or the density may be distributed due to the distribution of voids. Therefore, when performing separation for the second time or later, it is preferable to set the density estimate based on the density calculated value of the previously separated portion 2e, as described above. In this case, the density estimate may be the density calculated value itself, or it may be another value calculated based on the density calculated value. When performing the first separation, the density estimate may be the average density calculated by measuring the volume and weight of the entire rubber material 2, or it may be the density of the rubber forming the rubber material 2 or its corrected value. Furthermore, in order to reduce the influence of voids in the rubber material 2 for more accurate measurement, pressure may be applied to the rubber material 2 in advance.
[0040] The control device 6 is comprised of a computer, and the control process is executed by the computer.
[0041] As shown in the second embodiment in Figure 4, the rubber weighing and cutting device 1 includes a recovery device 9 for recovering rubber material 2 (material 11) and a storage unit 10 for storing the rubber material 2 (material 11) recovered by the recovery device 9. The control device 6 includes a pre-separation determination unit 6d for determining whether the weight of the rubber material 2 for a predetermined separation is less than or equal to a set value. If the pre-separation determination unit 6d determines that the weight of the rubber material 2 for the predetermined separation is less than the set value, the recovery device 9 recovers the rubber material 2 (material 11) from the conveying device 4 before the predetermined separation and stores it in the storage unit 10. If the pre-separation determination unit 6d determines that the weight of the rubber material 2 is equal to or equal to the set value, the predetermined separation is performed. If the predetermined separation is the first separation, the set value may be the target weight. With this configuration, if the amount of rubber material 2 before the predetermined separation is insufficient to reach the set value, the rubber material 2 can be recovered and used appropriately as needed. The weight of the rubber material 2 that the pre-separation determination unit 6d compares with the set value may be the estimated weight value estimated by the weight estimation unit 6b, or it may be the measured weight value measured by the weight measuring device 8 provided on the conveying device 4.
[0042] The rubber weighing and cutting device 1 may be configured such that, if the pre-separation determination unit 6d determines that the weight of the rubber material 2 is less than the target weight for the first separation, the recovery device 9 recovers the rubber material 2 from the conveying device 4 before the first separation is performed and stores it in the storage unit 10; and if the pre-separation determination unit 6d determines that the weight of the rubber material 2 is equal to or greater than the target weight for the first separation, the first separation is performed. With this configuration, the target weight can be reliably measured from the same rubber material, thus suppressing variations in composition caused by the mixing of rubber materials from different manufacturing lots in the weighed rubber material.
[0043] The recovery device 9 has a moving mechanism for moving the rubber material 2 from the conveying device 4 to the storage unit 10. The configuration of the moving mechanism is not particularly limited and can be, for example, a belt conveyor 4a that branches off from the conveying device 4 and extends to the storage unit 10. The storage unit 10 has a storage area for storing the rubber material 2. The storage area can be, for example, a warehouse, shelves, or containers.
[0044] As in the second embodiment, the control device 6 may be configured to have a storage unit 6f that associates storage location information of the material 11 recovered by the recovery device 9 and stored in the storage unit 10 with the physical property information of the material 11 and stores it as material information. The material 11 includes rubber material 2 recovered from the conveying device 4 after the separation target portion 2e has been separated, and rubber material 2 recovered from the conveying device 4 without separation. The storage location information is information regarding the location of the material 11 stored in the storage unit 10. The physical property information is information regarding the weight and composition of the material 11 stored in the storage unit 10. With this configuration, the material 11 stored in the storage unit 10 can be managed for reuse.
[0045] As in the second embodiment, the rubber weighing and cutting device 1 may be configured to include a dispensing unit 12 that dispenses (i.e., provides to a subsequent process) a target weight of material consisting of one or more separated parts obtained by one or more separations by the cutting device 3, and a supply device 13 that, based on material information stored in the storage unit 6f, supplies the material 11 stored in the storage unit 10 to the conveying device 4 for cutting by the cutting device 3, or to the dispensing unit 12. The dispensing unit 12 is provided downstream of the cutting device 3. When dispensing a target weight of material by two or more separations, the dispensing unit 12 temporarily stores the separated parts 2e separated before the final separation. With this configuration, the material 11 stored in the storage unit 10 can be reused to dispense a target weight of material.
[0046] As in the second embodiment, the control device 6 may have a material selection unit 6g. When setting a target weight and starting the weighing of rubber material 2 with predetermined components, the material selection unit 6g selects a suitable material from the materials 11 stored in the storage unit 10 based on material information. This material 11 has predetermined components, is equal to or greater than the target weight, and has the weight closest to the target weight. The control device 6 may then control the supply device 13 so that if the weight of the suitable material matches the target weight, the suitable material is supplied to the dispensing unit 12, and if the weight of the suitable material is greater than the target weight, the suitable material is supplied to the conveying device 4. With this configuration, the optimal material for weighing the target weight of rubber material 2 can be selected and used from the materials 11 stored in the storage unit 10.
[0047] As shown in the third embodiment in Figure 5, the rubber weighing and cutting device 1 includes a weight measuring device 8 that measures the weight of the separated portion 2e to obtain a weight measurement value, a recovery device 9 that recovers the separated portion 2e, and a storage unit 10 that stores the separated portion 2e recovered by the recovery device 9. The control device 6 includes a post-separation determination unit 6e, and when a weight measurement value is obtained from the separated portion 2e after the first separation, the post-separation determination unit 6e determines whether the weight measurement value is less than or equal to the target weight or greater than the target weight, and measures the weight If the value is greater than the target weight, the recovery device 9 recovers the separated portion 2e and stores it in the storage unit 10. If the weight measurement is obtained from the separated portion 2e after a predetermined number of separations (the second or later), the post-separation determination unit 6e determines whether the cumulative weight of the weight measurements of the separated portion 2e separated up to the predetermined number of times is less than or equal to the target weight, or greater than the target weight. If the cumulative weight is greater than the target weight, the recovery device 9 recovers the separated portion 2e after the predetermined number of separations and stores it in the storage unit 10. With this configuration, the recovery device 9 can prevent material exceeding the target weight from being dispensed from the rubber weighing and cutting device 1, thereby improving the weighing accuracy of the rubber material 2. This configuration may be provided in addition to the configuration of the second embodiment. For example, the storage unit 10 may store the separated portion 2e recovered by the recovery device 9 as material 11.
[0048] The post-separation determination unit 6e may calculate the cumulative weight of the weight measurements of the separated portion after separation from the first to a predetermined number of times. If the post-separation determination unit 6e determines that the cumulative weight of the weight measurements of the separated portion 2e separated up to the predetermined number of times is less than the target weight, the control unit may set a set value based on the cumulative weight and the target weight for the next separation. If the post-separation determination unit 6e determines that the cumulative weight of the weight measurements of the separated portion 2e separated up to the predetermined number of times is the target weight, the control unit may terminate the weighing. The recovery device 9 may be configured to supply the recovered separated portion 2e after separation up to the predetermined number of times to the part upstream of the cutting device 3 in the conveying device 4 without storing it in the storage unit 10.
[0049] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and the embodiments described above can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0050] 1. Rubber weighing and cutting device 2. Rubber material 2a 1st principal surface 2b 2nd principal surface 2c 1st side 2d second side 2e Part to be separated 3 Cutting device 4. Conveying device 4a Belt conveyor 5. Volume measuring device 5a Measuring instrument 6. Control device 6a Density estimation part 6b Weight estimation section 6c Feed amount setting section 6d Pre-separation determination section 6e Post-separation determination section 6f Storage section 6g Material selection department 7. Second volume measuring device 7a Measuring instrument 8 Weight measuring device 9. Recovery device 10 Storage Department 11 Material 12. Dispensing section 13 Feeding device S1 Conveying process S2 Volume measurement process (1st time) S3 Weight estimation process / control process (1st time) S4 Feed amount setting process / control process (1st time) S5 Cutting process (1st time) S6 2nd volume measurement process S7 Weight measurement process S8 Density estimation process / control process S9 Volume measurement process (2nd time) S10 Weight estimation process / control process (2nd time) S11 Feed amount setting process / control process (2nd time) S12 Cutting process (2nd time)
Claims
1. A cutting device that cuts and separates the portion to be separated from the rubber material by the amount of the feed in the feed direction beyond the cutting position, A conveying device that moves the rubber material relative to the cutting device such that the rubber material is fed out in the feeding direction by the amount to the cutting position for one separation, A volume measuring device that measures the volume by measuring the three-dimensional surface shape of the part to be separated before separation and obtains a volume measurement value, The device includes a control device that controls the operation of the transport device, The control device includes a weight estimation unit that obtains a weight estimate of the portion to be separated by multiplying the volume measurement value by a density estimate, and a feed amount setting unit that sets the feed amount so that the weight estimate becomes a set value that is less than or equal to the target weight, wherein the device is a rubber weighing and cutting device.
2. A second volume measuring device that measures the volume of the separated portion after separation to obtain a second volume measurement value, The system includes a weight measuring device that measures the weight of the separated portion after separation to obtain a weight measurement value, The rubber weighing and cutting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control device has a density estimation unit that divides the weight measurement value by the second volume measurement value to obtain a density calculation value of the separated portion after separation, and sets the density estimate value for the next separation based on the density calculation value.
3. The feed amount setting unit sets the feed amount for the first separation such that the estimated weight is less than the target weight, and sets the feed amount for the second separation such that the sum of the measured weight of the separated portion separated in the first separation and the estimated weight for the second separation is less than or equal to the target weight, and The rubber weighing and cutting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the density estimation unit obtains the density calculation value of the portion to be separated in the first separation and sets the density estimation value for the second separation based on the density calculation value.
4. The system includes a recovery device for recovering the rubber material and a storage unit for storing the rubber material recovered by the recovery device. The control device has a pre-separation determination unit that determines whether the weight of the rubber material is less than or equal to the set value, If the pre-separation determination unit determines that the weight of the rubber material is less than the set value, the recovery device recovers the rubber material and stores it in the storage unit, as described in claim 1.
5. The system comprises a weight measuring device that measures the weight of the separated portion after separation to obtain a weight measurement value, a recovery device that collects the separated portion after separation, and a storage unit that stores the separated portion collected by the recovery device. The control device has a separation determination unit, When the weight measurement is obtained from the portion to be separated after the first separation, the post-separation determination unit determines whether the weight measurement is less than or equal to the target weight, or greater than the target weight. If the weight measurement is greater than the target weight, the recovery device recovers the portion to be separated after separation and stores it in the storage unit. When the weight measurement is obtained from the separated portion after a predetermined number of separations, which is the second or later measurement, the post-separation determination unit determines whether the cumulative weight of the weight measurements of the separated portion separated up to the predetermined number of separations is less than or equal to the target weight, or greater than the target weight, and if the cumulative weight is greater than the target weight, the recovery device recovers the separated portion after the predetermined number of separations and stores it in the storage unit, as described in claim 1.
6. The rubber weighing and cutting apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the control device has a storage unit that associates storage location information of the material recovered by the recovery device and stored in the storage unit with the physical property information of the material and stores it as material information.
7. The rubber weighing and cutting apparatus according to claim 6, comprising: a dispensing unit that dispenses a target weight of material consisting of one or more separated portions obtained by one or more separations by the cutting device; and a supply device that, based on the material information stored in the storage unit, supplies the material stored in the storage unit to the conveying device for cutting by the cutting device, or supplies it to the dispensing unit.
8. The control device has a material selection unit, When the material selection unit sets the target weight and starts weighing the rubber material of the predetermined components, it selects a suitable material from the materials stored in the storage unit based on the material information, which is a material that has the predetermined components, is equal to or greater than the target weight, and has the weight closest to the target weight. The rubber weighing and cutting apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control device controls the supply device so that the appropriate material is supplied to the dispensing unit when the weight of the appropriate material matches the target weight, and the appropriate material is supplied to the conveying device when the weight of the appropriate material is greater than the target weight.
9. The rubber weighing and cutting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the volume measuring device is composed of a laser displacement meter or a three-dimensional sensor.
10. The rubber weighing and cutting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control device controls the operation of the cutting apparatus.
11. The rubber weighing and cutting device according to claim 1, wherein the aforementioned feed amount is 1 to 1000 mm.
12. A cutting process in which the portion to be separated that exceeds the cutting position by the amount of feed in the feed direction is cut and separated from the rubber material by a cutting device, A conveying step in which the rubber material is moved relative to the cutting device by a conveying device so that for one separation the rubber material is fed out in the feeding direction by the amount to pass the cutting position, A volume measurement step involves measuring the three-dimensional surface shape of the portion to be separated before separation, and then measuring its volume using a volume measuring device to obtain a volume measurement value. The process includes a control step in which the operation of the conveying device is controlled by a control device, The rubber weighing and cutting method comprises the following control steps: a weight estimation step of obtaining an estimated weight of the portion to be separated by multiplying the volume measurement value by an estimated density value using the weight estimation unit of the control device; and a feed amount setting step of setting the feed amount using the feed amount setting unit of the control device so that the estimated weight becomes a set value less than or equal to the target weight.