Item sorting device and item inspection device

Abstract

To provide an article sorting device and an article inspecting device, each enabling a sorting-object article conveyed on an inclined chute in a direction different from that of the inclined chute to have directivity, thereby enabling the sorting-object article to have stability.SOLUTION: An article separation device 3 comprises a first sorting member 26 which has, on an upper surface, a first inclined surface 26e forming a portion of an inclined surface 23a of an upstream-side inclined chute 23, which is arranged to be movable to a first sorting position protruding upper than the inclined surface 23a of the upstream-side inclined chute 23 and an inclined surface 24a of a downstream-side inclined chute 24 and to a retreating position where the first inclined surface 26e leads to the inclined surfaces 23a and 24a. The first sorting member 26 moves to the first sorting position and then guides a capsule 50 to be sorted flowing from an upstream side to a first conveyance path 26A through a first inlet port 26a, consequently the article separation device 3 sort the capsule in a direction different from directions of the upstream-side inclined chute 23 and the downstream-side inclined chute 24.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an article sorting device and an article inspection device. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art There is known an object inspection device that transports objects, such as cylindrical capsules filled with medicine and formed with hemispherical ends, while inspecting them, and selects the objects based on the inspection results (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] This item inspection device has a main gate that operates according to the inspection results of the objects to sort the objects into reject or non-reject items, a non-reject item path that is installed at an angle downstream of the main gate, a transport confirmation means that determines whether the objects have been transported normally to the main gate, and a rejection gate that operates according to the results of the transport confirmation means to sort objects that have passed through as non-reject items into OK items or items for which inspection has been completed with unknown results.

[0004] When an unknown inspected product is transported to the non-rejected product path, the rejection gate protrudes upward from the non-rejected product path, captures the non-rejected product, and distributes it to the unknown product path. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-15514 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the item sorting device described in Patent Document 1, when an unknown inspected item is transported to the non-rejected item path, the rejection gate is configured to protrude upward from the non-rejected item path, capture the non-rejected item, and sort it into the unknown item path, but no transport path is formed in the rejection gate itself.

[0007] As a result, it is not possible to provide directionality to the unknown items sorted out by the exclusion gate, and there is a risk that the behavior of the unknown items will become unstable.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide an item sorting device and an item inspection device that can give directionality to the objects to be sorted that are transported in a direction different from that on the inclined chute, thereby stabilizing the behavior of the objects to be sorted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The article sorting device of the present invention is an article sorting device that sorts objects sliding down an inclined chute that inclines from above to below, and includes a first sorting member having a first inclined surface on its upper surface that forms part of the inclined surface of the inclined chute, and being movable between a first sorting position that protrudes above the inclined surface of the inclined chute and a retracted position where the first inclined surface is continuous with the inclined surface of the inclined chute, the first sorting member having a first transport path therein, and the first transport path having a first inlet opening on the upstream side and a first outlet opening on the downstream side. A first straight section extending straight in the vertical direction from the first inlet, and a first curved section curved from a downstream portion of the first straight section in the inclined direction of the inclined chute. When the objects to be sorted slide down the inclined chute, the first sorting member moves to a first sorting position, and the objects to be sorted that have flowed from upstream are guided through the first inlet to the first conveying path, thereby sorting them in a direction different from that of the inclined chute.

[0010] With this configuration, the first sorting member has a first conveying path inside, and the objects to be sorted flowing from upstream are guided into the first conveying path through a first inlet of the first conveying path, thereby sorting in a direction different from that of the inclined chute. This allows the objects to be sorted to be transported along the first conveying path, giving the objects to be sorted directionality and stabilizing the behavior of the objects to be sorted.

[0011] This improves the degree of freedom in the discharge direction of the objects to be sorted, and prevents the objects to be sorted from clogging the first transport path. In addition, the length of the inclined chute in the inclined direction can be shortened compared to when the first transport path extends linearly in the inclined direction of the inclined chute, thereby reducing the overall length of the inclined chute and making the article sorting device more compact.

[0012] The article sorting device of the present invention further comprises: An article sorting device that sorts objects sliding down an inclined chute that inclines from above to below, comprising a first sorting member having a first inclined surface on an upper surface thereof that forms part of the inclined surface of the inclined chute, and being movable between a first sorting position that protrudes above the inclined surface of the inclined chute and a retracted position where the first inclined surface is continuous with the inclined surface of the inclined chute, the first sorting member having a first transport path therein, the first transport path having a first inlet that opens on the upstream side and a first outlet that opens on the downstream side, a second sorting member is provided downstream of the first sorting member and movably disposed between a second sorting position and a third sorting position located below the second sorting position, the second sorting member has a second inclined surface on an upper surface and a second transport path therein, the second transport path has a second inlet opening on the upstream side and a second outlet opening on the downstream side, and when the first sorting member is at the first sorting position and the second sorting member is at the second sorting position, the first outlet and the second inlet are in communication with each other, When the objects to be sorted slide down the inclined chute, the first sorting member moves to the first sorting position, and the objects to be sorted that have flowed from upstream are guided through the first inlet to the first conveying path, thereby sorting the objects in a direction different from the inclined chute; The second sorting member, when positioned at the third sorting position, is configured to sort the objects to be sorted transported on the first conveying path in a first direction by passing them over the second inclined surface, and when positioned at the second sorting position, is configured to sort the objects to be sorted transported on the first conveying path in a second direction by passing them over the second conveying path.

[0013] With this configuration, the first sorting member has a first conveying path inside, and the objects to be sorted flowing from upstream are guided into the first conveying path through a first inlet of the first conveying path, thereby sorting in a direction different from that of the inclined chute. This allows the objects to be sorted to be transported along the first conveying path, giving the objects to be sorted directionality and stabilizing the behavior of the objects to be sorted. This improves the degree of freedom in the discharge direction of the objects to be sorted, and prevents the objects to be sorted from clogging the first transport path. In addition to this, When the first sorting member is positioned at the first sorting position, the second sorting member is positioned at the second sorting position and the third sorting position, thereby switching the conveying path and classifying the objects into two types of sorting objects.

[0014] As a result, one of the objects to be sorted can be transported along the first transport path and the second transport path, and the behavior of one of the objects to be sorted can be stabilized by giving directionality to the one of the objects to be sorted, while the other object to be sorted can be transported along the first transport path, and the behavior of the other object to be sorted can be stabilized by giving directionality to the other object to be sorted.

[0015] The article sorting device of the present invention further comprises: A drive unit that drives the first sorting member in the vertical direction It is composed of those having the following:

[0016] With this configuration, This reduces the installation space for the drive unit in the inclined direction of the inclined chute, and shortens the length of the inclined chute in the inclined direction, thereby reducing the overall length of the inclined chute and making the article sorting device more compact.

[0017] In addition, the item sorting device of the present invention is configured such that the first conveying path has a first straight section extending in a straight line in the vertical direction from the first entrance and a first curved section curving from the downstream portion of the first straight section in the inclined direction of the inclined chute, and the second conveying path has a second straight section extending in a straight line in the vertical direction from the second entrance and a second curved section curving from the downstream portion of the second straight section in the inclined direction of the inclined chute.

[0018] With this configuration, the length of the inclined chute in the inclined direction can be shortened compared to when the first and second transport paths extend linearly in the inclined direction of the inclined chute, thereby shortening the overall length of the inclined chute and making the article sorting device more compact.

[0019] The article sorting device of the present invention is configured to include a drive unit that drives the first sorting member and the second sorting member in the vertical direction.

[0020] With this configuration, the installation space for the drive unit in the inclined direction of the inclined chute can be reduced, and the length of the inclined chute in the inclined direction can be shortened, thereby reducing the overall length of the inclined chute and making the article sorting device more compact.

[0021] Furthermore, the object inspection device of the present invention is configured to include the object sorting device described in any one of claims 1 to 5, and an inspection unit that inspects the objects sorted by the object sorting device.

[0022] With this configuration, it is possible to provide an item inspection device equipped with an item sorting device that can impart directionality to the objects to be sorted that are transported in a direction different from the inclined chute, thereby stabilizing the behavior of the objects to be sorted. Effect of the Invention

[0023] The present invention can provide an item sorting device and an item inspection device that can impart directionality to objects to be sorted that are transported in a direction different from that on the inclined chute, thereby stabilizing the behavior of the objects to be sorted. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of an article inspection apparatus equipped with an article sorting device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a state in which the inclined chute is removed from the main body member of the article sorting device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an inclined chute of an article sorting device according to one embodiment of the present invention, viewed obliquely from above and in front. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view of a first sorting member of an article sorting device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line VV in FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the size, length, and outer diameter of capsules selected by an article selection device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7(a) shows a state in which a capsule No. 5 is being transported along the transport path of an item selection device according to one embodiment of the present invention, and (b) shows a state in which a capsule No. 000 is being transported. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of a downstream inclined chute of an article sorting device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 shows a state in which a correct-weight article is selected by an article selection device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 shows a state in which light items are sorted by an article sorting device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 shows a state in which an overweight article is sorted by an article sorting device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12]FIG. 12 shows a state in which an unknown item is sorted by an item sorting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a movement trajectory of a capsule as it slides down the downstream inclined chute of an article sorting device according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, the configuration of an article selection device and an article inspection device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on FIGS. 1 to 13. FIG.

[0026] The article inspection device according to this embodiment will be described as a weight measuring device 1 that inspects, that is, weighs, the weight of an object (article) to be inspected.

[0027] In addition to weight inspection, item inspection devices can also be used as item inspection devices that sort objects based on inspection results, such as appearance inspection devices that inspect the shape and appearance of objects, X-ray inspection devices that irradiate objects with X-rays and inspect the object's mass, defects, and the presence or absence of foreign objects based on the amount of X-rays that penetrate the object, and metal detection devices that detect changes in the magnetic field or residual magnetism in the object to detect metallic foreign objects.

[0028] In this embodiment, the target object is a long cylindrical capsule 50 having both ends formed into a hemispherical shape.

[0029] The capsule 50 may be made of a material such as gelatin or hydroxypropylmethylcellulose.

[0030] In addition, the object to be inspected by the article inspection device may be a stick packet (stick-shaped package) containing tablets, granulated medicine, sugar, etc.

[0031] In Figure 1, a weight measuring device 1 as an item inspection device is composed of a supply section 2 for capsules 50, an item sorting device 3 that sorts the capsules 50 into good items (non-NG items) and defective items (NG items), a weighing section 4 that constitutes the inspection section, a sorting confirmation sensor 5, and a control section (not shown).

[0032] The capsules 50 are transported from the supply section 2 to the article selecting device 3. The article selecting device 3 includes a main body member 21 and an inclined chute 22 attached to the main body member 21.

[0033] The inclined chute 22 is inclined downward from the upstream to the downstream in the sliding direction of the capsule 50, and the capsule 50 slides down the inclined chute 22 by its own weight. For convenience of explanation, in Figures 1 to 5 and 7 to 13, the weight measuring device 1 will be explained with the supply unit 2 side (upstream side) as the rear side, and the inclined chute 22 side (downstream side) with respect to the supply unit 2 as the front side.

[0034] Here, upstream and downstream refer to the upstream and downstream with respect to the sliding direction of the capsule 50. That is, the inclined chute 22 is downstream with respect to the supply unit 2, and the supply unit 2 is upstream with respect to the inclined chute 22.

[0035] The supply unit 2 has a hopper 6, a magazine 7, and a shutter 8, and the hopper 6, the magazine 7, and the shutter 8 are installed above the inclined chute 22.

[0036] A plurality of capsules 50 are put into the hopper 6. The magazine 7 is connected to the bottom of the hopper 6, and the capsules 50 are supplied from the hopper 6 to the magazine 7 by gravity.

[0037] A supply path 7A extending in the vertical direction is formed inside the magazine 7, and the supply paths 7A are formed in the left-right direction of the weight measuring device 1, for example, arranged in ten rows.

[0038] Inside the magazine 7, the capsules 50 are stored in a vertical line along the supply path 7A, and the supply paths 7A adjacent to each other in the left-right direction are divided by a partition (not shown). As a result, the capsules 50 adjacent to each other in the left-right direction do not come into contact with each other and do not interfere with each other.

[0039] The hopper 6 and the magazine 7 periodically move up and down, and the capsules 50 that fall from the hopper 6 under their own weight are guided downward along a supply path 7A of the magazine 7.

[0040] The shutter 8 is provided near the bottom opening 7a of the magazine 7, and moves vertically together with the magazine 7.

[0041] The shutter 8 is movable between a closing position where it closes the bottom opening 7a of the magazine 7 and an opening position where it opens the bottom opening 7a of the magazine 7.

[0042] When the magazine 7 is located at the bottom end position, the shutter 8 is located at the released position, thereby allowing the capsule 50 located at the lowest end of the supply path 7A to fall from the bottom end opening 7a, and when the magazine 7 moves upward from the bottom end position, the shutter 8 closes the bottom end opening 7a to stop the capsule 50 from falling from the bottom end opening 7a.

[0043] That is, when the magazine 7 is located at the bottom end position, the shutter 8 moves to the release position for a time period that allows one capsule 50 to fall through the bottom end opening 7a.

[0044] The supply section 2 has a holding unit 9. The holding unit 9 is provided below the magazine 7 and extends in the left-right direction with a length roughly equal to that of the magazine 7.

[0045] The holding unit 9 is formed with ten rows of curved recesses 9a, which are arranged discontinuously and independently in the left-right direction. The curved recesses 9a are aligned with the ten rows of supply paths 7A in the direction in which the capsules 50 slide down.

[0046] The capsule 50 dropped from the magazine 7 lands in the curved recess 9a and is held in the curved recess 9a in an inclined position with its long axis facing diagonally upward. That is, the bottom surface of the curved recess 9a is formed as an inclined surface that slopes diagonally upward from the rear to the front.

[0047] The supply unit 2 has a pusher 10. The pusher 10 is provided upstream of the holding unit 9 and is movable horizontally. The pusher 10 moves from the rear to the front of the holding unit 9, and pushes the capsule 50 located in the curved recess 9a forward.

[0048] The weighing unit 4 includes a weighing platform 4A, which is provided on the opposite side of the pusher 10 across the holding unit 9 in the front-rear direction. Ten weighing platforms 4A (ten rows) are provided so as to align with the ten rows of curved recesses 9a in the sliding direction of the capsules 50.

[0049] The weighing platform 4A has a pair of left and right side walls 4a (only the left side wall is shown) that sandwich the capsule 50 from the left and right directions, and the capsule 50 pushed forward from the curved recess 9a by the pusher 10 is placed on the weighing platform 4A and sandwiched between the pair of left and right side walls 4a.

[0050] The supply unit 2 has an ejector 11. The ejector 11 is provided on the opposite side of the pusher 10 across the holding unit 9 in the front-rear direction and above the weighing platform 4A.

[0051] There are ten ejectors 11 provided so as to be paired with the weighing tables 4A, and they are movable up and down and forward and backward.

[0052] A push-out part 11a is provided at the rear lower end of the ejector 11. When the capsule 50 placed on the weighing platform 4A is transported to the next process, the ejector 11 moves downward from a state in which the push-out part 11a is located above the capsule 50 and behind the rear end of the capsule 50 (the state in FIG. 1), and moves forward when the push-out part 11a and the rear end of the capsule 50 are at the same height position, and the push-out part 11a pushes the capsule 50 forward from the weighing platform 4A.

[0053] Thereafter, the ejector 11 moves upward so as to move away from the weighing platform 4A, and then moves backward so that the pushing-out part 11a is positioned rearward of the rear end of the capsule 50 (the state shown in FIG. 1). By repeating this operation, the capsule 50 is pushed out from the weighing platform 4A to the next process at regular intervals.

[0054] The timing at which the ejector 11 pushes the capsule 50 forward from the weighing table 4A is synchronized with the timing at which the pusher 10 pushes the capsule 50 from the curved recess 9a onto the weighing table 4A, and the capsules 50 are supplied to the weighing table 4A at a constant cycle.

[0055] The weighing unit 4 is provided in the next process of the supply unit 2, and the capsules 50 sent out from the supply unit 2 at a constant cycle are placed on the weighing unit 4 one by one, and the weight of each capsule 50 is measured.

[0056] The weighing section 4 includes a measuring device 4B that supports a weighing platform 4A. The weighing platform 4A is supported by the measuring device 4B through a Roberval mechanism. The Roberval mechanism has a parallelogram-shaped framework in which each side can move freely.

[0057] A weighing platform 4A is attached to one of the pillars of this framework, and the other pillar is used as a fixed end of a weighing sensor. This allows the capsule 50 to be accurately weighed no matter where it is placed on the weighing platform 4A. The measuring device 4B has, for example, a load cell (not shown) as a weighing sensor.

[0058] The weighing unit 4 measures the weight of the capsule 50 by an electric signal of a load cell to which a load is applied when the capsule 50 is placed on the weighing platform 4A. Note that the weighing sensor is not limited to a load cell, and various other weighing sensors can be used.

[0059] The article selecting device 3 is provided in the next process of the weighing section 4. The inclined chute 22 has an upstream inclined chute 23 and a downstream inclined chute 24.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 2, the upstream inclined chute 23 is provided integrally with the main body member 21, and has an inclined surface 23a that slopes downward from the weighing platform 4A toward the front.

[0061] The downstream-side inclined chute 24 is detachably provided on the main body member 21. The upper part of the main body member 21 is open below the downstream-side inclined chute 24, and as shown in Figure 1, when the downstream-side inclined chute 24 is attached to the main body member 21, the opening of the main body member 21 is closed.

[0062] As shown in FIG. 1, downstream inclined chute 24 is inclined downwardly toward the front from upstream inclined chute 23 and has inclined surface 24a inclined at the same angle as inclined surface 23a of upstream inclined chute 23.

[0063] That is, the upstream inclined chute 23 and the downstream inclined chute 24 have inclined surfaces 23a, 24a that incline downward from the weighing platform 4A toward the front, and the capsule 50 pushed out from the weighing platform 4A slides downward from upstream to downstream along the upstream inclined chute 23 and the downstream inclined chute 24 by its own weight. The inclined surfaces 23a, 24a in this embodiment form the inclined surfaces of the inclined chute.

[0064] The left-right direction of the weight measuring device 1 is a direction perpendicular to the inclination direction of the inclined surface 23a of the upstream inclined chute 23 and the inclined surface 24a of the downstream inclined chute 24 and to the horizontal direction.

[0065] 3, the upstream inclined chute 23 is provided with a plurality of partition walls 23c, which are arranged at regular intervals in the left-right direction. The partition walls 23c protrude upward from the upstream inclined chute 23, and the capsules 50 are partitioned in the left-right direction by the partition walls 23c.

[0066] In other words, the upstream inclined chute 23 is provided with 10 rows of weighing tables 4A and 10 rows of conveying lanes lined up in the direction in which the capsules 50 slide, and the upstream inclined chute 23 has 10 rows of capsules 50 lined up in the left and right direction so that they can slide down.

[0067] In this embodiment, the supply path 7A, curved recess 9a, weighing table 4A and upstream inclined chute 23 of the magazine 7 are aligned in the left-right direction and form 10 rows of conveying lanes aligned in the direction in which the capsules 50 slide, and the capsules 50 sliding down along the supply path 7A, curved recess 9a, weighing table 4A and upstream inclined chute 23 of the magazine 7 do not interfere with each other.

[0068] That is, the weight measuring device 1 of this embodiment allows ten capsules 50 to slide down simultaneously at a constant interval side by side in the supply path 7A of the magazine 7, the curved recess 9a, the weighing platform 4A, and the upstream inclined chute 23, and can simultaneously measure the weight of the ten capsules 50 by the weighing unit 4. As shown in Fig. 3, the downstream inclined chute 24 is not provided with a partition plate.

[0069] 1, the article sorting device 3 has a first sorting member 26, and the first sorting member 26 is provided for each of the 10 rows of conveying lanes of the upstream inclined chute 23. In other words, the first sorting members 26 are provided lined up in 10 rows in the left-right direction of the article sorting device 3.

[0070] The first sorting member 26 extends longer in the up-down direction than it does in the front-rear direction, that is, the up-down direction is the longitudinal direction of the first sorting member 26, and the front-rear direction is the lateral direction.

[0071] A first conveying path 26A is formed inside the first sorting member 26, and the first conveying path 26A has a first inlet 26a that opens on the upstream side, and a first outlet 26b that is located below the first inlet 26a and opens on the downstream side (see Figure 4).

[0072] The first conveying path 26A has a first straight portion 26c that extends linearly in the vertical direction from the first inlet 26a, and a first curved portion 26d that curves in the inclined direction L of the inclined chute 22 from the downstream portion of the first straight portion 26c.

[0073] As shown in FIG. 5, the first conveying path 26A has a horizontal cross section formed in a U-shape, and the opening of the U-shaped cross section is closed by the side wall 21A to form a rectangular closed space for conveying the capsules 50.

[0074] Specifically, the main body member 21 is partitioned in the left-right direction by a plurality of side walls 21A, and the first sorting member 26 and a second sorting member 27, which will be described later, are provided between the side walls 21A.

[0075] As shown in FIG. 1, the upstream inclined chute 23 is formed with an opening 23b through which a first sorting member 26 can be inserted.

[0076] A first air cylinder is attached to the lower part of the first sorting member , and the first sorting member is movable in the vertical direction by the first air cylinder .

[0077] The first air cylinder 28 has a main body portion 28A accommodated in the accommodation portion 21B of the main body member 21, and a rod portion 28B provided so as to be able to freely protrude into and retract from the main body portion 28A.

[0078] A coil spring (not shown) is housed in main body portion 28A, and rod portion 28B is constantly biased upward by the coil spring.

[0079] When air is not supplied to the main body portion 28A, the rod portion 28B is biased upward by the coil spring, and the first sorting member 26 protrudes upward from the inclined surfaces 23a, 24a so that the first inlet 26a is positioned above the inclined surface 23a of the upstream inclined chute 23 and the inclined surface 24a of the downstream inclined chute 24.

[0080] A first inclined surface 26e is formed on the upper surface of the first sorting member 26, and the first inclined surface 26e is formed at the same inclination angle as the inclined surface 23a of the upstream inclined chute 23 and the inclined surface 24a of the downstream inclined chute 24.

[0081] When air is supplied to the main body 28A of the first air cylinder 28, the rod portion 28B moves downward against the biasing force of the coil spring and retracts into the main body 28A. At this time, the first inclined surface 26e of the first sorting member 26 is continuous with the inclined surfaces 23a, 24a so as to form a part of the inclined surface 23a of the upstream inclined chute 23 and the inclined surface 24a of the downstream inclined chute 24.

[0082] In this manner, the first sorting member 26 is provided so as to be freely movable between a first sorting position protruding above the inclined surfaces 23a, 24a and a retracted position continuous with the inclined surfaces 23a, 24a.

[0083] In the item sorting device 3 of this embodiment, when a capsule 50 to be sorted slides down the upstream inclined chute 23, the first sorting member 26 moves to a first sorting position, and guides defective products flowing from upstream through the first inlet 26a to the first conveying path 26A, where they are sorted in a direction different from the inclined chute 22.

[0084] In addition, when a good capsule 50 slides down the upstream inclined chute 23, the first sorting member 26 moves to a retracted position, and the good capsule 50 flowing from upstream flows from the upstream inclined chute 23 through the first inclined surface 26e of the first sorting member 26 to the downstream inclined chute 24.

[0085] A final inclined chute 25 is provided downstream of the downstream-side inclined chute 24 , and the final inclined chute 25 is provided integrally with the main body member 21 .

[0086] The good capsules 50 slide down the final inclined chute 25, and the good capsules 50 sliding down the downstream inclined chute 24 are transported from the downstream inclined chute 24 through the final inclined chute 25 to the next process.

[0087] The article sorting device 3 is equipped with second sorting members 27. The second sorting members 27 are installed downstream of the first sorting members 26 below the downstream inclined chute 24, and are arranged side by side in ten rows in the left-right direction of the article sorting device 3 so as to pair with the first sorting members 26 in the inclination direction L of the downstream inclined chute 24.

[0088] The second sorting member 27 extends longer in the up-down direction than it does in the front-rear direction, that is, the up-down direction is the longitudinal direction of the second sorting member 27, and the front-rear direction is the lateral direction.

[0089] A second conveying path 27A is formed inside the second sorting member 27, and the second conveying path 27A has a second inlet 27a that opens on the upstream side, and a second outlet 27b that is located below the second inlet 27a and opens on the downstream side.

[0090] The second conveying path 27A has a second straight portion 27c extending linearly in the vertical direction from the second inlet 27a, and a second curved portion 27d curved in the inclined direction L of the inclined chute 22 from the downstream portion of the second straight portion 27c.

[0091] The second sorting member 27 of this embodiment is formed in the same shape as the first sorting member 26, and the second sorting member 27 can be used as the first sorting member 26, and the first sorting member 26 can be used as the second sorting member 27. Therefore, the second conveying path 27A also has a U-shaped horizontal cross section like the first conveying path 26A, and forms a square space for conveying the capsules 50.

[0092] An inclined chute 30 is provided below the downstream inclined chute 24, and faces the downstream inclined chute 24 in the vertical direction. The inclined chute 30 has an inclined surface 30a that is inclined at the same angle as the inclination surface 24a of the downstream inclined chute 24, and extends parallel to the downstream inclined chute 24.

[0093] The second sorting member 27 is located upstream of the upstream portion of the inclined chute 30 and is not in contact with the inclined chute 30 in the inclination direction L of the inclined chute 30.

[0094] A second air cylinder 29 is attached to the lower part of the second sorting member 27, and the second sorting member 27 is movable in the vertical direction by the second air cylinder 29.

[0095] The second air cylinder 29 has a main body portion 29A accommodated in the accommodation portion 21B of the main body member 21, and a rod portion 29B provided so as to be able to freely protrude into and retract from the main body portion 29A.

[0096] A coil spring (not shown) is housed in the main body portion 29A, and the rod portion 29B is constantly biased upward by the coil spring.

[0097] When air is not supplied to the main body portion 29A, the rod portion 29B is biased upward by a coil spring, and the second sorting member 27 is positioned at the uppermost position close to the downstream inclined chute 24.

[0098] When the second sorting member 27 is positioned at the uppermost position, the second inlet 27a communicates with the first outlet 26b of the first sorting member 26. The first air cylinder 28 and the second air cylinder 29 of this embodiment constitute a drive unit.

[0099] The second sorting member 27 has an upper surface formed with a second inclined surface 27e, and the second inclined surface 27e is formed with the same inclination angle as the inclined surface 30a of the inclined chute 30.

[0100] When air is supplied to the body 29A of the second air cylinder 29, the rod 29B moves downward against the biasing force of the coil spring and retracts into the body 29A. At this time, the second inclined surface 27e of the second sorting member 27 is continuous with the inclined surface 30a of the inclined chute 30 so as to form a part of the inclined surface 30a (see FIG. 2).

[0101] In this way, the second sorting member 27 is provided to be movable between the second sorting position and the third sorting position that is located below the second sorting position and forms a part of the inclined surface 30a. Note that a hydraulic cylinder or the like may be used as the driving unit instead of the air cylinder.

[0102] Provided below the inclined chute 30 are a light weight product discharge section 32 for discharging light weight products 50b (see FIG. 9) and an overweight product discharge section 33 for discharging overweight products 50c (see FIG. 9). The light weight products 50b contain less content than the normal weight products 50a (see FIG. 9) which contain the proper amount of content, and the overweight products 50c contain more content than the normal weight products 50a which contain the proper amount of content, and both are sorted against the normal weight products 50a.

[0103] Of the capsules 50 selected by the article sorting device 3, the regular-weight capsules 50a correspond to non-defective products. The light-weight capsules 50b, the overweight capsules 50c, and the unknown capsules 50d (see FIG. 9) described below correspond to defective products, and the light-weight capsules 50b, the overweight capsules 50c, and the unknown capsules 50d correspond to the objects to be sorted.

[0104] In the item sorting device 3 of this embodiment, when the first sorting member 26 is located at the first sorting position and the second sorting member 27 is located at the second sorting position, the first outlet 26b of the first conveying path 26A and the second inlet 27a of the second conveying path 27A are connected.

[0105] When the second sorting member 27 is positioned at the third sorting position, the overweight item 50c transported along the first conveying path 26A of the first sorting member 26 passes through the second inclined surface 27e, is sorted in the first direction, and is discharged to the overweight item discharge section 33.

[0106] On the other hand, when the second sorting member 27 is positioned at the second sorting position, the light goods 50b transported along the first conveying path 26A of the first sorting member 26 are passed through the second conveying path 27A, sorted in the second direction, and discharged to the light goods discharge section 32.

[0107] In this way, when the first sorting member 26 is positioned at the first sorting position, the second sorting member 27 is positioned at the second sorting position and the third sorting position, whereby light weight items 50b and overweight items 50c are sorted from the normal weight items 50a sliding down the upstream inclined chute 23, and are transported in a different direction from the downstream inclined chute 24.

[0108] It should be noted that the capsule 50 slides down along the first conveying path 26A and the second conveying path 27A, and hereinafter the capsule 50 sliding down the first conveying path 26A and the second conveying path 27A will be referred to as being conveyed.

[0109] Here, a groove width W1 (see FIG. 4) of the first conveying path 26A and the second conveying path 27A perpendicular to the forward / backward direction or obliquely upward / downward direction with respect to the sliding direction of the capsule 50 will be described.

[0110] Capsules are classified into a number of sizes as defined by the Japanese Pharmacopoeia (see Figure 6). In Figure 6, the length (mm) is the length in the longitudinal direction (long axis direction) of the capsule, and the outer diameter (mm) is the dimension in the transverse direction (short axis direction) perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the capsule. The dimensional tolerance is ±0.76 mm, with max indicating the maximum allowable dimensions of the capsule's length and outer diameter, and min indicating the minimum allowable dimensions of the capsule's length and outer diameter.

[0111] As shown in Figure 6, capsules are classified into sizes from "000" with the largest capacity to "00", "0", "1", "2", "3", "4", and "5" with decreasing capacity, and the length and outer diameter dimensions are specified for each size.

[0112] When handling capsules of different sizes, it is desirable to use sorting members 26, 27 having conveying paths 26A, 27A with a common groove width W1 so that it is not necessary to prepare dedicated sorting members 26, 27 having conveying paths 26A, 27A with different groove widths W1 set according to the capsule size. In other words, it is desirable to be able to smoothly convey capsules of all sizes from "000" to "5" using sorting members 26, 27 having one type of conveying path 26A, 27A.

[0113] Specifically, the groove width W1 of the conveying paths 26A and 27A was assumed to be based on the outer diameter of the capsule so that larger capsules could pass through, and a range of dimensions that did not match the length of each capsule size was considered.

[0114] This is because if the groove width W1 of the conveying paths 26A, 27A were to match the length of the capsules, the capsules would form a bridge inside the conveying paths 26A, 27A, and the following capsules would become clogged there.

[0115] For example, if the largest size is "No. 000," then as shown in FIG. 6, the outer diameter of the capsule is approximately 9.9 mm, and if the dimensional tolerance is 0.76 mm, the groove width cannot be less than 10.7 mm, and if the dimensional tolerance is 0.4 mm, it cannot be less than 10.3 mm.

[0116] Here, since the length range of the "No. 5" capsules and the outer diameter range of the "No. 000" capsules are similar, it was found that if the groove width W1 of the conveying paths 26A, 27A is set to a dimension that slightly exceeds the outer diameter range of the "No. 000", there is a risk that the "No. 5" capsules will become clogged in the conveying paths 26A, 27A.

[0117] Therefore, it was found that if the groove width W1 of the conveying paths 26A, 27A is set in the range of 11.9 to 13.5 mm between the length range of the "No. 5" capsule and the length range of the "No. 4" capsule, the conveying paths 26A, 27A can be used in common for the frequently used "No. 000" to "No. 5" capsules, and the groove width W1 of the conveying paths 26A, 27A can be made the smallest, thereby making the sorting members 26, 27 smaller.

[0118] In other words, if the groove width W1 of the transport paths 26A, 27A is set in the range of 11.9 to 13.5 mm, the capsule 50 of "No. 5" will not be in a bridge state on the transport paths 26A, 27A even if it is transported in a sideways state (see FIG. 7(a)), and capsules 50 of other sizes will not be transported sideways on the transport paths 26A, 27A from the beginning. FIG. 7(b) shows the state in which the capsule 50 of "No. 000" is transported.

[0119] Furthermore, it was found that if a sealing defect occurs during the process of filling capsules with medicine, etc., the length of the capsule may exceed the standard range. Such a sealing defect is likely to occur when the capsule is overfilled with medicine, etc., and care must be taken to prevent clogging and ensure that the capsules are correctly selected.

[0120] For example, the length of a "No. 5" capsule when it is not properly sealed is longer than the standard dimension, being approximately 12.3 to 13.3 mm. Therefore, it was found that by setting the groove width W1 of the conveying paths 26A, 27A in the range of 11.9 mm to 12.2 mm, it is possible to reduce the size of the sorting members 26, 27 without worrying about clogging.

[0121] In short, the groove width W1 of the conveying paths 26A, 27A should be set to a minimum groove width W1 that allows capsules of the maximum size (No. 000) to the minimum size (No. 5) to be conveyed without clogging.

[0122] The groove width of the conveying paths 26A, 27A perpendicular to the left-right direction of the sliding direction of the capsule 50 is set to be slightly larger than the groove width W1 so that the capsule 50 does not tilt in the left-right direction.

[0123] In this way, by setting the groove width W1 of the conveying paths 26A, 27A to the minimum necessary and reducing the size of the sorting members 26, 27, the item sorting device 3 can be reduced in size, and as a result, the weight measuring device 1 can be reduced in size.

[0124] As shown in FIG. 2, a discharge outlet 24b opens at the downstream portion of the downstream inclined chute 24, and an unknown item discharge section 34 for discharging unknown items 50d is provided below the discharge outlet 24b.

[0125] 1 and 2, the main body member 21 is provided with a rejection gate 35, which is movable in the vertical direction. Specifically, the rejection gate 35 is biased upward by a coil spring (not shown), and when driven by an actuator, it moves downward against the biasing force of the coil spring.

[0126] The rejection gate 35 has a vertical plate portion 35A extending in the up-down direction and an inclined plate portion 35B bent from the vertical plate portion 35A toward the first sorting member 26. The inclined plate portion 35B is inclined at the same inclination angle as the inclined surface 24a of the downstream inclined chute 24.

[0127] When the vertical plate portion 35A is positioned at the lowest position, the discharge gate 35 closes the discharge outlet 24b in continuity with the inclined surface 24a so that the inclined plate portion 35B forms part of the inclined surface 24a of the downstream inclined chute 24, and when the vertical plate portion 35A is positioned at the highest position, the inclined plate portion 35B opens the discharge outlet 24b.

[0128] When the vertical plate portion 35A is positioned at the highest position, the vertical plate portion 35A protrudes upward from the downstream inclined chute 24, causing the unknown item 50d sliding down the downstream inclined chute 24 to come into contact with the vertical plate portion 35A, and the unknown item 50d is selected from the downstream inclined chute 24 and discharged to the unknown item discharge section 34.

[0129] The unknown products 50d are objects that cannot be sorted when a power outage occurs, or objects whose shapes differ from those of the correct products 50a due to defective shapes, etc. If the unknown products 50d are mixed with the correct products 50a, a sorting operation into the correct products 50a and the unknown products 50d must be performed in the next process, so the unknown products 50d that slide down the downstream inclined chute 24 are discharged to the unknown product discharge section 34 together with the correct products 50a.

[0130] In other words, when the non-defective products 50d are mixed with the normal-weight products 50a that slide down the downstream inclined chute 24, the normal-weight products 50a are also treated as the non-defective products 50d. The rejection gate 35 of this embodiment constitutes an opening and closing member.

[0131] The sorting confirmation sensor 5 is capable of detecting capsules 50 passing through the upstream part of the upstream inclined chute 23, and detects capsules that slide down the downstream inclined chute 24 at a different time from the correct capsules 50a due to defective shape or the like, and transmits the detection result to the control unit.

[0132] The control unit is composed of a computer unit including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a hard disk device, and input / output ports, none of which are shown.

[0133] The control unit, for example, compares the capsule weight information stored in the RAM with the weight information of the capsule 50 transmitted from the weighing unit 4, and determines whether the capsule 50 is a correct weight 50a, an overweight 50c, or an underweight 50b, and based on the determination result, drives the first sorting member 26 and the second sorting member 27 using the first air cylinder 28 and the second air cylinder 29 to sort the capsule 50.

[0134] When the control unit determines, based on the information transmitted from the sorting confirmation sensor 5, that an unknown item 50d has slid down the downstream inclined chute 24, it releases the rejection gate 35 and opens the discharge outlet 24b.

[0135] That is, based on the detection information of the sorting confirmation sensor 5, when the sorting confirmation sensor 5 detects a capsule 50 or foreign object sliding down the upstream inclined chute 23 at a timing different from that of the correct quantity product 50a, the control unit releases the exclusion gate 35 and opens the discharge outlet 24b.

[0136] The downstream inclined chute 24 is provided with protruding chute portions 36 and 37, which are located upstream of the discharge port 24b and downstream of the upstream inclined chute 23.

[0137] 2 and 8, the protruding chute portions 36, 37 include upstream protruding chute portions 36A, 37A and downstream protruding chute portions 36B, 37B. The upstream protruding chute portions 36A, 37A and the downstream protruding chute portions 36B, 37B are integrally formed with the downstream inclined chute 24.

[0138] The upstream protruding chute portions 36A, 37A are bent from the downstream inclined chute 24 so as to protrude upward from the downstream inclined chute 24, and have sliding surfaces 36a, 37a on their upper surfaces for sliding the capsules 50 down.

[0139] The downstream protruding chute portions 36B, 37B are bent from the downstream inclined chute 24 so as to protrude upward from the downstream inclined chute 24, and are connected to downstream portions of the upstream protruding chute portions 36A, 37A. The upstream protruding chute portions 36A, 37A constitute the protruding chute portions of this embodiment.

[0140] The protruding chute portions 36, 37 extend from one end (left end) of the downstream inclined chute 24 to the other end (right end), and the ten rows of capsules 50 slide down side by side on the sliding surfaces 36a, 37a.

[0141] As shown in Figure 8, the inclination angle θ1 (symbol omitted on the protruding chute section 36 side) of the sliding surfaces 36a, 37a with respect to the horizontal plane H is formed to be smaller than the inclination angle θ2 (symbol omitted on the protruding chute section 36 side) of the inclination surface 24a of the downstream inclined chute 24 with respect to the horizontal plane H.

[0142] In FIG. 8, the range S1 in which the downstream inclined chute 24 extends and the range S2 in which the protruding chute portions 36 and 37 extend are shown.

[0143] 1 and 3, side plates 38, 39 are provided at both ends (left and right ends) in the width direction of the downstream inclined chute 24, and the side plates 38, 39 protrude upward from the downstream inclined chute 24. Only one of the side plates, 38, is shown in FIG.

[0144] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, the left and right ends of restriction walls 40, 41 are attached to the side plates 38, 39, and the restriction walls 40, 41 extend in the width direction of the downstream inclined chute 24.

[0145] The control walls 40, 41 are located on the discharge gate 35 side with respect to the protruding chute portions 36, 37, respectively.

[0146] As shown in FIG. 8, the regulating walls 40, 41 extend from a position lower than the sliding surfaces 36a, 37a to a position higher than the sliding surfaces 36a, 37a, and face the sliding surfaces 36a, 37b in the inclination direction L of the sliding surfaces 36a, 37a.

[0147] The restriction walls 40, 41 have vertical wall portions 40a, 41a extending in the up-down direction and bent portions 40b, 41b. The bent portions 40b, 41b are bent from the lower ends of the vertical wall portions 40a, 41a toward the discharge port 24b along the downstream inclined chute 24.

[0148] The capsule 50 sliding down the downstream inclined chute 24 slides along the sliding surfaces 36a, 37a of the chute sections 36, 37 protruding from the downstream inclined chute 24, and thus slides in a direction different from the inclination direction L of the downstream inclined chute 24. At this time, the sliding speed of the capsule 50 is decelerated compared to the sliding speed when sliding down the downstream inclined chute 24.

[0149] The capsule 50 sliding down along the sliding surfaces 36a, 37a is further decelerated by contacting the vertical wall portions 40a, 41a of the regulating walls 40, 41, and then passes between the vertical wall portions 40a, 41a and the downstream protruding chute portions 36B, 37B, and then slides down between the bending portions 40b, 41b and the downstream inclined chute 24.

[0150] In addition, the gap W2 between the vertical wall portions 40a, 41a and the downstream protruding chute portions 36B, 37B, the gap W3 between the folding portions 40b, 41b and the downstream inclined chute 24, and the groove width W1 of the first conveying path 26A and the second conveying path 27A are of the same dimension.

[0151] This makes it possible to prevent clogging of capsules 50 of all sizes passing between the vertical wall portions 40a, 41a and the downstream protruding chute portions 36B, 37B, and between the folding portions 40b, 41b and the downstream inclined chute 24.

[0152] The inclination angle θ3 of the regulating walls 40, 41 relative to the sliding surfaces 36a, 37a is set to an inclination angle that reduces the impact when the capsule 50, having passed through the sliding surfaces 36a, 37a, collides with the regulating walls 40, 41 and can reliably reduce the sliding speed of the capsule 50.

[0153] The downstream inclined chute 24 in this embodiment is configured by integrally providing the protruding chute portions 36, 37, side plates 38, 39 and restriction walls 40, 41, and the protruding chute portions 36, 37, side plates 38, 39 and restriction walls 40, 41 are integrally attached to and detached from the main body member 21. The protruding chute portions 36, 37 and the restriction walls 40, 41 in this embodiment form the sliding direction changing portion.

[0154] Next, the operation of the article selecting device 3 of this embodiment will be described. The capsules 50 that have been placed on the weighing platform 4A and have their weight measured are pushed out of the weighing platform 4A by the ejector 11 in a state of being lined up in ten rows in the left-right direction.

[0155] The capsule 50 pushed out from the weighing platform 4A slides down the upstream inclined chute 23 due to its own weight.

[0156] First, the operation of the article sorting device 3 when sorting the correct-weight article 50a will be described with reference to FIG. When the control unit determines that all of the capsules 50 sliding down the conveying lane of the downstream inclined chute 24 are the correct-weight capsules 50 a, air is supplied to the main body 28 A of the first air cylinder 28 .

[0157] In this state, the rod portion 28B moves downward against the force of the coil spring and is inserted into the main body portion 28A, the first sorting member 26 is positioned in a retracted position, and the first inclined surface 26e of the first sorting member 26 is continuous with the inclined surfaces 23a, 24a so as to form part of the inclined surface 23a of the upstream inclined chute 23 and the inclined surface 24a of the downstream inclined chute 24.

[0158] Moreover, since the control unit does not supply air to the main body 29A of the second air cylinder 29, the rod portion 29B is biased by the coil spring and protrudes upward from the main body 29A, so that the second sorting member 27 is located at the second sorting position.

[0159] In addition, when the normal-weight product 50a slides down the downstream inclined chute 24, the rejection gate 35 is driven by the actuator to be at the lowest position. Therefore, the inclined plate portion 35B is continuous with the downstream inclined chute 24 so as to form a part of the inclined surface 24a of the downstream inclined chute 24.

[0160] In this way, the control unit controls the first sorting member 26 and the second sorting member 27, so that the correct-weight product 50a passes from the upstream inclined chute 23 through the first inclined surface 26e of the first sorting member 26 and flows into the downstream inclined chute 24, slides down through the inclined plate portion 35B of the rejection gate 35 to the final inclined chute 25, and is then transported from the final inclined chute 25 to the next process. Figure 9 shows the movement trajectory A of the correct-weight product 50a.

[0161] The operation of the article sorting device 3 when sorting light items 50b will be shown with reference to FIG. When the control unit determines that the capsule 50 sliding down the conveying lane of the downstream inclined chute 24 contains light items 50b, air is discharged from the main body 28A of the first air cylinder 28 of the conveying lane through which the light items 50b are flowing.

[0162] At this time, rod portion 28B is biased by the coil spring to move upward and protrude from main body portion 28A. Therefore, first sorting member 26 is located at the first sorting position, and first inlet 26a of first sorting member 26 is located above inclined surface 23a of upstream inclined chute 23. In addition, the control unit controls second air cylinder 29 to position second sorting member 27 at the second sorting position.

[0163] In this manner, the control unit controls the first sorting member 26 and the second sorting member 27, so that the first outlet 26b of the first sorting member 26 and the second inlet 27a of the second sorting member 27 communicate with each other.

[0164] As a result, light weight items 50b flowing through the conveying lane of the downstream inclined chute 24 are fed into the first conveying path 26A through the first inlet 26a, pass through the second conveying path 27A of the second sorting member 27 from the first conveying path 26A, and are then discharged from the second outlet 27b to the light weight item discharge section 32. In Figure 10, the movement trajectory B of the light weight items 50b is shown.

[0165] Based on FIG. 11, the operation of the article sorting device 3 when sorting an overweight article 50c will be shown. When the control unit determines that the capsule 50 sliding down along the conveying lane of the downstream inclined chute 24 contains an overweight item 50c, air is discharged from the main body 28A of the first air cylinder 28 of the conveying lane through which the overweight item 50c is flowing.

[0166] At this time, the rod portion 28B is biased by the coil spring and moves upward to project from the main body portion 28A, so that the first sorting member 26 is located at the first sorting position.

[0167] The control unit also supplies air to the main body 29A of the second air cylinder 29. At this time, the rod portion 29B moves downward against the biasing force of the coil spring and retracts into the main body 29A. As a result, the second sorting member 27 is located at the third retracted position, and the second inclined surface 27e of the second sorting member 27 is continuous with the inclined chute 30 so as to form a part of the inclined chute 30.

[0168] In this manner, by controlling the first sorting member 26 and the second sorting member 27 by the control unit, the first outlet 26b of the first sorting member 26 and the second inlet 27a of the second sorting member 27 are brought into a non-communicating state.

[0169] As a result, the overweight item 50c flowing through the conveying lane is input into the first conveying path 26A through the first inlet 26a, and then the overweight item 50c discharged from the first outlet 26b passes through the second inclined surface 27e of the second sorting member 27, and is then discharged along the inclined chute 30 to the overweight item discharge section 33. In Fig. 11, the movement trajectory C of the overweight item 50c is shown.

[0170] Here, the relationship between the interval at which the capsules 50 are inserted and the time required for sorting the capsules 50 will be described.

[0171] The timing at which the ejector 11 pushes out the capsule 50 from the weighing platform 4A is set to the timing at which the previous capsule 50 passes through the first conveying path 26A and the second conveying path 27A and reaches the light article discharge section 32.

[0172] In other words, the period during which the capsules 50 are sequentially fed from the weighing platform 4A to the item sorting device 3 is set so that it is longer than the time required for the capsules 50 to pass through the first conveying path 26A and the second conveying path 27A to be selected.

[0173] This insertion period is preferably short since it represents the weight measurement capability of the weight measuring device 1, but it is not preferable to set the period shorter than the time required for the capsule 50 to pass through the longest transport path (transport paths 26A, 27A).

[0174] As a result, regardless of the pattern of weight measurement results associated with the capsules 50 sequentially fed from the weighing platform 4A to the item sorting device 3 (sorting of light weight items 50b or sorting of overweight items 50c), the first sorting member 26 and the second sorting member 27 are controlled to form a conveying path in a sorting direction corresponding to the weight measurement results.

[0175] This is the capsule 50 injection cycle in which the interval between the light goods 50b located upstream of the first inlet 26a and the light goods 50b located downstream of the second outlet 27b shown in FIG. 10 is the shortest.

[0176] The operation of the article sorting device 3 when sorting the unknown item 50d will be shown with reference to FIG. When the control unit determines that an unknown item 50d has slid down the downstream inclined chute 24, there is a possibility that the unknown item 50d has been mixed in with the normal items 50a flowing down the downstream inclined chute 24, so the actuator is controlled to move the exclusion gate 35 upward.

[0177] At this time, the inclined plate portion 35B opens the discharge port 24b, so that all capsules 50 flowing through the downstream inclined chute 24 collide with the vertical plate portion 35A and are guided to the discharge port 24b, through which they are discharged to the unknown product discharge portion 34. In FIG. 12, a moving trajectory D of the unknown product 50d is shown.

[0178] In addition, in the event of a power interruption, the ejection gate 35 is urged upward by the coil spring, so that all capsules 50 flowing through the downstream inclined chute 24 are ejected from the ejection port 24b to the unknown item ejection section 34.

[0179] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 13, the capsules 50 flowing in the downstream inclined chute 24 slide down on the sliding surfaces 36a, 37a of the protruding chute portions 36, 37, and thereby slide down in a direction different from the inclination direction L of the downstream inclined chute 24.

[0180] The inclination angle θ1 of the sliding surfaces 36a, 37a relative to the horizontal plane H is formed to be smaller than the inclination angle θ2 of the inclined surface 24a of the downstream inclined chute 24 relative to the horizontal plane H, so that the capsule 50 sliding down the sliding surfaces 36a, 37a of the protruding chute portions 36, 37 slides in a direction closer to the horizontal direction than the downstream inclined chute 24, and the sliding speed of the capsule 50 is slower than the sliding speed of the capsule 50 sliding down the downstream inclined chute 24, and the capsule 50 is decelerated by the sliding surfaces 36a, 37a.

[0181] In addition, since the restricting walls 40, 41 are provided on the downstream side of each of the protruding chute sections 36, 37, the capsule 50 that has passed through the sliding surfaces 36a, 37a of the protruding chute sections 36, 37 is further decelerated by contacting the restricting walls 40, 41. In Fig. 13, the movement trajectory E of the capsule 50 is shown.

[0182] In addition, when the protruding chute portion 36 and the regulating wall 40 are considered as one set, and the protruding chute portion 37 and the regulating wall 41 are considered as one set, two sets of protruding chute portions and regulating walls are provided in this embodiment, but the number of protruding chute portions and regulating walls may be one set or three or more sets.

[0183] In addition, the deceleration time of the capsule 50 may be adjusted by adjusting the inclination angle θ3 of the protruding chute portions 36, 37 depending on the size, viscosity, etc. of the capsule 50.

[0184] Although the protruding chute sections 36 and 37 are molded integrally with the downstream inclined chute 24, the protruding chute sections may be formed as separate members integral with the downstream inclined chute 24. In this case, the protruding chute sections may be made of a different material from the downstream inclined chute 24, and the deceleration time of the capsule 50 may be adjusted.

[0185] In this way, the item sorting device 3 of this embodiment can drive the first sorting member 26 and the second sorting member 27 in accordance with the weighing results of the capsules 50, thereby sorting out light weight items 50b and overweight items 50c from the normal weight items 50a sliding down the inclined chute 22, and transport them in a direction different from the inclined chute 22.

[0186] Next, the effects of the article selection device 3 of this embodiment will be described. The item sorting device 3 of this embodiment has a first inclined surface 26e on its upper surface that forms part of the inclined surface 23a of the upstream inclined chute 23, and has a first sorting member 26 that is freely movable between a first sorting position that protrudes upward above the inclined surface 23a of the upstream inclined chute 23 and the inclined surface 24a of the downstream inclined chute 24, and a retracted position where the first inclined surface 26e is continuous with the inclined surfaces 23a, 24a.

[0187] The first sorting member 26 has a first conveying path 26A therein, and the first conveying path 26A has a first inlet 26a opening on the upstream side and a first outlet 26b opening on the downstream side. When light weight items 50b or overweight items 50c to be sorted are conveyed onto the upstream inclined chute 23, the first sorting member 26 moves to a first sorting position and guides the capsules 50 to be sorted that have flowed from upstream through the first inlet 26a to the first conveying path 26A, thereby sorting them in a direction different from the upstream inclined chute 23 and the downstream inclined chute 24.

[0188] This allows the light weight items 50b and the overweight items 50c to be transported along the first transport path 26A, and the light weight items 50b and the overweight items 50c can be made to have directionality, thereby stabilizing the behavior of the light weight items 50b and the overweight items 50c.

[0189] This improves the degree of freedom in the discharge direction of the light weight products 50b or the overweight products 50c, and prevents the light weight products 50b or the overweight products 50c from clogging the first conveying path 26A.

[0190] In addition, the item sorting device 3 of this embodiment has a second sorting member 27 that is provided downstream of the first sorting member 26 and is freely movable between a second sorting position and a third sorting position located lower than the second sorting position, and the second sorting member 27 has a second inclined surface 27e on its upper surface and a second conveying path 27A inside.

[0191] The second conveying path 27A has a second inlet 27a opening on the upstream side and a second outlet 27b opening on the downstream side, and when the first sorting member 26 is in the first sorting position and the second sorting member 27 is in the second sorting position, the first outlet 26b and the second inlet 27a are connected to each other.

[0192] When the second sorting member 27 is positioned at the second sorting position, it sorts overweight items 50c transported on the first conveying path 26A in a first direction by passing them over the second inclined surface 27e, and when it is positioned at the third sorting position, it sorts light weight items 50b transported on the first conveying path 26A in a second direction by passing them over the second conveying path 27A.

[0193] As a result, when the first sorting member 26 is positioned at the first sorting position, the second sorting member 27 can be positioned at the second sorting position and the third sorting position, thereby switching the conveying path and classifying the sorting objects into light items 50b and overweight items 50c.

[0194] Therefore, the light weight items 50b can be transported along the first transport path 26A and the second transport path 27A, and the light weight items 50b can be made directional, stabilizing the behavior of the light weight items 50b. In addition, the overweight items 50c can be transported along the first transport path 26A, and the overweight items 50c can be made directional, stabilizing the behavior of the overweight items 50c.

[0195] In addition, according to the item sorting device 3 of this embodiment, the first conveying path 26A has a first straight portion 26c extending linearly in the vertical direction from the first entrance 26a, and a first curved portion 26d curved from the downstream portion of the first straight portion 26c in the inclined direction L of the upstream inclined chute 23 and the downstream inclined chute 24.

[0196] This allows the length of the upstream inclined chute 23 and the downstream inclined chute 24 in the inclined direction L to be shortened compared to when the first conveying path 26A extends in a straight line in the inclined direction L of the upstream inclined chute 23 and the downstream inclined chute 24, making it possible to reduce the size of the item sorting device 3.

[0197] In addition, according to the item sorting device 3 of this embodiment, the second conveying path 27A has a second straight portion 27c extending linearly in the vertical direction from the second entrance 27a, and a second curved portion 27d curved from the downstream portion of the second straight portion 27c in the inclined direction L of the upstream inclined chute 23 and the downstream inclined chute 24.

[0198] This allows the length of the upstream inclined chute 23 and the downstream inclined chute 24 in the inclined direction L to be shortened compared to when the second conveying path 27A extends in a straight line in the inclined direction L of the upstream inclined chute 23 and the downstream inclined chute 24, making it possible to reduce the size of the item sorting device 3.

[0199] Furthermore, the article sorting device of this embodiment has first air cylinder 28 and second air cylinder 29 which drive first sorting member 26 and second sorting member 27 in the up and down directions, so that it is possible to reduce the installation space for first air cylinder 28 and second air cylinder 29 relative to inclination direction L of upstream inclined chute 23 and downstream inclined chute 24, and to shorten the length of upstream inclined chute 23 and downstream inclined chute 24 in inclination direction L. As a result, it is possible to reduce the size of article sorting device 3.

[0200] In addition, since the weight measuring device 1 of this embodiment has an item sorting device 3 and a weighing section 4 that inspects the capsules 50 sorted by the item sorting device 3, it is possible to provide directionality to the light weight items 50b and overweight items 50c that are transported in a different direction from the upstream inclined chute 23 and the downstream inclined chute 24, thereby stabilizing the behavior of the objects to be sorted.

[0201] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed, it will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art that modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the present invention, and all such modifications and equivalents are intended to be encompassed by the following claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0202] 1. Weight measuring device (item inspection device) 3. Item sorting device 4. Weighing Department (Inspection Department) 22 Inclined Shot 23a, 24a Inclined surface (inclined surface of inclined chute) 26 First sorting member 26A First conveyor path 26a First Entrance 26b 1st Exit 26c First straight section 26d First curved section 26e First inclined surface 27 Second sorting member 27A Second conveyor path 27a Second Entrance 27b 2nd Exit 27c Second straight section 27d Second curve 27e Second inclined surface 28 First air cylinder (drive unit) 29 Second air cylinder (drive unit) 50 capsules (target) 50b Lightweight items (items to be sorted) 50c Excessive items (items subject to sorting) 50d Unknown item (item to be sorted)

Claims

1. An article sorting device (3) for sorting objects (50) sliding down an inclined chute (22) that inclines from above to below, comprising: a first sorting member (26) having a first inclined surface (26e) on an upper surface thereof that forms a part of the inclined surface of the inclined chute, the first sorting member (26) being movably provided between a first sorting position that protrudes above the inclined surface of the inclined chute and a retracted position where the first inclined surface is continuous with the inclined surface of the inclined chute; The first sorting member has a first conveying path (26A) therein, the first conveying path has a first inlet (26a) opening on the upstream side, a first outlet (26b) opening on the downstream side, a first straight portion (26c) extending linearly in the vertical direction from the first inlet, and a first curved portion (26d) curved from a downstream portion of the first straight portion in the inclined direction (L) of the inclined chute; When an object to be sorted (50b, 50c) slides down the inclined chute, the first sorting member moves to a first sorting position, and the object to be sorted flowing from upstream is guided through the first inlet to the first conveying path, thereby sorting in a direction different from the inclined chute.

2. An article sorting device (3) for sorting an object (50) sliding down an inclined chute (22) that inclines from above to below, a first sorting member (26) having a first inclined surface (26e) on an upper surface thereof that forms a part of the inclined surface of the inclined chute, the first sorting member (26) being movably provided between a first sorting position that protrudes above the inclined surface of the inclined chute and a retracted position where the first inclined surface is continuous with the inclined surface of the inclined chute; The first sorting member has a first conveying path (26A) therein, The first transport path has a first inlet (26a) that opens on the upstream side and a first outlet (26b) that opens on the downstream side, a second sorting member (27) located downstream of the first sorting member and movably provided between a second sorting position and a third sorting position located below the second sorting position; the second sorting member has a second inclined surface (27e) on an upper surface thereof and a second conveying path (27A) therein; the second conveying path has a second inlet (27a) opening on the upstream side and a second outlet (27b) opening on the downstream side, and when the first sorting member is located at the first sorting position and the second sorting member is located at the second sorting position, the first outlet and the second inlet are communicated with each other; When the objects to be sorted (50b, 50c) slide down the inclined chute, the first sorting member moves to the first sorting position, and the objects to be sorted that have flowed from upstream are guided to the first conveying path through the first inlet, thereby sorting the objects in a direction different from the inclined chute; An item sorting device in which, when positioned at the third sorting position, the second sorting member sorts the objects to be sorted transported on the first conveying path in a first direction by passing them over the second inclined surface, and, when positioned at the second sorting position, sorts the objects to be sorted transported on the first conveying path in a second direction by passing them over the second conveying path.

3. An item sorting device as described in claim 1, having a drive unit (28) that drives the first sorting member in an upward and downward direction.

4. the first conveying path has a first straight portion extending linearly in a vertical direction from the first inlet, and a first curved portion curved from a downstream portion of the first straight portion in a tilted direction of the inclined chute, The item sorting device of claim 2, wherein the second conveying path has a second straight section (27c) extending linearly in the vertical direction from the second inlet, and a second curved section (27d) curved from a downstream portion of the second straight section in the inclined direction of the inclined chute.

5. 5. The article sorting device according to claim 2, further comprising a drive unit (28, 29) for driving the first sorting member and the second sorting member in a vertical direction.

6. An article inspection device (1) comprising: the article sorting device according to any one of claims 1 to 4; and an inspection unit (4) that inspects the objects sorted by the article sorting device.

7. 6. An article inspection apparatus comprising: the article sorting device according to claim 5; and an inspection unit that inspects the objects sorted by the article sorting device.

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