Supply device

Abstract

To provide a feeder capable of feeding an article to be fed in a stacked state to a feed object in a non-stacked state.SOLUTION: A feeder is provided with a tray 100 where an article to be fed is charged, and a vibration part for vibrating the tray 100. The tray 100 comprises: a stair part 110 alternately having each of bottom parts 111 provided with each of rod-like protrusions 111p along a first direction of a horizontal plane, that is arranged along the horizontal plane, and each of step parts 112 arranged along a vertical plane orthogonal to the horizontal plane, in a second direction along the horizontal plane so as to be orthogonal to the first direction; a pair of side plates 120 orthogonal to both the bottom parts 111 and the step parts 112, that are arranged at both ends in the first direction of the stair part 110; and distribution pillars 130 arranged along the first direction vertically above the bottom parts 111. The article W to be fed, which is charged on the bottom part 111 at an uppermost position of the stair part 110, is fed to a feeding object from the bottom part 111 at a lowermost position of the stair part 110.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a feeding device. [Background technology]

[0002] In the current recycling process for waste products, each waste product is sorted by hand, then dismantled, and the modular components (parts of the casing, batteries, camera modules, printed circuit boards, and components on the printed circuit board such as IC chips) are removed and sorted.

[0003] In order to automatically identify and classify the module parts, it is preferable to arrange a large number of disassembled module parts in a dispersed manner on the belt conveyor without overlapping each other. This is because by photographing the module parts during transportation with a camera, it becomes possible to automatically identify and sort them by image processing.

[0004] One of the reasons why this automatic identification is difficult is that modular parts come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes, and many of the parts have unique thin plate shapes. Once these objects are piled up during feeding, it becomes difficult to disperse the stable pile structure by vibration alone.

[0005] A typical conventional distributed supply technique is a method using a supply device. Patent Document 1 is a fruit and vegetable dispersion device that uses vibration. Harvested fruit and vegetables can overlap during the process of being transported. The device disperses the fruit and vegetables on the conveyor by vibration and supplies them to the sorting conveyor. Patent Document 2 is a device for dispersing and supplying scallop juveniles. The device uses a vibrating sieve. The size of the sieve's holes is set according to the size of the scallop juveniles, so that the scallop juveniles that fall through the sieve are dispersed and supplied. Patent Document 3 discloses a system that distributes tablets and supplies them in a single row. The device distributes the tablets, which are conveyed by vibration, in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction by using multiple columnar members set according to the size of the tablets, and supplies them to an alignment chute.

[0006] The waste treatment device in Patent Document 4 is a system that identifies items on a conveyor using information from a 3D sensor and a visible light camera, and separates and collects them using a robot arm. Patent Document 5 is also a robot control device using a robot arm, but differs from Patent Document 4 in that it does not have a process for identifying and specifying objects. When picking up a randomly piled workpiece, the robot arm moves toward the workpiece at a predetermined position, and based on information from a reaction force sensor mounted on the arm, it determines whether it has come into contact with the workpiece and grasps it. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-210102 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2020-054964 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2003-206018 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2020-199444 A [Patent Document 5] JP 2020-203361 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The device described in Patent Document 1 is intended for fruit and vegetables with a rounded shape. Therefore, stacking can be easily eliminated by vibration of the device. On the other hand, thin plate-shaped objects such as module parts have orientation and form an extremely stable stacked structure, so it is not easy to disperse them by vibration. The device described in Patent Document 2 is intended for round, thick young oysters. In this device, the young oysters bounce isotropically in all directions when they fall through a sieve, making them easy to disperse. In contrast, modular parts come in a variety of sizes and cannot be dropped using a standard sieve. In addition, because modular parts are plate-shaped, it is difficult to eliminate overlaps due to the bouncing that occurs when they fall. The system described in Patent Document 3 is designed for use with items that are uniform in size and shape, such as tablets, and therefore cannot be used for the distributed supply of modular components that have a wide variety of sizes and shapes.

[0009] As described above, the conventional technology targets objects that have the same or only slight differences in size and shape, such as tomatoes, scallops, and tablets. Although these objects are different from one another, they share the common characteristics of being thick, generally round, and a single mass. Materials with such particle shape characteristics are targets in various industrial fields, such as ground materials such as rocks and sand, food products such as flour and salt, and mineral resources such as coal and iron ore.

[0010] The objects that have been the subject of such conventional technology mainly come into point contact with each other due to their shape characteristics. Therefore, the contact structure in the vertical direction can be destabilized by applying an external force such as vibration. In other words, even if the objects are overlapping in the vertical direction, the overlap can be easily removed by simply applying vibration.

[0011] In contrast, the objects of the present invention are parts of housings generated by dismantling waste products, batteries, camera modules, printed circuit boards, and parts on printed circuit boards such as IC chips, and are characterized by their thin plate-like shapes. When objects of such shapes are stacked vertically, they mainly make surface contact. Since frictional forces act on the entire contact surface, the state is dynamically extremely stable, and it is not easy to remove the stacks using only external vibration forces.

[0012] The upstream side of the device described in Patent Document 4 uses a mechanism that rotates a rod with blades to remove overlaps in order to disperse the waste transported in bulk. However, most modular components are extremely thin, with a thickness of just a few millimeters. Therefore, when using this mechanism, the clearance between the conveyor and the rotating blades must be significantly reduced. In that case, interference between the conveyor and the blades occurs, making it difficult to apply this mechanism to modular components. Conventional picking robots use a group of sensors to identify the position, shape, and size of an object and then pick it up using a gripping mechanism, which allows for precise transportation but has a slow processing speed.

[0013] The control device described in Patent Document 5 is believed to be applicable to picking out modular parts individually. However, since each part is picked out one by one, the processing speed is slow. Although it is possible to speed up the process to some extent by processing multiple units simultaneously, this is very costly. As described above, there are challenges in not only conventional distribution techniques but also picking robot devices in eliminating stacks of irregularly shaped supply items W such as modular parts, distributing them, and arranging them quickly on a transport conveyor.

[0014] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a supply device that can supply stacked objects to a supply target in an unstacked state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes the following means. The supply device of the present invention is a supply device that supplies an irregular object to a supply target, and comprises a tray into which the object is loaded, and a vibration unit that vibrates the tray, wherein the tray is arranged along a horizontal surface and has a bottom having rod-shaped protrusions along a first direction of the horizontal surface, and a step portion arranged along a vertical surface perpendicular to the horizontal surface, and the step portions are arranged alternately in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and along the horizontal surface, a pair of side panels that are arranged at both ends of the step portion in the first direction and perpendicular to both the bottom and the step portions, and a dispersion pillar that is arranged vertically above the bottom and along the first direction, wherein the object is loaded into the bottom that is located at the top of the step portion, and is supplied to the supply target from the bottom that is located at the bottom of the step portion.

[0016] According to this invention, the bottom of the staircase portion has rod-shaped protrusions along the first direction, and dispersion columns are arranged vertically above the bottom along the first direction. The objects to be supplied are placed in the bottom portion located at the top of the staircase portion, and are supplied to the supply target from the bottom portion located at the bottom of the staircase portion. Thus, the objects to be supplied supplied to the tray advance while dropping down the step portion of the staircase portion in the second direction. At this time, the objects to be supplied advance in the second direction while climbing over the rod-shaped protrusions of the bottom portion or passing between the bottom portion and the dispersion columns. This makes it possible to disperse the objects to be supplied that are stacked in the tray. Thus, the objects to be supplied can be supplied to the supply target without being stacked.

[0017] In addition, the distance between the bottom and the distribution pillar in the vertical direction may be smaller as the bottom is positioned closer to the second positive direction.

[0018] According to this invention, the size between the bottom and the dispersion column in the vertical direction is smaller as the bottom is located in the second positive direction. By making the space through which the objects pass immediately after being placed inside the tray relatively large, the objects can be transported efficiently in the second positive direction. In addition, by gradually decreasing the size between the bottom and the dispersion column as the objects proceed in the second positive direction, the objects can be dispersed more reliably. By dispersing the objects in stages in this way, the objects can be dispersed and supplied more efficiently.

[0019] The vibration section may vibrate the tray in a vibration direction inclined from a vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane toward the second positive direction.

[0020] According to this invention, the vibration unit vibrates the tray in a vibration direction inclined from the vertical direction toward the second positive direction. By vibrating the tray with the vibration unit, it is possible to promote the movement of the objects inside the tray. Furthermore, since the vibration direction is inclined from the vertical direction toward the second positive direction, it is possible to transport the objects in the second positive direction more efficiently than by vibrating the tray in the vertical direction. Effect of the Invention

[0021] According to the present invention, a supply device can be provided that can supply stacked objects to a supply target in an unstacked state. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a supply device of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a tray of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which objects supplied from a tray are overlapped on a supply target. [Figure 4] 13 is a diagram showing a state in which the objects supplied from the tray are dispersed on the supply target. FIG. [Diagram 5] 13 shows a first state of the first example in which the object to be supplied is dispersed by the rod-shaped protrusions. [Figure 6] 13 shows a second state of the first example in which the object is dispersed by the rod-shaped protrusions. [Figure 7] 13 shows a third state of the first example in which the object is dispersed by the rod-shaped protrusions. [Figure 8] This is the first state in the process in which the material dispersed by the rod-shaped protrusions passes under the dispersion columns. [Figure 9] This is the second state in the process in which the material dispersed by the rod-shaped protrusions passes under the dispersion columns. [Figure 10] This is the third state in the process in which the material dispersed by the rod-shaped protrusions passes under the dispersion columns. [Figure 11] The material being fed is stuck between the bottom and the dispersion column. [Figure 12] 11A and 11B are diagrams showing a process in which the supplied object falls down a step portion and is dispersed. [Figure 13] The objects to be fed are piled up on the tray. [Figure 14] 13 shows a first state of the second example in which the object is dispersed by the rod-shaped projections. [Figure 15] 13 shows a second state of the second example in which the object is dispersed by the rod-shaped protrusions. [Figure 16] 13 shows a third state of the second example in which the object is dispersed by the rod-shaped projections. [Figure 17] This is the first state in the process in which the material passes under the dispersion column. [Figure 18] This is the second state in the process in which the material passes under the dispersion column. [Figure 19] This is the third state in the process in which the material passes under the dispersion column. [Figure 20] This is an example of a tray without a dispersion post at the bottom of the second positive end. [Figure 21] This is an example in which there is no rod-shaped protrusion on the bottom of the second positive end of the tray. [Figure 22] This is an example showing a case where multiple trays are arranged. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0023] Hereinafter, a supplying device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The supply device 1 of this embodiment can be used as a supply mechanism for an apparatus that automatically recognizes and sorts various modular parts obtained after dismantling waste products when automating the recycling process of various metals contained in waste small electrical appliances (waste products) such as smartphones and digital cameras. In other words, a group of objects W of various sizes and shapes are supplied from a storage tank such as a hopper and piled up randomly, and are dispersed by a single device onto a supply target B, eliminating vertical stacking and horizontal contact, so that they can be accurately identified by a subsequent image processing recognition device.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1, the supply device 1 includes a tray 100 and a vibration unit 200. The supply device 1 connects the tray 100 to the vibration unit 200, and the vibration unit 200 applies vibrations related to specific conditions (vibration amplitude, vibration frequency, vibration angle) to the tray 100. In this way, the supply object W supplied from a storage facility (not shown) is supplied to the supply target B while being appropriately dispersed. In this embodiment, the supply object W is an object W of an indefinite shape such as a waste product. The supply target B is, for example, a belt conveyor. Alternatively, the supply device 1 may be a cleaning device that applies a cleaning liquid to the entire surface of the supply object W dispersed by the supply device 1.

[0025] The object W is placed on the tray 100. As shown in Fig. 2, the tray 100 includes a stepped portion 110, side plates 120, a back plate 140, and a dispersing column 130. The side plates 120 are disposed at both ends of the stepped portion 110 in a first direction. The first direction is along a horizontal plane. Hereinafter, in the first direction in which the side plate 120 is provided relative to the stepped portion 110 as shown in FIG. 1, the direction toward one side is referred to as the first positive direction X1, and the direction opposite to the first positive direction X1 is referred to as the first negative direction X2. A direction perpendicular to the first direction and along a horizontal plane is referred to as a second direction. In the second direction, a direction in which the object W moves on the stepped portion 110 (conveying direction) is referred to as a second positive direction Y1, and a direction opposite to the second positive direction Y1 is referred to as a second negative direction Y2. A direction perpendicular to the first and second directions, i.e., a vertical direction, is referred to as a third direction. In the third direction, a vertical upward direction is referred to as a third positive direction Z1, and a vertical downward direction is referred to as a third negative direction Z2.

[0026] The staircase portion 110 includes a plurality of bottom portions 111 and step portions 112 arranged alternately in the second direction. The bottom 111 is disposed along a horizontal plane. In this embodiment, the dimension of the bottom 111 in the first direction is 300 mm. The dimension of the bottom 111 in the second direction is 120 mm. The bottom 111 is a flat part, but as shown in FIG. 2, it is provided with a rod-shaped protrusion 111p along the first direction of the horizontal plane. In this embodiment, the rod-shaped protrusion 111p is formed in a semi-cylindrical shape on the bottom 111. The semi-cylindrical shape here means a shape obtained by cutting a cylinder with a plane including the axis of the cylinder. In this embodiment, the rod-shaped protrusion 111p has a radius of at least 10 mm or less, and is preferably 5 mm. The rod-shaped protrusion 111p may be formed integrally with the bottom 111, or a separate member may be attached later by adhesion or the like.

[0027] The rod-shaped protrusions 111p are provided at one location on the bottom portion 111 of each step of the staircase portion 110. The bottom portion 111 located at the end in the second positive direction Y1, i.e., the bottom portion 111 located at the lowest position in the staircase portion 110, is provided with four rod-shaped protrusions 111p as shown in FIG. 3 and 4, the rod-shaped protrusions 111p have the role of dispersing the objects W piled up on the bottom 111 appropriately inside the tray 100. The specific positions of the rod-shaped protrusions 111p on the bottom 111 and the manner of dispersion will be described later.

[0028] The step portion 112 is disposed along a vertical plane perpendicular to the horizontal plane. The step portion 112 is disposed at an end portion in the second direction of the bottom portion 111. In this embodiment, the dimension of the step portion 112 in the third direction is 40 mm. 2, the staircase portion 110 is configured by alternately providing a plurality of bottom portions 111 and step portions 112 in the second direction. This provides a staircase shape. In this embodiment, the step portions 112 are provided in four locations. That is, the tray 100 has four staircase steps. The stepped shape is configured to descend in the second positive direction Y1. That is, the bottom 111 located at the end of the second negative direction Y2 is provided at the highest position, and the bottom 111 located at the end of the second positive direction Y1 is provided at the lowest position.

[0029] The side plates 120 are arranged in pairs at both ends of the staircase portion 110 in the first direction. The side plates 120 rise from the third negative direction Z2 toward the third positive direction Z1. The side plates 120 are arranged so as to be perpendicular to both the bottom portions 111 and the step portions 112. The side plates 120 are in contact with all the bottom portions 111 and step portions 112 of the staircase portion 110. The upper ends of the side plates 120 are provided at a position higher than the bottom portion 111 located at the end in the second negative direction Y2. This prevents the objects W put into the tray 100 from spilling out of the tray 100 from the first direction.

[0030] The distribution pillars 130 are disposed above the bottom 111. As shown in Fig. 1, one distribution pillar 130 is provided for one bottom plate. Note that the bottom 111 located at the end of the second positive direction Y1, i.e., the bottom 111 located at the lowest position in the staircase portion 110, is provided with three distribution pillars 130.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 1, the dispersion column 130 is disposed vertically above the bottom 111 along the first direction. In this embodiment, the dispersion column 130 is cylindrical. The outer diameter of the cylinder is preferably larger than the thickness of the object W to be supplied. The surface of the dispersion column may be flat. Alternatively, the cylindrical surface may be provided with grooves to increase friction with the object W. The cylindrical surface may also be brush-shaped. The cylindrical surface may also include a plurality of rod-shaped members protruding therefrom.

[0032] The distribution pillar 130 is provided at a position 25 mm away from the rod-shaped protrusion 111p provided on the bottom 111 in the second positive direction Y1. The dimension between the bottom 111 and the distribution pillar 130 in the third direction, i.e., the dimension of the area through which the material W passes, is 7 mm to 20 mm. The dimension between the bottom 111 and the distribution pillar 130 in the third direction is smaller as the bottom 111 is located in the second direction. In this embodiment, the distribution pillar 130 can be moved appropriately in the vertical up and down directions and fixed at any position for use.

[0033] Four rod-shaped protrusions 111p and three dispersing columns 130 are arranged alternately in the bottom portion 111 located at the lowest position in the staircase portion 110. The distance between the central axis of the semi-cylindrical rod-shaped protrusions 111p arranged alternately and the central axis of the dispersing columns 130 is 25 mm in the second direction. Furthermore, the distribution column 130 may be provided with a mechanism that allows it to move freely in a second direction, a third direction, or an intermediate (diagonal) direction therebetween via a spring or the like, or a mechanism that allows it to rotate freely around the longitudinal axis of the distribution column 130.

[0034] By providing the dispersion pillars 130, when the objects W move in the second positive direction Y1 so as to descend the staircase portion 110, the objects W pass between the bottom portion 111 and the dispersion pillars 130. This allows the objects W piled up inside the tray 100 to be appropriately dispersed. A specific mode of dispersion of the objects W will be described later.

[0035] The back plate 140 rises in the third positive direction Z1 from the end of the bottom plate in the second negative direction Y2. The back plate 140 seals the gap between the ends in the second negative direction Y2 of the side plates 120 arranged in a pair in the first direction. This prevents the objects W put into the tray 100 from spilling out of the tray 100 in the second negative direction Y2.

[0036] As described above, the side plates 120 and the back plate 140 are disposed at both ends of the tray 100 in the first direction and at the end in the second negative direction Y2, respectively. In contrast, as shown in FIG. 2, the end of the tray 100 in the second positive direction Y1 is open. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the object W is put into the bottom 111 located at the end in the second negative direction Y2 and moves down the step portion 110 toward the second positive direction Y1. Therefore, the object W that has moved inside the tray 100 to the end in the second positive direction Y1 is discharged from the opening. Hereinafter, the end of the tray 100 in the second negative direction Y2 where the object W is put in may be referred to as the input port 100I. Also, the opening at the end of the tray 100 in the second positive direction Y1 may be referred to as the discharge port 100O.

[0037] The object W discharged from the tray 100 is supplied to the supply target B arranged near the opening, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. That is, the object W is input into the input port 100I of the tray 100, i.e., the bottom 111 located at the top of the stepped portion 110. Thereafter, the object W is supplied to the supply target B from the output port 100O of the tray 100, i.e., the bottom 111 located at the bottom of the stepped portion 110.

[0038] The vibration unit 200 vibrates the tray 100. Specifically, the vibration unit 200 vibrates the tray 100 in a vibration direction inclined toward a second direction from a vertical direction perpendicular to a horizontal plane. Hereinafter, as shown in FIG. 1, the angle between the second direction and the vibration direction is referred to as a vibration angle θ. The vibration direction is described by the vibration angle θ. In this embodiment, the vibration angle θ is set to 25 degrees, which is widely used in conventional supply devices 1.

[0039] The vibration unit 200 has a known configuration. The vibration unit 200 includes, for example, a motor and a gear box (not shown). The motor drives the gear box, and the gear box supports the tray 100 so that the bottom plate is aligned with a horizontal surface. With the above configuration, the vibration unit 200 vibrates the tray 100.

[0040] Next, a manner in which the material W is dispersed by the supply device 1 configured as above will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, the object W is inserted into the tray 100 from the insertion port 100I. The object W that has been inserted into the tray 100 moves in the second positive direction Y1 on the stepped portion 110 due to the vibration of the tray 100 by the vibration portion 200. Specifically, the object W is thrown out in the vibration direction by the driving force caused by the vibration. By continuing such periodic vibration, the object W moves toward the discharge port 100O.

[0041] At this time, if the tray 100 does not sufficiently disperse the objects W, the objects W will be overlapped on the supply target B as shown in Fig. 3. If the tray 100 sufficiently disperses the objects W, the objects W will be discharged onto the supply target B without overlapping as shown in Fig. 4. 1 is set to 25° as described above. The vibration amplitude is assumed to be 1.0 to 10.0 mm, the vibration frequency to be 10 to 80 Hz or less, and the belt conveyor speed of the object B to be supplied to the object to be conveyed ...

[0042] In this embodiment, the object W is a waste small electric product (waste product) such as a smartphone or a digital camera as described above. These waste products include thin plate-like products. Such object W is dispersed by the above-mentioned process, but is transported in a vertically overlapping state.

[0043] Of the multiple overlapping objects W, the object W located at the bottom collides with the rod-shaped protrusion 111p located at the bottom 111 of the stepped portion 110. This separates the overlapping objects W on the upper side. The movement of the rod-shaped protrusion 111p when separating the overlapping objects W is shown in the time history in the order of Figures 5, 6, and 7. Of the two objects W, the object W located at the bottom collides with the rod-shaped protrusion 111p, and the transport is stopped by the reaction force. In contrast, the object W located at the top continues to move in the second positive direction Y1. As a result, the overlapping object W with the object W located above can be separated.

[0044] When three objects W are overlapped, the lowest object W is separated as described above, and the remaining two objects W are transported in the second forward direction Y1 while still overlapping. The role of the dispersion column 130 is to separate the overlapping objects. This separation mechanism will be described with reference to Figures 8, 9, and 10. Figures 8, 9, and 10 show the time history behavior of three objects W during vibration transport. The rod-shaped protrusion 111p separates the lowest object W from the two objects W stacked on top. The remaining two objects W are thrown diagonally upwards by the vibration of the tray 100. The two thrown objects W come into contact (collide) with the dispersing pillars 130 before falling to the bottom 111 below via the step 112. This creates an effect similar to that of the dispersing pillars 130 knocking down the objects W, separating the overlapping objects.

[0045] In addition, by adjusting the vertical position of the dispersing pillars 130, it is possible to adjust the amount of the material W being transported and supplied at each portion of the staircase section 110. By being able to adjust the dimension between the bottom section 111 and the dispersing pillars 130, it is possible to prevent the material W from pushing forward and catching on each other, resulting in a blockage as shown in FIG.

[0046] When four objects W are stacked, the rod-shaped protrusion 111p first separates the lowest object W from the other three. Then, the top three objects W collide with the dispersion pillar 130. At this time, the dispersion pillar 130 does not simply have the effect of knocking down the objects W as described above.

[0047] As described above, the outer diameter of the cylindrical shape of the dispersion column 130 is larger than the thickness of the object W. Therefore, when a plurality of objects W collide with the dispersion column 130, the angles of the surfaces of the dispersion column 130 that contact each object W are different. This allows a speed difference after collision to be generated for each object W according to the position of the object W, and the overlap of the objects W can be shifted.

[0048] Even if four or more objects W are overlapped, the above-mentioned effect of creating the speed difference is exerted. In this way, by gradually shifting the overlapping positions of the objects W and simultaneously creating the above-mentioned effects of the rod-shaped protrusions 111p and the dispersing columns 130 of the stepped portion 110, the objects W can be separated without clogging inside the tray 100 while the objects W move along the stepped portion 110. That is, by providing both the dispersion columns 130 and the rod-shaped protrusions 111p on the tray 100, the effect of dispersing overlaps when a plurality of objects W to be supplied are conveyed in an overlapping state is exhibited.

[0049] The objects W moving in the second positive direction Y1 on the staircase section 110 may overlap again when falling from the step section 112 located at the end of the second positive direction Y1. Also, multiple objects W may be transported on the staircase section 110 while remaining overlapped and not dispersed. In order to eliminate these overlaps and distribute them to the supply target B, a plurality of dispersing columns 130 and rod-shaped protrusions 111p are arranged alternately at the bottom 111 located at the lowest position in the staircase section 110, i.e., the bottom 111 located at the end of the second positive direction Y1, with their positions shifted in the second direction.

[0050] 12 is a conceptual diagram of the transport behavior of a plurality of objects W when the dispersion columns 130 and the rod-shaped protrusions 111p are arranged. In this embodiment, the gap between each dispersion column 130 and the bottom 111 becomes narrower toward the discharge port 100O in the second positive direction Y1. At the stage where the objects W are moved in the second positive direction Y1 on the staircase portion 110, the amount of the objects W is neither too much nor too little. The amount of the objects W is appropriately adjusted, and the objects W are supplied in a dispersed manner to a certain degree. Therefore, after the objects W move to the bottom portion 111 at the end of the second positive direction Y1, the purpose can be achieved mainly by separating the overlapping objects W.

[0051] With the configuration of FIG. 12, the rod-like projections 111p and the dispersion columns 130 have the effect of dispersing the objects W to be supplied, and overlapping objects can be separated. In addition, the gap between the dispersion pillar 130 and the bottom 111 narrows as it approaches the discharge port 100O, thereby preventing the objects W to be supplied from being thrown out due to vibration and piling up again. In this manner, the supply device 1 using the tray 100 of FIG. 1 can supply the irregularly shaped objects W to the supply target B in a dispersed manner without overlapping.

[0052] Next, the effect of dispersion achieved by the above configuration will be verified as follows. In order to evaluate the dispersion state, it is desirable to evaluate physical quantities that cannot be measured by normal experiments or measuring equipment, such as the three-dimensional position vectors of parts and the number of contact points between parts. However, in experiments, it is difficult to accurately obtain information essential for evaluating the dispersion state, such as the overlap and contact state of the group of supplied objects W, and their positional distribution on the conveyor. In this embodiment, a simulation of the dynamic motion behavior of particle groups reflecting the 3D shape and size of the workpiece W (distinct element method: DEM) was performed to quantitatively evaluate the number and positions of contact points of each part group.

[0053] Table 1 lists five comparative examples as comparison examples for the embodiments, in which the presence (◯) / absence (×) of the five shape components, i.e., the staircase portion 110, the dispersing column 130, the rod-shaped protrusion 111p, the dispersing column 130 of the bottom 111 at the end in the second positive direction Y1, and the rod-shaped protrusion 111p of the bottom 111 at the end in the second positive direction Y1, are changed.

[0054] [Table 1]

[0055] Comparative Example 1 As shown in Table 1, Comparative Example 1 is a case where a tray 100 is provided with only the stepped portion 110. Here, only the stepped portion 110 means that the tray 100 does not have the dispersion columns 130 and the rod-shaped protrusions 111p of the bottom portion 111. Incidentally, conventional supply devices 1 generally use straight (gutter-shaped) trays 100 for the purpose of constant conveyance of a fixed amount of solid aggregates such as powders. Therefore, as long as constant conveyance is possible, dispersion and overlapping of the objects W to be supplied are permitted. It is impossible to achieve distributed supply of irregularly shaped objects W using a single straight-type tray 100. In the prior art, in order to distribute the objects W, multiple supply devices 1 are sometimes arranged in multiple stages as shown in Fig. 22. This has the disadvantage of requiring a large amount of space and cost.

[0056] Comparative Example 1 condenses the effect of multi-stage supply device 1 into one device. Fig. 13 shows the movement of a group of irregularly shaped objects W in the supply device 1 using the tray 100 of Comparative Example 1. When the objects W include a large number of thin plate-shaped objects W such as modular parts, the objects W are in a state as shown in Fig. 13. In other words, if the objects W are simply dropped down a staircase, they will be dispersed, but will basically be transported while maintaining their overlap. For this reason, the irregularly shaped objects W cannot be dispersed and supplied.

[0057] Comparative Example 2 As shown in Table 1, Comparative Example 2 is a case in which the dispersion columns 130 other than those at the ends of the staircase portion 110 in the second positive direction Y1 are removed from the shape of FIG. 14, 15, and 16 show time histories of three objects W being transported overlapping each other at the bottom 111 having the stepped portion 110 in Comparative Example 2. The lowest object W can be separated from the other two objects W by the rod-shaped protrusions 111p.

[0058] However, the two objects W are transported while overlapping each other. When the objects W are continuously supplied, a large amount of objects W having irregular shapes is transported, and therefore, as shown in Figures 14, 15, and 16, a group of objects W stacked on top of each other may be transported simultaneously.

[0059] To solve this problem, it is conceivable to increase the number of rod-shaped protrusions 111p on the bottom 111. However, when arranging a plurality of rod-shaped protrusions 111p, a certain interval is necessary. This is because the mechanism is that the object W located on the bottom 111 collides with the side surface of the rod-shaped protrusions 111p during movement in the second positive direction Y1, which causes the object W to be dispersed.

[0060] That is, when multiple rod-shaped protrusions 111p are arranged on the bottom 111, the objects W are positioned so as to straddle the rod-shaped protrusions 111p. As a result, the objects W are not positioned on the bottom 111 and always collide with the rod-shaped protrusions 111p. As a result, inside the tray 100, the objects W are transported in a random bouncing manner. Therefore, the overlapping objects W may be separated, but they often overlap again. When the amount of objects W to be supplied to the tray 100 is large, the objects W are conveyed in a piled-up state even if the effect of dispersion at the multiple bottoms 111 can be expected. For this reason, the objects W having an irregular shape cannot be distributed.

[0061] Comparative Example 3 As shown in Table 1, Comparative Example 3 is a case in which the rod-shaped projections 111p of the bottom portion 111 other than the end of the stepped portion 110 in the second positive direction Y1 are removed from the shape of FIG. In Comparative Example 3, the time history of three objects W to be supplied are conveyed while overlapping each other at a certain bottom 111 is shown in Figs. 17, 18 and 19. In Figs. Of the objects W being conveyed, the uppermost object W may be separated from the two objects W below due to the effect of the dispersing columns 130. However, the bottom two objects W are moved while overlapping each other. In some cases, the top object W is caught between the dispersion column 130 and the second object W from the top, causing the bottom two objects W to be clogged as well. This can cause a blockage in the conveying process of the objects W, resulting in a stop in supply, and it is not possible to disperse and supply the objects W of irregular shapes.

[0062] Comparative Example 4 As shown in Table 1, Comparative Example 4 is a case in which the dispersion column 130 at the end in the second positive direction Y1 is removed from the shape of FIG. FIG. 20 shows how an irregularly shaped object W is conveyed in Comparative Example 4. In FIG. As described above, the overlapping can be separated by the effect of the rod-like protrusions 111p. However, depending on the vibration conditions, the two rod-like protrusions 111p may repeat periodic back and forth motions repelling each other, and the object W may not move normally in the second positive direction Y1. If the above phenomenon occurs frequently, the objects W can climb over the rod-like protrusions 111p by adjusting the vibration conditions, such as by increasing the vibration amplitude of the tray 100. However, since the objects W may overlap each other again after climbing over the rod-like protrusions 111p, it is not possible to disperse and supply the objects W of irregular shapes.

[0063] Comparative Example 5 As shown in Table 1, Comparative Example 5 is a case where the rod-shaped protrusions 111p of the bottom 111 at the end of the stepped portion 110 in the second positive direction Y1 are removed from the shape in Fig. 2. Fig. 21 shows the movement of irregularly shaped objects W in Comparative Example 5. When there is little overlap of objects W, the configuration of Comparative Example 5 allows for dispersed supply. However, since the rod-shaped protrusions 111p of the bottom 111 do not have the effect of separating the overlaps, the objects W that move while still overlapping are transported to the conveyor as they are. Depending on the size of the overlapping objects W to be supplied, they may get caught in the gap between the bottom 111 and the dispersion column 130, causing a blockage and stopping the supply of the subsequent objects. For this reason, objects W to be supplied that have an irregular shape cannot be dispersed and supplied.

[0064] From the above, by adjusting and operating the supply device 1 equipped with the tray 100 shown in Figure 2 to an amplitude of 1 to 10 mm or less and a vibration frequency of 10 to 80 Hz or less, it is possible to realize a distributed supply device that, using a single device, distributes and supplies irregularly shaped supply objects W, such as modular parts generated after the dismantling of waste products, to supply targets B without overlapping, so that the objects are in an optimally distributed state for the efficient operation of a supply object recognition device using subsequent image processing.

[0065] The present invention can be widely used not only for thin, plate-like, irregularly shaped objects W such as module parts, but also for pre-processing of image recognition devices using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms. For example, it is expected to be effective for distributed supply of agricultural products such as fruit and vegetables, marine products such as fish and shellfish, disaster waste, construction waste, solid waste such as automobile shredder dust, and solid objects such as crushed stone and ore. Furthermore, the object W to be fed is not limited to an irregular object, and may be used to convey a plurality of objects having a fixed shape, such as workpieces.

[0066] As described above, according to the supply device 1 of this embodiment, the bottom 111 of the staircase portion 110 has the rod-shaped protrusions 111p along the first direction, and the dispersion columns 130 are arranged vertically above the bottom 111 along the first direction. The object W is input to the bottom 111 located at the top of the staircase portion 110, and is supplied to the supply target B from the bottom 111 located at the bottom of the staircase portion 110. Therefore, the object W supplied to the tray 100 advances while dropping down the step portion 112 of the staircase portion 110 in the second direction. At this time, the object W advances in the second direction while climbing over the rod-shaped protrusions 111p of the bottom 111 or passing between the bottom 111 and the dispersion columns 130. This allows the object W stacked in the tray 100 to be dispersed. Therefore, the object W can be supplied to the supply target B in an unstacked state.

[0067] Moreover, the size between the bottom 111 and the dispersion column 130 in the vertical direction is smaller for bottoms 111 located closer to the second positive direction Y1. By making the space through which the objects W pass immediately after being placed inside the tray 100 relatively large, the objects W can be efficiently transported in the second positive direction Y1. Furthermore, by gradually decreasing the size between the bottom 111 and the dispersion column 130 as the objects W proceed in the second positive direction Y1, the objects W can be dispersed more reliably. By dispersing the objects W in stages in this manner, the objects W can be dispersed and supplied more efficiently.

[0068] Moreover, the vibration section 200 vibrates the tray 100 in a vibration direction inclined from the vertical direction toward the second positive direction Y1. By vibrating the tray 100 by the vibration section 200, it is possible to promote the movement of the objects W inside the tray 100. Furthermore, since the vibration direction is inclined from the vertical direction toward the second positive direction Y1, it is possible to transport the objects W in the second positive direction Y1 more efficiently than by vibrating the tray 100 in the vertical direction.

[0069] The technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, the dimensions of each component of the tray 100 described in this embodiment are merely an example. In other words, the dimensions of each component of the tray 100 may be appropriately determined according to the size of the object W and the supply amount of the object W at the site where the supply device 1 is used.

[0070] The dimensions of the bottom portions 111 and step portions 112 provided in the staircase portion 110 may be different from one another. Although the bottom 111 has been described as being disposed along a horizontal plane, this is not limited thereto. For example, the bottom 111 may be inclined so that the heights of both ends are different in the first direction. Furthermore, a plurality of bottoms 111 may be provided in the second direction, and the inclination directions of adjacent bottoms 111 may be staggered. The number of steps in the stepped portion 110 of the tray 100 is not limited to four either. As long as the tray 100 has at least one stepped portion 112, the number of steps may be two or any other number of steps.

[0071] Although the shape of tray 100 has been described as having bottom 111 positioned along a horizontal plane and step 112 positioned along a vertical plane, tray 100 having the above-mentioned shape may be disposed tilted with respect to vibration section 200. Alternatively, in addition to the vibration angle θ, the angle of tray 100 may be appropriately adjustable.

[0072] Although the rod-shaped protrusion 111p has been described as being provided along the first direction, it may be angled with respect to the first direction as long as it is along the bottom 111. Furthermore, both ends of the rod-shaped protrusion 111p in the first direction do not have to overlap both ends of the bottom 111 in the first direction. In other words, the rod-shaped protrusion 111p does not have to be provided over the entire bottom 111 in the first direction. In addition to or instead of the rod-shaped projections, a minute step different from the stepped portion may be provided in the bottom portion. Although the vibration unit 200 has been described as including a motor and a gearbox, it may alternatively be of an air-driven type.

[0073] In addition, within the scope of the invention, the components in the above-described embodiments may be replaced with well-known components, and the above-described modified examples may be combined as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 1 Feeding device 100 Trays 110 Stairs 111 Bottom 111p rod-like process 112 Step 120 Side Panel 130 Dispersion Pillar 200 Vibration section B. Supply target W Supplied material

Claims

1. A supply device that supplies an irregular object to a supply target, A tray into which the object is placed; A vibration unit that vibrates the tray; Equipped with The tray comprises: A step portion including a bottom portion arranged along a horizontal plane and having a rod-shaped protrusion along a first direction of the horizontal plane and a step portion arranged along a vertical plane perpendicular to the horizontal plane, the step portion being arranged alternately in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and along the horizontal plane; A pair of side plates are arranged at both ends of the staircase portion in the first direction and are perpendicular to both the bottom and the step portion; A dispersion column arranged vertically above the bottom portion along the first direction; Equipped with The object to be supplied is introduced into the bottom portion located at the top of the staircase portion, and is supplied to the supply target from the bottom portion located at the bottom of the staircase portion. Feeding device.

2. The size between the bottom and the dispersion column in the vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane is smaller as the bottom is located in the second positive direction, 2. The delivery device of claim 1.

3. the vibration unit vibrates the tray in a vibration direction inclined from a vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal plane toward the second positive direction, 3. The feeding device of claim 2.

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