Sorting Equipment

Abstract

To provide a selection apparatus which prevents a compatible particulate matter from being impossible to be selected from a plurality of particulate matters.SOLUTION: A selection apparatus 100 comprises: an identification device 3 which identifies an incompatible particulate matter NG being a particulate matter G that is not incompatible with a reference from an image P obtained by imaging the plurality of particulate matters G; and a housing 4. The housing 4 comprises: a plurality of discharge areas R; a suction path 41; and an introduction path 42. The discharge areas R are arranged such that the plurality of particulate matters G are divided into a plurality of groups. The suction path 41 communicates to the discharge area R, and suctions the air in the discharge area R to which the group including the incompatible particulate matter NG is allocated and the particulate matter G in the discharge area to which the group including the incompatible particulate matter NG is allocated. The introduction path 42 communicates to each discharge area R, and introduces the air in the outside of the discharge area R to each discharge area R.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sorting device that selects only powder and granular materials that meet standards from a plurality of powder and granular materials that can be blown by wind by removing powder and granular materials that do not meet standards. [Background technology]

[0002] Certain standards are established for shipping powders and granules, such as wheat grains. Powders and granules that do not meet the established standards (non-compliant powders and granules) are removed from the multiple powders and granules to be shipped before shipping.

[0003] Powders and grains such as wheat are light enough to be blown away by the wind. Taking advantage of this property, the sorting devices disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3 use a nozzle for sucking in air to suck in and remove non-conforming powders and grains from among multiple powders and grains, thereby sorting powders and grains that meet standards (conforming powders and grains) from among multiple powders and grains. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4353871 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5864488 [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 3666253 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, with the sorting devices disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3, there are cases where the following two situations occur and the devices are unable to sort suitable powder or granular materials from among a plurality of powder or granular materials.

[0006] First, the sorting devices disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3 suck in powder and granular materials through a nozzle, but an excessive amount of powder and granular materials can be sucked into the nozzle, clogging the nozzle with the powder and granular materials. If the nozzle becomes clogged with powder and granular materials, air cannot pass through the passage downstream of the nozzle suction port, and the nozzle can no longer suck in the powder and granular materials. If the nozzle can no longer suck in the powder and granular materials, it becomes impossible to remove non-conforming powder and granular materials from the multiple powder and granular materials, and it becomes impossible to select conforming powder and granular materials from among the multiple powder and granular materials.

[0007] Second, the sorting devices disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3 transport multiple powders and granules on a belt conveyor, but as a nozzle sucks in the powders and granules on the belt conveyor, part of the belt of the belt conveyor may also be sucked into the nozzle and float up. When part of the belt floats up, the powders and granules on the belt conveyor scatter around the belt conveyor, so that there is no powder or granules to be sorted on the belt conveyor, and it becomes impossible to select suitable powder or granules from among the multiple powders and granules.

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a sorting device that prevents a situation in which suitable powder or granular materials cannot be selected from among a plurality of powder or granular materials. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The sorting device of the present invention includes an identification device that identifies non-conforming powder or granular materials that do not meet standards from images obtained by capturing images of a plurality of powder or granular materials, and a housing. The housing is characterized by having a plurality of discharge areas that separate the plurality of powder or granular materials into a plurality of groups, a suction path that communicates with the discharge areas and through which air from the discharge areas assigned to the groups containing the non-conforming powder or granular materials is sucked in, and an inlet path that communicates with each discharge area and introduces air from outside the discharge area into each discharge area. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the sorting device of the present invention, non-conforming powder and granular materials in the discharge area assigned to the group containing non-conforming powder and granular materials are carried to the suction path by the air flow from the introduction path to the suction path, so that powder and granular materials other than those in the discharge area assigned to the group containing non-conforming powder and granular materials are prevented from heading to the suction path, thereby preventing an excessive number of powder and granular materials from being sucked into the suction path.As a result, it is possible to prevent an excessive number of powder and granular materials from clogging the suction path and making it impossible to select conforming powder and granular materials from among the multiple powder and granular materials. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing an outline of a sorting device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an image captured by the identification device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a three-dimensional view showing a part of the sorting device according to the embodiment, showing the periphery of the housing. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a housing according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a cross section of a housing according to an embodiment and a part of a sorting device, and showing how non-conforming powder or granular material is sucked into a suction path. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a side view showing a part of the sorting device according to the embodiment, illustrating the periphery of the housing when the regulating body prevents the belt conveyor from floating up. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a first modified example of the housing according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a second modified example of the housing according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] [Embodiment] Hereinafter, an outline of a sorting device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0013] The sorting device 100 shown in FIG. 1 spreads and conveys a plurality of powder and granular materials G on a belt conveyor 2, while identifying non-conforming powder and granular materials NG and removing the non-conforming powder and granular materials NG from the plurality of powder and granular materials G by sucking them through a suction path 41 in a housing 4 shown in FIG. 5 as described below, thereby separating conforming powder and granular materials GG from the plurality of powder and granular materials G. When the non-conforming powder and granular materials NG are sucked in and removed, a certain number of conforming powder and granular materials GG surrounding the non-conforming powder and granular materials NG are also sucked in and removed. The suction path 41 in the housing 4 corresponds to the suction port portion that sucks in the powder and granular materials G of the conventional nozzle described above, and a passage (removal path 10) is provided downstream of the suction path 41, including the suction path 41, through which the powder and granular materials G and air sucked in through the housing 4 pass.

[0014] 1, like conventional nozzles, when the removal passage 10 becomes clogged with powder or granular materials G, or when the belt conveyor 2 is sucked into the removal passage 10 and rises up, the sorting device 100 cannot remove non-conforming powder or granular materials NG, and may therefore be unable to sort out conforming powder or granular materials GG from among the plurality of powder or granular materials G. In particular, when the removal passage 10 shown in FIG. 5 becomes clogged with powder or granular materials G and air cannot pass through the removal passage 10, the sorting device 100 cannot suck in the plurality of powder or granular materials G from above the belt conveyor 2, and is unable to remove the non-conforming powder or granular materials NG, and therefore is unable to sort out conforming powder or granular materials GG from among the plurality of powder or granular materials G. Furthermore, if the belt conveyor 2 floats up, the multiple powder and granular materials G on the belt conveyor 2 will scatter around the belt conveyor 2, and when the powder and granular materials G disappear from the top of the belt conveyor 2, the sorting device 100 will no longer be able to select suitable powder and granular materials GG from the multiple powder and granular materials G, since there is no powder and granular material G to select from on the belt conveyor 2.

[0015] First, to prevent clogging of the removal passage 10, as shown in Figure 1, a plurality of powder and granular materials G are uniformly placed in a certain area DA on the belt conveyor 2. When a plurality of powder and granular materials G are uniformly placed in a certain area DA on the belt conveyor 2, an excessive number of powder and granular materials G are not sucked in at a given moment, as would be the case if a large number of powder and granular materials G were unevenly placed in a specific area on the belt conveyor 2. Therefore, clogging of the removal passage 10 with powder and granular materials G caused by an excessive number of powder and granular materials G being sucked into the removal passage 10 in a short period of time can be prevented.

[0016] Second, to prevent clogging of the removal passage 10, the housing 4 divides the powder and granular materials G on the belt conveyor 2 into multiple groups, as shown in Figure 5. The housing 4 is provided with multiple suction paths 41, and each suction path 41 sucks in multiple powder and granular materials G by group. Therefore, more powder and granular materials G than the number assigned to one group will not be sucked into a specific suction path 41, and it is possible to prevent an excessive number of powder and granular materials G from being sucked into a specific suction path 41.

[0017] Third, to prevent clogging of the removal passage 10, the powder and granular material G and air that have passed through the removal passage 10 are separated and then discharged from the removal passage 10. The discharged powder and granular material G is collected in a collection box 417, which will be described later. By separating the powder and granular material G and the air and discharging them into the collection box 417, it is possible to prevent a plurality of powder and granular materials G from accumulating in the removal passage 10 and clogging the removal passage 10 with the powder and granular material G.

[0018] In order to prevent the belt conveyor 2 from floating up L as shown in FIG. 6 when the powder G is sucked into the suction path 41, the floating up L of the belt conveyor 2 is regulated. The floating up L of the belt conveyor 2 occurs when the powder G is sucked into the suction path 41 as shown in FIG. 5, and while the air pressure in the suction path 41 is lower than the ambient pressure of the housing 4 after the powder G has been sucked into the suction path 41. Therefore, the floating up L of the belt conveyor 2 is regulated from the time the powder G is sucked into the suction path 41 until the air pressure in the suction path 41 becomes approximately the same as the ambient pressure of the air in the housing 4. This prevents the belt conveyor 2 from floating up L.

[0019] The structure of the devices and components that constitute the sorting device 100 of the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0020] As shown in Figure 1, the sorting device 100 includes a feeder 1 that supplies a plurality of powder and granular materials G, including non-conforming powder and granular materials NG, to a belt conveyor 2, the belt conveyor 2 that transports the plurality of powder and granular materials G supplied from the feeder 1, an identification device 3 that identifies non-conforming powder and granular materials NG from the plurality of powder and granular materials G transported by the belt conveyor 2, a housing 4 for sucking in the non-conforming powder and granular materials NG from the plurality of powder and granular materials G transported by the belt conveyor 2, a suction device 416 (see Figure 5) that generates an airflow to suck in the non-conforming powder and granular materials NG, various mechanical elements (see Figure 5) for connecting the suction device 416 to the housing 4, and a regulating body 5 for preventing the belt conveyor 2 from floating up L as shown in Figure 6.

[0021] The feeder 1 is a gutter-shaped structure, and the gutter-shaped groove portion serves as a passage (supply path 11) through which multiple powder and granular materials G move. The powder and granular materials G can move along the longitudinal direction of the supply path 11. The width of the supply path 11 becomes smaller from the upstream side to the downstream side in the direction of movement of the powder and granular materials G, and is constant from the middle position in the direction of movement of the powder and granular materials G to the downstream side. The multiple powder and granular materials G on the supply path 11 move toward the supply path outlet 12 on the downstream side of the supply path 11 as the feeder 1 vibrates along the longitudinal direction of the supply path 11.

[0022] The feeder 1 has a guide 13. The guide 13 guides the powder and granular materials G in a direction such that the powder and granular materials G moving through the supply path 11 are uniformly spread in the width direction of the supply path 11 when they reach the supply path outlet 12. The specific installation position of the guide 13 and the direction in which the guide 13 guides the powder and granular materials G are determined based on the tendency of the direction in which the powder and granular materials G move through the supply path 11. For example, in the feeder 1 shown in FIG. 1, the powder and granular materials G tend to move toward both ends in the width direction of the supply path 11. When the powder and granular materials G move through the supply path 11 in this manner, the guide 13 needs to move the powder and granular materials G to the center of the width direction of the supply path 11 at an intermediate position along the direction in which the powder and granular materials G move, preventing the powder and granular materials G from concentrating unevenly at both ends in the width direction of the supply path 11. Therefore, the guide 13 is provided at a midpoint in the movement direction of the supply path 11, and is a two-plate structure sandwiching the supply path 11 so that the width dimension through which multiple powder and granular materials G can move is smaller on the downstream side than on the upstream side.

[0023] The belt conveyor 2 has a belt 21 that carries multiple powder and granular materials G supplied from the feeder 1 on its upper surface. The belt 21 is disposed below the supply path outlet 12 so as to receive the multiple powder and granular materials G dropping from the supply path outlet 12 on its upper surface and transport the multiple powder and granular materials G in the same direction as the feeder 1 moves the powder and granular materials G. At the supply path outlet 12, the multiple powder and granular materials G are uniformly spread in the width direction of the supply path 11. Therefore, the multiple powder and granular materials G dropping from the supply path outlet 12 onto the upper surface of the belt 21 are also uniformly spread in the width direction of the belt 21 on the upper surface of the belt 21. As will be described later, the belt 21 receives the powder and granular materials G dropping from the feeder 1 while moving in the conveying direction. As a result, the powder and granular materials G are uniformly spread in the conveying direction of the belt 21. Therefore, the multiple powder and granular materials G can be uniformly spread and loaded on a certain area DA on the upper surface of the belt 21. In addition, the frequency at which the feeder 1 vibrates to move the powder and granular material G, the installation position of the guide 13, and the movement speed of the belt 21 can be adjusted appropriately to suit the tendency of the powder and granular material G to move.By adjusting these, multiple powder and granular materials G can be placed in a uniformly spread state on a certain area DA on the upper surface of the belt 21.

[0024] The identification device 3 has an imaging device that captures images of multiple powder or granular materials G placed on the upper surface of the belt 21. As shown in FIG. 2, the identification device 3 identifies non-conforming powder or granular materials NG from among the multiple powder or granular materials G captured in an image P captured by the imaging device, divides the image P into multiple regions (image areas), and identifies the image area containing the non-conforming powder or granular materials NG. Specifically, for example, if the powder or granular materials G are wheat grains, the color of the wheat grains serves as a criterion for determining whether or not the powder or granular materials G are non-conforming powder or granular materials NG. In the example shown in FIG. 2, black wheat grains are non-conforming powder or granular materials NG. The identification device 3 identifies black wheat grains from among the multiple wheat grains captured in the image P captured by the imaging device as non-conforming powder or granular materials NG, divides the image P into image areas D1 to D30, and identifies image areas D2, D6, D13, and D19 as containing non-conforming powder or granular materials NG.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 3, the housing 4 is a box having a bottom surface with an area equal to or larger than the area DA where the plurality of powder and granular materials G are placed on the upper surface of the belt 21. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the housing 4 has a plurality of chambers R which are a plurality of discharge areas that cover the plurality of powder and granular materials G placed on the upper surface of the belt 21 (see Fig. 5) from above and divide them into a plurality of groups, a suction path 41 which is part of the removal passage 10 and leads to the chambers R, and an introduction path 42 which is a path that connects the chambers R to a space outside the chambers R.

[0026] 5, when the housing 4 is in a position covering the powder or granular materials G from above (suction position), the powder or granular materials G placed on the upper surface of the belt 21 are sucked into the removal passage 10 through a suction path 41 of the housing 4, which will be described later. In detail, the suction position is a position when the housing 4 sucks the powder or granular materials G, and more specifically, a position where the powder or granular materials G placed on the upper surface of the belt 21 are completely covered from above and where the gap between the upper surface of the belt 21 and the bottom surface of the housing 4 is as small as possible without crushing the powder or granular materials G with the housing 4.

[0027] As shown in Fig. 1, the housing 4 is held by a placement device 411 for placing the housing 4 at the suction position via an adapter 410 (described later) connected to the top of the housing 4. As shown in Fig. 3, the placement device 411 normally keeps the housing 4 on standby at a position that does not interfere with the conveyance of powder or granular material G by the belt conveyor 2, and as shown in Fig. 5, places the housing 4 at the suction position when removing non-conforming powder or granular material NG from the top surface of the belt 21. Specifically, the placement device 411 moves the housing 4 up and down so that the housing 4 moves back and forth between a position where the housing 4 is separated from the belt 21 (see Fig. 3) and a position where the housing 4 is close to the belt 21 (see Fig. 5).

[0028] As shown in FIG. 5, when the housing 4 is positioned at the suction position, the discharge area is a space in which, as viewed from above, the powder and granular materials G are divided into groups corresponding to the image areas defined by the identification device 3. The discharge area is a chamber R formed by recessing a specific area on the bottom surface of the housing 4. The chamber R in FIG. 5 is a square-shaped recess in a portion of the bottom surface of the housing 4 when viewed from below. Note that, when the housing 4 is positioned at the suction position, the square-shaped surface that faces the top surface of the belt 21 is referred to as the inner upper surface 43, and the surfaces that intersect with the inner upper surface 43 and surround the chamber R from the front, back, left, and right are referred to as the inner side surfaces 44. The chambers R are the same in number as the image areas, have the same area as the actual area of ​​the area shown in each image area, and are arranged on the bottom surface of the housing 4 in the same order as the image areas.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of powder or granular materials G placed in a certain area DA on the upper surface of the belt 21 are assigned to groups of powder or granular materials G in respective chambers R when the housing 4 is placed in the suction position as shown in FIG. 5. The powder or granular materials G included in each group correspond to the powder or granular materials G of the group displayed in the image area corresponding to each group. Specifically, when the housing 4 is placed in the suction position, the powder or granular materials G included in the group below the chamber R2 correspond to the powder or granular materials G of the group displayed in the image area D2 shown in FIG. 2. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, by sucking in the powder or granular materials G of the group assigned to the chamber R corresponding to the image area including the non-conforming powder or granular materials NG, the non-conforming powder or granular materials NG can be removed from all of the powder or granular materials G placed in the certain area DA on the upper surface of the belt 21.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 5, the suction path 41 is connected to the room R and is a passage through which the air and powder G from the room R, which is assigned to a group including the non-conforming powder NG, are sucked in. The suction path 41 is a hole that penetrates from the room R to the upper part of the inner upper surface 43 of the housing 4. The suction path 41 in Fig. 5 is provided near the center of the inner upper surface 43. The center of the inner upper surface 43 is the position that coincides with the intersection of two diagonals of the square-shaped inner upper surface 43.

[0031] The suction path 41 is connected to a suction device 416 that generates an airflow for sucking in the non-conforming powder or granular material NG, and to various mechanical elements for connecting the suction device 416 to the housing 4. Details of the suction device 416 and the various mechanical elements for connecting the housing 4 to the suction device 416 will be described later. The suction device 416 generates an airflow that flows from the room R toward the suction path 41. The airflow generated by the suction device 416 sucks the air and powder or granular material G in the room R that is assigned to the group that includes the non-conforming powder or granular material NG into the suction path 41.

[0032] It is preferable that at least one suction path 41 be provided in each room R. When a suction path 41 is provided in each room R, the group of multiple powder and granular materials G assigned to that room R is sucked in by the suction path 41 provided in that room R. In other words, each suction path 41 sucks in the powder and granular materials G of its assigned group. This prevents a specific suction path 41 from sucking in multiple groups of powder and granular materials G, thereby preventing the removal passage 10 including that suction path 41 from being clogged with the powder and granular materials G. Furthermore, when multiple suction paths 41 are provided in each room R, the multiple powder and granular materials G assigned to each room R are sucked into the multiple suction paths 41 separately. Therefore, the number of powder and granular materials G sucked into each suction path 41 is smaller than when one suction path 41 is provided in each room R. In other words, providing multiple suction paths 41 in each room R has the advantage that the removal passage 10 is less likely to be clogged with the powder and granular materials G than when one suction path 41 is provided in each room R.

[0033] The introduction path 42 is a passage that communicates with each room R and introduces air outside the room R into each room R, and connects the room R shown in FIG. 5 with the space outside the room R shown in FIGS. 3 and 5. When the room R is connected to the space outside the room R, when the air in the room R is sucked into the suction path 41 and the air pressure in the room R drops, air from the space outside the room R, which has a higher pressure than the room R, flows into the room R through the introduction path 42 that communicates with the room R. The air that flows into the room R through the introduction path 42 heads toward the suction path 41, carrying the powder and granular material G from the room R. In other words, when the air in the room R is sucked in through the suction path 41, an airflow is generated from the introduction path 42 that communicates with the room R toward the suction path 41 that communicates with the room R. On the other hand, if room R and the space outside room R are not connected by introduction path 42, when air is sucked into suction path 41, an air flow from outside room R toward room R will occur somewhere other than introduction path 42. For example, if an air flow from outside room R toward room R occurs between housing 4 and the upper surface of belt 21, the air flow may pass through multiple rooms R, carrying powder and granular material G from multiple rooms R and heading toward a specific suction path 41, which may cause the specific suction path 41 to become clogged. In other words, providing introduction path 42 can prevent an air flow from passing through multiple rooms R, thereby preventing the removal path 10, including the specific suction path 41, from being clogged with powder and granular material G.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 4, it is preferable that a plurality of introduction paths 42 are provided in each room R and arranged around the suction path 41. In the housing 4 of FIG. 4, four introduction paths 42 are arranged at four locations around the suction path 41 at equal intervals and such that the intervals between each introduction path 42 and the suction path 41 are equal. By providing a plurality of introduction paths 42 around the suction path 41, when air from the room R is sucked into the suction path 41, air flows are generated from each introduction path 42 around the suction path 41 toward the suction path 41. In other words, air flows are generated toward the suction path 41 from multiple directions. The powdered or granular material G in the room R is sucked into the suction path 41 by riding on the air flows toward the suction path 41. Therefore, if there are air flows toward the suction path 41 from multiple directions, more powdered or granular material G is sucked into the suction path 41 than if there is an air flow toward the suction path 41 from only one direction. In other words, by having multiple introduction paths 42, the space within the room R where there is no air flow, i.e., the space where air does not flow and stagnates, is smaller than when there is only one introduction path 42, and more powder and granular material G is sucked into the suction path 41 by the air flow.

[0035] Preferably, the inlet path 42 penetrates the housing 4 from the outside of the housing 4 toward the room R. In this configuration, the room R is connected to the space outside the housing 4 by the inlet path 42, as shown in FIG. 3. The air pressure in the space outside the housing 4 is atmospheric pressure. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5, when the air in room R is sucked into the suction path 41 and the air pressure in room R becomes lower than atmospheric pressure, the air outside room R flows into room R through the inlet path 42. On the other hand, if the inlet path 42 connects room R to a space other than the outside of the housing 4, the air pressure in the space connected to room R may become lower than the pressure in room R even when the air in room R is sucked into the suction path 41. In this case, it is necessary to actively send air into room R, which requires a pump. However, if room R is connected to the outside of housing 4, when the air in room R is sucked into suction path 41, the pressure in room R will always be lower than atmospheric pressure, which has the advantage that there is no need to actively send air into room R and no separate pump or the like is required to send air to room R. Inlet path 42 of housing 4 shown in FIG. 5 is a hole that penetrates from the top of housing 4 to the inner upper surface 43. Therefore, when the air in room R is sucked into suction path 41 together with the incompatible powder and granular material NG, air in the space outside housing 4 and above housing 4 is guided through inlet path 42 to suction path 41.

[0036] In order to suck and recover a group of powder and granular materials G including non-conforming powder and granular materials NG from the suction passage 41, the housing 4 is connected to a suction device 416 via various mechanical elements, such as an adapter 410 connected to the housing 4, a plurality of tubes 412 individually communicating with each suction passage 41 of the housing 4 via the adapter 410, a plurality of separators 413 individually communicating with each tube 412, a plurality of valves 414 individually communicating with each separator 413, and a manifold 415 communicating with the plurality of valves 414. The removal passages 10 mentioned above are specifically a plurality of passages from each suction passage 41 to the manifold 415.

[0037] The adapter 410 has a plurality of tubes 41A that are individually connected to the suction paths 41 of the housing 4, and a holder 41B that holds the plurality of tubes 41A. The hollow portions of the tubes 41A form part of the removal passage 10. The number of tubes 41A is the same as the number of suction paths 41 of the housing 4, and the plurality of tubes 41A are connected to the upper part of the housing 4 so that the hollow portions communicate with each suction path 41 individually.

[0038] The tubes 412 have hollow portions that form part of the removal passage 10, and are connected to the housing 4 via the tubes 41A of the adapter 410 so that the hollow portions communicate with the suction passage 41. The number of tubes 412 is the same as the number of suction passages 41, and one end of each tube 412 is connected to a respective tube 41A of the adapter 410, and the other end of each tube 412 is connected to the separation device 413.

[0039] The separator 413 separates the air sucked through the suction path 41 from the powder / granular material G, including the non-conforming powder / granular material NG. By separating the air sucked through the suction path 41 from the powder / granular material G, the air can be directed toward the suction device 416, and the powder / granular material G can be directed toward a collection box 417 for collecting the powder / granular material G. This prevents clogging due to the powder / granular material G in the portion downstream of the separator 413 leading to the suction device 416. The separator 413 may be, for example, an air filter or a cyclone-type centrifuge. Note that the separator 413 may be located upstream of a mechanical element that may be clogged with the powder / granular material G. For example, the separator 413 may be located downstream of the valve 414 or the manifold 415 if there is no risk of the valve 414 or the manifold 415 being clogged with the powder / granular material G.

[0040] A valve 414 is connected to each separation device 413 to open and close each removal passage 10. When the removal passage 10 connected to that valve 414 leads to the room R assigned to the group including the non-conforming powder or granular material NG, the valve 414 opens to allow air and powder or granular material G to pass through that removal passage 10. Conversely, when the removal passage 10 connected to that valve 414 does not lead to the room R assigned to the group including the non-conforming powder or granular material NG, the valve 414 closes to prevent air and powder or granular material G from passing through that removal passage 10. Therefore, when the valve 414 opens and closes the removal passage 10, only powder or granular material G of the group including the non-conforming powder or granular material NG is sucked into the suction path 41 of the housing 4. The valve 414 is, for example, a solenoid valve, and is controlled by the identification device 3 or another control device (not shown) based on the determination result of the identification device 3. The multiple valves 414 are connected to a suction device 416 via a manifold 415 through which air passing through each valve 414 passes.

[0041] The suction device 416 is a device that sucks in air. Since the suction device 416 is connected to each removal passage 10, when the suction device 416 sucks in air, the air in the room R is sucked into the suction path 41. The suction device 416 is, for example, a vacuum pump.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 6 , the regulating bodies 5 regulate the lifting L of the belt 21 of the belt conveyor 2, which occurs when a plurality of powdered or granular materials G are sucked into the suction path 41, at a plurality of locations around the casing 4. The lifting L of the belt 21 is regulated by pressing down on the belt 21 at a plurality of locations around the casing 4 from above. As shown in FIG. 1 , in this embodiment, six regulating bodies 5 are used to regulate the belt 21 at six locations around the casing 4 from above. By using the regulating bodies 5 to regulate the lifting L of the belt 21, the lifting L of the belt 21 does not occur, and the lifting L of the belt 21 prevents the plurality of powdered or granular materials G placed on the belt 21 from scattering.

[0043] 6, the regulating body 5 has a pressing body 52 that is held by the holding portion 41B of the adapter 410 via a holding member 51. The holding portion 41B of the adapter 410 has a hole that penetrates through it in the thickness direction at a position that holds the regulating body 5. The cylindrical holding member 51 is attached to the holding portion 41B so that the hollow portion communicates with the through hole of the holding portion 41B and the flat portion of the holding member 51 is in contact with the upper surface of the holding portion 41B.

[0044] The pressing body 52 has a main body 521 held by the holding member 51, a repulsive portion 522 attached to the main body 521, and a receiving portion 523 that sandwiches the repulsive portion 522 between the main body 521 and the main body 521. The main body 521 is shaped like a rod with disks attached to both ends. The repulsive portion 522 is a member that contracts when a force is applied from above or below, generating a repulsive force that repels the force in the direction of the applied force. FIG. 6 shows an example of the repulsive portion 522 that is a coil spring. The inner diameter of the repulsive portion 522 is larger than the outer diameter of the rod portion of the main body 521 and smaller than the outer diameter of the disk portion of the main body 521. The receiving portion 523 is cylindrical, and the inner diameter of the hollow portion is smaller than the outer diameter of the repulsive portion 522. The receiving portion 523 is attached to the holding portion 41B so that the hollow portion communicates with the through hole of the holding portion 41B and the flat portion of the receiving portion 523 contacts the underside of the holding portion 41B. Main body 521 is held by holding part 41B such that its rod portion passes through the hollow portion of repulsive part 522, which is a coil spring, and one end of repulsive part 522 contacts one disc portion of main body 521 while the other end of repulsive part 522 contacts the lower flat portion of receiving part 523. Main body 521 is held by holding part 41B by having its rod portion pass through the hollow portions of receiving part 523, holding part 41B, and holding member 51, and such that the lower flat portion of the disc portion at the upper end of main body 521 hooks onto the upper flat portion of holding member 51. As holding part 41B holds pressing body 52 in this manner, holding member 51 restricts downward movement of main body 521, and repulsive part 522 restricts upward movement of main body 521. In other words, main body 521 can move up and down within the range restricted by holding member 51 and repulsive part 522. Furthermore, when the regulating body 5 is disposed in a position where it presses down on the belt 21 from above, the main body 521 presses down on the upper surface of the belt 21 with the repulsive force of the repulsive portion 522, thereby restricting the lift L of the belt 21. Note that the pressing body 52 may have any structure as long as it generates a repulsive force in the direction in which a force is applied from above or below.

[0045] The length of the repulsive portion 522 in the contraction direction is preferably a length that allows the main body 521 to press down on the belt 21 from the time when the housing 4 moves away from the suction position until the air pressure in the suction path 41 becomes approximately the same as the air pressure around the housing 4. With the repulsive portion 522 having such a length in the contraction direction, the main body 521 can press down on the belt 21 from above and regulate the lift-up L of the belt 21 when the air pressure in the suction path 41 is lower than the air pressure around the housing 4, in other words, when there is a risk of the belt 21 lifting up L occurring.

[0046] Furthermore, in order to press down on the belt 21 from above, a moving device (not shown) that can hold and move the regulating body 5 may be used instead of attaching the regulating body 5 to the adapter 410. The moving device moves the regulating body 5 so that the regulating body 5 moves back and forth between a position where the regulating body 5 presses down on the belt 21 from above and a position where the regulating body 5 is spaced apart from the belt 21. The moving device places the regulating body 5 in a position where it presses down on the belt 21 from above, thereby restricting the lift L of the belt 21. With a moving device, the regulating body 5 can be kept in the position where it presses down on the belt 21 from above for any period of time. Therefore, using a moving device has the advantage of being able to restrict the lift L of the belt 21 for any period of time.

[0047] The lift L of the belt 21 can also be regulated by pulling the belt 21 from below, rather than pressing the belt 21 from above. To pull the belt 21 from below, for example, a pulling device (not shown) that sucks and pulls the belt 21 from below the belt 21 at a position opposite to the position where the housing 4 covers the belt 21 from above, i.e., from below the belt 21, pulls the belt 21 downward to regulate the lift L of the belt 21. When a pulling device is used, it is not necessary to regulate the belt 21 from above, so there is no need to ensure an area on the belt 21 for the regulator 5 to contact, and the area DA in which multiple powder and granular materials G can be spread and loaded can be enlarged, which has the advantage that a larger number of powder and granular materials G can be sorted due to the enlarged area DA.

[0048] The operation of the sorting device 100 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 1, the sorting device 100 begins with a feeder 1 supplying a plurality of powder or granular materials G onto the belt 21 of a belt conveyor 2. As the belt conveyor 2 transports the powder or granular materials G, it sequentially identifies areas containing non-conforming powder or granular materials NG and removes the groups containing the non-conforming powder or granular materials NG. By removing the groups containing the non-conforming powder or granular materials NG from the top surface of the belt 21, only conforming powder or granular materials GG remain on the top surface of the belt 21. The user of the sorting device 100 can collect the conforming powder or granular materials GG remaining on the top surface of the belt 21 in some way, thereby selecting only the conforming powder or granular materials GG from the plurality of powder or granular materials G.

[0050] As the feeder 1 vibrates, the powder and granular materials G, including the non-conforming powder and granular materials NG, move toward the supply path outlet 12. As the powder and granular materials G on the upstream side of the supply path 11 move toward the supply path outlet 12, they gradually move toward both ends of the supply path 11 in the width direction. The powder and granular materials G moving toward the supply path outlet 12 are guided toward the center of the supply path 11 in the width direction by a guide 13 located at the middle of the supply path 11 in the direction of movement. As the powder and granular materials G guided by the guide 13 move toward the supply path outlet 12, they gradually move from the center of the supply path 11 toward both ends of the supply path 11 in the width direction, so that by the time they reach the supply path outlet 12, the powder and granular materials G are evenly aligned in the width direction. The powder and granular materials G that reach the supply path outlet 12 fall from the supply path outlet 12 toward the upper surface of the belt 21 of the belt conveyor 2.

[0051] The belt conveyor 2 receives, on the upper surface of the belt 21, the plurality of powder and granular materials G that drop from the supply path outlet 12 of the feeder 1 while moving the belt 21 in the conveying direction so that the plurality of powder and granular materials G are uniformly placed in a certain area DA on the belt 21. The belt 21 receives, while moving in the conveying direction, the plurality of powder and granular materials G supplied from the feeder 1 so that the plurality of powder and granular materials G are placed on its upper surface in a uniformly spread state in the conveying direction. Therefore, the plurality of powder and granular materials G are placed on the upper surface of the belt 21 in a uniformly spread state not only in the width direction of the belt 21 but also in the conveying direction. In other words, the plurality of powder and granular materials G supplied from the feeder 1 to the upper surface of the belt 21 are placed in a uniformly spread state in a certain area DA on the upper surface of the belt 21.

[0052] The plurality of powder or granular materials G placed on a certain area DA on the upper surface of the belt 21 are transported to a position (imaging position) where the identification device 3 images the plurality of powder or granular materials G, and at the imaging position, the identification device 3 identifies an image area containing non-conforming powder or granular materials NG. The identification device 3 images the plurality of powder or granular materials G transported to the imaging position, and as shown in FIG. 2, identifies the non-conforming powder or granular materials NG from the captured image P, divides the image P into a plurality of image areas, and identifies the image area containing the non-conforming powder or granular materials NG. The plurality of powder or granular materials G, whose image areas containing the non-conforming powder or granular materials NG have been identified, are transported toward a position (removal position) where the non-conforming powder or granular materials NG are sucked into the removal passage 10.

[0053] 3 and 5, after conveying the plurality of powder and granular materials G to the removal position, the belt 21 temporarily stops moving in the conveyance direction, and the placement device 411 moves the housing 4 so that the housing 4 is positioned at the suction position while the plurality of powder and granular materials G are stopped at the removal position. By positioning the housing 4 at the suction position with the movement of the belt 21 stopped, the regulating body 5 does not interfere with the movement of the belt 21. Therefore, even if the regulating body 5 restricts the moving belt 21, it is possible to prevent the belt 21 from lifting up L, which occurs when the belt 21 twists starting from the part restricted by the regulating body 5.

[0054] While the housing 4 is positioned at the suction position, the powder G of the group assigned to the room R (non-conforming discharge area NGD) corresponding to the image area containing the non-conforming powder and granular material NG is sucked into the suction path 41 provided in the non-conforming discharge area NGD together with the air in the non-conforming discharge area NGD. When the housing 4 is positioned at the suction position, the valve 414 closing the removal path 10 of the non-conforming discharge area NGD opens. While the housing 4 is positioned at the suction position, the suction device 416 generates an airflow for sucking in the non-conforming powder and granular material NG. Therefore, when the valve 414 of the removal path 10 connected to the non-conforming discharge area NGD opens, an airflow is generated from the non-conforming discharge area NGD through the suction path 41 of the non-conforming discharge area NGD toward the suction device 416.

[0055] When an airflow is generated from the nonconforming discharge area NGD toward the suction path 41 of the nonconforming discharge area NGD, the air pressure within the nonconforming discharge area NGD becomes lower than the air pressure outside the housing 4, and air outside the housing 4 is introduced into the nonconforming discharge area NGD through the inlet path 42 provided in the nonconforming discharge area NGD. In other words, when the air pressure within the nonconforming discharge area NGD drops, the air required to equalize the air pressure within the nonconforming discharge area NGD with the air pressure outside the housing 4 passes through the inlet path 42 of the nonconforming discharge area NGD without passing through another room R. Therefore, no airflow is generated from a room R outside the nonconforming discharge area NGD toward the nonconforming discharge area NGD, preventing a group of powder and granular materials G assigned to a room other than the nonconforming discharge area NGD from being sucked into the suction path 41 of the nonconforming discharge area NGD. Therefore, it is possible to prevent conforming powder and granular materials GG included in a group assigned to a room R other than the nonconforming discharge area NGD from being sucked into the suction path 41 of the nonconforming discharge area NGD. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent the suction path 41 of the non-conforming discharge area NGD from being clogged with powder and granular materials G due to the suction path 41 being sucked with a quantity of powder and granular materials G that exceeds the suction capacity of the suction path 41.

[0056] Air introduced into the non-compliant discharge area NGD through the inlet path 42 flows toward the suction path 41. The group of powder and granular materials G assigned to the non-compliant discharge area NGD rides on the airflow toward the suction path 41 and is sucked into the suction path 41. As shown in FIG. 4 , the suction path 41 is located in room R, and four inlet paths 42 are arranged around the suction path 41 so that the distance from the suction path 41 and the distance between each inlet path 42 are equal. This generates an airflow that passes through most of the space within room R. Therefore, for the group of powder and granular materials G assigned to the non-compliant discharge area NGD, fewer powder and granular materials G are sucked into the suction path 41 due to their presence in spaces where the airflow is stagnant. Furthermore, because multiple powder and granular materials G are uniformly spread on the upper surface of the belt 21, the suction path 41 does not suck in an excessive number of powder and granular materials G at a given moment, as would occur if a large number of powder and granular materials G were unevenly distributed in a specific area on the upper surface of the belt 21. Therefore, it is possible to prevent clogging of the removal passage 10 with powder and granular materials G due to an excessive amount of powder and granular materials G being sucked into the removal passage 10 in a short period of time.

[0057] As shown in Fig. 5, when an air flow is generated from the non-compliant discharge area NGD toward the suction path 41 of the non-compliant discharge area NGD, the air pressure inside the non-compliant discharge area NGD becomes smaller than the air pressure outside the housing 4, and the belt 21 is pulled toward the non-compliant discharge area NGD, causing the belt 21 to lift up L as shown in Fig. 6. However, since the regulating body 5 presses down on the belt 21 from above while the housing 4 is placed in the suction position, the lift up L of the belt 21 is regulated by the regulating body 5.

[0058] As shown in Figure 5, powder and granular material G, including non-conforming powder and granular material NG, sucked into the suction path 41 of the non-conforming discharge area NGD, passes through the removal passage 10, which includes the suction path 41, and is sucked into the separator 413. In the separator 413, the air and the powder and granular material G are separated. The separated air flows toward the suction device 416, and the separated powder and granular material G flows toward the collection box 417. This prevents the removal passage 10, valve 414, manifold 415, and suction device 416, which are downstream of the separator 413, from being clogged with the powder and granular material G.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 6, after a plurality of powder and granular materials G are sucked into the suction path 41 of the housing 4, the placement device 411 shown in FIG. 1 moves the housing 4 away from the suction position. When the housing 4 moves away from the suction position, the regulating body 5 also moves away from the position where it presses down on the belt 21 together with the housing 4. However, the pressing body 52 of the regulating body 5 presses down on the belt 21 from above by the repulsive force generated by the repulsive portion 522. Therefore, the pressing body 52 continues to press down on the belt 21 from above until the regulating body 5 moves to a position where the repulsive force of the repulsive portion 522 is no longer generated, that is, until the repulsive portion 522 moves to a position where the contraction of the repulsive portion 522 is no longer present. The length of the repulsive portion 522 in the contraction direction is the length that the main body 521 can press down on the belt 21 from the time the housing 4 moves away from the suction position until the air pressure in the suction path 41 becomes approximately equal to the air pressure around the housing 4. Therefore, when the air pressure in the suction path 41 is lower than the air pressure around the housing 4, in other words, when there is a risk of the belt 21 floating up L, the belt 21 is pressed down from above to regulate the floating up L of the belt 21.

[0060] After the regulating body 5 moves away from the position where it presses the belt 21 from above, the belt 21 resumes moving in the conveying direction. Therefore, the regulating body 5 does not hinder the movement of the belt 21. Therefore, even if the regulating body 5 restricts the moving belt 21, it is possible to prevent the belt 21 from lifting up L, which occurs when the belt 21 twists starting from the part restricted by the regulating body 5.

[0061] After the powder G of the group including the non-conforming powder NG has been sucked in, only the conforming powder GG remains on the upper surface of the belt 21. The conforming powder GG remaining on the upper surface of the belt 21 is collected in some way, and the conforming powder GG is separated from the plurality of powders G including the non-conforming powder NG.

[0062] The structures of Modifications 1 and 2 of the sorting device 100 according to the embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0063] [Variation 1] A first modification of the sorting device 100 according to the embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 7. The sorting device 100 of the first modification differs from the housing 4 of Fig. 4 only in the structure of the housing 6.

[0064] The housing 6 of Modification 1 shown in FIG. 7 has a greater number of introduction paths 42 than the housing 4 of FIG. 4, and at least one introduction path 42 is provided across the boundary between two different rooms R. In other words, at least one introduction path 42 is provided to connect two different rooms R. By providing an introduction path 42 across the boundary between two different rooms R, the passage cross-sectional area of ​​the introduction path 42 can be increased. When air outside the housing 4 is introduced into the room R through the introduction paths 42, the larger the number of introduction paths 42 and the passage cross-sectional area of ​​the introduction paths 42, the greater the amount of air that flows into the room R through the introduction paths 42. When the air pressure in the room R, where air has been sucked into the suction path 41, becomes lower than the pressure around the housing 6, the shorter the time it takes for the air pressure in the room R to become approximately equal to the pressure around the housing 6. Therefore, the period during which the belt 21 may lift up L shown in FIG. 6 can be shortened.

[0065] [Variation 2] A second modification of the sorting device 100 according to the embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 8 . The sorting device 100 of the second modification differs from the housing 4 of FIG. 4 only in the structure of the housing 7. As shown in FIG. 8 , the discharge area of ​​the housing 7 differs from the housing 4 of FIG. 4 in that it is a fixed space S on the bottom surface of the housing 7, rather than a recess provided on the bottom surface of the housing 4 like the room R of the housing 4 of FIG. 4 . The discharge area in FIG. 8 is the space S on the bottom surface of the housing 7 that corresponds to each image area defined by the recognition device 3 when viewed from above when the housing 7 is placed in the suction position. Like the room R provided in the housing 4 of FIG. 4 , the spaces S are the same in number as the image areas, have the same area as the actual area of ​​the region shown in each image area, and are arranged on the bottom surface of the housing 4 in the same order as the image areas. Unlike the room R provided in the housing 4 of FIG. 4 , the spaces S provided in the housing 7 of the second modification do not require a recess on the bottom surface of the housing 7, which has the advantage of being easier to manufacture than the housing 4 of FIG. 4 . Furthermore, since the number of inlet passages 42 of the housing 4 of variant example 2 is greater than the number of inlet passages 42 of the housing 4 of Figure 4, there is an advantage that there are fewer areas where air stagnates in the space below the space S when the suction passage 41 sucks in air, compared to the case of the housing 4 of Figure 4.

[0066] The above describes an embodiment of the present invention, but the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. The guide 13 guides the direction of movement of the powder and granular material G moving on the feeder 1, and the belt 21 moves at a constant speed to receive multiple powder and granular materials G falling from the supply path outlet 12, so that multiple powder and granular materials G are uniformly placed in a certain area DA on the upper surface of the belt 21, and air outside the non-compliant discharge area NGD is introduced into the non-compliant discharge area NGD through the introduction path 42 provided in the non-compliant discharge area NGD, and the regulator 5 or other device regulates the lifting L of the belt for a certain period of time.Appropriate modifications can be made within the scope of the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 1: Feeder 2: Belt conveyor 3: Identification device 4: Housing 5: Regulatory body 13: Guide 41:Suction path 42:Introduction path 52: Pressing body 100: Sorting device R: Room (discharge area) S: Space (discharge area) G: Powder NG: Non-conforming powder or granule

Claims

1. an identification device that identifies non-conforming powder or granular materials that do not conform to standards from images obtained by capturing images of a plurality of powder or granular materials; a housing; The housing includes: a plurality of discharge areas arranged to separate the plurality of powder and granular materials into a plurality of groups; a suction path communicating with the discharge area, through which air in the discharge area to which the group including the non-conforming powder or granular material is assigned and the powder or granular material in the discharge area to which the group including the non-conforming powder or granular material is assigned are sucked; an introduction path communicating with each of the discharge areas for introducing air outside the discharge areas into each of the discharge areas; The sorting device further comprises:

2. The sorting device according to claim 1 , wherein the introduction path passes through the housing from the outside of the housing toward the discharge area.

3. At least one suction path is provided in each of the discharge areas, The sorting device according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the introduction paths are provided in each of the discharge areas and are arranged around the suction path.

4. a belt conveyor that conveys the plurality of powder and granular materials in a state where the powder and granular materials are spread over a certain area; The sorting device of claim 1, further comprising a regulating body that regulates the lifting of the belt conveyor when the powder or granular material in the discharge area assigned to the group including the non-conforming powder or granular material is sucked into the suction path of the housing, which is positioned to cover the powder or granular material placed on the belt conveyor from above.

5. The sorting device according to claim 4 , wherein the regulating body regulates a plurality of points around the periphery of the housing.

6. The regulator is 6. The sorting device according to claim 5, further comprising a pressing body that presses the belt conveyor when the belt conveyor is lifted up.

7. 7. The sorting device according to claim 6, further comprising a moving device that moves the pressing body to a position where it presses the belt conveyor from above to prevent the belt conveyor from lifting up, and then moves the pressing body away from the upper side of the belt conveyor.

8. a supply path that is a passage through which the plurality of powder and granular materials pass and that vibrates to pass the plurality of powder and granular materials and supply them onto the belt conveyor; a guide that guides the powder toward a center portion in the width direction of the supply path; The sorting device of claim 4 further comprising:

9. The sorting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a separation device that separates the air sucked through the suction path from the powder and granular material including the non-conforming powder and granular material sucked through the suction path.

Images