Dish sorting device
The tableware sorting device uses an alignment section with inclined side conveyors and a sorting section with adjustable guides to accurately sort multiple types of tableware by type, addressing the challenge of simultaneous large quantities.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2021-07-19
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-19
AI Technical Summary
Existing tableware sorting devices struggle to accurately sort multiple types of tableware by type when they are transported in large quantities simultaneously.
A tableware sorting device with an alignment section that aligns multiple types of tableware in a single row using a first conveyor with side conveyors inclined alternately, and a sorting section with guides that adjust to dish heights, ensuring accurate sorting.
The device enables precise sorting of multiple types of tableware by type, even when large quantities are conveyed simultaneously, by aligning and guiding dishes into separate categories based on height differences.
Smart Images
Figure 0007833263000001 
Figure 0007833263000002 
Figure 0007833263000003
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present invention relates to a tableware sorting device for sorting multiple types of tableware by type.
Background Art
[0002] As a technology of this kind, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a tableware sorting device that sorts aligned tableware into tableware of each type. This tableware sorting device includes a conveyor for conveying tableware and a plurality of sorting guides for sorting the tableware conveyed by the conveyor according to the type. Each sorting guide forms a gap corresponding to the type of tableware with respect to the conveying surface of the conveyor in a state inclined in the conveying direction of the conveyor. The size of the gap of each sorting guide becomes smaller as it advances downstream in the conveying direction.
[0003] In this way, by providing a sorting guide with respect to the conveyor, tableware with a height higher than the gap can contact the sorting guide, and tableware with a height lower than the gap can pass through the sorting guide. As a result, tableware can be sequentially brought into contact with each sorting guide on the upstream side in the conveying direction from the tableware with a high height, and the tableware that has contacted each sorting guide can be guided along the sorting guide. In this way, tableware of the same type can be guided to the side of the conveyor by the sorting guide, and the tableware can be sorted by type.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0004]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0005] However, even when using a tableware sorting device like the one shown in Patent Document 1, if multiple types of tableware are flowing in large quantities at once, it may not be possible to accurately sort the multiple types of tableware by type. Therefore, if a tableware sorting device is used that sorts multiple types of tableware manually while they are being transported on a conveyor belt, such sorting becomes even more difficult.
[0006] This invention has been made in view of these points, and aims to provide a tableware sorting device that can accurately sort multiple types of tableware by type, even when multiple types of tableware are transported in large quantities at once. [Means for solving the problem]
[0007] In view of the above problems, the tableware sorting device according to the present invention is a tableware sorting device for sorting multiple types of tableware by type, wherein the tableware sorting device includes at least an alignment section that aligns the multiple types of tableware in a single row along the conveying direction while conveying them, wherein the alignment section includes a first conveyor having a conveyor belt on which a main conveying surface for conveying tableware is formed, and a plurality of side conveyors arranged on the first conveyor and having side belts on which sub-conveying surfaces are formed to stand upright with respect to the main conveying surface of the first conveyor, wherein the plurality of side conveyors are arranged alternately on the first conveyor along the conveying direction of the first conveyor, with a side belt inclined toward the center of the conveyor belt toward the downstream side from one edge in the width direction of the first conveyor, and a side belt inclined toward the center of the conveyor belt toward the downstream side from the other edge in the width direction of the first conveyor.
[0008] According to the present invention, tableware introduced into the alignment section is transported while placed on the main conveying surface formed on the conveyor belt of the first conveyor. At that time, some of the tableware may come into contact with the side belt, which has a secondary conveying surface that is erected relative to the main conveying surface of the first conveyor.
[0009] Here, multiple side conveyors are arranged alternately on the first conveyor along the conveying direction of the first conveyor. One side belt is inclined toward the center of the conveyor belt from one edge in the width direction of the first conveyor toward the downstream side, and the other side belt is inclined toward the center of the conveyor belt from the other edge in the width direction of the first conveyor toward the downstream side, and the two side belts are inclined toward the conveying direction of the main conveyor belt. As a result, multiple dishes are moved toward the center of the first conveyor in the width direction and aligned along the conveying direction of the first conveyor. Consequently, even when multiple types of dishes flow in large quantities at once, the dishes are transported to the sorting section in a single row, allowing for accurate sorting of multiple types of dishes by type.
[0010] Here, if multiple dishes are transported in a single row by the alignment section, the transport speed of the main transport surface and the transport speed of the secondary transport surface may be different. However, in a more preferred embodiment, the transport speed of the secondary transport surface is faster than the transport speed of the main transport surface, and the transport speed of the downstream secondary transport surface is faster than the transport speed of the upstream secondary transport surface.
[0011] According to this embodiment, by making the conveying speed of the secondary conveying surface faster than the conveying speed of the main conveying surface, among the multiple dishes being conveyed in a cluster on the main conveying surface, the dishes that come into contact with the secondary conveying surface are pushed downstream in the conveying direction before the other dishes, causing them to align in the conveying direction. Furthermore, since the conveying speed of the downstream secondary conveying surface is faster than the conveying speed of the upstream secondary conveying surface, the dishes being conveyed on the main conveying surface tend to widen in spacing along the conveying direction and become arranged in a single row as they move downstream.
[0012] Furthermore, if the secondary conveying surface of the side conveyor is erected relative to the main conveying surface of the first conveyor, the mounting structure of the side conveyor is not particularly limited, but in a more preferred embodiment, the alignment section has a suspension section for suspending and fixing each side conveyor, the suspension section extends across the width direction of the first conveyor and includes a pair of rails spaced apart with respect to the conveying direction of the first conveyor, and the side conveyor is slidably mounted on each of the rails while suspended from the pair of rails.
[0013] In this embodiment, the side conveyors are suspended from a pair of rails and slidably mounted relative to each rail, allowing for easy adjustment of the inclination angle of the side belts with respect to the conveying direction of the first conveyor (main conveying surface) and their position in the width direction with respect to the conveying direction. Furthermore, when large containers, such as hotel pans, are placed on the main conveying surface and conveyed, each side conveyor can be slid along the rails and moved towards one or the other edge in the width direction of the first conveyor. This allows for easy retraction of the side conveyors from large containers, such as hotel pans, being conveyed on the main conveying surface.
[0014] Here, the dish sorting device may further install a conveyor downstream of the alignment section to transport the dishes that have been aligned (single-rowed) in the sorting section, and the dishes transported on this conveyor may be manually sorted according to their type. Alternatively, the sorting section for sorting dishes may be various devices such as a device that sorts multiple dishes by providing holes of different sizes and dropping them through the holes, a device that determines the type of dish using a camera and uses a robot to pick up and sort the dishes of each type based on the determination result, or a device that sorts the transported dishes. However, in a more preferred embodiment, the tableware sorting device includes a sorting unit that sorts the tableware sorted in the alignment unit into tableware of each type, the sorting unit includes a second conveyor positioned at the downstream end of the first conveyor of the alignment unit, and a plurality of sorting guides that sort the tableware being transported on the second conveyor according to type, each sorting guide is inclined in the transport direction of the second conveyor and is formed such that a gap set according to the height of each type of tableware is provided with respect to the transport surface of the second conveyor, and that the gap becomes smaller as it moves downstream of the second conveyor.
[0015] In this embodiment, among the multiple dishes transported in a single row on the first conveyor to the second conveyor, the taller dishes come into contact with a sorting guide installed on the upstream side of the second conveyor, while the shorter dishes pass through the gap between the sorting guide and the transport surface of the second conveyor. The taller dishes that have come into contact with the sorting guide then come into contact with a sorting guide with a smaller gap on the upstream side, and are then guided by the sorting guide they have come into contact with and moved to the side of the second conveyor.
[0016] In this way, taller dishes can be sorted from a group of dishes. Even if a large quantity of dishes of different heights are transported, these dishes are arranged in a single row by the alignment section. This prevents shorter dishes, which should normally pass through the sorting guide and the transport surface of the second conveyor, from getting caught up in the movement of taller dishes, thus preventing shorter dishes from being guided by the sorting guide.
[0017] Furthermore, according to this aspect, each sorting guide is formed such that the gap set according to the height of each type of tableware becomes smaller as it progresses downstream of the second conveyor. Therefore, tableware with a low height that has passed through the upstream sorting guide comes into contact with the sorting guide with a small gap on the downstream side, and then is moved closer to the side of the second conveyor while being guided by the contacted sorting guide. In this way, after a plurality of types of tableware are aligned in a single row in the alignment unit, the sorting unit can accurately sort the tableware one by one.
Effect of the Invention
[0018] According to the present invention, even when a plurality of types of tableware are conveyed in large quantities at once, the plurality of types of tableware can be accurately sorted by type.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0019] [Figure 1] (a) is an overall plan view of a tableware sorting device according to an embodiment of the present invention, and (b) is a side view of the tableware sorting device shown in (a). [Figure 2] (a) is a perspective view of a main part of one side conveyor in the alignment unit shown in Fig. 1(a), and (b) is a perspective view of a main part of the other side conveyor in the alignment unit shown in Fig. 1(a). [Figure 3] It is an exploded perspective view of a hanging part for hanging and fixing the side conveyor shown in Fig. 2(b). [Figure 4] (a) is a plan view in which the side conveyor shown in Fig. 2 is in the tableware conveying position, and (b) is a plan view in which the side conveyor shown in Fig. 2 is in the retracted position. [Figure 5] It is a schematic perspective view of the sorting unit shown in Fig. 1(a). [Figure 6] (a) is a side view of the sorting guide on the upstream side of the second conveyor, and (b) is a side view of the sorting guide on the downstream side thereof.
Mode for Carrying Out the Invention
[0020] Hereinafter, a tableware sorting device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6.
[0021] 1. Regarding the tableware sorting device 1 As shown in FIGS. 1(a) and (b), the tableware sorting device 1 according to the present embodiment is a device for sorting a plurality of types of tableware by type. For example, after use, a plurality of tableware washed by a tableware washing device are sorted, and the sorted tableware is stored in a predetermined tableware basket 91 for each type of sorted tableware. The tableware sorting device 1 includes an alignment unit 3 that aligns a plurality of types of tableware in a single row along the conveyance direction P while conveying them, and a sorting unit 6 that sorts the tableware aligned by the alignment unit 3 into tableware for each type.
[0022] 2. Regarding the first conveyor 11 of the alignment unit 3 The alignment unit 3 includes a first conveyor 11 and a plurality of side conveyors 21. The first conveyor 11 has a conveyor belt 12 on which a main conveyance surface 12A for conveying tableware is formed. In the present embodiment, the first conveyor 11 is composed of first to third conveyance units 11A to 11C in order from the upstream side in the conveyance direction P of the first conveyor 11. The conveyance directions P of the first to third conveyance units 11A to 11C are the same direction.
[0023] Each of the three first to third conveyance units 11A to 11C is provided with a conveyor belt 12, and each conveyor belt 12 is a chain belt that spans a drive sprocket 14A and a driven sprocket 14B.
[0024] As shown in Figure 1(a), a motor 15 is connected to the drive sprocket 14A. The motor 15 is connected to a power cable (not shown) and can be driven by power supplied from the power cable. By driving the motor 15, the main conveying surface 12A of the conveyor belt 12 can be moved along the conveying direction P. The rotational speed of the motor 15 can be adjusted via a control device (not shown), thereby adjusting the conveying speed of the conveyor belt 12. In this embodiment, the conveying speeds of the first to third conveying sections 11A to 11C are set to increase as they move downstream.
[0025] An input chute 18A for loading washed dishes into the first conveying section 11A is provided on the upstream side (one side) of the first conveying section 11A. A drop prevention guide 18B is provided on the side of the first conveyor 11 opposite the input chute 18A (the other side) to prevent dishes loaded from the input chute 18A from falling.
[0026] The second conveying section 11B is inclined downward as it moves upstream, such that the upstream end of the second conveying section 11B in the conveying direction P is located below the downstream end of the first conveying section 11A in the conveying direction P. A chute 19 is positioned to connect the downstream end of the first conveying section 11A and the upstream end of the second conveying section 11B. Similarly, chutes 19 are provided between the second conveying section 11B and the third conveying section 11C, and between the third conveying section 11C and the second conveyor 61 of the sorting section 6, which will be described later.
[0027] In this embodiment, as described above, the transport speeds of the first to third transport sections 11A to 11C are set to increase as they move downstream. As a result, when dishes move from the upstream transport section 11A (11B) to the downstream transport section 11B (11C), the dishes that slide down the chute 19 and fall into the downstream transport section 11B (11C) first are transported faster than the dishes that slide down the chute 19 before (i.e., the dishes on the upstream side). In this way, the distance between the dishes that slide down first and the dishes that slide down later, with respect to the transport direction, is increased.
[0028] 3. Regarding the side conveyor 21 of the alignment section 3 The side conveyors 21 (21A to 21C) are arranged on the conveyor belt 12 for each of the first to third conveying sections 11A to 11C. The side conveyors 21 have side belts 22, and the side belts 22 have sub-conveying surfaces 22A formed on them so as to be upright relative to the main conveying surface 12A of the first conveyor 11.
[0029] The side belt 22 of the side conveyor 21 is stretched over a drive roller 24A and a driven roller 24B, which are spaced apart from each other in the horizontal direction. A motor 25 is connected to the drive roller 24A, and the motor 25 is connected to a power cable (not shown) and can be driven by the power supplied from the power cable. By driving the motor 25, the drive roller 24A rotates, and the secondary conveying surface 22A of the side belt 22 can be moved. The rotational speed of the motor 25 can be adjusted via a control device (not shown), thereby adjusting the conveying speed of the side belt 22.
[0030] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 2(a), (b), and Figure 4(a) described later, with each side conveyor 21 in a position for transporting tableware, the side belts 22 of the three side conveyors 21 are inclined with respect to the transport direction P of the first conveyor 11.
[0031] Specifically, the three side conveyors 21 (21A to 21C) are arranged on the first conveyor 11 such that they alternately have side belts 22 inclined with respect to the transport direction P of the first conveyor 11, extending downstream from one edge 18a in the width direction of the first conveyor 11 toward the center of the conveyor belt 12, and side belts 22 inclined with respect to the transport direction of the first conveyor 11, extending downstream from the other edge 18b in the width direction of the first conveyor 11 toward the center of the conveyor belt 12, along the transport direction P of the first conveyor 11. In this embodiment, three side conveyors 21 are provided, but two or four or more may also be provided.
[0032] Here, the side conveyor 21A, located furthest upstream, is positioned on the side of the first conveyor 11 opposite the input chute 18A (the other side), and is located downstream of the fall prevention guide 18B. By positioning it in this way, even if many dishes are fed into the first conveyor 11 from the input chute 18A, these dishes will be guided and aligned from the starting end (upstream end) of the side belt 22. As a result, the alignment effect of the side belt 22 can be fully and more effectively utilized.
[0033] Furthermore, in this embodiment, for each of the first to third conveying sections 11A to 11C, the conveying speed of the sub-conveying surface 22A of each side belt 22 is set to be faster than the conveying speed of the main conveying surface 12A of the conveyor belt 12 (specifically, the corresponding first to third conveying sections 11A to 11C). In addition, the conveying speeds of each sub-conveying surface 22A are set so that the conveying speed of the downstream sub-conveying surface 22A is faster than the conveying speed of the upstream sub-conveying surface 22A.
[0034] In this manner, according to this embodiment, the dishes introduced into the alignment section 3 are transported while placed on the main transport surface 12A formed on the conveyor belt 12 of the first conveyor 11. At this time, some of the dishes may come into contact with the side belt 22, which has a secondary transport surface 22A formed on it that is erected relative to the main transport surface 12A of the first conveyor 11.
[0035] Here, each side conveyor 21 has a side belt 22 that slopes toward the center of the conveyor belt 12 from one edge 18a downstream, and another side belt 22 that slopes toward the center of the conveyor belt 12 from the other edge 18b downstream, arranged alternately along the transport direction P of the first conveyor 11. As a result, multiple dishes are moved toward the center in the width direction of the first conveyor 11, aligning along the transport direction of the first conveyor 11 and making it easier for them to be arranged in a single row along the transport direction. As a result, even when multiple types of dishes flow in large quantities at once, the multiple dishes are arranged in a single row and transported to the sorting section 6, so that multiple types of dishes can be accurately sorted by type.
[0036] In particular, in this embodiment, in the first to third conveying sections 11A to 11C, the conveying speed of the sub-conveying surface 22A is set to be faster than the conveying speed of the main conveying surface 12A. As a result, among the multiple dishes that are conveyed in a cluster on the main conveying surface 12A, the dishes that come into contact with the sub-conveying surface 22A are pushed downstream in the conveying direction P of the first conveyor 11 ahead of the other dishes and are aligned in the conveying direction. Furthermore, as described above, since the conveying speeds of the first to third conveying sections 11A to 11C are set to increase as they move downstream, the dishes conveyed on the main conveying surface 12A are aligned into a single row as they move downstream, and are conveyed with a wider spacing in the conveying direction P.
[0037] In this embodiment, the inclination angle of all side belts 22 was the same with respect to the conveying direction. However, the inclination angle of the side belts 22 of the first conveyor 11 with respect to the conveying direction P may be increased as the conveying direction P progresses downstream. Specifically, the inclination angle may be increased in the order of the first to third conveying sections 11A to 11C.
[0038] The inclination angle of the upstream side belt 22 is set slightly smaller than that of the downstream side so as not to create resistance due to the large amount of dishes flowing at once. However, in the downstream side belt 22, the dishes are aligned and the number of dishes flowing at once decreases, so even if the inclination angle with respect to the conveying direction P is increased, it does not create resistance to conveyance. In the downstream side belt 22, the area of the side belt 22 facing the conveying direction P is larger, so the dish alignment effect is more effectively utilized, and dishes can be aligned efficiently.
[0039] 4. Regarding the suspension structure of the side conveyor 21 As shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b), the alignment section 3 has a suspension section 31 for each side conveyor 21 that suspends and fixes the side conveyor 21. The suspension section 31 extends across the width direction of the first conveyor 11 and includes a pair of rails 32, 32 that are spaced apart with respect to the transport direction P of the first conveyor 11.
[0040] Specifically, each rail 32 is connected to a pair of support columns 33, 33 that extend upward from both sides of the first conveyor 11. In this way, the alignment section 3 is formed by the rails 32 and the pair of support columns 33, 33 to suspend the side conveyor 21, and this gantry structure allows the side conveyor 21 to be supported by the rails 32.
[0041] The side conveyor 21 is suspended from a pair of rails 32, 32 and is slidably mounted on each rail 32, 32. Specifically, the side conveyor 21 is attached to the pair of rails 32, 32 via a support beam 35 formed from an L-shaped angle or the like. Elongated holes 35a, 35a are formed on both sides of the support beam 35, extending along the longitudinal direction of the support beam 35.
[0042] In this embodiment, a suspension member 36 extending upward is attached to the side conveyor 21, and the upper end portion 36a of the suspension member 36 and the support beam 35 are connected via fasteners such as screws or bolts. This allows the side conveyor 21 to be supported by the support beam 35 via the suspension member 36.
[0043] As shown in Figure 3, brackets 37 are slidably inserted into each rail 32 to attach the end of the support beam 35. The brackets 37, together with the fixing handle 38, clamp the support beam 35 through the elongated holes 35a formed in the support beam 35.
[0044] In this embodiment, the bracket 37 comprises a pair of plate portions 37a, 37a and four connecting columns 37b, 37b, ... that connect the pair of plate portions 37a, 37a. The bracket 37 slides freely relative to the rail 32 by inserting the rail 32 through the space between the pair of plate portions 37a, 37a and between the connecting columns 37b, 37b. In this embodiment, the upper plate portion 37a has a screw hole 37c that penetrates the upper plate portion 37a.
[0045] The fixing handle 38 has a shaft portion 38a that extends vertically and a gripping portion 38b that is formed on the upper end of the shaft portion 38a and extends horizontally. A threaded portion 38c, which is a male thread, is formed at the tip of the shaft portion 38a. The fixing handle 38 can be fixed to the rail 32 by screwing the threaded portion 38c into the threaded hole 37c of the plate portion 37a through the elongated hole 35a of the support beam 35 and tightening it, thereby clamping the support beam 35 between the fixing handle 38 and the plate portion 37a. On the other hand, the fixing handle 38 can be made to slide freely relative to the rail 32 by loosening the tightening of the threaded portion 38c into the threaded hole 37c.
[0046] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, each rail 32 is fitted with a stopper 39 that positions the slid side conveyor 21 such that, when each side conveyor 21 is in the position for transporting tableware, the side belt 22 of each side conveyor 21 is positioned at an inclination with respect to the transport direction P of the first conveyor 11.
[0047] In this way, the side conveyor 21 can be moved to the transport position shown in Figure 4(a). Specifically, each side conveyor 21 is suspended from a pair of rails 32, 32 and is slidably mounted on each rail 32, so the inclination angle of the side belt 22 with respect to the transport direction P of the main transport surface 12A can be easily adjusted. In this embodiment, since a stopper 39 is provided on each rail 32, the inclination angle of the side belt 22 can be positioned to a desired angle by bringing the bracket 37 into contact with the stopper 39.
[0048] Furthermore, when large containers, such as hotel pans, are placed on the main conveying surface 12A and transported, as shown in Figure 4(b), each side conveyor 21 can be slid along the rail 32 and moved towards one edge 18a or the other edge 18b in the width direction of the first conveyor 11. This allows the side conveyors 21 to be easily and temporarily moved away from the large containers, such as hotel pans, being transported on the main conveying surface 12A. Once the transport of the hotel pans is complete, they can be easily returned to their original position and angle by sliding them back until they hit the stopper 39.
[0049] 5. Regarding sorting section 6 The sorting unit 6 is a device that sorts the dishes aligned in the alignment unit 3 into dishes of each type. Various devices may be used, such as a device that separates dishes by dropping them through holes of different diameters, a pickup device that uses a robot to pick up dishes based on camera detection, or a sorting device. In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 1(a), the sorting unit 6 includes a second conveyor 61 located at the downstream end of the first conveyor 11 of the alignment unit 3, and a plurality of (specifically four) sorting guides 71, 71, ... (71A to 71D) that sort the dishes conveyed by the second conveyor 61 according to their type.
[0050] As shown in Figure 1(b), the second conveyor 61 has a conveyor belt 62, which is stretched between a drive sprocket 64A and a driven sprocket 64B. A motor (not shown) is connected to the drive sprocket 64A. The motor is connected to a power cable (not shown) and can be driven by the power supplied from the power cable. By driving the motor, the drive sprocket 64A rotates, and the conveyor belt 62 can be moved in the conveying direction P of the conveyor belt 62. The conveying speed of the conveyor belt 62 is set to be faster than the conveying speed of the main conveying surface 12A of the conveyor belt 12 of the first conveyor 11 (specifically, the conveying speed of the main conveying surface 12A of the third conveying section 11C). As a result, the dishes are moved from the first conveyor 11 to the second conveyor 61, and the spacing between dishes in the conveying direction can be further increased.
[0051] As shown in Figure 5, each sorting guide 71 is detachably attached to the second conveyor 61. Each sorting guide 71 comprises a guide body 72 and a resin receiving plate 76 attached to the surface of the guide body 72 that comes into contact with the tableware.
[0052] Insertion rods 73 are attached to both sides of the guide body 72, and these insertion rods 73 are inserted through holes in brackets 66A and 66B fixed to both sides of the second conveyor 61. This allows the guide body 72 of the sorting guide 71 to be positioned and arranged so as to be inclined at a specific angle with respect to the conveying direction of the second conveyor 61.
[0053] Furthermore, the guide body 72 has height adjustment mechanisms 77 on both sides to adjust the height of the sorting guide 71 relative to the conveying surface 62A of the second conveyor 61. The height adjustment mechanism 77 is attached to the guide body 72 and has a base member 77A with a vertically penetrating screw hole, and a height adjustment shaft (height adjustment bolt) 77B that is screwed into the screw hole of the base member 77A. The end of the height adjustment shaft 77B (specifically, the bolt head in this embodiment) is in contact with brackets 66A and 66C fixed to both sides of the second conveyor 61. The height of the sorting guide 71 can be adjusted by rotating the height adjustment shaft 77B relative to the base member 77A.
[0054] In this embodiment, the height adjustment mechanism 77 allows each sorting guide 71 to be inclined in the transport direction P of the second conveyor 61, and the gap S set according to the height of each type of tableware relative to the transport surface 62A of the second conveyor 61 is formed such that it becomes smaller as it moves downstream of the second conveyor 61. Specifically, the sorting guides 71A to 71D shown in Figures 1(a) and (b) have a gap S that decreases in that order.
[0055] Here, of the guide body 72 attached to the second conveyor 61, the downstream end in the transport direction P of the second conveyor 61 has an extended portion 75 that extends downstream along the transport direction P. Specifically, the extended portion 75 extends downstream along the transport direction P from an end that is inclined with respect to the transport direction P, and the insertion rod 73 and the base member 77A of the height adjustment mechanism 77 are attached to the end of this extended portion 75. In this way, it is possible to avoid contact between the tableware, which is guided to the edge along the sorting guide 71 that is inclined with respect to the transport direction P, and the insertion rod 73, the base member 77A of the height adjustment mechanism 77, etc., thereby preventing scratches or damage to the tableware, and allowing the tableware to fall smoothly into the tableware basket.
[0056] In this embodiment, one bracket is a single bracket with a through hole formed in bracket 66A through which the insertion rod 73 is inserted, and a contact portion formed to which the end of the height adjustment shaft 77B abuts. However, it may also be composed of two brackets, such as brackets 66B and 66C on the other side.
[0057] Thus, according to this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6(a), of the multiple dishes that are transported in a single row on the first conveyor 11 to the second conveyor 61, the dish with the highest height h1 D1 comes into contact with the sorting guide 71A on the upstream side of the second conveyor 61, while the dish with a lower height h2 D2 passes through the gap S1 between the sorting guide 71A and the transport surface 62A of the second conveyor 61.
[0058] When a tall dish D1 comes into contact with the sorting guide 71A, it is guided by the sorting guide 71A and, as shown in Figure 1(a), is moved to the side of the second conveyor 61 and collected in a dish basket 91 placed on the table 92. In this way, dishes D1 with a height h1 can be sorted from among multiple dishes.
[0059] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6(b), tableware D2 with a low height h2 that has passed through the upstream sorting guide 71A comes into contact with a sorting guide 71B downstream, where the gap S2 is smaller than the height h2. Then, guided by the sorting guide 71B, it is moved to the side of the second conveyor 61. In this way, the other sorting guides 71C and 71D operate similarly, so that after multiple types of tableware are arranged in a single row in the alignment section 3, the tableware can be accurately sorted one by one in the sorting section 6.
[0060] Thus, even if a large quantity of dishes of different heights are transported, these dishes are arranged in a single row by the alignment section 3. This prevents dishes with a lower height h2, D2, which should originally pass through the sorting guide 71 and the transport surface 62A of the second conveyor 61, from getting caught up in the movement of dishes with a higher height h1, D1, and also prevents dishes with a lower height h2 from being guided by the sorting guide 71A.
[0061] Although several embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various design modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as described in the claims and specification. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0062] 1: Dish sorting device, 3: Alignment section, 6: Sorting section, 11: First conveyor, 12: Conveyor belt, 12A: Main conveying surface, 21: Side conveyor, 22: Side belt, 22A: Secondary conveying surface, 31: Suspension section, 32: Rail, P: Conveying direction
Claims
1. A tableware sorting device for sorting multiple types of tableware by type, The aforementioned tableware sorting device includes at least an alignment unit that aligns the multiple types of tableware in a single row along the conveying direction while conveying them. The alignment section comprises a first conveyor having a conveyor belt on which a main conveying surface for transporting tableware is formed, and a plurality of side conveyors arranged on the first conveyor and having side belts on which a secondary conveying surface is formed so as to be erected relative to the main conveying surface of the first conveyor. The plurality of side conveyors are arranged alternately on the first conveyor along the conveying direction of the first conveyor, with a side belt inclined toward the center of the conveyor belt from one edge in the width direction of the first conveyor toward the downstream side toward the center of the conveyor belt, and a side belt inclined toward the conveying direction of the first conveyor from the other edge in the width direction of the first conveyor toward the center of the conveyor belt toward the downstream side toward the center of the conveyor belt. The transport speed of the secondary transport surface is faster than the transport speed of the main transport surface. The transport speed of the downstream auxiliary transport surface is faster than the transport speed of the upstream auxiliary transport surface. The first conveyor is composed of a plurality of conveying sections, arranged in order from the upstream side in the conveying direction of the first conveyor. The side conveyors are provided for each of the transport sections, A dish sorting device characterized in that the conveying speed of the multiple conveying sections increases as they move downstream.
2. A tableware sorting device for sorting multiple types of tableware by type, The aforementioned tableware sorting device includes at least an alignment unit that aligns the multiple types of tableware in a single row along the conveying direction while conveying them. The alignment section comprises a first conveyor having a conveyor belt on which a main conveying surface for transporting tableware is formed, and a plurality of side conveyors arranged on the first conveyor and having side belts on which a secondary conveying surface is formed so as to be erected relative to the main conveying surface of the first conveyor. The plurality of side conveyors are arranged alternately on the first conveyor along the conveying direction of the first conveyor, with a side belt inclined toward the center of the conveyor belt from one edge in the width direction of the first conveyor toward the downstream side toward the center of the conveyor belt, and a side belt inclined toward the conveying direction of the first conveyor from the other edge in the width direction of the first conveyor toward the center of the conveyor belt toward the downstream side toward the center of the conveyor belt. The transport speed of the secondary transport surface is faster than the transport speed of the main transport surface. The transport speed of the downstream auxiliary transport surface is faster than the transport speed of the upstream auxiliary transport surface. The alignment section has a suspension section for suspending and fixing each of the side conveyors, The suspension section extends across the width direction of the first conveyor and includes a pair of rails spaced apart with respect to the transport direction of the first conveyor. The dish sorting apparatus is characterized in that the side conveyors are suspended from the pair of rails and are slidably mounted relative to each rail to a position where they are close to one edge or the other edge in the width direction of the first conveyor.
3. The alignment section has a suspension section for suspending and fixing each of the side conveyors, The suspension section extends across the width direction of the first conveyor and includes a pair of rails spaced apart with respect to the transport direction of the first conveyor. The dish sorting device according to claim 1, characterized in that the side conveyor is suspended from the pair of rails and slidably mounted relative to each rail to a position where the side conveyor is brought closer to one edge or the other edge in the width direction of the first conveyor.
4. The aforementioned tableware sorting device includes a sorting unit that sorts the tableware aligned in the alignment unit into tableware of each type. The sorting section includes a second conveyor positioned at the downstream end of the first conveyor of the alignment section, The system is equipped with multiple sorting guides for sorting tableware transported by the second conveyor according to type, The dish sorting device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each sorting guide is inclined in the conveying direction of the second conveyor, and the gap between it and the conveying surface of the second conveyor is set according to the height of each type of dish, and the gap becomes smaller as it moves downstream of the second conveyor.
Citation Information
Patent Citations
JP1972016276U
JP1978148486U
JP1979118791U
Tile alignment apparatus
JP1983177819A
Waste bottle arranging device
JP1995002342A