Storage device and article gripping system
The storage device with trapezoidal protrusions on the gate ensures smooth discharge of viscous articles by increasing flow velocity and preventing adhesion, addressing the adherence issue in existing devices.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- ISHIDA CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2022-08-17
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-30
AI Technical Summary
Storage devices face issues with highly viscous and thin articles adhering to the gate surface, preventing reliable discharge from the discharge port.
The storage device incorporates a gate with protrusions having a trapezoidal shape, where the first base is higher than the second base, and an opening on the first base side, enhancing the flow velocity and preventing adhesion during discharge.
The design ensures articles flow smoothly without stagnation, reliably discharging them without adhering to the gate surface.
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] One aspect of the present invention relates to a storage device and an article gripping system.
Background Art
[0002] There is known a storage device including a main body portion that temporarily stores inserted articles therein and discharges the articles downward through a discharge port, and a gate that switches between a closed state and an open state of the discharge port. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a pool hopper, a weighing hopper, and a timing hopper as such storage devices.
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] In the storage device as described above, for example, when storing highly viscous and thin articles such as pasta, even when the gate is in an open state, the articles may adhere to the surface of the gate, making it difficult for the articles to be discharged downward from the discharge port.
[0005] Therefore, an aspect of the present invention aims to provide a storage device capable of reliably discharging articles downward and an article gripping system including the same.
Means for Solving the Problems
[0006] (1) A storage device according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a main body that temporarily stores an inserted article inside and discharges the article downward through a discharge port, and a gate that switches between a closed state and an open state of the discharge port and stores the article together with the main body in the closed state, wherein the gate includes a plurality of protrusions that project out from the surface on the side where the article is stored in the closed state, and when viewed from the direction in which the protrusions project out from the surface, the outer shape of the protrusions has a substantially trapezoidal shape including a first base which is a short base and a second base which is a long base, the height of the first base of the protrusion from the surface is higher than the height of the second base from the surface, and in the open state the first base is located below the second base.
[0007] In this storage device, when the gate is open, the material flowing downwards within the main body while in contact with the gate's protrusion will have its flow path narrow at the bottom because the lower side of the protrusion is the first bottom side (i.e., the shorter bottom side), resulting in an increased flow velocity below the protrusion. Therefore, when the gate is open, the material in contact with the gate's protrusion flows downwards without stagnation, and the material is less likely to adhere to the gate surface. Consequently, it becomes possible to reliably discharge the material downwards.
[0008] (2) In the storage device described in (1) above, an opening may be formed on the first bottom side of the protruding portion, passing through the surface of the gate and the back surface opposite to the surface. By passing the surface and back surface of the gate through the opening in this way, it is possible to prevent articles from sticking to the surface by utilizing external pressure.
[0009] (3) In the storage device described in (1) or (2) above, the gate is a plate-shaped structure with an arc shape, with the surface side facing inward when viewed from a direction along the first or second base, and may move along a trajectory along the arc shape relative to the main body to switch between a closed state and an open state. In this case, for example, by moving the gate along the arc shape from a closed state to an open state, the contents inside the main body can be discharged downward through the discharge port.
[0010] (4) In the storage device described in (3) above, the gate is formed to bend in an arc shape via a plurality of bending lines extending in a direction along the first or second base, and the protrusion may be positioned between a pair of adjacent bending lines. In this case, an arc-shaped plate-like gate can be formed with high precision.
[0011] (5) In the storage device described in any one of the above paragraphs (1) to (4), the protrusion may be provided such that the second bottom side is continuous with the surface. This makes it possible to smooth the flow of articles that are in contact with the protrusion when the gate is open.
[0012] (6) In the storage device described in any one of the above paragraphs (1) to (5), the protrusions may be provided such that their height from the surface increases from the second bottom side to the first bottom side. This makes it possible to smooth the flow of articles that are in contact with the protrusions when the gate is open.
[0013] (7) In the storage device described in any one of the above items (1) to (6), the protrusions may be arranged in a staggered pattern on the surface. In this case, it is possible to arrange the protrusions, which have a substantially trapezoidal outer shape, closely on the surface of the gate.
[0014] (8) In the storage device described in any one of the above paragraphs (1) to (7), the multiple protrusions may be provided at least in the area on the closed surface of the gate that overlaps with the discharge port when viewed from above. In this case, the protrusions can be provided at least in the area on the gate surface where a lot of articles adhere, and the above effect of making it difficult for articles to adhere to the gate surface is particularly effective.
[0015] (9) The storage device described in any one of the above paragraphs (1) to (8) may constitute a hopper for a combination weighing device that calculates the weight of combined items. In this case, the storage device according to the present invention can be used in a combination weighing device.
[0016] (10) The storage device described in any one of the above items (1) to (8) may constitute a hopper for an article gripping system that grips and discharges some of the articles stored in the container. In this case, the storage device according to the present invention can be used in an article gripping system.
[0017] (11) In the storage device described in any one of the above paragraphs (1) to (8), the main body includes a plurality of main body protrusions projecting from the inner surface, and when viewed from the direction in which the main body protrusions project from the surface, the outer shape of the main body protrusions has a substantially trapezoidal shape including a first base which is a short base and a second base which is a long base, the height of the first base of the main body protrusion from the surface is higher than the height of the second base of the main body protrusion from the surface, and the first base of the main body protrusion may be located lower than the second base of the main body protrusion. In this case, articles in contact with the main body protrusions of the main body flow downward without stagnation, and articles are less likely to adhere to the inner surface of the main body. Therefore, it becomes possible to discharge articles downward more reliably.
[0018] (12) An article gripping system according to one aspect of the present invention is an article gripping system for gripping and discharging some articles from a group of articles stored in a container, comprising: a chute for sliding the inserted articles and discharging them downward through an outlet; and a hopper disposed below the chute as a storage device, wherein the chute includes a plurality of chute protrusions projecting from its inner surface, and when viewed from the direction in which the chute protrusions project from the surface, the outer shape of the chute protrusions has a substantially trapezoidal shape including a first base which is a short base and a second base which is a long base, the height of the first base of the chute protrusion from the surface is higher than the height of the second base of the chute protrusion from the surface, and the first base of the chute protrusion is located below the second base of the chute protrusion, an article gripping system.
[0019] Since this article gripping system includes a hopper as the storage device, it is possible to reliably discharge the article downward from the hopper. In addition, the article contacting the chute protrusion of the chute flows downward without stagnation, and it is difficult for the article to adhere to the inner surface of the chute. Therefore, it is possible to reliably discharge the article downward from the chute.
Advantages of the Invention
[0020] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a storage device capable of reliably discharging an article downward and an article gripping system including the same.
Brief Description of the Drawings
[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing an article gripping system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the gate of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is another perspective view showing the gate of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a front view showing the gate of FIG. 1. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a view showing the inner surface of the gate of FIG. 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the main body of a timing hopper according to a modified example. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a collective chute according to a modified example. [Figure 9] FIG. 9(a) is a schematic view showing a protrusion according to a first modified example. FIG. 9(b) is a schematic view showing a protrusion according to a second modified example. FIG. 9(c) is a schematic view showing a protrusion according to a third modified example. FIG. 9(d) is a schematic view showing a protrusion according to a fourth modified example. FIG. 9(e) is a schematic view showing a protrusion according to a fifth modified example. FIG. 9(f) is a schematic view showing a protrusion according to a sixth modified example.
Modes for Carrying Out the Invention
[0022] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same or equivalent elements will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.
[0023] As shown in Figure 1, the item gripping system 1 grips and discharges some of the items from the group of items stored in the container 30. The item gripping system 1 removes some of the items from the container 30 so that the total weight is within the target weight range, and discharges the items to the outside. The items discharged by the item gripping system 1 are, for example, packaged in bags or placed in other containers in a later process and shipped as products. The items are, for example, noodles such as spaghetti, foods containing a lot of sugar such as penne, etc. The items may also be foods with high viscosity.
[0024] The article gripping system 1 comprises a gripping unit 20 including a plurality of gripping parts 21, a container 30 on which a group of articles is placed, a container drive unit 31 for moving the container 30, a collection chute (chute) 8 located below the gripping unit 20, a timing hopper (hopper) 9 located below the collection chute 8, and a control unit 61 for controlling the gripping unit 20 and the container drive unit 31. The gripping unit 20, the container 30, and the container drive unit 31 are attached to, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped main frame 80.
[0025] The gripping units 20 are arranged side by side on the left and right. The gripping units 20 are fixedly mounted to the main frame 80. In the gripping units 20, a plurality of gripping parts 21 are arranged horizontally. Each gripping part 21 has, for example, a plurality of gripping claws 24, and grips an article by closing the plurality of gripping claws 24. Each gripping part 21 includes a gripping part drive unit 25 that drives the plurality of gripping claws 24. The gripping part drive unit 25 opens and closes the gripping claws 24 using, for example, a motor or fluid pressure as a drive source. The gripping units 20 have a plurality of weighing devices (not shown) that measure the weight of the article gripped by each gripping part 21. Each gripping part 21 and each weighing device are assembled integrally. The weighing devices output the measured weight of the article to the control unit 61.
[0026] Container 30 is a component on which a group of articles is placed. Container 30 is a rectangular parallelepiped container that opens upwards. Container 30 is placed on the holding part 15 of the container drive unit 31. The container drive unit 31 moves the container 30, which is placed on the holding part 15, in the vertical and horizontal directions while maintaining a horizontal position.
[0027] The collection chute 8 collects the articles that have been dropped after the gripping portion 21 of the gripping unit 20 has released its grip. The collection chute 8 is, for example, a truncated square pyramidal cylindrical body that tapers downwards. The collection chute 8 has openings on its upper and lower sides. The collection chute 8 receives the articles that have been fed into it and slides them downwards. The collection chute 8 discharges the articles downwards through the discharge port 8E, which is formed by the opening on its lower side. The timing hopper 9 has an openable and closable gate 91. The timing hopper 9 temporarily stores the articles discharged from the collection chute 8 by closing the gate 91. The timing hopper 9 discharges the temporarily stored articles downwards by opening the gate 91.
[0028] The control unit 61 has a CPU as well as memory such as ROM and RAM. The control unit 61 controls the operation of various components of the item gripping system 1 by having the CPU execute a program stored in memory. The control unit 61 performs combination calculations based on the weight values of the items obtained by the weighing device of the gripping unit 20. Combination calculation is a process to find combinations of weight values in which the sum of the weight values of the items gripped by each of the multiple gripping units 21 equals the target weight. Based on the results of the combination calculation, the control unit 61 selects multiple gripping units 21 that correspond to the combination of weight values that equals the target weight, and performs control to release the grip of the selected multiple gripping units 21.
[0029] Next, an example of the operation of the item gripping system 1 will be described.
[0030] The control unit 61 drives the container drive unit 31 to move the container 30 upward so that it approaches one of the gripping units 20. The control unit 61 controls the gripping unit drive unit 25 so that the gripping claws 24 of the gripping unit 21 of the gripping unit 20 grip some of the items from the group of items inside the container 30. The control unit 61 controls the container drive unit 31 to move the container 30 downward so that it moves away from the gripping unit 20. The control unit 61 obtains the weight value of each item gripped by the gripping unit 21 and performs a combination calculation. The control unit 61 controls the container drive unit 31 to move the container 30 horizontally, moving the container 30 from below one of the gripping units 20 to below the other gripping unit 20.
[0031] Based on the results of the combination calculation, the control unit 61 releases the gripping claws 24 of the multiple gripping units 21 corresponding to the combination of weight values that results in the target weight, and allows the articles to fall. The fallen articles are dropped into the collection chute 8, slide downwards within the collection chute 8, and are fed into the timing hopper 9 through the opening at the bottom. Articles fed into the timing hopper 9 slide downwards inside and are temporarily stored when the gate 91 is closed. When the gate 91 is opened, the articles temporarily stored in the timing hopper 9 are discharged downwards.
[0032] Next, I will explain the main components of the timing hopper 9.
[0033] As shown in Figure 2, the timing hopper 9 is a storage device comprising a main body 90 and a gate 91. The main body 90 is a bucket-shaped container with openings on the top and bottom. The top opening of the main body 90 constitutes an input port 90I into which articles are fed. The bottom opening of the main body 90 constitutes an output port 90E into which articles are discharged. The edge of the output port 90E of the main body 90 is arc-shaped when viewed from the front. The main body 90 temporarily stores articles fed into the collection chute 8 through the input port 90I and discharges the articles downward through the output port 90E.
[0034] The gate 91 switches between a closed state and an open state of the discharge port 90E, and stores items together with the main body 90 in the closed state. The gate 91 is located at the bottom of the timing hopper 9. The gate 91 is connected to the pivot shaft 92X of the gate drive unit 92, and the pivot shaft 92X moves in an arc shape around its pivot axis by the drive of the gate drive unit 92. As a result, the gate 91 switches between an open state in which it does not overlap with the discharge port 90E when viewed from below, and a closed state in which it overlaps with the discharge port 90E when viewed from below. The open state exposes the discharge port 90E. The closed state blocks the discharge port 90E.
[0035] As shown in at least one of Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, the gate 91 is connected to the pivot shaft 92X of the gate drive unit 92 via a shaft portion 93 and an arm portion 95. The shaft portion 93 is, for example, cylindrical. The shaft portion 93 is fixed to the pivot shaft 92X. The arm portion 95 is fixed to the shaft portion 93 and the gate 91, connecting them.
[0036] The gate 91 is sized to close the discharge port 90E. The gate 91 is a plate-shaped member having an inner surface 91A on the side that stores articles when closed, and an outer surface 91B on the opposite side. The gate 91 is processed with a louvered design and includes a plurality of protrusions 96 that project onto the surface 91A. When viewed from the direction in which the protrusions 96 project from the surface 91A (in other words, when viewed from the side facing the surface 91A or from a direction intersecting the surface 91A), the outer shape of the protrusions 96 has a substantially trapezoidal shape including a first base 96S which is a short base and a second base 96L which is a long base.
[0037] The height of the first base 96S of the protrusion 96 from the surface 91A is greater than the height of the second base 96L from the surface 91A (see Figure 6). When the gate 91 is open, the first base 96S is located below the second base 96L. In other words, the protrusion 96 has a trapezoidal shape that narrows at an angle downwards when the gate 91 is open. An opening 98 is formed on the first base 96S side of the protrusion 96, passing through the surface 91A and the back surface 91B (see Figure 6). The protrusion 96 is provided so that the second base 96L side is continuous with the surface 91A. The protrusion 96 is provided so that the height from the surface 91A gradually increases from the second base 96L side to the first base 96S side. For example, the protrusion 96 may be formed by press-forming the gate 91 from the back surface 91B side.
[0038] The protrusions 96 are arranged in a staggered pattern on the surface 91A. Specifically, on the surface 91A, there are multiple groups of protrusions 96 arranged at predetermined intervals in the front-to-back direction (along the first base 96S or the second base 96L), arranged in the left-to-right direction perpendicular to the front-to-back direction. In adjacent pairs of protrusion groups, the position of the protrusions 96 is offset in the front-to-back direction between one and the other.
[0039] The gate 91, when viewed from the front or rear (in this case, from the front), has an arc shape with the surface 91A facing inward. The gate 91 is formed to bend in an arc shape via a plurality of fold lines 99 extending in the front or rear direction. The plurality of fold lines 99 appear at equal intervals on the surface 91A and the back surface 91B. The fold lines 99 are processing marks that appear for each bending process. The protrusion 96 is positioned between a pair of adjacent fold lines 99. The gate 91 is bent into a polygonal shape by the plurality of fold lines 99 and then curved in an arc shape. In this case, the gate 91 is curved in an arc shape along the lower edge of the main body 90 when viewed from the front or rear direction.
[0040] The gate 91 moves along an arc-shaped trajectory relative to the main body 90 by the rotation of the shaft portion 93 driven by the gate drive unit 92, thereby switching between a closed state and an open state. Multiple protrusions 96 are provided at least in the area on the surface 91A of the gate 91 in the closed state that overlaps with the discharge port 90E when viewed from above.
[0041] In the timing hopper 9 described above, when the gate 91 is open, the material flowing downwards within the main body 90 while in contact with the protrusion 96 of the gate 91 has a narrower flow path width at the bottom because the lower side of the protrusion 96 is the first bottom side 96S (i.e., the shorter bottom side), and the flow velocity increases at the bottom of the protrusion 96. Therefore, when the gate 91 is open, the material in contact with the protrusion 96 of the gate 91 flows downwards without stagnation, and the material is less likely to adhere to the surface 91A of the gate 91. Thus, the timing hopper 9 makes it possible to reliably discharge the material downwards.
[0042] In the timing hopper 9, an opening 98 is formed on the first bottom side 96S of the protruding portion 96, passing through the front surface 91A and back surface 91B of the gate 91. By passing the front surface 91A and back surface 91B of the gate 91 through the opening 98 in this way, it is possible to prevent the article from sticking to the front surface 91A by utilizing external pressure.
[0043] In the timing hopper 9, the gate 91 is a plate-shaped structure with an arc shape, with the surface 91A facing inward. It moves along this arc relative to the main body 90, switching between a closed state and an open state. In this case, for example, by moving the gate 91 along the arc to switch from a closed state to an open state, items inside the main body 90 can be discharged downward through the discharge port 90E.
[0044] In the timing hopper 9, the gate 91 is formed to bend in an arc shape via multiple bending lines 99. The protruding portion 96 is positioned between a pair of adjacent bending lines 99. In this case, compared to forming the timing hopper 9 by roll bending, deviations in the arc shape of the gate 91 and the dimensions and arrangement of the protruding portion 96 are suppressed, making it possible to form an arc-shaped plate-like gate 91 with high precision.
[0045] In the timing hopper 9, the protrusion 96 is provided such that the second bottom side 96L is continuous with the surface 91A. This allows for smoother flow of articles flowing in contact with the protrusion 96 when the gate 91 is open.
[0046] In the timing hopper 9, the protrusion 96 is provided such that its height from the surface 91A increases as it moves from the second base 96L side to the first base 96S side. This allows for smoother flow of articles that are in contact with the protrusion 96 when the gate 91 is open.
[0047] In the timing hopper 9, the protrusions 96 are arranged in a staggered pattern on the surface 91A. In this case, it is possible to densely arrange the protrusions 96, which have a roughly trapezoidal outer shape, on the surface 91A of the gate 91.
[0048] In the timing hopper 9, the multiple protrusions 96 are provided at least in the area on the surface 91A of the gate 91 in the closed state that overlaps with the discharge port 90E when viewed from above. In this case, the protrusions 96 can be provided at least in the area on the surface 91A of the gate 91 where a lot of articles adhere, and the above effect of making it difficult for articles to adhere to the surface 91A of the gate 91 is particularly effective.
[0049] In this embodiment, the storage device according to one aspect constitutes the timing hopper 9 of the article gripping system 1. In this case, the storage device according to one aspect can be used in the article gripping system 1.
[0050] While embodiments have been described above, one aspect of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.
[0051] In the above embodiment, a storage device was applied to a timing hopper 9, but the invention is not limited thereto. The storage device according to one embodiment can be applied to various known devices and systems. For example, the storage device according to one embodiment may constitute a hopper for a combination weighing device that calculates the weight of items in combination, or a discharge chute that drops the weighed items and discharges them to a packaging device or the like located below. In this case, the storage device according to one embodiment can be used in a combination weighing device, making it possible to improve weighing accuracy.
[0052] In the above embodiment, the main body portion 90 may include a plurality of main body protrusions 90T that project onto the inner surface 90A, as shown in Figure 7, for example. The main body protrusions 90T are configured similarly to the protrusions 96 described above. That is, when viewed from the direction in which the main body protrusions 90T project from the surface 90A, the outer shape of the main body protrusions 90T has a substantially trapezoidal shape including a first base 90TS which is a short base and a second base 90TL which is a long base. The height of the first base 90TS of the main body protrusion 90T from the surface 90A is higher than the height of the second base 90TL of the main body protrusion 90T from the surface 90A. The first base 90TS of the main body protrusion 90T is located below the second base 90TL of the main body protrusion 90T. In this case, articles in contact with the main body protrusions 90T of the main body portion 90 flow downward without stagnation, and articles are less likely to adhere to the inner surface 90A of the main body portion 90. Therefore, it becomes possible to discharge items downwards more reliably.
[0053] In the above embodiment, the collection chute 8 may include a plurality of chute protrusions 86 that project onto the inner surface 8A, as shown in Figure 8, for example. The chute protrusions 86 are configured similarly to the protrusions 96 described above. That is, when viewed from the direction in which the chute protrusions 86 project from the surface 8A, the outer shape of the chute protrusions 86 has a substantially trapezoidal shape including a first base 86S, which is a short base, and a second base 86L, which is a long base. The height of the first base 86S of the chute protrusion 86 from the surface 8A is higher than the height of the second base 86L of the chute protrusion 86 from the surface 8A. The first base 86S of the chute protrusion 86 is located below the second base 86L of the chute protrusion 86. In this case, articles that come into contact with the chute protrusions 86 of the collection chute 8 flow downward without stagnation, and articles are less likely to adhere to the inner surface 8A of the collection chute 8. Therefore, it is possible to reliably discharge articles downward to the collection chute 8.
[0054] In the above embodiment, the substantially trapezoidal shape of the projection 96 is not particularly limited. The substantially trapezoidal shape includes not only a perfectly trapezoidal shape but also an approximately trapezoidal shape. For example, as shown in Figure 9(a), in the modified shape of the projection 196, when viewed from the direction in which the projection 196 protrudes, one side 96M connecting the first base 96S and the second base 96L may be perpendicular to the first base 96S and the second base 96L.
[0055] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9(b), for example, in the external shape of the protruding portion 296 according to the modified example, the first base 96S and the second base 96L do not have to be parallel when viewed from the direction in which the protruding portion 296 protrudes. Also, as shown in Figure 9(c), for example, in the external shape of the protruding portion 396 according to the modified example, the second base 96L may be curved when viewed from the direction in which the protruding portion 396 protrudes. Also, as shown in Figure 9(d), for example, in the external shape of the protruding portion 496 according to the modified example, one of the side edges 96M connecting the first base 96S and the second base 96L may be curved when viewed from the direction in which the protruding portion 496 protrudes.
[0056] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9(e), for example, in the external shape of the modified projection 596, the second base 96L may include an arc-shaped recess 96K when viewed from the direction in which the projection 596 protrudes. Also, as shown in Figure 9(f), for example, in the external shape of the modified projection 696, the lengths of the first base 96S and the second base 96L may differ significantly when viewed from the direction in which the projection 696 protrudes. [Explanation of Symbols]
[0057] 1...Item gripping system, 8...Collection chute (chute), 8A...Front surface, 8E...Discharge port, 9...Timing hopper (storage device, hopper), 86...Cute protrusion, 86L...Second base, 86S...First base, 90...Main body, 90A...Front surface, 90E...Discharge port, 90T...Main body protrusion, 90TL...Second base, 90TS...First base, 91...Gate, 91A...Front surface, 91B...Back surface, 96,196,296,396,496,596,696...Protrusions, 96L...Second base, 96S...First base, 98...Opening, 99...Folding line.
Claims
1. A main body that temporarily stores the inserted items inside and discharges the items downward through an outlet, The system includes a gate that switches between a closed state and an open state of the discharge port, and stores the article together with the main body when the outlet is closed, The gate includes a plurality of protrusions that project onto the surface on the side where the article is stored in the closed state, When viewed from the direction in which the protrusion protrudes from the surface, the outer shape of the protrusion has a substantially trapezoidal shape including a first base which is a shorter base and a second base which is a longer base. The height of the first base of the protruding portion from the surface is greater than the height of the second base from the surface. A storage device wherein, in the open state, the first base is located below the second base.
2. The storage device according to claim 1, wherein an opening is formed on the first bottom side of the protruding portion, passing through the surface of the gate and the back surface opposite to the surface.
3. The storage device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the gate is plate-shaped with an arc shape, with the surface side facing inward when viewed from a direction along the first or second base, and moves along a trajectory along the arc shape relative to the main body to switch between the closed state and the open state.
4. The gate is formed to bend in an arc shape via a plurality of bending lines extending in a direction along the first base or the second base, The storage device according to claim 3, wherein the protrusion is positioned between a pair of adjacent bends.
5. The storage device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the protruding portion is provided such that the second bottom side is continuous with the surface.
6. The storage device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the protrusion is provided such that its height from the surface increases as it moves from the second bottom side to the first bottom side.
7. The storage device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the protrusions are arranged in a staggered pattern on the surface.
8. The storage device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, when viewed from above, the plurality of protrusions are provided in a region on the surface of the gate in the closed state that overlaps with the discharge port.
9. A storage device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a hopper for a combination weighing device that calculates the results of combining articles.
10. A storage device according to claim 1 or 2, comprising a hopper for an article gripping system that grips and discharges some articles from a group of articles stored in a container.
11. The main body portion includes a plurality of main body protrusions that protrude from the inner surface, When viewed from the direction in which the main body projection protrudes from the surface, the outer shape of the main body projection has a substantially trapezoidal shape including a first base which is a shorter base and a second base which is a longer base. The height of the first base of the main body protrusion from the surface is greater than the height of the second base of the main body protrusion from the surface. The storage device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first base of the main body projection is located below the second base of the main body projection.
12. An article gripping system that grips and discharges some articles from a group of articles stored in a container, A chute that slides the inserted items down and discharges them downwards through an outlet, A hopper, which is positioned below the chute and serves as a storage device according to claim 1 or 2, is provided, The chute includes a plurality of chute protrusions that project onto the inner surface, When viewed from the direction in which the chute projection protrudes from the surface, the outer shape of the chute projection has a substantially trapezoidal shape including a first base which is a shorter base and a second base which is a longer base. The height of the first base of the chute projection from the surface is greater than the height of the second base of the chute projection from the surface. An article gripping system wherein the first base of the chute projection is located below the second base of the chute projection.