JP2008285306A - Sorter - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a sorter enhancing durability as a device by enhancing water-proofing performance of a turning means for turning a sorting arm. <P>SOLUTION: The sorter is provided with the sorting arm 1 for sorting an article conveyed on a conveying surface in a predetermined conveying direction to a different direction by pivoting it; the turning means 2 for pivoting the sorting arm 1; a drive force transmission means 6 in which a first transmission part 4 installed on the other end of a shaft 3 having one end connected to a base part 1a of the sorting arm 1 and vertically arranged relative to the conveying surface and a second transmission part 5 installed on the turning means are connected in a non-contact manner by magnetic coupling; a box body 7 comprising a material for passing a line of magnetic force such that the magnetic coupling of the drive force transmission means 6 is effected and air-tightly closing the turning means 2 and the second transmission part 5; a support part 15 provided on the base part 1a of the sorting arm so as to be horizontal relative to the conveying surface; and a gate base 16 for supporting the support part 15 and installed on the box body 7. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  A sorter that sorts an article according to a weight or other attribute detected while the article is being transported is used in various industrial fields. The present invention relates to a sorting device that sorts articles in a direction different from a predetermined conveyance direction by swinging.

FIG. 6 shows a general structure of a conventional sorting apparatus.
As shown in FIG. 6, a belt conveyor 101 as a conveying means for conveying an article is horizontally attached to a base installed on the floor, and the article is conveyed by the belt conveyor 101. In the conveyance area of articles by the belt conveyor 101, a sorting arm 102 for guiding and sorting articles to be conveyed in a direction different from a predetermined conveyance direction is provided so as to be swingable in a horizontal plane. . Then, for example, an article whose attributes such as weight are measured while being conveyed by a preceding conveyance weighing device (not shown) is conveyed by the belt conveyor 101 of the sorting device, and the sorting arm is moved at a predetermined timing according to the measurement result. By driving 102, the belt conveyor 101 is guided in a direction different from a predetermined conveyance direction, and thereby, distribution of articles based on the measurement result is performed.

  The sorting device having the sorting arm 102 as a means for sorting is used in a process of weighing and sorting a primary product such as meat or fish, and therefore the handled articles are damp and therefore sorted. The device requires a waterproof structure, and the sorting arm 102 which is a part of the sorting device is naturally required to have waterproof performance especially in the rotating portion. The conventional device also has the sorting arm 102 as described below. It had a temporary waterproof structure.

That is, the sorting arm 102 having a conventional waterproof structure shown in FIG. 6 is disposed in the vicinity of the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 101. An upper end of a shaft 103 arranged substantially vertically is connected to the base of the sorting arm 102. The shaft 103 is rotatably supported by a pair of upper and lower bearings 104a and 104b attached to a fixed portion of the apparatus. The upper portion of the bearing 104a above the upper bearing protrudes upward through a through hole provided in the case 105 of the apparatus, and is connected to the base of the sorting arm 102 as described above. A sealing structure including a housing 106 provided in the case 105 and an oil seal 107 provided between the housing 106 and the shaft 103 is provided between the through hole and the shaft of the case 105. The pair of bearings 104a and 104b inside is waterproofed. A drive cylinder 108 provided in the case 105 is connected to the shaft 103 via a link mechanism. By moving the drive cylinder 108 forward and backward, the shaft 103 can rotate and the sorting arm can be swung. .
JP 2000-238913 A

  As described above, the shaft 103 connected to the sorting arm 102 that swings along the conveying surface of the belt conveyor 101 is supported by the bearings 104a and 104b below the conveyor 101. A waterproof structure including a housing 106 and an oil seal 107 is provided at a portion penetrating the case 105. However, even with such a structure, it cannot be said that the structure is completely waterproof, and the water that has flowed from the articles conveyed by the conveyor 101 flows down along the shaft 103, and the waterproof structure that includes the housing 106 and the oil seal 107. There is a problem that the original waterproof performance by the oil seal 107 cannot be sufficiently exhibited.

  Further, the shaft 103 is supported by bearings 104a and 104b attached to a fixed portion of the apparatus main body. Each of the shaft 103 and the through hole of the case 105 attached to the apparatus main body to cover the bearings 104a and 104b. There is a problem in accuracy that it is difficult to match the center at the time of assembling. For this reason, there is also a problem that the function of the waterproof structure provided in the through hole cannot be stably exhibited.

  Regardless of the problem, when water that has traveled through the shaft 103 enters the case 105 through the waterproof structure, the bearings 104a and 104b that support the shaft 103 are damaged by rust and the like, and the sorting arm 102 is formed. It will not be possible to maintain the performance of.

  The present invention is provided in a sorting device that sorts an article while conveying the article, and rotates the arm member in a sorting arm that oscillates within the article conveyance range to sort the article in a direction different from the conveyance direction. It aims at improving the waterproof performance of the means and improving the durability as a device.

In the sorting apparatus according to claim 1, the sorting arm 1 that sorts the article W being transported on the transport surface 8 in a predetermined transport direction in a direction different from the transport direction by swinging; In a sorting apparatus having rotating means 2 for swinging the sorting arm 1,
One end is connected to the base 1a of the sorting arm 1 and the first transmission unit 4 installed at the other end of the shaft 3 arranged perpendicular to the transport surface 8 and the second transmission unit installed at the rotating means. The driving force transmission means 6 that is connected to the transmission portion 5 in a non-contact manner by magnetic coupling, and the magnetic coupling between the first transmission portion 4 and the second transmission portion 5 is established in the driving force transmission means 6. A support member 15 is provided on the casing 7 that seals the rotating means 2 and the second transmission unit 5, and the base 1 a of the sorting arm 1. And a gate base 16 that is slidably supported and installed in the housing 7.

The sorting device according to claim 2 is the sorting device according to claim 1,
The gate base 16 is moved when the sorting arm 1 swings from the first position to the second position in order to sort the article W in a direction different from the transport direction and from the second position to the first position. When returning, the support portion 15 includes a sliding surface 20 that slides horizontally with respect to the transport surface 8.

The sorting device according to claim 3 is the sorting device according to claim 2,
The gate base 16 includes an inclined surface 21 on which the support portion 15 moves upward while sliding when the sorting arm 1 swings in the direction opposite to the swing direction from the first position. It is a thing.

The sorting device according to claim 4 is the sorting device according to any one of claims 2 to 3,
The gate base 16 swings from the second position when the sorting arm 1 swings from the first position to the second position in order to sort the article W in a direction different from the transport direction. It is provided with a stopper surface 22 for preventing it.

The sorting apparatus according to claim 5 is the sorting apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
When the sorting arm 1 swings the article W from the first position to the second position in order to sort the article W in a direction different from the transport direction, a stopper portion 23 for preventing the sorting arm 1 from swinging from the second position. In the vicinity of the sorting arm 1.

The sorting device according to claim 6 is the sorting device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
An adjustment member 26 is provided between the housing 7 and the gate base 16 to adjust the coupling distance between the first transmission unit 4 and the second transmission unit 5.

  According to the sorting apparatus recited in claim 1, the driving force of the rotating means 2 is such that the first transmission unit 4 and the shaft 3 are driven by the magnetic coupling between the second transmission unit 5 and the first transmission unit 4. Is transmitted to the sorting arm 1 installed therethrough, and the sorting arm 1 is swung on the transport surface 8. Further, the rotation means 2 and the second transmission part 5 are sealed by a casing 7 that allows magnetism to pass through, and since there is no hole for penetrating the shaft or the like, a sufficient waterproof / dust-proof environment is ensured. Can do.

  In addition, since it is magnetically coupled, disassembly and assembly are easy, and cleaning / maintenance operations can be simplified and performed efficiently and reliably.

  According to the sorting apparatus described in claim 2, the gate base 16 is provided with the sliding surface 20 that is horizontal with respect to the transport surface 8, and further, the base 1 a of the sorting arm 1 is also supported horizontally with respect to the transport surface 8. Since the support portion 15 is supported on the sliding surface 20 by providing the portion 15, when the sorting arm 1 swings from the first position to the second position, the sorting arm is horizontally arranged on the transport surface 8. 1 can be swung.

  According to the sorting device described in claim 3, when the sorting arm 1 swings on the gate base 16 from the first position in the direction opposite to the swing direction, the support portion 15 slides. However, since the inclined surface 21 that moves upward is provided, the distance between the first transmission unit 4 and the second transmission unit 5 that are magnetically coupled gradually increases. Therefore, the magnetic coupling between the first transmission unit 4 and the second transmission unit 5 can be released. Thereby, the axis | shaft 3 currently installed in the sorting arm 1 and the sorting arm 1 can be easily removed from an apparatus, without requiring a tool etc.

  According to the sorting device described in claim 4, the sorting arm 1 swings from the first position to the second position in order to sort the article W in a direction different from the transport direction on the gate base 16. In some cases, the stopper surface 22 is provided so as not to be swung from the second position. Therefore, when the article W is relatively heavy or when the article W comes into contact with the sorting arm 1, the impact is large. Even if added, the sorting arm 1 can be kept in the second position.

  And even if it is the rotation means 2 like a motor, when the distribution arm 1 is stopped by the stopper part 22, the 1st transmission part 4 and the 2nd transmission part 5 which are magnetically coupled will idle. . Therefore, the sorting arm can reliably maintain the second position, and can reliably sort the article W in a direction different from the transport direction.

  According to the sorting device described in claim 6, the adjustment member 26 is inserted between the housing 7 and the gate base 16, whereby the coupling distance between the first transmission unit 4 and the second transmission unit 5 is increased. Since the adjustment is made possible, the power for swinging the sorting arm 1 can be adjusted according to the weight of the article W. Accordingly, the article having a relatively light weight can weaken the arm swinging power by separating the coupling distance, and the article W can be prevented from being repelled or thrown by the sorting arm 1.

  In addition, even if a finger is caught in the gap between the sorting arm 1 and the conveyance surface 8, the first transmission unit 4 and the second transmission unit 5 can be adjusted to the extent that they are idle, thus improving safety. Yes.

The best mode of the present invention will be described.
FIG. 1 is a plan view and a front view of a sorter according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a detailed view of a sorter having a magnetic coupling according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a position before a sorting arm is swung. FIG. 4 shows a position when the swinging operation is completed, FIG. 4 is a plan view and a front view of the gate base and a perspective view of the top surface thereof, and FIG. 5 shows a position of the sorting arm for releasing the magnetic coupling. It is a figure.

  As shown in FIG. 1, in this example sorting apparatus 10, a belt conveyor 12 as a means for conveying the article W is horizontally mounted on the upper surface of a base 11 installed on the floor. As the sorting arm 1 swings along the conveying surface 8 of the belt conveyor 12, the articles W are sorted in a direction different from the predetermined conveying direction.

The driving force for swinging the sorting arm 1 may be, for example, a motor. The motor 2 is installed in the housing 7 shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the motor 2 is installed inside the housing 7, and one of the transmission shafts 13 is connected to the motor 2. Bearings 14 and 14 are respectively installed at both ends of the transmission shaft 13. Further, the other transmission shaft 13 is connected to the second transmission portion 5 which is the driving force transmission means 6. As a result, the motor 2 can be rotated uniformly up to the second transmission unit 5.

Similarly, the rotation center portion of the sorting arm 1 when the sorting arm 1 outside the housing 7 swings will be described with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, the sorting arm 1 has a base 1a, and the sorting arm 1 swings around the base 1a. One of the shafts 3 is installed on the base 1 a, and the first transmission unit 4, which is a driving force transmission means 6, is connected to the other side of the shaft 3.

  The first transmission unit 4 and the second transmission unit 5, which are the driving force transmission means 6, each have magnetism, and are magnetically coupled in a non-contact manner with the upper surface portion of the housing 7 interposed therebetween. Thereby, when the motor 2 rotates, the 2nd transmission part 5 rotates, and the 1st transmission part 4 currently magnetically coupled also rotates similarly. Accordingly, the sorting arm 1 can swing on the transport surface 8 about the base 1a. Moreover, since the housing | casing 7 consists of the material which lets a magnetic force line pass, for example, stainless steel, the magnetic coupling with the 1st transmission part 4 and the 2nd transmission part 5 is materialized.

As will be described in detail later, a pin that is a support portion 15 is inserted into the base portion 1a, and both end portions 15a and 15a of the pin 15 exposed from the base portion 1a are installed in the casing 7. It is supported by the gate base 16.
As shown in FIG. 3, when the sorting arm 1 swings from the first position to the second position, the portion for rotating the pin 15 of the gate base 16 so as to swing in parallel with the transport surface 8 is When installed, it is processed into a plane parallel to the transfer surface 8.

Next, the magnetic coupling that is the driving force transmission means 6 will be described.
In general, a magnetic coupling (magnetic coupling) is called by various names such as a magnetic drive mechanism, a magnetic gear, etc. In short, there is no damage due to mechanical wear, dust generation, impact, large torque, etc., and they face each other without contact. It means a rotation drive mechanism configured to magnetically connect two joint members to transmit a rotation drive force.

  According to the magnetic coupling of one structure example, radial permanent magnets (magnetic teeth) are arranged on the outer peripheral portions of the rotating disks on the driving side and the driven side facing each other while maintaining a predetermined gap. It is configured to be alternately arranged with different polarities, and torque can be transmitted between two parallel axes by the magnetic attraction and repulsion of the magnetic teeth.

Next, how the articles W are actually distributed will be described with reference to FIG.
There is a measuring device that measures an attribute such as weight (not shown), for example, in the preceding stage of the sorting device of the present invention. A distribution command signal is sent from the measurement device to the sorting device 10. The motor 2 is rotationally driven by the distribution command signal, the driving force is transmitted to the distribution arm 1 as described above, and the distribution arm 1 moves on the transport surface 8 from the first position to the second position. At this time, a stopper portion 23 is provided in the vicinity of the sorting arm 1 so that the sorting arm 1 stops at the second position. The stopper 23 can keep the sorting arm 1 in the second position even if a large impact is applied when the article W has a relatively heavy weight or the conveyance speed is fast and the article W comes into contact with the sorting arm 1. it can. At this time, since the first transmission unit 4 and the second transmission unit 5 which are the driving force transmission means 6 are magnetically coupled in a non-contact manner, even if the sorting arm 1 is retained by the stopper 23, the first transmission unit 4 and the second transmission unit 5 The transmission unit 4 and the second transmission unit 5 are idle so that no extra force is applied to the motor 5.

  The first transmission unit 4 and the second transmission unit 5 that are the driving force transmission means 6 have magnetism and are magnetically coupled in a non-contact manner. Furthermore, the 2nd transmission part 5, the motor 2, the transmission shaft 13, the bearings 14 and 14 grade | etc., Are accommodated in the inside of a housing | casing. Since the first transmission unit 4 and the second transmission unit 5 are non-contact magnetically coupled, there is no need to provide a hole in the housing 7 for penetrating a shaft or the like for transmitting the driving force from the motor 2. It can be completely sealed.

Next, the relationship between the gate base 16 and the movement of the gate base 16 supporting the pin 15 inserted into the base 1a of the sorting arm 1 and the pin 15 and the gate base 16 will be described.
As shown in FIG. 4, the outer shape is formed of a cylinder, and the center of the outer shape is cut into a circular shape vertically in the drawing. On the upper surface, a sliding surface 20 having a flat surface, an inclined surface 21 and a second flat surface 24 are formed. Normally, both ends 15a of the pin 15 inserted in the base 1a of the sorting arm 1 are supported by the sliding surface 20, and when the sorting arm 1 sorts the article W in a direction different from the predetermined conveying direction, That is, both ends 15a and 15a of the pin 15 rotate and move on the sliding surface 20 when the sorting arm 1 swings on the conveyance surface.

  Further, a stopper surface 22 may be provided so as to stop the sorting arm 1 at the second position shown in FIG. In this way, as described above, it is not necessary to provide the stopper 23 in the vicinity of the sorting arm 1 separately, so that the upper surface of the housing 7 can be made flat and the cleaning property can be improved.

  Further, the gate base 16 is provided with an inclined surface 21. The inclined surface 21 is used to weaken the magnetic coupling force when the sorting arm 1 is removed from the base 11 including the housing 7. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the operator turns the sorting arm 1 to a third position that is opposite to the direction in which the sorting arm 1 swings to sort the articles W. Then, both end portions 15 a and 15 a of the pin 15 inserted in the base portion 1 a of the sorting arm 1 slide on the inclined surface 21 and reach the second flat surface 24. The fact that the second flat surface 24 has been reached means that the sorting arm 1 is away from the transport surface 8, that is, the first transmission unit 4 and the second transmission unit 5 that are the driving force transmission means 6. The distance will go away. Since the first transmission unit 4 and the second transmission unit 5 are magnetically coupled, the magnetic force decreases as the distance increases, and the first transmission unit 4 and the second transmission unit 5 easily release the coupling. The sorting arm 1 can be detached from the base 11 including the housing 7. The distribution arm 1 can be removed simply by turning in the direction opposite to the distribution direction without the need for tools such as when the operator performs cleaning or maintenance.

  Next, the adjustment member 26 that can adjust the coupling distance between the first transmission unit 4 and the second transmission unit 5 will be described. The adjusting member 26 has substantially the same shape as the gate base 16 and an equivalent outer shape, and the plate thickness is 0.3 mm to 0.5 mm. By sandwiching this between the gate base 16 and the housing 7, the first transmission unit 4 is raised, and the distance between the first transmission unit 4 and the second transmission unit 5 can be increased. Accordingly, the coupling force between the first transmission unit 4 and the second transmission unit 5 that are magnetically coupled can be weakened, and the sorting arm does not swing with a strong force. Does not happen. Two or three adjustment members may be sandwiched as necessary. The gate base 16 is fixed to the housing 7 with a screw from above, but if a cap nut or the like is used inside the housing 7, the sealed state of the housing 7 does not change and water enters the housing 7. There is nothing.

In the above description, the rotational drive source is described as a motor, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a drive cylinder and a link mechanism as described in Patent Document 1 may be used.
Further, although the weight measuring machine has been described as the preceding stage of the sorting apparatus, the present invention is not limited to this, and an X-ray foreign object detector that detects foreign substances with X-rays or a metal detector that detects metals with magnetism may be used.

Fig.1 (a) is a top view of the sorter based on this invention, (b) is a front view. FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the magnetic coupling part of the sorter according to the present invention. FIG. 3A is a view showing a position before the sorter sorting arm according to the present invention is swung, and FIG. 3B is a view showing a position when the swing is completed. 4A is a plan view and a front view of the gate base of the sorter according to the present invention, and FIG. 4B is a perspective view of the top surface thereof. FIG. 5 is a view showing a position for releasing the magnetic coupling of the sorter according to the present invention. FIG. 6 is a front view of a conventional general sorter.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Sorting arm 1a Base part of sorting arm 2 Rotating means 3 Axis 4 1st transmission part 5 2nd transmission part 6 Driving force transmission means 7 Case 8 Conveyance surface 10 Sorting device 11 Base 12 Belt conveyor 13 Transmission shaft 14 Bearing 15 Support part (pin)
15a Both ends of support portion (pin) 16 Gate base 20 Sliding surface 21 Inclined surface 22 Stopper surface 23 Stopper portion 24 Second flat surface 26 Adjustment member W Article

Claims (6)

A sorting arm (1) for sorting an article (W) being conveyed in a predetermined conveying direction on the conveying surface (8) in a direction different from the conveying direction by swinging;
In the sorting apparatus having a rotating means (2) for swinging the sorting arm,
One end connected to the base part (1a) of the sorting arm and the first transmission part (4) installed at the other end of the shaft (3) arranged perpendicular to the conveying surface and installed in the rotating means Driving force transmission means (6) connected in a non-contact manner by magnetic coupling with the second transmission section (5)
The driving force transmission means is made of a material that allows the magnetic force lines to pass so that the magnetic coupling between the first transmission part and the second transmission part is established, and the casing that seals the rotation means and the second transmission part. Body (7),
A support portion (15) is provided at a base portion of the sorting arm, and the support portion is slidably supported, and a gate base (16) installed in the housing,
A sorting device characterized by comprising:   The gate base is moved when the sorting arm swings from the first position to the second position and returns from the second position to the first position in order to sort the article in a direction different from the transport direction. 2. The sorting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support portion includes a sliding surface (20) that slides horizontally with respect to the transport surface.   The gate base includes an inclined surface (21) that moves upward while the support portion slides when the sorting arm swings in the direction opposite to the swing direction from the first position. The sorting apparatus according to claim 2, wherein:   The gate base is configured not to swing the gate base from the second position when the sorting arm swings from the first position to the second position in order to distribute the article in a direction different from the transport direction. The sorting device according to any one of claims 2 to 3, further comprising a stopper surface (22).   A stopper portion (23) for preventing the sorting arm from swinging from the second position when the sorting arm swings from the first position to the second position in order to distribute the article in a direction different from the transport direction. 4. The sorting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sorting device is provided in the vicinity of the sorting arm.   The adjustment member (26) which can adjust the coupling distance of the said 1st transmission part and the said 2nd transmission part between the said housing | casing and the said gate base was provided. The sorting device according to any one of the above.

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