JP4705003B2 - Article sorting equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an article sorting apparatus suitable for sorting articles such as fruits and vegetables conveyed along a conveyor line in a direction crossing the conveyor line.

  Conventionally, a cross belt type conveyor is well known as this kind of article sorting apparatus. The cross-belt type conveyor includes a transport conveyor line that transports a large number of transport units in a line, and at least one branch conveyor line branched from the transport conveyor line. Each transport unit is provided with a cross belt sorter that feeds articles such as fruits and vegetables placed on the upper surface thereof toward the branch conveyor line (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In this case, one article is placed on each transport unit (cross belt sorter). In other words, one article per transport unit is transported along the transport conveyor line. When the transport unit carrying the article to be sorted arrives at a predetermined sorting point (branch point with the predetermined branch conveyor line) in the transport conveyor line, the article is branched by the operation of the cross belt sorter. It is sent out toward the.
JP 2003-53275 A

  By the way, depending on the length of the article, there is a thing that does not fit in one transport unit (for example, a long vegetable such as a radish). When it is desired to convey and sort this type of article with a cross belt type conveyor, an aspect of placing the article across a plurality of adjacent conveyance units is conceivable.

  However, the conventional cross-belt type conveyor only supports loading one article per one transport unit, and does not consider placing one article across a plurality of adjacent transport units at all. For this reason, it is difficult to smoothly send articles across a plurality of transport units to the branch conveyor line. Therefore, since articles that can be conveyed and sorted by the conventional cross belt type conveyor are limited to those that can be accommodated in one conveyance unit, the conventional cross belt type conveyor lacks versatility.

  Therefore, the present invention has a technical problem to solve the above-described problems and to provide an article sorting apparatus with high versatility.

In order to solve this technical problem, the invention of claim 1 is provided with a large number of transport units having a sorting mechanism, and an article position detection sensor for detecting article information is arranged upstream of the sorting location of the transport conveyor line. , An article sorting device for operating a sorting mechanism based on an article position detection sensor value, and an endless belt means for feeding articles from a sorting point of a conveyor belt line to a branch conveyor line; and a direction intersecting the conveyor belt line In an article sorting apparatus for attaching a drive shoe that reciprocates to actuate an endless belt means to the sorting mechanism, a plurality of guide plates that guide guide pins of the drive shoe away from the branch conveyor line, and the guide A plurality of switching plates capable of switching the partition plate portion between a working posture and a non-working posture for sending the guide pin to the plate side; A plurality of auxiliary guide means for moving the guide pins along each guide plate is provided, and the endless belt means of all the transport units corresponding to one article are operated synchronously, and the switching plate is in the action posture. When the guide plate of all the conveyance units corresponding to one article collides with the partition plate part of the switching plate and the auxiliary guide means moving in the oblique direction, all the conveyance units corresponding to one article The guide pin slides in synchronization with the oblique direction, and the article M on the endless belt means is delivered to the branch conveyor line .

According to the present invention , for example, even an article placed across a plurality of transport units can be smoothly and reliably unloaded in a direction crossing the transport conveyor line.

  Accordingly, since an article having a size larger than one transport unit can be transported and sorted, the use (applicable range) is dramatically expanded and versatility is improved as compared with the conventional article sorting apparatus.

  In addition, since one article can be placed on one transport unit or one article can be placed across a plurality of transport units, even if there is some variation in the size of the articles, Mounting efficiency (space efficiency) can be increased. As a result, a high effect can be exhibited in terms of sorting work efficiency and running cost of the article sorting apparatus.

Employing such a configuration simplifies the structure and reduces the number of parts. Therefore, there is an effect that the manufacturing cost is reduced.

Further, both the component force of the force for moving the transport unit along the transport direction and the feeding action of the auxiliary guide means are used as driving force when the guide pin slides in the direction away from the branch conveyor line. Can be used. Therefore, there is an effect that the sliding movement of the guide pin becomes reliable and smooth.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

(1). First Embodiment FIGS. 1 to 8 show a first embodiment of an article sorting apparatus according to the present invention. 1 is a schematic plan view of an article sorting apparatus according to the first embodiment, FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the article sorting apparatus with a transport unit removed, and FIG. 3 is a sectional side view taken along line III-III in FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of a mechanism for rotating the cross belt in the sorting direction, FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line VV in FIG. 4, FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a sorting control mode.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the article sorting apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment includes a transport conveyor line 2 that transports a large number of transport units 3 arranged in a line, and at least one branching from the transport conveyor line 2. An article position detection sensor 5 as detection means disposed upstream of the branching point between the branching conveyor line 4 and the most upstream branching conveyor line 4 in the transporting conveyor line 2, and each conveyor line 2, 4, which will be described later. And a controller 6 (see FIG. 7) as control means for controlling drive of the cross belt sorter 11.

  As shown in FIG.2 and FIG.3, the conveyance conveyor line 2 is equipped with the left-right paired traveling rail 7 extended along the longitudinal direction. On these traveling rails 7, a group of carriage-type transport units 3 is disposed so as to be able to travel.

  Although details are not shown, the group of the conveyance units 3 is connected to endless chains wound around the drive sprocket and the driven sprocket at both longitudinal ends of the conveyance conveyor line 2 at a predetermined pitch interval. A group of transport units 3 is configured to circulate and move on the transport conveyor line 2 by driving these sprockets and chains. In this case, on the upper side of the transfer conveyor line 2, the group of transfer units 3 moves along the transfer direction X of the transfer conveyor line 2.

  In addition, the substantially half part located in the other side of the branch conveyor line 4 among the upper sides of the conveyance conveyor line 2 is covered with the cover board 8 extended along the longitudinal direction of the conveyance conveyor line 2. FIG. Moreover, the safety guard board 10 for the fall prevention of the wheel 9 which supports the conveyance unit 3 is attached to the left-right outer side of each traveling rail 7 (refer FIG. 3).

  As shown in FIG. 3, each transport unit 3 is placed on the transport unit 3 in a sorting direction Y that intersects the transport direction X at a predetermined sorting point (branch point with the branch conveyor line 4) in the transport conveyor line 2. The cross belt sorter 11 is provided as a sorting mechanism for feeding the articles M.

  The cross belt sorter 11 according to the first embodiment includes a pair of rotating rollers 13 rotatably supported between a pair of frame plates 12 in the transport unit 3 and an endless belt wound around the pair of rotating rollers 13. And a cross belt 14 as means.

  The pair of rotating rollers 13 extend in parallel with each other along the transport direction X. For this reason, the cross belt 14 can rotate in a direction crossing the transport direction X (the sorting direction Y and its opposite direction).

  A belt driving shoe 15 for reciprocating in the direction crossing the transport direction X and rotating the cross bell 14 is attached to the lower side of the cross belt 14. A guide pin 16 projects from the lower surface of the belt drive shoe 15. In this case, when the belt drive shoe 15 is moved in the direction opposite to the sorting direction Y, the upper side of the cross belt 14 is moved in the sorting direction Y in conjunction therewith.

  An article M such as a fruit or a vegetable is placed on a portion of the upper side of the cross belt 14 exposed from the cover plate 8 in plan view. Accordingly, the article M on the cross belt 14 is carried out to the branch conveyor line 4 by a revolving movement toward the sorting direction Y of the cross belt 14.

  In the first embodiment, due to the width dimension of the branch conveyor line 4 and the number of guide plates 19 to be described later, the number of articles M that can be placed on the group of transport units 3 and can be transported / sorted is up to four transports. It is up to the length (size) straddling the unit 3.

  A support plate 17 that supports the upper side of the cross belt 14 from below is disposed inside the cross belt sorter 11. The support plate 17 is for receiving the weight of the article M on the cross belt 14, and is fixed to the inner surfaces of the pair of frame plates 12.

  As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, an upwardly open groove-like path 18 extending along the transport direction X is provided at a position near the branch conveyor line 4 between the pair of travel rails 7 in the transport conveyor line 2. It has been. The groove-shaped path 18 is for guiding the guide pin 16 of the belt drive shoe 15 in the transport direction X by the movement of each transport unit 3 along the transport direction X.

  On the other hand, a plurality of guide plates 19 for guiding the guide pins 16 in the direction opposite to the sorting direction Y by the movement of the transport unit 3 along the transport direction X are provided at predetermined sorting locations in the transport conveyor line 2. (Refer to FIGS. 2 to 5).

  In the first embodiment, a group of four rows and one set of guide plates 19 is associated with one branch conveyor line 4. Each guide plate 19 inclines in the diagonal direction which leaves | separates from the branch conveyor line 4 as it goes to the conveyance downstream side of the conveyance conveyor line 2 by planar view. Further, one group of guide plates 19 are arranged at the same interval as the arrangement interval of the guide pins 16 along the transport direction X. One end of each guide plate 19 near the branch conveyor line 4 faces a communication gap 20 (see FIG. 2) formed at an appropriate location in the groove-like path 18.

  In FIG. 2, for convenience of explanation, reference symbols “a”, “b”, “c”, and “d” are attached to the guide plates 19 in order from the conveyance downstream side.

  A switching plate 21 as a switching means is disposed on an extension line of each guide plate 19 or a position close to the extension line, that is, the communication gap 20 described above. The switching plate 21 of the first embodiment is formed in an approximately L-shaped plate shape, and its base portion 21a is pivoted up and down by a laterally rotating shaft 23 on a bracket plate 22 erected at a location of the communication gap 20. It is mounted movably.

  A base portion 21 a of the switching plate 21 is connected to an electromagnetic solenoid 24 as an actuator disposed below the switching plate 21 in the bracket plate 22. That is, the switching plate 21 is configured to be selectively pivoted up and down by driving the electromagnetic solenoid 24.

  Of the switching plate 21, the partition plate portion 21 b protruding upward from the base portion 21 a blocks the groove-shaped path 18 and turns the guide pin 16 toward the guide plate 19 by swinging up and down around the rotation shaft 23. A configuration in which the posture is changed between an action posture to be sent (see the solid line state in FIGS. 3 and 6) and a non-action posture (see the two-dot chain line state in FIG. 6) in which the guide pin 16 is passed along the grooved path 18 as it is. It has become.

  In the first embodiment, when the switching plate 21 is in the acting posture in which the switching plate 21 is pivoted upward, the partition plate portion 21b and the guide plate 19 are set so as to be arranged in a substantially series shape in plan view (see FIG. 2 and FIG. 2). (See FIG. 4).

  In FIG. 2, the switching plate 21 also corresponds to the first guide plate 19a, the symbol a corresponding to the second guide plate 19b, the symbol b corresponding to the second guide plate 19b, and the third guide plate 19c. The thing corresponding to the 4th guide plate 19d is attached | subjected the code | symbol d to the thing.

  When the switching plate 21 is swinging upward and pivoting, the position of the communication gap 20 in the groove-like path 18 is blocked by the partition plate portion 21b of the switching plate 21, so that the upstream side of the transport conveyor line 2 is transported. The guide pin 16 of the transport unit 3 that has moved from the rear end of the guide plate 16 collides with the partition plate portion 21b of the switching plate 21 (see the one-dot chain line state shown in FIG. 4).

  Then, the movement of the guide pins 16 in the transport direction X is blocked, but the transport unit 3 moves along the transport direction X as it is, so that the partition plate out of the force F that moves the transport unit 3 along the transport direction X. With the component force F1 in the oblique direction S along the portion 21b, the guide pin 16 slides in the oblique direction S along the partition plate portion 21b and the guide plate 19 (two-dot chain state of the guide pin 16 shown in FIG. 4) reference).

  When the guide pin 16 slides in the oblique direction S, the belt drive shoe 15 attached to the lower side of the cross belt 14 moves in the direction opposite to the sorting direction Y, and in conjunction with this, the upper side of the cross belt 14 moves in the sorting direction. Move to Y. As a result, the article M on the cross belt 14 is sent to the branch conveyor line 4.

  According to the above configuration, it is not necessary to provide an actuator for driving the cross belt 14 and its control device in each transport unit 3, so that the structure is simplified and the number of parts can be reduced. Therefore, there is an effect that the manufacturing cost is reduced.

  A tension spring 25 is mounted between the partition plate portion 21 b of the switching plate 21 and the lower portion of the bracket plate 22. For this reason, the switching plate 21 is constantly urged by the elastic restoring force of the tension spring 25 so as to be in a non-working posture of swinging downward.

  Further, although not shown in detail, the guide pins 16 of the respective transport units 3 are returned to the original positions corresponding to the groove-shaped paths 18 further downstream than the most downstream sorting point in the transport conveyor line 2. A return guide plate is arranged.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, each guide plate 19 is provided with an auxiliary belt mechanism 26 as auxiliary guide means for assisting the movement of the guide pin 16 in the oblique direction S along the guide plate 19. ing. Therefore, in the first embodiment, a group of four auxiliary belt mechanisms 26 also corresponds to one branch conveyor line 4.

  In FIG. 2, the auxiliary belt mechanism 26 also corresponds to the first guide plate 19a, the symbol a for the second guide plate 19b, the symbol b for the second guide plate 19b, and the third guide plate 19c. Symbols "c" are attached to components that correspond to those of the fourth guide plate 19d.

  The auxiliary belt mechanism 26 according to the first embodiment includes a longitudinal drive shaft 27 and a driven shaft 28 that are rotatably provided in the vicinity of both longitudinal ends of the guide plate 19, and a double pulley 29 fixed to the drive shaft 27. The auxiliary pulley 32 wound around the upper pulley 30 and the driven shaft 28 of the double pulley 29 is provided. In this case, a portion of the auxiliary belt 32 positioned on the upstream side of the transport conveyor line 2 overlaps the flat surface of the guide plate 19 facing the upstream side of transport.

  The drive shaft 27 of the most downstream of the auxiliary belt mechanisms 26 of the same group protrudes upward from a drive motor 33 (see FIG. 2) disposed in the transport conveyor line 2. A total of four lower pulleys 31 are wound with a transmission belt 34. The transmission belt 34 is given tension by a plurality of tension pulleys 35 arranged on the outer peripheral side and between the adjacent two pulleys 29.

  The rotational power of the drive shaft 27 (the most downstream one) protruding from the drive motor 33 is transmitted to the other lower pulley 31 and the drive shaft 27 via the corresponding lower pulley 31 and transmission belt 34. Then, the rotational power of each drive shaft 27 circulates and moves the auxiliary belt 32 via the upper pulley 30. In this case, each auxiliary belt 32 is always set to circulate counterclockwise in the plan view of FIGS. 2 and 4. Accordingly, the portion of the auxiliary belt 32 that overlaps the guide plate 19 moves in the oblique direction S along the guide plate 19.

  As described above, when the configuration in which the auxiliary belt mechanism 26 is provided in association with each guide plate 19 is adopted, the guide pin 16 fed out from the groove-shaped path 18 toward the guide plate 19 is guided in the auxiliary belt 32. The portion that overlaps the plate 19 abuts from the upstream side of the conveying conveyor line 2. As described above, the portion of the auxiliary belt 32 that overlaps the guide plate 19 always moves in the oblique direction S along the guide plate 19, so the component force F <b> 1 of the force F that moves the transport unit 3 along the transport direction X. And the feeding action of the auxiliary belt 32 become a driving force for sliding the guide pin 16 in the oblique direction S. Therefore, there is an effect that the sliding movement of the guide pin 16 in the oblique direction S is surely and smoothly performed.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 7, the article position detection sensor 5 disposed on the upstream side of the conveyance conveyor line 2 with respect to the branching point with the most upstream branch conveyor line 4 is located on both sides of the conveyance conveyor line 2. The light blocking type is composed of a projector 36 and a light receiver 37 that are allotted to each other. The article position detection sensor 5 captures the outline of the article M by light shielding due to the passage of the article M between the projector 36 and the light receiver 37 and detects the length L (size, shape information) along the conveyance direction X. It is configured as follows. The article position detection sensor 5 is electrically connected to a controller 6 as control means.

  In the first embodiment, a rotary encoder 38 (see FIG. 7) for detecting the movement distance of each transport unit 3 from an arbitrary reference point is related to a spindle (not shown) of a drive sprocket in the transport conveyor line 2. Is provided. The rotary encoder 38 is also electrically connected to the controller 6.

  When one or a plurality of transport units 3 carrying a single article M reach a predetermined sorting location in the transport conveyor line 2, the controller 6 selects one article based on the form information from the article position detection sensor 5. This is for executing control to operate the cross belt sorters 11 of all the transport units 3 corresponding to M in synchronization.

  The controller 6 of the first embodiment obtains the movement distance of each transport unit 3 until the entire article M passes between the projector 36 and the light receiver 37 by counting the number of pulses from the rotary encoder 38. It has a function of measuring the length L along the conveyance direction X of the article M. The controller 6 also has a function of specifying all the transport units 3 on which at least a part of one article M is placed, and determining the distance between the specified transport unit 3 and each switching plate 21. Have.

  In addition to the article position detection sensor 5 and the rotary encoder 38, the controller 6 includes a drive motor 33 for each group of auxiliary belt mechanisms 26, an electromagnetic solenoid 24 for driving each switching plate 21, and a drive sprocket for the conveyor belt 2. Actuators (not shown) for rotational driving are connected to each other.

  Next, an example of the sorting control mode in the first embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Here, a case where the article M to be sorted is of a length L straddling three adjacent transport units 3a, 3b, 3c is illustrated (see FIG. 2).

  First, the power switch (not shown) of the article sorting apparatus 1 is turned on to operate the conveyor lines 2 and 4 and the auxiliary belt mechanism 26, and from the rotary encoder 38 associated with the drive sprocket of the conveyor line 2. The counting of the number of pulses starts (step S1).

  Next, the tip of the article M placed on one or a plurality of conveyance units 3 in the conveyance conveyor line 2 reaches the position of the article position detection sensor 5 (between the light projector 36 and the light receiver 37) and starts light shielding. It is discriminate | determined (step S2). When the tip of the article M has not reached between the projector 36 and the light receiver 37 (S2: NO), the process returns to step S2 again to stand by.

  When the tip of the article M reaches between the projector 36 and the light receiver 37 (S2: YES), the entire article M is then passed between the projector 36 and the light receiver 37 by counting the number of pulses from the rotary encoder 38. The movement distance of each conveyance unit 3 until it passes through is measured, and the length L along the conveyance direction X of the article M is measured. From the relationship between the length L of the article M and the number of pulses from the rotary encoder 38, the article All the transport units 3 on which at least a part of M rests are specified (step S3). For example, in the case of FIG. 2, the three transport units 3a, 3b, 3c on which the article M is placed are specified.

  Next, based on the counting of the number of pulses from the rotary encoder 38, the guide pin 16 of the transport unit 3a that is the most advanced in the group of transport units 3 on which the article M is placed is a predetermined sorting location in the transport conveyor line 2. It is determined whether or not the position immediately before the most downstream switching plate 21a is reached (step S4). When the guide pin 16 of the most preceding transport unit 3a has not reached the position immediately before the most downstream switching plate 21a (S4: NO), the process returns to step S4 again to stand by.

  When the guide pin 16 of the foremost transport unit 3a reaches the position immediately before the most downstream switching plate 21a (S4: YES), it corresponds to all the transport units 3 on which at least a part of the article M is placed. Then, the electromagnetic solenoid 24 is driven to switch to the action posture in which each switching plate 21 is swung upward (step S5). For example, in the case of FIG. 2, since the article M straddles the three transport units 3a, 3b, and 3c, the electromagnetic solenoid 24 corresponding to the transport units 3a, 3b, and 3c is driven, and the three switching plates 21a, 21b and 21c are set to the acting posture.

Then, after the guide pins 16 of the three transport units 3 collide with the partition plate portion 21 b of the switching plate 21, the guide pin 16 slides in the oblique direction S along the partition plate portion 21 b of the switching plate 21 and the guide plate 19. And the belt drive shoe 15 attached to the lower side of the three cross belts 14 moves in synchronization with the sorting direction Y, so that the upper side of each cross belt 14 moves in synchronization with the sorting direction Y. . As a result, the article M having a length L placed across the three cross belts 14 (cross belt sorter 11) is smoothly fed to the branch conveyor line 4.

  After switching each switching plate 21 to the action posture swinging upward, after a predetermined time has elapsed, the electromagnetic solenoid 24 corresponding to the switching plate 21 in the action posture is driven, and each switching plate 21 is moved. It returns to the non-working posture swinging downward (step S6).

  When the control is performed as described above, when one or a plurality of transport units 3 on which one article M is placed reaches a predetermined sorting position in the transport conveyor line 2, based on the form information from the article position detection sensor 5. Since the cross belt sorters 11 of all the conveyance units 3 corresponding to one article M are operated synchronously, the length L (large) of the article M to be sorted at a predetermined sorting location in the transport conveyor line 2. The cross belt sorter 11 of each conveyance unit 3 can be operated in accordance with the size of the conveyor unit 3. For example, even an article M placed across a plurality of conveyance units 3 can be smoothly and reliably carried out to the branch conveyor line 4. In the first embodiment, since the cross belt sorters 11 of the maximum four transport units 3 can be operated in synchronization, it is possible to transport and sort up to an article M having a length L straddling the maximum four transport units 3.

  Accordingly, since an article M having a size larger than one transport unit 3 can be transported / sorted, the use (applicable range) is dramatically expanded and versatility is improved as compared with the conventional cross belt type conveyor. Play.

  In addition, since one article can be placed on one transport unit 3 or one article can be placed across a plurality of transport units 3, even if there is some variation in the length L (size) of the article, The placement efficiency (space efficiency) of the article M on the conveyor line 2 can be increased. As a result, a high effect can be exhibited in terms of sorting work efficiency and running cost of the article sorting apparatus.

  By the way, in 1st Embodiment, in step S3 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 8, based on the detection information (information of light shielding time) of the article position detection sensor 5 and the count of the number of pulses from the rotary encoder 38, While measuring the length L, the transport unit 3 on which the product M is placed is specified based on the relationship between the length L of the product M and the number of pulses from the rotary encoder 38, but the transport unit 3 is specified. The control mode to be performed is not limited to the above embodiment.

  For example, as another example of the first embodiment, the following control may be performed. That is, in step S3 of the flowchart shown in FIG. 8, the start position and end position of one article M are based on the detection information (information on the light shielding time) of the article position detection sensor 5 and the count of the number of pulses from the rotary encoder 38. The transport unit 3 corresponding to the position is specified. In step S5, the electromagnetic solenoids 24 corresponding to the two transport units 3 specified in step S3 and the transport unit 3 between them are driven, so that each switching plate 21 is swung upward. By switching, the two specified transport units 3 and the cross belt sorter 11 of the transport unit 3 between them are operated in synchronization. This is an embodiment corresponding to claim 3. Even when controlled in this way, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

(2). Second Embodiment FIGS. 9 and 10 show a second embodiment corresponding to claim 4 of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a functional block diagram of the article sorting apparatus in the second embodiment, and FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a sorting control mode.

  In the second embodiment, in place of the article position detection sensor 5, a video camera 39 as an imaging means for imaging the article M on one or a plurality of transport units 3 is employed as the detection means. This is very different from the embodiment.

  Similar to the article position detection sensor 5 of the first embodiment, the video camera 39 is disposed on the upstream side of the conveyance conveyor line 2 with respect to the branch point of the most upstream branch conveyor line 4. An article passage sensor 40 for detecting whether or not the article M has passed is disposed further upstream than the video camera 39.

  In the article sorting apparatus 1 of the second embodiment, when the article passing sensor 40 senses that the article M has arrived at the position immediately before the video camera 39 by driving the conveyor belt 2, the article M is moved to the video camera 39. The image information obtained by this imaging is transmitted to the controller 41.

  When one or a plurality of transport units 3 on which one article M is placed arrives at a predetermined sorting location in the transport conveyor line 2, the controller 41 sets one article M based on the result of image processing described later. Control is performed to operate the cross belt sorters 11 of all the corresponding transport units 3 in synchronization.

  In addition to the video camera 39, the article passage sensor 40, and the rotary encoder 38, the controller 41 includes a drive motor 33 for the auxiliary belt mechanism 26 of each group, an electromagnetic solenoid 24 for driving each switching plate 21, and a conveyor conveyor line 2. Actuators (not shown) for rotating the drive sprocket are connected to each other. Other configurations are substantially the same as those of the first embodiment.

  Next, an example of the sorting control mode in the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Here, the case where the articles M to be sorted are of the length L that straddles the three adjacent transport units 3a, 3b, and 3c is illustrated (see FIG. 2).

  In the sorting control of the second embodiment, basically, the function exhibited by the article position detection sensor 5 in the first embodiment is merely replaced by the video camera 39 as the imaging means.

  That is, a power switch (not shown) of the article sorting apparatus 1 is turned on to operate each of the conveyor lines 2 and 4 and the auxiliary belt mechanism 26, and from the rotary encoder 38 related to the drive sprocket of the conveyor belt 2 Counting of the number of pulses is started (step T1).

  Next, it is determined whether or not the article M placed on one or a plurality of transport units 3 in the transport conveyor line 2 has reached the location of the article passage sensor 40 (step T2). When the article M has not reached the location of the article passage sensor 40 (T2: NO), the process returns to step T2 again to wait as it is.

  When the article M reaches the location of the article passage sensor 40 (T2: YES), the article M is then imaged by the video camera 39 (step T3). Image information obtained by this imaging is transmitted from the video camera 39 to the controller 41, and stored in a RAM (a readable / writable memory as needed) in the controller 41.

  Next, the above-described image information is subjected to image processing (binarization or the like), and the center of gravity position of the article M and the length L (size) along the transport direction are obtained from the result of the image processing, and the article M From the relationship between the center of gravity position, the length L, and the number of pulses from the rotary encoder 38, all the transport units 3 on which at least a part of the article M is placed are specified (step T4). In the case of FIG. 2, the three transport units 3a, 3b, 3c on which the article M is placed are specified.

  Since the control mode of steps T5 to T7 shown in FIG. 10 is not different from the control mode (see FIG. 8) of steps S4 to S6 in the first embodiment, detailed description thereof is omitted. Even when the control is performed as described above, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained.

(3). Others The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be widely applied as an article sorting apparatus that conveys and sorts various types of articles other than agricultural products such as fruits and vegetables. Further, the width dimension of the branch conveyor line 4 and the number of the guide plate 19 and the switching plate 21 can be appropriately set according to the type and size of the article.

  In addition, the structure of each part is not limited to embodiment of illustration, A various change is possible in the range which does not deviate from the meaning of this invention.

It is a schematic plan view of the article sorting apparatus in the first embodiment. It is a schematic plan view of the article sorting apparatus in a state where the transport unit is removed. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view of a mechanism for moving a cross belt in a sorting direction. FIG. 5 is a VV side sectional view of FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a side sectional view taken along line VI-VI in FIG. 4. It is a functional block diagram of an article sorting device. It is a flowchart which shows an example of a sorting control aspect. It is a functional block diagram of the article sorting apparatus in a 2nd embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of a sorting control aspect.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Article sorter 2 Conveyor line 3 Conveyor unit 4 Branch conveyor line 5 Article position detection sensors 6 and 41 as detection means Controller 11 as control means 11 Cross belt sorter 14 as sort mechanism Cross belt 15 as endless belt means Belt Drive shoe 16 Guide pin 18 Grooved path 19 Guide plate 20 Communication gap 21 Switching plate 21b Partition plate portion 23 Rotating shaft 24 Electromagnetic solenoid 26 Auxiliary belt mechanism 27 Drive shaft 28 Drive shaft 29 Dual pulley 32 Auxiliary belt 33 Drive motor 34 Transmission belt 36 Light projector 37 Light receiver 39 Video camera as imaging means

Claims (1)

An article position detection sensor 5 that includes a large number of transfer units 3 having a sorting mechanism 11 and detects article information upstream of the sorting location of the transfer conveyor line 2 is arranged. Based on the value of the article position detection sensor 5, the sorting is performed. An article sorting device that operates the mechanism 11,
The endless belt means 14 for transporting articles from the sorting location of the transport conveyor line 2 to the branch conveyor line 4; and the drive shoe 15 for reciprocating in the direction intersecting the transport conveyor line 2 to operate the endless belt means 14; In the article sorting apparatus attached to the sorting mechanism 11,
A plurality of guide plates 19 for guiding the guide pins 16 of the drive shoe 15 in a direction away from the branch conveyor line 4, and a partition plate portion in an action posture and a non-action posture for sending the guide pins 16 to the guide plate 19 side. A plurality of switching plates 21 capable of switching 21 b and a plurality of auxiliary guide means 32 for moving the guide pins 16 along the respective guide plates 19 are provided, and the endless belts of all transport units 3 corresponding to one article M are provided. Configuring the means 14 to operate synchronously;
When the switching plate 21 is in the acting posture, the guide pins 16 of all the conveyance units 3 corresponding to one article M are provided on the partition plate portion 21b of the switching plate 21 and the auxiliary guide means 32 that moves in the oblique direction S. The guide pins 16 of all the conveyance units 3 corresponding to one article M slide and move in synchronization with the oblique direction S, and the article M on the endless belt means 14 is sent to the branch conveyor line 4. An article sorting apparatus characterized by the above.

Images