JPH0718577Y2 - Fruit and vegetable sorter feeder - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial field of application] The present invention relates to a feeder of a sorter for sorting fruits and vegetables. More specifically, the present invention relates to a supply device capable of taking out easily fragile and weak fruits and vegetables such as strawberries and tomatoes stored in a container from a container without damaging them and supplying them to a sorting machine.

[Conventional technology]

In order to supply the fruits and vegetables to the sorter, the container containing the fruits and vegetables is taken out by rolling or discharging the fruits and vegetables from the container by tilting or reversing them with a machine or manually, and the taken out fruits and vegetables are conveyed by a conveyor or 2. Description of the Related Art A device for aligning and supplying during transportation is used on an aligning device in which a vibrating feeder and the like are combined.

[Problems to be solved by the device]

In the conventional supply device, the fruits and vegetables are easily damaged because the fruits and vegetables are taken out from the container by tilting or reversing the container holding the fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, since the fruits and vegetables taken out are lined up and fed so as to come close to each other on an aligning device, there is a drawback that they cannot be used for soft fruits and vegetables that are easily damaged.

The problem to be solved by this invention is to take out the fruits and vegetables contained in the container without damaging them and supply them to the sorter.

[Means for Solving the Problems]

The supply device of the vegetable and fruit sorter according to the present invention solves the above problems and has the following technical means.

That is, the feeding device of the fruit and vegetable sorter according to the present invention is a feeding device connected to the starting end of the sorter, and has a predetermined depth and a width and length capable of accommodating a large number of fruits and vegetables and an opening at the bottom. A container having, a rigid sheet to be put on the inner bottom of the container, a flexible sheet-shaped member placed on the rigid sheet for placing fruits and vegetables, and a container of the container penetrating through the bottom opening of the container. A convex member that can protrude to approximately the upper edge, a sheet feeding unit that feeds the sheet-shaped member and separates fruits and vegetables from the sheet-shaped member, and a predetermined distance from the sheet feeding surface to the delivery outlet of the sheet feeding unit. It is characterized in that it is arranged at a low height and comprises a conveying means for dispersing and conveying the fruits and vegetables supplied from the sheet feeding means and supplying the fruits and vegetables to the sorting machine.

The sheet feeding means has an intermittent feeding mechanism that intermittently feeds the sheet-shaped member at a feeding length of approximately one fruit or vegetable, and this intermittent feeding mechanism uses a sheet feeding mechanism such as a roll feeder. In addition, the intermittent feeding mechanism is configured such that the sheet-shaped member is fed so that the end portion of the sheet feeding means is reversed and collected at the lower side, and the fruits and vegetables are separated and fed from the sheet-shaped member at the end portion. . The height lower by a predetermined distance than the sheet feeding surface on which the conveying means is arranged means that fruits and vegetables to be conveyed while being stacked in a plurality of steps on the sheet feeding surface,
When the sheet is fed from the sheet feeding means onto the conveying means, the sheet feeding means does not damage the sheet feeding means, and the height is dispersed and arranged in a line.

The carrying width of the carrying means is set to a width suitable for receiving the fruits and vegetables when the fruits and vegetables when they are overlapped on the sheet-like member are dispersed and lined up on the carrying means. That is, since the stacked fruits and vegetables are separated and supplied on the transport means, the stacked fruits and vegetables are formed into a transport width suitable for rolling and spreading.

Further, this conveying means is preferably provided in a direction orthogonal to the sheet feeding direction.

[Action]

According to the feeder for a fruit and vegetable sorter of the present invention configured as described above, a rigid sheet is placed on the inner bottom surface of a container having a bottom opening, and a flexible sheet-shaped member is placed on the rigid sheet. The harvested fruits and vegetables are stored on the sheet-shaped member.

When the bottom opening of the container containing fruits and vegetables is made to face the upper portion of the convex member, the convex member protrudes through the bottom opening of the container, and the upper surface of the rigid sheet is aligned with the upper edge of the container. Hold at approximately the same height.

That is, the rigid sheet is lifted up from the bottom surface to the upper edge of the container by the projecting member, and the flexible sheet-like member is placed on a flat surface at substantially the same height as the upper edge of the container.

Then, when the sheet-shaped member floated to the upper edge of the container is transferred by the sheet feeding means, the convex member penetrates the bottom opening of the container, so that the container is fixed and fruits and vegetables are placed on it. Only the sheet-shaped member is transferred, and the fruits and vegetables can be taken out from the container without rolling.

The fruits and vegetables thus taken out from the container are supplied from the sheet feeding means to the conveying means and are conveyed with the overlaps dispersed, and can be supplied to the sorting machine without overlapping.

By making the sheet feeding means an intermittent feeding type, since fruits and vegetables are intermittently fed onto the conveying means, the overlapping dispersion effect is increased and the feeding to the sorting machine can be further improved.

Further, if the conveying means is provided in the direction orthogonal to the sheet feeding direction of the sheet feeding means, the fruits and vegetables can be more reliably separated and can be supplied to the sorter one by one.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings (FIGS. 1 to 10).
It will be described based on FIG.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the feeding device of the present invention, and FIG.
FIG. 3 is a side view from the direction A in the figure, and FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line BB in FIG.

In the figure, 1 is a container, and 2 is a rigid sheet, which is inserted from the inside of the container 1 with a margin and is accommodated in the inner bottom.
Reference numeral 3 is a sheet-like member, which is placed on the rigid sheet 2 to mount the fruits and vegetables 10. Reference numeral 4 denotes a convex member, which penetrates the bottom opening 11 of the container 1 and projects to a substantially upper edge 12 of the container 1. A sheet feeding means 5 is provided so as to feed the sheet-shaped member 3 and separate and supply only the fruits and vegetables 10 from the sheet-shaped member 3. 6 is a conveying means, which is provided so as to disperse and convey the fruits and vegetables 10 supplied from the sheet feeding means 5. The starting end of the sorting machine 7 is connected to the terminal end 6b of the conveying means 6.

The container 1 is made of a lightweight material such as a synthetic resin material or a wooden member, and the container 1 has a depth, a width, and a length necessary to accommodate the fruits and vegetables 10. The planar shape of the container 1 may be circular, rectangular, or the like. Reference numeral 11 denotes a bottom opening, which is provided, for example, in a circular or square shape so as to penetrate the bottom surface as shown in FIGS. The shape of the bottom opening 11 is such that when the rigid sheet 2 is inserted from the inside of the container 1, the rigid sheet 2 does not drop from the bottom opening 11 and the convex member 4 penetrates the bottom opening 11. The size is such that it can project.

The rigid sheet 2 has a slightly smaller area than the inner bottom surface of the container 1,
A floor plate that has a rigidity that does not bend when the fruits and vegetables 10 are placed and is made of, for example, a synthetic resin material is used. Further, as the material of the rigid sheet 2, it is preferable to use a member that is as light as possible from the transportation work of the container 1.

The sheet-like member 3 is formed to have a size of about the inner area of the bottom surface of the container 1 to which the side height is added, and is bendable, and a flexible thin member such as a synthetic resin foam material is used. Further, the material of the sheet-shaped member 3 is configured to be a combination of members that reduce the contact frictional resistance because the rigid sheet 2 is slid and transferred like pulling from one side with the fruits and vegetables 10 placed thereon. Preferably.

On the other hand, in order to store the harvested fruits and vegetables 10, the rigid sheet 2 is put on the inner bottom surface of the container 1, the flexible sheet-shaped member 3 is placed on the rigid sheet 2, and the harvested on the sheet-shaped member 3. It can be done by placing 10 fruits and vegetables side by side.

The convex member 4 is erected on the container pedestal 41 in an arrangement corresponding to the bottom opening 11 of the container 1, and the bottom opening of the container 1 is provided.
When the convex member 4 penetrates through the bottom opening 11 and pushes up the rigid sheet 2, the upper surface of the rigid sheet 2 and the upper edge 12 of the container 1 are substantially the same. It is set to have the same height.

The container 1 containing the fruits and vegetables 10 is placed on the convex member 4 by hand, for example, as shown in FIG.
Then, the rigid sheet 2 is supported by the convex member 4 and floats in the container 1. Meanwhile, the unloaded container 1
The fruit and vegetables 10 placed in the container cradle 41 in an empty state are
As shown in the figure, the container 1 is in a state of being lifted to the same height as the upper edge 12 of the container 1. That is, the convex member 4 is the bottom opening of the container 1.
When the container 11 faces the upper part of the convex member 3, the container 1 is lowered by its own weight so that the convex member 3 penetrates and projects.

The sheet feeding means 5 conveys the sheet-shaped member 3 on the rigid sheet 2 which is supported by the convex member 4 and floated up to the upper edge 12 of the container 1 in the arrow () direction as shown in FIG. The fruits and vegetables 10 are separated from the sheet-like member 3 and supplied, and are configured as follows.

Reference numeral 51 denotes a slide plate serving as a sheet feeding surface, which is formed at a height (planar area) that is approximately the same height as the upper edge 12 of the container 1 and can be placed on at least the sheet-shaped member 3 in a developed state. Reference numeral 52 is a slide roller, which is rotatably supported below the slide plate 51 via a bracket 53. The slide roller 52 is a guide rail on a receiving base 41a which is a lateral extension of the container receiving base 41. It is configured to slide along 54. 55a and 55b are pinch rollers, and one of the pinch rollers 55a is provided at the end of the slide plate 51 and is of a drive type. The other pinch roller 55b is rotatably supported by an arm 541 attached to the pedestal 41a, and the arm 541 is biased in the arrow direction by a spring 542 or the like so that the pinch rollers 55a and 55b form a sheet-like member. A sheet feeding mechanism is configured so that an appropriate tension is applied when the sheet 3 is sandwiched. Reference numeral 56 denotes a sheet collecting table, which is provided below the receiving table 41a with a downward inclination.

According to this roll feeder type sheet feeding mechanism,
As shown in the figure, when a part of the sheet-shaped member 3 is wound around the pinch roller 55a and the slide plate 51 is moved to the arrow (), the sheet-shaped member 3 is sandwiched between the pinch rollers 55a and 55b. Becomes Then, when the pinch roller 55a is driven, the sheet-shaped member 3 is fed by both pinch rollers 55a and 55b and is collected by the lower sheet collecting table 56. Since the sheet-shaped member 3 reverses the pinch roller 55a and the sheet is fed in the opposite direction, the fruits and vegetables 10 can be taken out separately from the sheet-shaped member 3.

The pinch rollers 55a and 55b are rotationally driven by a combination of an intermittent drive device (not shown) so as to intermittently feed the sheet-shaped member 3 at a feeding length (l) of approximately one fruit and vegetable 10. ing.

The conveying means 6 is provided so as to be connected to the delivery outlet of the sheet feeding means 5 and convey the fruits and vegetables 10 supplied from the sheet feeding means 5 in a direction orthogonal to the sheet feeding direction. A belt conveyer or the like is used as the conveying means 6, and the width of the conveying surface is such that when the fruits and vegetables 10 overlapping on the sheet-shaped member are supplied on the conveying means 6 and dispersed, the fruits and vegetables are received. Configure the length to suit. This conveying means may be provided so as to convey the sheet in the same direction from the sheet feeding means as it is. Further, it is preferable that this conveying surface is a conveyor surface in which a soft member that does not give an impact to the fruits and vegetables 10, such as a sponge or a soft napped material, is planted. Further, the conveying surface of the conveying means 6 is provided slightly lower than the sheet conveying surface of the sheet conveying means 5, and this step is damaged when the fruits and vegetables 10 are supplied from the sheet conveying means 5 onto the conveying means 6. It is not provided and is installed at a height that is distributed in a line.

The sorting machine 7 gradually changes the opening formed on the conveying surface of the fruits and vegetables 10 greatly in the conveying process, and selects the fruits and vegetables 10 according to the opening degree according to the outer diameter.
A sorting machine as shown in Japanese Patent Publication No. 35402 is used.

9 and 10 show another embodiment of the convex member 4 and the sheet feeding means 5. The convex member 4 shown in the figure is
When the bottom opening 11 of the container 1 faces the upper portion of the convex member 4, the convex member 4 moves upward and penetrates the bottom opening 11 to project.

That is, 42 is a container conveyer conveys the container 1,
A roller conveyor, a chain conveyor or the like can be used with a width suitable for carrying the container 1. Reference numeral 43 denotes a stopper, which is configured so as to be retractable in the transport path by combining a cylinder (not shown) or the like at a predetermined position in the transport path of the container transport conveyor 42.

An elevating device 44 is provided so that the convex member 4 rises and penetrates the bottom opening 11 of the container 1 stopped on the conveyance path by the stopper 43. That is, reference numeral 45 is an elevating base, and the convex member 4 is erected on the upper surface in a predetermined arrangement. Reference numeral 46 is a cylinder, and the elevating base 45 is attached to the piston rod 46a. 47 is a guide,
Slide bearing 47a that guides the lifting of the lifting base 45
It is provided on a mounting base 48 via the, and the mounting base 48 is mounted on the lower part of the frame 421 of the container transfer conveyor 42.

According to the elevating device 44 configured as described above, when the container 1 transported by the container transport conveyor 42 is temporarily stopped on the transport path by the stopper 43, the cylinder 46 is activated by an operation command (not shown). By the operation of the cylinder 46, the convex member 4 penetrates the bottom opening 11 of the container 1 and pushes up the rigid sheet 2 from below to rise, and the upper surface of the rigid sheet 2 is raised to the upper edge 12 of the container 1 as shown in FIG. It operates so as to be held at approximately the same height as. By combining the elevating device 44 and the container conveyer 42, it is possible to automate the attachment / detachment of the container 1 and improve the extraction efficiency of the fruits and vegetables 10.

Next, referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, another embodiment of the sheet feeding means 5 will be described. 57 is a belt, and a large number of suction ports are provided.
57a and has a conveyance width slightly longer than the sheet-shaped member 3. Reference numerals 57a and 57b denote pulleys at the start end and the end, respectively, which are provided in the arrow direction at a distance of at least one sheet-like member 3 from each other. 57c and 57d are tension pulleys, respectively. And each of these pulleys 57a,
The belt 57 is stretched between 57b, 57c and 57d, and a suction conveyor 58 is configured so that the belt 57 is run and rotated in the direction of the arrow by a driving device (not shown). The starting end of the suction conveyor 58 is provided adjacent to the side of the container transport conveyor 42. A suction device 59 is configured by combining a suction duct 60 and a suction device 61. The suction duct 60 opens a forward path from the pulley 57a at the start end to the pulley 57b at the end and a return path in which the pulley 57b is reversed up to a predetermined position, and faces the suction port 57a of the belt 57. A vacuum pump, a blower or the like is used as the suction device 61, and it is provided in the middle of a pipe line 60a connected to the suction duct 60. The drive device (not shown) of the suction conveyor 58 is
A sheet is fed by a feeding length (l) of about one fruit and vegetable 10 by an intermittent driving motor or other intermittent feeding device.

According to the sheet feeding means 5 configured as described above, the upper edge of the container 1 is provided at the start end portion of the suction conveyor 58 that rotates and rotates.
If you pull out the sheet-shaped member 3 that has floated to 12,
Since the sheet-shaped member 3 is sucked and conveyed by the surface of the belt 57 of the suction conveyor 58, the sheet-shaped member 3 on which the fruits and vegetables 10 are placed can be transferred from the rigid sheet 2 onto the suction conveyor 58. Then, when the sheet-shaped member 3 transferred by the suction conveyor 58 is inverted to the lower end of the conveyor 58 and transferred to a predetermined position below the suction range,
The sheet-like member 3 is released from the suction state with the belt 57 surface,
Only the sheet-shaped member 3 can be collected.

On the other hand, at the end of the suction conveyor 58, the sheet-shaped member 3 is inverted and folded back, so that the fruits and vegetables 10 can be separated from the sheet-shaped member 3 and supplied onto the conveying means 6.

The sheet feeding means 5 feeds the sheet-like member 3 by pulling it to one side, and a known sheet feeding mechanism can be used without being limited to the embodiment.

According to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, it is possible to enhance the efficiency of attachment and detachment of the container 1 and save the labor of the sheet feeding mechanism to improve the working efficiency.

[Effect of device]

Since the feeding device of the fruit and vegetable sorter of the present invention is configured as described above, the fruits and vegetables contained in the container are taken out and fed to the sorter without tilting or inverting the container. It is hygienic and does not impact fruits and vegetables.

In addition, even if the fruits and vegetables taken out without impact from the container are overlapped with each other, the feeding device of the present invention, when they are fed onto the conveying means, are conveyed with a slight step difference, so that the sorting machine Can be supplied without overlapping, and has the effect of improving the sorting accuracy.

[Brief description of drawings]

Each of the drawings shows an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the feeding device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is FIG.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line BB of FIG.
5 and 5 are perspective views of the container, FIGS. 6 and 7 are explanatory views for explaining the relationship between the container and the convex member, and FIG.
The drawing is a partial detailed view of the sheet feeding means. FIG. 9 is a side view showing another embodiment of the convex member and the sheet feeding means,
FIG. 10 is a plan view of the same. 1 ... Container, 10 ... Fruits and vegetables 11 ... Bottom opening, 12 ... Upper edge 2 ... Rigid sheet 3 ... Sheet-like member 4 ... Convex member 41 ... Container pedestal, 41a .... 42 …… Container transport conveyor 421 …… Frame 43 …… Stopper 44 …… Lifting device 45 …… Lifting base 46 …… Cylinder, 46a …… Piston rod 47 …… Guide, 47a …… Slide bearing 48 …… Mounting base 5 …… Sheet feeding means 51 …… Slide plate, 52 …… Slide roller 53 …… Bracket, 54 …… Guide rail 55a …… Pinch roller, 55b …… Pinch roller 541 …… Arm, 542 …… Spring 56 …… Sheet Collection stand 57 …… Belt, 57a …… Suction port 57a …… Pulley, 57b …… Pulley 57c …… Tension pulley 57d …… Tension pulley 58 …… Suction conveyor, 59 …… Suction device 6 …… Conveying means, 6b ...... Terminal part 60 …… Suction duct, 60a …… Pipeline 61… A suction device 7 ...... sorter

Claims (3)

[Scope of utility model registration request] 1. A container connected to a starting end of a sorter, the container having a predetermined depth and a width and a length capable of accommodating a large number of fruits and vegetables, and an opening on the bottom surface, and a container inside the container. A rigid sheet to be put in the bottom, a flexible sheet-shaped member placed on the rigid sheet for placing fruits and vegetables, and a convex member capable of penetrating through the bottom opening of the container and protruding to substantially the upper edge of the container. A sheet feeding means for feeding the sheet-shaped member, separating and feeding fruits and vegetables from the sheet-shaped member, and a sheet feeding means arranged at a feeding outlet of the sheet feeding means at a height lower than the sheet feeding surface by a predetermined distance. A feeder for a fruit and vegetable sorter, comprising: a conveyer that disperses and conveys the fruits and vegetables supplied from a feeder and supplies the fruits and vegetables to the sorter. 2. The feeding device for a fruit and vegetable sorter according to claim 1, wherein the sheet feeding means has an intermittent feeding mechanism for intermittently feeding the sheet-shaped member at a predetermined feeding length. 3. The feeding device for a fruit and vegetable sorter according to claim 1, wherein the conveying means is provided in a direction orthogonal to the sheet feeding direction of the sheet feeding means.