Patent ID: 8115118
Filing Date: 2012-02-14
Classification: G01G

Abstract:
1. A combination weigher comprising: a combination hopper line formed by a plurality of combination hoppers which are arranged in a circular-arc shape having a central angle of approximately 180 degrees or smaller and are fed with objects to be weighed, the plurality of combination hoppers being each configured to be able to discharge the objects to be weighed selectively in an inward direction which is toward a center of the circular-arc shape or in an outward direction which is an opposite direction of the inward direction; an inner chute which is disposed below the combination hopper line and has an upper end portion of a circular-arc shape conforming to the shape of the combination hopper line, the inner chute being configured to gather the objects to be weighed which have been discharged in the inward direction from the combination hoppers and to discharge the objects to be weighed from a discharge outlet provided at a bottom part thereof; an outer chute which is disposed along outside of the inner chute, the outer chute being configured to gather the objects to be weighed which have been discharged in the outward direction from the combination hoppers and to discharge the objects to be weighed from a discharge outlet provided at a bottom part thereof; a first collecting hopper which is provided at the discharge outlet of the inner chute to hold and discharge the objects to be weighed which have been discharged from the discharge outlet of the inner chute; a second collecting hopper which is provided at the discharge outlet of the outer chute to hold and discharge the objects to be weighed which have been discharged from the discharge outlet of the outer chute; a combination calculation means which is configured to determine a first discharge combination and a second discharge combination each of which is made up of combination hoppers in which a combination weight value which is a total of weights of the objects to be weighed which have been fed to the combination hoppers is within an allowable range with respect to a target weight value; and a control means which is configured to cause the combination hoppers making up of the first discharge combination to discharge the objects to be weighed in the inward direction and to cause the combination hoppers making up of the second discharge combination to discharge the objects to be weighed in the outward direction, and is configured to cause the first collecting hopper holding the objects to be weighed which have been discharged from the combination hoppers making up of the first discharge combination to discharge the objects to be weighed and to cause the second collecting hopper holding the objects to be weighed which have been discharged from the combination hoppers making up of the second discharge combination to discharge the objects to be weighed; wherein the combination hopper line includes two lines including an upper line and a lower line, wherein the combination hoppers forming the upper line are weighing hoppers which weigh the objects to be weighed which have been fed to the weighing hoppers, and wherein the combination hoppers forming the lower line are memory hoppers, each of the memory hoppers paired with a corresponding one of the weighing hoppers, each memory hopper being fed with the objects to be weighed which have been weighed in the corresponding one of the weighing hoppers; wherein the weighing hoppers are each configured to be able to discharge the objects to be weighed selectively to the corresponding memory hopper or to the outer chute; wherein the memory hoppers are each configured to be able to discharge the objects to be weighed selectively to the inner chute or to the outer chute; and wherein the combination calculation means is configured to determine a first discharge combination such that a weighing hopper and a corresponding memory hopper are included in the first discharge combination when the weighing hopper is selected to make up of the first discharge combination.