Patent Publication Number: US-2022219905-A1

Title: Article retaining device and supporting body

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present disclosure relates to an article retaining device and a supporting body. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     Conventionally, there has been a known article retaining device including a hopper configured to temporarily retain an article and discharge the article and a supporting body configured to detachably support the hopper. For example, Patent Literature 1 describes a configuration in which a pool hopper is attached to a supporting body, which is fixed to a frame of a combination weighing machine, and supported in the combination weighing machine. 
     CITATION LIST 
     Patent Literature 
     Patent Literature 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2013-250196 
     SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
     In the article retaining device described above, it is difficult for an operator to determine a positional relationship between the hopper and the supporting body when attaching the hopper to the supporting body, and it is necessary to continue to support the relatively heavy hopper during positioning. In view of such a situation, in recent years, it is desired to improve workability when attaching the hopper to the supporting body in the article retaining device. 
     Therefore, an aspect of the present invention is to provide an article retaining device and a supporting body capable of improving workability of attachment of a hopper. 
     Solution to Problem 
     An article retaining device according to an aspect of the invention includes a hopper configured to temporarily retain articles and discharge the articles, and a supporting body configured to detachably support the hopper, in which the hopper has a main body configured to retain the articles, and an extending portion that extends along a width direction of the main body, the supporting body has an engaging portion that engages with the extending portion, and a guide surface configured to guide movement of the extending portion to the engaging portion when the hopper is attached. 
     In this article retaining device, in a case where an operator engages the extending portion of the hopper with the engaging portion of the supporting body when the hopper is attached to the supporting body, movement of the extending portion can be guided by the guide surface of the supporting body. Therefore, the hopper can be easily attached to the supporting body, and workability of attaching the hopper can be improved. 
     In an embodiment, in a case where a direction in which the hopper moves when the hopper is attached to the supporting body and which extends along a horizontal direction is set to an attaching direction, the guide surface may have a region inclined to rise in the attaching direction. In this case, when the hopper is attached to the supporting body, at least a part of the weight of the hopper can be supported by the guide surface by placing the extending portion on the guide surface. Then, in this state, when the hopper is pushed in the attaching direction, movement of the extending portion can be guided by sliding the extending portion to raise the guide surface. 
     In the embodiment, an inclination angle of an inclined region on the guide surface may be 45° or less. In this way it is possible to effectively exert the above-mentioned effects by the guide surface inclined to rise in the attaching direction. 
     In the embodiment, the guide surface may have a region along a horizontal plane. In this case, when the hopper is attached to the supporting body, by placing the extending portion on the guide surface, at least a part of the weight of the hopper can be effectively supported by the guide surface. 
     In the embodiment, the engaging portion may be a groove provided at a position lower than the guide surface to accommodate the extending portion. In this case, when the hopper is attached to the supporting body, the extending portion and the engaging portion can be engaged with each other by dropping hopper so that the extending portion on the guide surface falls into the engaging portion. 
     In the embodiment, in a case where a direction in which the hopper moves when the hopper is attached to the supporting body and which extends along a horizontal direction is set to an attaching direction, the groove as the engaging portion may be provided to be continuous with an end side of the guide surface in the attaching direction when viewed from a horizontal direction orthogonal to the attaching direction. In this case, when the hopper is attached to the supporting body, by pushing the hopper in the attaching direction, the hopper can be dropped so that the extending portion on the guide surface falls into the engaging portion. 
     In the embodiment, in a case where a direction in which the hopper moves when the hopper is attached to the supporting body and which extends along a horizontal direction is set to an attaching direction, the supporting body may have a contact surface provided on a side in a direction opposite to the attaching direction with respect to the guide surface and capable of coming into contact with the extending portion when the hopper is attached. In this way, when the hopper is attached to the supporting body, a position of the extending portion and a position of the hopper can be regulated by bringing the extending portion into contact with the contact surface. 
     In the embodiment, when viewed from a horizontal direction orthogonal to the attaching direction, the contact surface may be provided to be continuous with an end side of the guide surface in the direction opposite to the attaching direction and extend downward from the end side. In this way, when the hopper is attached to the supporting body, even in a case where the extending portion comes into contact with the contact surface, the extending portion can be smoothly brought onto the guide surface by appropriately shifting the hopper. 
     In the embodiment, an angle at which the guide surface and the contact surface intersect may be 90° or more and less than 180°. In this way, the above-mentioned action of the guide surface and the contact surface can be effectively exerted. 
     In the embodiment, the supporting body may have a pair of vertical walls arranged to face each other in a width direction of the main body, the guide surface may be provided to bridge the pair of vertical walls, and the contact surface may be provided to close between the pair of vertical walls. In this way, when the hopper is attached to the supporting body, it is possible to inhibit a part of the hopper from entering between the pair of vertical walls of the supporting body. 
     In the embodiment, the hopper may have a gate provided at a bottom thereof and allowed to be opened and closed, and in a case where a direction in which the hopper moves when the hopper is attached to the supporting body and which extends along a horizontal direction is set to an attaching direction, the guide surface may be provided to be separated from the gate in an open state in a direction along the attaching direction. In this way, it is possible to prevent the presence of the guide surface from adversely effecting opening and closing of the gate of the hopper. 
     A supporting body according to an aspect of the invention is a supporting body for detachably supporting a hopper having a main body for retaining articles, and an extending portion that extends along a width direction of the main body, and includes an engaging portion that engages with the extending portion of the hopper, and a guide surface configured to guide movement of the extending portion to the engaging portion when the hopper is attached. 
     Even in this supporting body, in a case where the extending portion of the hopper is engaged with the engaging portion when the hopper is attached, movement of the extending portion can be guided by the guide surface. Therefore, the hopper can be easily attached to the supporting body, and workability of attaching the hopper can be improved. 
     Advantageous Effects of Invention 
     According to an aspect of the invention, it is possible to provide an article retaining device and a supporting body capable of improving workability of attachment of a hopper. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a configuration diagram illustrating a combination weighing apparatus including an article retaining device according to an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  is a side view illustrating the article retaining device of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view illustrating a supporting body of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view for description of a case where a hopper is attached to the supporting body in the article retaining device of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 5  is a side view for description of a case where the hopper is attached to the supporting body in the article retaining device of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 6  is a side view for description of a continuation of  FIG. 5 . 
         FIG. 7  is a side view for description of a continuation of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a side view for description of a continuation of  FIG. 7 . 
         FIG. 9  is a side view illustrating a state in which a gate of the hopper is open in the article retaining device of  FIG. 2 . 
         FIG. 10  is a side view illustrating an engaging portion according to a modification. 
         FIG. 11  is a perspective view illustrating a supporting body according to another modification. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each figure, the same or corresponding parts are given the same reference symbols, and duplicate description will be omitted. The words “upper” and “lower” correspond to a vertical direction in a perpendicular direction. 
     [Configuration of Combination Weighing Apparatus] 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , a combination weighing apparatus  1  includes a charge chute  2 , a dispersion feeder  3 , a plurality of radiation feeders  4 , a plurality of pool hoppers (hoppers)  5 , a plurality of weighing devices  10 , each of which has a weighing hopper  11 , a collecting chute  6 , a timing hopper  7 , and a control unit  8 . The combination weighing apparatus  1  weighs articles A (articles having variations in unit mass such as agricultural products, marine products, and processed foods) supplied by a conveyance conveyor  50  so that a target weighing value is obtained and supplies the articles A to a bag making/packaging machine  60 . Note that the bag making/packaging machine  60  is a device that packages the articles A weighed and supplied by the combination weighing apparatus  1  while molding a film into a bag of a predetermined capacity. 
     The charge chute  2  is arranged below a conveying end  50   a  of the conveyance conveyor  50 . The charge chute  2  receives the articles A conveyed by the conveyance conveyor  50  from the outside and dropped from the conveying end  50   a  of the conveyance conveyor  50 , and discharges the articles A downward. 
     The dispersion feeder  3  is arranged below the charge chute  2 . The dispersion feeder  3  has a conical conveying surface  3   a  that widens downward toward an end. The dispersion feeder  3  uniformly conveys the articles A discharged from the charge chute  2  to a top of the conveying surface  3   a  toward an outer edge of the conveying surface  3   a  by vibrating the conveying surface  3   a.    
     The plurality of radiation feeders  4  is radially arranged along the outer edge of the conveying surface  3   a  of the dispersion feeder  3 . Each of the radiation feeders  4  has a trough  4   a  extending outward from below the outer edge of the conveying surface  3   a.  Each radiation feeder  4  conveys the articles A discharged from the outer edge of the conveying surface  3   a  toward a distal end of the trough  4   a  by vibrating the trough  4   a.    
     The plurality of pool hoppers  5  is arranged in an annular shape so that each of the pool hoppers  5  is arranged below the distal end of the trough  4   a  of each radiation feeder  4 . Each pool hopper  5  has a gate  5   a  allowed to be opened and closed with respect to a bottom thereof. Each pool hopper  5  temporarily stores the articles A discharged from the distal end of the corresponding trough  4   a  by closing the gate  5   a.  Each pool hopper  5  discharges the temporarily stored articles A downward by opening the gate  5   a.    
     The plurality of weighing hoppers  11  is arranged in an annular shape so that each of the weighing hoppers  11  is arranged below the gate  5   a  of each pool hopper  5 . Each weighing hopper  11  has a gate  11   a  allowed to be opened and closed with respect to a bottom thereof. Each weighing hopper  11  temporarily stores the articles A discharged from the corresponding pool hopper  5  by closing the gate  11   a.  Each weighing hopper  11  discharges the temporarily stored articles A downward by opening the gate  11   a.  When the weighing hopper  11  of each weighing device  10  temporarily stores the articles A, each weighing device  10  obtains a weighing value according to the mass of the articles A. 
     The collecting chute  6  has a plurality of upper chute portions  61  and a lower chute portion  62 . The plurality of upper chute portions  61  is arranged in an annular shape so that an upper end of each upper chute portion  61  is located below the gate  11   a  of each weighing hopper  11  and a lower end of each upper chute portion  61  is gathered in a central portion. Each upper chute portion  61  receives the articles A discharged from each weighing hopper  11  and slides the articles A toward the central portion. The lower chute portion  62  is arranged below the lower end of each upper chute portion  61 . The lower chute portion  62  discharges the articles A discharged from each upper chute portion  61  downward from a discharge port  6   a.    
     The timing hopper  7  is arranged below the discharge port  6   a  of the collecting chute  6 . The timing hopper  7  has a gate  7   a  allowed to be opened and closed with respect to a bottom thereof. The timing hopper  7  temporarily stores the articles A discharged from the collecting chute  6  by closing the gate  7   a,  and discharges the temporarily stored articles A to the bag making/packaging machine  60  by opening the gate  7   a.    
     The control unit  8  is arranged in a case  32  supported by a frame  31 . The control unit  8  has a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, etc. The control unit  8  controls operations of respective portions of the combination weighing apparatus I such as a conveying operation of the dispersion feeder  3  and the radiating feeder  4 , an opening and closing operation of the gate  5   a  of each pool hopper  5 , an opening and closing operation of the gate  11   a  of each weighing hopper  11 , and an opening and closing operation of the gate  7   a  of the timing hopper  7 . The control unit  8  selects a combination of weighing values so that a total value becomes a target weighing value (specifically, the total value falls within a predetermined range having the target weighing value as a lower limit) based on a weighing value of the articles A output from each weighing device  10  (that is, a weighing value of the articles A temporarily stored in the weighing hopper  11  of each weighing device  10 ), and discharges the articles A from a weighing hopper  11  corresponding to the combination. 
     In the combination weighing apparatus  1 , the charge chute  2 , the dispersion feeder  3 , the plurality of radiation feeders  4 , the plurality of pool hoppers  5 , and the plurality of weighing devices  10  are directly or indirectly supported by the case  32 . The collecting chute  6  and the timing hopper  7  are directly or indirectly supported by the frame  31 . The combination weighing apparatus  1  includes a plurality of article retaining devices  100 . 
     [Configuration of Article Retaining Device] 
     Next, the article retaining device  100  will be described.  FIG. 2  arid  FIGS. 5 to 9  illustrate a part of the pool hopper  5  (attachment portion  52 ) in cross section. 
     Each of the article retaining devices  100  includes the pool hopper  5  and a supporting body  110 . As illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 4 , the pool hopper  5  has a main body  51 , an attachment portion  52 , and the gate  5   a.  The main body  51  has a cup shape that opens upward. The main body  51  is a part where the articles A are retained inside. The attachment portion  52  is a part for attaching the main body  51  to the supporting body  110 . The attachment portion  52  includes a pair of hopper vertical walls  53 , a first shaft body  54 , and a second shaft body  55 . 
     The pair of hopper vertical walls  53  is provided on a side of an attaching direction behind the main body  51  (hereinafter, also simply referred to as “attaching direction”). The attaching direction is a direction in which the pool hopper  5  moves with respect to the supporting body  110  when the pool hopper  5  is attached to the supporting body  110 , and is a direction along a horizontal direction. The attaching direction is a radial inside of an annular shape of the plurality of pool hoppers  5  arranged in the annular shape. The pair of hopper vertical walls  53  has a plate shape whose thickness direction is a width direction. The pair of hopper vertical walls  53  is arranged to face each other in the width direction. The pair of hopper vertical walls  53  is fixed to the main body  51 . The pair of hopper vertical walls  53  extends from an outer wall  51   a  on the attaching direction side of the main body  51  so as to bend downward. 
     The first shaft body  54  is a member extending in a width direction of the main body  51  (see  FIG. 4 , hereinafter, also simply referred to as “width direction”). The first shaft body  54  is included in an extending portion. The first shaft body  54  is provided between the pair of hopper vertical walls  53 . The first shaft body  54  is orthogonal to the pair of hopper vertical walls  53 . The first shaft body  54  is a round shaft. The first shaft body  54  is provided above the second shaft body  55 . The first shaft body  54  has a function of engaging with an engaging portion  113 , which will be described later, and a function of increasing the rigidity of the attachment portion  52 . 
     The second shaft body  55  is a member extending in the width direction. The second shaft body  55  is provided between the pair of hopper vertical walls  53 . The second shaft body  55  is orthogonal to the pair of hopper vertical walls  53 . The second shaft body  55  is a round shaft. The second shaft body  55  is provided below the first shaft body  54  and at lower ends of the pair of hopper vertical walls  53 . The second shaft body  55  has a function of increasing the rigidity of the attachment portion  52 . 
     The gate  5   a  is provided at a bottom of the main body  51  such that the gate  5   a  can be opened and closed. By closing the gate  5   a,  the articles A can be retained in the main body  51 , while by opening the gate  5   a,  the articles A can be dropped (discharged) to the outside. The gate  5   a  is connected to a drive unit (not illustrated) for opening and closing the gate  5   a  via a link  57 . 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the supporting body  110  detachably supports the pool hopper  5 . The supporting body  110  is a plate-shaped structure (sheet metal processed product) formed by molding into a desired shape. The supporting body  110  has a pair of supporting body vertical walls (vertical walls)  111 , a guide surface  112 , an engaging portion  113 , a contact surface  114 , a positioning convex portion  115 , and a cover surface  116 . 
     The pair of supporting body vertical walls  111  is arranged to face each other in the width direction. Lower end sides of the pair of supporting body vertical walls  111  are fixed to a cover C of the case  32  (see  FIG. 1 ) by, for example, a bolt, etc. The pair of supporting body vertical walls  111  has a plate shape whose thickness direction is a width direction. 
     The guide surface  112  is a surface that guides movement of the first shaft body  54  to the engaging portion  113  when the pool hopper  5  is attached. The guide surface  112  is provided to bridge upper ends of the pair of supporting body vertical walls  111 . The guide surface  112  includes an upper surface of an upper wall continuous with the upper ends of the pair of supporting body vertical walls W. The guide surface  112  is inclined to rise in the attaching direction. An inclination angle (angle formed with a horizontal plane) of the guide surface  112  is 45° or less. For example, the guide surface  112  is a gentle slope having an inclination angle of 40°. The guide surface  112  is a flat surface. The guide surface  112  is provided to be separated from the gate  5   a  of the pool hopper  5  in an open state in a direction along the attaching direction in a state where the pool hopper  5  is attached to and supported by the supporting body  110  (see  FIG. 9 ). 
     The engaging portion  113  engages with the first shaft body  54 . The engaging portion  113  is provided in an upper part of the supporting body vertical wall  111 . The engaging portion  113  is a groove that accommodates the first shaft body  54 . The engaging portion  113  is a U-shaped notch (U-shaped groove) that opens upward. The engaging portion  113  is provided at a position lower than the guide surface  112 . The engaging portion  113  is provided on the attaching direction side (back side) of the guide surface  112 . Specifically, the engaging portion  113  is provided to be continuous with an end side of the guide surface  112  in the attaching direction when viewed from the width direction which is the horizontal direction orthogonal to the attaching direction. 
     The contact surface  114  is a surface capable of coming into contact with the first shaft body  54  of the pool hopper  5  when the pool hopper  5  is attached. The contact surface  114  is provided on a side in a direction opposite to the attaching direction of the pool hopper  5  with respect to the guide surface  112 . The contact surface  114  is provided to close between the pair of supporting body vertical walls  111 . A widthwise dimension of the contact surface  114  is greater than a dimension between the pair of supporting body vertical walls  111  and smaller than a dimension between the pair of hopper vertical walls  53 . 
     The contact surface  114  is provided to be continuous with the end side of the guide surface  112  in a direction opposite to the attaching direction. The contact surface  114  extends downward from the end side of the guide surface  112  in the direction opposite to the attaching direction. The contact surface  114  includes a front surface of a front wall hanging down in front of an upper wall (in the direction opposite to the attaching direction) included in the guide surface  112 . An angle at which the guide surface  112  and the contact surface  114  intersect is 90° or more and less than 180°. For example, the angle at which the guide surface  112  and the contact surface  114  intersect is 130°. The contact surface  114  is a vertical surface perpendicular to the attaching direction. The contact surface  114  is a flat surface. 
     The positioning convex portion  115  is provided at a central portion of each of the pair of supporting body vertical walls  111  in the vertical direction. The positioning convex portion  115  is provided to project outward in the width direction. The positioning convex portion  115  has a cylindrical shape whose axial direction is the width direction. The positioning convex portion  115  abuts between the first shaft body  5 . 4  and the second shaft body  55  on the hopper vertical wall  53  of the pool hopper  5  to position (set a posture of) the pool hopper  5 . 
     The cover surface  116  has a function of guiding engagement of the link  57  with a drive unit (not illustrated) that opens and closes the gate  5   a  when the pool hopper  5  is attached to the supporting body  110 . The cover surface  116  includes a vertical surface orthogonal to the attaching direction, and an inclined surface provided to be continuous with an upper piece of the vertical surface and inclined to rise with respect to the horizontal plane toward the attaching direction. The cover surface  116  is connected to one of the supporting body vertical walls  111 . The cover surface  116  is arranged apart from the pair of supporting body vertical walls  111  on the outer side in the width direction. The hopper vertical walls  53  are inserted between one of the supporting body vertical walls  111  and the cover surface  116 . 
     [Action and Effect] 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 , when the pool hopper  5  is detachably attached to the supporting body  110 , first, the operator positions the pool hopper  5  so that the pair of supporting body vertical walls  111  of the supporting body  110  is arranged between the pair of hopper vertical walls  53  of the pool hopper  5 . This positioning may be realized, for example, by appropriately shifting the pool hopper  5  in the width direction while bringing the first shaft body  54  of the pool hopper  5  into contact with the contact surface  114  of the supporting body  110 . At the same time, by placing the first shaft body  54  of the pool hopper  5  on the guide surface  112  of the supporting body  110 , the weight of the pool hopper  5  is borne by the supporting body  110 . 
     In this state, by pressing the pool hopper  5  toward the back side (attaching direction side), the first shaft body  54  is slid to raise the guide surface  112 . In this way, the pool hopper  5  moves backward and upward along the guide surface  112 . As illustrated in  FIG. 8 , at the end of sliding of the first shaft body  54 , the first shaft body  54  falls into the engaging portion  113  from the back side of the guide surface  112 , and the first shaft body  54  is engaged with the engaging portion  113 . Then, as illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the positioning convex portion  115  of the supporting body  110  is brought into contact with the pair of hopper vertical walls  53  of the pool hopper  5  to position the pool hopper  5  at a predetermined position. As described above, attachment of the pool hopper  5  to the supporting body  110  is completed. 
     As described above, in the article retaining device  100 , in a case where the operator engages the first shaft body  54  of the pool hopper  5  with the engaging portion  113  of the supporting body  110  when the pool hopper  5  is attached to the supporting body  110 , movement of the first shaft body  54  can be guided by the guide surface  112  of the supporting body  110 . In this way, the pool hopper  5  can be easily attached to the supporting body  110 , and workability of attaching the pool hopper  5  can be improved. It is possible to enhance convenience at the time of attaching the pool hopper  5 . An allowable range in the vertical direction and the width direction at the time of attaching the pool hopper  5  is widened, and the pool hopper  5  can be sensuously attached. In addition, a burden of supporting the weight of the pool hopper  5  during positioning is reduced. Attachment of the pool hopper  5  can be simplified. 
     When the pool hopper  5  is attached, the attachment portion  52  is located on the back side of the pool hopper  5 , and from the operator standing on the front side, a position of the first shaft body  54  of the attachment portion  52 , a position of the engaging portion  113  of the supporting body  110 , etc. are hidden behind the pool hopper  5  and cannot be seen. For this reason, the operator needs to fumble to attach the pool hopper  5  while shifting the pool hopper  5  in the vertical direction and the width direction. In this regard, the effect of improving the workability of attaching the pool hopper  5  is remarkable. 
     In the article retaining device  100 , the guide surface  112  is inclined to rise in the attaching direction. In this way, when the pool hopper  5  is attached to the supporting body  110 , at least a part of the weight of the pool hopper  5  can be supported by the guide surface  112  by placing the first shaft body  54  on the guide surface  112 . Then, in this state, when the pool hopper  5  is pushed in the attaching direction, movement of the first shaft body  54  can be guided by sliding the first shaft body  54  to raise the guide surface  112 . 
     Note that when the pool hopper  5  is attached to the supporting body  110 , a height at which the pool hopper  5  can be positioned is limited due to a relationship with a part or a mechanism on an upstream side of the pool hopper  5 . When the guide surface  112  is inclined in this way, the pool hopper  5  can be easily attached without being positioned at a high position. Further, the presence of the guide surface  112  widens an allowable range of a vertical positional deviation of the first shaft body  54 . 
     In the article retaining device  100 , the inclination angle of the guide surface  112  is 45° or less. In this way, it is possible to effectively exert the above-mentioned action by the guide surface  112  inclined to rise in the attaching direction. 
     In the article retaining device  100 , the engaging portion  113  is a groove provided at a position lower than the guide surface  112  to accommodate the first shaft body  54 . In this case, when the pool hopper  5  is attached to the supporting body  110 , the first shaft body  54  and the engaging portion  113  can be engaged with each other by dropping the pool hopper  5  from the guide surface  112  so that the first shaft body  54  on the guide surface  112  falls into the engaging portion  113 . 
     In the article retaining device  100 , the groove as the engaging portion  113  is provided to be continuous with the end side of the guide surface  112  in the attaching direction when viewed from the width direction. In this way, when the pool hopper  5  is attached to the supporting body  110 , by pushing the pool hopper  5  in the attaching direction, the pool hopper  5  can be dropped so that the first shaft body  54  on the guide surface  112  falls into the engaging portion  113 . 
     In the article retaining device  100 , the supporting body  110  has the contact surface  114 . In this way when the pool hopper  5  is attached to the supporting body  110 , the position of the first shaft body  54  and the position of the pool hopper  5  can be regulated by bringing the first shaft body  54  into contact with the contact surface  114 . Further, for example, the pool hopper  5  can be positioned in the width direction by appropriately shifting the pool hopper  5  in the width direction while bringing the first shaft body  54  into contact with the contact surface  114 . 
     In the article retaining device  100 , when viewed from the width direction, the contact surface  114  is provided to be continuous with the end side of the guide surface  112  on the front side, and extends downward from the end side. In this way, when the pool hopper  5  is attached to the supporting body  110 , even in a case where the first shaft body  54  comes into contact with the contact surface  114 , the first shaft body  54  can be smoothly brought onto the guide surface  112  by appropriately shifting the pool hopper  5  upward. 
     In the article retaining device  100 , the angle at which the guide surface  112  and the contact surface  114  intersect is 90° or more and less than 180°. In this way, it is possible to effectively exert the above-mentioned effects of the guide surface  112  and the contact surface  114 . 
     In the article retaining device  100 , the contact surface  114  is provided to close between the pair of supporting body vertical walls  111 . In this way, when the pool hopper  5  is attached to the supporting body  110 , it is possible to inhibit a part of the pool hopper  5  (hopper vertical wall  53 ) from entering between the pair of supporting body vertical walls  111  of the supporting body  110 . 
     In the article retaining device  100 , the pool hopper  5  has the gate  5   a.  The guide surface  112  is provided to be separated from the gate  5   a  in the open state in the direction along the attaching direction. In this way, it is possible to prevent the presence of the guide surface  112  from adversely affecting opening and closing of the gate  5   a  of the pool hopper  5 . 
     Even in the supporting body  110 , when the pool hopper  5  is attached, movement of the first shaft body  54  can be guided by the guide surface  112 . Therefore, the pool hopper  5  can be easily attached to the supporting body  110 , and the above-mentioned effects such as improving workability of attaching the pool hopper  5  can be obtained. 
     [Modification] 
     In the embodiment, the engaging portion  113  is formed of a U-shaped groove. However, a mode of the engaging portion  113  is not particularly limited. For example, as illustrated in  FIG. 10 , the engaging portion  113  may include a corner portion having two side edges (two sides) when viewed from the width direction. In this case, the first shall body  54  is engaged to be in contact with the two sides of the corner portion. 
     In the embodiment, the entire region of the guide surface  112  is inclined to rise in the attaching direction. However, a part of the guide surface  112  may be inclined to rise in the attaching direction. That is, the guide surface  112  may have a region inclined to rise in the attaching direction. In the embodiment, the guide surface  112  may have a region along the horizontal plane. In this case, when the pool hopper  5  is attached to the supporting body  110 , by placing the first shaft body  54  on the guide surface  112 , at least a part of the weight of the pool hopper  5  can be effectively supported by the guide surface  112 . In the embodiment, the guide surface  112  may have a region inclined to descend in the attaching direction. That is, the guide surface  112  may have at least one of a region inclined to rise in the attaching direction, a region along the horizontal plane, and a region inclined to descend in the attaching direction. 
     In the embodiment, the guide surface  112  may he a flat surface, a curved surface, or a surface obtained by combining a flat surface and a curved surface. In the embodiment, the pool hopper  5  is a support target of the supporting body  110 . However, the hopper as the support target is not particularly limited. For example, the weighing hopper  11  may be used as the support target. 
     In the embodiment, a conveying portion for conveying the articles A to the weighing hopper  11  is not limited to the dispersion feeder  3  and the plurality of radiation feeders  4 , and may have other configurations. In the embodiment, the plurality of pool hoppers  5  may be arranged in a matrix. 
     In the embodiment, a cylindrical body such as a collar or a bearing may be attached to the first shaft body  54  by extrapolation (that is, so that the first shaft body  54  is inserted into the cylindrical body). In this way, it is possible to reduce a frictional force when the first shaft body  54  is moved along the guide surface  112 . Even when the inclination angle of the guide surface  112  is larger than 45°, the pool hopper  5  can be attached without requiring much attaching force (force for pushing the pool hopper  5  in the attaching direction, etc.). In this case, the cylindrical body is included in means for reducing the attaching force. 
     In the embodiment, the supporting body  110  has the contact surface  114  (see  FIG. 3 ). However, the invention is not limited thereto. For example, as in a supporting body  510  illustrated in  FIG. 11 , the contact surface  114  may not be provided. In this case, instead of bringing the first shaft body  54  of the pool hopper  5  into contact with the contact surface  114 , the first shaft body  54  of the pool hopper  5  can be brought into contact with a thick portion (side surface  111   a  on the front side) of the supporting body vertical wall  111 . The supporting body  510  not having such a contact surface  144  is advantageous from a viewpoint of cleanability since dirt does not adhere to the back side of the contact surface  144 . 
     Even though the embodiment and the modification have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment and modification. For example, as the material and shape of each configuration, it is possible to adopt not only the above-mentioned material and shape but also various materials and shapes. The present disclosure may be modified without changing the gist described in each claim. The above-described embodiment and modification may be appropriately combined. At least a part of the above-described embodiment and modification may be arbitrarily combined. 
     REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 
       5 : pool hopper (hopper),  5   a:  gate,  51 : main body,  100 : article retaining device,  110 ,  510 : supporting body  111 : supporting body vertical wall (vertical wall),  112 : guide surface,  113 : engaging portion,  114 : contact surface, A: articles.