Patent Publication Number: US-2023133121-A1

Title: Article processing apparatus

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-176170 filed on Oct. 28, 2021 in Japan, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to an article processing apparatus. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     In the related art, an article processing apparatus having a structure in which articles discharged from a hopper slide down a chute to flow to a discharge opening has been known (refer to, for example, JP 2021-21609 A). 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Technical Problem 
     However, articles that are prolate ellipsoidal objects like rugby balls, such as baby carrots, gummies, and wieners, bounce randomly inside the chute, thereby causing a bottleneck when high-speed weighing is performed, which is a problem. 
     Therefore, the present invention is conceived in view of the foregoing problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an article processing apparatus capable of performing high-speed weighing and keeping the height down low. 
     SOLUTION TO PROBLEM 
     An article processing apparatus according to an embodiment is summarized in that a plurality of hoppers are disposed in a circular shape and each of the plurality of hoppers causes an article received from an upstream side to temporarily stay and then discharges the article toward a discharge opening on a downstream side, wherein each of the hoppers includes: a body portion; a slide portion provided on a downstream side of the body portion, and having a slide surface extending continuously from the body portion; and a gate provided on the body portion to switch between a first state where the gate causes the article to stay in the body portion and a second state where the gate releases the staying of the article to cause the article to slide down from the body portion, and the slide portion has a length or an angle with respect to a horizontal direction of a path along which the article slides down the slide surface, takes off from a downstream end portion of the slide portion, freely falls in a space where the slide surface does not exist, and then reaches the discharge opening, in the second state. 
     Advantageous Effects of Invention 
     According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an article processing apparatus capable of performing high-speed weighing and keeping the height down low. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a view for describing one example of an overall configuration of an article processing apparatus according to one embodiment; 
         FIG.  2    is a view for describing one example of a hopper of the article processing apparatus according to one embodiment; 
         FIG.  3    is a view for describing one example of a leg portion of the article processing apparatus according to one embodiment; 
         FIG.  4    is a view for describing one example of a positional relationship between the hopper and the leg portion of the article processing apparatus according to one embodiment; 
         FIG.  5    is a view for describing one example of a slide surface of a slide portion of the hopper of the article processing apparatus according to one embodiment; 
         FIG.  6    is a view for describing one example of a side cover of the hopper of the article processing apparatus according to one embodiment; and 
         FIG.  7    is a view for describing one example of an inside of a body portion of the hopper of the article processing apparatus according to one embodiment. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. In the following description of the drawings, the same or similar parts are denoted by the same or similar reference symbols. However, note that the drawings are schematic, and ratios of dimensions are different from actual ones. Therefore, specific dimensions and the like are determined in consideration of the following description. Moreover, there may be portions where dimensional relationships or proportions are different among the drawings. In this specification and the drawings, elements having substantially the same function and configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals to omit redundant description, and elements not directly related to the present invention are omitted. 
     First Embodiment 
     Hereinafter, an article processing apparatus  1  according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to  FIGS.  1  to  7   . 
     In the present embodiment, a case where the article processing apparatus  1  is a weighing device configured to weigh mass values of articles using a Roberval mechanism will be described as an example, but the present invention is not limited to such a case. 
     As illustrated in  FIG.  1   , the article processing apparatus  1  according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of pool hoppers  11 , a plurality of weighing hoppers  12 , and a chute  30 . 
     The articles supplied from a trough (not illustrated) temporarily stay in the pool hoppers  11 . Gates (not illustrated) are provided at lower portions of the respective pool hoppers  11 , and when the gates are opened and closed, the articles (object to be weighted) staying in the pool hoppers  11  are discharged to the weighing hoppers  12  provided below the gates. 
     For example, such articles are food articles that are prolate ellipsoidal objects like rugby balls, such as baby carrots, gummies, and wieners. However, the articles are not limited to these. 
     The articles discharged by the pool hoppers  11  temporarily stay in the weighing hoppers  12 . Gates  12 C (to be described later) are provided at lower portions of the respective weighing hoppers  12 , and when the gates  12 C are opened and closed, the articles staying in the weighing hoppers  12  are discharged to a discharge opening  20  on a downstream side of the weighing hoppers  12 . 
     Here, it is assumed that the plurality of pool hoppers  11  and the plurality of weighing hoppers  12  are disposed in a circular shape. 
     As illustrated in  FIG.  2   , each of the plurality of weighing hoppers  12  includes a body portion  12 A, a slide portion  12 B, and the gate  12 C. 
     The slide portion  12 B is provided on a downstream side of the body portion  12 A, and has a slide surface  120  extending continuously from the body portion  12 A. 
     The gate  12 C is provided on the body portion  12 A to switch between a first state where the gate  12 C causes articles  100  to stay in the body portion  12 A and a second state where the gate  12 C releases the staying of the articles  100  to cause the articles  100  to slide down from the body portion  12 A. The gate  12 C is a gate that opens and closes inward with respect to the article processing apparatus  1 . 
     Here, as illustrated in  FIG.  1   , the slide portion  12 B has a length L or an angle A with respect to a horizontal direction H of a path along which the articles  100  slide down the slide surface  120 , take off from a downstream end portion  120 E, freely fall in a space S where the slide surface  120  does not exist, and then reach the discharge opening  20 , in the second state described above. 
     Namely, in the article processing apparatus  1  according to the present embodiment, in order to cause the articles  100  to fall without contacting the chute  30  as much as possible, the length L of the slide surface  120  is set to be longer than in an article processing apparatus of the related art. 
     In addition, in the article processing apparatus  1  according to the present embodiment, in order to keep the height down low, the angle A with respect to the horizontal direction H is set to be smaller than in the article processing apparatus of the related art. 
     Incidentally, the space S represents a path connecting the downstream end portion  120 E of the slide portion  12 B and the discharge opening  20 , and in such a path (space S), nothing exists that interferes with the free fall of the articles  100 . 
     According to such a configuration, since the articles  100  can freely fall from the slide surface  120  in the space S and reach the discharge opening  20 , the bouncing of the articles  100  inside the chute  30  can be suppressed, and high-speed weighing can be realized. 
     In addition, according to such a configuration, the height of the article processing apparatus  1  can be kept down low by reducing the angle A with respect to the horizontal direction H. 
     In addition, as illustrated in  FIG.  1   , the chute  30  may be disposed around the discharge opening  20  in a state where the chute  30  is separated from the hopper  12  by the space S where the slide surface  120  does not exist in a vertical direction V. 
     Here, as illustrated in  FIG.  1   , in a side view of the article processing apparatus  1 , left and right end portions  30 E of the chute  30  may be located between the downstream end portion  120 E of the slide portion  12 B and a boundary B between the body portion  12 A and the slide portion  12 B. 
     According to such a configuration, since the left and right end portions  30 E of the chute  30  are disposed outside the downstream end portion  120 E of the slide portion  12 B, a situation where the articles  100  spill over the outside of the chute  30  can be avoided as much as possible. 
     In addition, according to such a configuration, since the left and right end portions  30 E of the chute  30  are disposed inside the boundary B between the body portion  12 A and the slide portion  12 B, the space S described above can be secured, and cleanability and workability can be improved. 
     In addition, according to such a configuration, a chute of a size according to the related art is not required, and the chute  30  of a minimum required size may be simply prepared, so that the cost can be reduced. 
     In addition, as illustrated in  FIG.  1   , the article processing apparatus  1  according to the present embodiment may include a body  50  to which the plurality of pool hoppers  11  and the plurality of weighing hoppers  12  are attached, and a plurality of the leg portions  60  attached to the body  50 . 
     Here, as illustrated in  FIG.  3   , each of the plurality of leg portions  60  may include a first portion  60 A extending outward from the body  50 , and a second portion  60 B extending downward from the first portion  60 A. 
     Incidentally, the first portion  60 A may be configured to rise upward as extending outward. 
     According to such a configuration, since the length of the second portion  60 B can be shortened, the height of the article processing apparatus  1  can be kept down. 
     In addition, according to such a configuration, the height of the article processing apparatus  1  can be kept down low in a state where the rigidity of the leg portions  60  is secured. 
     As illustrated in  FIG.  4   , the downstream end portion  120 E of the slide portion  12 B may be disposed below a lower surface  60 A 1  of the first portion of each of the leg portions  60 . 
     Here, as illustrated in  FIG.  4   , the first portion  60 A may extend to the outside of the downstream end portion  120 E of the slide portion  12 B, and the second portion  60 B may extend downward outside the downstream end portion  120 E of the slide portion  12 B. 
     According to such a configuration, a situation where the articles  100  falling from the downstream end portion  120 E of the slide portion  12 B collide with the lower surfaces  60 A 1  of the first portions of the leg portions  60  can be avoided. 
     As illustrated in  FIG.  5   , the slide surface  120  may have a shape extending downward from an outside O toward a central portion C in a width direction W. For example, the slide surface  120  may have a V shape as illustrated in  FIG.  5   . 
     In the article processing apparatus  1  according to the present embodiment, since the angle A of the slide surface  120  with respect to the horizontal direction H described above is reduced, the sliding of the articles  100  becomes worse due to friction between the articles  100  and each of a side surface  121 B and a side cover  13  to be described later. Therefore, such a configuration is used, the friction between the articles  100  and each of the side surface  121 B and the side cover  13  to be described later can be reduced, and the sliding of the articles  100  can be improved. 
     As illustrated in  FIG.  6   , the slide portion  12 B may include the side cover  13  that stands from at least a part of both side edges  120 S of the slide surface  120 . 
     Here, the slide portion  12 B may include the side cover  13  over the total length of both the side edges  120 S of the slide surface  120 , or may include the side cover  13  at both the side edges  120 S of the slide surface  120  in the vicinity of a boundary B 1  between the gate  12 C and the slide portion  12 B. 
     A height of the side cover  13  may be constant. Alternatively, as illustrated in  FIG.  6   , a height of the side cover  13  in the vicinity of the boundary B 1  between the gate  12 C and the slide portion  12 B may be higher than a height of the side cover  13  at other portions. 
     In addition, the side cover  13  may be formed by extending the side surface  121 B (refer to  FIG.  7   ) of the body portion  12 A, or may be provided separately from the side surface  121 B of the body portion  12 A. 
     According to such a configuration, the articles  100  can be prevented from falling from both the side edges  120 S of the slide surface  120  to the outside. 
     As illustrated in  FIG.  7   , embossing may be applied to the side surface  121 B of the body portion  12 A. Here, the side surface  121 B of the body portion  12 A may have a region X to which embossing is not applied, in the vicinity of the boundary B 1  between the gate  12 C and the slide portion  12 B. 
     Here, the region X may be generated by crushing some of the embossing applied to the side surface  121 B of the body portion  12 A or by welding a flat plate for flattening. 
     In the article processing apparatus  1  according to the present embodiment, since the angle A of the slide surface  120  with respect to the horizontal direction H described above is reduced, there is a high possibility of the occurrence of a state called a bridge state where the articles  100  are caught on the embossing provided on the side surface  121 B of the body portion  12 A. 
     According to such a configuration, since the region X is provided in the vicinity of the boundary B 1  between the gate  12 C and the slide portion  12 B where such a bridge state is most likely to occur, the occurrence of such a bridge state can be suppressed. 
     Incidentally, as illustrated in  FIG.  6   , embossing may be applied to the side cover  13 . Here, the side cover  13  may have a region to which embossing is not applied, in the vicinity of the boundary B 1  between the gate  12 C and the slide portion  12 B. 
     According to such a configuration, similarly to the side surface  121 B of the body portion  12 A, the occurrence of the above-described bridge state can be suppressed. 
     As illustrated in  FIG.  7   , a length L 1  of a conveying surface  121 A for the articles  100  in the width direction W in the vicinity of the boundary B 1  between the gate  12 C and the slide portion  12 B may be set to be longer than a length L 2  of the conveying surface  121 A for the articles  100  in the width direction W at a portion upstream of the boundary B 1 . 
     Namely, the conveying surface  121 A for the articles  100  may have a reversed tapered shape (shape with a thick tip) in which the length in the width direction W increases from an upstream side toward a downstream side inside the body portion  12 A. 
     According to such a configuration, even when the articles  100  are caught on the side surface  121 B of the body portion  12 A somewhere on the conveying surface  121 A for the articles  100 , since the length of the conveying surface  121 A for the articles  100  in the width direction W increases toward the downstream side, the articles easily come off from the side surface  121 B of the body portion  12 A, so that the occurrence of the above-described bridge state can be suppressed. 
     Here, similarly to the slide surface  120 , the conveying surface  121 A for the articles  100  may have a shape extending downward from the outside O toward the central portion C in the width direction W. 
     In the article processing apparatus  1  according to the present embodiment, high-speed weighing can be performed, and the height can be kept down low. 
     Although the present invention is explained in detail using the above-mentioned embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein. The present invention can be implemented as modifications and changes without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention defined by the description of the claims. Accordingly, the description of the present specification is for the purpose of illustration and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way.