Patent Description:
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, <CIT>, and <CIT>).

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.

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, wherein the article processing apparatus comprises a chute disposed around the discharge opening in a state where the chute is separate from the hoppers by a space where the slide surface does not exist in a vertical direction 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 the space where the slide surface does not exist, and then reaches the discharge opening, in the second state.

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.

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.

Hereinafter, an article processing apparatus <NUM> according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to <FIG>.

In the present embodiment, a case where the article processing apparatus <NUM> 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>, the article processing apparatus <NUM> according to the present embodiment includes a plurality of pool hoppers <NUM>, a plurality of weighing hoppers <NUM>, and a chute <NUM>.

The articles supplied from a trough (not illustrated) temporarily stay in the pool hoppers <NUM>. Gates (not illustrated) are provided at lower portions of the respective pool hoppers <NUM>, and when the gates are opened and closed, the articles (object to be weighted) staying in the pool hoppers <NUM> are discharged to the weighing hoppers <NUM> 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 <NUM> temporarily stay in the weighing hoppers <NUM>. Gates 12C (to be described later) are provided at lower portions of the respective weighing hoppers <NUM>, and when the gates 12C are opened and closed, the articles staying in the weighing hoppers <NUM> are discharged to a discharge opening <NUM> on a downstream side of the weighing hoppers <NUM>.

Here, it is assumed that the plurality of pool hoppers <NUM> and the plurality of weighing hoppers <NUM> are disposed in a circular shape.

As illustrated in <FIG>, each of the plurality of weighing hoppers <NUM> includes a body portion 12A, a slide portion 12B, and the gate 12C.

The slide portion 12B is provided on a downstream side of the body portion 12A, and has a slide surface <NUM> extending continuously from the body portion 12A.

The gate 12C is provided on the body portion 12A to switch between a first state where the gate 12C causes articles <NUM> to stay in the body portion 12A and a second state where the gate 12C releases the staying of the articles <NUM> to cause the articles <NUM> to slide down from the body portion 12A. The gate 12C is a gate that opens and closes inward with respect to the article processing apparatus <NUM>.

Here, as illustrated in <FIG>, the slide portion 12B has a length L or an angle A with respect to a horizontal direction H of a path along which the articles <NUM> slide down the slide surface <NUM>, take off from a downstream end portion 120E, freely fall in a space S where the slide surface <NUM> does not exist, and then reach the discharge opening <NUM>, in the second state described above.

Namely, in the article processing apparatus <NUM> according to the present embodiment, in order to cause the articles <NUM> to fall without contacting the chute <NUM> as much as possible, the length L of the slide surface <NUM> is set to be longer than in an article processing apparatus of the related art.

In addition, in the article processing apparatus <NUM> 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 120E of the slide portion 12B and the discharge opening <NUM>, and in such a path (space S), nothing exists that interferes with the free fall of the articles <NUM>.

According to such a configuration, since the articles <NUM> can freely fall from the slide surface <NUM> in the space S and reach the discharge opening <NUM>, the bouncing of the articles <NUM> inside the chute <NUM> can be suppressed, and high-speed weighing can be realized.

In addition, according to such a configuration, the height of the article processing apparatus <NUM> can be kept down low by reducing the angle A with respect to the horizontal direction H.

In addition, as illustrated in <FIG>, the chute <NUM> is disposed around the discharge opening <NUM> in a state where the chute <NUM> is separated from the hopper <NUM> by the space S where the slide surface <NUM> does not exist in a vertical direction V.

Here, as illustrated in <FIG>, in a side view of the article processing apparatus <NUM>, left and right end portions 30E of the chute <NUM> may be located between the downstream end portion 120E of the slide portion 12B and a boundary B between the body portion 12A and the slide portion 12B.

According to such a configuration, since the left and right end portions 30E of the chute <NUM> are disposed outside the downstream end portion 120E of the slide portion 12B, a situation where the articles <NUM> spill over the outside of the chute <NUM> can be avoided as much as possible.

In addition, according to such a configuration, since the left and right end portions 30E of the chute <NUM> are disposed inside the boundary B between the body portion 12A and the slide portion 12B, 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 <NUM> of a minimum required size may be simply prepared, so that the cost can be reduced.

In addition, as illustrated in <FIG>, the article processing apparatus <NUM> according to the present embodiment may include a body <NUM> to which the plurality of pool hoppers <NUM> and the plurality of weighing hoppers <NUM> are attached, and a plurality of the leg portions <NUM> attached to the body <NUM>.

Here, as illustrated in <FIG>, each of the plurality of leg portions <NUM> may include a first portion 60A extending outward from the body <NUM>, and a second portion 60B extending downward from the first portion 60A.

Incidentally, the first portion 60A may be configured to rise upward as extending outward.

According to such a configuration, since the length of the second portion 60B can be shortened, the height of the article processing apparatus <NUM> can be kept down.

In addition, according to such a configuration, the height of the article processing apparatus <NUM> can be kept down low in a state where the rigidity of the leg portions <NUM> is secured.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the downstream end portion 120E of the slide portion 12B may be disposed below a lower surface 60A1 of the first portion of each of the leg portions <NUM>.

Here, as illustrated in <FIG>, the first portion 60A may extend to the outside of the downstream end portion 120E of the slide portion 12B, and the second portion 60B may extend downward outside the downstream end portion 120E of the slide portion 12B.

According to such a configuration, a situation where the articles <NUM> falling from the downstream end portion 120E of the slide portion 12B collide with the lower surfaces 60A1 of the first portions of the leg portions <NUM> can be avoided.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the slide surface <NUM> 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 <NUM> may have a V shape as illustrated in <FIG>.

In the article processing apparatus <NUM> according to the present embodiment, since the angle A of the slide surface <NUM> with respect to the horizontal direction H described above is reduced, the sliding of the articles <NUM> becomes worse due to friction between the articles <NUM> and each of a side surface 121B and a side cover <NUM> to be described later. Therefore, such a configuration is used, the friction between the articles <NUM> and each of the side surface 121B and the side cover <NUM> to be described later can be reduced, and the sliding of the articles <NUM> can be improved.

As illustrated in <FIG>, the slide portion 12B may include the side cover <NUM> that stands from at least a part of both side edges <NUM> of the slide surface <NUM>.

Here, the slide portion 12B may include the side cover <NUM> over the total length of both the side edges <NUM> of the slide surface <NUM>, or may include the side cover <NUM> at both the side edges <NUM> of the slide surface <NUM> in the vicinity of a boundary B1 between the gate 12C and the slide portion 12B.

A height of the side cover <NUM> may be constant. Alternatively, as illustrated in <FIG>, a height of the side cover <NUM> in the vicinity of the boundary B1 between the gate 12C and the slide portion 12B may be higher than a height of the side cover <NUM> at other portions.

In addition, the side cover <NUM> may be formed by extending the side surface 121B (refer to <FIG>) of the body portion 12A, or may be provided separately from the side surface 121B of the body portion 12A.

According to such a configuration, the articles <NUM> can be prevented from falling from both the side edges <NUM> of the slide surface <NUM> to the outside.

As illustrated in <FIG>, embossing may be applied to the side surface 121B of the body portion 12A. Here, the side surface 121B of the body portion 12A may have a region X to which embossing is not applied, in the vicinity of the boundary B1 between the gate 12C and the slide portion 12B.

Here, the region X may be generated by crushing some of the embossing applied to the side surface 121B of the body portion 12A or by welding a flat plate for flattening.

In the article processing apparatus <NUM> according to the present embodiment, since the angle A of the slide surface <NUM> 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 <NUM> are caught on the embossing provided on the side surface 121B of the body portion 12A.

According to such a configuration, since the region X is provided in the vicinity of the boundary B1 between the gate 12C and the slide portion 12B 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>, embossing may be applied to the side cover <NUM>. Here, the side cover <NUM> may have a region to which embossing is not applied, in the vicinity of the boundary B1 between the gate 12C and the slide portion 12B.

According to such a configuration, similarly to the side surface 121B of the body portion 12A, the occurrence of the above-described bridge state can be suppressed.

As illustrated in <FIG>, a length L1 of a conveying surface 121A for the articles <NUM> in the width direction W in the vicinity of the boundary B1 between the gate 12C and the slide portion 12B may be set to be longer than a length L2 of the conveying surface 121A for the articles <NUM> in the width direction W at a portion upstream of the boundary B1.

Namely, the conveying surface 121A for the articles <NUM> 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 12A.

According to such a configuration, even when the articles <NUM> are caught on the side surface 121B of the body portion 12A somewhere on the conveying surface 121A for the articles <NUM>, since the length of the conveying surface 121A for the articles <NUM> in the width direction W increases toward the downstream side, the articles easily come off from the side surface 121B of the body portion 12A, so that the occurrence of the above-described bridge state can be suppressed.

Here, similarly to the slide surface <NUM>, the conveying surface 121A for the articles <NUM> may have a shape extending downward from the outside O toward the central portion C in the width direction W.

Claim 1:
An article processing apparatus (<NUM>) in which a plurality of hoppers (<NUM>) 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 (<NUM>) on a downstream side, wherein
each of the hoppers includes:
a body portion (12A);
a slide portion (12B) provided on a downstream side of the body portion (12A), and having a slide surface (<NUM>) extending continuously from the body portion (12A); and
a gate (12C) provided on the body portion (12A) to switch between a first state where the gate (12C) causes the article to stay in the body portion (12A) and a second state where the gate (12C) releases the staying of the article to cause the article to slide down from the body portion (12A), and
characterised in that the article processing apparatus (<NUM>) comprises a chute (<NUM>) disposed around the discharge opening (<NUM>) in a state where the chute (<NUM>) is separate from the hoppers (<NUM>) by a space where the slide surface (<NUM>) does not exist in a vertical direction and the slide portion (12B) has a length or an angle with respect to a horizontal direction of a path along which the article slides down the slide surface (<NUM>), takes off from a downstream end portion of the slide portion (12B), freely falls in the space where the slide surface (<NUM>) does not exist, and then reaches the discharge opening (<NUM>), in the second state.