Dispersing tray and combination scale comprising the same

Abstract

A dispersing tray is mounted to a combination scale at a top part thereof to disperse and deliver supplied articles outwardly. The dispersing tray has, on a back surface thereof, a liquid stopper that prevents outward movement of a liquid.

Claims

1. A dispersing tray mountable to a combination scale at a top part thereof, the dispersing tray serving to disperse and deliver articles supplied therein outwardly, the dispersing tray comprising: a tray body formed of a plate member conically shaped, and a reinforcing plate securely attached to a back surface of the tray body, the reinforcing plate having a disk shape and being formed of a plate member that is thicker than the plate member of the tray body, wherein the dispersing tray has, on a back surface thereof, a liquid stopper that prevents outward movement of a liquid, wherein a coupling mechanism is disposed on a lower surface of the reinforcing plate, the coupling mechanism allowing the dispersing tray to be removably coupled to a vibration head unit at an upper end of a vibration generator configured to vibrate the dispersing tray, and wherein the liquid stopper has a form of an annularly-arranged vertical wall and is vertically standing on the lower surface of the reinforcing plate so as to surround an installation region of the coupling mechanism.

2. The dispersing tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein the liquid stopper is formed by securely attaching an annular member separately provided to the reinforcing plate.

3. The dispersing tray as claimed in claim 2, wherein the liquid stopper is located at a position on the reinforcing plate nearer to a center position of the tray body than a position at which the reinforcing plate is securely attached to the tray body.

4. The dispersing tray as claimed in claim 1, wherein a surface to be polished includes a front surface of the dispersing tray and a region of the dispersing tray from an outer-peripheral end thereof to the liquid stopper on the lower surface of the reinforcing plate of the dispersing tray.

5. A combination scale, comprising: a dispersing feeder configured to radially disperse articles supplied therein outwardly; a plurality of linear feeders disposed around the dispersing feeder; a plurality of feeding hoppers disposed correspondingly to the linear feeders; and a plurality of weighing hoppers disposed correspondingly to the feeding hoppers, wherein the dispersing feeder includes: a dispersing tray mounted to the combination scale at a top part thereof; and a vibration generator configured to vibrate the dispersing tray, wherein the dispersing tray comprises: a tray body formed of a plate member conically shaped; and a reinforcing plate securely attached to a back surface of the tray body, the reinforcing plate having a disk shape and being formed of a plate member that is thicker than the plate member of the tray body, wherein the dispersing tray has, on a back surface thereof, a liquid stopper that prevents outward movement of a liquid, wherein a coupling mechanism is disposed on a lower surface of the reinforcing plate, the coupling mechanism allowing the dispersing tray to be removably coupled to a vibration head unit at an upper end of a vibration generator configured to vibrate the dispersing tray, and wherein the liquid stopper has a form of an annularly-arranged vertical wall and is vertically standing on the lower surface of the reinforcing plate so as to surround an installation region of the coupling mechanism.

6. The combination scale as claimed in claim 5, wherein the liquid stopper is formed by securely attaching an annular member separately provided to the reinforcing plate.

7. The combination scale as claimed in claim 6, wherein the liquid stopper of the dispersing tray is located at a position on the reinforcing plate nearer to a center position of the tray body than a position at which the reinforcing plate is securely attached to the tray body.

8. The combination scale as claimed in claim 5, wherein a surface to be polished includes a front surface of the dispersing tray and a region of the dispersing tray from an outer-peripheral end thereof to the liquid stopper on the back surface.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a combination scale according to an embodiment of the invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is a front view of the combination scale illustrated in FIG. 1.

(3) FIG. 3 is a longitudinal front view of a principal section of the combination scale illustrated in FIG. 2.

(4) FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of a dispersing tray.

(5) FIG. 5 is a bottom view of the dispersing tray.

(6) FIG. 6 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a principal section, illustrating a liquid stopper.

(7) FIG. 7 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of a principal part, illustrating another embodiment of the liquid stopper.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(8) A combination scale according to an embodiment of the invention is hereinafter described referring to the accompanying drawings.

(9) FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing of a combination scale according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of the combination scale illustrated in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal front view of a principal section of the combination scale.

(10) The combination scale according to this embodiment is for use in a packaging line, where a predetermined quantity of articles to be weighed (hereinafter, simply referred to as articles), typically, food including candies and snacks, are weighed and thrown into a packaging machine, not illustrated in the drawings, to be packed in bags.

(11) The combination scale has, at its center, a center base 1 having a hollow columnar shape. The center base 1 is supported by a rectangular base 2 with a plurality of legs 3 interposed therebetween. The base 2 has, at its center part, a large opening vertically penetrating therethrough. The base 2 is securely situated at a suitable position.

(12) A dispersing feeder 5 is mounted to an upper part of the center base 1. The dispersing feeder 5 radially disperses, by way of vibrations, the articles dropping downward through an end port of a feeder 4 illustrated in FIG. 1. A large number of linear feeders 6 are radially disposed around the dispersing feeder 5. The linear feeders 6 respectively receive the articles dispersed and thrown therein, and then linearly deliver the articles outwardly by way of vibrations. Circumferentially around the center base 1 are; feeding hoppers 7 that temporarily store therein and discharge the articles received from the linear feeders 6, weighing hoppers 8 that store therein and weigh the articles discharged from the feeding hoppers 7, and memory hoppers 9 that receive and store therein the articles weighed by the weighing hoppers 8. The weighing, combinatorial computations, and discharge of the articles are carried out by multiple weighing modules (24 modules in this example) each consisting of a set of one linear feeder 6, feeding hopper 7, weighing hopper 8, and memory hopper 9.

(13) In this example, of the multiple weighing modules (24 modules), one-quarter modules (six modules); four weighing systems in total, independently carry out the weighing, combinatorial computations, and discharge of the articles.

(14) A collecting chute 10 is disposed below the weighing hoppers 8 and the memory hoppers 9. The collecting chute 10 collects the articles discharged from plural ones of the weighing hoppers 8 meeting a predetermined weight that are selected by the combinatorial computations, or the articles discharged from the memory hoppers 9. There are collecting funnels 11 below the collecting chute 10. The collecting funnels 11 collect the articles dropping downward from the collecting chute 10. Further below the collecting funnels 11 are collecting hoppers 12. The collecting hoppers 12 receive and temporarily store therein the articles collected in the collecting funnels 11, as illustrated in FIG. 1. The collecting hoppers 12 are opened in response to a discharge request command outputted from the packaging machine.

(15) The dispersing feeder 5 has a conically-shaped dispersing tray 15 located at a top part of the combination scale, and an electromagnetic vibration generator 18. The vibration generator 16 is a driving mechanism configured to vibrate the dispersing tray 15. The vibration generator 16 is located at the center on a support frame 17 arranged inside the center base 1. The vibration generator 16 is coupled to and supported by a weight sensor 35 set on the support frame 17. The weight sensor 35 detects the weight of articles received in the dispersing feeder 5. The detected information is inputted to a controller not illustrated in the drawings. The controller, based on the detected information, turns on or off the feeder 4, thereby constantly feeding the dispersing feeder 5 with the articles of a weight that falls within a preset range of weights.

(16) As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, the dispersing tray 15 includes a tray body 15a formed of a conically-shaped thin plate member, and a disc-shaped reinforcing plate 15b formed of a plate member thicker than the tray body 15a, wherein the reinforcing plate 15b is welded and fixed to the back-surface side of the tray body 15a along its whole circumference. A columnar support 15c is standing upright at the center on the upper surface of the reinforcing plate 15b, and an upper end of the columnar support 15c and a top part of the tray body 15a are welded and fixed to each other.

(17) On the lower surface of the reinforcing plate 15 is disposed a buckle-type coupling mechanism 18 that allows the dispersing tray 15 to be removably coupled to a vibration head unit at an upper end of the vibration generator 16. The reinforcing plate 15b is generally flat, and has, in its outer-peripheral part, an attachable tapered part 15d tailored to a degree of inclination of the tray body 15a. The attachable tapered part 15d is securely attached by filler welding to the back surface of the tray body 15a.

(18) With a metal fixture 18a of the coupling mechanism 18 being positioned to and fitted in the vibration head unit at the upper end of the vibration generator 16, an operation lever 18b of the coupling mechanism 18 is swung upward beyond a dead point. This movement allows a cramping fitment (not illustrated in the drawings) of the metal fixture 18a to slide to a fastening position to be locked there. On the other hand, the cramping fitment is unlocked when the operation lever 18 is swung downward beyond the dead point.

(19) As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, the linear feeders 6 each include a delivery trough (feeder pan) 20 having a groove extending inward and outward, and a vibration generator 21 configured to electromagnetically vibrate the delivery trough 20. The vibration generator 21 of each linear feeder 6 is attached to the support frame 17 so as to surround the vibration generator 16 of the dispersing feeder 5. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the delivery troughs 20 are mountable to and removable from the vibration head unit of the vibration generator 21 by operating the lever of the buckle-type coupling mechanism 18 on the back-surface side of the delivery trough 20.

(20) As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, the combination scale has, on the circumferential wall of the center base 1, drive units 28 respectively housing therein motors 25 and 26 that drive gates of the feeding hoppers 7 and weighing hoppers 8 to open and close, and weight sensors 27 that weigh the articles in the weighing hoppers 8. The feeding hoppers 7 and the weighing hoppers 8 are removably mounted with hooks to and thereby supported by outwardly exposed sections of the drive units 28. Underneath the drive units 28, there are drive units 30 respectively housing therein motors 29 that drives gates of the memory hoppers 9 to open and close. The memory hoppers 9 are removably mounted with hooks to and thereby supported by outwardly exposed sections of the drive units 30.

(21) In the combination scale according to this embodiment, the dispersing tray 15 of the dispersing feeder 5 is structurally characterized as below.

(22) In the dispersing tray 15, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 6, a liquid stopper 31 is vertically standing on the lower surface of the reinforcing plate 15b on the back-surface side of the tray body 15a so as to surround the installation region of the coupling mechanism 18. The liquid stopper 31 is a member in the form of an annularly-arranged vertical wall. This member is formed to a height of several millimeters by welding an angular rod stock toroidally formed to the lower surface of the reinforcing plate 15b.

(23) As described earlier, the flat reinforcing plate 15b has, in its outer-peripheral part, the attachable tapered part 15d tailored to a degree of inclination of the tray body 15a. The liquid stopper 31 that prevents outward movement of a liquid, such as cleaning water, is securely attached by filler welding to a flat part of the reinforcing plate 15b on the inner side than the attachable tapered part 15d.

(24) As illustrated in FIG. 6, the front surface of the tray body 15a and a region A from the outer peripheral end of the tray body 15a to the lower end of the liquid stopper 31 are polished by, for example, buffing. A welded section b between the tray body 15a and the reinforcing plate 15g, and a welded section c between the reinforcing plate 15b and the liquid stopper 31 are processed by bead cutting. On the other hand, the lower surface of the reinforcing plate 15b and the members constituting the coupling mechanism 18 in an inner region than the liquid stopper 31 are left unpolished.

(25) According to this embodiment, when the dispersing tray 15 removed from the vibration generator 16 for cleaning is remounted to the vibration generator 16 before it is fully dried, a liquid, such as cleaning water, left in the inner region than the liquid stopper 31 may start to flow outwardly by way of vibrations. The liquid stopper 31, however, serves to block the liquid, leading the liquid to drop downward under its own weight from the lower end of the liquid stopper 31. It is thus prevented that the liquid, such as cleaning water, left in the inner region than the liquid stopper 31 flows outward, running into the delivery troughs 20 of the linear feeders 6.

(26) The liquid, such as cleaning water, left in the inner region than the liquid stopper 31, i.e., unpolished non-product zone, may be blocked from reaching the polished region on the outer side than the liquid stopper 31. This may eliminate the risk of the liquid running into the product zone; delivery troughs 20 of the linear feeders 6.

Other Embodiments

(27) This invention may be implemented as described below.

(28) 1) On the outer side than the reinforcing plate 15b, the liquid stopper 31 may be directly attached to the back surface of the tray body 15a.

(29) 2) As illustrated in FIG. 7, the outer peripheral edge of the reinforcing plate 15b of the dispersing tray 15 may be bent downward to form the liquid stopper 31 and the reinforcing plate 15b into an integral unit.

(30) 3) The annularly-arranged liquid stopper 31 may not necessarily refer to a circular configuration but may refer to a rectangular configuration. The metal fixture 18a of the coupling mechanism 18 is fitted in the vibration head unit of the vibration generator 16, which is particularly difficult to be polished. The liquid stopper 31 may be annularly arranged so as to surround a center region where the metal fixture 18a is located, in which case the reinforcing plate 15b and the coupling mechanism 18 on the outer side than the liquid stopper 31 are polished.
4) By having the lower end of the liquid stopper 31 be sharpened like a knife edge, the liquid to be discharged running downward along the inner periphery of the liquid stopper 31 may, instead, of travelling around the outer-peripheral side of the liquid stopper 31, drop downward directly from the sharpened edge.
5) According to the embodiments described so far, the dispersing tray 15 is vibrated to disperse and deliver the articles. Instead, the dispersing tray 15 may be pivoted around a vertical axis passing through its center, so that the supplied articles are radially dispersed and delivered centrifugally.