JPH0525736B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to an out-of-stock inspection method for inspecting whether a predetermined number of canned goods packed in a carton or the like are accurately stored in the packaged state.

BACKGROUND TECHNOLOGY Canned goods are packed into cartons in a fixed number by a caser and shipped, but in rare cases, the predetermined number of canned goods are not packed into cartons, resulting in a shortage. Therefore,
Conventionally, a stockout inspection is performed on the boxing line to check whether a predetermined number of canned goods are stored.

Conventionally, methods for inspecting missing items include an indirect method by measuring the weight of the entire box, and a method that detects the presence or absence of individual cans using a can detection sensor such as an electromagnetic induction sensor. The method is known.

The former method calculates the weight of the entire box from the weight of one can and detects a stockout based on whether the entire box has a predetermined weight. If the value exceeds the weight of one can,
Even if one can is missing, the total weight is within a predetermined weight, so a problem has arisen in that the missing item cannot be detected.

On the other hand, the latter method of detecting missing items using electromagnetic induction sensors involves placing sensors above the conveyor corresponding to the number of rows of canned goods in the box and monitoring the boxes being conveyed by the conveyor. Detecting missing items. This method can accurately detect missing items when the cans are lined up accurately in the box, but if the cans move during transportation due to missing items and become irregular,
A problem has arisen in which the can is displaced from the detection position, making accurate detection impossible. In particular, in boxes where canned goods are stacked in two tiers, as shown in Figure 6, even if one can is missing in the lower tier, the upper tier may be transferred without collapsing, or there may be one can missing in the lower tier. As a result, the cans in the upper row may be slanted as shown in FIG. 5, and in these cases it has not been possible to accurately detect them using the conventional method described above.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention The present invention was devised in view of the above-mentioned problems of the conventional missing item inspection device, and is an inspection method using a missing item detection sensor. It is an object of the present invention to provide a missing item inspection method that can easily and reliably detect missing items with an even simple configuration.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the stockout inspection method of the present invention involves transporting boxes containing two tiers of canned goods on a transport conveyor, and using vertical surfaces that the boxes cross during transport. The number of canned food detection sensors equal to the number of canned goods in the boxes included in one row in the conveying direction is provided around the conveyor so as to surround each canned food, and
Detecting the tip of the box on the downstream side of the detection sensor group,
A timing sensor is provided that emits a timing signal every time each row passes, and among the canned food detection sensors, canned food detection sensors that detect canned goods located at both ends of the box are provided near both side walls of the box, and are located inside. A canned food detection sensor for detecting canned food is provided at approximately the axial center position of the canned food, and detects missing items for each row depending on whether or not all the detection sensors are in the on state every time the timing sensor outputs, and The present invention is characterized in that a missing item is detected depending on whether or not a canned food detection sensor placed approximately at the axial center position of the canned food remains on continuously while the box passes through the position of the detection sensor group. Adopted.

Operation Boxes packed with canned goods are aligned parallel to the conveyance direction on the conveyor and conveyed to the missing item inspection position. Now, when the group of canned goods in the first row in the transport direction arrives at the position of the canned food detection sensor group, the detection sensor group arranged in the same number corresponding to the number of canned goods in one row individually detects the canned food in the first row. do. Therefore,
If there is a missing item and there are no canned goods in the mix, the corresponding detection sensor is turned off, a missing item detection signal is sent out, and the missing item is detected. Thereafter, the cans in the box are sequentially detected up to the last row in the same way, and all the cans in the box are individually detected to check whether there are any missing items. In particular, in the present invention, canned food detection sensors are provided surrounding the conveyance path so that all the canned goods in one row in the box can be detected individually, so that the special arrangement of canned goods that occurs when two rows of canned goods are packed can be avoided. It is possible to reliably detect the situation.

In particular, among the canned food detection sensors, the canned food detection sensors that detect canned goods located at both ends of the box are installed near both side walls of the box, and the canned food detection sensors that detect canned food located inside the box are located approximately at the center of the canned food. If there are no missing items, the sensor located on the inside will remain on continuously while the box passes, and the canned food detection sensor located on the end side will be turned on intermittently. By using such a combination of canned food detection sensor groups, the present invention can reliably detect a shortage in any form.
For example, if there is a missing item on the inside and it is displaced in the conveyance direction, the missing item can be detected by turning off the on state of the canned can detection sensor on the inside.
In addition, if there is a missing item in the canned food at the end and it has shifted inward in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction, if all the canned food detection sensors are placed at the canned axis, As long as the range does not exceed the axis position, the sensor will be in the ON state at the time of detection, and there is a risk of false detection. However, in the present invention, the canned food detection sensors on both sides are placed closer to the side edges of the box, so slight deviations can be detected. However, it is turned off and can be detected reliably.

Embodiments Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show the missing item inspection device of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is a conveyor that transports boxes B packed with canned goods C from a packaging device. Side guides 2 are provided on both sides of the conveyor, and the boxes B are aligned in a predetermined direction on the conveyor. It is now being transported by A can detection sensor 4 such as an electromagnetic induction sensor is arranged around the conveyor 1. In this example, the canned goods C are packed in two tiers, and each tier consists of 4 rows in the transport direction and 3 rows in the direction perpendicular to the transport direction, for a total of 12 cans, and a total of 24 cans are packed in the upper and lower tiers. An example of detecting is shown below. Six can detection sensors 4 ₁ to 4 ₆ that individually detect the six cans C ₁ to _{C 6} located in the first row in the conveyance direction are arranged around the conveyor so as to surround the cross section of the conveyance path. In the illustrated embodiment, detection sensors for detecting the three cans C ₁ , C ₂ , and C ₃ on the lower tier are provided on the bottom surface of the conveyor, and among them, sensors 4 1 _{and 4} , respectively, detecting the cans C ₁ , C ₃ on both sides of the lower tier. 4 ₃ is placed at the bottom of the position on the side of the box where the outer edge of the can passes. As a result, the sensors 4 ₁ and 4 ₃ are intermittently turned on every time a can passes over the sensor to detect a can. Furthermore, the sensor 4 ₂ that detects the canned food C ₂ in the center of the lower row is placed below the central axis of the canned food C ₂ and is placed so as to remain on continuously while the box passes, unless there is a missing item. has been done. Sensors 4 ₄ and 4 ₆ that detect the cans C ₄ and C ₆ on both sides of the upper row are placed at opposing positions on both sides outside the conveyance path of the box so that the upper position of the outer periphery of the can in contact with the box can be detected from the side. It is located. Further, the sensor 4 ₅ for detecting the can C ₅ at the upper center position is arranged symmetrically with the sensor 4 ₂ above the central axis of the can.

These sensors 4 are arranged so as to be on the same plane across which the boxes B being conveyed by the conveyor cross.

Phototubes ₅₁ to ₅₄ , which are timing sensors, are arranged downstream of the sensor group positions to detect the leading edge of the box being conveyed by the conveyor and determine the activation timing of the sensor group. The phototubes 5 ₁ to 5 ₄ are composed of a light emitting element 5' and a light receiving element 5''.The phototube group is arranged at the same pitch as the canned food in the box in the transport direction, and 5 of the phototube group ₁ just detects the tip of the box, the first one in the box
Make sure that the cans in the row arrive at the sensor position, and in the same way, photocell 5 ₂ corresponds to the cans in the second row, 5 ₃ corresponds to the cans in the third row, and 5 ₄ corresponds to the cans in the fourth row. It is located in

Inspection for missing items is performed in the following manner using the missing item inspection apparatus configured as described above.

Boxes B packed with canned goods are aligned parallel to the conveyance direction on a conveyor 1 by a guide 2 and conveyed to a missing item inspection position. Now, when the tip of box B is detected by the phototube ₅₁ , the first row of canned goods has arrived at the sensor group, so
Six detection sensors 4 ₁ to 4 ₆ individually detect the six cans C ₁ to C ₆ in the first row. When the box moves further and the tip of box B is detected by the phototube ₅₂ , the cans in the second row are similarly detected by the six induction sensors ₄₁ to ₄₆ . Thereafter, the cans in the box are sequentially detected up to the last row in the same way, and all the cans in the box are individually detected to check whether there are any missing items. The signals from each detection sensor are input to the control device, and every time there is an input from the timing sensor, all the detection sensors 4 are in the on state, and while the front end of the box passes between the timing sensors 5 ₁ to 5 ₄ , the detection sensor 4 ₂ When it is detected that 4 and ₅ remain in the on state, it is determined that there are no missing items and the product is passed, and the product is conveyed as is on the conveyor. If the above conditions are not met, it is determined that there is a missing item, and an alarm or control signal is issued from the control device, and the conveyor is stopped or an air cylinder (not shown) is activated at an appropriate timing to remove the box. Remove from conveyor.

Next, an example of a detection method for a typical out-of-stock pattern due to out-of-stock items will be explained.

Figure 3 shows that the other cans in the box are lined up.
This is the most basic pattern when there are no canned goods in the out-of-stock area. in this case,
Detection sensors corresponding to each position can easily detect empty cans.

What is shown in FIG. 4 is a case where the canned goods are shifted from the center row because there is a missing item at the center position of the upper row. In this case, the detection sensor ₄₅ detects the absence of cans. That is, the detection sensor 4 ₅ detects the center of the can in the center stage, so if there is no missing item, the photocells 5 ₁ to 5
The sensor is constantly detecting cans between 5 and ₆ and is in the on state, but if there is a missing item as shown in the figure, it will be intermittently, so the missing item can be detected reliably.

FIG. 5 shows a case where there is a missing item in the lower row and the canned food in the upper row is inserted obliquely. In this case, when the cans in the center row are tilted as shown in FIGS. 5a and 5b, the continuous detection sensors 4 ₂ and 4 ₅ are turned off, and the shortage is detected. Further, when the cans in the left row are in an oblique state as shown in c to f of the same figure, the detection sensor that detects the cans differs depending on the orientation.

When the can is tilted to the left as shown in c, the upper part of the outer periphery of the can is far from the upper part of the box, so when the phototube is activated, the sensor ₄₄ cannot detect the can and remains in the OFF state, causing the shortage. It is detected that the product is present. On the other hand, if it is tilted to the right as shown in Figure d, when the phototube is activated, the detection sensor 4 ₁
is in the off state, so it is detected that there is a missing item. Further, when the device is tilted forward or backward as shown in e or f of the same figure, the detection sensor 4 ₁ is turned off and a missing item can be detected. Similarly, if there is a shortage of canned goods in the right column, it is detected by the detection sensor C ₆ or C ₃ symmetrically to the case in the left column.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6, there are cases where there is a shortage of canned goods in the lower tier, but the canned goods in the upper tier remain in the same state without being moved. Such a phenomenon only occurs when the two cans in the lower row are slightly close to each other as shown in the middle diagram, so by detecting the cans in the lower row, it is possible to detect a shortage. That is, the case shown in FIG. 3A can be dealt with by detecting both sides of the lower stage with the sensors 4 ₁ and 4 ₃ . In addition, in the case of Figure b, the two lower cans are closer to the center to some extent, so the detection sensor ₄₂ is intermittently turned on and off while the box is passing, that is, while the phototubes ₅₁ to ₅₄ are operating. can be detected. Furthermore, in case c of the same figure, the detection sensor ₄₁ is turned off, so that the missing item can be detected. Similarly, in case d of the same figure, the detection sensor ₄₃ is turned off, so that the missing item can be detected.

As described above, this embodiment detects each can individually and conveniently combines the detection sensor with intermittent detection and continuous detection to detect cans in the box that may occur when out of stock. Accurate detection is possible in any arrangement state.

In the above embodiment, the sensors 4 ₁ and _{4 3} are provided on the sides of the box passage surface, but they _are not necessarily limited to that location. It's okay. Conversely, the sensor 4 ₄ and the sensor 4 ₆ may be provided on the upper side of the box at positions symmetrical to the sensors 4 ₃ and 4 ₃ . or,
Sensors 4 ₂ and 4 ₅ that detect the center cans of the upper and lower rows
may not be provided in the axial direction of the can, but may be provided at a position slightly shifted laterally and in the traveling direction from the axial center within a range that can be detected by the detection sensor. By arranging the cans in this way, it is possible to start detecting the cans in the center of the row from the edge of the box, and if the cans are out of place and have shifted in the direction of travel, the system will turn off at the start of detection. This allows for more accurate detection of missing items. Further, by being shifted in the lateral direction, there are advantages such as improved detection sensitivity when the can is tilted as shown in FIGS. 5a and 5b, for example.

Further, in the above embodiment, the number of timing sensors is the same as the number of rows of canned goods in the box, but it is also possible to provide only one timing sensor. For example, a pulse transmitter is installed on the drive shaft of a conveyor, and pulses proportional to the speed of the conveyor are input to a microcomputer. When the top of the box is detected by a timing sensor, it starts counting and By outputting a signal every time a number of pulses corresponding to the diameter are counted,
The same function as in the case where a plurality of them are provided as in the embodiment described above is achieved. Therefore, in this case, it is possible to handle cans of any size by simply changing the preset value of the number of pulses for one can, so as in the above embodiment, the interval between the timing sensors can be changed depending on the size of the can. There is no need to adjust. Further, since there is only one timing sensor, there are advantages such as the ease of providing a device for removing a missing item box.

Furthermore, the form of packaging that can be inspected by the method of the present invention is not limited to that of the above-mentioned embodiments, but can also be applied to any number and arrangement of boxes.

Effects The present invention has the above-described configuration, and is capable of detecting two or more missing items that could not be accurately detected in conventional inspections.
It is possible to detect all kinds of states in stacking, and it has a simple configuration and has excellent effects such as being able to perform continuous detection easily and at high speed.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of the missing item inspection device of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a side sectional view thereof, and FIGS. 3 to 6 are explanatory diagrams for detecting each pattern of the out-of-stock condition, and in each figure, A shows a plan view, and B shows a side view. 1: Conveyor, 2: Conveyor side guide, 4: Canned food detection sensor, 5: Timing sensor (phototube), B: Box, C: Canned food.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A transport conveyor transports boxes in which canned goods are packed in two tiers, and the canned goods in the boxes included in one row in the transport direction are placed around the transport conveyor so as to surround the vertical plane that the boxes cross during transport. The same number of canned food detection sensors are provided for each canned food, and a timing sensor is provided downstream of the detection sensor group for detecting the tip of the box and emitting a timing signal each time each row passes. Among the detection sensors,
Canned food detection sensors for detecting canned goods located at both ends of the box are provided near both side walls of the box, and canned food detection sensors for detecting canned food located inside the box are provided approximately at the axial center position of the canned food. A canned food detection sensor that detects missing items for each row depending on whether or not all detection sensors are in the on state at each output, and is placed approximately at the axial center position of the canned food while the box passes the position of the detection sensor group. A method for inspecting boxed canned goods for missing items, characterized in that missing items are also detected depending on whether or not the is continuously turned on.