Weighing scales – Computer – Electrical
Reexamination Certificate
1999-12-28
2002-04-16
Gibson, Randy W. (Department: 2859)
Weighing scales
Computer
Electrical
C073S001130, C177S025190
Reexamination Certificate
active
06373001
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a combination weighing system, a weight checking system, a weighing system utilizing the both and a weighing, packaging and inspecting system utilizing the weighing system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such a combination weighing apparatus as shown in
FIG. 2
has hitherto been well known in the art. Referring to
FIG. 2
, articles M falling by gravity onto a central portion of a dispensing feeder
2
are supplied into a plurality of weighing hoppers
6
i
through a corresponding number of supply troughs
3
i
by way of associated pool hoppers
4
i
. The weighing hoppers
6
i
are each provided with a weight detector
7
i
for detecting the weight of the articles M supplied into the corresponding weighing hopper
6
i
. When a combination of weights of the articles M detected respectively by the weight detectors
7
i
attains a target weight or an approximate target weight close to the target weight, the articles M contained in some of the weighing hoppers
6
i
that have been selected in the combination are discharged from those selected weighing hoppers
6
i
collectively onto a collecting and discharging chute
9
and are then discharged downwards towards a next processing station.
Each of the weighing hoppers
6
i
is generally detachably mounted on a machine support structure so that some or all of the weighing hoppers
6
i
can be detached from the machine support structure for repair or cleansing purpose. For this reason, it may often occur that one or more of the weighing hoppers
6
i
once detached for any reason will not be properly set in position in the apparatus or one of the weighing hoppers
6
i
may be deformed and hence contact the next adjacent weighing hopper
6
i
. Once this unusual or abnormal event occurs, the weight of the articles M can no longer be measured accurately, resulting a weighing failure. On the other hand, since the weighing hoppers
6
i
employed are in a plural number, much labor and time are required to find out one or more of the weighing hoppers
6
i
that have resulted in the weighing failure, resulting in inefficient and expensive maintenance operation.
Such a weight checker as shown in
FIG. 12
has been also known in the art for weighing and inspecting articles while being transported. The weight checker shown therein by
300
executes a zero-point adjustment when a conveyor
310
transports no, article M
1
, that is, the conveyor
310
is empty of the articles M
1
.
However, in a system wherein a high-speed packaging machine is installed upstream of the weight checker
300
with respect to the direction of transport of the articles M
1
, the weight checker
300
will be operated at a high operating rate. In the event that the weight checker
300
is being operated at such a high operating rate, the spacing between the articles M
1
being successively transported would decrease as shown by the broken and solid lines in
FIG. 12
with the weight checker
300
consequently unable to assume an empty condition and, hence, failing to accomplish the zero-point adjustment. For this reason, the weighing accuracy of the weight checker
300
will decrease.
On the other hand, in a weighing, packaging and inspecting system, articles weighed to a predetermined amount is bagged by a vertical pillow-type bagging machine and a product comprising the bagged articles is subsequently checked as to the weight by the weight checker and checked by a seal checker to see if the bag has been successfully sealed, thereby accomplishing a high-speed weighing, packaging and inspection of the product. By way of example, after candies such as potato chips have been weighed to a predetermined amount by the combination weighing apparatus shown in
FIG. 2
, they are bagged into a single bag by the vertical pillow-type bagging machine, which bag is then checked by the weight checker of
FIG. 12
to determine if the bag contains the predetermined weight of the candies. In such system, since a plurality of machines are lined to perform in unison a series of processing to eventually produce the bagged product, it is difficult to grasp where deficiency has occurred in the production line once a defective product (NG product) is found. In addition, once the defective product is found, a similar defect would occur in successively processed products. Accordingly, in order to secure a predetermined operativity or an expected production yield, remedy should be carried out as soon as possible to remove the cause of deficiency.
In view of the foregoing, the Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 9-301327 discloses a centralized system by which pieces of information originating from the various processing machines in the production line can be visually presented by a display device in a centralized supervisory and control equipment through a communication network so that an operator watching the display device can determine the presence or absence of an abnormality occurring in one or some of the processing machines with reference to the displayed pieces of information, that is, information on processing results.
However, according to the above discussed publication, there is a problem in that unless the operator makes a decision based on the displayed pieces of information associated with the respective processing machines, none of the processing machines can be determined having a deficiency. Another problem also arise in that the nature of the deficiency in the processing machines ever found can not be easily determined and, for this reason, the decision making takes a substantial length of time, accompanied by reduction in productivity and production yield. Moreover, the system disclosed in the above discussed publication requires a skilled operator to perform the determination of the nature of the deficiency.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In view of the foregoing, the present invention has been devised to provide a weighing, packaging and inspecting system in a weighing system including a combination weighing system and a weight checking system for facilitating determination of the an abnormal condition which would occur in the weighing system.
To this end, a combination weighing system according to one aspect of the present invention is of a design wherein a combination of some of weighing hoppers accommodating therein articles that have been supplied thereto, which combination results in a combination calculated value of measured weights of the articles contained in some of the weighing hoppers forming the combination, falling within a predetermined combination tolerance, is selected and the articles in the selected weighing hoppers are subsequently discharged therefrom. This combination weighing apparatus is featured in that determination is made to find if the combination calculated value of the respective measured weights of the containers contained in the selected weighing hoppers is displaced from the total weight (hereinafter referred to as “post-discharge measured value) of the combined articles discharged from the selected weighing hoppers and merged together, which total weight is measured after those articles have been discharged from the selected weighing hoppers (that is, to find occurrence of an inaccurate weighing) so that information on identification numbers of the weighing hoppers utilized in the combination calculation can be outputted.
Since the combination weighing system according to one aspect of the present invention is so designed that the occurrence of the inaccurate weighing is determined depending on whether the combination calculated value is displaced from the total weight of the discharged and merged articles and the ID information on the identification numbers of the respective weighing hoppers selected in the combination is subsequently outputted, the operator can identify one or some of the weighing hoppers, which is or are out of order, on the basis of such information. Accordingly, there is no need to inspect all of the plural weighing hoppers, thereb
Kono Katsuaki
Nakagawa Yukio
Yamaguchi Yasushi
Gibson Randy W.
Ishida Co. Ltd.
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