Hopper with gap-closing edge portions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10876885-B2
Application number	US-201816200680-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2018
Priority date	Nov 29, 2017
Publication date	Dec 29, 2020
Grant date	Dec 29, 2020

Abstract

The hopper body has a third sidewall and a fourth sidewall that face each other in a second direction intersecting with the first direction and that connect between the first sidewall and the second sidewall, and a first corner portion adjacent to the distal end portion of the trough in the third sidewall and a second corner portion adjacent to the distal end portion of the trough in the fourth sidewall are bent in direction away from the distal end portion of the trough and also a first edge portion adjacent to the distal end portion of the trough in the first corner portion and a second edge portion adjacent to the distal end portion of the trough in the second corner portion are bent in direction closer to the distal end portion of the trough.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hopper comprising:
a hopper body having an upper end opening to which articles are supplied from a trough configured to convey the articles along a first direction and a lower end opening from which the articles are discharged; and
a gate configured to open and close the lower end opening, wherein
the hopper body has a first sidewall provided below a distal end portion of the trough in a conveying direction of the articles, and a second sidewall provided so as to face the first sidewall in the first direction,
an upper end of the first sidewall is formed at a position lower than an upper end of the second sidewall,
the hopper body has a third sidewall and a fourth sidewall that face each other in a second direction intersecting with the first direction and that connect between the first sidewall and the second sidewall, and
a first corner portion adjacent to the distal end portion of the trough in the third sidewall and a second corner portion adjacent to the distal end portion of the trough in the fourth sidewall are bent in direction away from the distal end portion of the trough and also a first edge portion adjacent to the distal end portion of the trough in the first corner portion and a second edge portion adjacent to the distal end portion of the trough in the second corner portion are bent in direction closer to the distal end portion of the trough.

2. The hopper according to claim 1 , wherein
the third sidewall has a first body portion, the first corner portion that is bent with respect to the first body portion, and the first edge portion that is bent with respect to the first corner portion, and
the fourth sidewall has a second body portion that is arranged substantially parallel to the first body portion, the second corner portion that is bent with respect to the second body portion, and the second edge portion that is bent with respect to the second corner portion.

3. The hopper according to claim 1 , wherein
the first corner portion and the second corner portion are bent in direction away from each other in the second direction, and
the first edge portion and the second edge portion are bent in direction closer to each other in the second direction.

4. The hopper according to claim 1 , wherein
the first corner portion is formed to include a part of an edge portion that connects an upper end of the first sidewall and an upper end of the second sidewall in the third sidewall, and
the second corner portion is formed to include a part of an edge portion that connects the upper end of the first sidewall and the upper end of the second sidewall in the fourth sidewall.

5. The hopper according to claim 1 , wherein
the trough includes a bottom surface that is a conveying surface for the article, and a pair of sidewalls that stand inclining in directions away from each other in the second direction from both end portions along the first direction in the bottom surface,
the first corner portion is inclined along one of the sidewalls of the trough,
the second corner portion is inclined along the other sidewall of the trough,
the first edge portion is in close proximity to the one sidewall of the trough in a non-contact state, and
the second edge portion is in close proximity to the other sidewall of the trough in a non-contact state.

6. A combination weighing device comprising:
a plurality of supply feeders configured to convey articles; and
a plurality of hoppers according to claim 1 that are arrayed below distal end portions in the first direction of the troughs included in the supply feeders so as to correspond thereto, wherein
the distal end portions of the supply feeders are arranged above the upper end openings of the corresponding hoppers.

7. The hopper according to claim 2 , wherein
the first corner portion and the second corner portion are bent in direction away from each other in the second direction, and
the first edge portion and the second edge portion are bent in direction closer to each other in the second direction.

8. The hopper according to claim 2 , wherein
the first corner portion is formed to include a part of an edge portion that connects an upper end of the first sidewall and an upper end of the second sidewall in the third sidewall, and
the second corner portion is formed to include a part of an edge portion that connects the upper end of the first sidewall and the upper end of the second sidewall in the fourth sidewall.

9. The hopper according to claim 3 , wherein
the first corner portion is formed to include a part of an edge portion that connects an upper end of the first sidewall and an upper end of the second sidewall in the third sidewall, and
the second corner portion is formed to include a part of an edge portion that connects the upper end of the first sidewall and the upper end of the second sidewall in the fourth sidewall.

10. The hopper according to claim 7 , wherein
the first corner portion is formed to include a part of an edge portion that connects an upper end of the first sidewall and an upper end of the second sidewall in the third sidewall, and
the second corner portion is formed to include a part of an edge portion that connects the upper end of the first sidewall and the upper end of the second sidewall in the fourth sidewall.

11. The hopper according to claim 2 , wherein
the trough includes a bottom surface that is a conveying surface for the article, and a pair of sidewalls that stand inclining in directions away from each other in the second direction from both end portions along the first direction in the bottom surface,
the first corner portion is inclined along one of the sidewalls of the trough,
the second corner portion is inclined along the other sidewall of the trough,
the first edge portion is in close proximity to the one sidewall of the trough in a non-contact state, and
the second edge portion is in close proximity to the other sidewall of the trough in a non-contact state.

12. The hopper according to claim 3 , wherein
the trough includes a bottom surface that is a conveying surface for the article, and a pair of sidewalls that stand inclining in directions away from each other in the second direction from both end portions along the first direction in the bottom surface,
the first corner portion is inclined along one of the sidewalls of the trough,
the second corner portion is inclined along the other sidewall of the trough,
the first edge portion is in close proximity to the one sidewall of the trough in a non-contact state, and
the second edge portion is in close proximity to the other sidewall of the trough in a non-contact state.

13. The hopper according to claim 4 , wherein
the trough includes a bottom surface that is a conveying surface for the article, and a pair of sidewalls that stand inclining in directions away from each other in the second direction from both end portions along the first direction in the bottom surface,
the first corner portion is inclined along one of the sidewalls of the trough,
the second corner portion is inclined along the other sidewall of the trough,
the first edge portion is in close proximity to the one sidewall of the trough in a non-contact state, and
the second edge portion is in close proximity to the other sidewall of the trough in a non-contact state.

14. The hopper according to claim 7 , wherein
the trough includes a bottom surface that is a conveying surface for the article, and a pair of sidewalls that stand inclining in directions away from each other in the second direction from both end portions along the first direction in the botto

Assignees

• Ishida Seisakusho

Inventors

• Takeichi Shinji

Classifications

• G01G19/393 Primary

  using two or more weighing units · CPC title

• B65D88/32

  in multiple arrangement · CPC title

• G01G13/024

  by gravity · CPC title

• G01G13/006

  Container supply or discharge mechanism (means for automatic loading or discharging G01G13/02, G01G13/16, G01G13/24) · CPC title

• B65G2812/0384

  Troughs, tubes or the like · CPC title