Sorting device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016332200-A1
Application number	US-201615099594-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 15, 2016
Priority date	May 14, 2015
Publication date	Nov 17, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

At a conveyor forefront portion, velocity distribution of an airflow is provided. The velocity distribution is wind velocity distribution in a vertical direction of an airflow from a surface of an upper rectifying plate to a surface of a conveyor at the conveyor forefront portion, and has a maximum value in a range of less than 10 mm downward of the vertical direction from the rectifying plate surface. Moreover, a ratio obtained by dividing the maximum value by a wind velocity in the vicinity of the surface of the conveyor is 4 or more, and 12 or less. In a range other than the range of less than 10 mm, the airflow has a wind velocity equal to the wind velocity in the vicinity of the surface of the conveyor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A sorting device that sorts a specific material type matter and another material type matter from sorting objects, the sorting device comprising:
a conveyor that conveys the sorting objects in a placed state in one direction, the sorting objects having the specific material type matter and the other material type matter other than the specific material type matter mixed, and causes the sorting objects to fly at a forefront portion of the conveyor; an identification part that identifies composition of the specific material type matter placed on the conveyor; an air blower that generates an airflow in a flying-out direction of the sorting objects; an upper rectifying plate disposed along a flight path of the sorting objects above the flight path; a lower rectifying plate disposed along the flight path obliquely below the forefront portion of the conveyor under the flight path; and a plurality of injectors that are disposed above the flight path so as to be directed to the flight path, and inject pulse air to the specific material type matter flying from the conveyor, wherein wind velocity distribution in a vertical direction of the airflow from a surface of the upper rectifying plate to a surface of the conveyor at the forefront portion of the conveyor has a maximum value in a range of less than 10 mm downward in the vertical direction from the surface of the upper rectifying plate, a ratio obtained by dividing the maximum value by a wind velocity in the vicinity of the surface of the conveyor is 4 or more, and 12 or less, and in a range other than the range of less than 10 mm, the airflow has a wind velocity equal to the wind velocity in the vicinity of the surface of the conveyor.

2 . The sorting device according to claim 1 , wherein
assuming that the wind velocity in the vicinity of the surface of the conveyor is defined as V 1 (mm/s), the maximum value of the wind velocity distribution from the surface of the conveyor to the surface of the upper rectifying plate at the forefront portion of the conveyor is defined as V 2 (mm/s), and a shortest distance between the surface of the conveyor and the surface of the upper rectifying plate at the forefront portion of the conveyor is defined as H (mm),
V 2 =V 1×( H− 10)/5.

3 . The sorting device according to claim 1 , wherein
the air blower is made up of a first air blower that is disposed above the forefront portion of the conveyor so that a nozzle forefront is located in the vicinity of the surface of the upper rectifying plate to supply a first airflow, and a second air blower that is disposed outside the flight path at a position behind the first air blower to supply a second airflow at a wind velocity equivalent to a conveyor conveyance velocity toward the surface of the conveyor from a blowing-out port, and the wind velocity distribution in the vertical direction of the airflow is wind velocity distribution in the vertical direction of an airflow obtained by combining the first airflow and the second airflow.

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yamaguchi Naoshi
• Miyasaka Masatoshi
• Hamada Shingo

Classifications

• B07C5/34

  Sorting according to other particular properties {(material testing per se G01N; quality control G07C3/14)} · CPC title

• B07C5/362

  Separating or distributor mechanisms (switches for postal sorting B07C3/065; particular discharging devices for B65G47/74) · CPC title

• B07C5/366 Primary

  during free fall of the articles · CPC title

• B07C5/3422 Primary

  using video scanning devices, e.g. TV-cameras · CPC title

• B07C5/368 Primary

  actuated independently · CPC title