EP0074260A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Combinatorial weighing apparatus
Assignee: Ishida Scales Manufacturing Co Ltd
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Filing: 1982-09-03
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2002-09-03
Abstract
Abstract A combinatorial weighing apparatus has a plurality of weighing hoppers (2d) for receiving batches of articles to be weighed, weight sensors (3) for weighing the batches of articles in the weighing hoppers, storage hoppers (7) disposed beneath auxiliary hopper gates (2e) of the weighing hoppers and adapted to receive the batches of articles discharged from the weighing hoppers, and a combination control unit adapted to select a best combination of hoppers which provides a total weight equal to or most closely approximating the target value, on the basis of the weight values of batches of articles in the storage hoppers and the weighing hoppers. This can reduce the number of weighing hoppers required to give a desired weighing accuracy
Inventors
- 👤 Kazukiyo Minamida
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 07:19
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01G; G01G19/00; G01G19/387; G01G19/393; G01G19/22; G01G19/34
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
191 words
A combinatorial weighing apparatus comprising: a plurality of weighing hoppers (2d) adapted to receive respective batches of articles to be weighed; weight sensors (3) corresponding respectively to said weighing hoppers and adapted to provide respective weight valuesobtained by weighing such batches of articles in the respective weighing hoppers; a plurality of storage hoppers (7) arranged respectively for receiving articles discharged from such weighing hoppers by respective first discharge operations thereof; a collecting chute (5) positioned for receiving articles discharged from said storage hoppers or discharged from said weighing hoppers by respective second discharge operations thereof; and a combination control unit (9) adapted to select a "best" combination of said storage hoppers and weighing hoppers, which provides a total weight equal to or most closely approximating a target weight within a predetermined tolerance, using such weight values of respective batches of articles in said storage hoppers and said weighing hoppers; said combination control unit being adapted to bring about discharge of any said storage hoppers that belong to the selected "best" combination and to bring about said second discharge operations of any said weighing hoppers that belong to the selected "best" combination.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
191 words
A combinatorial weighing apparatus comprising: a plurality of weighing hoppers (2d) adapted to receive respective batches of articles to be weighed; weight sensors (3) corresponding respectively to said weighing hoppers and adapted to provide respective weight valuesobtained by weighing such batches of articles in the respective weighing hoppers; a plurality of storage hoppers (7) arranged respectively for receiving articles discharged from such weighing hoppers by respective first discharge operations thereof; a collecting chute (5) positioned for receiving articles discharged from said storage hoppers or discharged from said weighing hoppers by respective second discharge operations thereof; and a combination control unit (9) adapted to select a "best" combination of said storage hoppers and weighing hoppers, which provides a total weight equal to or most closely approximating a target weight within a predetermined tolerance, using such weight values of respective batches of articles in said storage hoppers and said weighing hoppers; said combination control unit being adapted to bring about discharge of any said storage hoppers that belong to the selected "best" combination and to bring about said second discharge operations of any said weighing hoppers that belong to the selected "best" combination.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
42 words
A combinatorial weighing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by further comprising memory means connected to said weight sensors and also to said combination control unit , said .memory means being adapted to store the weight values derived from said weight sensors.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
48 words
A combinatorial weighing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said memory means include a storage hopper memory section for storing the weight values of batches of articlesin said storage hoppers, and a weighing hopper memory section adapted to store.the weight values of batches of articlesin said weighing hoppers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
A combinatorial weighing apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3 , wherein said weighing hopper and said storage hopper are arranged in plural, said storage hoppers corresponding to respective weighing hoppers.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
86 words
A combinatorial weighing apparatus according to any preceding claim , wherein said combination control unit includes a counter adapted to produce a plurality of combinations of hoppers, a computation means adapted to compute the total weight of batches of articles in said storage hoppers and said weighing hoppers for each of said combinations and adapted to deliver as an output the offset of said total weight from said target weight, and a comparator adapted to determine said best combination from the output from said computation means.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
44 words
A combinatorial weighing apparatus according to any preceding claim ., wherein the combinatorial selection is made in such a manner as to avoid the simultaneous selection of both a weighing hopper and a storage hopper arranged to receive articles discharged from that weighing hopper.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
63 words
7 . A combinatorial weighing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein when a weighing hopper and a storage hopper arranged to receive articles discharged from that weighing hopper are selected simultaneously in one combinatorial selection, the weight values of articles supplied subsequently to that weighing hopper and to that storage hopper are excluded from the next combinatorial selection.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
96 words
A combinatorial weighing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 wherein when a weighing hopper and a storage hopper arranged to receive articles discharged from that weighing hopper are selected simultaneously in one combinatorial selection, articles are subsequently supplied afresh to that weighing hopper(but not to that storage hopper) for the purposes of the next combinatorial selection and, if that weighing hopper is not selected in said next combinatorial selection, the articles stored in that weighing hopper are then discharged into that storage hopper and articles are supplied afresh to that weighing hopper.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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