The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 16, 2014
Filed:
May. 31, 2013
Satake Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Mechano Transformer Corporation, Kawasaki, JP;
Takafumi Ito, Tokyo, JP;
Teruhiko Takeuchi, Tokyo, JP;
Takeshi Yano, Kawasaki, JP;
Sze Keat Chee, Kawasaki, JP;
Toshiro Higuchi, Tokyo, JP;
Satake Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Mechano Transformer Corporation, Kawasaki-Shi, JP;
Abstract
An optical granular material-sorting apparatus includes: a transfer means for transferring objects being sorted; an optical detection means for detecting, at a detection position, objects being sorted as they drop from an end of the transfer means; and a blasting means provided below the optical detection means and designed to blow away objects being sorted through blasting of air based on the result of detection by the optical detection means. The blasting means has a piezoelectric valve which is driven by a driving means to blast air based on the result of detection by the optical detection means. The driving means applies voltage to a piezoelectric element in multiple stages so as to suppress fluctuation in the amount of gas ejected from a gas release channel when the valve opens.