JP2017094294A - Granule scattering method and granule scattering device, and granule containing article manufacturing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make constant the scattering amount of a granule reserved in a feeding device such as a hopper.SOLUTION: The total weight A of a hopper 2 and a granule P stored in the hopper 2 is continuously measured, and a granule supplying operation for supplying the granule F into the hopper 2 till the total weight A becomes an initially set weight, if said total weight A becomes below an initial set weight. Independently of this, the amount of change ΔA of the total quantity A per unit time is measured and the transportation ability of transportation means 3 is controlled in accordance with ΔA, and the transportation ability control operation is performed so that a scattering amount ΔS per unit time period of the granule P to be scattered by the transportation means 3 may become identical to a target spray quantity ΔSper unit time. While the granule supplementing operation is being performed, the transfer ability control operation is paused to hold the transfer ability of the transportation means 3 at the transfer ability just before the pause of the transfer ability control operation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a powder particle spraying method and a powder particle spraying apparatus. Moreover, this invention relates to the manufacturing method of a granular material containing article.

  In the manufacture of various products, it is desired to uniformly disperse powder particles on a continuously conveyed substrate. With regard to the technology aimed at meeting such a demand, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a supply device that accommodates a granular material, an unloading device that receives and conveys the granular material, and an unloading of the granular material without delay. A splicing means that leads to the device, a weighing device that continuously weighs the total weight of the supply device including the granular material to be accommodated, and a decrease amount ΔB per unit time in the supply device from the measured value of the weighing device There has been proposed a powder and granular constant supply carry-out device including a control device that controls the carry-out capability of the carry-out device so as to coincide with the desired carry-out amount ΔB1.

  Patent Document 2 discloses a hopper, a rotary feeder that is disposed in the hopper and rotationally drives the powder material in the hopper to drop downward, and a belt that receives and conveys the powder material falling from the hopper. A feeder, a conveyance amount adjuster that adjusts the conveyance amount of the powder material that is disposed above the belt feeder and that passes through the gap, and a powder material that is conveyed to the downstream end of the belt feeder There is described a powder spraying device comprising a scraping rotor for scraping and spraying the powder material downward by rotating it while being in contact with it.

  Patent Document 3 discloses a method in which powder particles are dispersed on a continuously conveyed substrate, and the powder particles are continuously cut out from a supply unit that temporarily stores the powder particles with a screw feeder, and cut out. Drop the granule and receive it at the vibration conveyance unit, convey it while dispersing the granular material by the vibration of the vibration body provided in the vibration conveyance unit, and continuously spread the granular material on the base material from the spray port of the vibration conveyance unit A method has been proposed. In this method, the supply unit, the screw feeder, and the total mass of the powder particles inside these are continuously weighed, and the screw control unit reduces the amount of powder particles per unit time based on the plurality of measured values. And the screw controller controls the screw rotation speed of the screw feeder so that the calculated reduction amount matches the target discharge amount per unit time. Further, when the continuously weighed value falls below the target lower limit amount of the total mass of the supply unit, the screw feeder, and the powder particles inside thereof, until the powder body supply amount control unit reaches the target upper limit amount. Supply control of the powder particles to the supply unit.

JP 11-153473 A JP 2007-98285 A JP 2013-139337 A

  By the way, when the granular material stored in the supply device such as the hopper is naturally dropped from the lower part of the hopper, the amount of the dropping is different depending on the amount of the granular material stored in the hopper. It is empirically known that there is. Therefore, in order to keep the amount of fallen powder always constant, the mass of the powder in the hopper is constantly monitored, and the mass of the powder in the hopper is kept constant so that the mass of the powder in the hopper is constant. What is necessary is just to supply a granular material continuously. However, it may not be easy to continuously measure the mass of the granular material in the hopper while continuously supplying the granular material into the hopper due to limitations of the mass measuring device. In particular, when the fall amount is small, in order to control the fall amount with high accuracy, it is necessary to strictly manage the mass of the granular material stored in the hopper and to strictly manage the fall amount. is there.

  Therefore, the subject of this invention is providing the method and apparatus which make constant the spraying quantity of the granular material currently stored in supply apparatuses, such as a hopper.

The present invention is a method for spraying granular material comprising a step of transporting and spraying the granular material discharged from the hopper in a predetermined direction by a transport means,
The total weight of the hopper and the granular material stored in the hopper is continuously weighed, and when the total weight falls below a threshold, the powder is placed in the hopper until the total weight reaches the initial set weight. Perform the powder replenishment operation to replenish the granules,
Independently of the powder and granule replenishment operation, the amount of change per unit time of the total weight is measured, and the transfer capability of the transfer means is controlled according to the change amount, thereby being dispersed by the transfer means. The carrying capacity control operation is performed so that the spraying amount per unit time of the granular material matches the target spraying amount per unit time,
While performing the powder replenishment operation, the conveyance capacity control operation is suspended, and the conveyance capacity of the conveyance means is maintained at the conveyance capacity immediately before the conveyance capacity control operation is suspended. It provides a way to spread the body.

Moreover, this invention manufactures the articles | goods containing this granular material by conveying the granular material discharged | emitted from the hopper to the spreading | diffusion target object by conveying to a predetermined direction with a conveyance means, and granular material containing A method for manufacturing an article, comprising:
The total weight of the hopper and the granular material stored in the hopper is continuously weighed, and when the total weight falls below a threshold, the powder is placed in the hopper until the total weight reaches the initial set weight. Perform the powder replenishment operation to replenish the granules,
Independently of the powder and granule replenishment operation, the amount of change per unit time of the total weight is measured, and the transfer capability of the transfer means is controlled according to the change amount, thereby being dispersed by the transfer means. The carrying capacity control operation is performed so that the spraying amount per unit time of the granular material matches the target spraying amount per unit time,
While performing the powder replenishment operation, the conveyance capacity control operation is suspended, and the conveyance capacity of the conveyance means is maintained at the conveyance capacity immediately before the conveyance capacity control operation is suspended. A method for producing a body-containing article is provided.

Furthermore, the present invention provides a hopper that discharges the particulates temporarily stored therein from the discharge port via the moving path;
Conveying means for conveying the powder particles discharged from the hopper in a predetermined direction and spraying;
A weighing device for continuously weighing the total weight of the hopper and the granular material stored in the hopper;
The amount of change per unit time of the total weight is measured, and the amount of change per unit time of the powder particles sprayed by the transport means is matched with the target amount of application per unit time. Independent of this control, when the total weight falls below a threshold, the powder particles in the hopper until the total weight reaches the initial set weight. A control means for performing control to replenish the body, and a granular material spraying device comprising:
The control means pauses the control of the transport capability of the transport means while the powder is replenished in the hopper, and the transport capability of the transport means during the control pause is transported immediately before the control pause. It is intended to provide a powder and particle distribution device configured to maintain capacity.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the application quantity of the granular material currently stored in supply apparatuses, such as a hopper, can be made constant.

FIG. 1 is a side view schematically showing one embodiment of a powder particle distribution device used in the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view schematically showing a state where the granular material spraying apparatus shown in FIG. 1 is viewed from the upstream side in the conveying direction of the granular material by the conveying means. FIG. 3 (a) and FIG. 3 (b) show a method for calculating the amount of change per unit time of the total weight based on the measured value of the total weight of the hopper and the granular material stored in the hopper, respectively. It is a figure explaining. FIG. 4 shows the change over time in the measured value of the total weight of the hopper and the granular material stored in the hopper, the amount of change in the total weight per unit time, and the change in the amplitude of the vibration generating means based on the amount of change. It is a graph which shows the grade of. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a hopper in the granular material spraying apparatus shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a side view schematically showing the discharge port and the vicinity thereof in the powder particle distribution device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B are plan views schematically showing discharge ports according to the granular material spraying device. FIG. 8 is a graph showing the change over time of the measured spray amount in the spraying of the granular material performed in Example 1. FIG. 9 is a graph showing the change over time in the actual amount of spraying in the spraying of the granular material performed in Comparative Example 1.

  The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. First, an embodiment of a preferable spraying device used in the powder particle spraying method of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The granular material spraying apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 1 conveys the granular material discharged from the hopper in a predetermined direction by the conveying means and spreads it on the object to be dispersed, whereby an article including the granular material is obtained. It is used suitably for manufacture of the granular material containing article to manufacture. The powder particle distribution device 1 includes a hopper 2 capable of temporarily storing the powder particles P therein, and a predetermined direction (conveying direction) indicated by a symbol X in the figure with respect to the powder particles P discharged from the hopper 2. And conveying means 3 for spraying onto the continuously conveyed base material 100. The hopper 2 is located above the conveying means 3 (receiving means 30). The base material 100 can be continuously transported by a known transport device such as a transport roll as shown in FIG. 1 or a belt conveyor. In addition, the base material 100 and its conveying apparatus do not constitute the powder particle distribution apparatus 1.

  The hopper 2 has a trapezoidal shape in which the upper base is longer than the lower base when viewed from the side as shown in FIG. 1, that is, when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction X of the powder P by the conveying means 3. It includes a portion 20 and a rectangular parallelepiped discharge portion 21 connected to the lower end of the storage portion 20 and having a rectangular shape in the side view. The storage unit 20 has a space in which the granular material P can be stored, and the granular material P can be temporarily stored in the internal space. The powder P is supplied to the internal space of the storage unit 20 by the powder supply device 90 through the upper opening of the storage unit 20. The discharge part 21 has the movement path 22 of the granular material P inside, and the discharge port 23 of the granular material P is formed in the lower end (end part on the opposite side to the storage part 20 side) of the discharge part 21. The internal space of the storage unit 20 and the discharge port 23 communicate with each other via the movement path 22. With such a configuration, the hopper 2 can discharge the granular material P temporarily stored therein from the discharge port 23 via the movement path 22.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the conveying unit 3 includes a receiving unit 30 that receives the powder P discharged from the hopper 2 and a vibration generating unit 31 that vibrates the receiving unit 30. The conveying means 3 is arranged with a gap G with respect to the discharge port 23 located at the lower end of the hopper 2. More specifically, the transport unit 3 has a predetermined gap G between the upper surface 30a of the receiving unit 30, that is, the surface 30a that receives and transports the powder P discharged from the hopper 2 and the discharge port 23. It is arranged to be formed. The vibration generating means 31 is fixed to the lower surface 30 b of the receiving means 30. The receiving means 30 is used for receiving and transporting the granular material P (in contact with the granular material P) in the vicinity of the portion located below the hopper 2 (discharge port 23) and the vicinity thereof. This part is basically a powder non-contact portion that does not come into contact with the powder P, and the vibration generating means 31 is fixed to the lower surface 30b of the powder non-contact portion of the receiving means 30.

  The conveying means 3 operates the vibration generating means 31 to vibrate the receiving means 30 so that the granular material P on the receiving means 30 can be conveyed in a predetermined direction. The granular material spraying device 1 includes a control unit 40 that controls the voltage and frequency applied to the vibration generating unit 31, and the control unit 40 controls the frequency and / or amplitude of the receiving unit 30 to extend the frequency. In this case, the conveying state of the powder P on the receiving means 30 is controlled. That is, under the control of the control unit 40, when the vibration generating means 31 is not in operation, the receiving means 30 is not vibrating, so that the conveyance of the granular material P on the receiving means 30 is stopped or suppressed. When the vibration generating means 31 is operated from such a state, the receiving means 30 starts to vibrate, so that the stop or suppression of the powder P on the receiving means 30 is released, and the powder P is shown in the figure. It is transported in the direction indicated by the symbol X (conveying direction), and finally falls from the end of the receiving means 30 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and is continuously transported below the receiving means 30. It is spread on the material 100.

  From the viewpoint of appropriately transmitting the vibration generated by the vibration generating means 31 to the powder P on the receiving means 30, the receiving means 30 is preferably a flat plate, more specifically, FIG. A flat plate member as shown in FIG. Further, in order to prevent the particles P discharged from the discharge port 23 from being distributed uniformly from the front end portion with respect to the conveying direction X of the receiving means 30, in order to prevent scattering from other than the conveying direction X, the receiving means Guides may be provided on the 30 side surfaces. Although the material of the receiving means 30 which consists of such a flat plate member is not restrict | limited in particular, For example, various plastics, various metals, etc. are mentioned.

  The vibration generating unit 31 may be any unit capable of generating a vibration component capable of transporting the granular material P on the receiving unit 30 in a desired direction. For example, a piezoelectric element such as a piezoelectric ceramic, a vibration feeder, or the like can be used. A well-known vibration generating means is mentioned. Among these, the vibration feeder is preferably used as the vibration generating means 31. Further, the frequency of the vibration generating means 31 is not particularly limited, but is preferably 50 Hz or more, more preferably 100 Hz or more, and preferably from the viewpoint of the transportability of the granular material and the uniformity and quantitativeness of the dispersion. Is 500 Hz or less, more preferably 300 Hz or less. More specifically, it is preferably 50 Hz or more and 500 Hz or less, and more preferably 100 Hz or more and 300 Hz or less.

  A weighing device 50 is attached to the hopper 2. As the weighing device 50, a device capable of continuously weighing the total weight of the hopper 2 and the powder P stored in the hopper 2 is used. “Continuous weighing” means that the sampling time of the weighing data is 1 second or less. The weighing data of the hopper 2 weighed by the weighing device 50 and the total weight of the powder P stored in the hopper 2 are transmitted to the control unit 40 described above every time the data is acquired. It has become. A specific example of the weighing device 50 is an electric meter, and specifically, a load cell meter, an electromagnetic meter, a tuning fork meter, or the like can be used.

  As described above, the control unit 40 has a function of controlling the frequency and / or amplitude of the receiving unit 30. Further, the control unit 40 can receive the weighing data transmitted from the weighing device 50. Further, the control unit 40 is connected to a powder supply device 90 installed on the storage unit 20 of the hopper 2 and has a function of controlling the supply of the granular material P into the storage unit 20. As the control unit 40, for example, a computer in which control / processing software is installed can be used.

  Examples of the granular material P to be dispersed using the granular material spraying device 1 include water-absorbing polymer particles, sugar, activated carbon, wheat flour, polyethylene pellets, polypropylene pellets, polyethylene terephthalate chips, polycarbonate chips, polyethylene granules, Examples include organic particles such as polybutyl acrylate beads, and inorganic particles such as metal powder, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, glass, and lime. The shape of the granular material P is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include a spherical shape, a meteorite shape, an elliptical shape, an elliptical column, a needle shape, and a cubic shape. According to the powder particle dispersion device 1, not only when the powder particle P is spherical, but also in a shape other than the spherical shape, the longitudinal direction (that is, the conveyance direction X) and / or the width of the base material 100. It is possible to spray uniformly in the direction Y with good quantitativeness.

  The substrate 100 is preferably a sheet-like substrate, but is not limited to a sheet-like substrate. Examples of the sheet-like base material include non-woven fabrics, resin films, woven fabrics, knitted fabrics, papers, and the like produced by various manufacturing methods, and laminates obtained by laminating a plurality of the same or different materials.

  As an example of a method for spraying powder particles on a sheet-like substrate that is continuously conveyed using the powder particle spraying device 1, an exothermic sheet containing oxidizable metal particles and water A method of forming a heat-generating composition by spraying particles of superabsorbent polymer, metal particles, solid electrolyte, etc. on a sheet-like base material composed of continuously conveyed fiber sheets. It is done. By disperse | distributing the granular material, such as electrolytes, such as sodium chloride, and a water absorbing polymer, to this exothermic composition layer using the granular material spraying apparatus of this invention, these granular materials are arrange | positioned in a uniform state. A heating element can be obtained. With such a heating element, it can be expected that excellent heat generation characteristics with less unevenness in heat generation can be obtained. In addition, although the apparatus of this invention and the dispersion method of a granular material are preferable in the manufacturing method of a heat generating body, it is applicable also to the manufacturing method of another functional sheet.

When spraying the powder P on the sheet-like base material 100 that is continuously conveyed using the powder spraying device 1, the powder stored in the hopper 2 through the discharge port 23 in the hopper 2. The particles P are dropped and spread on the receiving means 30 of the conveying means 3. As the granular material P falls, the storage amount of the granular material P in the hopper 2 gradually decreases. The amount of the granular material P in the hopper 2 is continuously measured by the measuring device 50 in the form of the hopper 2 and the total weight of the granular material P stored in the hopper 2. In the following description, for the sake of simplicity, the total weight of the hopper 2 and the powder P stored in the hopper 2 is also referred to as “hopper-containing powder weight”. Prior to the continuous metering hopper inclusive granular weight of A, it is preferable to previously measure the hopper included granular weight of A ₁ in a fully filled state of the powder particles P. By previously measuring a hopper included granular weight of A ₁ in a fully filled state of the powder particles P, the weight A _P of the particulate material P dropped from the hopper 2, facilitates the calculation of A 1 _-A Can be calculated.

In order to stably disperse the granular material P on the sheet-like base material 100, the granular material P dropped on the receiving means 30 in the conveying means 3 is dispersed on the base material 100 by a constant amount. Thus, it is desirable to control the amplitude and frequency of the receiving means 30. The amplitude and frequency of the receiving means 30 are controlled by the vibration generating means 31. Specifically, the vibration control by the vibration generating means 31 is preferably performed according to the following criteria. That is, the hopper-containing powder weight A is continuously measured, and the change amount ΔA per unit time of the hopper-containing powder weight A is calculated. ΔA is defined by (A _a −A _b ) / t. A _a is the weight of the hopper-containing powder and granule at a certain time, and A _b is the weight of the hopper-containing powder and granule after the elapse of time t. ΔA is calculated in the control unit 40. Since the weight of the hopper 2 is unchanged, ΔA is equal to the rate of decrease in the weight of the granular material P in the hopper 2. In accordance with the weight reduction rate ΔA, the transporting ability of the transporting unit 3 is controlled, and the spraying amount ΔS per unit time of the granular material P sprayed on the base material 100 by the transporting unit 3 is set as the per unit time. for conveying capacity control operation to match the target application rate [Delta] S _t. In conveying capacity control operation, for example, when ΔA is less than [Delta] S _t performs an operation of increasing the application rate [Delta] S to increase the conveying capacity of the conveying means 3. Conversely, .DELTA.A is when more than [Delta] S _t performs an operation to reduce the application rate [Delta] S by lowering the conveying capacity of the conveying means 3.

  The carrying capacity of the carrying means 3 can be changed by controlling the amplitude and / or frequency of vibration of the vibration generating means 31, for example. For the control of the vibration generating means 31, a known feedback control method such as P control (proportional control), PI control or PID control can be employed. The coefficients in these various control methods can be determined by trial and error.

  The weight reduction rate ΔA of the hopper-containing granule weight can be calculated by various methods. For example, the weight of the hopper-containing powder particles is measured every predetermined time t (seconds), and the difference between the measured weight of the hopper-containing powder particles and the weight of the hopper-containing powder particles measured before t (seconds) is calculated. A value obtained by dividing the value by t (seconds) can be defined as a weight reduction rate ΔA. The value of t is preferably 1 second or more and 300 seconds or less. As an example, as shown in FIG. 3 (a), the weight of the powder containing hopper is measured every 5 seconds, the difference between the latest measured value and the measured value 5 seconds ago is taken, and the difference is calculated in 5 seconds. By dividing, the weight reduction rate ΔA can be calculated.

  Alternatively, the weight of the hopper-containing powder particles is measured every predetermined time s (seconds), and is measured before the measured weight of the hopper-containing powder particles and t (seconds) (where s <t). A value obtained by calculating a difference from the weight of the hopper-containing powder and dividing the value by t (seconds) can be defined as a weight reduction rate ΔA. Regarding the relationship between s and t, the value of t / s is preferably 1 or more and 3000 or less. Moreover, it is preferable that the value of s is 0.1 second or more and 10 seconds or less. It is preferable that the value of t is 1 second or more and 300 seconds or less on condition that the value of t is larger than the value of s. As an example, as shown in FIG. 3 (b), the weight of the hopper-containing powder is measured every second, the difference between the latest measured value and the measured value five seconds before is taken, and the difference is calculated in five seconds. By dividing, the weight reduction rate ΔA can be calculated.

  The calculation method of the weight reduction rate ΔA shown in FIG. 3A has an advantage that the calculation load in the control unit 40 is smaller than the calculation method of the weight reduction rate ΔA shown in FIG. On the other hand, the calculation method of the weight reduction rate ΔA shown in FIG. 3B has an advantage that the weight reduction rate ΔA can be calculated more precisely than the calculation method of the weight reduction rate ΔA shown in FIG.

By the way, the hopper-containing powder weight A gradually decreases with the passage of time for spraying the powder P. As described above, when the granular material P stored in the supply device such as the hopper 2 is dropped from the lower portion of the hopper 2, the amount of the granular material P stored in the hopper 2 depends on the amount. It is empirically known that there may be a difference in the amount of fall. As a result of intensive studies by the inventor on this point, the powder weight A ₃ in the hopper is preferably 40% by mass to 100% by mass of the powder weight A ₄ in the hopper in the fully filled state of the powder P. Hereinafter, it was found that when the content is 80% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, it is difficult to cause a difference in the falling amount of the granular material P, and the spraying amount can be stabilized. Therefore, the powder weight A ₃ in the hopper is preferably 40% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, more preferably 80% by mass or more and 100% by mass of the powder weight A ₄ in the hopper in the fully filled state of the powder P. It is preferable to spray the granular material P in a state where the mass is maintained at a mass% or less. In other words, a value of 40 mass% of the powder weight A ₄ in the hopper in the fully filled state of the powder P is set as a threshold, and the powder weight A ₃ in the hopper is a threshold 0.4A _4. The powder P in the hopper 2 is kept until the powder weight A ₃ in the hopper reaches the initial set weight, that is, the powder weight A ₄ in the hopper in the fully filled state of the powder P. Replenish powder and granules. The weight actually measured in the present embodiment is the hopper-containing powder weight A (that is, the hopper weight A ₃ + the hopper weight A ₂ ), and the hopper weight A ₂ is obtained when the powder P is empty. of from hopper inclusive granular weight amount because it is unchanged, the above-described replenishment operation, set the value of 40% by weight of the hopper particulate weight of a ₄ in a fully filled state of the powder or granular material P as a threshold, a hopper When the weight A of the pulverized granule is continuously measured and the weight A of the hopper including the powder falls below 0.4A ₄ + A ₂ which is the threshold for the measured value, the weight A of the hopper included powder is initially set. It is synonymous with performing the powder replenishment operation which replenishes this granular material in this hopper 2 until it becomes weight. It should be noted that the term "Once below the 0.4A ₄ + _{A 2",} 0.4A ₄ + _{A 2} not only that time that falls below the, also includes time after the falls below the 0.4A ₄ + _{A 2.} This granular material replenishment operation is performed by issuing an operation command from the control unit 40 to the powder supply device 90 and supplying the granular material P into the hopper 2 by the powder supply device 90. In addition, this powder and granule replenishment operation is performed independently of the previously described conveyance capacity control operation. “Independently performed” is not intended to carry out the powder replenishment operation and the conveyance capacity control operation using separate control systems, and uses only one control system to replenish the granules. Performing the operation and the conveyance capacity control operation by parallel processing is also included.

While the granular material P is being supplied into the hopper 2 by the above-described granular material replenishment operation, the weighing of the hopper-containing granular material weight A using the measuring device 50 is continuously performed. However, due to the vibration of the hopper 2 caused by the supply of the granular material P and other factors, the measurement of the weight A including the hopper is accurately performed during the supply of the granular material P into the hopper 2. Not easy to do. Even if the conveying capacity control operation under the circumstances, the scattering amount [Delta] S per unit time of the granular material P, can not be easily matched to the target application rate [Delta] S _t per unit time. Therefore, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the conveyance capacity control operation is suspended while the granular material replenishment operation is being performed. While the conveyance capacity control operation is paused, the conveyance capacity of the conveyance means 3 is maintained at the conveyance capacity immediately before the conveyance capacity control operation is suspended. By performing such control, the measured value of the hopper-containing particle weight A becomes unstable, and even during the supply of the powder P into the hopper 2, The amount of application can be stabilized.

The suspension of the conveyance capacity control operation is the completion of the powder replenishment operation, that is, the hopper-containing powder weight A in the fully filled state of the powder P in which the hopper-containing powder weight A is the initial set weight. After reaching ₁ , the hopper-containing granule weight A is released when it continuously decreases over a predetermined time, and thereafter, the conveying capacity control operation is resumed. “When the hopper-containing powder weight A continuously decreases over a predetermined time” means, for example, when the measurement of the hopper-containing powder weight A is continuously performed every second, the powder After completion of the replenishment operation, the state where the hopper-containing powder weight A is less than 1 second before is continued 5 times. This processing is performed in the processing unit 40, and as a result of the determination in the processing unit 40, an operation command for the vibration generating unit 31 is issued from the processing unit 40 toward the vibration generating unit 31.

  As described above, according to the powder particle spraying method using the powder particle spray device 1, the powder particles P can be sprayed quantitatively on the base material 100 continuously conveyed in a predetermined direction. In particular, the spray amount of the granular material P when viewed along the transport direction X can be made constant. In addition to this, it is possible to make the spray amount of the granular material P uniform when viewed along the direction orthogonal to the transport direction X, that is, the width direction Y. In particular, (i) when the discharge port 23 is viewed in plan (that is, in a cross-sectional view perpendicular to the discharge direction of the granular material P), the direction (width) orthogonal to the conveyance direction X of the granular material P by the conveyance means 3 If the length W in the direction Y) (see FIG. 5) is longer than the length D in the transport direction X (see FIGS. 1, 5, and 6), the width of the substrate 100 The powder particles P can be dispersed evenly in the direction with good quantitativeness.

  The shape in plan view of the discharge port 23 located at the lower end of the discharge unit 21 has a considerable influence on the flow of the granular material P in the moving path 22 in the discharge unit 21. According to the knowledge of the present inventors, the shape of the discharge port 23 in plan view is a rectangular shape or a shape equivalent thereto, that is, a “long shape in one direction”, as compared with a perfect circle shape or a square shape. Thus, the flow of the granular material P in the movement path 22 is easily made steady, and the granular material P can be uniformly distributed in the width direction of the base material 100 with good quantitativeness. From this point of view, it is preferable that the discharge port 23 has a relationship of “length W in the width direction Y> length D in the transport direction X”. The ratio of the length W to the length D is preferably 2 or more, more preferably 5 or more, and preferably 1000 or less, more preferably 100 or less, as W / D. More specifically, it is preferably 2 or more and 1000 or less, and more preferably 5 or more and 100 or less. The length W means the maximum length of the discharge port 23 in the width direction Y.

  From the viewpoint of spraying the granular material P uniformly in the width direction Y of the substrate 100 with good quantitativeness, (ii) the moving path 22 has a maximum width D in the conveying direction X that is the maximum particle diameter r (see FIG. 6) and preferably less than 5 times (2 ≦ D / r <5). By setting the maximum width D of the moving path 22 to be twice or more the maximum particle diameter r of the granular material P, it is possible to effectively prevent clogging of the granular material P in the moving path 22. Further, by setting the maximum width D of the moving path 22 to be less than 5 times the maximum particle diameter r of the granular material P, it becomes easy to make the flow of the granular material P in the moving path 22 steady. With respect to 100, the granular material P can be uniformly distributed in the width direction with good quantitativeness. The maximum width D of the moving path 22 is preferably 2 times or more, more preferably 3 times or more, and preferably less than 5 times, more preferably 4 times, based on the maximum particle diameter r of the granular material P. Is less than. More specifically, it is preferably 2 times or more and less than 5 times, more preferably 3 times or more and less than 4 times.

  From the viewpoint of spraying the granular material P uniformly in the width direction of the base material 100 with good quantitativeness, (iii) the moving path 22 has a length H in the discharging direction of the granular material P (see FIGS. 2 and 5). It is also preferable that it is 1 time or more of the maximum particle diameter r of the powder P (1 ≦ H / r). By setting the length H of the moving path 22 to be equal to or larger than the maximum particle diameter r of the powder P, it is possible to effectively prevent the clogging of the powder P in the moving path 22, and the base material 100. On the other hand, the granular material P can be uniformly distributed in the width direction with good quantitativeness. The length H of the moving path 22 is preferably 5 times or more, more preferably 10 times or more, based on the maximum particle diameter r of the powder P. The upper limit value of the length H of the moving path 22 is not limited from the viewpoint of steady flow of the flow of the granular material P, but can be determined from the viewpoint of an appropriate size of the apparatus. The maximum particle diameter r of the body P is preferably 100 times or less.

  From the viewpoint of spraying the granular material P uniformly in the width direction of the base material 100 with good quantitativeness, (iv) the gap G (see FIGS. 1, 2 and 6) is the maximum particle diameter r of the granular material P. It is also preferable that it is 1 time or more (1 ≦ G / r). By setting the gap G between the discharge port 23 of the hopper 2 (discharge section 21) and the upper surface of the conveying means 3 (receiving means 30) to be not less than 1 times the maximum particle diameter r of the granular material P, the powder in the gap G Generation | occurrence | production of the clogging of the granular material P can be prevented effectively, and the granular material P can be uniformly sprayed with sufficient quantitative property with respect to the base material 100 in the width direction Y. The gap G is preferably 1.5 times or more, more preferably 2 times or more, and preferably 10 times or less, more preferably 5 times or less, based on the maximum particle diameter r of the granular material P. . More specifically, it is preferably 1.5 to 10 times, more preferably 2 to 5 times.

  The maximum particle diameter r of the granular material P can be measured by a known method. Specifically, for example, dry sieving method (JIS Z8815-1994), dynamic light scattering method, laser diffraction method, centrifugal sedimentation method, gravity sedimentation method, image imaging method, FFF (field flow fractionation) method, Examples include the electrostatic detector method and the Coulter method. Among these, it is preferable from the viewpoint of reproducibility and accuracy to employ the maximum particle diameter r measured by the laser diffraction method or the Coulter method. If the particle diameter of the target granular material is about 5 mm or less, it is preferable to measure the maximum particle diameter r of the granular material using a laser diffraction method.

  In addition to the above (i) to (iv), in addition to the above (i) to (iv), the inner surface of the hopper 2 that is in contact with the granular material P from the viewpoint of steady flow of the granular material P in the hopper 2 and further improvement of fluidity. It is preferable that the angle with respect to the horizontal direction is equal to or greater than the angle of repose θ of the granular material P (see FIG. 6). In this embodiment, the side walls of the hopper 2 are vertical walls that extend in the vertical direction perpendicular to the horizontal direction except for the inclined side walls 20s (see FIGS. 1 and 2) of the storage unit 20, and the inner surfaces of these vertical walls. The angle with respect to the horizontal direction is 90 ° and is larger than the angle of repose θ of the granular material P, and the angle with respect to the horizontal direction of the inner surface of the inclined side wall 20s of the storage unit 20 is the repose angle θ of the granular material P. It has been made the same or larger. When “angle relative to the horizontal direction of the inner surface of the hopper 2 in contact with the granular material P” is θ1, the ratio between θ1 and the repose angle θ of the granular material is θ1 / θ, preferably 1.2 or more, More preferably, it is 1.5 or more, and θ1 is preferably 1.2θ or more and 90 ° or less, more preferably 1.5θ or more and 90 ° or less.

  In addition to the above (i) to (iv), in addition to the above (i) to (iv), as shown in FIG. The intersection 23A between the virtual straight line VL extending in the direction and the conveying means 3 (the upper surface 30a of the receiving means 30) is downstream of the conveying direction 3 in the conveying means 3 in relation to the gap G and the angle of repose θ of the granular material P. It is preferable that it is located in the range of G / tan θ or more and 15 G or less from the end 3DE. In other words, the separation distance L between the downstream end 3DE of the transport unit 3 (receiving unit 30) and the intersection 23A is preferably G / tan θ or more and 15G or less. As the separation distance L is shorter, it is preferable in terms of the dispersion accuracy of the granular material P. However, when the separation distance L is too short, the granular material P discharged from the discharge port 23 does not come into contact with the conveying means 3. There is a possibility that it will be sprayed directly onto the base material 100 located below it, and there is a risk that it will hinder the stable improvement of the spraying accuracy. The separation distance L is more preferably G / tan θ or more and 10 G or less.

  As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated based on the preferable embodiment, this invention is not restrict | limited to the said embodiment, It can change suitably. For example, the planar view shape of the discharge port 23 in the discharge portion 22 of the hopper 2 is not limited to a rectangular shape as shown in FIG. 5 and can be arbitrarily set to a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a polygonal shape, etc. A long oval shape as shown in (a), or a polygonal shape of a pentagon or more long in one direction as shown in FIG. However, as described above, the shape of the discharge port 23 in plan view is such that the length in the width direction Y perpendicular to the transport direction X of the powder P by the transport means 3 is longer than the length in the transport direction X. , “A shape that is long in one direction”, and the discharge port 23 shown in FIG. 5 and FIGS. 7A and 7B is one specific example.

  The discharge port 23 may be divided into a plurality of sections in the width direction Y, and the discharge unit 21 may have a plurality of movement paths 22 corresponding to the plurality of sections in a one-to-one manner. It is preferable that the above (ii) to (iv) are employed in each of the movement paths 22 (discharge ports 23).

In relation to the above-described embodiment, the present invention further discloses the following powder particle dispersion method, powder particle-containing article production method, and powder particle dispersion apparatus.
<1>
A method of spraying granular material, comprising a step of transporting and spraying the granular material discharged from the hopper in a predetermined direction by a conveying means,
The total weight of the hopper and the granular material stored in the hopper is continuously weighed, and when the total weight falls below a threshold, the powder is placed in the hopper until the total weight reaches the initial set weight. Perform the powder replenishment operation to replenish the granules,
Independently of the powder and granule replenishment operation, the amount of change per unit time of the total weight is measured, and the transfer capability of the transfer means is controlled according to the change amount, thereby being dispersed by the transfer means. The carrying capacity control operation is performed so that the spraying amount per unit time of the granular material matches the target spraying amount per unit time,
While performing the powder replenishment operation, the conveyance capacity control operation is suspended, and the conveyance capacity of the conveyance means is maintained at the conveyance capacity immediately before the conveyance capacity control operation is suspended. How to spread the body.
<2>
The powder particle spraying method according to <1>, wherein the conveyance capacity control operation is resumed when the total weight continuously decreases for a predetermined time after the powder particle replenishment operation is completed.
<3>
The total weight is measured every predetermined time t (seconds), the difference between the total weight weighed and the total weight weighed before t (seconds) is calculated, and the value is divided by t (seconds). The method according to <1> or <2>, wherein the value is defined as a change amount per unit time, and the transfer capability of the transfer unit is controlled according to the change amount.
<4>
It is preferable that the predetermined time t (second) is 1 second or more and 300 seconds or less, the method for spraying granular material according to <3>.
<5>
The total weight is weighed every predetermined time s (seconds), and the difference between the total weight weighed and the total weight weighed before t (seconds) (where s <t) is calculated. The value according to <1> or <2>, wherein a value obtained by dividing the value by t (seconds) is defined as a change amount per unit time, and the transfer capability of the transfer unit is controlled according to the change amount. Spraying method.
<6>
It is preferable that the predetermined time s (seconds) is 0.1 second or more and 10 seconds or less, the method for spraying granular material according to <5>.
<7>
In the method for producing a granular material-containing article, the granular material discharged from the hopper is conveyed in a predetermined direction by a conveying means and dispersed on the object to be dispersed, thereby producing an article including the granular material. There,
The total weight of the hopper and the granular material stored in the hopper is continuously weighed, and when the total weight falls below a threshold, the powder is placed in the hopper until the total weight reaches the initial set weight. Perform the powder replenishment operation to replenish the granules,
Independently of the powder and granule replenishment operation, the amount of change per unit time of the total weight is measured, and the transfer capability of the transfer means is controlled according to the change amount, thereby being dispersed by the transfer means. The carrying capacity control operation is performed so that the spraying amount per unit time of the granular material matches the target spraying amount per unit time,
While performing the powder replenishment operation, the conveyance capacity control operation is suspended, and the conveyance capacity of the conveyance means is maintained at the conveyance capacity immediately before the conveyance capacity control operation is suspended. A method for producing a body-containing article.
<8>
The said conveyance means is a manufacturing method of the granular material containing article as described in said <7> arrange | positioned with the clearance gap between the discharge ports located in the lower end of the said hopper.
<9>
The powder according to <7> or <8>, wherein the transport unit includes a receiving unit that receives the powder discharged from the hopper and a vibration generating unit that vibrates the receiving unit. A method for producing a granule-containing article.
<10>
The transporting means operates the vibration generating means to vibrate the receiving means, thereby enabling the powder P on the receiving means to be transported in the direction. A method for producing a body-containing article.
<11>
The <9> or <10>, wherein the granular material is conveyed in a direction, falls from an end of the receiving unit, and is sprayed on a substrate that is continuously conveyed below the receiving unit. Of producing a granular material-containing article.
<12>
The said base material is a manufacturing method of the granular material containing article as described in said <11> which is a sheet-like base material.
<13>
The said base material is a manufacturing method of the granular material containing article as described in said <11> or <12> which is a sheet-like base material which consists of a fiber sheet.
<14>
A superheat-absorbing polymer particles, metal particles, solid electrolyte, and the like are dispersed on the substrate to form a heat generating composition, and an electrolyte such as sodium chloride or a water-absorbing polymer is formed on the layer of the heat generating composition. <11> thru | or <13> any one of the said <11> thru | or <13> manufacturing method of the granular material containing article which sprays a granular material.
<15>
The total weight of the hopper and the granular material stored in the hopper is the weight of the hopper-containing granular material,
Prior to continuous measurement of the weight of the hopper-containing powder, the weight of the hopper-containing powder in a fully filled state of the powder is measured in advance, according to any one of <7> to <14>. A method for producing a powder-containing article.
<16>
The powder weight in the hopper is preferably 40% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, and more preferably 80% by mass or more and 100% by mass or less, based on the weight of the powder in the hopper when the powder is fully filled. <7> The manufacturing method of the granular material containing article any one of <15>.
<17>
A hopper that discharges the particulates temporarily stored therein from the discharge port via the moving path;
Conveying means for conveying the powder particles discharged from the hopper in a predetermined direction and spraying;
A weighing device for continuously weighing the total weight of the hopper and the granular material stored in the hopper;
The amount of change per unit time of the total weight is measured, and the amount of change per unit time of the powder particles sprayed by the transport means is matched with the target amount of application per unit time. Independent of this control, when the total weight falls below a threshold, the powder particles in the hopper until the total weight reaches the initial set weight. A control means for performing control to replenish the body, and a granular material spraying device comprising:
The control means pauses the control of the transport capacity of the transport means while the powder particles are being replenished in the hopper, and the transport capacity of the transport means during the control pause is transported immediately before the control pause. A granular material spraying device that is configured to retain its capacity.
<18>
The control means is configured to resume the control of the conveying means when the total weight has continuously decreased over a predetermined time after the replenishment of the granular material to the hopper is completed. <17> The granular material dispersion apparatus according to <17>.
<19>
The total weight is measured every predetermined time t (seconds), the difference between the total weight weighed and the total weight weighed before t (seconds) is calculated, and the value is divided by t (seconds). The granular material spraying device according to <17> or <18>, wherein the value is defined as a change amount per unit time, and the control unit controls the transfer capability of the transfer unit according to the change amount.
<20>
The total weight is weighed every predetermined time s (seconds), and the difference between the total weight weighed and the total weight weighed before t (seconds) (where s <t) is calculated. The value obtained by dividing the value by t (seconds) is defined as a change amount per unit time, and the control means controls the transfer capability of the transfer means in accordance with the change amount according to <17> or <18> The granular material spreading | diffusion apparatus of description.
<21>
A control unit for controlling a voltage and a frequency applied to a vibration generating unit that vibrates a receiving unit that receives the powder particles discharged from the hopper, and the control unit controls the frequency and / or frequency of the receiving unit. The granular material spraying device according to any one of <17> to <20>, wherein amplitude is controlled to control a conveying state of the granular material on the receiving unit.
<22>
The granular material spraying device according to any one of <17> to <21>, wherein the weighing device is attached to the hopper.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to examples. However, the scope of the present invention is not limited to such embodiments. Unless otherwise specified, “%” means “mass%”.

[Example 1]
The granular material dispersion apparatus 1 shown in FIGS. 1, 2, 5, and 6 was used, and the dimensions and the like of the constituent members were set to the values shown in Table 1 below. And the granular material was spread | dispersed on the base material (nonwoven fabric, conveyance speed 40.95 m / sec) continuously conveyed in one direction. The target spray rate of the powder and granular material was set to 0.45 g / second. As the powder, water-absorbing polymer particles having a maximum particle diameter and an angle of repose within the ranges shown in Table 1 below were used. The maximum particle size of the granular material was measured by a dynamic light scattering method, and a laser diffraction / scattering particle size distribution measuring device LA950V2 manufactured by HORIBA was used as a measuring device. The hopper including the inner wall is entirely made of stainless steel. A load cell was used as the weighing device 50, and the hopper-containing powder weight A was measured at intervals of 1 second. The control of the vibration generating means 31 by the control unit 40 is amplitude control based on PI control. As for the supply of the granular material by the powder supply apparatus 90, the hopper-containing powder weight A is 0.4A ₄ + A ₂ (A ₄ represents the weight of the powder in the hopper when the powder is fully filled, a ₂ is to perform at the time when a representative of the hopper weight.). The time from when the conveyance capacity control operation is paused to when it resumes, the hopper-containing powder weight A is measured at 1-second intervals, and the state where the hopper-containing powder weight A is less than the previous one is continued five times. Until then. Under these conditions, the dispersion weight of the powder particles when sprayed for 10 minutes is determined according to a conventional method using a commercially available load cell (manufactured by A & D). The spray weight was measured at 1 second intervals. The result is shown in FIG.

[Comparative Example 1]
In Example 1, the vibration generating means 31 was controlled by the control unit 40 even during the supply of the granular material by the powder supply device 90. Except for this, the powder particles were dispersed under the same conditions as in Example 1. The spray amount of the granular material at that time was measured in the same manner as in Example 1. The result is shown in FIG.

  As is clear from the comparison between FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, it can be seen that in Example 1 according to the present invention, the spray amount of the granular material is substantially constant over the entire period from the initial stage to the final stage of the spraying. In contrast to this, in Comparative Example 1, it can be seen that the amount of powdered particles is not constant but fluctuates.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Powder distribution apparatus 2 Hopper 20 Storage part 21 Discharge part 22 Movement path 23 Discharge port 3 Conveying means 30 Receiving means 31 Vibration generating means 32 Conveying roll 33 Drive roll 34 Followed roll 35 Conveying belt 40 Control part 50 Measuring apparatus 100 Base Material P Particulate body X Conveyance direction of particulate body by means of transportation Y Direction perpendicular to the transportation direction of particulate body (width direction of base material)

Claims (9)

A method of spraying granular material, comprising a step of transporting and spraying the granular material discharged from the hopper in a predetermined direction by a conveying means,
The total weight of the hopper and the granular material stored in the hopper is continuously weighed, and when the total weight falls below a threshold, the powder is placed in the hopper until the total weight reaches the initial set weight. Perform the powder replenishment operation to replenish the granules,
Independently of the powder and granule replenishment operation, the amount of change per unit time of the total weight is measured, and the transfer capability of the transfer means is controlled according to the change amount, thereby being dispersed by the transfer means. The carrying capacity control operation is performed so that the spraying amount per unit time of the granular material matches the target spraying amount per unit time,
While performing the powder replenishment operation, the conveyance capacity control operation is suspended, and the conveyance capacity of the conveyance means is maintained at the conveyance capacity immediately before the conveyance capacity control operation is suspended. How to spread the body.   2. The method for spraying granular material according to claim 1, wherein when the total weight continuously decreases over a predetermined time after completion of the powder and granular material replenishment operation, the conveying capacity control operation is resumed.   The total weight is measured every predetermined time t (seconds), the difference between the total weight weighed and the total weight weighed before t (seconds) is calculated, and the value is divided by t (seconds). The method for spraying granular material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the value is defined as a change amount per unit time, and the transfer capability of the transfer means is controlled according to the change amount.   The total weight is weighed every predetermined time s (seconds), and the difference between the total weight weighed and the total weight weighed before t (seconds) (where s <t) is calculated. The method of spraying granular material according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a value obtained by dividing the value by t (seconds) is defined as a change amount per unit time, and the transfer capability of the transfer means is controlled according to the change amount. . In the method for producing a granular material-containing article, the granular material discharged from the hopper is conveyed in a predetermined direction by a conveying means and dispersed on the object to be dispersed, thereby producing an article including the granular material. There,
The total weight of the hopper and the granular material stored in the hopper is continuously weighed, and when the total weight falls below a threshold, the powder is placed in the hopper until the total weight reaches the initial set weight. Perform the powder replenishment operation to replenish the granules,
Independently of the powder and granule replenishment operation, the amount of change per unit time of the total weight is measured, and the transfer capability of the transfer means is controlled according to the change amount, thereby being dispersed by the transfer means. The carrying capacity control operation is performed so that the spraying amount per unit time of the granular material matches the target spraying amount per unit time,
While performing the powder replenishment operation, the conveyance capacity control operation is suspended, and the conveyance capacity of the conveyance means is maintained at the conveyance capacity immediately before the conveyance capacity control operation is suspended. A method for producing a body-containing article. A hopper that discharges the particulates temporarily stored therein from the discharge port via the moving path;
Conveying means for conveying the powder particles discharged from the hopper in a predetermined direction and spraying;
A weighing device for continuously weighing the total weight of the hopper and the granular material stored in the hopper;
The amount of change per unit time of the total weight is measured, and the amount of change per unit time of the powder particles sprayed by the transport means is matched with the target amount of application per unit time. Independent of this control, when the total weight falls below a threshold, the powder particles in the hopper until the total weight reaches the initial set weight. A control means for performing control to replenish the body, and a granular material spraying device comprising:
The control means pauses the control of the transport capacity of the transport means while the powder particles are being replenished in the hopper, and the transport capacity of the transport means during the control pause is transported immediately before the control pause. A granular material spraying device that is configured to retain its capacity.   The control means is configured to resume the control of the conveying means when the total weight continuously decreases over a predetermined time after the replenishment of the granular material to the hopper is completed. Item 7. A granular material spraying device according to Item 6.   The total weight is measured every predetermined time t (seconds), the difference between the total weight weighed and the total weight weighed before t (seconds) is calculated, and the value is divided by t (seconds). 8. The powder particle dispersal device according to claim 6, wherein the value is defined as a change amount per unit time, and the control unit controls the transfer capability of the transfer unit according to the change amount.   The total weight is weighed every predetermined time s (seconds), and the difference between the total weight weighed and the total weight weighed before t (seconds) (where s <t) is calculated. The powder according to claim 6 or 7, wherein a value obtained by dividing the value by t (seconds) is defined as a change amount per unit time, and the control unit controls the transfer capability of the transfer unit according to the change amount. Granule spraying device.