JP2000142948A - Vibrating feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To dispense with the balance regulation of a vibration system by constituting a vibrating feeder by use of a support means for slidably supporting a trough and an exciting actuator for reciprocating the trough at high speed. SOLUTION: A vibrating feeder 1 is formed of a trough 2 having a linear carrying surface, a support means 3 for slidably supporting the trough 2, a fluid pressure-working exciting actuator for driving the trough 2, a connector 5 for transmitting the reciprocating movement of the actuator to the trough 2, and two fluid control valves 6. A pressurizing fluid is simultaneously introduced from the exciting actuator 4 to first and second pressure chambers 14, 15 through each input port. The discharge port 12 on the first pressure chamber 14-side is opened. Therefore, the pressure of the first pressure chamber 14 is reduced to push a piston 11 to the first pressure chamber 14-side. This motion is repeated to vibrate the piston at high speed, and the trough 2 connected to an output rod 10 is reciprocated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vibratory feeder for conveying and supplying small workpieces, powder, small piece sheets, chips and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Vibration feeders referred to above include an electromagnetic vibration type (electromagnetic feeder) and a motor driven type.

As shown in FIG. 6, the electromagnetic feeder connects a trough 31 to a support 33 with a leaf spring 32 inclined backward, and further connects a movable core of an electromagnet 34 to the leaf spring 32 to connect a coil. The fixed core is attached to the support base 33. This feeder applies a half-wave pulsating voltage obtained by passing a single-phase alternating current through a rectifier to an electromagnet to periodically generate an attractive force, and continuously vibrates the trough 31 together with the leaf spring 32.

In the course of the vibration, when the trough 31 is pushed forward and upward and stops instantaneously, the conveyed article on the trough is thrown forward and upward, and the trough is moved backward and downward while the conveyed article is in the air. Returning, the conveyed object that has fallen thereon is again accelerated by the trough and is thrown forward and upward, and is conveyed by repeating this operation.

[0005] In a motor-driven feeder, a rod connected to the trough is reciprocated by a crankshaft rotated by a motor to vibrate the trough. In addition, a helical spring is attached at right angles to the leaf spring supporting the trough, and the function of the helical spring creates synchronized vibration of the trough and the spring.
The transport principle is the same as that of the electromagnetic feeder.

[0006]

In the electromagnetic feeder, since the vibration cycle of the trough is determined by the power supply frequency, the balance adjustment for adjusting the natural frequency of the vibration system to the power supply frequency (the spring force adjustment of the leaf spring and the trough Adjustment of the center of gravity) is required, and the operation is troublesome.

Further, it is necessary to set the weight of the fixed portion including the support base to about twice the weight of the vibration system, and it is difficult to reduce the weight. Furthermore, the cost is high because the electromagnet is included.

[0008] In order to eliminate the balance adjustment, the power supply frequency may be changed by a controller.
This approach is more costly, as controllers that change the power supply frequency are not cheap.

[0009] In addition, since the frequency is limited, what can be conveyed is limited. For example, a small piece of light paper does not advance at all even when vibrated, and is not useful for transporting such a piece.

[0010] The electric motor driven feeder also requires a balance adjustment for causing the trough and the spring to vibrate in synchronism, which is cumbersome.

The feeder has a maximum frequency of 80.
Since it is about 0 (times / minute), high-speed conveyance is difficult. Further, since the transport principle is the same as that of the electromagnetic feeder, there are some which cannot be transported, and the complicated and large-sized mechanism cannot be avoided.

Accordingly, the present invention eliminates the hassle of balance adjustment found in a conventional vibratory feeder,
It is an object of the present invention to simplify the structure, reduce the cost, and reduce the weight, further expand the range of use, and make it possible to freely adjust the transport speed.

[0013]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above problems, according to the present invention, there is provided a trough having a straight conveying surface, supporting means for slidably supporting the trough,
A vibration feeder is constituted by a vibration actuator that reciprocates the trough at a high speed, and the trough is driven by the vibration actuator so that a difference in speed occurs between forward and backward movement of the trough. When the trough advances or returns, the conveyed object slides on the trough and moves forward of the conveying surface.

In another embodiment, a bowl having a spiral conveying surface, supporting means for rotatably supporting the bowl with the center of the conveying path as a fulcrum, and a vibrating actuator for driving the bowl which operates at high speed And a motion conversion mechanism that converts the linear reciprocating motion of the vibration actuator into a clockwise or counterclockwise rotation and transmits the rotation to the bowl, and the vibration actuator drives the bowl by the vibration actuator. The forward rotation and the return rotation are performed so that there is a speed difference between the forward rotation and the return rotation, and the transported object in the bowl slides on the bowl during the forward rotation or the return rotation of the bowl and moves forward of the transport surface due to the inertia of the transported material. It is.

The vibrating actuator employed in these vibration feeders is preferably one that reciprocates (vibrates) the piston at a high speed by applying a fluid pressure.

[0016] A piston is inserted into the cylinder, and
A discharge port which is opened and closed by the displacement of the piston is provided in the middle of the longitudinal direction of the cylinder, and when the discharge port is opened, the pressure in the first pressure chamber in which one end of the piston faces and the second pressure in which the other end of the piston faces Piston first due to chamber pressure
The piston moves toward the pressure chamber, and the movement of the piston closes the discharge port to increase the pressure in the first pressure chamber. This causes the piston to be pushed back to the second pressure chamber and the discharge port to be opened again. The present applicant has proposed an actuator that vibrates with a short stroke in Japanese Patent Application No. 10-271611. The actuator has a simple structure,
It has many advantages such as low cost, small size, light weight, and easy control, and is particularly suitable as a drive source of the vibration feeder of the present invention. Not limited.

Preferably, the vibration actuator has a vibration speed control means.

[0018]

The vibratory feeder according to the present invention changes the forward and backward movements of the trough and feeds the conveyed object according to the law of inertia.
This transport principle is similar to the transport principle of the shaking feeder, but unlike the shaking feeder, the reciprocating motion of the trough does not involve any vertical movement, so that the transported object is not fed if the forward and return speeds are equal.

The shaking feeder accelerates a conveyed object when the trough advances, and slides forward on the trough when returning the trough. It may remain and not be accelerated when the trough advances, and conversely, the light-weight conveyed object may not return and return with the trough without slipping, and may not be conveyed well.

Therefore, in the present invention, a speed difference is generated between the forward and backward movement of the trough, and for a conveyed object having a large stationary inertia, the trough is slowed forward and returned quickly, and the conveyed object slips and returns to the original position when returning. Remaining, the movement that moves with the trough when the trough advances is repeated. Further, with respect to a conveyed object having a small inertia and easy to return together with the trough, the trough is moved forward quickly and returned slowly, so that the conveyed object is slid forward by dynamic inertia when moving forward. This makes it possible to transport objects that could not be transported by the conventional feeder.
A single feeder can handle various conveyed objects.

Further, since there is no vibration spring, troublesome balance adjustment is not required.

Further, since the trough is linearly moved by a simple actuator and vibrated, the feeder can be simplified, reduced in size and weight, reduced in cost, and can prevent so-called dancing (jumping) of a conveyed object.

[0023]

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a vibration feeder according to the present invention. The vibrating feeder 1 includes a trough 2 having a straight conveying surface (the appearance thereof is shown in FIG. 2), a support means 3 for supporting the trough 2 slidably, and a fluid pressure-operated vibration actuator for driving the trough 2. 4 and a connector 5 for transmitting the reciprocating motion of the actuator to the trough 2
And two flow control valves 6.

The vibration actuator 4 has an L-shaped mount 7
It is fixed at an appropriate position by, for example.

The support means 3 has a mounting member 3a fixed on the vibration actuator 4, and the mounting member 3a
A slide rail 3c is mounted thereon via a bearing 3b, and the trough 2 is supported by the slide rail 3c. The bearing 3b is provided for reducing the sliding resistance of the slide rail 3c and suppressing wear, but is not essential.

The vibration actuator 4 inserts a piston 11 having an output rod 10 into a cylinder 8 having two input ports 9 as shown in FIG.
This is a cylinder actuator having a simple structure in which a discharge port 12 is provided in the middle of the barrel of the cylinder 8 in the longitudinal direction. Reference numeral 13 denotes a return spring for returning the piston 11 to its original position (a chain line position in the drawing), and reference numerals 14 and 15 denote a first pressure chamber and a second pressure chamber partitioned by the piston 11. It is possible to return the piston 11 to the original position by operating the output rod 10 from the outside. However, if the spring 13 is provided, the piston 11 returns to the original position when the feeder stops, and the feeder can be easily restarted. I can do it.

The length of the piston 11 is increased to give a required mass. A piston having a small mass may stop when the fluid pressures acting on both ends (the pressures of the first pressure chamber 14 and the second pressure chamber 15) are balanced. Move to the position where the pressure balance of 15 is lost. The sealing between the piston 11 and the inner surface of the cylinder 8 is not performed because it is better not to seal the interface.

The discharge port 12 is at a position which is opened and closed by the displacement of the piston. The discharge port 12 is connected to the piston 11
Although the vibrating actuator can be realized by a structure in which the valve is fully opened when it is in the original position and provided only on the second pressure chamber 15 side or a structure in which the input port 9 on the second pressure chamber 15 side is eliminated in addition thereto, Here, an input port 9 and a discharge port 12 are provided in the pressure chambers 14 and 15, respectively. In this case, the response becomes faster, the vibration of the piston 11 becomes smoother, and the speed control becomes easier.

The vibrating actuator 4 includes first and second
A pressurizing fluid (for example, compressed air) is simultaneously introduced into each of the pressure chambers 14 and 15 from each of the input ports 9. Then, the piston 11 moves to the second pressure chamber 15 side where the discharge port 12 is open, and the discharge port 12 on the second pressure chamber 15 side (right side in the drawing).
Is closed by the displaced piston 11 and the first pressure chamber 1
The discharge port 12 on the fourth side (left side in the figure) is opened. for that reason,
The pressure in the first pressure chamber 14 decreases, and the pressure in the second pressure chamber 15 increases. As a result, the relationship between the pressing forces applied opposite to both ends of the piston is reversed, and the piston 11 is pushed to the first pressure chamber 14 side, and the discharge port 12 on the left side in the drawing is closed, and the discharge port on the right side in FIG. 12 is opened and the piston 11 moves toward the second pressure chamber 15 again. By repeating the above operation, the piston 11 vibrates at a high speed with a short stroke (the frequency of the vibration is similar to that of the electromagnetic feeder), and the trough 2 connected to the output rod 10 reciprocates. The movement is, of course, a linear movement.

The difference between the forward and backward speeds of the trough 2 is generated by making the flow rates of the fluids introduced into the first pressure chamber 14 and the second pressure chamber 15 different. This can be achieved by a method in which an orifice is provided in one of the two input ports 9. However, as shown in the figure, when the flow rate control valve 6 is provided, the speed difference can be set freely, and It is also possible to reverse the magnitude relationship between the speed of return and the speed of return.

When the pressurized fluid is compressed air, a muffler (muffler) is provided at the outlet of the discharge port 12 as a measure against noise.
Is preferably provided.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show a second embodiment. The vibrating feeder 21 is a bowl 2 having a spiral conveying surface.
2 and support means 23 for rotatably supporting the bowl 22
And a motion converting mechanism 24 for converting the linear reciprocating motion of the actuator into a rotary motion and transmitting the rotary motion to the bowl 22.

The support means 23 is constructed by mounting a rotation support shaft 23b on a base plate 23a.
, The center of the bowl 22 is supported by its support shaft 23b. The motion conversion mechanism 24 is configured by fixing one end of a link 24a to a rotation support shaft 23b and connecting the other end to a tip of an output rod 10 of an actuator.

When the vibration actuator 4 is actuated, the vibration feeder 21 causes the bowl 22 to rotate and vibrate, and the transported material in the bowl is transported by the speed difference between the forward rotation and the return rotation of the bowl 22 and the inertia of the transported material. Flow towards the exit. This vibrating feeder is similar to a well-known parts feeder, but since the bowl 22 vibrates horizontally unlike the conventional parts feeder, as in the case of the feeder of FIG. .

[0035]

As described above, the vibration feeder according to the present invention does not include a spring for vibration, and the trouble of balance adjustment for synchronized vibration is eliminated.

Further, the structure is very simple, and cost reduction, light weight, and miniaturization can be achieved.

Further, it is possible to control the vibration speed of the actuator to make the transport speed variable, or to reverse the magnitude relationship between the forward and return speeds so that the most suitable feed for the transported object can be performed. What could not be conveyed by the conventional feeder can also be conveyed.

In addition, since the trough vibration is made linearly, it is possible to prevent the conveyed object from dancing and to improve the conveyance stability.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an example of a vibration feeder according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a trough.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a vibration actuator.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the feeder of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side view of a conventional vibration feeder (electromagnetic feeder).

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 21 Vibration feeder 2 Trough 3, 23 Support means 4 Vibration actuator 5 Connector 6 Flow control valve 8 Cylinder 9 Input port 10 Output rod 11 Piston 12 Discharge port 14 First pressure chamber 15 Second pressure chamber 22 Bowl 24 Motion Conversion mechanism

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A trough having a straight conveying surface, a support means for slidably supporting the trough, and a vibration actuator for reciprocating the trough at a high speed, wherein the driving of the trough by the vibration actuator comprises: A vibratory feeder in which a speed difference is generated between forward and return of the trough, and a conveyed object in the trough slides on the trough and moves forward of the conveying surface when the trough advances or returns due to inertia of the conveyed object. 2. A bowl having a spiral conveying surface, supporting means for rotatably supporting the bowl with the center of the conveying path as a fulcrum, a vibrating actuator for driving the bowl which operates at high speed, and the vibrating actuator And a motion conversion mechanism that converts the linear reciprocating motion of the bowl into a clockwise or counterclockwise rotating motion and transmits the rotation to the bowl. The driving of the bowl by the vibrating actuator causes a speed difference between the forward rotation and the return rotation of the bowl. A vibratory feeder that is moved out of the way, and that the conveyed material in the bowl slides on the bowl and moves forward of the convey surface when the bowl rotates forward or backward due to the inertia of the conveyed material. 3. The vibration feeder according to claim 1, further comprising speed control means for individually adjusting the going and returning speeds of the vibration actuator.