JP2002346358A - Stirring apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize a smaller-sized stirring apparatus by stirring a substance to be stirred by alternately turning a retaining base, in the normal and reverse directions, on which a container filled with the substance to be stirred is placed and requiring no member for supporting the retaining base at a periphery of the retaining base. SOLUTION: An output shaft 10A upwardly projecting from a body 10B of a pivotable actuator 10 is provided, the retaining base 8 on which the container filled with the substance to be stirred is engaged with the output shaft 10A and the retaining base 8 is alternately turned in the normal and reverse directions. Therefore, it is not required that the member for supporting the retaining base 8 is provided at the periphery of the retaining base 8 and thereby, the whole of the stirring machine can be miniaturized.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a stirrer for stirring an object to be stirred, such as a liquid or a fluid, sealed in a container such as a can or a bottle without opening the container.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A stirrer of this type mounts a container enclosing an object to be stirred as a liquid containing a plurality of components, such as paint, on a holding table, and rotates the holding table by rotating a motor. The container oscillates in a trajectory, and the liquid in the container is swirled and convected and stirred, so that the container can be stirred without opening the container. (See, for example, JP-A-10-216498).

[0003]

However, in such a conventional stirrer, the holding table is swingably supported by a support via a pair of support members in order to swing the holding table along a conical pendulum-like locus. This support must be constructed by erecting four columns around the holding table, and the presence of these columns increases the size of the entire stirrer.

According to the present invention, a holding table for mounting a container enclosing an object to be stirred is alternately rotated in forward and reverse directions to stir the object to be stirred and to support the holding table around the holding table. It is an object of the present invention to provide a stirrer that can be downsized without any members.

[0005]

Therefore, in the present invention,
By supplying fluid from one port and discharging fluid from the other port, the output shaft rotates in the forward direction and stops at one end, and supplies fluid from the other port to remove fluid from one port. By discharging, the output shaft is rotated in the opposite direction and stopped at the other end, and a swinging actuator that projects the output shaft upward from the main body is provided, and the container in which the object to be stirred is enclosed by the swinging actuator is mounted. Engage the holding table with the output shaft of the oscillating actuator to rotate the holding table to be placed,
A first position for switching one port of the oscillating actuator to a fluid supply source and for switching the other port to a low pressure side, and a first position for switching one port of the oscillating actuator to a low pressure side and switching the other port to the low pressure side; And a second position for switching the port to a fluid supply source. The switching valve is switched to the second position by pivoting the switching valve to one end of the output shaft of the oscillating actuator and oscillating. A switching mechanism is provided for switching to the first position by rotating the output shaft of the shaped actuator to the other end. In this case, it is desirable that the holding table is rotatably supported by the main body of the oscillating actuator via the thrust bearing, and the output shaft of the oscillating actuator is engaged with the holding table without interference in the axial direction. Further, the switching valve is a pilot operated switching valve with a detent which is held at the first position and the second position, and the switching mechanism is rotated by pivoting one end of the output shaft of the oscillating actuator to the pilot operated switching valve. The pilot fluid is acted on the pilot operation switching valve by rotating the pilot operation switching valve to the second position by operating the pilot operation switching valve to the second position and the other end of the output shaft of the oscillating actuator. A second pilot valve for switching the pilot operation switching valve to the first position, wherein the switching mechanism cuts off the action of the pilot fluid from the first pilot valve to the pilot operation switching valve or switches the second pilot valve from the second pilot valve; It is desirable to have a shut-off valve for shutting off the action of the pilot fluid on the pilot operation switching valve.

According to the present invention, when the output shaft of the oscillating actuator is stopped at the other end, the switching valve is switched to the first position by the switching mechanism, and one port of the oscillating actuator is connected to the fluid. The switching actuator is connected to the supply source and the other port is switched to the low pressure side. The oscillating actuator rotates the output shaft in the forward direction by supplying fluid from one port and discharging fluid from the other port. And
When the output shaft rotates to one end, the switching valve is switched to the second position by the switching mechanism to switch one port of the swing type actuator to the low pressure side and switch the other port to the fluid supply source. When the fluid is supplied from the other port and the fluid is discharged from the one port and the output shaft rotates in the opposite direction and the output shaft rotates to the other end, the switching valve as described above communicates with the swing type actuator. Is switched to the first position, the oscillating actuator rotates the output shaft in the forward direction, and thereafter the output shaft is alternately rotated in the forward and reverse directions, and the holding table moves in the forward and reverse directions together with the output shaft. The object to be stirred enclosed in the container is alternately rotated to stir. Since the holding table is engaged with the output shaft projecting upward from the main body of the oscillating actuator and is alternately rotated in the forward and reverse directions, a member for supporting the holding table is provided around the holding table. Need not be provided, and the entire stirrer can be reduced in size without a member for supporting the holding table around the holding table.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a main body of a stirrer, and a plate-like substrate 2 having installation portions 2A and 2B at both ends.
A substantially rectangular parallelepiped lid member 3 having an open lower portion is fixed by four screw members 4. The lid member 3 has a notch 3A on one side thereof, and the notch 3A has a first joint 5 connected to a supply source of compressed air as a fluid and a first joint 5 connected to a shutoff valve described later in detail. The second and third joints 6, 7 project outward from the inside. Reference numeral 8 denotes a holding table on which the container 9 enclosing the object to be stirred is placed. The holding table 8 is located on the main body 1 and has a substantially square plate material bent upward so as to prevent the loaded container 9 from falling off. The swing type actuator described above is provided so as to be rotatable in forward and reverse directions.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, inside the main body 1, an oscillating actuator 10, a pilot operation switching valve 11 with a detent as a switching valve, a first pilot valve 12 constituting a switching mechanism, Two pilot valves 13 are mainly housed. The oscillating actuator 10 is fixed on the substrate 2, and the output shaft 10 </ b> A is provided to protrude above the main body 10 </ b> B of the oscillating actuator 10. By rotating the output shaft 10A to the left in FIG. 3 as a positive direction and stopping at one end, supplying compressed air from the other port 10D and discharging compressed air from the one port 10C, the output shaft is rotated. 10A is rotated in the right direction in FIG. 3 as a reverse direction and stopped at the other end, and the output shaft 10A extends inside the main body 1 through a through hole 3B penetrating through the upper surface of the lid member 3. The key member 1 is inserted into the cylindrical boss 8A of the base 8 and
4 engages in the rotation direction. 15 is a thrust bearing,
The boss portion 8A is loosely fitted on the output shaft 10A and mounted on the main body 10B of the oscillating actuator 10, and the holding table 8 is rotatably supported by the main body 10B of the oscillating actuator 10 via the thrust bearing 15. The tip side is in contact with the thrust bearing 15. Then, in a state where the tip side of the boss 8A is in contact with the thrust bearing 15, the boss 8A prevents the load of the holding table 8 on which the container 9 is placed from acting on the output shaft 10A in the axial direction.
A gap is provided between the tip of the output shaft 10A inserted into the holding table 8 and the holding table 8 so that the output shaft 10A does not interfere with the holding table 8 in the axial direction.

The pilot operation switching valve 11 is fixed on the substrate 2 via the sub-plate 16, and
Silencers 17A and 17B are attached to the discharge ports respectively. The first pilot valve 12 and the second pilot valve 13 are mechanically operated valves having operation levers 12A and 13A, respectively. The first pilot valve 12 and the second pilot valve 13 are provided on a plate 18 mounted on the upper surface of the main body 10B of the oscillating actuator 10 by approximately 180 degrees around the output shaft 10A. It is fixed at the symmetric position. The first pilot valve 12 is provided so as to be capable of switching operation by a plate-shaped dog member 19 fixed to the outer periphery of the boss portion 8A of the holding base 8 by pressing the operation lever 12A by rotation to one end of the output shaft 10A. At the same time, the second pilot valve 13 is provided so as to be capable of switching operation when the dog member 19 presses the operation lever 13A by turning to the other end of the output shaft 10A. At the center of the plate 18 to which the pilot valves 12 and 13 are fixed, a boss 8A of the holding base 8 is inserted with a gap through an insertion hole 18A.
Is pierced.

[0010] As shown in FIG.
1 has a first position 11A and a second position 11B. In the first position 11A, one of the ports 10C of the oscillating actuator 10 is switched to the compressed air supply source 20 and the other port 10D is connected to the silencer 17A. At the second position 11B, one port 10C is switched to the atmosphere from the silencer 17B and the other port 10D is switched to the compressed air supply source 20 at the second position 11B. And the position is held by the detent function at the second position 11B. The first pilot valve 12 has a switching position 12B and an original position 12C.
The dog member 19 is positioned at the original position 12C by the D force and is turned to the one end of the output shaft 10A of the swing type actuator 10 so that the dog member 19 pushes the operation lever 12A to switch to the switching position 12B. At the switching position 12B, pilot compressed air as a pilot fluid acts on the pilot operation switching valve 11 so as to switch the pilot operation switching valve 11 to the second position 11B. At the original position 12C, the pilot compression air acting on the pilot operation switching valve 11 is actuated. Release air to atmosphere. The second pilot valve 13 is in the switching position 1
3B and the original position 13C, and is always located at the original position 13C by the force of the spring 13D, and the above-mentioned dog member 19 rotates the operation lever 13A by the rotation of the swing type actuator 10 to the other end of the output shaft 10A. Is pressed to switch to the switching position 13B. At the switching position 13B, pilot compressed air is applied to the pilot operation switching valve 11 by the first pilot valve 12 so as to switch the pilot operation switching valve 11 to the first position 11A. Acts in the opposite direction to the original position 1
In 3C, the pilot compressed air acting on the pilot operation switching valve 11 is discharged to the atmosphere.

As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, 21A, 21B
Are both ports 10C and 10D of the oscillating actuator 10.
The compressed air supplied to the oscillating actuator 10 is circulated in a free flow, and the compressed air discharged from the oscillating actuator 10 is throttled to reduce the rotation speed of the output shaft 10A by the speed control valves respectively attached to the output shaft 10A. Control. One port 10C of the oscillating actuator 10 and the pilot operation switching valve 11 are connected by a pipe 22A having one end attached to the sub-plate 16 and the other end attached to a speed control valve 21A, and the other port 10D. One end is connected to the sub-plate 16 between the
2 with the other end attached to the speed control valve 21B
Connect with 2B. One end is attached to the first joint 5 and the other end is connected to the compressed air supply source 20 and the pilot operation switching valve 11 by a pipe 23 attached to the sub-plate 16. Pilot operation switching valve 11 and first pilot valve 12
Is connected by a pipe 24. Pilot operated switching valve 1
One end between the first pilot valve 13 and the second pilot valve 13 is connected to the second joint 6.
And a pipe 26 having one end attached to the third joint 7 and the other end attached to the second pilot valve 13, and a shutoff valve 27. A connection is made between the second joint 6 and the third joint 7 with a flow path connecting the second joint 6 and the third joint 7. The shutoff valve 27 is a manually operated valve that is manually operated by an operator to switch between the first position 27A and the second position 27B. The first valve 27 communicates with the pipe 25 and the pipe 26 at the first position 27A. The pipe 25 is switched to the atmosphere to shut off the action of the pilot compressed air from the second pilot 13 to the pilot operation switching valve 11, and the pipe 26 is shut off. The first pilot valve 12 and the supply source 20 are connected by a pipe 28 branched from the pipe 23 and a pipe 29 further branched from the pipe 28. Second
The pilot valve 13 and the supply source 20 are connected by a pipe 28 branched from the pipe 23 and a pipe 30 further branched from the pipe 28. A part of the compressed air flowing through the pipe 23 flows through the pipes 28 to 30 as pilot compressed air.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. FIG.
4, the output shaft 10A rotates to the other end and stops, the first pilot valve 12 is located at the original position 12C by the force of the spring 12D, and the second pilot valve 13 is The operation lever 13A is pressed to switch to the switching position 13B, and the shutoff valve 27 is moved to the second position 2.
7B, the pilot operation switching valve 11 is in the second position 1
1B.

In this state, when the operator manually switches the shutoff valve 27 to the first position 27A, the pipes 25 and 26
And a part of the compressed air flowing from the supply source 20 through the pipe 23 is used as pilot compressed air in the pipes 28 and 30.
Flow through the pipes 26 and 25
Since the pipe 24 is switched from the first pilot valve 12 to the atmosphere, the pilot operation switching valve 1
1 is switched to the first position 11A to hold the position. The compressed air flowing through the pipe 23 is supplied to the speed control valve 2 from the pipe 22A.
1A, the air flows through a free flow, is supplied from one port 10C of the oscillating actuator 10, and compressed air from the other port 10D of the oscillating actuator 10 is throttle-controlled by a speed control valve 21B to flow through a pipe 22B. It is discharged to the atmosphere from the silencer 17A, and the oscillating actuator 10
Turns the output shaft 10A together with the holding table 8 in the left direction in FIG.

The output shaft 10A is approximately 18
When the dog member 19 turns to the left and rotates to one end, the dog member 19 pushes the operation lever 12A of the first pilot valve 12 to switch the first pilot valve 12 to the switching position 12B. The second pilot valve 13 is released from the pressing of the operation lever 13A by the dog member 19 and returns to the original position 13C by the force of the spring 13D. The pilot compressed air flowing through the pipe 28 flows through the pipes 29 and 24 to act on the pilot operation switching valve 11, and the pilot compressed air acting opposite to the pilot compressed air flows through the pipe 25,
Since the gas flows through the shutoff valve 27 and the pipe 26 and is discharged from the second pilot valve 13 to the atmosphere, the pilot operation switching valve 11 is switched to the second position 11B to hold the position. Piping 2
3 flows from the pipe 22B to the speed control valve 21B.
Through the free port, and is supplied from the other port 10D of the oscillating actuator 10, and the compressed air from one port 10C is throttle-controlled by the speed control valve 21A so that the piping 22
A is discharged to the atmosphere from the silencer 17B after flowing through A, and the oscillating actuator 10 rotates the output shaft 10A together with the holding base 8 to the right in FIG.

The output shaft 10A is approximately 18
When rotated rightward by 0 degrees to the other end shown in FIG. 3, the first pilot valve 12 returns to the original position 12C by the force of the spring 12D, and the second pilot valve 13 The operation lever 13A is pressed by the switch to switch to the switching position 13B, and the pilot operation switching valve 11
Is switched to the first position 11A to hold the position, and the oscillating actuator 10 rotates the output shaft 10A together with the holding table 8 in the left direction in FIG. 3, and thereafter moves the output shaft 10A in the left and right direction in FIG. Rotating alternately, the holding table 8 alternately rotates with the output shaft 10A to stir the object to be stirred enclosed in the container 9.

While the output shaft 10A is rotating alternately in the left-right direction in FIG.
Is switched to the second position 27B, the pipe 25 is switched to the atmosphere and the pipe 26 is shut off. Therefore, even if the output shaft 10A rotates to the other end and the operation member 13A is pressed by the dog member 19 to switch the second pilot valve 13 to the switching position 13B, the pipe 26 is shut off by the shutoff valve 27. Pilot compressed air is pilot operated switching valve 1
1 and the pilot operation switching valve 11 is in the second position 1
The output shaft 10A stops at the other end without switching to the first position 11A while maintaining the position at 1B.

With this operation, the oscillating actuator 10
The holding table 8 is engaged with the output shaft 10A protruding upward from the main body 10B and is rotated alternately in the left-right direction in FIG. There is no need to provide a member, and the entire stirrer can be reduced in size without a member for supporting the holding table 8 around the holding table 8. Further, the boss 8A of the holding table 8 is rotatably supported by the main body 10B of the oscillating actuator 10 via the thrust bearing 15, and the output shaft 10A is engaged with the holding table 8 without axial interference. As a result, the load on the holding table 8 on which the container 9 in which
0A can be prevented from acting in the axial direction, and the holding table 8 can be smoothly rotated. Further, the switching valve is a pilot operated switching valve 11 with a detent which is held at the first position 11A and the second position 11B, respectively, and the switching mechanism is configured to rotate the swing type actuator 10 to one end of the output shaft 10A. The first pilot valve 12 for switching the pilot operation switching valve 11 to the second position 11B by actuating the pilot compressed air on the pilot operation switching valve 11 by operation and the rotation of the oscillating actuator 10 to the other end of the output shaft 10A. A second pilot valve 13 for switching the pilot operation switching valve 11 to the first position 11A by actuating pilot compressed air on the pilot operation switching valve 11 in a dynamic manner. Operation switching valve 1
Shutoff valve 27 that shuts off the action of pilot compressed air on
Since the action of the pilot compressed air to the pilot operation switching valve 11 is shut off by the shutoff valve 27,
The pilot operation switching valve 11 does not switch to the first position 11A while maintaining the position in the second position 11B, and the output shaft 10
A can always be stopped at the other end, and the container 9 in which the stirring of the object to be stirred has been completed is removed from the holding table 8 and the container 9 is placed on the holding table 8 for stirring the object to be stirred. The worker can always carry out the work from a fixed direction, and even if the stirrer is installed in a narrow place between other installed objects, the container 9 can be easily removed and placed.

In one embodiment, the switching valve is a pilot operation switching valve 11 with a detent, and a pilot operation is performed by a first pilot valve 12 and a second pilot valve 13 that apply pilot compressed air to the pilot operation switching valve 11. Although a switching mechanism for switching the switching valve 11 is configured, the switching valve is a direct-acting electromagnetic switching valve, and the oscillating actuator 1
The switching mechanism may be constituted by a limit switch which issues a signal for switching the electromagnetic switching valve by rotating the output shaft 10A of the output shaft 10A to one end and the other end.
A shut-off valve 27 for shutting off pilot compressed air acting on the pilot operation switching valve 11 so that the output shaft 10A of the oscillating actuator 10 is always stopped at the other end. Needless to say, a shutoff valve for shutting off the pilot compressed air acting on the switching valve 11 may be provided so that the output shaft 10A of the oscillating actuator 10 is always stopped at one end.

[0019]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the first position in which one port of the oscillating actuator is switched to the supply source of fluid and the other port is switched to the low pressure side, and A switching valve having a second position for switchingly connecting one port of the dynamic actuator to a low pressure side and switchingly communicating the other port to a fluid supply source, wherein the switching valve is connected to one of the output shafts of the oscillating actuator; A switching mechanism for switching to the second position by turning to the end and switching to the first position by turning to the other end of the output shaft of the oscillating actuator is provided above the oscillating actuator main body. A member for supporting the holding table is provided around the holding table because the holding table, on which the container enclosing the object to be stirred is placed, is engaged with the output shaft that protrudes and is alternately rotated in the forward and reverse directions. It is not necessary to provide The entire agitator can be miniaturized without the presence of the member for supporting the holder in circumference.

In the invention according to claim 2, claim 1
In addition to the effects of the present invention, the holding table is rotatably supported by the main body of the oscillating actuator via the thrust bearing, and the output shaft of the oscillating actuator is engaged with the holding table without axial interference. Therefore, the load on the holding table on which the container enclosing the object to be stirred is placed does not act on the output shaft in the axial direction, and the holding table can be smoothly rotated.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the first aspect.
In addition to the effects of the invention according to the first aspect, the switching valve is a pilot operated switching valve with a detent which is held at the first position and the second position, and the switching mechanism is turned to one end of the output shaft of the oscillating actuator. The first pilot valve for switching the pilot operation switching valve to the second position by acting a pilot fluid on the pilot operation switching valve by actuation and the rotation of the output shaft of the oscillating actuator to the other end to the pilot operation switching valve A second pilot valve for operating the pilot operation switching valve to the first position by operating the pilot fluid, and the switching mechanism is configured to cut off the operation of the pilot fluid from the first pilot valve to the pilot operation switching valve. Alternatively, since a shut-off valve for shutting off the action of the pilot fluid from the second pilot valve to the pilot operation switching valve is provided, the pilot operation is switched by the shut-off valve. By interrupting the action of the pilot fluid to the pilot operation switching valve, the output shaft can always be stopped at one end or the other end without switching from the position where the position is held, and the stirring of the object to be stirred is completed. The operator can always remove the container from the holding table and place the container on the holding table to stir the object to be stirred from a certain direction. The container can be easily removed and placed even if it is installed in an appropriate place.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a stirrer showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an internal structural view of a part of a stirrer according to an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a pneumatic circuit diagram of the stirrer according to one embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 8 Holder 9 Container 10 Oscillating Actuator 10A Output Shaft 10B Main Body 10C One Port 10D The Other Port 11 Pilot Operation Switching Valve (Switching Valve) 11A First Position 11B Second Position 12 First Pilot Valve 13 Second Pilot Valve 15 Thrust bearing 27 Shut-off valve

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 3H081 AA21 BB01 CC23 DD18 FF23 FF26 FF48 4G036 AB18

Claims (3)

[Claims] An output shaft is rotated in a forward direction and stopped at one end by supplying a fluid from one port and discharging the fluid from the other port, and supplying the fluid from the other port. By discharging the fluid from the port, the output shaft is rotated in the opposite direction and stopped at the other end, and an oscillating actuator that protrudes the output shaft upward from the main body is provided. The holding table is engaged with the output shaft of the oscillating actuator so as to rotate the holding table on which the sealed container is placed, and one port of the oscillating actuator is switched to and connected to a fluid supply source while the other port is connected. A switching valve having a first position for switching communication between the low pressure side and a second position for switching communication of one port of the oscillating actuator to the low pressure side and switching communication of the other port to a fluid supply source. , Switching valve A switching mechanism is provided for switching to the second position by rotating the output shaft of the oscillating actuator to one end and switching to the first position by rotating the output shaft of the oscillating actuator to the other end. A stirrer characterized in that: 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the holding base is rotatably supported by a main body of the oscillating actuator via a thrust bearing, and an output shaft of the oscillating actuator is engaged with the holding base without axial interference. The stirrer according to claim 1, characterized in that: 3. The switching valve is a pilot-operated switching valve with a detent that is held at a first position and a second position, and the switching mechanism is rotated by pivoting one end of an output shaft of the oscillating actuator to the pilot. Pilot fluid is applied to the pilot operation switching valve by turning the pilot operation switching valve to the second position by operating a pilot fluid on the operation switching valve and the other end of the output shaft of the oscillating actuator. A second pilot valve that operates to switch the pilot operation switching valve to the first position. The switching mechanism shuts off the operation of the pilot fluid from the first pilot valve to the pilot operation switching valve, or switches the second pilot valve to the second position. The stirrer according to claim 1, further comprising a shut-off valve that shuts off a pilot fluid from the pilot valve to the pilot operation switching valve.