JP2004008844A - Multiliquid mixing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a multiliquid mixing apparatus in which various viscous liquids such as coating materials and ink can be weighed/mixed and fed without causing a back flow or fluctuation in injection accuracy even when the liquids are made to flow into a manifold with various predetermined injection amounts. <P>SOLUTION: The multiliquid mixing apparatus is equipped with tanks 6 each charged with one of a plurality of liquid fluids, a first quantitative pump group 4 to respectively distribute the plurality of liquid fluids, a manifold 11 where the liquid fluids weighed by the quantitative pump group 4 merge, a second quantitative pump 10 disposed on the exit of the manifold 11, and a mixing means 12 connected to the quantitative pump 10. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a multi-liquid mixing device for measuring, mixing, and supplying a plurality of liquids for a viscous liquid such as paint and ink in the same device. The apparatus of the present invention is particularly suitable for automatic metering toning using a primary color coating and supply of a toning coating by mixing.
[0002]
[Prior art and its problems]
As a device for mixing and mixing each primary color paint in the toning of a paint, a manual metering and toning machine of a piston displacement type and an automatic metering and toning machine using a metering gear pump have been conventionally used. The former toning machine requires a lot of man-hours because it weighs by adjusting the scale of the piston for each primary color, and the latter one weighs and discharges each primary color paint at the same time according to instructions from the computer. However, since a device for stirring and mixing the primary color paints is separately provided, it also requires time and labor.
[0003]
Therefore, it has been studied to perform the automatic weighing and the mixing and agitation using the same apparatus, and for example, it has been proposed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-500092. According to this device, the time required for weighing and mixing in the toning operation can be reduced, and the productivity can be increased.
[0004]
However, the metering gear pump usually used at the time of the automatic metering has the following problems. That is, the metering gear pump uses a gear for quantitatively transporting a liquid fluid such as a primary color paint, and the sliding portion between the gear and the housing is provided with a minimum clearance for rotation. The processing accuracy of the clearance is determined by the viscosity of the fluid, the required discharge amount, or the discharge accuracy. Since this clearance increases with time due to various loads such as friction, slippage (idling state) occurs due to this clearance, and a discharge amount corresponding to the number of rotations of the gear should be supplied. There was a problem that the value became small. When there is a load on the discharge side of the gear pump, for example, (1) the discharge nozzle has a thin needle shape, (2) the supply hose connected to the discharge side is very long, and various liquid fluids join at the discharge side of the gear pump. In a case where the internal pressure becomes extremely high with a manifold that performs the above operation, the above problem becomes conspicuous when a low-viscosity liquid is present in a plurality of liquid fluids or when a low discharge amount is set among a plurality of liquid fluids. In an extreme case, a high-discharge-rate liquid fluid flows back to a low-discharge-rate liquid fluid path in a manifold where various types of liquid fluids merge, and as a result, the low-discharge-volume liquid fluid is almost completely discharged. There is a problem that the ejection is not performed, and even if the ejection is performed, the ejection amount corresponding to the original rotation speed cannot be secured, and the ejection accuracy varies.
[0005]
An object of the present invention is to measure, mix, and supply viscous liquids such as paints and inks without causing backflow or variations in discharge accuracy even when a plurality of types of liquids flow into the manifold at various discharge amount settings. It is to provide a multi-liquid mixing device that can be used.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention
1. A tank filled with a plurality of liquid fluids, a first metering pump group for distributing the plurality of liquid fluids respectively, a manifold where the liquid fluids measured by the metering pump groups merge, and an outlet of the manifold. A multi-liquid mixing device, comprising: a second metering pump provided; and mixing means connected to the metering pump.
2. 2. The multi-liquid mixing device according to claim 1, wherein a total discharge amount of the first metering pump group is set to be equal to a discharge amount of the second metering pump.
3. 2. The multi-liquid mixing device according to claim 1, wherein the mixing means is a static mixer or a power mixer.
4. 2. The multi-liquid mixing device according to claim 1, wherein the first metering pump group includes means for switching and selecting two or more pumps according to the set discharge amount for the same liquid fluid,
5. A method for supplying a toned paint, wherein the plurality of liquid fluids are a plurality of primary color paints, and the multi-liquid mixing device according to any one of 1 to 4 is used.
6. 6. An input command of a desired color and a desired amount is transmitted to a first pump group for distributing these primary color paints from a database created in advance as a toning command from a database prepared in advance. Supply method of toning paint,
About.
[0007]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
In the present invention, in addition to the first metering pump group for respectively supplying the liquid fluid filled in each tank, the second metering pump is provided at the outlet of the manifold where the liquid fluids measured by the metering pump group merge. Install a pump. The discharge rate of each of the first and second metering pumps can be controlled by the control device so that the total discharge rate of the first metering pump group is equal to the discharge rate of the second metering pump. It is possible to set. In the case of a gear pump, a frequency signal corresponding to the number of revolutions at which a desired discharge rate is obtained can be sent to the control device to drive both gear pumps.
[0008]
With the installation of the second metering pump, even if a plurality of liquid fluids flow into the manifold at various discharge rate settings in the first metering pump group, the same flow rate as the total discharge amount of the first metering pump group is maintained. It is possible to drain immediately in the second metering pump. As a result, the internal pressure in the manifold can always be maintained near zero, and as a result, the quantitativeness of the first metering pump group that supplies each liquid fluid is ensured, and further, the back pressure is applied to the first metering pump group. It is possible to avoid a phenomenon in which the clearance of the fixed-quantity gear pump is reversely flowed.
[0009]
The mixing means connected to the second metering pump is not particularly limited as long as it is a conventionally known mixing device. Usually, a static mixer or a power mixer can be appropriately selected and used depending on the viscosity of the liquid fluid. .
[0010]
When the mixing ratio of the liquid fluids is largely different, for example, when the mixing ratio of the two primary color paints is A: B = 10: 1 or 1:10, the first metering pump group improves the discharge amount accuracy. From the point of view, a means for switching and selecting two or more pumps (for example, a pump for a low discharge amount and a pump for a high discharge amount) according to the set discharge amount for the same liquid fluid may be provided.
[0011]
It is desirable to secure the supply path of the cleaning thinner and the compressed air so that the path from the junction in the manifold to the mixing device can be cleaned by the cleaning thinner or the intermittent supply of the compressed air after the mixing is completed.
[0012]
When a plurality of liquid fluids are a plurality of primary color paints using the apparatus of the present invention, a desired toning paint can be measured and mixed and supplied. In that case, control using a conventionally known toning system is possible. The interlocking with the toning system is based on the input of the order command of the desired color and the desired amount, the first pump group which distributes these primary color paints from the database prepared in advance as the mixing amount of the primary color paints from the database prepared in advance. This is performed by being transmitted to.
[0013]
【Example】
Hereinafter, the present invention will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a multi-liquid mixing apparatus showing one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of switching of a first metering pump in another embodiment of the present invention.
[0014]
In FIG. 1, reference numeral 2 denotes a control device (controller) having a built-in automatic weighing and toning system, 6 denotes a tank filled with each primary color paint (color paste), 4 denotes a first metering gear pump group, 11 denotes a manifold, and 10 denotes a manifold. A second metering gear pump, 12 indicates a static mixer, respectively. Each color paste filled in each paint tank 6 is sucked out by the metering gear pump 4 and circulated through the three-way valve 7.
[0015]
When the desired paint color and amount are input from the touch panel 1, the CPU 3 built in the controller 2 selects the color paste necessary for the toning of the paint color and simultaneously calculates the mixing ratio and amount of each color paste, The frequency of the inverter 5 that drives the first fixed-quantity gear pump 4 that discharges each color paste is determined.
[0016]
When the discharge start button 8 is pressed, the CPU 3 having received the contact signal immediately sends out a pilot signal for switching the required three-way valve 7 of the color paste, and at the same time, the total discharge amount of each color paste discharged to the manifold 11 at the same time. A frequency signal corresponding to the rotation speed at which the same discharge amount is obtained is sent to the inverter 9 to drive the second metering gear pump 10.
[0017]
The color pastes are simultaneously sent out to the manifold 11 and sent to the second fixed-quantity gear pump 10 while being merged, mixed sufficiently by the static mixer 12, supplied to the paint can, and filled.
[0018]
The manifold 11 incorporates a two-way valve 13 for supplying compressed air and a two-way valve 14 for supplying cleaning thinner. When a series of operations is completed, the controller 2 controls the controller 2 to prepare for the next toning supply. By switching between the two-way valve 13 for supplying compressed air and the two-way valve 14 for supplying the cleaning thinner, the cleaning thinner is transferred from the junction in the manifold 11 to the static mixer 12 via the second metering gear pump 10. And intermittent supply of compressed air for cleaning. By applying a flushable type gear pump to the second fixed-quantity gear pump 10, it is possible to enhance the cleanability of the inside of the gear and prevent problems such as contamination of the toning paint.
[0019]
In FIG. 2, when the set discharge amount of the color paste filled in the paint tank 6 becomes a low discharge amount (usually 50 cc / min or less), the fixed amount gear pump 4b is selected, and the medium / high discharge amount (normally 50 cc / min) is selected. If it exceeds, the amount is switched to selectively drive the fixed-quantity gear pump of the fixed-quantity gear pump 4a.
[0020]
In the above case, usually, the color paste filled in the paint tank 6 ′ has a minimum discharge amount (the minimum discharge amount that can suppress the sedimentation by driving the fixed discharge gear pump 4 a, which is a high discharge amount compatible type, in order to prevent the sedimentation. (For example, about 100 cc / min) and circulates through the three-way valve 7. The required discharge amount of the color paste filled in the paint tank 6 'is calculated from the mixing ratio and the total discharge amount of each color paste necessary for the desired toning, and the appropriate fixed gear pump 4a or 4b is operated according to the discharge amount range. You can choose.
[0021]
【The invention's effect】
According to the apparatus of the present invention, for viscous liquids such as paints and inks, even if a plurality of types of liquids are flowed into the manifold at various discharge amount settings, there is no backflow or variation in discharge accuracy, and measurement and mixing are performed. Can supply. In addition, since the accuracy is secured without using a high-precision gear pump, the cost performance of the device is improved. Further, even if the clearance of the first metering gear pump increases with time, it does not significantly affect the discharge accuracy, and as a result, the life of the metering pump can be extended. The apparatus of the present invention is particularly useful for automatic metering toning using a primary color paint and supply of a toned paint by mixing, etc., and a finished product can be obtained very easily.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a multi-liquid mixing apparatus showing one embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a first metering pump switching in another embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 touch panel 2 controller 3 CPU
4 Metering gear pump 4a, 4b Metering gear pump 5 Inverter 6, 6 'Primary color paint tank 7 Three-way valve 8 Discharge start button 9 Inverter 10 Metering gear pump 11 Manifold 12 Static mixer 13 Two-way valve (for compressed air supply)
14 Two-way valve (for cleaning thinner supply)

Claims (6)

A tank filled with a plurality of liquid fluids, a first metering pump group for distributing the plurality of liquid fluids, a manifold where the liquid fluids measured by the metering pump groups merge, and an outlet of the manifold. A multi-liquid mixing device, comprising: a second metering pump provided; and mixing means connected to the metering pump. The multi-liquid mixing device according to claim 1, wherein the total discharge amount of the first metering pump group is set to be equal to the discharge amount of the second metering pump. The multi-liquid mixing device according to claim 1, wherein the mixing means is a static mixer or a power mixer. 2. The multi-liquid mixing device according to claim 1, wherein the first metering pump group includes means for switching and selecting two or more pumps according to a set discharge amount for the same liquid fluid. 5. A method for supplying a toned paint using the multi-liquid mixing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of liquid fluids are a plurality of primary color paints. 6. The input of an order command for a desired color and a desired amount, a blending amount of each primary color paint is transmitted as a toning command to a first pump group that distributes these primary color paints from a database created in advance. Supply method of toning paint.

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