JP2007261807A - Device for supplying minute amount of powder - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device capable of supplying a minute amount of powder by using pneumatic conveyance. <P>SOLUTION: This device comprises a storage container 13 for storing a powder, a powder feed pipe 40 the lower end of which is disposed in the storage container 13 and the upper end of which is disposed outside the storage container 13, a first compressed air supply means for supplying compressed air into the storage container 13 from the lower side, and a second compressed air supply means for intermittently supplying the compressed air into the powder supply pipe. The power P in the storage container 13 is allowed to flow from the lower end of the powder supply pipe 40 into the powder supply pipe by the operation of the first and second compressed air supply means to supply it into an object to be supplied by pneumatic conveyance. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a fine powder supply apparatus that supplies a small amount of powder of, for example, several μm to a supply target.

In the field of coating by spraying powder dyes and pigments, and the field of compounding and blending powder chemicals and precious metals, supply devices that supply powder in a fixed amount are used. As this type of device, for example, a device using a screw feeder or a table feeder (Patent Document 1 or the like), a device that vibrates a container that stores powder (Patent Document 2 or the like), etc. Is known.
JP 2004-151118 A JP 2005-289632 A

  Various apparatuses for supplying powder as described above are known, but it is difficult to supply a small amount of any of them. For example, in the case of a supply device using a screw feeder, a device that supplies 50 to 100 g per hour is still commercially available, but there is no device that can supply powder in a trace amount of several g / h or less. Absent.

  In addition to the above, an apparatus for supplying powder by pneumatic conveyance is also known, but in order to convey a small amount of powder, an extremely fine powder feed pipe is required, and the powder is fed inside the pipe. Clogging is likely to occur. In addition, if the flow rate of compressed air is too small to supply a minute amount, the powder tends to stay in the powder feed pipe due to insufficient powder conveying force, and if the flow rate of compressed air is increased, a small amount of supply will not occur. It becomes difficult.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a fine powder supply device capable of supplying a small amount of powder using air conveyance.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has taken the following technical means.
That is, the fine powder supply apparatus of the present invention includes a storage container for storing powder, a powder feed pipe having a lower end disposed in the storage container and an upper end side disposed outside the storage container, and the storage First compressed air supply means for supplying compressed air from below into the container, and second compressed air supply means for intermittently supplying compressed air in the middle of the powder feed pipe, The operation of the first and second compressed air supply means allows the powder in the storage container to flow into the powder feed pipe from the lower end, air-transport, and supplied to the supply target. Features.

  The fine powder supply device of the present invention is characterized in that the first compressed air supply means is configured to intermittently supply compressed air from below in the storage container.

  The fine powder supply apparatus of the present invention is a compressed air continuously in the middle of the powder feed pipe and upstream of the position where the second compressed air supply means supplies compressed air in the powder conveying direction. Is provided with third compressed air supply means.

  The fine powder supply device of the present invention is characterized in that the third compressed air supply means is connected in the vicinity of the lower end of the powder feed pipe.

  In the fine powder supply device of the present invention, the supply flow rate of compressed air by the first and second compressed air supply means is set to be larger than the supply flow rate of compressed air by the third compressed air supply means. Features.

  In the fine powder supply device of the present invention, the first compressed air supply means and the second compressed air supply means are connected to a common compressed air supply source for generating compressed air, and the compressed air supply source. A common air flow pipe and a common on-off valve that is provided in the air flow pipe and opens and closes intermittently, and the air flow pipe branches downstream of the on-off valve in the air flow direction. One of the branched air flow pipes is connected to the lower part of the storage container, and the other is connected to the middle of the powder feed pipe.

  The fine powder supply apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that a throttle member for reducing the inner diameter of the lower end is provided at the lower end of the powder feed pipe.

  The fine powder supply device of the present invention is characterized in that the first compressed air supply means is configured to continuously supply a constant flow of compressed air from below in the storage container.

  The fine powder supply device of the present invention further includes a vibration mechanism for vibrating the storage container.

  In the fine powder supply device of the present invention, the storage container includes a ventilation member that allows passage of air and prevents passage of the powder, and the ventilation member lowers the powder in the storage container. The fine powder supply device according to claim 1, wherein the first compressed air supply means is configured to supply compressed air from the lower side of the ventilation member.

  According to the first aspect of the present invention, the first compressed air supply means allows the powder to flow from the lower end of the powder feed pipe and be conveyed upward. Further, the second compressed air supply means can increase the conveying force of the powder in the powder feeding tube, dilute and homogenize the powder in the powder feeding tube, and supply a small amount of powder. it can.

  According to the second aspect of the present invention, the compressed air is intermittently supplied by the first compressed air supply means, thereby causing the powder to flow into the powder feed pipe little by little, and repeatedly flowing and stopping. By making such a movement into powder, it can be conveyed while preventing clogging.

  According to the invention of claim 3, the third compressed air supply means smoothes the flow of the powder in the powder feed pipe and disperses the intermittently flowing powder to make it more uniform and diluted. be able to.

  According to the invention of claim 4, immediately after the powder flows into the lower end of the powder feed pipe, the powder is dispersed by the third compressed air supply means, and the powder is spread over substantially the entire powder feed pipe. It can be transported smoothly without clogging.

  According to the invention of claim 5, by increasing the supply flow rate of the compressed air by the first and second compressed air supply means, a large force is instantaneously applied to the powder to flow into the powder feed pipe and On the other hand, since this compressed air is intermittent, the amount of powder flowing in the powder feed pipe can be made very small and the flow rate can be lowered. Conversely, by reducing the compressed air supply flow rate by the third compressed air supply means, the powder can be smoothly conveyed without excessively increasing the flow rate of the powder.

  According to the invention of claim 6, since the compressed air supply source, the air flow pipe, and the on-off valve are shared between the first compressed air supply means and the second compressed air supply means, the structure can be simplified and Cost can be reduced.

  According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, the throttle member can prevent a large amount of powder from flowing in from the lower end of the powder feed pipe, and further, the inner diameter is enlarged after passing through the throttle member. , Powder clogging can be prevented.

  According to the eighth aspect of the invention, since compressed air is continuously supplied into the storage container, the powder can be allowed to flow into the powder feed pipe by a substantially constant amount.

  According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, for example, in order to allow a small amount of powder to flow into the powder feed pipe, the amount of compressed air supplied by the first compressed air supply means is reduced, whereby the amount of compressed air in the powder container is reduced. Even if the fluidization of the powder becomes insufficient, the powder is less likely to be biased and reduced in the storage container by vibrating the storage container by the vibration mechanism.

  According to the invention of claim 10, the compressed air can be supplied to the powder on the ventilation member substantially uniformly by the first compressed air supply means, and the powder aggregates or closes in the storage container. Can be prevented.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of a fine powder supply device 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The supply device 11 includes a storage container 13 that can store powder on an upper portion of the device body 12. The apparatus main body 12 is formed in a substantially cubic frame shape by joining a plurality of frame members 14 such as angle members, and has an instrument panel 15 on the front surface. The instrument panel 15 is provided with a pressure gauge 16, a flow meter 17, a timer 18, and the like. A portable wheel 19 with a stopper is provided at the lower part of the apparatus main body 12. The storage container 13 is fixed on a substrate 20 provided on the upper surface of the apparatus main body 12.

  FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the storage container 13. The storage container 13 has a cylindrical container body 22 with flanges 30 and 33 projecting from upper and lower ends, and a lid for closing the upper opening of the container body 22. A body 23, a cover plate 24 that closes the lower opening of the container main body 22, and a ventilation member 25 disposed slightly above the cover plate 24 in the container main body 22 are provided.

  The container body 22 is made of a metal such as stainless steel and has an overall height of about 80 mm and an outer diameter of the body portion of about 60 mm. Moreover, the container main body 22 is comprised by joining the upper side cylinder part 27, the lower side cylinder part 28, and the funnel part 29 to the up-down direction in order from the top. The upper cylindrical portion 27 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and includes a flange portion 30 protruding outward in the radial direction at the outer peripheral portion at the upper end. The lower cylinder part 28 is formed in a cylindrical shape having a slightly larger diameter than the upper cylinder part 27, and the lower cylinder part 28 and the upper cylinder part 27 are joined to absorb the difference in diameter between the two. A ring 31 is interposed.

  The funnel portion 29 is formed in a conical shape in which the upper inner surface 29a is inclined so that the inner diameter decreases as it goes downward, and the lower inner surface 29b is formed in a cylindrical shape having a larger diameter than the minimum inner diameter of the upper inner surface 29a. A step 29c is formed between the upper inner surface 29a and the lower inner surface 29b. The inclination angle of the upper inner surface 29a is about 45 °. A flange portion 33 protruding outward in the radial direction is formed on the outer periphery of the lower end of the funnel portion 29. The flange portion 33 is fixed to the substrate 20 with bolts 34 while being placed on the substrate 20 of the apparatus main body 12.

  The cover plate 24 is a plate material having a circular shape in plan view, and an outer peripheral portion thereof is fixed to the lower surface of the funnel portion 29 via bolts 35. An opening 20 a is formed in the substrate 20 at a portion where the cover plate 24 is attached. A first air flow pipe 41 described later is connected to the cover plate 24 on the center line of the container body 22.

  The ventilation member 25 is provided inside the ring-shaped support frame 25a, and allows passage of air but prevents passage of the powder P in the container body 22. The support frame 25a is sandwiched between the cover plate 24 and the stepped portion 29c via an O-ring 36. As the ventilation member 25, for example, a plurality of sintered wire nets combined in an overlapping manner can be used.

  The lid body 23 is formed in a disk shape in plan view having substantially the same outer diameter as the flange portion 30 at the upper end portion of the container body 22, and a seal member 37 is provided between the upper surface of the container body 22 and the lower surface of the lid body 23. Is fixed to the container main body 22 by a clamp tool 38.

  A powder feed pipe 40 and a third air flow pipe 43 are integrally fixed to the lid body 23. The powder feed pipe 40 is formed of a straight pipe material such as stainless steel, and is arranged in the vertical direction and penetrates the center of the lid body 23 in the vertical direction. The lower end portion of the powder feeding pipe 40 is disposed at a lower position in the container main body 22, specifically, in the region of the upper inner surface 29 a of the funnel portion 29 with an interval upward from the ventilation member 25. Further, the lower end portion of the powder feeding pipe 40 faces the first air flow pipe 41.

  At the lower end portion of the powder feed pipe 40, a throttle member 45 for reducing the inner diameter of the powder feed pipe 40 is provided. An upper end portion of the powder feeding tube 40 protrudes upward from the lid body 23. The powder feed pipe 40 has an inner diameter of about 4 mm and a length of 140 mm, for example, and the inner diameter of the throttle member 45 is about 2 mm, which is about half of the powder feed pipe 40.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a second air flow pipe 42 is connected to the powder feed pipe 40 via a T-shaped joint pipe 46.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the third air flow pipe 43 is arranged in parallel with the powder feed pipe 40 and has an upper pipe 47 and a lower pipe 48. The lower pipe 48 has an upper end fixed to the lid 23, extends vertically downward from the lid 23, and has a lower end bent by about 90 ° and connected to the vicinity of the lower end of the powder feeding pipe 40. The upper tube 47 has a lower end fixed to the lid body 23 and extends vertically upward from the lid body 23, and the upper tube 47 and the lower tube 48 communicate with each other via the lid body 23. The upper tube 47 has the same inner diameter as that of the powder feeding tube 40, and the lower tube 48 is thinner than the upper tube 47. For example, the inner diameter can be about 2 mm.

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the supply device 11. The supply device 11 includes a compressed air supply source 50 such as a blower or a compressor that generates compressed air. A main air flow pipe 51 is connected to the compressed air supply source 50, and two sub air flow pipes 52 and 53 and a pressure gauge 57 are connected to the main air flow pipe 51. Both sub air flow pipes 52 and 53 are provided with flow meters 17 and 17 and a flow rate adjusting valve 54, respectively, so that the flow rate of air flowing through the pipes 52 and 53 can be adjusted.

  An on-off valve 55 such as a solenoid valve is provided in the middle of one of the sub air flow pipes 53, and the downstream side is branched to the first and second air flow pipes 41 and 42. As described above, the first air flow pipe 41 is connected to the lower portion of the storage container 13, and the second air flow pipe 42 is connected to the middle of the powder feed pipe 40.

  The lid 23 of the storage container 13 is provided with a pressure gauge 56 that measures the pressure in the storage container 13. The on-off valve 55 is opened and closed by the timer 18 at a predetermined timing.

  Here, the compressed air supply source 50, the main air flow pipe 51, the sub air flow pipe 53, the on-off valve 55, the first air flow pipe 41 and the like constitute a first compressed air supply means, and the compressed air supply source 50, The main air flow pipe 51, the sub air flow pipe 53, the on-off valve 55, the second air flow pipe 42, and the like constitute a second compressed air supply means. The compressed air supply source 50, the main air flow pipe 51, the sub air flow The pipe 52, the third air flow pipe 43, and the like constitute third compressed air supply means.

<Operational effects of this embodiment>
Next, the effect of the powder supply apparatus 11 having the above configuration will be described.
As shown in FIG. 3, the powder P is stored in the storage container 13 in a state of being placed on the ventilation member 25. The lower end portion of the powder feeding tube 40 is disposed in the powder P and opens downward in the powder P. Then, the compressed air supply source 50 is operated, and the compressed air is sent to both the auxiliary air flow pipes 52 and 53 while adjusting the flow rate by the flow rate adjusting valve 54.

  The compressed air flowing through one of the sub air flow pipes 53 intermittently flows into the first and second air flow pipes 41 and 42 by the on-off valve 55 that opens and closes at the timing set by the timer 18. This timing can be set at intervals of about 0.4 seconds, for example. The intermittent compressed air flowing through the first air flow pipe 41 acts to intermittently push up the powder P on the ventilation member 25 through the ventilation member 25 from the lower end of the storage container 13. Due to this action, the powder P enters the powder feed tube 40 from the lower end by a minute amount and is given an intermittent conveying force upward.

  At this time, if the compressed air is continuously sent from the lower side of the ventilation member 25, the powder P continuously flows into the powder feed pipe 40, and the inside of the fine powder feed pipe 40 Although the possibility of clogging is increased, by intermittently sending compressed air from the lower side of the ventilation member 25, the powder is caused to flow into the powder feed pipe 40 little by little, and the flow and stop are repeated. It is possible to convey the powder while preventing clogging by making the powder move smoothly.

  In addition, a throttle member 45 (FIG. 2) is provided at the lower end of the powder feed pipe 40, and the inner diameter is narrowed by the throttle member 45, so that only a small amount of powder P is contained in the powder feed pipe 40. Since the inner diameter increases after passing through the throttle member 45, clogging of the powder P can be prevented.

  The intermittent compressed air sent from the second air flow pipe 42 to the powder feed pipe 40 gives a further conveying force to the powder P in the powder feed pipe 40 and the powder feed pipe 40. The powder concentration inside is made uniform and diluted.

  The compressed air continuously sent from the other sub-air flow pipe 52 flows into the third air flow pipe 43 from the upper end portion, flows downward, and flows into the powder feed pipe 40 from the lower portion. Since the lower end portion of the powder feed pipe 40 is closed by the powder P, the compressed air flows upward in the powder feed pipe 40 as indicated by an arrow a. Due to the upward flow, the powder P in the powder feed tube 40 is more smoothly transported upward, and the powder concentration in the powder feed tube 40 is further diluted and made uniform.

  In addition, since the third air flow pipe 43 is connected to the vicinity of the lower end of the powder feed pipe 40, the action of the compressed air from the third air flow pipe 43 is applied over substantially the entire powder feed pipe 40. be able to.

  The powder P conveyed through the powder feed pipe 40 is extremely thin from the end of the powder feed pipe 40 (the end when a hose or the like is connected to the powder feed pipe 40). It is discharged as smoke. Accordingly, it is possible to supply the powder P to the supply location in minute amounts. Although the supply amount of the supply device 11 depends on the type of powder, it can be, for example, several μg to several g per hour.

  The air flow rate of the third air flow pipe 43 is set smaller than the air flow rates of the first and second air flow pipes 41 and 42. For example, one sub air flow pipe 52 connected to the third air flow pipe 43 is supplied with compressed air at a flow rate of about 1 L / min and is connected to the first and second air flow pipes 41 and 42. Compressed air is sent to the other sub air flow pipe 53 at a flow rate of about 2 to 3 L / min, which is higher than that of the one sub air flow pipe 52.

  As a result, the compressed air of the first and second air flow pipes 41 and 42 can momentarily apply a large force to the powder, and promote the inflow and conveyance to the powder feed pipe 40. On the other hand, since this compressed air is intermittent, the amount of powder flowing in the powder feed pipe 40 can be made very small as a whole, and the flow rate can be lowered. By reducing the supply flow rate of the compressed air through the third air flow pipe 43, the powder P can be smoothly conveyed without excessively increasing the flow velocity.

<Other effects>
(1) Since the powder feed pipe 40 is formed of a straight pipe material and is arranged in the vertical direction, the powder feed pipe 40 is arranged at the lower part in the storage container 13 with a simple structure. The lower end can be arranged appropriately.

  (2) Since the powder feed pipe 40 and the third air flow pipe 43 are integrally fixed to the lid body 23, the powder feed pipe 40 is simultaneously removed by removing the lid body 23 from the storage container 13. And the third air flow pipe 43 can be extracted from the storage container 13. Therefore, the replenishment operation | work of the powder P to the storage container 13 etc. can be performed easily.

  (3) Since the powder feed pipe 40 and the third air flow pipe 43 protrude upward from the lid body 23 of the storage container 13, the second air flow pipe 42 and other hoses for the powder feed pipe 40 are used. Etc., the connection of the sub air flow pipe 52 to the third air flow pipe 43, and the like can be easily performed.

  (4) As shown in FIG. 1, most of the pipes such as the air flow pipes are arranged in the frame of the apparatus main body 12, and thereby the supply apparatus 11 can be configured compactly. Moreover, internal piping work can be easily performed by making the apparatus main body 12 into a frame shape.

  (5) The compressed air to the first to third air flow pipes 41 to 43 is generated by the common compressed air supply source 50, and further to the first and second air flow pipes 41 and 42. The intermittent compressed air is generated by the common on-off valve 55. Therefore, compared with the case where the compressed air supply source 50 and the on-off valve 55 are individually provided for each of the air flow pipes 41 to 43, simplification of the apparatus and cost reduction can be achieved.

  (6) The supply device 11 does not discharge powder downward from the storage container 13, but discharges powder upward from the lower part of the storage container 13 through the powder feed pipe 40. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the powder P from being clogged in the lower part of the storage container 13 or the bridge from being reduced.

[Second Embodiment]
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a powder microfeeder 11 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. In the present embodiment, the third air flow pipe 43 protrudes from the side instead of from the upper part of the storage container 13. Further, the second air flow pipe 42 is connected to the powder supply pipe 40 in the storage container 13. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, and there are substantially the same effects as those of the first embodiment.

[Third Embodiment]
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a powder microfeeder 11 according to the third embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the storage container 13 of the third embodiment. In the present embodiment, the third compressed air supply means (third air flow pipe 43) in the first embodiment is omitted, and a vibration mechanism 60 is newly added. Further, the first air flow pipe 41 is continuously supplied with compressed air having a substantially constant flow rate, and the structure of the storage container 13 is slightly different. Details will be described below.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the storage container 13 includes a cylindrical container main body 22 with flange portions 30 and 33 projecting from upper and lower ends, and a lid that closes the upper opening of the container main body 22, as in the first embodiment. A body 23, a cover plate 24 that closes the lower opening of the container main body 22, and a ventilation member 25 disposed slightly above the cover plate 24 in the container main body 17 are provided. However, the container body 22 does not include the upper cylinder part 27, the lower cylinder part 28, and the joining ring 31 as shown in FIG. A cylindrical portion 26 is provided, and a funnel portion 29 is joined to the lower end portion of the cylindrical portion 26.

  Further, the lid 23 has no third air flow pipe 43 as shown in FIG. 2, and only the powder feed pipe 40 is fixed. The structure of the other storage container 13 is the same as that of 1st Embodiment (FIG. 2).

  The storage container 13 is not provided on the apparatus main body 12 shown in FIG. 1, but is provided on the vibration mechanism 60 (FIG. 5). Specifically, the flange portion 33 of the storage container 13 is fixed to the substrate 63 with bolts 34 while being placed on the substrate 63 of the vibration mechanism 60. An opening 63a is formed in the substrate 63, and the cover plate 24 is disposed in the opening 63a.

  The powder feed tube 40 of the present embodiment has an inner diameter of about 2 mm, for example, and is thinner than the first embodiment. 2 is not provided at the lower end portion of the powder feed pipe 40 (however, it can be provided). A lower end portion of the powder feeding tube 40 is disposed in the powder P. A second air flow pipe 42 is connected to the powder feed pipe 40 above the lid body 23 via a T-shaped joint pipe 46.

  As shown in FIG. 5, a main air flow pipe 51 is connected to the compressed air supply source 50, and sub air flow pipes 52 and 53, a pressure gauge 57, and an air chamber 49 are connected to the main air flow pipe 51. Is connected. The sub air flow pipes 52 and 53 are respectively provided with a flow meter 17 and a flow rate adjusting valve 54 so that the flow rate of air flowing through the pipes 52 and 53 can be adjusted.

  One sub air flow pipe 53 is connected to the lower part of the storage container 13 as the first air flow pipe 41 as it is. The other air flow pipe 52 is provided with an open / close valve 55 that is opened and closed intermittently by the timer 18, and the second air flow pipe 42 is connected to the downstream side thereof. The lid 23 of the storage container 13 is provided with a pressure gauge 56 that measures the pressure in the storage container 13.

  Here, in the present embodiment, the compressed air supply source 50, the main air flow pipe 51, the air chamber 49, the sub air flow pipe 53, the first air flow pipe 41 and the like constitute the first compressed air supply means, and the compressed air The supply source 50, the main air flow pipe 51, the air chamber 49, the sub air flow pipe 52, the second air flow pipe 42, the on-off valve 55 and the like constitute second compressed air supply means.

  In the first and second air flow pipes 41 and 42, compressed air having substantially the same flow rate, for example, about 0.3 to 3 L / min flows. However, while a constant flow rate of compressed air continuously flows in the first air flow pipe 41, the compressed air flows intermittently in the second air flow pipe 42 by the opening / closing valve 55. Yes. The first and second air flow tubes 41 and 42 have substantially the same inner diameter (for example, about 2 mm).

  As shown in FIG. 5, the vibration mechanism 60 includes a main body 61, an elastic support 62 that elastically supports the main body 61 from below, a substrate 63, and a vibration generator 64 that vibrates the substrate 63. And have. The elastic support part 62 is constituted by a plurality of leg parts 65 extending downward from the bottom surface of the main body part 61, and the leg parts 65 are constituted by compression coil springs. The substrate 63 is formed in a substantially square shape by an upper portion extending in the horizontal direction and a lower portion extending obliquely downward from the upper portion. The storage container 13 is connected to the upper portion of the substrate 63, and the lower end of the substrate 63 is fixed to one side portion of the main body 61 with a bolt or the like.

  The vibration generating unit 64 intermittently attracts the substrate 63 by passing a current intermittently (for example, several times to several tens of times per second) through the coil of the electromagnet 64a, and the substrate 63 is indicated by an arrow a. Vibrate like so. As a result, the storage container 13 attached to the substrate 63 is vibrated together.

<Operational effects of the third embodiment>
The compressed air supply source 50 is operated, the compressed air is sent to the auxiliary air flow pipes 52 and 53 while adjusting the flow rate by the flow rate adjusting valve 54, and the first air flow pipe 41 is continuously compressed at a constant flow rate. The air flows, and compressed air flows through the second air flow pipe 42 intermittently by the opening / closing valve 55 that opens and closes at the timing set by the timer 18.

  The compressed air flowing through the first air flow pipe 41 fluidizes (suspends and suspends) the powder P in the storage container 13 and pushes it up so that only a small amount flows into the powder feed pipe 40 for air conveyance. . At this time, in the first embodiment, since compressed air is intermittently sent from the first air flow pipe 41, the powder P flowing into the powder feed pipe 40 is likely to be shaded. In this embodiment, since compressed air is continuously sent, such a light and shade is unlikely to occur, and the powder P can flow into the powder feed pipe 40 substantially uniformly.

  The intermittent compressed air sent from the second air flow pipe 42 to the powder feed pipe 40 gives further conveying force to the powder P in the powder feed pipe 40 as in the first embodiment. At the same time, the powder concentration in the powder feed tube 40 is further diluted.

  By the way, in 1st Embodiment demonstrated previously, although clogging of the powder P in the powder supply pipe | tube 40 was prevented by sending compressed air intermittently from the 1st air flow pipe | tube 41, In the present embodiment, since compressed air is continuously sent from the first air flow pipe 41, there is a possibility that clogging is likely to occur. Therefore, when the powder feed pipe 40 is clogged, it is necessary to reduce the air flow rate.

  However, if the air flow rate to the first air flow pipe 41 is decreased, the powder P in the storage container 13 is not sufficiently fluidized, and the powder P stored in the storage container 13 is removed from the central side of the storage container 13. It decreases and remains in a state of being biased in the vicinity of the inner wall, and there is a high possibility that it cannot be completely discharged.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, while the powder P is being transported, the vibration mechanism 60 is operated at the same time, whereby the storage container 13 is vibrated, and the powder P in the container 13 is also vibrated. Thus, the powder P is leveled so as not to be biased so that the powder P in the storage container 13 can be completely discharged.

  In other words, even when the flow rate of the compressed air supplied from the first air flow pipe 41 is reduced to prevent clogging of the powder feed pipe 40 by providing the vibration mechanism 60 as in the present embodiment, the storage is performed. Unevenness of the powder P in the container 13 can be prevented.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be appropriately changed in design. For example, the flow rate of air flowing through the air flow pipes 41 to 43, the opening and closing timing of the on-off valve 55, the dimensions of the storage container 13, the powder feed pipe 40, the air flow pipes 41 to 43, etc. are merely examples. Thus, the present invention is not limited to this.

  The supply device of the present invention is used to spray and supply powder pigments (paints), for example, for painting and creating design images, or to spray and supply fine powder additives and catalysts for chemical reaction of chemicals etc. It can be used to do. Further, as another application, a device for dropping molten metal silicon to produce spherical silicon can be used to blow powdered silicon into the device in order to promote solidification of the spherical silicon.

1 is an overall perspective view of a powder supply apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a storage container. It is the schematic of a powder supply apparatus. It is the schematic of the powder supply apparatus concerning 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is the schematic of the powder supply apparatus concerning 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a storage container.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Powder supply apparatus 13 Storage container 40 Powder supply pipe 41 1st air flow pipe 42 2nd air flow pipe 43 3rd air flow pipe 50 Compressed air supply source 55 On-off valve 60 Vibration mechanism

Claims (10)

A storage container for storing powder, a powder feed pipe having a lower end disposed in the storage container and an upper end side disposed outside the storage container, and a first for supplying compressed air from below into the storage container Compressed air supply means, and second compressed air supply means for intermittently supplying compressed air in the middle of the powder feed pipe,
By the operation of the first and second compressed air supply means, the powder in the storage container flows into the powder feed pipe from the lower end, is conveyed by air, and is supplied to the supply target. A powder microfeeder characterized by the above.   The fine powder supply device according to claim 1, wherein the first compressed air supply means is configured to intermittently supply compressed air from below in the storage container.   Third compressed air supply means for continuously supplying compressed air to the upstream side in the powder conveying direction from the position where the second compressed air supply means supplies compressed air in the middle of the powder feed pipe. The fine powder supply device according to claim 2, comprising:   The fine powder supply apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the third compressed air supply means is connected to a vicinity of a lower end of the powder feed pipe.   The powder according to claim 3, wherein a supply flow rate of compressed air by the first and second compressed air supply means is set to be larger than a supply flow rate of compressed air by the third compressed air supply means. Body tracer.   The first compressed air supply means and the second compressed air supply means have a common compressed air supply source for generating compressed air, a common air flow pipe connected to the compressed air supply source, and the air flow A common on-off valve provided on the pipe and opened and closed intermittently, and the air flow pipe branches downstream of the on-off valve in the air flow direction, and one of the branched air flow pipes The fine powder supply apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the fine powder supply apparatus is connected to a lower part of the storage container, and the other is connected to the middle of the powder feed pipe.   2. The fine powder supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a lower end of the powder feed pipe is provided with a throttle member for reducing the inner diameter of the lower end.   The fine powder supply device according to claim 1, wherein the first compressed air supply means is configured to continuously supply a constant flow rate of compressed air from below in the storage container.   The fine powder supply apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a vibration mechanism that vibrates the storage container. The storage container includes a ventilation member that allows passage of air and prevents passage of powder therein, and the ventilation member receives the powder in the storage container from below,
The fine powder supply device according to claim 1, wherein the first compressed air supply means is configured to supply compressed air from below the ventilation member.

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