JP2008213892A - Granular material filling system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce a space for setting a granular material filling system, while improving an efficiency of use of the system. <P>SOLUTION: The granular material filling system 10 comprises: a base 11, a turn table 13 rotatably provided on the base 11, hoppers 27Y, 27M, 27C, 27Bk which store granular materials; and a plurality of granular material filling devices 21Y, 21M, 21C, 21Bk which charge toner into containers C placed on a seat, installed on the turn table 13 while having augers to discharge toner stored in the hoppers. The number of seats is smaller than the number of granular material filling devices, and of the plurality of granular material filling devices, a selected granular material filling device is rotated by the rotation of the turn table 13 to stop right above the seat. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a granular material filling system that fills a bag or a container with a selected granular material among several types of granular materials.

  Conventionally, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, and the like include powdery and granular (generically referred to as “powdered bodies”). In general, these powder particles are often handled by being packed in bags or containers (collectively referred to as “containers”).

  As an example of an apparatus for packing powder particles in a container, there is a powder particle filling apparatus described in Patent Document 1.

  This powder filling device is arranged in a line as shown in FIG. 4 and stores, for example, yellow, magenta, cyan and black toners (powder) for color copiers for each color. It may be used for the granular material filling system 100 for filling in. Note that the subscripts Y, M, C, and Bk indicate yellow, magenta, cyan, and black as toner colors.

  A granular material filling system 100 shown in FIG. 4 stores toner of different colors for each hopper 102Y, 102M, 102C, 102Bk of the granular material filling apparatuses 101Y, 101M, 101C, 101Bk arranged in a line. The containers C1, C2, C3, and C4 conveyed by 103Y, 103M, 103C, and 103Bk are filled with toner at the filling position. At the filling position, cradles 104Y, 104M, 104C, and 104Bk with scales for measuring the amount of powder filled in the container are installed.

  Containers C1, C2, C3, and C4 are automatically transferred from conveyors 103Y, 103M, 103C, and 103Bk to cradle 104Y, 104M, 104C, and 104Bk with scales, and filled with granules on the cradle, After the filling amount was measured, it was automatically returned to the conveyor.

  Depending on the powder and particle filling system, the worker M can move the containers C1, C2, C3, and C4 between the conveyors 103Y, 103M, 103C, and 103Bk and the cradle 104Y, 104M, 104C, and 104Bk. There is also a method. In addition, there is a method in which an operator places a container near the cradle and places the container on the cradle by hand without using a conveyor.

Japanese Patent No. 3814090

  However, the conventional powder filling system requires a large installation space for the powder filling system because the filling position is determined for each powder filling apparatus.

  Moreover, when the usage frequency of each granular material filling device is different, the conventional granular material filling system can play the filling position when not in use, and the system could not be used effectively. .

  An object of the present invention is to provide a granular material filling system in which the number of filling positions is less than the number of filling means and the filling positions are used jointly to solve the above-described problems.

  The granular material filling system of the present invention includes a base, a rotating body rotatably provided on the base, a storage body for storing the granular material, and the granular material stored in the storage body being discharged. A plurality of filling means provided in the rotating body and having the auger to fill the container placed in the filling position with the powder particles, and the number of the filling positions is determined by the number of the filling means. The number of the filling means is reduced, and the selected filling means is rotated by the rotation of the rotating body and stopped at the filling position.

  In the granular material filling system of the present invention, the number of filling positions is made smaller than the number of filling means, and the rotating body selectively stops a plurality of filling means at the filling position, so that a filling position is provided for each filling means. Since it can be used jointly, the installation space can be reduced.

  In addition, the powder and particle filling system of the present invention eliminates the filling position that is allowed to play by jointly using the filling position without providing the filling position for each filling means, and can increase the use efficiency of the system.

  Hereinafter, a granular material filling system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  In the present invention, the term “filling” refers to a powder or granular form (generally referred to as “powder”) such as pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, and copier toner in a bag or container (collectively referred to as “container”). In addition to filling the container in a full state, it also includes a case where the container is filled with a space, or that the powder is simply poured into the container.

  The granular material filling system 10 of this embodiment is designed to fill yellow, magenta, cyan, and black toners for color copiers into containers for each color, but is used only for toner filling. Instead, you may fill with another granular material.

  The structure of the granular material filling system 10 will be described.

  A central shaft 12 is erected integrally with a base 11 installed on the floor G. A turntable 13 is provided at the upper end of the central shaft 12 so as to be horizontally rotatable. The central shaft 12 and the turntable 13 may rotate integrally with the base 11.

  On the turntable 13, support shafts 22Y, 22M, 22C, and 22Bk that support the powder filling devices 21Y, 21M, 21C, and 21Bk are provided upright. The subscripts Y, M, C, and Bk indicate yellow, magenta, cyan, and black as toner colors.

  The turntable 13 is rotated by a motor (not shown) and is positioned each time it is rotated 90 degrees by a lock mechanism (not shown). Note that the turntable 13 may be manually rotated.

  The support shafts 22Y, 22M, 22C, and 22Bk are arranged at equal intervals (90-degree intervals) on a circle centered on the central axis 12. The support shafts 22Y, 22M, 22C, and 22Bk are provided with powder body filling devices 21Y, 21M, 21C, and 21Bk outward with the support shafts 22Y, 22M, 22C, and 22Bk as the back.

  The granular material filling devices 21Y, 21M, 21C, and 21Bk include hoppers 27Y, 27M, 27C, and 27Bk that store toner. The hoppers 27Y, 27M, 27C, and 27Bk are supplied with toner from a supply port 23Y, 23M, 23C, and 23Bk by a powder supply unit (not shown). The surface of the supplied toner is detected by level meters 28Y, 28M, 28C, and 28Bk so that the toner does not overflow from the hopper. The hopper is provided with air vents 29Y, 29M, 29C, and 29Bk so that toner can be supplied smoothly.

  The augers 25Y, 25M, 25C, and 25Bk enter the hopper discharge ports 24Y, 24M, 24C, and 24Bk. The auger is rotated by a predetermined amount by motors 26Y, 26M (not shown), 26C (not shown), 26Bk (not shown), and the toner in the hoppers 27Y, 27M, 27C, 27Bk is discharged to the outlets 24Y, 24M, 24C, 24Bk. It comes to discharge from.

  The granular material filling devices 21Y, 21M, 21C, and 21Bk are adapted to rotate horizontally by the turntable 13, but carry-in conveyors (conveyance) for carrying containers C in the tangential direction of the rotation region of the granular material filling device. Means) 31 and a carry-out conveyor (conveying means) 32 for discharging and conveying the containers C are disposed.

  Moreover, the receiving tray 33 is arrange | positioned in the granular material filling position right under the rotating granular material filling apparatus. The cradle 33 is provided on the base 11 and has a holder 34 that detachably holds the container C, a scale (measuring means) 35 that measures the weight of the granular material filled in the container, and a holder. And an air cylinder 36 for raising and lowering the tool 34 and the scale 35.

  In the above configuration, the center shaft 12, the turntable 13, the support shafts 22Y, 22M, 22C, and 22Bk, a motor (not shown) that rotates the turntable 13, a lock mechanism (not shown) that positions the turntable, etc. Is configured. Since the turntable may be manually rotated, the rotating device 37 does not necessarily include a motor that rotates the turntable 13.

  Operation | movement of the granular material filling system 10 is demonstrated.

  The granular material filling system 10 is assumed to fill the container C with, for example, yellow toner.

  First, the turntable 13 is rotated horizontally by a motor (not shown). The turntable 13 rotates the four powder filling devices simultaneously and integrally. The turntable 13 is positioned every 90 degrees by a lock mechanism (not shown). One of the four powder filling devices is selected, and the selected powder filling device is selected. It can be stopped right above the cradle 33. In the description of the operation, the turntable 13 stops the powder filling device 21 </ b> Y in which yellow toner is stored in the hopper just above the receiving base 33.

  Thereafter, the container C is transported to the cradle 33 by the carry-in conveyor 31. The worker M moves the container C carried in by the carry-in conveyor 31 from the carry-in conveyor 31 to the holder 34 and mounts it. Thereafter, the air cylinder 36 raises the scale 35 and the holding tool 34 and causes the discharge port 24Y of the hopper 27Y to enter the container C. The motor 26Y rotates the auger 25Y to fill the container C with yellow toner in the hopper 27Y.

  As the toner is filled in the container, the air cylinder 36 lowers the scale 35 and the holder 34 so that the discharge port 24Y does not contact the toner in the container. The scale 35 starts measuring the toner filling weight, and when the toner has been filled into the container with a predetermined weight, the scale 35 stops the rotation of the auger 25Y at that time. When the auger 25Y stops rotating, it stops discharging the toner.

  To stop the toner discharge, a shutter (not shown) may be provided at the discharge port 24Y, and the toner discharge may be stopped by operating the shutter and stopping the rotation of the auger. Thereafter, the air cylinder 36 lowers the scale 35 and the holder 34 to the initial position and stops the descent.

  A container filled with a predetermined amount of toner is transferred from the holder 34 to the carry-out conveyor 32 by the worker M, and is carried out by the carry-out conveyor 32.

  When the container C is filled with toner other than yellow, similarly, the powder filling apparatus storing the toner of the selected color is moved directly above the receiving base 33 by the rotation of the turntable 13. Fill the container.

  The cradle is not limited to one. The cradle may be provided with a number less than the number of the powder filling devices, and may be provided with a conveyor for transporting the container for each cradle.

  Alternatively, without using a conveyor, an operator may place a container near the cradle and place the container on the cradle by hand to fill the toner.

  Furthermore, all the powder filling devices store toners of different colors, but several powder filling devices store the same color toners, and the storage amount of each color toner according to the filling frequency. May be determined.

  As described above, the present powder particle filling system 10 includes a base 11, a turntable (rotary body) 13 that is rotatably provided on the base 11, and a hopper that stores toner (powder particles). Storage body) 27Y, 27M, 27C, 27Bk and auger 25Y, 25M, 25C, 25Bk for discharging the toner stored in the hopper are provided on the rotating body 13 and placed on a cradle (filling position) 33. A plurality of powder filling devices (filling means) 21Y, 21M, 21C, 21Bk for filling the container C with toner, the number of the cradle 33 being less than the number of the powder filling devices, Of the powder filling device, the selected powder filling device is rotated by the rotation of the turntable and stopped just above the cradle 33.

  In this way, the present granular material filling system 10 reduces the number of the cradles 33 from the number of the granular material filling devices 21Y, 21M, 21C, and 21Bk, and uses the cradle 33 in each of the granular material filling devices. Therefore, there are no cradles or conveyors to play, so that the installation space of the system can be reduced and the use efficiency of the system can be increased.

It is a top view of the granular material filling system in the embodiment of the present invention. It is a front view of FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a cradle in FIG. 2. It is a figure of the conventional granular material filling system. (A) is a top view. (B) is a front view.

Explanation of symbols

G Floor 10 Powder and particle filling system 11 Base 12 Central axis 13 Turntable (Rotating body)
21Y, 21M, 21C, 21Bk granular material filling device (filling means)
22Y, 22M, 22C, 22Bk Support shaft 25Y, 25M, 25C, 25Bk Auger 27Y, 27M, 27C, 27Bk Hopper (storage body)
37 Rotating device 31 Carry-in conveyor (conveying means)
32 Unloading conveyor (conveying means)
33 cradle (filling position)
34 holder 35 scale (measuring means)
36 Air cylinder 37 Rotating device

Claims (7)

The base,
A rotating body provided rotatably on the base;
A storage body for storing powder particles and an auger for discharging the powder particles stored in the storage body are provided in the rotating body, and a container placed at a filling position is filled with the powder particles A plurality of filling means,
The number of filling positions is less than the number of filling means;
Of the plurality of filling means, the selected filling means is rotated by rotation of the rotating body and stopped at the filling position.
A granular material filling system characterized by that. The rotating body includes the filling means via a support shaft erected on the rotating body.
The granular material filling system according to claim 1. The filling means are provided at regular intervals in a circular shape around the rotation center position of the rotating body,
The granular material filling system according to claim 1 or 2. Of the storage bodies of the plurality of filling means, the granular material stored in at least one storage body is different from the granular material stored in another storage body,
The granular material filling system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. Transporting the container filled with the granular material by the filling means to the filling position, and conveying means for discharging and transporting the container filled with the granular material from the filling position;
The granular material filling system according to any one of claims 1 to 4. In the filling position, provided with a cradle on which the container filled with the granular material is placed,
The granular material filling system according to any one of claims 1 to 5. In the filling position, provided with a measuring means for measuring the weight of the granular material filled in the container,
The granular material filling system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

Images