JP2010023867A - Powder filling machine - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a powder filling machine which avoids the generation blocking and efficiently, quantitatively and accurately fill powder in a product container even if the powder has a special property in easy-to-break performance and adhesion performance which has been difficult in being filled by a conventional method, and can surely constantly fill the power into even a small-sized vessel. <P>SOLUTION: This powder filling machine is provided with a storage tank 3 for storing powder, a vacuum pump 5 for sucking and discharging the powder stored in the tank, a distributor 7 for filling in a product container 1 the powder sucked and discharged by the pump 5 and a pathway opening valve 11 for changing an open area in the suction pathway of the pump by its opening/closing operation. A chamber 13 is provided between the tank 3 and the distributor 7 to temporarily store the powder for suction and discharge and to promote the fluidization of the powder stored by directly flowing in outside air. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a powder filling apparatus using vacuum suction force. More specifically, the present invention is intended to efficiently and accurately fill a product container with powder.

  Conventional methods for transporting and filling powders include an auger method in which powder is dropped from a storage container into a product container placed directly under the dead weight of the powder and filled using a flow of air. There is known an aerodynamic transportation system that sends a body to a destination.

  The Auger type is a system in which the powder in the hopper is discharged downward from the outlet by rotating a screw-type auger provided in the vicinity of the outlet of the conical hopper. It has the feature that the body can be filled efficiently.

  Further, the pneumatic transportation type is roughly classified into a pressure feeding method (for example, refer to Patent Document 1) for pumping with compressed air and a suction method (for example, refer to Patent Document 2) for suction with a vacuum force. In the pressure feeding system, high concentration transportation such as so-called plug transportation can be realized by increasing the pressure and increasing the mixing ratio (weight ratio of powder and air). Therefore, the pumping system has an advantage that a large amount of powder can be transported over a long distance. On the other hand, in the suction method using vacuum suction, powder does not leak from the joint of the transport pipe, etc. (even if there is a gap in the joint, etc., air is sucked into the transport pipe from there) Therefore, there is an advantage that it is safe in terms of explosion-proof, there is no dust contamination, and it can be implemented in a small and inexpensive manner.

JP-A-8-91568 JP 11-139561 A

  However, the conventional transportation and filling methods have the following problems, and there is still room for improvement.

  That is, in the auger method, the powder is pressed by the rotation of the auger and excessive stress is applied to the powder. Therefore, the powder having special and difficult to handle properties such as water content, easy breakability, adhesion, etc. In particular, it is useful in cosmetics and the like, and is described in Patent No. 3107891, Patent No. 3219886, Patent No. 3352811, Patent No. 3993833, International Publication No. 2006/103879, etc. Such so-called water-containing powders are difficult to apply.

  On the other hand, in the pneumatic transportation system, it is relatively rare to give excessive external stress to the powder, but because the transportation source and the transportation destination are connected by the piping, blocking occurs in the piping during the transportation. There is another problem. In the pressure feeding system, it is known that an air blowing port is provided at a location where blocking of the transport pipe easily occurs due to powder deposition or adhesion, and blocking can be eliminated by blowing compressed air (for example, However, since the powder may leak from the joint of the transport pipe, etc., the application to the fine powder is not desirable in the pressure feeding method. Since the apparatus is separately required, the apparatus becomes complicated. Moreover, in general, the pressure feeding method is suitable for a large amount of transportation as described above, and is not suitable for application to an apparatus for quantitatively filling a small amount of powder in a small container such as a product container for cosmetics.

  On the other hand, in the suction method, it is not preferable to apply the blocking countermeasure technique as it is. This is because, in the suction method where the negative pressure in the transport pipe must be maintained because the powder is sucked by the action of the vacuum, when vacuum is blown into the transport pipe, the vacuum breaks up at once, and blocking is more likely to occur. It is because it produces. Moreover, in a relatively small filling device that fills a small product container for cosmetics or the like, even if such a measure is taken and air is blown into the transport pipe, the transport pipe is thin and powder is contained in the pipe. It is difficult to eliminate the blocking because it is not possible to secure a space that can sufficiently generate the fluid flow.

  Therefore, the present invention is capable of avoiding the occurrence of blocking, and particularly highly efficient even with powders having special properties such as water content, easy breakability, and adhesion, which were difficult to fill by conventional methods. Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide a powder filling apparatus that can accurately and accurately fill a product container even in a small container.

  To achieve the above object, the present invention provides a storage tank for storing powder, a vacuum pump for sucking and discharging the powder stored in the storage tank, and a powder sucked and discharged by the vacuum pump. A powder container for suction and discharge between the storage tank and the distributor, the distributor for filling the product container and the path opening / closing valve for changing the opening area in the suction path of the vacuum pump by opening and closing operation Is a powder filling device characterized in that a chamber is provided for promoting fluidization by directly flowing outside air into the stored powder. The “chamber” herein refers to a container capable of defining a space having a larger cross-sectional area than the cross-sectional area of the suction path connecting the storage tank and the distributor.

  In such a powder filling apparatus, since a chamber is provided between the storage tank and the distributor, a space capable of sufficiently generating a powder flow can be secured, and the suction path is negatively affected. Fluidization can be surely promoted in the chamber by the outside air flowing in according to the pressure. The powder accompanied by an appropriate amount of air by fluidization is distributed by a distributor and filled in a product container.

  Therefore, according to the powder filling apparatus of the present invention, even when the suction path is narrow, the powder can be reliably flowed in the chamber, so that the occurrence of blocking can be suppressed. In addition, since a system is adopted in which the outside air flows directly into the chamber in accordance with the negative pressure instead of the compressed air, the suction force is not excessively reduced, and there is no possibility of causing blocking. Furthermore, since the use of aerodynamic force during the transportation of the powder, there is no risk of applying excessive external stress to the powder, and it is possible to stably fill the powder with the special and difficult to handle properties as described above. it can. In addition, since the vacuum force is used as the aerodynamic source, the powder does not leak from the joint of the suction path or the like, and a small amount of powder can be filled.

  In the powder filling apparatus according to the present invention, the chambers are arranged to face each other with a space therebetween, and at least the lower part forms a circular arc shape, and the side walls are integrally connected to the side walls, and the powder is placed inside the side walls. It is preferable that the fluid flow space of the body is composed of partition walls that form compartments.

  Further, in the powder filling apparatus according to the present invention, the chamber is arranged in a horizontal state, and is also arranged in the horizontal state in the same manner as the inlet path for introducing the powder sucked and discharged from the storage tank into the chamber. An outlet side path for feeding the fluidized powder toward the distributor, and one or a plurality of pinholes for allowing the outside air to flow directly into the powder penetrating and stored in at least one of the side wall and the partition wall It is preferable to have. The term “outside air” as used herein refers to clean air such as clean air in a room where powder filling is performed as a clean room or air that has passed through a filter for clean air. Needless to say, it is preferable to ensure the safety and stability of the product. (Hereafter, such clean air is referred to as “outside air”.)

  Furthermore, in the powder filling device of the present invention, the distributor has a supply hole inserted through the mouth of the product container, and the powder related to suction and discharge is supplied into the product container from the supply hole. A suction nozzle inserted through the mouth of the product container and connected to the suction path of the vacuum pump, and an opening area in the suction path of the vacuum pump is provided in the suction nozzle It is preferable to install a self-weight-closing suspension valve body that opens and closes the suction hole by repeatedly floating and dropping from the valve seat in conjunction with the fluctuation of the valve.

  Furthermore, in the powder filling apparatus according to the present invention, the path opening / closing valve induces pulse filling of the powder by the distributor by intermittently changing the opening area of the suction path of the vacuum pump by repeated reciprocation. It is preferable that the slide valve has a deformed gate that varies the opening area of the suction path along the sliding direction. Here, the term “deformed gate” refers to a gate having a shape that can change the opening of the path opening / closing valve with time in a non-proportional manner.

  Moreover, in the powder filling apparatus of the present invention, the casing has at least one groove portion that forms a gap between the slide valve and the outside to allow inflow of outside air when the powder is sucked and discharged. It is preferable to provide it.

  According to the powder filling device of the present invention, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of blocking in the suction path that occurs when the powder is sucked and filled from the storage tank into the product container. Even if it is a powder with special properties such as water content, fragility, adhesion, etc., the particle structure is fragile and easily changed by external force, it is highly efficient and accurate even for small containers The container can be filled in a fixed amount.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the embodiments of the drawings. Here, FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an embodiment of a filling apparatus according to the present invention as a whole. . 2 is a schematic diagram showing a part of the storage tank in an enlarged manner, FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the chamber in an enlarged manner, and FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the inside of the distributor as seen through. FIG. 5 is an exploded schematic view of the path opening / closing valve, and FIG. 6 shows the opening / closing operation of the path opening / closing valve in the powder filling apparatus, the pressure fluctuation at each location, and the active state of the powder. It is a graph which shows the relationship.

  The powder filling device according to the present invention is installed in a place where a product container 1 is filled with loose powder-like powder such as cosmetics, and the like, and a storage tank 3 for storing the target powder, and this storage A vacuum pump 5 that sucks and discharges the powder stored in the tank 3, a distributor 7 that fills the product container 1 with the powder sucked and discharged by the vacuum pump 5, and from the storage tank 3 to the vacuum pump 5. A passage opening / closing valve 11 that adjusts the flow rate of the powder by changing the opening area in the suction passage 9 that holds the negative pressure of the connected vacuum pump 5, and is disposed between the storage tank 3 and the distributor 7, The chamber 13 is provided with a chamber 13 for temporarily storing the powder to be discharged and for allowing the outside air to directly flow into the stored powder to promote fluidization thereof. Moreover, in this embodiment, the product container 1 is a small container having a height of 40 to 50 mm, an opening diameter of 10 to 15 mm, and a capacity of about 9 to 15 ml. In order to manage the amount of powder filled in the container, the product container 1 In the vicinity of the mouth portion 15 of the container 1, a photoelectric tube 17 for detecting that the powder has reached a predetermined capacity is provided. The powder filling apparatus is configured such that once the filling into the product container 1 is started, the path opening / closing valve 11 is operated to open and close the suction path 9 at a high speed until it is detected by the photoelectric tube 17. ing. In addition, a vacuum storage tank 18 for ensuring a stable vacuum pressure is disposed on the upstream side of the vacuum pump 5, and further on the upstream side of the vacuum storage tank 18 and on the downstream side of the path opening / closing valve 11. A trap 19 for collecting a small amount of powder leaked from the vessel 7 is arranged.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the storage tank 3 has a conical lower portion, and a powder outlet 21 is formed in the horizontal direction (lateral direction) below the storage tank 3. Although the take-out port 21 may extend in the vertical direction, by making it possible to take out the powder in the horizontal direction in this way, it is possible to prevent the take-out port 21 from being blocked by the weight of the powder. preferable. A pinhole 23 for allowing a small amount of outside air to flow in accordance with the negative pressure is provided on the substantially opposite side of the take-out port 21. This eliminates the need to separately provide a supply device such as a rotary valve in the vicinity of the take-out port 21 of the storage tank 3, thereby reducing the influence of external stress on the powder and being most easily affected by its own weight. The occurrence of blocking at the lower part of the storage tank 3 can be avoided and the powder can be taken out smoothly. A knocker 25 is provided on the outer wall of the main body of the storage tank 3 (see FIG. 1). The knocker 25 is moved up and down according to the remaining amount of powder, and an impact is appropriately applied to the outer wall of the main body of the storage tank 3. Thus, bridging of the powder in the storage tank 3 can also be avoided.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the chamber 13 includes conical side walls 28 spaced apart from each other, a circular side wall 27 opposite to the conical side walls 28, and the side walls 27, 28, respectively. It consists of a cylindrical partition wall 29 that defines the flow compartment. The chamber 13 has a cross-sectional area larger than the cross-sectional area of the suction path 9 that connects the storage tank 3 and the distributor 7. Further, the chamber 13 is arranged in a horizontal state, and the inlet side path 31 for introducing the powder sucked and discharged from the storage tank 3 into the chamber 13 is also arranged in the horizontal state and the fluidized powder is distributed. A discharge path 33 that is discharged toward the container 7. The outlet path 33 is preferably provided substantially at the center of the side wall 28 or above the side wall 28 as shown in the figure so that the fluidized and floating powder can be discharged to the distributor 7. Moreover, the lower part of the side wall 27 on the opposite side to the side wall 28 on which the outlet side path 33 is arranged penetrates the chamber 13 and directly with respect to the powder stored in the chamber 13 according to the negative pressure. A pinhole 35 capable of taking in outside air is provided. In addition, from the viewpoint of preventing the powder supplied from the inlet side path 31 from being sent out from the outlet side path 33 without being temporarily stored in the chamber 13, the inlet side path 31, the outlet side path 33, In this embodiment, the entrance path 31 is disposed in the partition wall 29, and is disposed in the vicinity of the side wall 27 in which the pinhole 35 is formed. The diameter and number of pinholes 35 can be selected as appropriate, but are set so that the suction speed can be maintained without stopping the powder in the suction path during powder suction, that is, without blocking. To do.

  The distributor 7 includes a distributor main body portion 7 a and a distribution nozzle 7 b that is detachably inserted into the main body portion 7 a and is inserted through the mouth portion 15 of the product container 1. Although the specific configuration of the distributor 7 is not shown, the distributor 7 can be moved up and down just above the product container 1 (see FIG. 1). As shown in FIG. 4, a supply hole 37, a powder feed passage 39 connected to the supply hole 37, and a suction hole 41 and a suction passage 43 connected to the suction hole 41 are formed inside the distribution nozzle 7 b. The supply hole 37 and the powder supply passage 39 constitute a powder feed nozzle, and the suction hole 41 and the suction passage 43 constitute a suction nozzle. On the outer periphery of the distal end portion 45 of the distribution nozzle 7b, the distributor 7 abuts against the protruding end surface of the mouth portion 2 while being inserted into the mouth portion 15 of the product container 1, and maintains a sealed state therebetween. A seal member 47 is provided. On the other hand, inside the distributor main body 7a, there are an inlet side passage 49 connecting the outlet side passage 33 of the chamber 13 and the powder feed passage 39 of the distribution nozzle 7b, and a suction passage 43 and a suction passage 9 of the distribution nozzle 7b. Is formed. As a result, the powder discharged from the outlet path 33 of the chamber 13 by suction falls into the product container 1 by the air flow and the own weight of the powder through the powder feed passage 39, and then only the substantial air. Is discharged to the suction path 9 through the suction passage 43. Moreover, it forms in the inside of the distributor main body 7a from the viewpoint of preventing blocking due to the weight of the powder mixed into the product container 1 and the powder mixed in the air discharged through the suction passage 43. Both the entrance side passage 49 and the exit side passage 51 thus formed are preferably formed in a horizontal state. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a tapered portion 53 as a valve seat is formed on the inner surface of the suction passage 43 to narrow the flow path downward, and in the suction passage 43, by cooperation with the tapered portion 53. A nail-like suspension valve body 55 that can be suspended is disposed. The hanging valve body 55 is operated in conjunction with a change in the opening area in the suction path 9 of the vacuum pump 5, that is, when the suction path 9 becomes negative pressure, the suspension valve body 55 is lifted from the valve seat and sucked. When the hole 41 is opened and the negative pressure is released, the hole 41 is dropped by its own weight to close the suction hole 41. Note that the shape of the hanging valve body 55 is not limited to a nail shape as long as it can float and fall in accordance with the fluctuation of the negative pressure of the suction path 9. When highly functional powder or the like is mixed with the discharged air and adheres to the wall surface to form blocking, a nail-like valve body is more preferable because it has a higher effect of breaking the blocking.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the path opening / closing valve 11 includes a thin and thin plate-like slide valve 57 capable of reciprocating at high speed in a direction perpendicular to the flow path (suction path 9), and the slide valve 57 from two directions. It comprises first and second casings 59 and 61 that are sandwiched and slidably held. The slide valve 57 is formed with an opening 63 that forms a deformed gate that varies the opening area of the suction path 9 in a non-proportional manner along the sliding direction. In this embodiment, the opening area of the suction path 9 in one opening and closing operation of the path opening / closing valve 11 is changed in a quadratic curve, and from the viewpoint of increasing the impact due to the negative pressure fluctuation, Although the shape is substantially triangular, the shape of the opening 63 is not limited to that shown in the figure, and various shapes such as a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a polygonal shape, an irregular shape including a curve or a straight line can be adopted. . The deformed gate is configured by forming the opening 63 in the slide valve 57, but is not limited thereto, and may be configured by a specially shaped valve body (not shown) that can vary the valve opening degree in a proportional manner. good. In addition, in this embodiment, the second casing 61 is formed with a groove portion 64 that forms a gap between the slide valve 57 and the outside that allows inflow of outside air when the powder is sucked and discharged. The adverse effect of fine powder entering the gap between the valve 57 and the casings 59 and 61 is prevented. In this embodiment, the casings 59 and 61 are divided in consideration of maintenance and assemblability, but may be integrated.

  Next, usage examples and main operations of the above powder filling apparatus will be described.

  In order to fill the product container 1 with the powder stored in the storage tank 3, first, the product container 1 for filling the powder is disposed at a predetermined position, that is, directly below the distributor 7, and the distributor 7 is lowered. The dispensing nozzle 7b is inserted into the mouth portion 15 of the product container 1 and a seal between the seal portion 47 and the mouth portion 15 of the product container 1 is secured. The vacuum pump 5 is started in advance, and a predetermined degree of vacuum is secured in the vacuum storage tank 18. When the path opening / closing valve 11 is opened in such a state, the upstream side of the valve also becomes negative pressure, and the suspension valve body 55 of the distributor 7 is also lifted so as to be linked to the negative pressure. The suction path 9 leading to the storage tank 3 is in a negative pressure state. Conversely, when the path opening / closing valve 11 is closed, the hanging valve body 55 of the distributor 7 is also seated on the valve seat, and the upstream side of the valve is released from the negative pressure. FIG. 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the opening / closing operation of the path opening / closing valve 11, the pressure fluctuation at each location, and the active state of the powder. As is apparent from this grab, once the opening / closing of the path opening / closing valve 11 is started, the powder becomes active when the valve is opened, and the powder becomes semi-active when the valve is closed.

  Then, by repeatedly opening and closing the path opening / closing valve 11 at an average speed of about 10 to 250 mm / sec, more preferably about 30 to 120 mm / sec, the powder alternately repeats the active state and the semi-active state. The powder in the storage tank 3 is sucked in sequence (filling the product container with the powder in the storage tank 3 while alternately repeating the active state and the semi-active state by opening and closing the path opening / closing valve 11 as described above. This method is called pulse filling.)

  The powder applied to the suction is temporarily stored in the chamber 13, but the powder stored in the chamber 13 is fluidized by the outside air flowing into the chamber 13 through the pinhole 35. It is discharged (suctioned) to the distributor 7 and distributed by the distributor 7. Thereby, the powder is intermittently filled into the product container 1. In FIG. 6, the speed of the path opening / closing valve 11 is set to 90 mm / sec, the lifting stroke of the slide valve 57 is set to 15 mm, and the active and semi-active state of the powder is repeated three times for one product container 1. The case where the fixed filling is completed is shown as an example, and it is detected by the phototube 19 whether or not the volume of the powder has reached a specified value. In the case of FIG. 6, the opening / closing speed of the path opening / closing valve 11 is constant, but this opening / closing speed does not need to be constant during one cycle. For example, the raising / lowering speed of the slide valve 57 is changed or temporarily changed. By including an operation such as stopping, the product container 1 can be filled more efficiently by increasing or decreasing the specific open state time in one cycle.

  In the powder filling apparatus of this embodiment, since the chamber 13 is provided between the storage tank 3 and the distributor 7, it is possible to secure a space that can sufficiently generate powder flow. In addition, fluidization can be reliably promoted in the chamber 13 by the outside air that flows in according to the negative pressure of the suction path 9. The powder accompanied by an appropriate amount of air by fluidization is distributed by the distributor 7 and filled in the product container 1.

  Therefore, according to this powder filling apparatus, even when the suction path 9 is thin, the powder can be reliably flowed in the chamber 13, so that the occurrence of blocking can be suppressed. In addition, since a method of allowing the outside air to flow into the chamber 13 as it is according to the negative pressure instead of the compressed air is employed, the suction force does not decrease excessively and there is no possibility of inducing the occurrence of blocking. Further, since the aerodynamic force is used for transporting the powder, there is no risk of excessive external stress on the powder, and the powder having special and difficult to handle properties can be stably filled. In addition, since the vacuum force is used as an aerodynamic source, the powder does not leak from the joint of the suction path 9 and the like, and a small amount of powder can be filled.

  Further, in the powder filling apparatus of this embodiment, the chamber 13 includes a conical side wall 28 arranged opposite to each other with a space therebetween, a circular side wall 27 opposed to the conical side wall 28, and the side walls 27, 28. Since it is composed of a partition wall 29 that is integrally connected to each other and forms a powder flow space inside, it is possible to reduce dents that easily accumulate powder and inhibit fluidization, thereby further improving fluidization. Can be made.

  In the powder filling apparatus of this embodiment, the inlet side path 31 for introducing the powder sucked and discharged from the storage tank 3 into the chamber 13 and the fluidized powder to the distributor 7 are provided. Since both the delivery path 33 and the delivery path 33 are arranged horizontally, the influence of the weight of the powder is avoided, and the powder can be reliably sucked into the chamber 13 and fluidized in the chamber 13. The stable powder can be delivered.

  Furthermore, in the powder filling apparatus of this embodiment, the configuration is such that outside air flows directly into the powder stored in the chamber 13 by the pinhole 35 penetrating the side wall 27. The placed powder can be fluidized more reliably, and there is no possibility that the outside air will flow more than necessary and cause vacuum breakage of the suction path 9.

  Furthermore, in the powder filling apparatus of this embodiment, in order to ensure that the powder can be distributed, the suction passage 43 extends in a substantially vertical direction and the air is discharged upward. However, for this reason, the powder is easily affected by its own weight, and blocking is relatively easily generated in the suction passage 43. However, in the suction passage 43 of the distributor 7, a self-weight closed suspension that opens and closes the suction hole 41 by repeatedly rising and falling from the valve seat in conjunction with the change in the opening area of the suction path 9 of the vacuum pump 5. Since the lower valve body 55 is installed, blocking generated in the suction passage 43 can be reliably broken by the floating and dropping operations of the hanging valve body 55.

  Furthermore, in the powder filling apparatus of this embodiment, the slide valve 57 of the path opening / closing valve 11 is formed of a thin and thin plate, so that powder clogging due to friction can be prevented. Further, since the path opening / closing valve 11 is a slide type, a high-speed response is possible. Further, since the slide valve 57 is pressure-bonded to the pressure reducing side, the sealing performance on the pressure reducing side is guaranteed, and reliable filling is possible. In addition, since the slide valve 57 has the opening 63 that varies the opening area of the suction path 9 along the sliding direction, the suction flow rate can be adjusted by varying the opening area of the suction path 9. In addition, since the opening 63 can be deformed, the valve opening can be varied with time in a non-proportional manner, so that the impact of negative pressure within the same pulse can be increased and the occurrence of blocking can be further prevented. it can. In addition, the casing 61 of the path opening / closing valve 11 is provided with a groove portion 64 that forms a gap that allows inflow of outside air when the powder is sucked and discharged between the slide valve 57 and the casing 61. Since the outside air is actively taken in at the time of negative pressure in the suction passage 9 and the powder remaining between the slide valve 57 and the second casing 61 can be sucked together with this, the space between the slide valve 57 and the second casing 61 can be reduced. It is possible to avoid malfunction due to powder adhering to the surface. In addition, since the friction between the slide valve 57 and the second casing 61 can be further reduced by forming the groove portion 64, the slide valve 57 can be reciprocated more smoothly.

  In addition, since the powder filling device of this embodiment is configured to intermittently fill the product container 1 by opening and closing the path opening / closing valve 11 at high speed (pulse filling), fine control of filling is possible. Yes, a small amount of filling can be performed more accurately (that is, fine quantitative filling is possible). The average opening / closing speed of the path opening / closing valve 11 is preferably in the range of 10 to 250 mm / sec, particularly 30 to 120 mm / sec, from the viewpoint of fine control of filling. For example, if the speed of the path opening / closing valve 11 is made faster than the above range, higher filling accuracy can be obtained and the valve open time can be lengthened. Since the powder filling speed is fast, the combination of these can be used to change the opening / closing speed of the path opening / closing valve 11 in one cycle, so that quantitative filling can be performed more quickly and accurately. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to more accurately and stably fill a small amount of powder while suppressing the occurrence of blocking.

  The above description shows only some of the embodiments of the present invention, and these configurations can be combined with each other or various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the pinhole 35 of the chamber 13 is provided in the side wall 27, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and may be provided in the partition wall 29. The number of pinholes 35 may be two or more. The shape of the chamber 13 is not limited to the illustrated example, and may be a hollow polygonal column shape or a spherical shape. In addition, as the powder that is an object of the present invention, any powder that can be fluidized by the inflow of outside air in the chamber 13 can be processed. For example, cosmetic powder, wheat And metal fine powder. Moreover, in the above-described embodiment, the groove portion 64 that forms a gap between the slide valve and the slide valve is provided in the second casing 61. However, the groove portion 64 may be provided in the first casing 59 together with or instead of this.

  With the powder filling device of the present invention, it becomes possible to avoid the occurrence of blocking in the suction path that occurs when the powder is sucked and filled from the storage tank into the product container, and the water content, which is difficult to fill by the conventional method, Even with powders having special properties such as easily breakable and adhesive properties, it has become possible to quantitatively fill a product container with high efficiency and accurately even in a small container.

It is the figure which showed typically the embodiment of the filling apparatus according to this invention about the whole. It is a schematic diagram which expands and shows a part of storage tank. It is a schematic diagram which expands and shows a chamber. It is a schematic diagram which sees through and shows the inside of a divider | distributor. It is a schematic diagram which decomposes | disassembles and shows a path | route opening / closing valve. It is a graph which shows the relationship between the opening / closing operation | movement of the path | route opening / closing valve in a powder filling apparatus, the pressure fluctuation of each location, and the active state of powder.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Product container 3 Storage tank 5 Vacuum pump 7 Distributor 7a Distributor main-body part 7b Distributing nozzle 9 Suction path 11 Path | route opening / closing valve 13 Chamber 15 Port part 17 Photoelectric tube 18 Vacuum storage tank 19 Trap 21 Extraction port 23 Pinhole 27, 28 Side wall 29 Bulkhead 31 Inlet path 33 Outlet path 35 Pinhole 37 Supply hole 39 Powder feed path 41 Suction hole 43 Suction path 47 Sealing part 49 Inlet path 51 Outlet path 53 Taper part 55 Suspension valve element 57 Slide valve 59 First casing 61 Second casing 63 Opening

Claims (6)

Storage tank for storing powder, vacuum pump for sucking and discharging powder stored in the storage tank, distributor for filling the product container with powder sucked and discharged by this vacuum pump, and opening / closing operation And a path opening / closing valve that varies the opening area in the suction path of the vacuum pump,
Between the storage tank and the distributor, a powder for temporarily sucking and discharging is temporarily stored, and a chamber for directly flowing outside air into the stored powder and promoting fluidization thereof is disposed. A powder filling apparatus characterized by that.   The chamber includes a pair of side walls that are arranged to face each other at an interval, and at least a lower part of the side wall has an arc shape, and a partition wall that is integrally connected to the side walls to form a powder flow space therein. 2. The powder filling apparatus according to 1.   The chamber is arranged in a horizontal state, and an inlet-side path for introducing the powder sucked and discharged from the storage tank into the chamber, and also in the horizontal state, the fluidized powder is directed toward the distributor. 3. The delivery side path and one or more pinholes that penetrate at least one of the side wall and the partition wall and allow the outside air to directly flow into the stored powder. Powder filling device. The distributor has a supply hole to be inserted through the mouth portion of the product container, and a powder feeding nozzle for supplying the powder involved in suction and discharge from the supply hole into the product container, and the mouth portion of the product container A suction nozzle connected to the suction path of the vacuum pump,
A self-closed hanging valve body that opens and closes the suction hole by repeatedly floating and dropping from the valve seat in conjunction with a change in the opening area in the suction path of the vacuum pump is installed in the suction nozzle. The powder filling apparatus according to any one of 1 to 3.   The path opening / closing valve includes a slide valve that intermittently varies the opening area of the suction path of the vacuum pump by repeating reciprocating movement to induce pulse filling of powder by a distributor, and a casing that holds the slide valve. The powder filling apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the slide valve includes a modified gate that varies an opening area of the suction path along a sliding direction.   The at least one groove part which forms the clearance gap which accept | permits inflow of external air at the time of the suction | inhalation and discharge | emission of powder between the said slide valves in the said casing is provided. The powder filling apparatus described in 1.

Images