JP2017052622A - Linear feeder - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a linear feeder which realizes longitudinal vibration of a long trough using a principle of vibrations quite different from that used in the conventional linear feeder, enabling in particular an object on a trough to be conveyed at a stable conveyance speed.SOLUTION: The linear feeder comprises: a stationary part 1; a movable part 2 with a trough T secured to an upper end portion thereof; a support spring 3 coupling the stationary part 1 and the movable part 2; a mounting part set at one end side for the movable part 2; a pillar part extending from the mounting part in a height direction; and a weight part set at the other end, which is a free end. The linear feeder further comprises a vibrator 4 which performs pendulum motion and a vibration source 5 which vibrates the vibrator 4. The linear feeder drives the vibration source 5 for vibration such that the vibrator 4, movable part 2, and trough T convey the object to be conveyed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a linear feeder that conveys components and the like using vibration.

  Conventionally, by feeding vibration to a long, straight trough (also called a carriage or chute), it is possible to supply an object to be conveyed downstream in the conveyance direction along a conveyance path set on the trough. Linear feeders are known.

  As this type of linear feeder, a fixed base (fixed part), a movable base (movable part) to which a trough is connected, a fixed part and a movable part are connected to each other, and the movable part is elastically supported with respect to the fixed part. When the drive spring is directly or indirectly oscillated by the excitation force applied from the excitation source, the movable part and the fixed part vibrate relatively. Vibration is transmitted to a trough that is integrally connected to a movable part, and thereby, a device that vibrates and conveys an object to be conveyed on a conveyance path set on the trough is known (for example, see Patent Documents 1 and 2 below). ).

  In a conventional linear feeder, for example, as schematically shown in FIG. 31, a plate-like spring (plate spring) is applied as the drive spring 104, and such drive springs 104 are separated from each other upstream in the transport direction. A predetermined position on the side and a predetermined position on the downstream side in the transport direction are arranged in pairs. The transport direction is the same as the longitudinal direction of the trough 102.

  The pair of drive springs 104 are arranged in a posture in which the thickness direction is aligned with the transport direction. Further, the pair of drive springs 104 are arranged in a predetermined inclined posture in order to prevent / suppress behaviors such as a pitching phenomenon and a rolling phenomenon of the transported object on the transport path of the trough 102 (see FIG. 31).

  The movable portion 103 and the fixed portion 101 are vibrated in opposite directions via the driving spring 104 due to an excitation force applied from an excitation source (not shown), and thereby the trough connected to the movable portion 103. 102 vibrates in the longitudinal direction, and the object to be conveyed is conveyed downstream along the conveyance direction.

JP 2012-066931 A (Patent No. 5714993) JP, 2015-101430, A

  As described above, in the conventional linear feeder, the driving spring is directly or indirectly oscillated by the excitation source, and both the movable portion and the fixed portion are relatively displaced while the driving spring is bent. It is configured to be able to.

  Therefore, with such a configuration, as schematically shown in FIG. 32, the pair of driving springs 104 bends and deforms in an S shape, so that the movable portion 103 and the fixed portion 101 are also bent. As a result, the movable portion It is considered that the trough 102 fixed so as to be integrally operated with respect to the 103 also bends, which may cause a problem in stable conveyance processing such as unevenness in the conveyance speed. In particular, in a conventional linear feeder using a driving spring 104 that deforms in an S shape during vibration (energization ON state), the thickness dimension of the driving spring 104 is set to increase the vibration frequency in order to realize high-speed vibration conveyance. It is considered that the trough deflection becomes larger as the value is set larger (thickened).

  Therefore, there is a case where measures are taken to reduce the bending of the trough 102 by processing and manufacturing the movable portion 103 and the fixed portion 101 with high accuracy in consideration of the S-shaped deformation of the driving spring 104. However, when the processing accuracy of the movable portion 103 and the fixed portion 101 is low, the driving spring 104 is distorted, which may cause the trough 102 to bend.

  Furthermore, in the conventional linear feeder, since the driving spring is deformed into an S shape, the amount of displacement from the point before deformation to the point when it is deformed to the maximum is about half that of a spring that deforms in a bow shape, for example. Since the vibration attenuation is large, the vibration amplification factor due to resonance is small, and there is room for improvement in terms of efficiency.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to such points, and the main purpose thereof is to realize vibration of a long trough in the longitudinal direction by a vibration principle completely different from that of a conventional linear feeder. An object of the present invention is to provide a linear feeder capable of transporting an object to be transported on a trough at a stable transport speed.

  That is, the linear feeder of the present invention relates to a linear feeder that applies vibration to a trough that extends linearly and conveys an object to be conveyed placed on the trough along the longitudinal direction of the trough. Here, examples of the object to be transported include a small-sized electronic component (work), but are not particularly limited as long as it can be transported by the linear feeder of the present invention.

  And the linear feeder according to the present invention includes a fixed part fixed directly or indirectly on the floor, a movable part with a trough fixed to the upper end part, a support spring connecting the fixed part and the movable part, A vibrator having a mounting portion for a movable portion set on one end side, a column portion extending in the height direction from the mounting portion, and a weight portion set on the other end side which is a free end, and performing a pendulum motion; And a vibration source that vibrates the vibrator. When the vibration source is operated, the vibrator, the movable portion, and the trough vibrate so as to convey the object to be conveyed.

  In such a linear feeder according to the present invention, when the vibrator is vibrated by the vibration source, the column portion of the vibrator having the other end side having the weight portion set as a free end is attached to the movable portion. It behaves like a spring with the mounting portion as a fulcrum, and the entire vibrator vibrates by performing a pendulum motion, and the movable portion vibrates by its reaction, and the vibration is transmitted to a trough fixed to the upper end portion of the movable portion. As a result, the trough extending linearly vibrates, and the object to be transported placed on the trough can be transported along the longitudinal direction of the trough. The vibrator performs a pendulum motion in a plane orthogonal to the horizontal plane (vertical plane) or a plane close to the vertical plane (a plane that can be regarded as a vertical plane), and the free end of the vibrator that reciprocates during the pendulum movement. When the movement trajectory (reciprocating trajectory of the vibrator) is viewed in plan, it is set so that it is parallel or substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the trough. It can be conveyed by vibration along the longitudinal direction.

  Further, in the present invention, the “floor surface” to which the fixing portion is directly or indirectly fixed is a concept including not only a floor surface on which a person walks but also a mounting surface of a table on which a linear feeder is mounted. . Since such a fixed portion fixed to the floor surface elastically supports the movable portion by a support spring, the fixed portion is stationary without being deformed even during the pendulum movement of the vibrator.

  As described above, the linear feeder according to the present invention adopts a novel vibration principle that has never been conceived of transporting an object to be transported on the trough by vibration using the pendulum motion of the vibrator. Therefore, if the pair of drive springs used in the conventional linear feeder is bent and deformed in an S shape, the bending of the movable part and the fixed part, and thus the bending of the trough, which is inevitably generated, can be avoided / suppressed. It is possible to prevent and suppress problems such as variations in the conveyance speed due to trough deflection, and to realize stable conveyance processing.

  In particular, with the linear feeder according to the present invention, the vibration frequency of the movable part and the trough that do not undergo bending deformation or bending deformation due to vibration of the vibrator can be easily changed by changing the vibration frequency of the vibrator. In addition, high-frequency vibration conveyance of, for example, 1000 Hz to 2000 Hz, which is difficult with a conventional linear feeder, is also possible, and the conveyance processing speed can be increased.

  In addition, since the linear feeder according to the present invention does not cause or causes a slight bending phenomenon of the trough, even if the longitudinal dimension of the trough is set large, the object to be conveyed can be stably conveyed. be able to. In particular, in the case of the linear feeder according to the present invention, even if it is a vibration in a high frequency range where the bending deformation of the trough becomes remarkable with the conventional linear feeder, the bending deformation of the trough does not occur or is generated even if it occurs. Compared with the device, since it can be suppressed to a slight bending deformation, the longitudinal dimension of the trough can be set large.

  Since the linear feeder according to the present invention is not particularly required for the high-precision processing and manufacturing of the movable part and the fixed part, which is required in the case of the conventional linear feeder in which the distortion of the driving spring can cause the trough to be bent, this This is also advantageous.

  Furthermore, in the linear feeder according to the present invention, the column portion of the vibrator that performs the pendulum motion is not deformed into an S shape, but is deformed into an arc shape. Compared to the conventional linear feeder used, the amount of displacement of the vibrator (displacement of the column that behaves like a spring) from the point before deformation to the point of maximum deformation can be significantly increased. The attenuation is small, the vibration amplification factor due to resonance is also increased, and the efficiency can be improved.

  The linear feeder according to the present invention may be provided with a single vibrator or may be provided with a plurality of vibrators. In particular, in the linear feeder according to the present invention, as a configuration capable of efficiently transmitting linear vibration to the movable part and the trough from the circular arc motion due to the pendulum motion of the vibrator, There can be mentioned a configuration in which a plurality of sets are provided and the vibrators in each set are arranged in opposite directions. In other words, in the linear feeder according to the present invention, each transducer in each set is fixed by fixing the attachment portion of each transducer in each set to the movable portion so that the positions of the weight portions are upside down. As a result of the circular motions of the two being combined and the rotational moments canceling each other, a linear vibration is generated. This vibration is transmitted to the movable part and the trough, and a stable vibration capable of transporting the object to be transported on the trough can be obtained.

  In particular, in the linear feeder according to the present invention, a plurality of vibrators can be arranged side by side along one or more directions selected from the longitudinal direction, height direction, or width direction of the trough. For example, in order to reduce the height of the linear feeder, a plurality of vibrators may be arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction or the width direction of the trough. May be arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction or height direction of the trough.

  In the linear feeder according to the present invention, any movable part may be used as long as the trough is fixed to the upper end portion and the attachment part of the vibrator can be attached. A movable part provided with a pair of side plates arranged at a position sandwiching between and a movable part provided with a housing for accommodating a vibrator in the internal space can be exemplified. In particular, in the case of a linear feeder to which a movable part configured using a housing that accommodates a vibrator in an internal space is applied, a sound-proofing and sound-insulating sound can be obtained by housing a vibrator that performs a pendulum motion in the internal space of the housing. Improves.

  The linear feeder according to the present invention can set the vibration direction of the trough to an arbitrary direction depending on the inclination angle of the support spring that connects the fixed portion and the movable portion. Therefore, in the present invention, the plate-like support spring that connects the fixed portion and the movable portion can be changed to a vertical posture in which the height direction matches the vertical direction and an inclined posture in which the vertical posture is inclined by a predetermined angle. With this configuration, the optimum trough vibration direction can be selected and set in consideration of various conditions such as the type, shape, and specifications of the conveyed object. Thus, in the linear feeder according to the present invention, the support spring functions as a vibration angle adjusting spring, and the vibration direction of the trough can be changed by changing the angle of the support spring.

  In the linear fee according to the present invention, the attachment part set on one end side of the vibrator that performs the pendulum motion is attached to the movable part, the vibration of the vibrator is transmitted to the movable part and the trough, and the object to be conveyed on the trough is By adopting a novel configuration that conveys in the longitudinal direction of a specified trough, it eliminates the conventional problem of transmitting bending bending to the trough without incurring structural complexity, and can realize stable vibration conveyance A linear feeder can be provided.

The side view of the linear feeder which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. The front view which abbreviate | omits and shows a part of the linear feeder which concerns on the same embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 1 of a linear feeder in which a support spring is set in an inclined posture in the same embodiment. The figure which extracts and shows only a vibrator and an excitation source from FIG. The figure which extracts and shows only a vibrator and an excitation source from FIG. The figure which shows typically the pendulum motion of the vibrator | oscillator in the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a principle diagram showing that straight vibration occurs in the linear feeder according to the embodiment. The schematic diagram explaining that the incidental area of the piezoelectric element with respect to a leaf | plate spring changes with the difference in deformation | transformation of a leaf | plate spring. The schematic diagram explaining that the displacement amount of a leaf | plate spring changes with the difference in deformation | transformation of a leaf | plate spring. 6 shows a modification of the vibrator according to the embodiment. 6 shows a modification of the vibrator according to the embodiment. 6 shows a modification of the vibrator according to the embodiment. 6 shows a modification of the vibrator according to the embodiment. 6 shows a modification of the vibrator according to the embodiment. The side view of the modification of the linear feeder which concerns on the same embodiment. The side view of the modification of the linear feeder which concerns on the same embodiment. The side view of the modification of the linear feeder which concerns on the same embodiment. The front view which abbreviate | omits and shows a part of the linear feeder which concerns on the modification. The side view of the modification of the linear feeder which concerns on the same embodiment. The front view which abbreviate | omits and shows a part of the linear feeder which concerns on the modification. The side view of the modification of the linear feeder which concerns on the same embodiment. 6 shows a modification of the vibrator according to the embodiment. The side view of the modification of the linear feeder which concerns on the same embodiment. The side view of the modification of the linear feeder which concerns on the same embodiment. The side view of the modification of the linear feeder which concerns on the same embodiment. The front view which abbreviate | omits and shows a part of the linear feeder which concerns on the modification. The side view of the modification of the linear feeder which concerns on the same embodiment. The front view which abbreviate | omits and shows a part of the linear feeder which concerns on the modification. The side view of the modification of the linear feeder which concerns on the same embodiment. The front view which abbreviate | omits and shows a part of the linear feeder which concerns on the modification. The side view which shows the conventional linear feeder typically. FIG. 31 is a view corresponding to FIG. 31 schematically showing the vibration of the conventional linear feeder.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  The linear feeder X according to the present embodiment applies vibration to the trough T that extends in a straight line, and conveys an object (not shown) placed on the trough T along the longitudinal direction H of the trough T. Is. Examples of the object to be transported include an extremely small electronic component and the like, but are not particularly limited as long as they can be transported on the trough T by vibration.

  A linear feeder X according to the present embodiment is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 (FIG. 1 is a side view of the linear feeder X, and FIG. 2 is a diagram (front view) of the linear feeder X viewed from the direction of arrow A in FIG. As shown in FIG. 4), the fixed portion 1, the movable portion 2 having the trough T fixed to the upper end portion, the support spring 3 connecting the fixed portion 1 and the movable portion 2, and the mounting portion 41 provided on one end side. Is fixed to the movable portion 2 and includes a vibrator 4 that performs a pendulum motion with a predetermined point on the mounting portion 41 as a fulcrum, and a vibration source 5 that vibrates the vibrator 4, and the vibration source 5 is operated. The vibrator 4 is vibrated so that the movable part 2 directly fixed to the vibrator 4 and the trough T fixed to the movable part 2 vibrate so as to convey the object to be conveyed. Here, one direction along the longitudinal direction H of the trough T extending linearly coincides with the transport direction of the object to be transported on the trough T.

  The trough T has a long block shape, and a pair of inclined surfaces formed so as to have a V-shaped cross section constitute a transport surface T1 for transporting an object to be transported. That is, the conveyance surface T1 including a pair of inclined surfaces extending in the longitudinal direction functions as a conveyance path for the object to be conveyed. In the present embodiment, a transport surface T1 (transport path) is formed on the upper surface of the trough T.

  The fixing portion 1 is fixed directly or indirectly on the floor surface. In the present embodiment, the fixing portion 1 is constituted by the mounting block 11 fixed on the floor surface. The mounting block 11 constituting the fixed portion 1 also functions as a counterweight (vibration adjusting weight). In the present embodiment, the mounting block 11 is fixed to the floor surface by screws (not shown), for example.

  The movable portion 2 includes a pair of side plates 21 disposed at positions facing each other in the width direction W of the trough T. In the present embodiment, the upper ends of the side plates 21 are connected by the connecting plate 22. Therefore, the movable part includes a pair of left and right side plates 21 and a connecting plate 22. The side plate 21 has a substantially rectangular shape, and is arranged in a posture in which the plate thickness direction (thickness direction) coincides with the width direction W of the trough T, and the dimension along the conveying direction (longitudinal direction of the trough T) is the trough T. It is set shorter than the longitudinal dimension. The connecting plate 22 that connects the upper ends of the side plates 21 is arranged in a posture that is sandwiched between the inward surfaces of the side plates 21 (the surfaces that face the opposing side plates 21 face each other), and the side plates 21 are connected by screws N1. It is fixed integrally with. The space surrounded by the pair of side plates 21 and the connecting plate 22, that is, the internal space of the movable portion 2 is used as an arrangement space for the vibrator 4 described later.

  In the present embodiment, the width of the connecting plate 22 is set to be longer than the width of the trough T (see FIG. 2), and the connecting plate is viewed from above the trough T with the trough T placed on the upward surface of the connecting plate 22. The trough T is fixed to the connecting plate 22 by a screw N2 inserted through 22 (see FIG. 1). In FIG. 2, the screw N2 is omitted. Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the width dimension of the movable portion 2 (the dimension from the outer surface of one side plate 21 to the outer surface of the other side plate 21) is set to the width dimension of the fixed portion 1. It is almost matched.

  The support spring 3 has one end fixed to a spring first mounting portion 1 a provided in the fixed portion 1 and the other end fixed to a spring second mounting portion 2 a provided in the movable portion 2. In the present embodiment, the support spring 3 constituted by a thin plate spring is arranged in a posture such that the plate thickness direction (thickness direction) coincides with the longitudinal direction H of the trough T. In the present embodiment, the spring first mounting portion 1a is fixed to the fixed portion 1 with the screw N3, and the spring second mounting portion 2a is fixed to the movable portion 2 with the screw N4. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3, screw holes larger than the number of screws N3 are formed in the fixing portion 1, and by appropriately selecting and changing screw holes for screwing the screws N3, The mounting posture of the first spring mounting portion 1a with respect to the fixed portion 1 is configured to be changeable. When changing the mounting posture of the spring first mounting portion 1a with respect to the fixed portion 1, the spring first mounting portion 1a with respect to the fixed portion 1 is loosened by loosening the screw N4 that fixes the spring second mounting portion 2a. With the process of changing the mounting posture, the spring second mounting portion 2a connected to the spring first mounting portion 1a via the support spring 3 can be rotated using the screw N4 as a pivot point. And after fixing the spring 1st attaching part 1a to the fixing | fixed part 1 with the screw N3, the spring 2nd attaching part 2a can be fixed to the movable part 2 so that relative movement is impossible by retightening the screw N4. In the present embodiment, the spring second mounting portion 2a is fixed to the outward surface of the side plate 21 constituting the movable portion 2 by the screw N4, and the fixed portion 1 is substantially the same as the outward surface of the side plate 21 of the movable portion 2. The first spring mounting portion 1a is fixed to the side surface that is flush with the screw N3.

  As described above, in the linear feeder X of the present embodiment, the plate-like support spring 3 is tilted at a predetermined angle from the vertical posture (see FIG. 1) in which the height direction matches the vertical direction and the vertical posture. It can be changed to an inclined posture (see FIG. 3).

  The vibrator 4 is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 (FIGS. 4 and 5 are diagrams in which the vibrator 4 and the excitation source 5 are extracted from the linear feeder X shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, respectively). A mounting part 41 provided on one end side and fixable to the movable part 2, a column part 42 extending from the mounting part 41 in the height direction, and a weight part 43 set on the other end side which is a free end. It is equipped with. The vibrator 4 includes a first flange portion 44 and a second flange portion 45 that extend in the longitudinal direction H of the trough T at both ends of the pillar portion 42, and either one of the flange portions (in this embodiment, the trough T). The attachment portion 41 is constituted by the first flange portion 44 having a relatively short dimension along the longitudinal direction H, and the other flange portion (in this embodiment, the dimension along the longitudinal direction H of the trough T is A part of the weight part 43 is constituted by a relatively long second flange part 45).

  In the present embodiment, the attachment portion 41 of the vibrator 4 is set to be fixed to the inward surface of the side plate 21 in the movable portion 2. In the linear feeder X of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the trough T has a trough T as compared with the other parts (the column part 42 and the weight part 43) as the first flange part 44 constituting the attachment part 41. Projects by a predetermined dimension in the width direction W (the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction H of the trough T in the plane), and gives priority to the inward surface of the movable part 2 over the column part 42, the second flange part 45 and the weight part 43 ( The one having a projecting end surface 441 that contacts the inwardly facing surface of the side plate 21 is applied. Then, with the protruding end surface 441 in contact with the inward surface of the side plate 21, the screw N5 inserted from the outward surface side of the side plate 21 is screwed into the screw hole 442 formed in the mounting portion 41, thereby vibrating. The child 4 is fixed to the movable part 2 (see FIGS. 1 and 2). Therefore, the protruding end surface 441 that is a surface in contact with the inward surface of the movable portion 2 (the inward surface of the side plate 21) of the attachment portion 41 functions as a fixed surface of the vibrator 4. In the present embodiment, the vibrator 4 is movable in a posture in which the vibrator 4 is sandwiched between a pair of side plates 21 arranged to face each other in a posture in which the plate thickness direction (thickness direction) coincides with the width direction W of the trough T. It is fixed to part 2. In addition, the width dimension of the 1st collar part 44 which comprises the attaching part 41 is the same as that of the connection board 22 which comprises the movable part 2, or is substantially the same (refer FIG. 2).

  In particular, in the linear feeder X of the present embodiment, the first flange portion 44 constituting the attachment portion 41 is set to a shape extending in the longitudinal direction H of the trough T with respect to the column portion 42 extending in the height direction. The first flange portion 44 and the column portion 42 are set so as to form a T shape as viewed from the side. Therefore, the projecting end surface 441 that is in contact with the inward surface of the movable part 2 (inward surface of the side plate 21) is also a surface that extends along the longitudinal direction H of the trough T. In the present embodiment, screw holes 442 are formed at positions close to both ends along the longitudinal direction H of the trough T in the first flange portion 44 constituting the attachment portion 41. The positions where these screw holes 442 are formed are at positions deviated from the axial center of the pillar portion 42 (imaginary line L1 shown in FIG. 6 described later).

  In the vibrator 4 of the present embodiment, a first flange portion 44 that constitutes the attachment portion 41, a second flange portion 45 that constitutes a part of the weight portion 43, and the column portion 42 are integrally formed.

  The weight portion 43 is set on the other end side which is a free end of the vibrator 4. In this embodiment, the weight part 43 provided with the above-mentioned 2nd collar part 45 and the weight part main body 46 separate from the 2nd collar part 45 is applied.

  The weight portion main body 46 is fixed by a screw N6 in a state where the weight portion main body 46 is in contact with the surface facing the first flange portion 44 at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the second flange portion 45. The weight part main body 46 is fixed in a state where one end face along the height direction is in contact with the second flange 45, and in this fixed state, the other end face along the height is the second flange 45. It becomes a position closer to the first collar portion 44 than. And the attachment direction (screwing forward / backward direction) of the screw N6 when fixing the weight part main body 46 to the 2nd collar part 45 is set to directions other than the extending | stretching direction (longitudinal direction H) of the trough T. FIG. Specifically, the mounting direction (screwing advance / retreat direction) of the screw N6 is set to the height direction. A pair of left and right screw insertion holes are formed at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the second flange portion 45, and one weight portion main body 46 is fixed with two screws N6 (see FIG. 5). A screw hole is formed in the weight part main body 46, and a screw N6 inserted from the screw insertion hole of the second collar part 45 is screwed into the screw hole of the weight part main body 46 and fixed. Each screw insertion hole is formed with a recess capable of accommodating the screw head so that the screw head protrudes outside and is not exposed.

  Thus, in this embodiment, the weight part 43 is comprised using the 2nd collar part 45 and the weight part main body 46 which were provided in the other end side which is a free end among the vibrator | oscillators 4. FIG. Further, a portion of the pillar portion 42 in the vicinity of the second flange portion 45 is a free end, and this portion can also be regarded as a part constituting a part of the weight portion 43.

  And in the linear feeder X which concerns on this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the axial center of the pillar part 42 (the same direction as the longitudinal direction H of the trough T) of the pillar part 42 among the attaching parts 41 is shown. The vibrator 4 is set to perform a pendulum motion with a point that is the center and coincides with a line L1) indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. At this time, the column portion 42 of the vibrator 4 behaves like a spring using the elasticity of the material itself. The vibration direction of the vibrator 4 that performs the pendulum motion is parallel to the longitudinal direction H of the trough T in plan view.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the linear feeder X according to the present embodiment includes a pair of vibration sources 5 that vibrate the vibrator 4, and a pair of pillars 42 that are plate-shaped and facing the extending direction of the trough T. The piezoelectric element 5 is provided on each of the opposing surfaces. In the present embodiment, the piezoelectric element 5 having a size that can cover most of the opposing surface of the column portion 42 except for the upper and lower end vicinity regions is applied (see FIG. 5). Then, by extending or contracting the piezoelectric elements 5 provided on the opposing surfaces of the column part 42 (for example, applying a sinusoidal voltage to the piezoelectric element 5 to cause periodic elongation), the column part 42 is movable. Of the attachment portion 41 that is a fixed surface of the vibrator 4 with respect to the portion 2, the position where the axis center L1 of the column portion 42 passes is bent as a fulcrum, and the pendulum operation is performed. As a result, the vibrator 4 performs an appropriate pendulum operation in combination with the weight of the weight portion 43, and vibration of the vibrator 4 is generated. Here, the vibration frequency can be easily changed by changing the thickness dimension of the column part 42 (the dimension along the thickness direction of the column part 42 (the same direction as the arrow H direction shown in FIG. 4 and the like)). Even when the thickness dimension of the column part 42 is set to be large and high-frequency vibration (for example, 1000 Hz to 2000 Hz) is generated, the protruding end face 441 that is a fixed surface of the vibrator 4 with respect to the movable part 2 vibrates. Since the fixing screw N5 is screwed into a screw hole 442 formed at a position off the fulcrum of the column part 42 and the vibrator 4 is fixed to the movable part 2, the column part 42 is greatly bent during the pendulum movement. Can be suitably supported. In addition, since the column portion 42 is bent and deformed into an arcuate shape, vibration attenuation is small and the vibration amplification factor due to resonance is large, the number of piezoelectric elements 5 necessary to obtain a desired amplitude can be reduced. The piezoelectric element 5 is fixed to the opposing surface of the column portion 42 by an appropriate process such as a sticking process. In the longitudinal direction H of the trough T, a predetermined gap is secured between the piezoelectric element 5 and the weight portion 43 (specifically, the weight portion main body 46), and the piezoelectric element 5 and the weight portion 43 interfere with each other. (See FIGS. 4 and 6).

  The linear feeder X according to the present embodiment is provided with the above-described vibrators 4 in pairs, and these one pair of vibrators 4 (pairs of the vibrators 4) are arranged along the longitudinal direction H of the trough T. . And each vibrator | oscillator 4 is fixing the attachment part 41 to the common movable part 2 with the attitude | position from which the position of the weight part 43 mutually turns upside down. That is, the vibrators 4 are arranged in the opposite directions. Each vibrator 4 has the same structure. In FIG. 2, which is a front view of the linear feeder X according to the present embodiment, the right side of the pair of vibrators 4 with respect to the paper surface in FIG. Only the vibrator 4 is schematically shown, and the vibrator 4 on the left side in FIG. 1 is omitted. The same applies to FIG.

  The linear feeder X according to the present embodiment described above fixes the pair of vibrators 4 arranged in the upside down direction so as to be sandwiched between the pair of side plates 21 of the movable part 2. Of these, the trough T is fixed to the upward surface of the connecting plate 22, the fixed portion 1 is disposed below the movable portion 2 via the support spring 3, and the vibrator 4 is elastically supported.

  In the linear feeder X according to the present embodiment, when the excitation source 5 is in an operating state (ON state in which the piezoelectric element 5 expands and contracts), the vibrator 4 performs a pendulum operation and vibrates. Vibrates, the vibration propagates to the trough T, and the trough T itself also vibrates. Specifically, when the piezoelectric element 5 constituting the excitation source 5 in at least one of the vibrators 4 is expanded and contracted, the column part 42 is flexed and vibrates, and the whole vibrator 4 is fixed to the movable part 2. A pendulum operation is performed in which the free end side is reciprocated in an arc shape with a predetermined position of the mounting portion 41 (a position through which the axis center L2 of the column portion 42 passes) as a fulcrum. In particular, since the weight portion main body 46 is provided on the free end side of the vibrator 4, the reaction force of vibration is increased, and the vibrator 4 can be efficiently operated as a pendulum. Of the two vibrators 4 constituting one pair of vibrators 4, only the piezoelectric element 5 attached to one vibrator 4 is energized and the piezoelectric element attached to the other vibrator 4 is turned on. Even when 5 is in the energized OFF state, the vibrator 4 attached to the energized OFF piezoelectric element 5 vibrates due to resonance.

  Since the linear feeder X according to the present embodiment arranges such vibrators 4 in pairs in a posture opposite to each other, the vibrations of the vibrators 4 forming a pair are combined and linearly moved. Can be produced. That is, when the pair of vibrators 4 are combined upside down, the fixed surface 441 of the vibrator 4 undergoes linear vibration as shown in FIG. More specifically, a pair of vibrators 4 that perform a pendulum motion are provided in the movable portion 2 in a posture opposite to each other, and the directions of reaction forces acting on fulcrums of the vibrators 4 are equal, and the vibrators 4 swing. When the directions are opposite to each other, a reaction force in one direction acts on the movable part 2, and the rotational moments acting on the fulcrum of each vibrator 4 cancel each other, so that no force that deforms the movable part 2 is generated. The fixed surface 441 of the vibrator 4 performs linear vibration. In FIG. 7, the vibration direction of each vibrator 4 at a certain point in time during which the vibrator 4 arranged in an upside-down posture is performing the pendulum motion, and the vibration of the vibrator 4 fixes the vibrator 4. The direction in which the surface 441 performs linear vibration is schematically shown by relatively thick arrows. In FIG. 4, the vibration direction of each vibrator 4 is schematically indicated by an arrow, and the vibration direction of the right vibrator 4 and the pair of vibrators 4 shown in FIG. The vibration direction of the upper vibrator 4 is the same. The vibration direction of the vibrator 4 on the left side as viewed in FIG. 4 and the lower vibrator 4 of the pair of vibrators 4 shown in FIG. The vibration direction is the same.

  As described above, the linear feeder X according to the present embodiment combines the pendulum motions of the pair of vibrators 4 into a linear motion, and is integrated with the movable part 2 that fixes the vibrator 4 and the movable part 2. This vibration is also transmitted to the trough T provided for this purpose, and the movable portion 2 and the trough T perform linear vibration. Therefore, according to the linear feeder X according to the present embodiment, the object to be conveyed on the trough T can be oscillated and conveyed in a predetermined direction by the vibration of the pair of resonating vibrators 4 without being bent and deflected to the trough T. Stable vibration can be obtained, and unevenness in the conveyance speed can be reduced.

  Further, the linear feeder X according to the present embodiment has a plate-like support spring 3 that connects the movable portion 2 and the fixed portion 1 to each other in a vertical posture (see FIG. 1) in which the height direction matches the vertical direction. Since the vertical posture is changed to a tilted posture (see FIG. 3) tilted at a predetermined angle, the vibration direction of the trough T can be set to an arbitrary direction depending on the tilt of the support spring 3. . FIG. 3 schematically shows the vibration direction TD of the trough T when the support spring 3 is set in the inclined posture. Here, when the support spring 3 in the vertical posture is set as the reference posture, the angle at which the support spring 3 approaches the tilted posture, that is, the tilt angle of the support spring 3 is larger or smaller than 90 degrees that is the angle of the reference posture. The vibration vector in the vertical direction of the trough T increases as the value becomes.

  Further, the linear feeder X according to the present embodiment includes a driving unit that drives the trough T, and the driving unit may be regarded as an aspect configured using the excitation source 5, the vibrator 4, and the movable unit 2. it can. By changing the vibration frequency of the vibrator 4, the vibration frequency of the entire drive unit that drives the trough T can be changed, and high-frequency vibration conveyance (for example, 1000 Hz to 2000 Hz) can be easily realized.

  In the linear feeder X according to the present embodiment, the influence of bending and bending on the trough T is reduced by adopting the above-described configuration, and even if the longitudinal dimension of the trough T is set long, the conveyance formed on the trough T The object to be transported on the path T1 can be transported stably. In particular, the linear feeder X according to the present embodiment is capable of high-frequency vibration conveyance even in a frequency range where the influence of the trough T is prominent.

  In addition, in the linear feeder X according to the present embodiment, the pillar portion 42 that behaves like a spring in the vibrator 4 is deformed into a bow shape, and therefore, the piezoelectric element 5 having a large area is appropriately attached to the pillar portion 42. Therefore, the excitation force per one transducer 4 is increased. Here, on the left side of the paper surface of FIG. 8, the portion on which the piezoelectric element 5 can be attached to the leaf spring that is deformed into an S shape, which has been applied in the conventional linear feeder, and the size of the piezoelectric element 5 are extremely schematic. (FIG. 8A), the piezoelectric element 5 can be attached to the columnar portion (spring) that is deformed into an arc shape applied by the linear feeder X of the present embodiment, on the right side of the drawing. The size of the part and the size of the piezoelectric element 5 are schematically shown so as to be compared with the conventional example (FIG. 8B).

  In particular, in the linear feeder X according to the present embodiment, since the column portion 42 of the vibrator 4 behaves like a spring that deforms in an arcuate shape, compared with a conventional mode in which a leaf spring deforms into an S shape. The amount of displacement from the reference state before deformation to the most deformed maximum deformed state increases. Here, on the left side in FIG. 9, the displacement amount D1 from the reference state to the maximum deformation state of the leaf spring to be deformed into the S-shape applied by the conventional linear feeder is shown very schematically (FIG. 9). (A)) The amount of displacement D2 from the reference state to the maximum deformation state of the column portion (spring) to be deformed into an arc shape applied by the linear feeder X of the present embodiment is shown on the right side of the drawing in FIG. It is schematically shown so that it can be compared with an example (FIG. 9B). As described above, since the linear feeder X according to the present embodiment has a small vibration attenuation and a large vibration amplification factor due to resonance, the number of piezoelectric elements 5 is a piezoelectric element included in a conventional linear feeder that deforms a leaf spring into an S shape. Even when the number of elements is half, the same amplitude as the conventional one can be obtained. This means that if the number of piezoelectric elements 5 in the present embodiment is the same as the number of piezoelectric elements included in a conventional linear feeder that deforms a leaf spring into an S shape, the current can be reduced to about half that of the conventional one. .

  In addition, in the linear feeder X according to the present embodiment, since the pair of vibrators 4 are independent from each other, the arrangement location of the pair of vibrators 4 is not particularly limited, and is installed at an arbitrary position. Can do. And since the linear feeder X which concerns on this embodiment has arrange | positioned a pair of vibrator | oscillator 4 along with the longitudinal direction H of the trough T, it can implement | achieve the compactization (height reduction) in a height direction. it can. In particular, the linear feeder X according to the present embodiment can transport the object to be transported by vibrating the trough T as long as the pendulum motion of each vibrator 4 can be ensured. It is also possible to obtain a merit that high processing accuracy is not required for the parts to be connected to each other (in the case of this embodiment, the side plate 21 constituting the movable portion 2).

  In addition, this invention is not limited to embodiment mentioned above. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the second collar part 45 and the weight part main body 46 of the vibrator 4 constituting a part of the weight part 43 are illustrated as an example, but the second collar part and the weight part main body are exemplified. It is possible to apply a vibrator that is integrally provided. FIG. 10 shows an example of the vibrator 4 provided with the weight portion 43 integrally including the second flange portion 45 and the weight portion main body 46 on the free end side.

  In addition, the shape and weight of the weight portion can be changed as appropriate. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, if a weight portion 43 having a shape extending in a direction away from the attachment portion 41 (first flange portion 44) is applied to the free end side of the column portion 42, the above-described embodiment is used. Compared to the illustrated embodiment, the position of the weight portion 43 can be set at a position away from the fixed surface of the vibrator 4 with respect to the movable portion 2.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 12, it is also possible to apply a weight portion 43 set asymmetrically with the axis center of the column portion 42 as the axis of symmetry. In FIG. 12, the dimension of the second flange portion 45 along the thickness direction of the column portion 42 (the same direction as the H direction in the drawing) is shown as the dimension of the first flange portion 44 along the thickness direction of the column portion 42. A mode in which the weight portion main body 46 is fixed in a state where the weight portion main body 46 is in contact with the surface of the second flange portion 45 facing the thickness direction of the column portion 42 is illustrated. Thus, the dimension of the 2nd collar part 45 along the thickness direction of the pillar part 42 can be changed suitably. In FIG. 12, a screw for fixing the weight portion main body 46 to the second flange portion 45 is omitted.

  As the weight portion, a shape other than a rectangular parallelepiped (including a cube), for example, a weight portion having a circular shape or a partial circular shape as viewed from a predetermined direction, or a weight portion having a spherical shape or a partial spherical shape may be employed. It is also possible to apply a vibrator in which at least the pillar portion and the weight portion of the vibrator have a Y-shape or a match rod shape as a whole.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 13, the vibrator 4 can be configured by using a pillar part 42, a mounting part 41, and a weight part 43 which are separate bodies. In this case, separate parts may be integrally assembled by a fixing tool such as a screw, or separate parts may be integrally fixed by an appropriate bonding process. FIG. 13 illustrates a mode in which the weight portion main bodies 46 arranged at positions where the free end portions of the column portions 42 are sandwiched in the thickness direction are fixed with a common screw N6. The vibrator 4 shown in the same drawing is regarded as a portion corresponding to the second flange 45 in the above-described embodiment formed by the free end portion of the column portion 42 and a part of the weight portion main body 46. be able to.

  Depending on the size and weight in the height direction of the pillar portion constituting the vibrator, as shown in FIG. 14, the second flange portion and the weight portion main body are not provided, and the free end side region of the pillar portion 42 is the weight portion 43. It can also be configured to function as.

  Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which a pair of vibrators is provided is illustrated, but an aspect in which a plurality of pairs of vibrators are provided and the pairs of vibrators in each pair are arranged in opposite directions from each other is adopted. You can also In FIG. 15, two pairs of vibrators 4 (pairs of vibrators 4) are provided, and each vibrator 4 in each pair is attached so that the positions of the weight parts 43 are opposite to each other. The linear feeder X which fixed 41 to the common movable part 2 is shown. In the linear feeder X shown in the figure, since all the vibrators 4 are arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction H of the trough T, the longitudinal dimension of the trough T is larger than that of the linear feeder X exemplified in the above embodiment. Can be set large. As described above, in the linear feeder X according to the present invention, the drive unit for oscillating the long trough T by increasing the number of the transducers 4 (the drive unit including the plurality of transducers 4). Can be easily manufactured. In addition, since the size of the movable part 2 along the longitudinal direction H of the trough T is increased by increasing the number of the vibrators 4, a support spring that connects the movable part 2 and the fixed part 1 as necessary. You may increase the number of 3 (in other words, the connection part of the movable part 2 and the fixed part 1 by the support spring 3). The vibration direction of the trough T can be changed by changing the posture of the support spring 3 between a vertical posture shown in FIG. In this case, the support spring 3 functions as a vibration angle adjusting spring.

  Moreover, in the linear feeder of this invention, as shown in FIG. 16, it is possible to apply the housing | casing 25 (hollow block body) which accommodates the vibrator | oscillator 4 in the internal space 2S as the movable part 2. As shown in FIG. The housing 25 has a space in which a plurality of vibrators 4 can be individually accommodated (see the same figure) or a space in which a single vibrator 4 can be accommodated. It may be. When the movable part 2 is configured by such a casing 25, it is possible to achieve noise reduction (sound insulation) by disposing the vibrator 4 in the space 2 </ b> S sealed inside the casing 4. For example, FIG. 17 and FIG. 18 (FIG. 18 is a view seen from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 17, and the vibrator 4 on the right side of the housing 25 and FIG. 17 is extracted. As shown in FIG. 5), a type including a housing body 26 that is opened only on one side and a lid portion 27 that can cover the opening of the housing body 26 from the side, or above or There may be mentioned a type (not shown) provided with a housing main body that opens only downward and a lid that can cover the opening of the housing main body from above or below. 16 to 18, the attachment direction of the screw N5 for fixing the attachment portion 41 (first flange portion 44) of the vibrator 4 to the housing 25 is set to the height direction, and the vibrator 4 is attached to the housing body. Although the aspect fixed to the upper wall part or lower wall part which opposes a height direction among 26 is illustrated, you may set the attachment direction of the screw N5 to the width direction W of the trough T. FIG. In the latter case, the vibrator 4 may be fixed to the side wall portion of the housing body 26 or the lid portion 27 that covers the internal space 2S opened to the side of the housing body 26. In addition, as a housing, a pair of housing bodies that can be divided into two in a predetermined direction (for example, the trough width direction, the trough longitudinal direction, or the height direction) are assembled to each other, and a space in which a vibrator can be accommodated. What has is also employable.

  In the present invention, the trough that extends in a straight line only needs to be fixed to the upper end portion of the movable portion, and is exemplified in FIG. Thus, in addition to the aspect in which the trough is fixed to the connecting plate that connects the upper ends of the side plates, the posture in which the trough is placed on the upper ends of the pair of side plates (even if the posture straddles the upper ends of the pair of side plates) The trough may be fixed to the side plate or the connecting plate. Further, in a linear feeder that uses a casing to form a movable part, the trough is mounted on a portion constituting the upper end of the casing (the upper wall of the casing body 26 in the case of the casing 25 shown in FIG. 18). What is necessary is just to fix the said trough to a housing | casing in the mounted attitude | position.

  Further, in the linear feeder X according to the present invention, instead of the configuration in which the pair of vibrators 4 (pairs of the vibrators 4) are arranged along the longitudinal direction H of the trough T, FIG. 19 and FIG. It is possible to adopt a configuration in which the troughs T are arranged in the width direction W as shown in FIG. In the same figure, the movable part 2 which connected the left-right paired side plate 21 with the connection board 22 is provided, the side plate 21 which fixes one vibrator | oscillator 4 among a pair of vibrator | oscillators 4 (pair of vibrator | oscillators 4), and the other Although the side plate 21 that fixes the vibrator 4 is not the common side plate 21, the side plates 21 are connected to each other by the connecting plate 22. A stable vibration of T can be obtained.

  Further, the linear feeder according to the present invention may employ a configuration in which a pair of vibrators (a pair of vibrators) are arranged in the height direction (see, for example, FIG. 7). In this case, a configuration is adopted in which both the pair of vibrators arranged in the height direction are disposed in the internal space of the movable part (the internal space partitioned by the pair of side plates and the connecting plate, or the internal space of the housing). Of the pair of vibrators arranged in the height direction, the relatively upper vibrator is disposed in the internal space of the movable portion, and the lower vibrator is disposed in a space below the internal space of the movable portion. The structure to set can be employ | adopted. As an example of the latter case, for example, as shown in FIG. 21, in the linear feeder X to which the housing 25 is applied as the movable portion 2, the bottom wall portion that partitions the upper vibrator 4 into the internal space 2 </ b> S of the housing 25. 251 is fixed in a posture placed on the upward surface, and the lower vibrator 4 is fixed in a posture in which the attachment portion 41 is in contact with the downward surface of the bottom wall portion 251 that partitions the internal space 2S of the housing 25. A configuration can be mentioned. In the drawing, a mode in which a pair of vibrators 4 arranged in the height direction is fixed by a common screw N5 is illustrated. Further, a concave portion 13 for avoiding interference with the lower vibrator 4 is formed in a part of the fixed portion 1 so as not to impair the pendulum operation of the lower vibrator 4.

  Further, as an example of a configuration in which a pair of vibrators (a pair of vibrators) are arranged in the height direction, as shown in FIG. 22, the attachment portion 41 (first flange portion 44) of each vibrator 4 is made common and attached. It is also possible to employ a configuration in which pairs of vibrators 4 are arranged in the height direction so as to be vertically symmetrical about the portion 41. In this case, the pair of vibrators 4 may be fixed to the movable portion 2 by screwing screws into the screw holes 442 formed in the common attachment portion 41.

  The linear feeder of the present invention may be provided with a single vibrator. FIG. 23 illustrates a linear feeder X in which a single vibrator 4 is fixed to a side plate 21 that constitutes the movable portion 2, and FIG. 24 illustrates a single case in a casing 25 (block body) that constitutes the movable portion 2. The linear feeder X which fixed the vibrator | oscillator 4 is illustrated.

  Further, it may be a linear feeder provided with an odd number of vibrators of 3 or more.

  In the case of a linear feeder having three or more vibrators or a linear feeder X having a plurality of pairs of vibrators (pairs of vibrators), the plurality of vibrators are arranged in the trough longitudinal direction, height direction, Alternatively, they may be arranged side by side along one or more directions selected from three directions in the width direction. Therefore, for example, in a linear feeder having two pairs of vibrators arranged in an upside-down orientation, the vibrators are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the trough in each pair and the pairs are arranged in the height direction. It is also possible to adopt a layout arranged along the lines.

  In the linear feeder according to the present invention, the excitation source can be composed of any one of an electromagnet, an actuator, and a motor instead of the piezoelectric element. Any excitation source can be a linear feeder with a built-in excitation source. A linear feeder with an external excitation source may be used.

  Further, in the linear feeder according to the present invention, FIG. 25 and FIG. 26 (FIG. 26 is a view seen from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 25, and the vibrator 4 on the left side in FIG. 25 is omitted). As shown in FIG. 4, as the fixed portion 1, a base portion 14 fixed in a state of being directly placed on the floor, a counterweight 15 connected to the movable portion 2 by a support spring 3, a base portion 14 and a canter weight 15 It is also possible to apply one provided with a vibration-proof spring 16 interposed therebetween. In the figure, an embodiment in which an L-shaped vibration-proof spring 16 is applied is illustrated. By applying such a fixing portion 1, it is possible to realize a linear feeder X having excellent vibration-proof performance that prevents and suppresses vibration from being transmitted to the floor surface.

  27 and 28 (FIG. 28 is a view seen from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 27, and the vibrator 4 is omitted) as the linear feeder X that improves the vibration-proof performance to prevent / suppress vibration from being transmitted to the floor surface. As shown in FIG. 25, the above-described various linear feeders (excluding the linear feeder X shown in FIGS. 25 and 26) are regarded as the linear feeder main body X1, and the linear feeder main body X1 is suspended by the vibration isolation unit 7. An embodiment in which the linear feeder main body X1 is configured to be vibrated in this supported state. The anti-vibration unit 7 includes a base portion 71 fixed in a state of being directly placed on the floor surface, and a pair of upright wall portions that extend upward from the base portion 71 and are opposed to each other in the conveying direction of the trough T. 72, a connecting wall portion 73 that connects the lower end portions of the upright wall portions 72, and a vibration isolating spring 74 that can fix one end to the upper end of each upright wall portion 72 and fix the other end portion to the movable portion 2. It has. The pair of anti-vibration springs 74 are arranged in a posture facing each other along the longitudinal direction H of the trough T, and the other end portions are fixed to the movable portion 2 with screws N7. When the drive unit configured by the vibrator 4 and the movable unit 2 is driven in a state where the linear feeder main body X1 is supported by the vibration isolation unit 7 including the vibration isolation spring 74 in this manner, the same as in the above-described embodiment. In principle, the trough T can linearly vibrate along the longitudinal direction, and the object to be transported on the trough T can be vibrated and conveyed in one direction along the longitudinal direction H. The situation where vibration propagates to the floor surface can be prevented and suppressed. The mounting base 11 of the linear feeder body X1 functions as a counterweight. The vibration isolation unit 7 is a part corresponding to the “fixed portion fixed directly or indirectly on the floor surface” of the present invention, and the vibration isolation spring 74 of the vibration isolation unit 7 is the “fixed portion” of the present invention. It can be understood that this corresponds to a “support spring connecting the part and the movable part”. The linear feeder main body X1 shown in FIGS. 27 and 28 corresponds to the linear feeder X shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 described above.

  In addition, as shown in FIG. 29 and FIG. 30 (FIG. 30 is the figure seen from the arrow A direction of FIG. 29, and the vibrator | oscillator 4 is abbreviate | omitted) as a linear feeder X which improves vibration proof performance. The linear feeder main body X1 supported by the vibration unit 7 may include the movable portion 2 configured by using the casing 25 (block body) that houses the vibrator 4 in the internal space 2S. Note that the linear feeder main body X1 shown in FIG. 29 corresponds to the linear feeder X shown in FIG.

  Further, in the linear feeder including a plurality of vibrators, it is preferable that all the vibrators have the same structure, but a combination of vibrators having different structures may be used. For example, in the linear feeder X shown in FIGS. 17 and 29, the vibrator 4 on the left side with respect to the paper surface is applied with a unit that integrally includes the attachment portion 41, the column portion 42, and the weight portion 43, and the vibration on the right side with respect to the paper surface. As the child 4, a weight part main body 46 constituting a part of the weight part 43 is applied separately from the attachment part 41 and the column part 42. Thus, the combination of the plurality of vibrators 4 can be selected as appropriate.

  Furthermore, in a linear feeder having a plurality of vibrators, all vibrators may be provided with excitation sources, but focusing on the resonance action, for example, FIG. 15, FIG. 17, and FIG. And as shown in FIG. 29, the aspect which provided the excitation source 5 only in the some vibrator | oscillator 4 except the selected one vibrator | oscillator 4 or all is also employable.

  In the linear feeder according to the present invention, the specific mechanism for changing the support spring to a vertical posture in which the height direction coincides with the vertical direction and a tilted posture inclined from the vertical posture by a predetermined angle can be changed as appropriate. . Therefore, it is also possible to set the inclination posture of the support spring so that it can be selected from a plurality of inclination postures. In this case, the inclination posture of the support spring is set so that it can be selected step by step from a plurality of predetermined inclination postures, or the inclination posture of the support spring is stepless from within a predetermined predetermined inclination angle range. It can also be set so that it can be selected as appropriate. 3, 19, 21, 23 to 25, in the linear feeder X configured to change the posture of the support spring 3 between the vertical posture and the tilted posture, the support spring 3 is set to the tilted posture. The case where the vibration direction TD of the trough T is set to an angle inclined by a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal line is shown.

  Further, it may be a linear feeder configured such that the posture of the support spring is maintained at a constant posture and the posture of the support spring cannot be changed to another posture (see FIG. 16).

  Moreover, the column part of the vibrator is not particularly limited as long as it extends in the height direction from the mounting part, and the material and shape are not limited as long as the vibrator behaves like a spring when performing a pendulum motion. .

  In the case where the vibrator is formed by connecting a separate pillar portion and a weight portion with screws, the screw mounting direction may be set to the trough extending direction (see FIGS. 13 and 25).

  Further, in the linear feeder of the present invention, among the attachment portions set on one end side of the vibrator, the formation position of the screw hole for fixing to the movable portion is set at a position off the fulcrum when performing the pendulum motion. Although it is preferable, it may be set at a location that coincides with the fulcrum.

  With the linear feeder according to the present invention, it is possible to adjust the length of the column portion (spring) of each vibrator and the weight of the portion functioning as a weight part so that the pair of vibrators cancel each other's moment of inertia. is there.

  Of the pillar portions constituting the vibrator, the larger the dimension (the width dimension of the pillar portion) in the same direction as the longitudinal direction of the trough, the higher the frequency vibration can be generated. Therefore, vibration of a desired frequency can be generated only by setting the width dimension of the column part to an appropriate value.

  The fixing portion preferably functions as a counterweight, but may not function as a counterweight.

  In addition, the specific configuration of each part is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Fixed part 2 ... Movable part 21 ... Side plate 25 ... Housing 3 ... Support spring 4 ... Vibrator 41 ... Mounting part 42 ... Column part 43 ... Weight part 5 ... Excitation source T ... Trough X ... Linear feeder

Claims (5)

A linear feeder that vibrates a trough extending in a straight line and conveys an object to be transported placed on the trough along the longitudinal direction of the trough,
A fixed part fixed directly or indirectly on the floor surface;
A movable part having the trough fixed to the upper end part;
A support spring connecting the fixed part and the movable part;
A vibrator having a mounting portion for the movable portion set on one end side, a column portion extending in the height direction from the mounting portion, and a weight portion set on the other end side which is a free end, and performing a pendulum motion; ,
An excitation source for vibrating the vibrator,
A linear feeder wherein the vibrator, the movable portion, and the trough vibrate so as to transport the object to be transported by operating the excitation source. A pair or a plurality of pairs of the vibrators are provided, and the attachment parts are fixed to the movable parts so that the vibrators in each pair have postures in which the positions of the weight parts are opposite to each other. The linear feeder according to claim 1. The linear feeder according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a plurality of the vibrators are arranged side by side along one or more directions selected from a longitudinal direction, a height direction, or a width direction of the trough. The movable part is configured using a pair of side plates arranged at a position sandwiching the transducer from the width direction of the trough, or configured using a housing that houses the transducer in an internal space. The linear feeder according to claim 1, wherein the linear feeder is one. The plate-like support spring is configured to be changeable between a vertical posture in which a height direction is matched with a vertical direction and an inclined posture inclined by a predetermined angle from the vertical posture. The linear feeder described in 1.

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