JP2020065950A - Compounding unit and material compounding device equipped with the same - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a compounding unit of which handleability and maintainability can be improved, and a material compounding device equipped with the same.SOLUTION: In a compounding unit 10 which constitutes a material compounding device 1 for compounding plural kinds of particulate materials, a container holding part 11 for holding plural material supply containers 30 which respectively accumulate different particulate materials and supply the same toward a lower side, four peripheral wall parts 20, 21, 23, 24 which partition a storage space 16 of a weight measuring container 34 which receives the particulate materials supplied from these plural material supply containers and measures the materials, and a mixing chamber bottom wall part 26 which has a curved surface shape substantially coaxial with a shaft 39 of a stirring blade 38 for mixing the particulate materials discharged from the weight measuring container are integrally formed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a blending unit that constitutes a material blending device that blends a plurality of types of powder and granular material, and a material blending device including the blending unit.

Conventionally, a blending device (blending system) that blends a plurality of types of powdery or granular material so as to have a predetermined blending ratio (mass ratio) is known.
For example, in Patent Document 1 below, a blending device including a frame that supports a plurality of hoppers and holds the weighing box in a cantilever manner, and a mixing chamber provided at a lower end portion of the frame is disclosed. It is disclosed. The frame of this compounding device constitutes three side surfaces that define the storage space of the weighing box, and three side panels having guide pieces at each of the upper end portions are bent and formed, and the upper ends of the side panels on both sides that define the front opening are formed. A guide piece on the front side is welded between the parts. Further, in this blending device, each of the guide pieces at the upper end of the frame is provided with a notch that opens in the opposite direction at the center, and the intersecting frames that are engaged in a cross shape are fixed. Is configured to support four hoppers. In addition, this blending device has a configuration in which a bending member that constitutes a mixing chamber is inserted and provided on the bottom portion welded to the three side panels of the frame.

U.S. Pat. No. 6467943

  However, in the compounding device described in Patent Document 1 above, since the cross frame on the upper end side that supports the hopper and the bending member on the lower end side that configures the mixing chamber are separate parts with respect to the frame, part management and assembly There was a problem that it took time. Further, since such separate members are assembled together, it has been considered that dust is likely to adhere to and accumulate at the joints and gaps between the members, and that cleaning is also difficult. Further, when disassembling and assembling, members may be rubbed with each other, the coating may be peeled off, or metal powder may be generated.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a blending unit capable of improving handleability and maintainability, and a material blending apparatus including the blending unit.

  In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the blending unit according to the present invention is a blending unit that constitutes a material blending device that blends plural kinds of powdery or granular material, and stores different powdery or granular material in each Container holding portion for holding a plurality of material supply containers to be supplied toward the side, and a wall of four circumferences for defining a storage space of a weighing container for receiving and weighing the powdered or granular material supplied from the plurality of material supply containers And a mixing chamber bottom wall portion having a curved surface shape of substantially concentric arc and a shaft of a stirring blade that mixes the granular material discharged from the measuring container, are integrally formed. To do.

  Further, in order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the material blending device according to the present invention is held by the blending unit according to the present invention and the container holding portion of the blending unit, and stores different powdery granular materials in each. A plurality of material supply containers to be supplied toward the lower side, a measuring container which is housed in the accommodation space of the compounding unit, and which receives and measures the granular material material supplied from the plurality of material supply containers, and the compounding unit. And a stirring blade that is rotatably installed above the bottom wall of the mixing chamber and that mixes the granular material discharged from the measuring container.

  The blending unit according to the present invention and the material blending apparatus including the blending unit having the above-described configurations can improve handleability and maintainability.

FIG. 1 is a partially omitted schematic front view schematically showing an example of a blending unit according to an embodiment of the present invention and an example of a material blending apparatus including the blending unit. (A), (b) is a partially omitted schematic perspective view of the same material mixing apparatus. It is a schematic perspective view of the mixing unit. (A) is a schematic front view of the blending unit, and (b) is a schematic side view of the blending unit. (A) is a schematic plan view of the same mixing unit, (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view corresponding to the XX line arrow in FIG. 4 (a), and (c) is in FIG. 4 (a). FIG. 4D is a partially cutaway schematic vertical cross-sectional view corresponding to the line Y1-Y1 taken along the line Y2-Y2 in FIG. 4A. It is a schematic system diagram which shows typically an example of the mixing system with which the same material mixing apparatus is incorporated.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
Note that in some of the drawings, some of the detailed reference numerals attached to the other drawings are omitted.
Further, in the following embodiments, the directions such as the vertical direction will be described with reference to the state where the mixing unit according to the present embodiment and the material mixing apparatus including the mixing unit are installed.
1 to 6 are diagrams schematically illustrating an example of a blending unit according to the present embodiment and a material blending apparatus including the blending unit.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the blending unit 10 according to the present embodiment constitutes a material blending device 1 that blends a plurality of types of powder or granular material. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the mixing unit 10 includes a container holding unit 11 that holds a plurality of material supply containers 30 that store different powdery or granular material materials and supply them downward, respectively, and Four peripheral wall portions 20, 21, 23 and 24 that define the accommodation space 16 of the weighing container 34 that receives and weighs the granular material supplied from the plurality of material supply containers 30, and the powder discharged from the weighing container 34. The shaft 39 of the stirring blade 38 for mixing the granular material and the mixing chamber bottom wall portion 26 having a substantially concentric arcuate curved surface shape are integrally formed (integrally molded). Further, the material blending device 1 according to the present embodiment stores the blending unit 10, a plurality of material supply containers 30 held by the container holding portion 11 of the blending unit 10, and the housing space 16 of the blending unit 10. And a stirring blade 38 that is rotatably installed above the mixing chamber bottom wall portion 26 of the blending unit 10.

The mixing unit 10 and the material mixing apparatus 1 including the mixing unit 10 according to the present embodiment are configured as described above, and thus the handling property and the maintainability can be improved.
That is, the container holding portion 11, the four circumferential wall portions 20, 21, 23 and 24 and the mixing chamber bottom wall portion 26 are integrally formed. Therefore, the function of holding the material supply container 30, the function of partitioning the accommodation space 16 of the weighing container 34, and the function of partitioning the mixing chamber 17 in which the stirring blades 38 are arranged, in the integrally formed blending unit 10. It is possible to add, and, compared to the case where these functions are configured by combining or welding different parts, it is possible to significantly improve the handling property without requiring labor for parts management and assembly. Further, as will be described later, they can be integrated by casting and molding, and the overall cost can be reduced. Further, as compared with those formed by sheet metal working, welding, slide engagement, etc., distortion and deformation are less likely to occur, and dimensional accuracy can be improved. As a result, in particular, the clearance between the stirring blade 38 and the mixing chamber bottom wall portion 26 can be made uniform, and insufficient mixing and contact between the stirring blade 38 and the mixing chamber bottom wall portion 26 can be suppressed. . Also, a seam or a joint gap may be formed between the container holding portion 11 and the four circumferential walls 20, 21, 23, 24 and between the wall portions 20, 21, 23, 24 and the mixing chamber bottom wall portion 26. Since it is not present, dust is unlikely to adhere and accumulate between them, and the cleanability can be improved.

Here, the above-mentioned powder / granular material refers to a powder / granular material, and includes fine flaky material, short fiber material, sliver material, and the like.
Further, as the above material, any material such as synthetic resin material such as resin pellet or resin fiber piece, metal material, semiconductor material, wood material, chemical material, food material, etc. may be used.
Examples of the powdery material include natural materials (virgin materials), crushed materials, master batch materials, various additives, etc. when molding synthetic resin molded products. Further, it may be configured to include reinforcing fibers such as glass fibers and carbon fibers.

Further, in the present embodiment, the blending unit 10 is configured to be capable of holding four material supply containers 30, as shown in FIG. Since the material supply containers 30 have the same configuration, one of them will be described below as an example. The specific configuration of the blending unit 10 will be described later.
The material supply container 30 has a hopper shape in which the upper side portion is cylindrical and the lower side portion is tapered toward the lower side. In the present embodiment, an example is shown in which the upper side portion of the material supply container 30 has a substantially rectangular tube shape that is a substantially square shape in a plan view. In the illustrated example, an example is shown in which the upper portion of the material supply container 30 has a substantially square shape in a plan view.

In addition, among the peripheral wall portions that divide the four circumferences of the material supply container 30, adjacent wall portions are formed into substantially vertical plate shapes over substantially the entire vertical direction, and the remaining adjacent wall portions are formed into substantially vertical plate shapes. In the example, the inclined plate shape inclines toward the corners of the substantially vertically plate-like wall portions from the lower edge of the upper side portion toward the lower side. With such a configuration, in a state where the four material supply containers 30 are held in the compounding unit 10 such that the substantially vertical plate-shaped wall portions face each other, the inclined plate shapes of these four material supply containers 30 are held. The outer wall has a tapered inverted truncated pyramid shape as it goes downward.
Further, one of the substantially vertical plate-shaped wall portions of the material supply container 30 is provided with an engagement portion 31 into which the holding projection portion 15 provided in the compounding unit 10 described later is inserted. . The engagement portion 31 is formed so as to define a recess for receiving the holding projection portion 15 arranged along the one wall portion. In the illustrated example, the engaging portion 31 is provided with a hole-shaped recess that penetrates in the up-down direction and through which the holding protrusion 15 is inserted.

  Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the material supply container 30 is provided with a collecting unit 32 at the upper end thereof for collecting the powdery granular material to be pneumatically transported. The collection unit 32 is provided with a separation unit that separates the granular material from the transport air. As such a separation unit, any material may be used as long as it can separate the granular material and the transport air, but while passing the dust in addition to the transport air, the granular material used as the raw material It may be a punching metal or a mesh-like perforated plate for preventing the passage of the metal, or may be a baffle-shaped one. In addition, it is possible to employ a separating unit having various configurations. Further, as a separating mechanism of the collecting unit 32, a structure which separates the granular material from the transport air by a so-called cyclone type may be used. The collection unit 32 may be provided in a lid body that opens and closes the opening on the upper end side of the material supply container 30.

  Further, the material supply container 30 is provided with a supply unit 33 that supplies the granular material to the weighing container 34. The illustrated example shows an example in which the supply unit 33 is provided with a valve body configured to move in the vertical direction in the material supply container 30 to open and close the discharge port. The supply unit 33 is not limited to the one having such a configuration, and may be a slide shutter, a screw feeder, a vibration feeder, a mass feeder, a rotary feeder, a table feeder, or the like, and other various configurations. Can be used. In addition, the material supply container 30 is provided with an appropriate material sensor that outputs a material request signal. Further, FIGS. 1 and 2 show a state in which the lid body, the valve body driving portion, the window member, the material sensor, and the like are not assembled to the material supply container 30.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the weighing container 34 is arranged in the blending unit 10 so as to be located below the material supply container 30, and is fed to the blending unit 10 via a detection unit 36 including a mass detector such as a load cell. Retained. In the illustrated example, the weighing container 34 is detachably attached to the end of the holding unit, which is provided so as to penetrate the fourth wall portion 24, which will be described later, of the mixing unit 10 and is fixed to the detection unit 36, inside the mixing unit 34. The example which provided the hook-shaped hook part hold | maintained so that it may be hooked is shown. The detection unit 36 is not limited to the one that holds the weighing container 34 in a cantilevered manner as described above. For example, a supporting frame provided so as to traverse the blending unit 10 is provided so as to penetrate the weighing container 34, a supported frame supported by the supporting frame is provided in the measuring container 34, and the supported frame and the supporting frame are supported. A mode in which the detection unit 36 is provided between the frame and the frame may be adopted. The mode for supporting the detection unit 36 and the measuring container 34 is not limited to the above-described mode, but may be various modes.

The weighing container 34 may have a substantially quadrangular cylindrical shape at the upper side portion and a hopper shape in which the lower side portion is tapered toward the lower side.
In addition, at the upper end side of the weighing container 34, a charging port that opens upward is provided. The input port of the measuring container 34 is provided so as to be able to receive each powdery or granular material supplied from each material supply container 30 on the upstream side (upper side). A discharge port that opens downward is provided on the lower end side of the weighing container 34. Further, the weighing container 34 is provided with an opening / closing mechanism for opening / closing the discharge port.

  In the illustrated example, as the opening / closing mechanism, an example is provided in which a lid 35 that is moved in a pendulum shape obliquely upward and opens the discharge port, and a drive unit 37 that opens the lid 35 are provided. . Further, the drive unit 37 is a cylinder having a rod fixed to a fourth wall portion 24, which will be described later, and penetrating the fourth wall portion 24. The lid 35 is provided with an appropriate driven portion that is moved to the open side by the rod of the drive portion 37. Further, in the example shown in the figure, an example in which a spring for urging the lid 35 opened by the drive unit 37 toward the closing side is provided is shown. The opening / closing mechanism that opens and closes the discharge port of the weighing container 34 is not limited to the above-described configuration, but may be a slide shutter that slides in a substantially horizontal direction (direction orthogonal to the gravity direction), or a weighing container. It may be a flap-shaped valve element supported by an arm-shaped support portion that is rotated around the rotation axis on the side of 34, and other various configurations may be adopted.

The stirring blade 38 is arranged so as to be located below the weighing container 34, and is rotated around the shaft 39 by an appropriate driving unit. In the present embodiment, the stirring blade 38 is provided in the blending unit 10 with the axis 39 direction substantially along the horizontal direction. In addition, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 (b), the stirring blade 38 has a substantially center between the inner side surfaces of the wall portions 23 and 24 in which the shaft 39 faces in a direction orthogonal to the direction of the shaft 39 of the blending unit 10. It is provided to be located in. The stirring blade 38 may have one end on the one side in the shaft 39 direction supported in a cantilever manner so as to be freely inserted and removed in the shaft 39 direction with respect to the connecting portion of the drive unit that rotates the stirring blade 38.
Further, the stirring blade 38 is provided with an appropriate blade portion for stirring the powdery material.

  In the illustrated example, a plate-shaped blade portion is provided on the stirring blade 38 on both sides on the outer diameter side with the shaft 39 interposed therebetween, extending in the direction of the shaft 39, and arranged along the thickness direction in the rotation direction of the stirring blade 38. And a plurality of plate-shaped blade portions which are provided on both sides of the blade portion and are arranged at intervals in the axis 39 direction. Further, in the illustrated example, an example is shown in which the stirring blade 38 is smaller in size in the direction orthogonal to the bridging direction when viewed in the direction of the shaft 39. The blade of the stirring blade 38 is not limited to the one having the above-described configuration, and the granular material can be moved (fluidized) in the vertical direction or the shaft 39 direction to be stirred. It may be configured appropriately.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the blending unit 10 is vertically elongated. Further, as shown in FIG. 5A, the mixing unit 10 has a substantially rectangular tube shape that is a substantially square shape in a plan view. The illustrated example shows an example in which the compounding unit 10 has a substantially square shape in a plan view.
As shown in FIG. 5B, the four circumferential walls 20, 21, 23, 24 of the mixing unit 10 are the first one of the walls 20, 21 facing the shaft 39 of the stirring blade 38. The wall portion 20 and the other second wall portion 21, and one of the wall portions 23 and 24 facing each other in the direction orthogonal to the axis 39 direction of the stirring blade 38, the third wall portion 23 and the other fourth wall portion 24. And are equipped with.
The first wall portion 20 and the second wall portion 21 are plate-shaped and have a thickness direction along the axis 39 of the stirring blade 38, and are provided in parallel with each other. The third wall portion 23 and the fourth wall portion 24 are plate-shaped and have a thickness direction along a direction orthogonal to the axis 39 direction of the stirring blade 38, and are provided in parallel with each other.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 5B, the first wall portion 20 has a configuration in which the stirring blade 38 and the weighing container 34 are freely inserted and removed, and the opening 18 that is opened and closed by the door 19 is provided. I am trying. With such a configuration, by opening the door 19, the stirring blade 38 and the measuring container 34 can be put in and taken out, and the assembling property and the maintainability can be improved.
Further, the opening 18 is provided over the entire space between the third wall portion 23 and the fourth wall portion 24. That is, both sides of the opening 18 in the opening width direction are partitioned by the third wall portion 23 and the fourth wall portion 24. With such a configuration, it is possible to improve the ability of the stirring blade 38 and the weighing container 34 to move in and out, and to improve the cleaning properties of the inner surface of the third wall portion 23 and the fourth wall portion 24. . Further, such an opening 18 can be easily formed by casting, and compared with, for example, a case where a plurality of metal plates are joined by welding or the like to define the opening, the surface of the first wall portion 20 or Since no bead-shaped protrusion is formed at the projected corner, the airtightness of the door 19 can be improved with a simple structure.

The first wall portion 20 has an upper side wall portion 20 a that defines an upper side of the opening 18 and an lower side portion of the opening 18 that is defined by the opening 18 that is provided over the entire space between the third wall portion 23 and the fourth wall portion 24. And a lower side wall portion 20b that divides the side. When the opening 18 is provided in this way, the door 19 that opens and closes the opening 18 may be grasped as a wall portion that partitions the accommodation space 16.
The upper side wall portion 20a is provided so as to extend in the opening width direction of the opening 18.
The lower side wall portion 20b has a lower end edge formed in series at the end portion on the first wall portion 20 side of the mixing chamber bottom wall portion 26 having a curved surface shape, and extends in the opening direction (axis 39 direction) of the opening 18. When viewed from the front (when viewed from the front), it has a substantially semicircular shape.

The opening 18 has a substantially rectangular shape that is long in the vertical direction when viewed from the front. In the present embodiment, the four corners 18a, 18a, 18a, 18a of the four corners of the opening 18 have concave curved surface shapes. With such a configuration, the adhesion and accumulation of dust can be reduced and the cleanability can be improved as compared with the case where the site is orthogonal. Further, by forming the corners 18a having a concave curved surface shape, it is possible to improve the flowability of the material at the time of casting and to suppress the occurrence of defective molding. Further, such a concave curved surface shape can be easily integrally formed by casting, and the cost can be reduced as compared with the case where post-processing is required.
The size of the opening 18 along the vertical direction may be any suitable size so that the measuring container 34 and the stirring blade 38 can be taken in and out. In the illustrated example, the opening 18 is provided so that the entire weighing container 34 overlaps the opening 18 when viewed from the front, and the stirring blade 38 partially overlaps the lower side wall portion 20b. Further, in the illustrated example, the opening lower side edge of the opening 18 (the upper edge of the lower side wall portion 20b) is located below the shaft center of the shaft 39 of the stirring blade 38, and the blade portion of the stirring blade 38 faces the shaft 39 direction. An example is shown in which the height positions are overlapped with each other as seen in FIG.

  A door 19 that opens and closes the opening 18 is attached to the blending unit 10 so as to be openable and closable. The illustrated example shows an example in which the door 19 is provided in an outset shape so as to cover the opening 18 and overlap with the surface of the first wall portion 20 (the front surface of the mixing unit 10). The door 19 may be rotatably connected to one of the third wall portion 23 and the fourth wall portion 24 by a rotation connecting member such as a hinge so as to be rotatable about an axis along the vertical direction. In this case, the other side of the third wall portion 23 and the fourth wall portion 24 may be provided with a holding portion such as a proper fastener or a catch mechanism that holds the door end side end portion of the door 19. . The door 19 is not limited to being rotatably connected to the blending unit 10, and may be detachably provided to the blending unit 10 by an appropriate fastener. Further, the door 19 may be translucent so that the interior of the blending unit 10 can be visually recognized. Further, the mixing unit 10 may be provided with an appropriate sensor for detecting the open / closed state of the door 19. Further, the door 19 may be provided with a retaining portion that restricts the movement of the stirring blade 38 toward the opening 18 side.

Similarly to the lower wall portion 20b of the first wall portion 20, the second wall portion 21 has a series of lower end edges formed at the end portion of the mixing chamber bottom wall portion 26, which has a curved surface shape, on the second wall portion 21 side. The lower end portion thereof is substantially semicircular when viewed in the direction of the axis 39 (as viewed from the rear).
Further, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the second wall portion 21 is provided with a fixing portion 22 for fixing the driving portion of the stirring blade 38. The fixing portion 22 is provided in a series so as to project from the surface of the second wall portion 21 (the back surface of the blending unit 10). The fixing portion 22 may have a shape that defines a recess for receiving the drive portion. Further, as shown in FIG. 4A, the second wall portion 21 has a shaft insertion hole 21a through which the drive shaft of the drive portion of the stirring blade 38 is inserted, and a detection portion of a material sensor that outputs a material request signal. There are provided a sensor opening 21b that exposes the above, and an insertion hole 21c that constitutes a recess or a screw insertion hole that serves as a mark of a fastening portion of a screw that fixes the drive unit and the material sensor.

With the above-described configuration, the drive unit of the stirring blade 38 and the material sensor that are assembled to the blending unit 10 can be easily assembled, and the shaft insertion hole 21a, the sensor opening 21b, and the insertion hole 21c can be provided. It can be easily formed by casting. Note that, instead of the mode in which the insertion hole 21c penetrating the second wall part 21 is provided, a mode in which a mark recess is provided may be adopted.
Further, in the illustrated example, an example in which the shaft insertion hole 21a is provided so as to penetrate the center portion of the recess of the fixing portion 22 and the insertion hole 21c is provided so as to penetrate the portion that defines the recess of the fixing portion 22. Shows. Further, an example is shown in which the sensor opening 21b and the insertion hole 21c are provided so as to be positioned on the side of the fixed portion 22.

The third wall portion 23 is formed such that both side edge portions of the stirring blade 38 in the shaft 39 direction are formed in a series on the first wall portion 20 and the second wall portion 21. As shown in FIG. 3, the third wall portion 23 is provided with a recess or a screw insertion hole that serves as a mark of a screw fastening portion for attaching a cover or a rotation connecting member attached to a side portion of the compounding unit 10. An insertion hole 23a is provided. With such a configuration, similarly to the above, it is possible to easily assemble members to be assembled to the blending unit 10, and it is also possible to easily form the insertion holes 23a by casting. Note that, similar to the above, the insertion hole 23a may be replaced with a mark recess.
In the fourth wall portion 24, both side edge portions of the stirring blade 38 in the shaft 39 direction are formed in a continuous manner on the first wall portion 20 and the second wall portion 21. The lower ends of the third wall portion 23 and the fourth wall portion 24 are formed in a series on the mixing chamber bottom wall portion 26.
Further, in the present embodiment, the support portion 25 to which the detection portion 36 of the weighing container 34 is fixed is provided on the fourth wall portion 24.

The support portion 25 is provided in a series so as to project from the surface of the fourth wall portion 24 (the side surface of the blending unit 10). The support portion 25 has a substantially plate shape whose thickness direction extends in the vertical direction, and is provided so as to extend in the direction of the shaft 39 of the stirring blade 38.
In addition, the supporting portion 25 is configured such that a step lower portion that allows the deformation of the load cell of the detecting portion 36 is provided at an intermediate portion of the stirring blade 38 in the direction of the shaft 39. In addition, an insertion hole 25a through which a screw that fixes the detection unit 36 and a screw that configures a restriction unit that restricts excessive deformation of the load cell of the detection unit 36 are inserted through the support portion 25 in the thickness direction. It is provided in. It should be noted that, like the supporting portion 25 and the fixing portion 22 described above, the corners between the surface and the portions provided so as to project from the surfaces of the four circumferential walls 20, 21, 23, and 24 have a concave curved surface shape. May be

In addition, the fourth wall portion 24 is provided with an insertion hole 24a into which a holding portion that detachably holds the weighing container 34 is inserted. The insertion hole 24a is provided so as to allow the up / down movement of the holding portion that moves up / down along with the deformation of the load cell of the detection portion 36. In the illustrated example, the insertion hole 24a is an elongated hole elongated in the direction of the shaft 39 of the stirring blade 38.
Further, the fourth wall portion 24 has an insertion hole 24b into which the rod of the drive portion 37 for opening the lid 35 of the weighing container 34 described above is inserted, and the drive portion 37, the cover similar to the above, and the opening and closing of the door 19. An insertion hole 24c that forms a recess or a screw insertion hole that serves as a mark for a screw fastening portion that fixes a sensor or the like is provided. With such a configuration, similarly to the above, the members to be assembled in the blending unit 10 can be easily assembled, and the insertion holes 24a, 24b, 24c can be easily formed by casting. Note that, similar to the above, a mark recess may be used instead of the insertion hole 24c.

In addition, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5B, a corner 21d between the second wall portion 21 and the third wall portion 23, which are the wall portions adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction, and the second wall portion 21. The corner 21d with the fourth wall 24 has a concave curved surface shape. With such a configuration, similarly to the above, it is possible to reduce the adhesion and accumulation of dust, improve the cleanability, suppress the occurrence of molding defects, and reduce the Cost can be reduced. The corners between the upper wall portion 20a of the first wall portion 20 and the third wall portion 23 and the fourth wall portion 24 on both sides of the upper wall portion 20a may also have a concave curved surface shape.
Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5D, the corners 26b and 26b between the lower wall portion 20b and the second wall portion 21 of the first wall portion 20 and the mixing chamber bottom wall portion 26 are It has a concave curved surface shape. With such a configuration, as in the above case, the cleaning property can be improved, the occurrence of defective molding can be suppressed, and the cost can be reduced. The corners 26b between the second wall 21 and the bottom wall 26 of the mixing chamber are the corners 21d and 21d between the second wall 21 and the third wall 23 and the fourth wall 24 on both sides thereof. Are formed in a series.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4A, in the mixing chamber bottom wall portion 26, the inner side surface 26a facing the upper side has a concave curved surface shape substantially concentric with the shaft 39 of the stirring blade 38, and the lower side is The facing outer surface has a convex curved surface shape that is substantially parallel to the inner surface 26a. The inner side surface 26a and the outer side surface of the mixing chamber bottom wall portion 26 are formed so as to be continuous with the inner side surface and the outer side surface of the third wall portion 23 and the fourth wall portion 24 on both sides, respectively.
The mixing chamber bottom wall portion 26, four circumferential wall portions 20 (20b), 21, 23, 24 and the door 19 partition the mixing chamber 17.
Further, in the present embodiment, the discharge port 27 is provided so as to open at the inner side surface 26a of the mixing chamber bottom wall portion 26. In addition, as shown in FIG. 5B, an example is shown in which the discharge port 27 is provided so as to be located in a substantially central portion of the mixing chamber bottom wall portion 26 in a plan view. Further, the peripheral edge portion 26c of the discharge port 27 on the inner side surface 26a side of the mixing chamber bottom wall portion 26 has a convex curved surface shape (see FIG. 5D).

Further, on the outer surface side (lower surface side) of the mixing chamber bottom wall portion 26, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a discharge tubular portion 28 defining the discharge port 27 extends downward. It is provided in. The discharge tubular portion 28 is formed in a series on the mixing chamber bottom wall portion 26. The corner between the outer peripheral surface of the upper end portion of the discharge tubular portion 28 and the outer surface of the mixing chamber bottom wall portion 26 may have a concave curved surface shape.
Further, an example is shown in which a flange portion 29 extending in the radial direction is provided at the lower end portion of the discharge tubular portion 28. In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, the flange portion 29 is provided with an insertion hole 29a that forms a recess or a screw insertion hole that serves as a mark for a fastening portion of a screw that fixes the compounding unit 10 to an installation target. I am trying. Further, ribs 26d and 26e are provided so as to connect the flange portion 29 and the mixing chamber bottom wall portion 26. The illustrated example shows an example in which four ribs 26d and 26e are provided so as to project in the radial direction from the outer peripheral surface of the discharge tubular portion 28.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the container holding unit 11 is provided at the upper end of the blending unit 10. Further, in the present embodiment, the container holding portion 11 includes the partition frame portion 14 provided so as to divide the upper opening defined by the four circumferential wall portions 20, 21, 23 and 24 into a plurality of portions. With such a structure, the strength of the upper end side of the blending unit 10 can be improved by the partition frame portion 14. Further, since the partition frame portion 14 is formed integrally with the wall portions 20, 21, 23 and 24, no joint or a joint gap is formed between them, and the partition frame portion 14 is formed between them. Dust is less likely to adhere and accumulate, and the cleanability can be improved.

  In the present embodiment, the partitioning frame portion 14 is provided so as to divide the upper opening into four, as shown in FIG. 5A, so that the four material supply containers 30 can be held as described above. It is configured. Further, the partition frame portion 14 is provided so as to bridge the first wall portion 20 and the second wall portion 21, and the partition frame portion 14 is provided so as to bridge the third wall portion 23 and the fourth wall portion 24. It is configured. In addition, the partition frame portion 14 spanned by the first wall portion 20 and the second wall portion 21 and the partition frame portion 14 spanned by the third wall portion 23 and the fourth wall portion 24 have four circumferences. The upper opening defined by the walls 20, 21, 23, and 24 is integrally provided so as to intersect at the central portion of the upper opening in a plan view. The partition frame portion 14 is formed in a series on the upper ends of the four circumferential wall portions 20, 21, 23 and 24. In the illustrated example, the partition frame portion 14 is provided so as to project upward from the upper ends of the four circumferential wall portions 20, 21, 23, 24. Not limited.

The partition frame portion 14 and the upper ends of the four circumferential wall portions 20, 21, 23 and 24 define four container receiving openings 12 that receive the lower end portions of the respective material supply containers 30.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 5C, a protrusion that forms an inclined surface 13 that protrudes inward and inclines downward in a downward slope at the upper ends of the four walls 20, 21, 23, and 24. The stepped portion is provided in series. That is, the inner surfaces of the four circumferences of each container receiving opening 12 are such that the two adjacent inner surfaces are the side surfaces of the partition frame portion 14 having a substantially vertical surface shape, and the other two adjacent inner surfaces are the inclined surfaces 13 and 13. Has been done.
Further, the corner portion 21e between the projecting step portion and the second wall portion 21 has a concave curved surface shape. Similarly, the corners between the third wall portion 23 and the projecting portion and the corners between the fourth wall portion 24 and the projecting portion are also concave curved surface shapes. With such a configuration, as in the above case, the cleaning property can be improved, the occurrence of defective molding can be suppressed, and the cost can be reduced.
In the material supply container 30 described above, the inclined plate-shaped wall portion is in contact with the inclined surface 13, and the substantially vertical plate-shaped wall portion is in contact with the side surface of the partition frame portion 14.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the partition frame portion 14 is provided with the holding projection portion 15 that is inserted into the engaging portion 31 provided on the side portion of the material supply container 30 so as to project upward. There is. With such a configuration, the material supply container 30 can be held by inserting the holding protrusion 15 into the engaging portion 31 of the material supply container 30.
In addition, the partition frame portion 14 is provided with four holding projection portions 15 that are inserted into the respective engaging portions 31 of the four material supply containers 30. These holding projections 15 are substantially plate-shaped and have a thickness direction along a direction orthogonal to the bridging direction of the partition frame 14. That is, the holding protrusions 15 and 15 of the partition frame portion 14 that are bridged over the first wall portion 20 and the second wall portion 21 are thick in the direction in which the third wall portion 23 and the fourth wall portion 24 face each other. The holding projections 15 and 15 of the partitioning frame portion 14 which are formed in a substantially plate shape along the vertical direction and which are bridged between the third wall portion 23 and the fourth wall portion 24 are provided with the first wall portion 20 and the first wall portion 20. It is formed in a substantially plate shape whose thickness direction is along the direction facing the two wall portions 21.

  The thickness of each of the holding projections 15 is smaller than the dimension along the direction orthogonal to the bridging direction of the partition frame portion 14, and one surface in the thickness direction corresponds to one side surface of the partition frame portion 14. It is provided so as to be in the same plane. That is, the holding projections 15 are provided at a portion of the partition frame portion 14 which is offset to one side in the direction orthogonal to the bridging direction. The thickness dimension of these holding projection portions 15 is set to an appropriate dimension from the viewpoint of strength and the like so that the engaging portion 31 into which they are inserted hardly interferes with the wall portion of the adjacent material supply container 30. May be

In addition, in the present embodiment, the holding projection portions 15 are tapered so that the thickness dimension becomes smaller toward the upper end side. With such a configuration, the holding projection 15 can be easily inserted into the engaging portion 31 of the material supply container 30, the clearance can be reduced, and rattling can be reduced. Further, such a tapered holding projection portion 15 can be easily integrally formed by casting. In the illustrated example, one side in the thickness direction of the upper side portion of these holding projections 15 is a C-chamfered inclined surface 15a, and the other side in the thickness direction is flat over the entire surface. There is. In addition, the inclined surface 15a is provided on a surface different from the side along which the wall surface of the material supply container 30 having the engaging portion 31 into which the holding projection 15 is inserted is provided. Note that, instead of such an aspect, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which inclined surfaces are provided on both sides in the thickness direction of the holding projection portion 15.
In addition, in the present embodiment, the holding projections 15 are tapered toward the upper end when viewed in the thickness direction. In the illustrated example, an example in which C chamfered chamfered portions are provided on both side portions in the width direction of the upper side portions of the holding projection portions 15 is shown.
In the material supply container 30 described above, the holding projection 15 is inserted into the engaging portion 31, and the lower end portion is inserted into the container receiving opening 12 and held in the container holding portion 11.

The compounding unit 10 configured as described above is integrally formed of the same metallic material as a whole. In this embodiment, the mixing unit 10 is integrally formed of stainless steel. With such a configuration, it is possible to eliminate the need for a coating treatment for rust prevention and antistatic and to prevent the peeling of the coating, as compared with, for example, one formed of an iron plate or the like.
Such a compounding unit 10 may be a cast molded product (casting) formed by casting. The blending unit 10 may be formed by the lost wax method. With such a configuration, surface smoothness and dimensional accuracy can be improved as compared with those formed by sand casting or the like.

As shown in FIG. 6, the material blending apparatus 1 configured as described above constitutes a blending system A that blends a plurality of types of powdery or granular material in a predetermined blending ratio (mass ratio).
In the illustrated example, the mixing unit 10 of the material mixing apparatus 1 is installed on the molding machine 2. The molding machine 2 may be, for example, an injection molding machine for molding a synthetic resin molded product, but may be an injection molding machine for other materials, or an extrusion molding machine or a compression molding machine for various materials. Other molding machines may be used.
Further, in the illustrated example, an example in which the four material supply containers 30 are provided as described above is shown. As these four material supply containers 30, a natural material, a master batch material, an additive material, and a crushed material, which are main materials, may be stored and supplied.
Further, in the illustrated example, an example is shown in which the compounding system A is provided with an air transporter 6 that pneumatically transports the granular material from the material source 3 toward each material supply container 30. The illustrated example shows an example in which each of the four material supply containers 30 is provided with four material sources 3 connected to each other via the material transport pipeline 4.

As these material sources 3, a first material source 3A storing natural materials, a second material source 3B storing master batch materials, a third material source 3C storing additive materials, and a fourth material source 3D storing crushed materials. May be When it is not necessary to distinguish among the first material element 3A, the second material element 3B, the third material element 3C, and the fourth material element 3D, the material element 3 will be simply described.
In addition, in the illustrated example, the first material element 3A, the second material element 3B, and the third material element 3C are shown in a tank shape. Further, the fourth material element 3D may be a crusher for crushing molding by-products such as sprues, runners, burrs, etc. taken out from the molding machine 2 and separated from the molded product, and crushed materials such as defective molded products. . The material to be crushed may be charged into the charging hopper of the crusher by an appropriate conveying device such as a molding by-product take-out device or a belt conveyor.

The material transport pipeline 4 connected to these material sources 3 is connected to the above-mentioned collecting section 32 of each material supply container 30. Further, the air suction pipe line 5 is connected to the collection unit 32 of each material supply container 30.
The air suction pipe line 5 connected to the collection unit 32 is connected to the air transportation machine 6 via the transportation air switching valve 7. The transport air switching valve 7 is configured to be switched so that any one of the plurality of air suction pipelines 5 communicates with the suction side of the air transport machine 6. The air transporter 6 is provided with an appropriate dust collecting part such as a bag filter or a cyclone filter, a suction blower that constitutes a transport air source, and the like.

  In addition, in a suitable place of the blending system A, a control panel having a control unit including a CPU for controlling each unit of the blending system A is provided. Such a control panel has a display operation unit that configures a display unit and an operation unit for setting and inputting and displaying various settings, and setting conditions and inputs that are set and input by operating the display operation unit. Values, various programs such as a control program for executing each mode described later, various operating conditions set in advance, various data tables, etc. are stored, and a storage unit including various memories is provided. These display operation unit and storage unit, the above-described detection unit 36, the supply unit 33 of each material supply container 30, the transportation air source of the air transportation machine 6, the transportation air switching valve 7, and the crusher that constitutes the fourth material source 3D The drive unit, the material sensor provided in each material supply container 30, the drive unit 37 constituting the opening / closing mechanism of the measuring container 34, the drive unit of the stirring blade 38, the material sensor provided in the mixing chamber 17, and the like are controlled by the control unit. Each is connected via a signal line or the like. The control unit may be connected to the material sensor of the material source 3 and the discharge unit as necessary.

In the blending system A configured as described above, a transportation mode in which the powder and granular material is pneumatically transported from the material source 3 to the material supply container 30, a weighing mode in the weighing container 34, and a mixing in the mixing chamber 17. Mode and are executed.
In the transport mode, if the material sensor of the material supply container 30 outputs the material request signal, the air suction pipe line 5 connected to the collection unit 32 of the material supply container 30 and the air transporter 6 are communicated with each other. The transport air switching valve 7 is switched so that the transport air source of the air transport machine 6 is activated. As a result, the granular material is transported from the material source 3 to the material supply container 30. When the material request signals are output from the material sensors of a plurality (all) of the material supply containers 30 at the beginning of operation of the compounding system A, the material supply containers 30 are supplied to the respective material supply containers 30 in accordance with a preset priority order or the like. The transportation mode may be sequentially executed toward the destination.

When the transportation mode is executed as described above and the granular material is stored in each material supply container 30, the measurement mode is executed.
In the weighing mode, each of the supply units 33 of the material supply containers 30 is controlled so that the target weighing value set in advance for each different powder or granular material is controlled, and each powder or granular material is directed toward the weighing container 34. The materials may be sequentially supplied to perform one batch weighing. The target measurement value for each powder or granular material may be calculated and set based on the one batch target amount input via the display operation unit and the mass ratio for each powder or granular material.
If one batch of powdered or granular material is stored in the weighing container 34 and the material sensor of the mixing chamber 17 outputs a material request signal, the discharge port of the weighing container 34 is opened and directed toward the mixing chamber 17. Alternatively, the mixing mode may be executed by discharging and rotating the stirring blade 38. When the weighing container 34 becomes empty, the weighing mode is executed, and the batch container 34 is filled with one batch of the granular material until the material request signal is output from the material sensor of the mixing chamber 17. You may leave it.

  When the powdery or granular material is mixed in the mixing chamber 17 as described above, the molding machine 2 appropriately executes a molding preparatory process such as discarding or trial molding, and shifts to a steady operation process in which the molding process is sequentially performed. To do. Further, the material to be crushed generated in the molding machine 2 is appropriately crushed in the crusher that constitutes the fourth material element 3D. Similarly, if the material request signal is output from the material sensor of the mixing chamber 17, the discharge port of the measuring container 34 is opened to execute the mixing mode, and if the measuring container 34 becomes empty, the measuring mode is changed. Run. If the material request signal is output from the material sensor of each material supply container 30, the transportation mode is executed. It should be noted that each mode executed in the blending system A is not limited to the above-described mode, and various other modifications are possible.

  Further, the mode of pneumatically transporting the granular material from the material source 3 toward the collection unit 32 is not limited to the suction transportation as described above, and compressed air is supplied to the discharge unit of the material source 3 to collect the granular material. It is also possible to adopt a mode in which the granular material is pressure-fed toward the collecting portion 32. In this case, the collecting unit 32 may be connected to an exhaust pipe provided with an appropriate dust collecting unit. Further, the mode of supplying (supplementing) the powdery or granular material to each material supply container 30 is not limited to the mode of pneumatic transportation, but may be a mode of supplying (supplementing) by dropping it from its upstream side (upper side) by its own weight. Alternatively, it may be done by an operator. Further, the supply destination of the compounding system A is not limited to a single supply destination, and may be a plurality of supply destinations. Further, the present invention is not limited to a mode in which the powdery or granular material mixed in the mixing chamber 17 is supplied to the molding machine 2 as a supply destination in a drooping manner, and from the mixing chamber 17 or a storage portion on the downstream side (lower side) thereof. It may be configured to be pneumatically transported toward the supply destination. In this case, instead of installing the mixing unit 10 on the molding machine 2, it may be supported by an appropriate frame or pedestal.

  Further, in the above-described example, the blending unit 10 has a configuration capable of holding four material supply containers 30, but may have a configuration capable of holding a plurality of material supply containers 30 other than four. In this case, the partition frame portion 14 and the like that form the container holding portion 11 may be appropriately modified. Further, the container holding unit 11 that holds the material supply container 30 is not limited to the configuration including the partition frame portion 14, and may have various other configurations. Further, in the above-described example, the example in which the opening 18 and the door 19 are provided in the first wall portion 20 is shown, but instead of such an aspect, a configuration in which the opening or door is provided in another wall portion Good. The specific configuration of each member and each part of the blending unit 10 according to the present embodiment and the material blending apparatus 1 including the blending unit 10 is not limited to the above-described configurations, and various modifications are possible.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Material blending apparatus 10 Blending unit 11 Container holding part 14 Partition frame part 15 Holding projecting piece part 16 Housing space 18 Opening 19 Door 20 First wall part (wall part)
21 Second wall (wall)
21c Insertion hole 21d Entry corner (entrance corner between adjacent walls in the circumferential direction)
23 Third Wall (Wall)
23a Insertion hole 24 Fourth wall portion (wall portion)
24c Insertion hole 26 Mixing chamber bottom wall portion 26b Entry corner portion (Entering corner portion between wall portion facing axial direction and mixing chamber bottom wall portion)
30 Material Supply Container 31 Engagement Part 34 Measuring Container 38 Stirring Blade 39 Shaft

Claims (8)

A blending unit that constitutes a material blending device that blends a plurality of types of powdered and granular materials,
A container holding unit that holds a plurality of material supply containers that store different powdery or granular material materials and supplies them downward, and receive and measure the powdery or granular material materials supplied from the plurality of material supply containers. A four-circumferential wall portion that defines the accommodating space of the measuring container, and a mixing chamber bottom wall portion having a curved surface shape that is substantially concentric with the shaft of the stirring blade that mixes the granular material discharged from the measuring container, A compounding unit characterized by being integrally formed. In claim 1,
A compounding unit, characterized in that the corners between adjacent walls in the circumferential direction have a concave curved surface shape. In claim 1 or 2,
A blending unit, wherein an entry corner between a wall portion of the stirring blade facing the axial direction and a bottom wall portion of the mixing chamber has a concave curved surface shape. In any one of Claim 1 thru | or 3,
The container holding part is provided so as to partition the upper opening partitioned by the four circumferential walls into a plurality of partitions, and the partition frame part is provided so as to project upward, and the material supply unit And a holding protrusion that is inserted into an engaging portion provided on a side portion of the container, and the holding protrusion has a tapered shape whose thickness decreases toward the upper end side. A compounding unit characterized by being present. In any one of Claim 1 thru | or 4,
An opening that allows the stirring blade and the weighing container to move in and out and is opened and closed by a door is provided in one first wall portion of the wall portions that face each other in the axial direction of the stirring blade. Is provided over the entire space between both side wall portions facing each other in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of the stirring blade. In any one of Claim 1 thru | or 5,
A compounding unit characterized by being integrally formed from stainless steel. In any one of Claim 1 thru | or 6,
The compounding unit, wherein the wall portion is provided with a recess or a screw insertion hole serving as a mark of a fastening portion of a screw for fixing a member assembled to the compounding unit.   The compounding unit according to any one of claims 1 to 7, and a plurality of materials which are held in the container holding section of the compounding unit and which store different granular material materials and supply them toward the lower side. A supply container, a measuring container that is housed in the accommodation space of the compounding unit, and that receives and measures the granular material supplied from the plurality of material supply containers, and is rotatable above the bottom wall of the mixing chamber of the compounding unit. And a stirring blade for mixing the powdery or granular material discharged from the measuring container, the material blending device.

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