JP2024010407A - Powder dosage metering system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a powder dosage metering system capable of simultaneously improving the accuracy of attachment of a powder weighing module to a drive module and the accuracy of alignment with a powder weighing module drive shaft by installing the drive shaft of the drive module necessary for metering and discharging the powder dose in a horizontal direction, and by installing and removing the drive module and the powder weighing module from the horizontal direction, and by positioning the powder weighing module using the drive shaft.

SOLUTION: The powder dosage metering system includes a powder weighing module 1 and a drive module 2. The powder weighing module 1 is connected to a drum drive shaft 16 of a drive module 2 installed horizontally and a convex connector 7 that is provided horizontally and parallel to this drum drive shaft 16. A shutter pusher 18 for driving a knocker 14 and a shutter 10 is also provided horizontally and parallel to the drum drive shaft 16, respectively.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a powder dosage measuring system that allows a powder dosage measuring module that measures a powder dosage to be easily exchanged with a drive module to which it is attached, and that accurately weighs the powder dosage.

In the research and business fields of pharmaceuticals and chemicals, it is often necessary to mix various powder samples, and high measurement accuracy is required, so it is better to automate the preparation using equipment rather than manually. is common. For example, in Patent Document 1, an impact is applied from below the measuring device 4 held by the operating arm 3 using the impact device 11 under the name "powder measuring device equipped with an impact device", and the measuring device 4 is suddenly impacted. causing an upward acceleration and movement, thereby creating a downward inertial force within the powder and exerting a downward force within the metering device 4 that pushes the powder towards the outlet, resulting in a free flow of the powder. A powder metering device is disclosed that can facilitate powder metering.

Further, in Patent Document 2, under the name "Measuring and dispensing device equipped with a tapping mechanism", a dispensing unit 110 is attached to a storage device 130, and a holding device 120 that is pivotally suspended like a pendulum is attached. A dosing-dispensing device 100 is disclosed. Powdered dispensing material is discharged into the target container 190 through a discharge hole at the lower end of the metering-dispensing head 112 with the source container 111 on top. Further, a drive shaft 151 is vertically inserted from the drive device 150 into the metering and dispensing head 112 and coupled to the shaft of the stirring mechanism.

Furthermore, in Patent Document 3, under the name "Method and Dispensing Apparatus for Optimizing the Dispensing Process," a dispensing device 150 is provided with a dispensing unit 105 that is removably attached to the drive device 150, and An invention is disclosed in which the closure shaft 132 is rotated to dispense a powder or pasty substance within the storage container 110. The weighing unit 105 is horizontally attached to the drive device 150 by the operating arm 301 of the operating device 300.

Special Publication No. 2010-518365 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-197095 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-175817

However, in the inventions disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 3, although the removable metering device is mounted on the drive device from the horizontal direction, the discharge of powder or paste-like substances within the metering device is installed in the vertical direction. This is due to the rotation of the drive shaft, which is caused by There are problems in that it has a negative effect on the accuracy of weighing substances such as substances, and in cases where there are multiple samples and it is necessary to attach and detach multiple types of weighing devices, replacement is complicated and takes a lot of time. Ta.
Furthermore, although impact devices and striking mechanisms do have the effect of forming free flow of powder, etc., impact and striking alone do not completely prevent the formation of cavities such as so-called bridges caused by powder within the metering device. There was also the problem that it was impossible to solve the problem.
Furthermore, when measuring powder or the like using a measuring device, unlike liquids, powder lacks viscosity and easily disperses, and leakage makes it difficult to improve the accuracy of the measurement itself.

The present invention has been made in response to such conventional circumstances, and it provides the drive shaft of the drive module necessary for measuring powder dosage and discharge control in the horizontal direction, and also allows attachment and detachment of the drive module and powder measuring module. By positioning the powder weighing module from the horizontal direction using the drive shaft, it is possible to easily attach the powder weighing module to the drive module, and to improve the accuracy of the alignment between the powder weighing module and the drive shaft of the drive module. The aim is to provide a powder dosage metering system that can be improved at the same time.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a powder dosage metering system that is equipped with not only an impact device but also a stirring tool to efficiently break bridges of powder in a powder metering module.
Furthermore, another object of the present invention is to provide a powder dosage metering system capable of improving the accuracy of powder dosage metering in a powder metering module.

In order to achieve the above object, a powder dosage measuring system which is a first invention is a powder dosage measuring system comprising a powder measuring module and a drive module for driving the powder measuring module, the powder dosage measuring system comprising: The metering module includes a container support that supports a container containing powder, a dose measuring device that measures the dose of the powder, a powder supply guide tube that supplies the metered dose, and a powder supply guide tube that supplies the metered dose. a dose supply control device for controlling the supply of doses; the drive module includes a first drive source that includes a first drive shaft and drives the dose metering device via the first drive shaft; a second drive source comprising a second drive shaft and driving the dose supply control device via the second drive shaft, the powder metering module and the drive module being connected to a convex connector or the like; The first drive shaft, the second drive shaft, and the convex connector are formed parallel and horizontal to each other. It is characterized by:
In the powder dosage measuring system with the above configuration, the powder measuring module is divided into a powder measuring module and a drive module, and the drive source and the drive shaft connected to it are all provided in the drive module. It functions to meter powder without having a drive shaft. Furthermore, if there is one drive module, by exchanging a plurality of powder measuring modules, it is possible to measure different amounts of powder using each powder measuring module.
In addition, since the convex connector that connects the powder measuring module and the drive module and the first drive shaft that drives the dose measuring device are formed parallel and horizontal, it is possible to attach and detach the powder measuring module and the drive module and to measure the dose. It acts to simultaneously align the device and the drive shaft.
Further, since the second drive shaft is parallel and horizontal to the first drive shaft, when the first drive shaft is positioned, the second drive shaft is also positioned.

Further, in the powder dosage measuring system according to the second invention, in the first invention, the powder measuring module is provided with a retention suppressing device that suppresses retention of the powder inside the powder measuring module, and the drive module is , a third drive source that includes a third drive shaft and drives the retention suppressing device via the third drive shaft.
In the powder dosage metering system configured as described above, the retention suppressing device is driven via the third drive shaft driven by the third drive source, and is configured to suppress the retention of powder inside the powder metering module. act.

Further, in the powder dosage measuring system which is a third invention, in the second invention, the retention suppressing device includes a stirring tool disposed upstream of the dosage measuring device and the container to which the stirring tool is fixed. and a support, the container support having a tapered portion whose diameter increases upward and moves up and down as the tapered portion receives a blow from the third drive shaft. It is something to do.
In the powder dosage measuring system with the above configuration, the stirrer fixed to the container support is moved by the vertical movement of the container support hit by the third drive shaft on the tapered part, destroying cavities such as bridges. It acts to suppress the retention of powder.

Furthermore, in the powder dose measuring system which is a fourth invention, in the first or second invention, the dose measuring device is provided with a measuring drum having a recessed portion having a predetermined capacity disposed on its circumferential surface, The drum is rotatable coupled to the first drive shaft, stores the powder supplied from the container in the recess, and continuously moves the stored powder to the powder supply guide. The method is characterized in that the dose of the powder is metered by discharging into a tube.
In the powder dosing and measuring system with the above configuration, the powder is stored in the recess of the measuring drum with a clear capacity, and the stored powder is continuously discharged into the powder supply guide pipe while rotating. Acts to measure body dose.

In the powder dosage measuring system according to a fifth invention, in the fourth invention, the measuring drum is sealed at an end of the peripheral surface so that the powder does not leak into the powder measuring module from the recess. The first drive shaft has a hollow gas passage capable of supplying pressurized gas to the end face of the seal, and the seal is pressed by the pressurized gas.
In the powder dosage measuring system configured as described above, a seal is provided at the end of the circumferential surface of the measuring drum, and pressurized gas is supplied to the end surface of the seal to act to press the seal. Therefore, the seal acts to prevent powder from leaking into the powder metering module from the recess formed in the circumferential surface of the metering drum.

A powder dosage measuring system which is a sixth invention is a powder dosage measuring system according to the first or second invention, wherein the dosage measuring device is a screw measuring device in which screw blades formed in a spiral shape at predetermined intervals are disposed on a peripheral surface of the powder dosage measuring system. The screw measuring drum is rotatable in conjunction with the first drive shaft, and the screw metering drum accommodates the powder supplied from the container between the screw blades, and the contained powder. The method is characterized in that the amount of the powder is measured by continuously discharging the powder into the powder supply guide pipe.
In the powder dosage measuring system configured as described above, powder is stored between the screw blades of a screw measuring drum with a clear capacity, and the stored powder is continuously discharged into the powder supply guide pipe while rotating. and acts to meter the powder dose.

Moreover, in the powder dosage measuring system which is a seventh invention, in the first or second invention, the dosage supply control device includes a shutter that closes the flow path of the powder in the powder supply guide pipe. It is characterized by:
In the powder dosage measuring system configured as described above, the dosage supply control device is equipped with a shutter that closes the flow path of powder in the powder supply guide tube, thereby shutting off the supply of powder from the powder supply guide tube in a short time. It acts like this.

A powder dosage measuring system according to an eighth invention, in the first or second invention, has a robot arm equipped with a gripping hand, and the robot arm is set in advance to the position of the first drive shaft of the drive module. The powder measuring module gripped by the gripping hand is horizontally attached to and detached from the drive module based on the position data.
In the powder dose measuring system configured as described above, the robot arm is provided with position data of the first drive shaft of the drive module, and thereby acts to perform positioning when the powder metering module is attached to the drive module.
By gripping the powder measuring module with the gripping hand, the powder measuring module can be efficiently attached to and detached from the drive module without manual intervention.

In the powder dosage measuring system according to the first invention, the powder measuring module does not include a drive source or a drive shaft connected to it, but is equipped entirely within the drive module, so that the structure of the powder measuring module can be changed. It is possible to simplify it, and it is also possible to make it smaller and lighter. It is possible to provide a powder dose metering system including a plurality of powder metering modules for one drive module, and it is possible to improve the powder dose metering efficiency.
In addition, since the convex connector that connects the powder measuring module and the drive module and the first drive shaft that drives the dose measuring device are formed parallel and horizontal, it is possible to attach and detach the powder measuring module and the drive module and to measure the dose. It is possible to match the device and the drive shaft at the same time, and it is possible to improve accuracy compared to separately attaching and dismounting and matching, which tend to be complicated. It is possible to attach and detach the dose metering device and the drive shaft.
Furthermore, since the second drive shaft is parallel and horizontal to the first drive shaft, if the first drive shaft can be positioned, the second drive shaft can also be positioned. There is no need to worry about positioning during installation, and even when measuring the powder dose while replacing a plurality of powder measuring modules, it is possible to efficiently measure the amount of powder in a short time and with less labor.

In the powder dosage measuring system according to the second invention, in addition to the effects of the first invention, the retention suppressing device is driven via the third drive shaft by the third drive source supplied from the drive module. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the accumulation of powder inside the powder measuring module.

In the powder dosage measuring system according to the third invention, in addition to the effect of the second invention, the stirring tool fixed to the container support is struck by the third drive shaft on the tapered part of the container support. It is possible to move by the vertical movement of the powder, agitate the surrounding powder, destroy cavities such as so-called bridges, and create a smooth flow of powder.

In the powder dosage measuring system according to the fourth invention, in addition to the effects of the first or second invention, the powder is stored in the recess of the measuring drum whose capacity is clear, and is continuously stored while rotating. By discharging the powder into the powder supply guide tube, the powder dose can be measured as a volume.

In the powder dosage measuring system according to the fifth invention, in addition to the effects of the fourth invention, the seal provided at the end of the circumferential surface of the measuring drum prevents powder leakage and contamination within the powder measuring module. contamination). Furthermore, by preventing leakage, it is possible to improve the accuracy of measuring powder doses.

In the powder dosage measuring system according to the sixth invention, in addition to the effects of the first or second invention, the powder is stored between the screw blades of a screw measuring drum with a clear capacity, and continuously while rotating. By discharging the powder contained in the powder supply guide tube, the powder dose can be measured as a volume.

In the powder dosage measuring system according to the seventh invention, in addition to the effects of the first or second invention, by providing a shutter to shut off the supply of powder from the powder supply guide tube in a short time, It is possible to improve the accuracy of metering powder doses. Further, by closing the shutter, it is possible to prevent powder from scattering around when the powder measuring module is attached/detached or moved.

In the powder dosage measuring system according to the eighth invention, in addition to the effects of the first or second invention, the powder measuring module and the drive module can be attached and detached by the robot arm, and the powder measuring module and the driving module can be automatically connected to each other. It becomes possible to replace it, to efficiently and accurately attach and detach it, and to quickly and accurately measure the powder dose.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram before the powder measuring module is mounted on the drive module in the powder dosage measuring system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram after the powder measuring module is attached to the drive module in the powder dosage measuring system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a state in which the shutter pusher of the drive module is activated in the powder dosage metering system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing the internal structure of a powder metering module of the powder dosage metering system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view of the powder measuring module shown in FIG. 4 when viewed from the left side. FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing a state in which a taper portion of a container support of a powder measuring module is struck by a knocker in the powder dosage measuring system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. (a) is a front view showing the arrangement of a container support and a stirring tool according to a modification of the powder measuring module of the powder dosage measuring system according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and (b) is a side view of (a), (c) is a sectional view taken along the line AA of (b), and (d) is a bottom view of the container support. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the positional relationship of the container support and knocker based on the modification of a powder measuring module. It is a structural diagram for demonstrating the sealing mechanism of the measuring drum based on the modification of a powder measuring module. 10 is an enlarged view showing a portion surrounded by a broken line indicated by the symbol B in FIG. 9. FIG. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the measuring screw drum of the powder measuring module based on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the state where the powder measuring module is gripped by the gripping hand of the robot arm of the powder dosage measuring system based on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention.

A powder dosage measuring system according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10.
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram of the powder dosage measuring system according to the first embodiment of the present invention before the powder measuring module is attached to the drive module, and FIG. FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram after the powder measuring module is attached to the drive module in the powder dosage measuring system, and FIG. It is a conceptual diagram of an activated state.
In these figures, the powder dosing system comprises a powder dosing module 1 and a drive module 2 . The powder measuring module 1 includes a container support 5 on the top that supports a container 4 containing powder such as chemicals or medicines in an upside-down state, and a container support receiver that supports the container support 5 below. 8, and further includes a measuring device body 3 equipped with a mechanism for measuring the amount of powder, and below the measuring device body 3, a measuring device serving as a powder supply guide pipe for pouring and transferring the measured powder to another container is provided. It is equipped with a nozzle 6. A container such as a vial for preparing a powder sample is placed below this nozzle 6.
The measuring device main body 3 of the powder measuring module 1 is provided with a convex connector 7, which is inserted into a connecting hole 17 drilled in the attachment/detachment part 15 of the drive module 2, and connected to a concave connector (not shown). It can be connected and locked with a locking mechanism and mounted on the drive module 2.
At that time, by positioning the drum drive shaft 16 of the drive module 2 in advance, the convex connector 7 provided horizontally and parallel to the drum drive shaft 16 and the connection hole 17 are aligned, and the drum drive shaft 16 into the measuring instrument body 3, the convex connector 7 is inserted into the connecting hole 17.
In addition, the upper side of the nozzle 6 is equipped with a shutter 10 (the internal structure is not shown in FIG. 1-3), which will be described in detail using FIG. In this state, the figure has moved to the left side when looking at the page from the front. This shutter 10 is pushed by the shutter pusher 18 of the drive module 2 so as to compress the spring 11 when measuring the powder dose (see Fig. 3), and when the metering is completed, the shutter pusher 18 returns, and the tension force of the spring 11 causes the shutter 10 to be pressed against the stopper. The shutter 10 returns until the point 9 functions (see FIG. 2), and the shutter 10 acts to close inside the measuring instrument body 3.

The drive module 2 has a drive unit main body 20 and a removable unit 15. The drive unit main body 20 is provided with a vibrator 13 made of an eccentric weight on the upper part, and the drive unit main body 20 is rotated by a motor 12. The vibration is applied to the powder measuring module 1 mounted on the drive module 2 to propagate the vibration to smoothly guide the powder contained in the container 4 to the measuring instrument body 3. That is, the motor 12 and the vibrator 13 function as a retention suppressing device.
The drive unit main body 20 is provided with the aforementioned drum drive shaft 16 as a first drive shaft, and this is inserted into the powder measuring module 1 to open the measuring drum housed in the measuring instrument main body 3 (Fig. 1-3 (not shown in Figures 4 and 5) is rotated to measure the powder dose.
Further, the above-mentioned shutter pusher 18 is provided below the attachment/detachment part 15 as a second drive shaft, and by using this to push the shutter 10, it is possible to supply the powder after metering. When it is returned, the shutter 10 is also returned by the force of the spring 11, and the powder supply after measurement is stopped. That is, the shutter 10 functions as a dose supply control device.
Further, a knocker 14 is provided at the upper part of the drive unit main body 20 as a third drive shaft, and the taper portion 5a of the container support 5 of the powder measuring module 1 can be struck using the knocker 14. By applying a blow to the container support 5 that supports the container 4, the measuring instrument body 3 including the container 4 vibrates, and the powder is dispersed in the powder flow path inside the container 4 and the measuring instrument main body 3. The phenomenon in which it is difficult to measure the powder dose due to cavities such as so-called bridges that are formed can be solved by destroying the cavities. That is, the knocker 14 functions as a retention suppressing device in addition to the motor 12 and the vibrator 13.

An air cushion 19 is provided below the drive unit main body 20, which allows the entire drive unit main body 20 to move to some extent in the front-rear direction, that is, in the direction in which the powder measuring module 1 is mounted. Regarding the positioning when attaching the powder weighing module 1 to the drive module 2, when doing it manually, the drum drive shaft 16 is pressed against it in order to connect it to the weighing drum inside the powder weighing module 1. At this time, since the drum drive shaft 16 has a hexagonal cross section, it is necessary to align the shaft in the circumferential direction in order to fit it with the measuring drum, so the drum drive shaft 16 is rotated at a low speed while fitting. . When performing automatic mounting using a robot arm, which will be described later as a third embodiment, the powder weighing module 1 is pressed against the drum drive shaft 16 by the robot arm holding the powder weighing module 1. However, at this time, the air cushion 19 functions and the drive unit main body 20 moves back a little, and when it aligns with the drum drive shaft 16 in the circumferential direction, the drive unit main body 20 moves forward and connects the drum drive shaft 16 and the measuring drum. It has the effect of connecting the two.
In this embodiment, the cross section of the drum drive shaft 16 is hexagonal, but it is not limited to this shape, and may be any other polygonal shape or ellipse. The structure may be such that it is connected in line with the key on the side. That is, any structure may be used as long as the measuring drum and drum drive shaft 16 do not rotate idly.
The air cushion 19 stores gas inside and uses its compression and expansion to function as a buffer against the movement of the drive module 2 in the front, rear, left and right directions. However, liquids such as oil may also be used.

As explained above, in the powder dosage measuring system according to the present embodiment, when attaching and detaching the powder measuring module 1 and the drive module 2, the powder is measured so that the drum drive shaft 16 of the drive module 2 coincides in the circumferential direction. It is possible to complete the positioning by horizontally inserting the module 1 into the module 1, and furthermore, by providing the convex connector 7 of the powder measuring module 1 horizontally and parallel to the drum drive shaft 16, the drum can be positioned horizontally. Simultaneously with positioning using the drive shaft 16, it is possible to easily insert the convex connector 7 of the powder weighing module 1 into the connection hole 17 of the drive module 2 to connect the powder weighing module 1 and the drive module 2. .
Furthermore, by similarly providing the shutter pusher 18 horizontally and parallel to the drum drive shaft 16, the positioning of the shutter pusher 18 and the shutter 10 of the powder metering module 1 is completed at the same time as being positioned by the drum drive shaft 16. It is also possible to have the effect that the
Furthermore, by providing the knocker 14 horizontally and parallel to the drum drive shaft 16, the knocker 14 is positioned by the drum drive shaft 16, and at the same time, the knocker 14 and the tapered portion 5a of the container support 5 are also positioned. can do.
That is, since all the drive shafts connected to the drive source on the drive module 2 side are provided horizontally and parallel to the drum drive shaft 16, the mounting position of the powder measuring module 1 and the drive module 2 is determined by the drum drive. By using the shaft 16, positioning of the other drive shafts with respect to the powder measuring module 1 is completed, and it is possible to easily and accurately attach the powder measuring module 1 to the driving module 2 in a short time.
Conventionally, the mounting direction and the direction of the drive shaft for driving the powder measuring module 1 are orthogonal, and it is necessary to separately position the mounting direction and the drive shaft position for measuring the powder dose. However, in the present embodiment, it is possible to remove the powder measuring module 1 and the drive module 2 with high accuracy and save labor, thereby improving the accuracy of measuring the amount of powder. There is.

Inside the drive unit main body 20, there is a step motor as a first drive source for driving the drum drive shaft 16, and an air cylinder as a second drive source for supplying gas such as air for driving the shutter pusher 18. , and an air cylinder serving as a third drive source for driving the knocker 14 is provided.
An electric cable 21 that supplies electricity to the step motor and an air supply pipe 22 that supplies air to the air cylinder are connected to the drive unit main body 20.

Next, FIG. 4 is a sectional view showing the internal structure of the powder measuring module of the powder dosage measuring system according to the first embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing the internal structure of the powder measuring module shown in FIG. It is a partial sectional view when viewed from the left side. FIG. 6 is a conceptual diagram showing a state in which the taper portion of the container support of the powder measuring module is struck by a knocker in the powder dosage measuring system according to the first embodiment.
Descriptions of the configurations already described in FIGS. 1-3 will be omitted.
In FIGS. 4 and 5, the powder contained in the container 4 passes through the container support 5 and the container support receiver 8, and is placed on the cylindrical measuring drum 26 in the measuring instrument body 3. The powder falls into the powder measuring recess 30. A powder measuring recess 30 is provided around the center of the circumferential surface of the measuring drum 26 as a powder measuring zone 29, and the powder is measured per unit time by the rotation of the drum drive shaft 16 connected to the hollow part of the measuring drum 26. The amount of powder accommodated in the powder measuring recess 30 and falling after rotating half a circle is determined, and it is possible to measure the amount of powder. The measured powder is continuously supplied to the nozzle 6. That is, the metering drum 26 functions as a dose metering device.
The capacity of the powder measuring recesses 30 can be predetermined as desired depending on the powder and the purpose, and the spacing between the powder measuring recesses 30 in the powder measuring zone 29 may be similarly predetermined as desired. .
The measuring drum 26 is equipped with seals 27 provided around each of its two cylindrical ends, and functions to prevent powder falling into the powder measuring recess 30 from leaking from the measuring drum 26 to the surroundings. . The function of the seal 27 is particularly important because leakage of powder leads to errors in measuring the powder dose, and at the same time affects rotational problems of the metering drum 26 and contamination by powder.

In the container support 5, a stirring tool 25 shaped like the letter T is fixed to the part where the container 4 is attached, and is suspended toward the powder flow path in the measuring instrument body 3. The stirring tool 25 is plate-shaped as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.
This stirring tool 25 moves up and down together with the container support 5 when the taper portion 5a is hit by the knocker 14 described above, and the up and down movement causes the powder inside the container support receiver 8 and the measuring instrument body 3 to flow. It acts to destroy cavities such as bridges formed by channels 23.
As shown in FIG. 6, the knocker 14 is provided in the drive module 2 at a position that hits the tapered part 5a of the container support 5, and the knocker 14 intermittently hits the tapered part 5a to push the container support. 5 and the container 4 supported thereby move up and down.

Further, an explanation will be added regarding the already explained shutter 10 with reference to FIG. 4. The shutter 10 is pressed by the shutter pusher 18 of the drive module 2 when measuring the powder dose, and as shown in FIG. 4, the shutter hole 28 is aligned with the flow path of the nozzle 6 and the powder is It is possible to pass through.
However, when the powder dose measurement is completed, the shutter pusher 18 returns, the spring 11 of the shutter 10 (see FIG. 2) expands, the shutter 10 moves to the right in FIG. 4, and the shutter hole 28 By shifting from the flow path of the nozzle 6, it is possible to immediately stop the supply of powder after measurement. This spring 11 makes it possible to improve the accuracy of powder measurement without unnecessary powder supply. In addition, since the shutter 10 is closed by a spring 11 when the powder measuring module 1 is attached/detached or moved, it is possible to prevent the powder from scattering, and also to prevent the occurrence of sample contamination due to the powder. It can be prevented.
In addition, in order to improve the accuracy of measuring the powder dose by the measuring drum 26, a numerical value is determined in advance to determine how much of the powder that has fallen from the measuring drum 26 will be supplied from the nozzle 6 after the shutter 10 is closed. is measured in advance for each type of powder and stored in the storage area on the drive module 2 side, and when the measurement by the measuring drum 26 becomes the powder dose obtained by subtracting the value from the target powder dose. By performing control to close the shutter 10, it is possible to further improve the accuracy of powder measurement. Such control is the same when a metering screw drum 26a according to a second embodiment, which will be described later, is employed.

Next, a modification of the container support of the powder measuring module according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8.
FIG. 7(a) is a front view showing the arrangement of a container support and a stirrer according to a modification of the powder measuring module of the powder dosage measuring system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. b) is a side view of (a), (c) is a sectional view taken along line AA of (b), and (d) is a bottom view of the container support. Moreover, FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing the positional relationship between a container support and a knocker according to a modified example of the powder measuring module.
In FIGS. 7A and 7B, the modified example of the container support does not have a tapered portion protruding from the side surface of the container support, but has a tapered portion 5c on the bottom surface of the container support 5b. As shown in FIG. 7(c), a groove is provided in the connection end surface of the container support 5b with the container 4 (the upper end surface of the channel throat), and the stirring tool 25 is fitted into the upper end of the T-shape. is fixed. This point is similar to the stirring tool 25 in the first embodiment already described. As shown in FIG. 7(d), a feature is that a groove 5d is provided on the bottom surface of the container support 5b at the same time as the tapered portion 5c.
In the container support 5b according to a modified example of such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 8, when the knocker 14 is driven by an air cylinder 31 driven by the supply of gas such as air and hits the tapered portion 5c of the container support 5b, The groove 5d acts as a resistance, making it easier to transmit impact force to the container support 5b. Therefore, the vertical movement of the container 4 and the container support 5b can be performed with stronger vibration and wider amplitude.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8, when the knocker 14 hits the tapered portion 5c of the container support 5b eccentrically from the center, it is possible to apply a rotational force to the container support 5b, causing vertical movement. By rotating them simultaneously and repeating this several times, it is possible to apply vibrations all around the container support 5b. That is, since it is possible to apply vibration to the entire range in the circumferential direction, it is also possible to destroy a cavity formed in a part of the container 4. Moreover, since the applied force has component forces in the vertical direction and the circumferential direction, more effective vibration can be applied to the powder. Such an effect can be similarly exerted on the tapered portion 5a of the container support 5 by eccentric impact by the knocker 14.
Since the blow in the prior art was simply a blow in one direction, there was a problem in that although the cavity at the point of impact was destroyed, the cavity on the opposite side in the circumferential direction remained. Therefore, in this application, in addition to vertical movement in the striking direction, by adding rotation, the applied force has components in the vertical direction and circumferential direction, and the rotation makes it possible to strike covering the entire circumference. It became possible to effectively destroy cavities such as bridges over a wider area.

Next, a modification of the sealing mechanism of the measuring drum of the powder measuring module according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10.
FIG. 9 is a structural diagram for explaining a sealing mechanism of a measuring drum according to a modified example of the powder measuring module, and FIG. 10 is an enlarged view showing a portion surrounded by a broken line indicated by the symbol B in FIG. 9. Descriptions of the configurations already described in the previous figures will be omitted.
In FIG. 9, the powder measuring module 1 is in a state where it is attached by connecting and locking the convex connector 7 and the concave connector 7a on the drive module 2 side, and it is also in a state where the powder dose is being measured. be. In this figure, two convex connectors 7 and two concave connectors 7a are provided, but the number is not limited to two and may be one or three or more. However, as described above, the convex connector 7 is provided horizontally in the measuring instrument body 3 and parallel to the drum drive shaft 16. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the convex connector 7 is installed in the powder measuring module 1, and the concave connector 7a is installed in the drive module 2, but they can be installed in reverse as long as they are connectable and have a locking mechanism. may have been done.
In this state, the measuring drum 26 is being rotated by the inserted drum drive shaft 16. The step motor 32 rotates a drive gear 34 provided on its drive shaft, and rotates a driven gear 35 provided around the drum drive shaft 16 that meshes with the drive gear 34. The drive shaft 16 is being driven. Furthermore, in this modification, the drum drive shaft 16 is formed hollow, and the air supply path 36 is provided in the hollow portion, and pressurized gas such as air is supplied by the air supply nozzle 33. There is.
The supplied air is supplied to the seals 27a, 27c in the metering drum 26, presses the seals 27a, 27c, and enhances their sealing function.

A sealing mechanism according to this modification will be described with reference to FIG. 10.
In FIG. 10, the air supplied by the air supply nozzle 33 into the air supply path 36 provided in the hollow portion of the drum drive shaft 16 produces an air flow 37 as shown by the arrow. Among the air supplied around the measuring drum 26, an air flow 37 is divided at the inlet side and presses the end face 27b of the seal 27a on the inlet side, and an air flow 37 that passes through the inside of the measuring drum 26 and presses the end face of the seal 27c on the back side. This creates an air flow 37 that presses on 27d.
In this way, by pressurizing the seals 27a and 27c provided around both ends of the cylindrical shape of the measuring drum 26 by the air flow 37 of pressurized air, the powder is accommodated in the powder measuring recess 30 of the measuring drum 26 and weighed. The sealing function of the seals 27a and 27c is designed to prevent the powder from leaking around the measuring drum 26 and reducing the accuracy of the measuring drum 26 or causing problems inside the measuring instrument body 3. It is possible to increase

Next, a measuring screw drum of a powder measuring module according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 11.
FIG. 11 is a conceptual diagram showing a measuring screw drum of a powder measuring module according to a second embodiment. In FIG. 11, a powder measuring module 1a according to the second embodiment employs a measuring screw drum 26a as a dose measuring device within a measuring device main body 3a. The measuring screw drum 26a is driven by a drum drive shaft 16 passing through the attachment/detachment part 15 in the same way as in the first embodiment, and has a desired predetermined interval and height on its circumferential surface instead of the powder measuring recess 30. A screw blade 26b is threaded thereon.
When the metering screw drum 26a is driven by the drum drive shaft 16, the powder supplied from inside the container 4 is accommodated between the screw blades 26b, and as the screw blades 26b rotate, the powder is transported to the nozzle 6. Ru. The amount of powder transported per unit time is determined by the distance between the screw blades 26b and the height of the screw blades 26b, which are determined in advance according to the type of powder, the purpose of measurement, etc., and it is possible to measure the amount of powder. .

When the metering screw drum 26a according to the second embodiment is adopted, when the powder metering module 1a is attached to the drive module 2, the nozzle 6 is larger than the powder metering module 1 according to the first embodiment. Since the shutter pusher 18 is located away from the drive module 2, it is necessary to provide the shutter pusher 18 with a longer stroke.
Although the powder weighing module 1a does not have a tapered part as the container support 5, a knocker 14 may be provided to apply a blow to the container support 5, or a container support 5 with a tapered part may be provided to prevent the taper. You may also apply a blow to the part.
Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the metering screw drum 26a has both cylindrical end surfaces sealed with seals 27a and 27c, and air is supplied from the air supply path 36 as described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. Its sealing function is enhanced by pressurized air. Of course, depending on the powder, if the leakage is small, a simple seal 27 may be provided without pressurizing with air.

Finally, a powder dosage measuring system according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 12. FIG. 12 is a conceptual diagram showing a state in which the powder measuring module is gripped by the gripping hand of the robot arm of the powder dosage measuring system according to the third embodiment.
In FIG. 12, the side surface of the powder measuring module 1 is shown being gripped by the gripping hand 38, but this gripping hand 38 can be opened and closed in the horizontal direction by a hand opening/closing mechanism 39, and the powder measuring module 1 can be gripped by the gripping hand 38. It is possible to grasp and release the weighing module 1 from the side.
Furthermore, as shown by the coordinate axes in FIG. 12, the robot arm 40 can move freely in the xy plane perpendicular to the plane of the paper, and can also freely move in the z direction, which is the left-right direction on the plane of the paper in FIG. It is possible.
By including such a robot arm 40 in the powder dosage measuring system according to the third embodiment, it becomes possible to automatically attach and detach the powder measuring modules 1 and 1a to and from the drive module 2.

Specifically, first, the robot arm 40 moves the powder weighing module 1 that needs to measure the powder dose, and the hand opening/closing mechanism 39 is opened to move the gripping hand 38 to a position away from the side of the powder weighing module 1. Then, the hand opening/closing mechanism 39 is closed and the side surface of the powder measuring module 1 is gripped by the gripping hand 38.
At this time, the powder measuring module 1 stores the position coordinates in three-dimensional space in the storage area of the robot arm 40 in advance according to the type of powder contained in the container 4, so that the robot arm 40 can It moves toward the positional coordinates of a powder measuring module 1 equipped with a container 4 containing powder.
The robot arm 40 that grips the side surface of the powder weighing module 1 then moves toward the drum drive shaft 16 of the drive module 2, but the position coordinates of the drum drive shaft 16 in three-dimensional space are stored in the robot arm 40. This is because it is stored in the area in advance. That is, in order to position the powder weighing module 1 and the drive module 2, the robot arm 40 moves the drum drive shaft 16 to the weighing drum 26 of the powder weighing module 1 based on the position coordinates of the drum drive shaft 16 of the drive module 2. The powder measuring module 1 is moved while maintaining the horizontal position so that the powder measuring module 1 is inserted.

After that, the robot arm 40 extends the gripping hand 38 so as to insert the measuring drum 26 of the powder measuring module 1 gripped by the gripping hand 38 into the drum drive shaft 16 of the drive module 2, but at this time, Since 16 has a hexagonal cross section, there is a possibility that the shape of the hole on the measuring drum 26 side (the hexagonal hole that fits into the drum drive shaft 16) deviates in the circumferential direction. Therefore, the robot arm 40 presses the powder measuring module 1 against the drive module 2 while turning on the step motor 32 to rotate the drum drive shaft 16 of the drive module 2 at a low speed. The drive module 2 against which the powder weighing module 1 is pressed moves backward a little due to the function of the air cushion 19, and when the hexagonal cross section of the drum drive shaft 16, which rotates at a low speed, matches the hole shape of the weighing drum 26, the drum drive shaft 16 rotates. By fitting into the measuring drum 26, the backward movement of the drive module 2 due to the air cushion 19 is eliminated.
At that time, the convex connector 7 of the powder measuring module 1 is also inserted into the connection hole 17 of the drive module 2, and is connected and locked with the concave connector 7a inside the attachment/detachment part 15 to prevent it from falling off or being pulled out. Ru.
Then, the gripping hand 38 opens left and right by the hand opening/closing mechanism 39 to release the grip, and the robot arm 40 separates from the powder weighing module 1.
In this way, the powder measuring module 1 and the drive module 2 are positioned, mounted, and fixed when they are mounted.

On the other hand, if the powder measuring module 1 is to be removed after the powder measuring module 1 has finished measuring the powder dose, the recessed connector 7a should be unlocked by the drive module 2, and then the robot arm 40 should be removed. The hand opening/closing mechanism 39 is used to spread the gripping hand 38 to approach the powder measuring module 1 mounted on the drive module 2, and the hand opening/closing mechanism 39 closes the gripping hand 38 to grip the side surface of the powder measuring module 1.
Thereafter, the robot arm 40 pulls out the powder weighing module 1 from the drive module 2 while grasping the powder weighing module 1 with the grasping hand 38, and extracts the position coordinates of the powder weighing module 1 it is holding, which are stored in advance in the storage area of the robot arm 40. The powder measuring module 1 is transported to the position shown in FIG.
Then, in order to attach the powder weighing module 1 that needs to weigh the powder dose to the drive module 2, the robot arm 40 moves toward the position coordinates of the powder weighing module 1, and while similarly positioning the drive module 2. When the measurement of the powder dose is completed, the powder measurement module 1 is detached from the drive module 2, and the operation of transporting the powder measurement module 1 to a predetermined position is repeated.

With the powder dosage measuring system including the robot arm 40 according to the present embodiment, it is possible to efficiently, stably and safely attach and detach a plurality of powder measuring modules 1 to and from one drive module 2. When it is necessary to measure and mix a large number of powder doses, it is also possible to achieve high precision and save labor.
In the powder dosage measuring system according to the present embodiment, the drum drive shaft 16, the convex connector 7, the shutter pusher 18, the knocker 14, etc. are all provided horizontally and in parallel, and the positioning by the drum drive shaft 16 is facilitated. By doing so, the positioning of other drive shafts and members can be completed at the same time, so that the control when attaching and detaching the robot arm 40 can also be simplified and highly accurate. Further, similar control is possible using not only the drum drive shaft 16 but also the position coordinates of any of the drive shafts and members described above.
In addition, in this embodiment, the procedure for automatically attaching/removing/replacing using the powder measuring module 1 according to the first embodiment has been described, but the modification example according to the first embodiment and the second embodiment have been described. The same applies to the case where the powder measuring module 1a according to the embodiment is used.

As explained above, the invention described in claims 1 to 8 of the present invention can be widely used as a powder dosage measuring system when compounding multiple reagents in the chemical and pharmaceutical businesses, and is particularly applicable to robots. It can be used as a powder dosage measuring system that achieves high precision and labor savings using the arm.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1, 1a... Powder measuring module 2... Drive module 3, 3a... Measuring instrument main body 4... Container 5, 5b... Container support 5a, 5c... Taper part 5d... Groove 6... Nozzle 7... Convex type connector 7a... Concave type Connector 8... Container support receiver 9... Stopper 10... Shutter 11... Spring 12... Motor 13... Vibrator 14... Knocker 15... Detachable part 16... Drum drive shaft 17... Connection hole 18... Shutter pusher 19... Air cushion 20 ...Drive unit body 21...Electric cable 22...Air supply piping 23...Powder channel 25...Stirring tool 26...Measuring drum 26a...Measuring screw drum 26b...Screw blade 27, 27a, 27c...Seal 27b, 27d...End face 28... Shutter hole 29... Powder measuring zone 30... Powder measuring recess 31... Air cylinder 32... Step motor 33... Air supply nozzle 34... Drive gear 35... Driven gear 36... Air supply path 37... Air flow 38... Gripping hand 39... Hand opening/closing mechanism 40...Robot arm

Claims (8)

A powder dosage metering system comprising a powder metering module and a drive module for driving the powder metering module,
The powder measuring module includes a container support that supports a container containing powder, a dose measuring device that measures the dose of the powder, a powder supply guide pipe that supplies the measured dose, and a metering device. and a dose supply control device for controlling the supply of said dose,
The drive module includes a first drive source that includes a first drive shaft to drive the dose metering device via the first drive shaft, and a second drive shaft that drives the dose delivery control device. a second drive source driven via the second drive shaft,
The powder measuring module and the drive module are each provided with a convex connector or a concave connector that fits into the convex connector and are configured to be detachable, and the first drive shaft and the second drive shaft are connected to each other. and the convex connector are formed parallel to each other and horizontally. The powder measuring module includes a retention suppressing device that suppresses the accumulation of the powder inside the powder measuring module, and the drive module includes a third drive shaft, and the driving module includes a third drive shaft. The powder dosage measuring system according to claim 1, further comprising a third driving source driven through the powder dosage measuring system. The retention suppressing device includes a stirring tool disposed upstream of the dose measuring device and the container support for fixing the stirring tool, and the container support has a tapered portion whose diameter increases upward. 3. The powder dosage measuring system according to claim 2, further comprising: a powder dosing system according to claim 2, wherein the tapered part receives a blow from the third drive shaft and moves up and down. The dose metering device includes a metering drum having a recess with a desired predetermined capacity disposed on its circumference, the metering drum being rotatable in conjunction with the first drive shaft, and the metering drum being rotatable in connection with the first drive shaft. 1 or 2, wherein the powder is accommodated in the recess, and the dose of the powder is measured by continuously discharging the accommodated powder into the powder supply guide tube. The powder dosage metering system according to item 2. The weighing drum is provided with a seal at an end of the circumferential surface to prevent the powder from leaking into the powder weighing module from the recess,
The first drive shaft includes a hollow gas passage capable of supplying pressurized gas to the end face of the seal,
5. The powder dosing system of claim 4, wherein the seal is pressed by the pressurized gas. The dose metering device includes a screw metering drum on the circumference of which screw blades formed in a spiral shape are arranged at predetermined intervals, and the screw metering drum is coupled to the first drive shaft for rotation. The powder supplied from the container is accommodated between the screw blades, and the accommodated powder is continuously discharged into the powder supply guide pipe to measure the dose of the powder. The powder dosage measuring system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: 3. The powder dosage measuring system according to claim 1, wherein the dosage supply control device includes a shutter that closes a flow path of the powder in the powder supply guide tube. The robot arm has a gripping hand, and the robot arm is provided with position data of the first drive shaft of the drive module in advance, and the robot arm is configured to move the powder weighing module gripped by the gripping hand based on the position data. The powder dosage measuring system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the powder dosage measuring system is horizontally attached to and detached from the drive module.

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