JP5835008B2 - Powder feeder - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a powder supply device including a powder conveying trough.

  Conventionally, a trough is arranged below the hopper, and the powder that has fallen from the hopper to the trough is conveyed toward the outlet of the trough end by vibrating the trough and supplied to the mass detector via the outlet. There is known a powder supply apparatus configured to do so (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

  In the apparatus described in Patent Document 1, a trough, which is a shallow rectangular container, is provided with a gate plate movable in the vertical direction, and the amount of powder passing under the gate plate is regulated, so that the trough A fixed amount of powder is supplied from the outlet.

JP 2001-215147 A

  By the way, the fluidity of the powder is generally expressed by the angle of repose. The angle of repose is the angle of the slope of a mountain that remains stable without collapsing when the powder is naturally dropped to form a mountain of powder. The angle of repose is smaller for powder with better fluidity. For example, the flux applied to the brazing portion is likely to be deposited due to irregular projections of fine shapes on the surface of the grains, and the angle of repose is large.

  When such a powder having a large angle of repose is conveyed by the apparatus described in Patent Document 1, there are the following problems. That is, in the apparatus described in Patent Document 1, since the gate plate is interposed in the middle of the conveyance path, the flow of the powder is blocked by the gate plate, and the powder pile tends to be generated. As a result, the powder cannot stably pass through the gap between the gate plate and the trough, and it becomes difficult to quantitatively supply the powder.

  In view of the above problems, the present invention provides a powder supply apparatus that can stably and quantitatively supply a powder having a large angle of repose.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a powder supply apparatus (100) according to the present invention includes a hopper (1) for storing powder, a horizontal extension below the hopper (1), and an outlet (3 and trough (2) which forms a conveying path of the powder (PA) towards), as powder moves towards the trough (2) on the outlet (3), said trough (2) the a vibration to vibrator (4), provided in the middle of the conveying path (PA), a rotating gate of cylindrical rotating around axis perpendicular to the conveying direction of the powder and (L2) (5) A gap (SP2) of a predetermined amount (ΔS2) is provided between the peripheral surface of the rotary gate (5) and the upper surface (2a) of the trough (2) to rotatably support the rotary gate (5). support portion (50), provided with a repose angle of the powder (.theta.1) is at least 50 ° to 60 ° Characterized in that it is a range.

  Thereby, the pile of powder conveyed before the rotating gate is broken by the rotating gate. For this reason, it is possible to prevent the powder from staying on the upstream side of the rotary gate, and even if the powder has a large angle of repose, the powder can be stably and quantitatively supplied through the gap of the rotary gate.

  In addition, the code | symbol attached | subjected above is an example which shows a corresponding relationship with the specific embodiment as described in embodiment mentioned later.

It is a side view which shows the whole structure of the powder supply apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows the whole structure of the powder supply apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the III-III sectional view taken on the line of FIG. It is a figure explaining a repose angle. It is a principal part enlarged view of FIG. It is a figure explaining the effect by a rotation gate. FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. 2. It is a figure which shows the structure of the injection part of FIG. It is a figure which shows the internal structure of the ejector of FIG. It is a figure which shows the internal structure of the injection nozzle of FIG. It is a figure which shows arrangement | positioning of the injection | spray nozzle of FIG.

  Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 1-11, one Embodiment of the powder supply apparatus of this invention is described. FIG. 1 is a side view showing an overall configuration of a powder supply apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a plan view, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. In the following, for convenience of explanation, as shown in the figure, the three directions orthogonal to each other are defined as the front-rear direction (length direction), the left-right direction (width direction), and the up-down direction (height direction), respectively. The structure of will be described. The front-rear direction and the left-right direction exist on the horizontal plane, and the front of these is the direction in which the powder is conveyed. The lower part of the vertical direction is the direction in which gravity acts.

  Although the powder supply apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment can supply various powders, the following description will be given by taking flux as an example. The flux is applied to a brazing portion (aluminum brazing) on the surface of a vehicle heat exchanger such as a radiator or a condenser. Unlike general resin materials, the flux has irregularly shaped irregular protrusions on the surface of the grains, and the particle size varies greatly. Therefore, the fluidity is inferior and the angle of repose θ1 is large. As shown in FIG. 4, the angle of repose θ1 is the angle between the horizontal plane and the slope of the mountain that maintains stability without collapsing when the powder falls spontaneously from a funnel and forms a pile of powder. Elevation angle). A general resin material has an angle of repose θ1 of, for example, about 20 ° to 45 °, whereas a flux has a strong bond between particles, so that the angle of repose θ1 is, for example, about 50 ° to 60 °.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the powder supply apparatus 100 includes a hopper 1 that stores powder GR (flux), and extends in the front-rear direction below the hopper 1 to form a conveyance path PA for the powder GR. A trough 2 that vibrates, a vibration device 4 that vibrates the trough 2 so that the powder GR moves on the trough 2 toward the outlet portion 3 of the conveyance path PA, and an upper surface of the conveyance path PA in the middle of the conveyance path PA. , The rotary gate 5 and the fixed gate 6 that regulate the transport amount of the powder GR and the powder GR transported to the outlet portion 3 are jetted toward the object (heat exchanger). And an injection unit 7 (see FIG. 8).

  The hopper 1 has an opening 10 at the lower end, and has a funnel shape in which the inner cross-sectional area gradually decreases toward the opening 10. The opening 10 is provided with a shutter 11 that can be opened and closed, and the powder in the hopper 1 falls onto the trough 2 via the shutter 11. A powder confirmation sensor 12 is disposed in front of the hopper 1 and in the center in the left-right direction with its detection part facing downward.

  The powder confirmation sensor 12 is a non-contact type proximity sensor that detects that the powder GR has approached the detection unit of the sensor up to a predetermined distance, and the shutter 11 is opened and closed according to the on / off state of the powder confirmation sensor 12. . That is, when the powder confirmation sensor 12 is turned on, the shutter 11 is closed to prevent the powder GR from dropping from the hopper 1 to the trough 2. When the powder confirmation sensor 12 is turned off, the shutter 11 is opened to allow the powder GR to fall from the hopper 1 to the trough 2. Thereby, the powder GR is deposited on the trough 2 without excess or deficiency. When the powder confirmation sensor 12 is off for longer than a predetermined time, it may be determined that the powder in the hopper 1 is insufficient and an alarm may be generated.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the trough 2 is a shallow container having a rectangular shape in a plan view and having side walls 20 at left and right ends, and is disposed between a pair of left and right support frames 21. A base frame 22 is disposed below the trough 2. The base frame 22 is fixedly supported, for example, on the floor surface, and the trough 2 is elastically supported on the base frame 22 via the spring 23 and the vibration device 4 so as to be swingable in the front-rear direction. The support frame 21 has a vertical frame 21a standing on the base frame 22 and a horizontal frame 21b extending in the front-rear direction on the upper surface of the vertical frame 21a.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the vibration exciter 4 is disposed below the trough 2 and is elastically supported by the base frame 22. The vibration device 4 includes, for example, a voice coil motor that is a vibration generation source, and a vibrating body that vibrates in the front-rear direction when the voice coil motor is driven. The vibrating body is connected to the lower end of the trough 2, and the trough 2 vibrates in the front-rear direction due to the vibration of the vibrating body. The voice coil motor is controlled by a control device (not shown), and by causing a difference between the acceleration when the trough 2 is moved forward and the acceleration when the trough 2 is moved backward, the powder GR moves relative to the trough 2 and moves forward. It is conveyed toward the exit part 3 of.

  The fixed gate 6 is disposed in front of the hopper 1, and the rotary gate 5 is disposed in front of the fixed gate 6. FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of a main part of FIG. A curve L1 in the figure shows the upper surface of the powder GR deposited on the trough 2, and the powder GR exists in a lower area AR of the curve L1. Hereinafter, in the area AR, the area behind the fixed gate 6 is referred to as a first area AR1, the area between the fixed gate 6 and the rotation gate 5 is referred to as a second area AR2, and the area in front of the rotation gate 5 is referred to as a third area AR3.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the fixed gate 6 is a rectangular plate member extending over the entire width direction of the transport path PA. The fixed gate 6 is supported in a vertical posture via a stand 60 erected on the pair of left and right support frames 21 and a bracket 61 fixed to the stand 60. A gap SP1 of a predetermined amount ΔS1 is formed between the fixed gate 6 and the upper surface 2a of the trough 2. The size ΔS1 of the gap SP1 is smaller than the detection height of the powder GR by the powder confirmation sensor 12, and the height of the powder GR in the first region AR1 is higher than ΔS1. The clearance SP1 can be changed by loosening the bracket mounting nut 62 and adjusting the mounting position of the bracket 61 in the vertical direction. By providing the fixed gate 6, the height of the powder GR in the second region AR2 is limited to ΔS1.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, the rotary gate 5 is a cylindrical rotary body that can rotate around an axis L <b> 2 in the left-right direction. The rotating gate 5 extends over the entire width direction of the transport path PA, and the concavo-convex portion 5a is formed over the entire circumferential surface. The uneven portion 5a is formed by, for example, knurling the surface of the rotary gate 5. The rotary gate 5 is rotatably supported by the support portion 50 with a gap SP2 of a predetermined amount ΔS2 between the peripheral surface and the upper surface 2a of the trough 2. The size ΔS2 of the gap SP2 is smaller than the size ΔS1 of the gap SP1 of the fixed gate 6, and is, for example, half or less of ΔS1. By providing the rotation gate 5, the height of the powder GR in the third region AR3 is limited to ΔS2.

  The support unit 50 includes a pair of left and right bearings 51 that rotatably supports both left and right ends of the rotation shaft 5 b of the rotary gate 5, and a pair of left and right levers 52 that incorporate the bearings 51. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the front end portion of each lever 52 is supported by a support block 53 provided on the upper surface of the support frame 21 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction with a pin portion 54 as a fulcrum.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, a plurality of (four in the figure) rods 55 are attached to the left side of the rear end of the left lever 52, and a motor 65 is fixed to the left end of the rod 55. . The left end portion of the rotating shaft 5 b of the rotating gate 5 is connected to the output shaft 66 of the motor 65 through a joint 67. The motor 65 is an electric motor, for example, and rotates at a constant rotational speed. The rotation of the motor 65 causes the rotary gate 5 to rotate clockwise (R1 direction in FIG. 5) at a predetermined rotational speed when viewed from the left side, and the peripheral surface of the rotary gate 5 collides with the powder GR pile deposited behind it. Then, the pile of the powder GR is broken. Thereby, the powder GR can be smoothly guided from the second area AR2 to the third area AR3 by passing under the rotary gate 5.

  That is, since the powder GR (flux) having a large repose angle θ1 is likely to be deposited, as shown in FIG. 6A, when the mere fixed gate 501 having a small gap SP2 is used, the flow of the powder GR on the upstream side of the gate. Is blocked (shaded area). As a result, stagnation occurs in the powder GR, and it becomes difficult for the powder GR to smoothly pass through the gap SP2. In this respect, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6B, the crest (dotted line) of the powder GR is broken by the rotating gate 5, so that even if the powder GR has a large repose angle θ1, The GR can smoothly pass through the gap SP2 without staying. If the gap between the gates is large like the fixed gate 6, a smooth flow is possible even with the powder GR having a small angle of repose θ1. The clearance SP1 of the fixed gate 6 of this embodiment is set to a size ΔS1 that does not hinder this smooth flow.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, a scraper 56 is disposed in front of the rotary gate 5. The scraper 56 includes a scraper main body 56a extending in the left-right direction so as to be in contact with the peripheral surface with a minute gap from the peripheral surface of the rotary gate 5, and a scraper support portion extending rearward from both left and right end portions of the scraper main body 56a. 56b and has a U-shape in plan view. The scraper support part 56 b is fixed to the lever 52, and the rotary gate 5 rotates relative to the scraper 56. As a result, with the rotation of the rotary gate 5, the powder GR attached to the peripheral surface of the rotary gate 5 is scraped off by the scraper 56, and the powder GR is removed from the peripheral surface of the rotary gate 5. Therefore, a gap SP2 of a predetermined amount ΔS2 can always be ensured between the rotary gate 5 and the upper surface 2a of the trough 2.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5, adjustment screws 57 are attached to the left and right support frames 21 (lateral frames 21b) from the lower side at the same position or substantially the same position as the axis L2. The adjustment screw 57 passes through the horizontal frame 21, and its upper end is in contact with the lower end surface of the lever 53. When the adjustment screw 57 is screwed in, the lever 52 rotates upward with the pin portion 54 as a fulcrum. Thereby, the rotary gate 5 moves upward via the lever 52, and the clearance SP2 between the rotary gate 5 and the upper surface 2a of the trough 2 can be increased. On the other hand, when the adjustment screw 57 is loosened, the lever 52 rotates downward with the pin portion 54 as a fulcrum. Thereby, the rotary gate 5 moves downward via the lever 52, and the gap SP2 can be reduced.

  FIG. 7 is a plan view (a main part enlarged view of FIG. 2) showing the configuration of the trough 2 behind the rotary gate 5. As shown in FIG. 7, on the upper surface 2a of the trough 2, a plurality of (seven in the figure) partition plates 25 are erected between the left and right side walls 20 at equal intervals in the left and right direction. Yes. By this partition plate 25, the conveyance path PA is divided (divided into 8) into a plurality of paths (PA1 to PA8). The interval between the front end portions (inlet) of the partition plate 25 can be changed, and the supply amount of the transport paths PA1 to PA8 can be increased or decreased by changing the interval between the inlets. That is, when there is variation in the width direction according to the characteristics of the vibrating body and the trough 2 in the conveyance amount of the powder GR, the powder GR that has passed through the rotary gate 5 is adjusted by adjusting the interval between the partition plates 25. , And evenly distributed to each of the passages PA1 to PA8. In addition, when the variation in the transport amount can be ignored, the passage areas of the transport passages PA1 to PA8 may be set equal to each other.

  Termination walls 26 (261 to 268) are erected between the adjacent partition plates 25 and the side walls 20, respectively, and the rear ends of the partition plates 25 are supported by the termination walls 261 to 268, and the paths PA1 to PA8. The rear end is defined. Bolts 27 penetrate through the upper ends of the partition plates 25 at the front end portions of the partition plates 25 so as not to hinder the movement of the powder GR on the trough upper surface 2a. Both left and right ends of the bolt 27 are fixed to the left and right side walls 20 via nuts 28. Each partition plate 25 is fixed to a bolt 27 via a nut 28, and the front end portion of the partition plate 25 is supported so that the position of the partition plate 25 can be adjusted.

  A circular through-hole penetrating the trough 2 in the vertical direction is provided in front of each end wall 261 to 268, and the outlet portion 3 (31 to 38) corresponding to each passage PA1 to PA8 is configured by this through-hole. Has been. The end walls 261 to 268 are alternately shifted in the front-rear direction, and the end walls 261, 263, 265, 267 are positioned in front of the end walls 262, 264, 266, 268. Accordingly, the outlet portions 31, 33, 35, and 37 are also positioned in front of the outlet portions 32, 34, 36, and 38. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the outlet portions 31 to 38 from being densely arranged, and components (such as an ejector described later) can be efficiently arranged below the outlet portions 31 to 38.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the injection unit 7. In addition, although the injection part 7 is provided with two or more corresponding to conveyance path PA1-PA8, in FIG. 8, the structure of the single injection part 7 is shown. As shown in FIG. 8, the injection unit 7 is connected to a pipe 71 extending vertically downward from the outlet unit 3 and a lower end of the pipe 71, and atomizes the powder GR supplied via the pipe 71. An ejector 72, a conduit 73 having one end connected to the ejector 72, and an injection nozzle 74 connected to the other end of the conduit 73 and injecting the powder atomized by the ejector 72 toward the object W. Have.

  The pipe 71 includes an outlet pipe 71a that communicates with the outlet portion 3 and projects vertically downward from the trough 2, a first connection pipe 71b that is connected to a lower end portion of the outlet pipe 71a, and a lower end of the first connection pipe 71b. And a second connecting pipe 71c connected to the portion. The outlet pipe 71a vibrates integrally with the trough 2, whereas the connecting pipes 71b and 71c are supported from the base frame 22 via the ejector 72 and do not vibrate integrally with the trough 2. In the present embodiment, a V ring 75 is provided in order to prevent leakage of powder at the connection portion (a portion in FIG. 8) between the outlet pipe 71a and the first connection pipe 71b, and the connection portion is sealed by the V ring 75. ing. The powder GR on the trough 2 falls from the outlet portion 3 and passes through the pipe 71. By providing the pipe 71 vertically below, clogging of the powder GR in the pipe 71 can be prevented.

  FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the ejector 72. As shown in FIG. 9, the upper end portion of the ejector 72 is fixed to the plate 720, and the ejector 72 is supported by the base plate 22 (FIG. 8) via the plate 720. The ejector 72 communicates with the second connecting pipe 71c and extends vertically downward, and the second passage intersects the first passage 721 at a predetermined angle θ2 at an intersection 723 in the middle of the first passage 721. 722. The second passage 722 is formed such that the opening 724 at the tip thereof faces obliquely downward. A conduit 73 is connected to the opening 724, and the powder GR is guided to the conduit 73 through the opening 724.

  Above the extension line of the second passage 722, a nozzle 725 for injecting air toward the intersection 723 is interposed. The powder GR that has dropped through the first passage 721 is atomized by the air sprayed from the nozzle 725 and guided to the conduit 73. When the intersection angle θ2 between the first passage 721 and the second passage 722 is too large, the powder GR in the intersection 723 is deposited, and it is difficult to sufficiently atomize the powder GR. On the other hand, if the intersection angle θ2 is too small, the powder GR may slide down at the intersection 723, and atomization of the powder GR may be hindered. In the present embodiment, the intersection angle θ2 is set in consideration of this point. The crossing angle θ2 is greater than 0 ° and less than 90 °, preferably 30 ° to 60 °, and most preferably 40 ° to 50 ° (for example, 45 °).

  FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the injection nozzle 74. As shown in FIG. 10, the upper end portion of the injection nozzle 74 is fixed to the plate 740, and the injection nozzle 74 is disposed at a predetermined position with respect to the object W via the plate 740. Inside the injection nozzle 74, a passage 741 having a constant or substantially constant cross-sectional area is formed vertically downward, and a nozzle portion 742 is provided at the lower end of the injection nozzle 74. The nozzle portion 742 has an eaves portion 743 having a larger cross-sectional area than the passage 741, and the cross-sectional area gradually decreases from the eaves portion 743 toward the opening 744 at the lower end. By providing the eaves part 743, the powder reflected on the inner wall surface of the nozzle part 742 is reflected again by the eaves part 743 and flows out from the opening 744 as shown by the arrow in FIG. Thereby, the pressure loss of the nozzle part 742 can be reduced.

  FIG. 11 is a plan view of the object W (heat exchanger) showing the arrangement of the injection nozzles 74. As shown in FIG. 11, above the object W, a plurality (eight) of injection nozzles 74 corresponding to the transport paths PA1 to PA8 are arranged at equal intervals in the left-right direction. The spray area of the entire spray nozzle is larger than the entire width of the target object W, so that the flux can be uniformly applied to the entire surface of the target object W. The jet nozzle 74 is fixed to the plate 740 (FIG. 10), while the object W is placed on a transport device 75 such as a belt conveyor, and is transported in the direction of arrow A by the transport device 75. Thereby, the target object W moves relative to the spray nozzle 74, and the flux can be automatically applied to the surface of the target object W. In addition, the spray nozzle 74 may be provided so as to be movable with respect to the object W, and the spray nozzle 74 may be moved to apply the flux. The end W1 of the object W may be turned back when it passes the nozzle position, and the object W may be returned to the input unit. As a result, the object W can be loaded and unloaded alone at the same position.

  Main operations of the powder supply apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. In FIG. 1, when the powder confirmation sensor 12 is turned off, the shutter 11 is opened, and the powder GR (flux) stored in the hopper 1 falls on the trough 2. When the powder confirmation sensor 12 is turned on, the shutter 11 is closed and the supply of the powder GR from the hopper 1 is stopped. The height detected by the powder confirmation sensor 12 is set to be higher than the gap SP1 of the fixed gate 6. For this reason, the height of the peak of the powder GR in the first region AR1 is higher than the height ΔS1 of the fixed gate 6.

  The trough 2 is vibrated by the vibration device 4, and the trough 2 vibrates in the front-rear direction, whereby the powder GR is conveyed forward. The clearance SP1 of the fixed gate 6 is set to a large value ΔS1 so that the powder GR does not stay even if the powder GR has a large repose angle θ1. Therefore, the powder GR is smoothly conveyed from the first area AR1 to the second area AR2 while the conveyance amount is limited by the fixed gate 6. At this time, the amount of the powder GR passing through the fixed gate 6 per unit time is constant, and when passing through the fixed gate 6, the powder GR spreads in the left-right direction. In the second region AR2, the height of the powder GR is equal to the set height ΔS1 of the fixed gate 6, and the powder GR is uniformly distributed in the passage width direction.

  When the powder GR reaches the rotation gate 5, the mountain of the powder GR is broken by the rotation gate 5. In particular, since the uneven portion 5a is provided on the surface of the rotary gate 5, the mountain of the powder GR can be reliably broken. Thus, even when the gap SP2 below the rotation gate 5 is small, the powder GR does not stay, and the powder GR smoothly gaps while its conveyance amount is limited by the rotation gate 5. Can pass SP2. When the powder GR adheres to the surface of the rotary gate 5, the deposit is removed by the scraper 56. For this reason, a gap SP2 of a predetermined amount ΔS2 can always be formed below the rotary gate 5, and a stable quantitative supply of the powder GR becomes possible.

  The supply amount of the powder GR by the powder supply device 100 is determined by the transport amount of the powder GR in the third region AR3. The conveyance amount of the powder GR in the third region AR3 changes according to the height of the rotary gate 5, that is, the size ΔS2 of the gap SP2. When changing the transport amount, the screwing amount of the adjustment screw 57 that supports the lever 52 is adjusted. As a result, the lever 52 rotates with the pin portion 54 as a fulcrum, and the height of the rotary gate 5 can be easily changed. The transport amount can also be changed by controlling the vibration device 4 to change the vibration pattern of the trough 2.

  The conveyance path PA behind the rotary gate 5 is partitioned by a partition plate 25 (FIG. 7), and the powder GR is distributed to a plurality of conveyance paths PA1 to PA8. In the third region AR3, the powder GR is non-uniformly distributed in the width direction, for example, and the powder GR is evenly distributed to each of the passages PA1 to PA8 by changing the passage areas of the transport passages PA1 to PA8. The powder conveyed along each path PA1-PA8 falls from the exit parts 31-38, and is supplied to the ejector 72 through the pipe 71, as shown in FIG. Since the pipe 71 extends vertically downward, the powder GR can be prevented from adhering to and staying on the inner wall of the pipe 71, and the powder GR can be stably supplied to the ejector 72.

  The powder supplied to the ejector 72 is guided to the conduit 73 through the first passage 721 and the second passage 722 of FIG. At this time, air is injected from the nozzle 724 at the intersection 723 between the first passage 721 and the second passage 722, and the powder GR that has fallen in the first passage 721 is atomized and flows through the second passage 722. Since the crossing angle θ2 of the passages 721 and 722 is set in a range of 40 ° to 50 ° (for example, 45 °), the powder GR does not accumulate and slide on the inner wall of the second passage 722. Can be atomized well.

  The powder GR atomized by the ejector 72 is guided to the injection nozzle 74 (FIG. 10) via the conduit 73 and is injected from the injection nozzle 74 toward the object W. The nozzle portion 742 at the tip of the injection nozzle 74 has a tapered shape, and a part of the powder GR is reflected on the inner wall of the nozzle portion 742, but the reflected powder GR is reflected again by the eaves portion 743 and opened. 744 flows out. For this reason, the pressure loss in the nozzle part 742 can be reduced. As shown in FIG. 11, the spray nozzles 74 are arranged at equal intervals toward the object W, so that the powder GR (flux) can be evenly applied to the surface of the wide object W at a time. it can. For this reason, work efficiency improves. Depending on the method of moving the object W, the object W can be loaded and unloaded alone.

According to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The rotary gate 5 is provided in the middle of the conveyance path PA on the trough 2 with a gap SP2 of a predetermined amount ΔS2 from the upper surface 2a of the trough 2. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the powder GR from staying on the upstream side of the gap SP2, and it is possible to stably and quantitatively supply the powder GR (flux) having a large repose angle θ1. In addition, since the powder GR can be stably and quantitatively supplied, it is not necessary to detect the actual supply amount of the powder GR downstream of the outlet portion 3. Therefore, a mass detector or the like is unnecessary, and the configuration can be simplified.

(2) The fixed gate 6 is provided with a gap SP1 of a predetermined amount ΔS1 from the upper surface 2a of the trough 2 on the upstream side in the transport direction from the rotary gate 5, and the size ΔS1 of the gap SP1 of the fixed gate 6 is set to the rotary gate 5 The gap SP2 is larger than the size ΔS2. As a result, the powder GR is uniformly distributed in the width direction and at a uniform height ΔS1 on the upstream side of the rotary gate 5, and there is no variation in the powder GR. Therefore, the powder GR can be easily placed in the gap SP2 of the rotary gate 5. Can be passed.

(3) Since the concavo-convex portion 5 a is provided on the entire circumference of the rotating gate 5, the crest of the powder GR can be reliably broken by the rotating gate 5. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the powder GR from staying while the boundary surface GR1 of the peak of the powder GR is formed along the peripheral surface of the rotary gate 5. Therefore, even if the powder GR has a strong particle connection, the powder GR can be smoothly passed through the gap SP2 of the rotary gate 5.

(4) The size ΔS2 of the gap SP2 between the peripheral surface of the rotary gate 5 and the upper surface 2a of the trough 2 can be changed by adjusting the screwing amount of the adjusting screw 57 (FIGS. 3 and 5). Thereby, the supply amount of the powder GR per unit time sent from the outlet part 3 can be easily changed.

(5) The scraper 56 (FIG. 2) is provided on the rotating gate 5, and the powder adhered to the peripheral surface of the rotating gate 5 is removed by the scraper 56. As a result, a gap SP2 of a predetermined amount ΔS2 can always be ensured between the peripheral surface of the rotary gate 5 and the upper surface 2a of the trough 2, and the powder GR can be supplied stably.

(6) On the downstream side of the rotation gate 5 in the conveyance direction, the conveyance path PA is divided into a plurality of width-direction paths PA1 to PA8 by the partition plate 25, and outlets 31 to 38 are provided in the paths PA1 to PA8, respectively. I made it. Thereby, the powder GR quantitatively supplied by the single device 100 can be simultaneously supplied to a plurality of locations, and the entire device can be configured at low cost. In other words, if there is only one outlet portion 3, a plurality of devices (a plurality of hoppers, a plurality of gates, etc.) are required to supply the powder GR to a plurality of locations. The powder GR can be supplied to a plurality of locations from one apparatus. In addition, since a single device is used, variation in the injection amount of the powder GR from the plurality of outlet portions 3 is small. Since the interval between the partition plates 25 can be adjusted, the amount of powder GR supplied to each passage PA1 to PA8 can be increased or decreased, and the powder GR can be evenly distributed to each passage PA1 to PA8.

(7) An injection unit 7 for atomizing and injecting the powder GR supplied from the outlet unit 3 is provided. That is, the powder GR quantitative supply unit and the atomization unit are separately provided, and the powder GR supplied quantitatively is atomized and jetted. As a result, for example, the configuration of the apparatus can be simplified and the entire apparatus can be configured at a low cost compared to a configuration in which the powder GR is suspended in a tank and then sucked in using a pump.

(Modification)
The following can be considered as a modification of this embodiment. In the above-described embodiment, the rotation gate 5 that rotates about the axis L <b> 2 orthogonal to the conveying direction of the powder GR is provided, and the rotation gate 5 is supported by the support portion 50. Here, the support portion 50 is configured by the rotatable lever 52, the adjustment screw 57, and the like. However, if the rotary gate 5 is supported with a gap SP2 of a predetermined amount ΔS2 from the upper surface 2a of the trough 2, the support portion is provided. The configuration of 50 may be any. The trough 2 may have any configuration as long as it extends in the horizontal direction (front-rear direction) below the hopper 1 and forms the conveying path PA of the powder GR toward the outlet portion 3.

  Although the uneven portion 5a is provided on the entire surface of the rotary gate 5, instead of providing the uneven portion 5a, for example, the surface roughness of the peripheral surface of the rotary gate 5 may be increased. Although the clearance SP2 of the rotary gate 5 is adjusted by the adjustment screw 57, an actuator such as a cylinder may be used as the clearance adjustment portion. If the adhesion of the powder GR does not become a problem, the scraper 56 may be omitted. The direction of rotation of the rotary gate 5 may be opposite to that described above. The flow of the powder GR may be monitored by a sensor or the like, and the motor 65 may be driven to rotate the rotary gate 5 when the smooth flow of the powder GR stops. You may make it change the rotation speed of the motor 65 according to the characteristic of powder GR, a conveyance amount, etc.

  The fixed gate 6 is provided on the upstream side of the rotating gate 5 in the conveying direction, and the clearance SP1 of the fixed gate 6 can be changed by adjusting the mounting position of the bracket 61 (FIG. 5). Thus, the gap SP1 may be changed. Although the fixed gate 5 is configured by a plate member, the configuration of the fixed gate 5 is not limited thereto. The fixed gate 5 can be omitted. Although the vibration device 4 is provided at the lower end portion of the trough 2, the vibration device 4 may be provided at other positions (for example, the front and rear end portions of the trough 2). The transport passage PA is divided into a plurality of passages PA1 to PA8 in the passage width direction (left and right direction) by the partition plate 25. The structure of the dividing wall is not limited to that described above. Depending on the characteristics of the powder, the partition plate 25 (dividing wall) may be omitted, and a plurality of outlet portions 3 may be provided.

  If it is not necessary to supply the powder GR uniformly conveyed in the width direction to a plurality of locations at the same time, a plurality of outlet portions 3 may not be provided. Even if it is necessary to supply to a plurality of locations, the powder GR may be distributed in a plurality of locations downstream of the single outlet portion 3. Although the exit portion 3 is formed by providing a circular through hole in the trough 2, for example, the exit portion 3 may be formed by providing an opening on the rear end surface of the trough 2. Although the injection part 7 is connected to the outlet part 3 and the powder GR is atomized and injected, any structure may be used for the injection part. Depending on the usage, the powder GR from the outlet 3 may be supplied to other than the injection unit 7. Although the plurality of outlet portions 31 to 38 are staggered in the front-rear direction (FIG. 7), the outlet portions 31 to 38 may be arranged in parallel in the front-rear direction without shifting in the front-rear direction. .

  The powder supply apparatus according to the present invention can be similarly applied to powders other than the flux, but is particularly suitable for powders having a large angle of repose. In the above embodiment, the heat exchanger for automobiles is an object, but the powder supply apparatus according to the present invention can be similarly applied to other objects.

  The above description is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications unless the characteristics of the present invention are impaired. The constituent elements of the embodiment and the modified examples include those that can be replaced while maintaining the identity of the invention and that are obvious for replacement. That is, other forms conceivable within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention are also included in the scope of the present invention. Moreover, it is also possible to arbitrarily combine one or more of the above-described embodiments and modified examples.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Hopper 2 Trough 3 Outlet part 4 Excitation apparatus 5 Rotating gate 50 Support part PA conveyance path L2 Axis line SP2 Gap

Claims (7)

A hopper (1) for storing powder;
Extends horizontally beneath the hopper (1), and trough (2) which forms a conveying path of the powder (PA) toward the outlet section (3),
As powder moves towards the trough (2) on the outlet (3), vibrated for vibrating the trough (2) device (4),
Provided in the middle of the conveying path (PA), a rotating gate of cylindrical rotating around axis perpendicular to the conveying direction of the powder and (L2) (5),
A gap (SP2) of a predetermined amount (ΔS2) is provided between the peripheral surface of the rotary gate (5) and the upper surface (2a) of the trough (2) to rotatably support the rotary gate (5). A support portion (50),
Angle of repose of the powder (.theta.1) is powder supply device which is a range of at least 50 ° to 60 °. In the powder supplying device according to claim 1,
It is arranged on the upstream side of the rotary gate (5) in the powder conveying direction, and is fixed to form a gap (SP1) larger than the predetermined amount (ΔS2) between the trough (2) and the upper surface (2a). powder supply apparatus further comprising a gate (6). In the powder supplying device according to claim 1 or 2,
It said rotary gate (5) is powder supply apparatus characterized by having a knurled uneven portion (5a) over the whole circumference in the circumferential surface thereof. In the powder supplying device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
It further comprises a gap adjusting section (52, 57) for adjusting the size (ΔS2) of the gap (SP2) between the peripheral surface of the rotating gate (5) and the upper surface (2a) of the trough (2). powder supplying device according to claim. In the powder supplying device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
It said rotary gate (5) powder supply apparatus further comprising a scraper (56) to remove the powder adhering to the peripheral surface of the. In the powder supplying device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The trough (2) is a dividing wall (dividing the conveying passage (PA) into a plurality of conveying passages (PA1 to PA8) in the passage width direction downstream of the rotating gate (5) in the powder conveying direction. 25)
It said outlet portion (3) is powder supply device, characterized in that it is provided to each of the plurality of the transport path (PA1～PA8). Flour, characterized by further comprising an injection unit for injecting atomized the supplied powder (7) in the powder supplying device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 from the outlet section (3) Body supply device.

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