JP5968683B2 - Powder dispensing device - Google Patents

Description

   The present invention relates to a powder dispensing apparatus, and more particularly to a powder dispensing apparatus capable of dispensing various powders having different properties.

  The powder dispensing apparatus is an apparatus that transfers a set amount of powder from a dispensing source container to a dispensing destination container. Various devices are used as powder dispensing devices in various fields. Hereinafter, the powder dispensing device and other powder dispensing devices will be described.

  In dispensing pharmacies, pharmacy departments of hospitals, etc., powders (also called powders, powders or powdered drugs) are prescribed according to prescriptions. Specifically, operations such as measurement and packaging of powder by a pharmacist are performed. In general, a balance is used to measure powder, and the operation is not automated. In the packaging operation, a packaging device is normally used, and the powdered powder after measurement is divided (divided) into a predetermined number, and these are accommodated in a plurality of medicine packages. A plurality of powders may be mixed manually using a dispensing bowl before packaging. In any case, it is very important to accurately measure individual powders, and automation thereof is desired. Therefore, realization of a powder dispensing device is expected. Depending on the type of powder, the properties of powder as powders vary, and there are powders with various characteristics, such as powder that is easy to flow and powder that is easy to set. Under such circumstances, it is necessary to accurately dispense each individual powder.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a powder filling device that discharges powder such as toner for developing an electrostatic image. The powder filling device disclosed in the prior art section of the same document is provided with a tank containing powder, an auger (spiral feed screw) rotating around a vertical central axis in the tank, and a tank lower part. A shutter mechanism; and a vibrator for transmitting vibration to a middle of the pipe. The shutter mechanism has two disk bodies arranged in an overlapping manner. Each disk body is formed with a plurality of fan-shaped openings that form a powder passage, and the powder path is opened and closed depending on the relative rotation of the other disk body with respect to one disk body. In the apparatus described in this document, it is understood that the powders to be filled are always the same. It is understood that the above shutter mechanism literally switches whether or not powder is put out, and there is no description about variable opening. Incidentally, in the powder filling apparatus according to the embodiment of the same document, the shutter mechanism is configured by a mesh, and on / off of the outflow of the powder is controlled by switching presence / absence of vibration transmission to the mesh. In Patent Document 1, vibration is transmitted from the periphery of the mesh to the mesh.

JP 2002-234501 A

  In a powder dispensing apparatus, it is necessary to accurately dispense powders having various properties. That is, it is required to perform dispensing with good powder breakage while preventing clogging of the powder at the discharge port or in front of it. For example, in a dispensing facility, for example, as many as 80 types of powders are always available. The physical properties of each powder vary, and there are various powders having various properties from high to low cohesiveness (or adhesion) to high and low specific gravity. In order to automate the weighing, a special mechanism is required for accurately transferring a designated amount into a prescription container for powders having various properties.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a powder dispensing apparatus capable of accurately dispensing various powders. Alternatively, an object of the present invention is to realize powder dispensing with good powder breakage while preventing clogging.

  The dispensing apparatus according to the present invention has a discharge port directed to a dispensing destination container, and is provided so as to close the container main body containing powder and the discharge port, and the powder passage opening area can be varied. And a vibration transmission mechanism for transmitting vertical vibrations in the vertical direction to the central portion of the shutter member.

  According to the above configuration, in the dispensing unit, the shutter member is provided so as to close the discharge port, and the longitudinal vibration is transmitted to the center portion by the vibration transmission mechanism. Specifically, when the powder is dispensed (discharged), the shutter member opens to form a powder passage opening. Since longitudinal vibration is transmitted to the shutter member, it prevents powder clogging at the powder passage opening and clogging due to powder aggregation and bridge formation in the main body container (particularly the lower part thereof), It is possible to discharge the powder smoothly. In particular, since the vibration is not transmitted to a specific portion around the shutter member but is transmitted to the central portion of the shutter member, the amplitude of the central portion that is most likely to be clogged or stagnant can be increased. Longitudinal waves propagate from the central portion to the periphery thereof, and the clogging can be effectively eliminated as the entire shutter member. In general, the periphery of the shutter member is held by a frame body, and there are many cases where a large degree of freedom of movement is generated in the central portion. Therefore, it is reasonable to vibrate the central portion. Of course, the peripheral edge portion may be elastically held so as to allow vertical movement of the peripheral edge portion of the shutter member.

  You may make it transmit upward raising force intermittently with respect to the center part of a shutter member. In this case, the elastic force (restoring force) of the shutter member may be used for the downward movement of the central portion. In this configuration, the shutter member is repeatedly deformed into a mountain shape in which the central portion rises instantaneously. In an embodiment to be described later, the vibration transmission member (shaft member) also serves as a suction member, that is, since it is necessary to lower the vibration transmission member at the time of suction, the shutter from the vibration transmission member is allowed to allow such a downward movement. Only the upward pulling force is transmitted to the member. Contrary to the above, the downward pushing force may be intermittently transmitted to the central portion of the shutter member. In this case, the shutter member is deformed into a funnel shape. Alternatively, an upward pulling force and a downward pushing force may be alternately transmitted to the central portion of the shutter member.

  Preferably, the shutter member and the vibration transmission mechanism are configured to control operations of the shutter member while setting a powder passage opening area of the shutter member in accordance with the type of the powder during powder dispensing. Including a control unit for longitudinal vibration. According to this configuration, the dispensing speed can be adjusted by setting the opening degree of the shutter member, and in that case, longitudinal vibration is transmitted to the shutter member, so that clogging and bridge formation can be prevented in advance. In particular, clogging and the like are likely to occur when the powder passage opening is made small, but even in that case, clogging and the like can be effectively prevented by applying longitudinal vibration.

  Preferably, the vibration transmission mechanism is a member that transmits vibration to a central portion of the shutter member through the inside of the container main body, the vibration transmission member reciprocating in the vertical direction, and the shutter via the vibration transmission member. A vibration generating unit that generates vibrations to be transmitted to the member. Although it is possible to transmit vibration from the outer side (lower surface side) of the shutter member to the central portion thereof, in such a configuration, the vibration transmitting member becomes an obstacle when discharging the powder, or the vibration transmitting member There arises a problem that the powder is placed on top. Therefore, it is desirable to guide the vibration transmitting member to the shutter member through the inside of the container body. A member that surrounds the vibration transmitting member may be provided so that the vibration transmitting member does not directly touch the powder inside, or a configuration that directly touches the powder may be employed. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which vibration is directly transmitted to the internal powder. Further, the vibration may be transmitted to the internal structure to prevent clogging or aggregation in the main body container.

  Preferably, the shutter member is a first shutter plate in which a plurality of slits are formed, and a member that is overlapped with the first shutter plate to form a plurality of slits, and is formed with respect to the first shutter plate. A second shutter plate that varies the powder passage opening area by relatively moving, and the vibration transmitting member with respect to a central portion of the polymer composed of the first shutter plate and the second shutter plate Vibrations are transmitted from the lower end of the. According to this configuration, the powder passage opening area is variably set by the relative movement of the two shutter plates. Desirably, the two shutter plates relatively rotate. In that case, desirably one is fixed and the other is rotationally driven.

  Preferably, a through hole is formed in a central portion of the polymer, the lower end portion of the vibration transmission member is inserted into the through hole, and the lower end portion intermittently pulls up the polymer so that the polymer is vertically Vibrate. According to this configuration, the polymer is intermittently deformed into a conical shape with the central portion as a vertex. Thereby, desirably, the powder moves dispersively from the central portion to the peripheral portion on the upper surface of the polymer. Usually, since the opening area ratio is larger in the peripheral portion than in the vicinity of the central portion of the polymer, smooth discharge can be expected by introducing the powder to the peripheral portion.

  Preferably, the vibration generating unit is provided on an upper portion of the container body. According to this structure, the empty space of a container main body can be utilized. Although the vibration generating part may be provided in the upper part in the container main body, it is desirable to provide the vibration generating part on the outside of the container main body, that is, on the ceiling plate, because the amount of powder contained is reduced.

  Preferably, a convex portion is formed on an upper portion of the vibration transmitting member, and the vibration generating portion has a gear that is intermittently hooked to the convex portion during rotation. According to this configuration, the vertical vibration can be generated with a simple configuration. The period of longitudinal vibration can be varied by controlling the rotational speed of the gear. Further, the upper and lower strokes (amplitudes) may be variable.

  Desirably, the powder is a powder, and the powder passage opening area at the time of dispensing the powder is set according to the type of the powder. Although the properties of powder as powder vary greatly depending on the type of powder, according to the above configuration, the opening area can be set according to the type of powder and dispensing of powder can be performed with vibration applied.

  A powder dispensing apparatus according to the present invention includes a plurality of dispensing units for dispensing a plurality of powders, and a dispensing destination container below a dispensing unit selected from the plurality of dispensing units. Each dispensing unit has a discharge port directed to a dispensing destination container located below the dispensing unit, a container main body for storing powder, and the discharge unit. A shutter member provided so as to close the outlet and having a variable powder passage opening area; and a vibration transmission mechanism that transmits vertical vibrations in the vertical direction to the central portion of the shutter member. According to this configuration, a plurality of powders can be sequentially dispensed into the same dispensing container. Since each dispensing unit is provided with a vibration mechanism, the vertical vibration is transmitted to the central portion of the shutter member, so that clogging and the like can be prevented and powder breakage is good. As a result, the dispensing accuracy can be increased.

  According to the present invention, various powders can be accurately dispensed. Alternatively, it is possible to realize powder dispensing with good powder cutting while preventing clogging.

It is a front view which shows suitable embodiment of the powder dispensing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a side view of the powder dispensing apparatus shown in FIG. It is sectional drawing of a dispensing unit. It is a figure which shows a shaft member. It is a figure which shows the slit pattern which comprises a shutter unit. It is a horizontal sectional view of an internal structure. It is sectional drawing for demonstrating the suction | inhalation of the powder by a shaft member. It is a flowchart for demonstrating powder dispensing operation | movement. It is an example of the table which shows the operating conditions according to the classification of powder. It is a flowchart which shows powder suction operation | movement. It is a figure which shows the principal part structure of the powder dispensing apparatus which concerns on other embodiment.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of a powder dispensing apparatus according to the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a front view thereof. The powder dispensing device is a device for dispensing powders such as powders, chemical substances, and foods. In the present embodiment, one or a plurality of powders are dispensed from one or a plurality of dispensing units selected from a plurality of dispensing units to a common dispensing destination container. The amount of powder dispensed is controlled by a control unit (not shown).

  In FIG. 1, a powder dispensing apparatus 10 can dispense a plurality of powders. The powder dispensing apparatus 10 has a base 12 as a base, and has a rack 14 erected from the base 12. The rack 14 has a vertical surface as a front surface, a plurality of dispensing positions 16 are set on the vertical surface, and a plurality of dispensing units 18 are detachably set to the dispensing positions 16. In the present embodiment, nine dispensing units 18 can be attached to the rack 14 at the same time. However, for example, a large number of dispensing units 18 such as 60 or 80 may be attached. A mounting structure 20 is formed at each dispensing position 16, which will be described in detail later with reference to FIG.

  In the example shown in FIG. 1, four dispensing units 18 are provided at the lower part of the rack 14, and five dispensing units 18 are provided at the upper part of the rack 14, that is, a plurality of the dispensing units 18 are arranged in two upper and lower stages. A dispensing unit 18 is arranged.

  Each dispensing unit 18 has the same configuration. The dispensing unit 18 has a main body 22. The main body 22 is a hollow member and constitutes an original container. An opening / closing mechanism 26 is provided below the main body 22, and the opening / closing mechanism 26 includes a shutter unit 28 and a drive unit 30. The shutter unit 28 is provided so as to close the discharge port formed in the lower part of the main body 22 and opens and closes the shutter unit 28. In the present embodiment, a fixed mesh plate and a movable mesh plate are provided, and by controlling the relative rotational positions thereof, the discharge port is opened and closed, and the opening area at the time of dispensing is set. . The drive unit 30 is a mechanism that drives the shutter unit 28.

  A shaft member 32 extending vertically along the central axis of the main body 22 is provided so as to be movable up and down. In the present embodiment, the shaft member has two functions. The first function is a vibration transmission function, and the second function is a powder suction function. These functions will be described in detail later. The lower end of the shaft member 32 is engaged with the shutter unit 28, and can move downward through the central portion of the shutter unit 28 as necessary. The drive unit 34 is connected to the shaft member 32, and vibration is generated by the drive unit 34 changing the engagement relationship between the drive unit 34 and the shaft member 32. Is generated.

  An opening is formed in the upper portion of the main body 22, and a lid 24 is provided in the opening. In this embodiment, the lid 24 has a filter that allows air to be discharged and prevents the powder from flowing out. As will be described later, when the powder is sucked up and returned into the main body 22, the pressure in the main body 22 is released to the outside through a filter provided on the lid 24. In that case, the powder does not flow out of the main body 22 to the outside. Further, foreign matter does not enter the main body 22 from the outside via the filter. When the powder in the container in the main body 22 becomes insufficient, the lid 24 is removed and the main body 22 is filled with the powder through the upper opening. Of course, the dispensing unit 18 itself may be removed and filled with powder.

  The movable body 36 includes a container 38 as a dispensing destination container. The container 38 has a well-like shape with an opening at the top. A weight sensor 42 is provided below the container 38, and the weight sensor 42 is provided on the movable frame 40. The movable frame 40 is connected to a transport mechanism provided in the rack 14. The movable body 36 can move in the horizontal direction and the vertical direction along the conveyance path 44. The conveyance path 44 includes a lower horizontal portion 44A, a left vertical portion 44B, and an upper horizontal portion 44C. Of course, such a form is only an example.

  In any case, the movable body 36 is transported and positioned so that the container 38 is positioned below each of the plurality of dispensing units 18. Such control is executed by a control unit (not shown). For example, when a plurality of powders are supplied to the container 38, the container 38 is positioned directly below the dispensing unit that stores the first powder under the control of the control unit, and the powder is dispensed there. Above, the following dispensing process is carried out. When the dispensing of the powder is completed, the movable body 36 is positioned at the origin position set at the left end of the horizontal portion 44A, and the container 38 is removed by the user at that position.

  The output signal of the weight sensor 42 is sent to the control unit, and the dispensing amount is managed in real time based on the weight detected by the weight sensor 42. In the present embodiment, when the output value of the weight sensor 42 reaches a predetermined value, the closing operation of the shutter unit 28 is executed, whereby a prescribed amount of powder is dispensed. If more than the required amount of powder is dispensed into the container 38 due to some trouble, a suction mechanism, which will be described in detail later, is used as necessary, and the powder is partially sucked from the container 38, It is returned to the original container. Even in that case, the output signal of the weight sensor 42 is referred to and only an appropriate amount is left in the container 38. However, such powder suction is performed when a plurality of powders are not dispensed in the same container 38.

  FIG. 2 shows a side view of the powder dispensing apparatus shown in FIG. As described above, a plurality of dispensing units 18 are detachably mounted on the front vertical plate of the rack 14. A transparent cover 46 is provided on the front side of the rack 14 to prevent entry of foreign matter or the like. In FIG. 2, the movable body positioned on the lower side is denoted by reference numeral 36, and the movable body positioned on the upper side is denoted by reference numeral 36 ′.

  FIG. 3 shows a vertical section of the dispensing unit. The main body 22 is a hollow container that stores powder as described above. An upper portion 22A of the main body 22 constitutes a large diameter portion, and an opening portion 22B is formed on the upper ceiling plate, and a lid 24 is attached thereto. The lid 24 includes a filter as described above. A tapered portion 22C tapered downward is connected to the lower side of the upper portion 22A, and a lower portion 22D serving as a narrow diameter portion is connected to the lower side thereof. That is, the internal shape is such that the horizontal cross-sectional area gradually decreases from the top to the bottom.

  The lower side of the lower part 22D is a discharge port, which is a circular opening extending horizontally. In the present embodiment, an opening / closing mechanism 26 is provided, which is constituted by a shutter unit 28 and a drive unit 30. The discharge opening is covered by the shutter unit 28, that is, the discharge opening can be opened and closed by the shutter unit 28, and the opening area can be variably set during dispensing.

  An internal structure 50 is provided inside the main body 22. The internal structure 50 is for dispersing the powder contained in the main body 22, and has an umbrella shape as a whole. Specifically, the internal structure 50 has an upper surface 50A, and the upper surface 50A has a conical shape with a central portion at the top. When the powder falling from above hits the upper surface 50A, it falls into the surroundings, that is, diffuses. The internal structure 50 has a lower surface 50B, and the lower surface 50B has a conical shape protruding downward. The internal structure 50 has an air passage 54 extending in the horizontal direction, and also has an ejection opening 54A. When the shaft member 32 described later is lowered, the air passage 54 and the ejection opening 54A communicate with each other, and the powder sucked up through the inside of the shaft member 32 is sent into the main body 22 from the ejection opening 54A. It is. In that case, a jet flow, that is, an air flow is supplied to the air passage 54 from the rack side. A more specific structure of the internal structure 50 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  The shaft member 32 has two functions as described above. That is, it has a vibration transmission function and a suction function. The shaft member 32 will be described in detail below. The shaft member 32 has a rack gear portion 32A formed in the upper portion. It is a concavo-convex structure formed repeatedly in the vertical direction. A missing portion 32B is formed below the rack gear portion 32A. The missing portion 32B is a portion where the gear teeth are removed over a certain range.

  The drive unit 34 includes a motor and a gear 90 that rotates thereby, and the gear 90 meshes with the rack gear portion 32A. However, when the gear 90 enters the defective portion 32B, the lowermost tooth of the rack gear portion 32A and the tooth of the gear 90 collide intermittently. That is, when the gear 90 rotates clockwise in FIG. 3, the teeth constituting the gear 90 intermittently collide with the lowermost teeth of the rack gear portion 32 </ b> A, and as a result, intermittently upward with respect to the shaft member 32. A thrust force is generated. This is the vibration generation mechanism in this embodiment. Of course, vibration may be generated using other configurations or other mechanisms. For example, an eccentric cam or the like may be used.

  The description of the shaft member 32 is advanced. A connecting portion 32C is formed below the defect portion 32B, and a suction pipe 32E is provided below the connecting portion 32C via a pedestal portion 32D. The pedestal portion 32D has a bowl-like shape spreading in the horizontal direction, and a spring 68 is disposed between the pedestal portion 32D and the ceiling plate. In FIG. 3, the spring 68 is in a compressed state, and a downward urging force is applied to the shaft member 32 by the action of the spring 68. Accordingly, a force acts in the direction in which the lowermost teeth of the rack gear portion 32 </ b> A and the gear 90 are brought closer to each other. As a result, upward push-up force and downward pull-down force are alternately generated and transmitted as vibration.

  The upper end portion of the suction pipe 32 </ b> A is accommodated in a cylindrical cover 72. That is, when the shaft member 32 is at the rising end, the upper end portion of the suction pipe 32E is accommodated in the cover 72, and as a result, the entry of powder into the communication hole 70 described later is prevented. . The cover 72 is a cylindrical member having an opening on the lower side.

  The suction pipe 32E is a hollow member extending in the vertical direction, and the lower end 32F extends through the central opening of the shutter unit 28 to the lower side. The lower end 32F is slightly enlarged in the horizontal direction. A suction path 66 is in the suction pipe 32E.

  The internal structure 50 described above has a cylindrical guide 56 extending downward on its lower side, and a suction pipe 32E is inserted into the cylindrical guide 56. The upper part of the cylindrical guide 56 is a vertical through hole in the internal structure 50, through which the suction pipe 32E passes.

  The lower end of the cylindrical guide 56 enters the central opening of the shutter unit 28. The vicinity of the upper surface side of the shutter unit at the lower end is slightly enlarged in the horizontal direction so that the shutter unit 28 is not deformed upwards more than necessary. A vertical stroke (free movement) in the central portion of the shutter unit 28 is allowed, and upward deformation is restricted by a stopper formed in the cylindrical guide 56. The downward deformation of the central portion of the shutter unit 28 is restricted by the lower end 32F of the suction pipe 32E. That is, the lower end portion 32 </ b> F extends in the horizontal direction, and the upper surface thereof is in contact with the lower surface of the shutter unit 28.

  In the state shown in FIG. 3, when longitudinal vibration occurs in the upper portion of the shaft member 32, the shaft member 32 is longitudinally vibrated in the vertical direction, and the longitudinal vibration is transmitted to the central portion of the shutter unit 28. . Specifically, the central portion of the shutter unit 28 is pulled upward or moved downward with a restoring force, and such vertical movement is repeated. Longitudinal vibration generated in the central part propagates from the central part to the peripheral part. Generally, in the shutter unit 28, the central portion has the largest degree of freedom of movement. Therefore, efficient vibration transmission can be achieved by transmitting longitudinal vibration thereto. In addition, the slit pattern of the shutter unit 28 is generally set so that the opening degree increases as it goes from the center to the outside, so that the internal powder is moved from the center to the periphery. As a result, smoother powder dispensing can be achieved.

  Prior to the dispensing of the powder, the drive unit 30 drives the movable part in the shutter unit 28, thereby opening the shutter. In this case, a necessary opening amount is set. Even if the shutter unit 28 is in an open state, depending on the nature of the powder, it is not possible to perform a dispensing operation only by its own weight, but if the vertical vibration is transmitted to the shutter unit 28, the vertical vibration can be transmitted particularly to the central portion thereof. In this case, the powder can be smoothly transferred from the main body 22 to the container 38. In this case, clogging in the shutter unit 28 can be effectively prevented, and similarly, powder clogging and bridge formation in the lower part of the main body 22 can be effectively prevented.

  In the present embodiment, the cylindrical guide 56 is provided at the lower part of the internal structure 50, and the lower part of the suction pipe 32E is thereby wrapped. However, such a cylindrical guide 56 is removed to replace the suction pipe 32E. You may make it expose. However, since the suction pipe 32E moves in the vertical direction with respect to the shutter unit 28, it is desirable to adopt a structure in which the powder does not inadvertently flow downward from the gap between them. Incidentally, the shutter unit 28 includes a fixed member and a movable member, and a known mechanism such as a bearing is provided between them. The driving force of the motor 62 is transmitted to the movable member via the gear 64. The motor 62 is connected to the lower part of the main body 22.

  Next, the mounting structure 20 will be described. A fixed block 74 protruding in the horizontal direction is formed on the rack side, and hook holes 78A and 78B aligned in the vertical direction are formed in the fixed block 74. In addition, there is an outlet of the pipe 84 below them, and a seal member is provided around the outlet. The piping 84 is provided with an electromagnetic valve 86. The operation is controlled by the control unit.

  On the other hand, the dispensing unit 18 is provided with a mounting block 76. The mounting block 76 is provided with a connecting fitting 80, which includes a knob and two hooks 82A, 82B. A spring 82 is provided at a lower portion of the connecting metal 80, and an upward biasing force is exerted on the connecting metal 80 by the spring 82. When the mounting block 76 is brought into contact with the fixed block 74 in a state where the connecting fitting 80 is pushed downward, the two hooks 82A and 82B enter the two hook holes 78A and 78B. After that, when the connection fitting 80 is opened, it moves slightly upward due to the action of the spring 82, and the two hooks 82A and 82B are caught in the two hook holes 78A and 78B, so that both are connected. Incidentally, the lower surface of the mounting block 76 is hooked on the jaw formed at the lower part of the fixed block 74.

  In a state where the fixed block 74 and the mounting block 76 are connected, the outlet of the pipe 84 is connected to the inlet of the air passage 54, and a seal member seals between the two. If the electromagnetic valve 86 is opened, a pulsed jet flow can be sent from the pump (not shown) into the air passage 54 via the pipe 84. By the way, when removing the dispensing unit, the above-described connecting fitting 80 may be pushed downward.

  FIG. 4 shows a front view and a side view of the shaft member 32 described above. The shaft member 32 includes a rack gear portion 32A, a missing portion 32B, a connecting portion 32C, a pedestal portion 32D, a suction pipe 32E, and a lower end portion 32F from above to below. The lower end portion 32F is formed with two grooves 92 that are cross-shaped when viewed from below, and the intersection is a suction port. With such a structure, even when the lower end portion 32F is in close contact with the inner bottom surface of the container, it is possible to take in the powder using two grooves.

  As described above, the rack gear portion 34A engages with the gears so as to move up and down. The missing portion 32B formed below the rack gear portion 34A has a gap structure in which some teeth are removed, and the gear freely rotates there. However, as described above, the shaft member 32 is moved by the action of the spring. Since it is pulled down, such a force causes the lowermost tooth of the rack gear portion 32A to intermittently collide with the gear. This causes longitudinal vibration as described above. The period of vibration is determined by the rotational speed of the gear. You may make it provide the mechanism which can adjust the stroke of vibration as needed. For example, a tooth having a slope may be provided on the shaft member 32 side, and a mechanism for slightly moving the central axis of the gear in the horizontal direction may be provided, and the stroke may be varied by adjusting the contact relationship between the tooth and the gear.

  FIG. 5 shows a slit pattern in the shutter unit. Specifically, FIG. 5 shows the movable plate 60. The slit pattern in the movable plate 60 and the slit pattern in the fixed plate 58 are the same. In the movable plate 60, a plurality of slits 92 are formed on the outer side along the circumferential direction, and a plurality of slits 94 are formed on the inner side along the circumferential direction. The slit pattern of the movable plate 60 and the slit pattern of the fixed plate 58 are the same, and when they are rotated by a predetermined angle, the two are completely displaced and the opening amount becomes zero. On the other hand, when the movable plate is rotated by a predetermined angle, the slit patterns of the two plates are completely matched, and the opening amount is maximized. That is, the opening amount can be freely set by adjusting the rotation angle of the movable plate 60. Further, the shutter unit can be opened and closed by such control.

  A through hole is formed in the center of the two plates 58 and 60, and the lower end portion of the shaft member described above is inserted into the through hole.

  FIG. 6 shows a horizontal cross section of the internal structure 50. In the state shown in FIG. 6, the shaft member is pulled down to the lower end, that is, as described later with reference to FIG. 7, the two communication holes 70 are at the same level as the air passage 54. In this state, the pipe 84, the air passage 54, the two communication holes 70 and the ejection opening 54A are completely connected in the horizontal direction. When the electromagnetic valve 86 is opened and a jet flow, that is, pressurized air is sent into the pipe 84, it is air. It is sent out to the ejection opening 54A through the passage 54 and through the two communication ports 70. Then, the inside of the shaft member 32 becomes a negative pressure, that is, a pressure gradient is generated between the lower end portion and the intermediate portion in the shaft member 32. As a result, the powder is sucked into the inside from the lower end portion of the shaft member 32, and the powder further lifted up to the two communication holes 70 is sent out into the main body 22 by the jet flow. With the suction pressure generation mechanism as described above, it is possible to suction the powder with a simple configuration. The jet flow can be generated in a pulse shape, and the suction amount and suction speed can be easily adjusted by switching the number of pulses and the cycle.

  FIG. 7 shows the operation during powder suction. This shows the suction process after powder dispensing. After the powder dispensing, the shaft member 32 is pulled down by the action of the drive unit 34. In that case, the gears constituting the drive unit 34 rotate counterclockwise. As a result, the rack gear portion and the gear in the shaft member 32 are screwed together, and the rotational motion of the gear is converted into a linear motion downward of the shaft member 32. The downward movement of the shaft member 32 causes the downward movement of the suction pipe 32E, that is, the lower end portion 32F moves downward from the shutter unit position and enters the container 38. The lowering of the shaft member 32 is controlled so that the lower end portion 32F is positioned immediately before the bottom surface in the container 38. In this state, if the solenoid valve 86 is opened and pressurized air is sent into the pipe 84, a negative pressure is instantaneously formed at the upper part of the suction hole as described above, that is, the suction hole at the lower end of the suction pipe 32E. As a result, a suction pressure is generated, and the powder in the container 38 is sucked into the suction hole and sucked up to the through hole 70. The powder is ejected from the ejection opening 54A into the main body by the action of pressurized air. Instead of indirectly forming the suction pressure as described above, the suction source may be directly connected to the suction pipe.

  Even when the dispensing amount becomes excessive by the powder suction as described above, it is possible to realize an appropriate dispensing amount by sucking up a necessary amount of powder from the container. Moreover, it is possible to prevent waste of powder by performing discharge. However, it is assumed that the powder is such that such sucking back is allowed.

  Next, the dispensing operation in the powder dispensing apparatus described above will be described with reference to FIG. In S10, the movable body is conveyed and positioned below the target dispensing unit. That is, the container is positioned immediately below the target dispensing unit. In S12, the shutter unit is opened, and longitudinal vibration is transmitted to the central portion of the shutter unit. In this case, it is desirable that the opening degree of the shutter and the vibration condition are set according to the type of powder. In S14, the type of powder is recognized. In S16, a table for setting operation conditions according to the type of powder is referred to. In accordance with the contents of the table, an opening degree, that is, an opening area is set in S18. In particular, the vibration speed may be set.

  Here, an example of the table described above will be described with reference to FIG. In FIG. 9, the opening degree and the vibration condition are associated with the powder type. The opening degree defines the area of the shutter unit in the open state, and an appropriate opening degree is determined according to the powder. However, a plurality of opening degrees that are selectively used in preparation for adjusting the opening speed may be registered. In this embodiment, the period is set as the vibration condition, that is, the vibration speed is set. This can be realized by adjusting the rotational speed of the gear. Further, a stroke may be defined. In any case, it is possible to always realize optimum dispensing regardless of the powder by appropriately switching the opening degree and the vibration condition according to the powder. For example, in the case of a highly cohesive powder, it is possible to smoothly dispense the powder by increasing the opening degree and applying vibration, that is, while preventing bridge formation. Even in this case, since the vertical vibration is transmitted to the central portion of the shutter unit, that is, since the vibration is used well, it is possible to improve the powder breakage. In the case of a smooth powder, it is possible to prevent more than necessary outflow by reducing the opening degree. In that case, the longitudinal vibration may be stopped. Alternatively, the operation and interruption of the longitudinal vibration may be repeated intermittently.

  Returning to FIG. 8, in S22, it is determined whether the specified weight has been reached based on the output value of the weight sensor. When the specified weight is reached, the shutter unit is closed in S24, and the transmission of longitudinal vibration is stopped. In S26, it is determined whether or not to continue the above process, and when dispensing the next powder, each process from S10 is executed.

  FIG. 10 shows another operation example, in particular, an operation example in which a suction operation can be performed after the dispensing operation. Steps similar to those shown in FIG. 8 are given the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof are omitted. In the operation example shown in FIG. 10, if it is determined in S26 that the specified weight has been exceeded, the nozzle, that is, the suction pipe is pulled down in S28. In the present embodiment, the suction pipe is a part of the shaft member, and in S28, the entire shaft member is pulled downward. Then, the suck back operation is started by the air feeding.

  In S30, it is determined whether or not the specified weight has been reached. That is, when the powder in the container is gradually sucked up, the output value of the weight sensor becomes small, so that it is determined whether or not the specified weight has been reached. If it has reached, the suction operation is stopped in S32, and thereafter, the suction pipe, that is, the shaft member is pulled upward.

  FIG. 11 shows a main configuration of another embodiment. A shutter unit 100 is provided below the main body 22, and the shutter unit 100 includes a fixed portion 102 and a movable portion 104. The fixing portion 102 has a fixing plate 106 on which a slit pattern is formed, and the periphery thereof is held by a frame body 108. Specifically, a rubber-based adhesive is provided around the periphery of the fixed plate, and the cured product serves as a spacer 110 and the periphery of the fixed plate 106 is held by the frame body 108. Such a rubber-based adhesive functions as a vibration absorber.

  The movable portion 104 has a movable plate 112 on which a slit pattern is formed, and the peripheral portion thereof is held by the frame body 114 via the rubber adhesive (spacer) 116 described above. The movable portion 104 itself is a member that can rotate, and its driving force is transmitted by the gear 64.

  The polymer of the fixed plate 106 and the movable plate 112 has a through hole at the center thereof, and the vibration transmitting member 117 is engaged with the through hole. The vibration transmitting member 117 is a rod-like member extending in the vertical direction. A ring-shaped groove is formed at the lower end of the vibration transmitting member 117, and the central opening of the polymer is fitted in the groove. When the vibration transmitting member 117 moves up and down, longitudinal vibration is transmitted to the central portion of the polymer. The longitudinal vibration propagates from the central part to the peripheral part.

  Reference numerals 118A and 118B indicate suction nozzles. The suction nozzles 118A and 118B are members that enter the container as necessary, and they suck up the powder. The sucked powder passes through a path indicated by reference numerals 120 </ b> A and 120 </ b> B and is returned into the main body 22. For example, reference numerals 120A and 120B correspond to transfer tubes.

  Also with the configuration shown in FIG. 11, longitudinal vibration can be transmitted to the central portion of the shutter unit, and the powder dispensed excessively into the container can be sucked back into the main body 22. It is desirable that the two suction nozzles 118A and 118B enter the container only when the main body is sucked. That is, when there is no need to perform such suction, both nozzles are positioned at positions where they are retracted from the nozzles. It is desirable to decide. According to this, it is possible to prevent the powder from coming into contact with the two suction nozzles 118A and 118B at the time of dispensing, and to avoid the problem that the powder gets on them.

  In comparison with the embodiment shown in FIG. 11, according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 3 and the like, the vibration penetrating function and the suction function can be realized in the member passing through the center. The advantage that the configuration can be simplified is obtained. It is desirable to transmit vibration to the shaft member at the upper part of the dispensing unit. That is, if such a space is used, it is possible to reliably generate vibrations and transmit them without unnecessarily reducing the capacity. In the embodiment, the upward pulling force is intermittently transmitted to the shutter unit, but of course, the downward pushing force may be intermittently transmitted, as shown in FIG. A transmission force may be exerted in both directions.

  10 Powder Dispensing Device, 14 Racks, 16 Dispensing Position, 18 Dispensing Unit, 22 Main Body, 26 Opening / Closing Mechanism, 28 Shutter Unit, 32 Shaft Member, 34 Drive Unit, 36 Movable Body, 38 Container, 42 Weight Sensor, 50 Internal structure.

Claims (8)

A container body having a discharge port directed to a dispensing container and containing powder;
A shutter member that is provided so as to close the discharge port and is capable of changing a powder passage opening area;
A vibration transmission mechanism for transmitting vertical vibrations in the vertical direction to the central portion of the shutter member;
Only including,
The powder is a powder;
The powder passage opening area at the time of dispensing powder is set according to the type of powder,
A powder dispensing apparatus characterized by that. The apparatus of claim 1.
Means for controlling the operation of the shutter member and the vibration transmission mechanism, and longitudinally vibrating the shutter member while setting the powder passage opening area of the shutter member according to the type of the powder during powder dispensing. A powder dispensing apparatus including a control unit for causing the powder to dispense. A container body having a discharge port directed to a dispensing container and containing powder;
A shutter member that is provided so as to close the discharge port and is capable of changing a powder passage opening area;
A vibration transmission mechanism for transmitting vertical vibrations in the vertical direction to the central portion of the shutter member;
Including
The vibration transmission mechanism is
A member that transmits vibration to the center of the shutter member through the inside of the container body, and a vibration transmission member that reciprocates in the vertical direction;
A vibration generating unit that generates vibrations transmitted to the shutter member via the vibration transmitting member;
A powder dispensing measure characterized by containing. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 3,
The shutter member is
A first shutter plate formed with a plurality of slits;
A member that is superposed on the first shutter plate and formed with a plurality of slits, the second shutter plate changing the powder passage opening area by moving relative to the first shutter plate; ,
Including
A powder dispensing apparatus, wherein vibration is transmitted from a lower end portion of the vibration transmitting member to a central portion of a polymer composed of the first shutter plate and the second shutter plate. The apparatus of claim 4.
A through hole is formed in the center of the polymer,
The lower end of the vibration transmitting member is inserted into the through hole,
The polymer vibrates longitudinally when the lower end portion pulls the polymer intermittently,
A powder dispensing apparatus characterized by that. The apparatus of claim 3.
The powder dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vibration generating unit is provided in an upper part of the container body. The apparatus of claim 5.
A convex portion is formed on the vibration transmission member,
The vibration generating portion has a gear that is intermittently hooked to the convex portion during rotation,
A powder dispensing apparatus characterized by that. A plurality of dispensing units for dispensing a plurality of powders;
A transport mechanism for positioning a dispensing container below a dispensing unit selected from the plurality of dispensing units;
Including
Each dispensing unit is
A container body having a discharge port directed to a dispensing container located below the dispensing unit and containing powder;
A shutter member that is provided so as to close the discharge port and is capable of changing a powder passage opening area;
A vibration transmission mechanism for transmitting vertical vibrations in the vertical direction to the central portion of the shutter member;
Only including,
The powder is a powder;
The powder passage opening area at the time of dispensing powder is set according to the type of powder,
A powder dispensing apparatus characterized by that.

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