JP6613968B2 - Flowable material feeder - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a supply device for supplying a fluid material such as a sealing material or an adhesive used for waterproofing between automobile parts, for example.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a melt supply apparatus for a hot melt adhesive is known (see Patent Document 1 below). The apparatus comprises a supply unit for supplying hot melt adhesive. The supply unit inserts a platen into a container containing a hot melt adhesive, melts the adhesive with a heater provided on the platen, lowers the platen into the container, and melts the adhesive melted by a pump. It is made to flow out to the take-out flow path through the platen.

  In the apparatus, the supply unit is provided with means for detecting the remaining amount of adhesive in the container. In the apparatus, a plurality of supply units are arranged in parallel with the main body, and a manifold having a supply port for supplying a hot melt adhesive to the application unit is provided in the main body. A plurality of inlets communicating with the extraction flow paths of the plurality of supply units are formed in the manifold, and check valves are provided at the inlets to prevent the adhesive from flowing out.

  Further, the apparatus starts preheating the heaters of the other supply units in a timely manner based on the detection signal of the adhesive remaining amount of one supply unit. Further, the apparatus controls the plurality of supply units so as to lower the platens of the other supply units based on the detection signal of the remaining amount of adhesive instructing the end of the removal of the adhesive from the one supply unit. A control circuit for controlling is provided. With such a configuration, the apparatus sequentially operates the plurality of supply units.

JP-A-11-28410

  In the conventional apparatus, as a means for detecting the adhesive remaining amount in the container, a non-contact type proximity switch that detects the position of the piston moving in the cylinder from the outside of the cylinder and generates a detection signal is used. Yes. However, when a proximity switch is used, depending on the material and amount of adhesive used, it may be difficult to set an appropriate replacement time for the container based on the remaining amount of adhesive in the container. There is a risk that the agent will be emptied.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a fluid material capable of detecting an appropriate replacement time of a container in which the fluid material is stored and preventing the fluid material from being blown. An object is to provide an apparatus.

  In order to achieve the above object, the flowable material supply apparatus of the present invention includes a platen that slidably contacts an inner wall of a container in which the flowable material is accommodated, and a tubular shape connected to an opening provided in the platen. A fluidity material supply device comprising: a pressure sensor for measuring a pressure of the fluidity material; and a timing for replacing the container based on a change in the pressure measured by the pressure sensor. A determination unit for determining, wherein the platen has a concave pumping portion around the opening on the inner side of the container, and the pressure sensor is disposed on the pumping portion. And

  The flowable material supply apparatus of the present invention supplies a flowable material contained in a container, such as an adhesive or other sealing material used for waterproofing automobile equipment such as a head lamp and a tail lamp, to the outside of the container. It is a device for.

  The fluidity material supply apparatus of the present invention is, for example, that a disk-shaped platen is inserted into a cylindrical container containing fluidity material, and the outer edge of the platen slides on the inner wall of the container with sealing properties. Arrange them so that they touch each other. Then, the tubular ram connected to the opening of the platen is connected to, for example, a pump for pumping up the flowable material, and the pump is driven so that the flowable material inside the container is moved to the opening of the platen and the tubular shape. Supply to outside of container through ram.

  At this time, the fluid material fills the concave pumping portion provided on the inner side of the platen container, flows into the opening of the platen provided at the upper portion of the pump, and the inside of the tubular ram connected to the opening And is supplied to the outside of the container. It should be noted that an air venting mechanism for extracting air from the upper part of the pump, such as an air vent bar provided on the platen, may be provided at the upper part of the platen.

  The flow rate of the flowable material to the outside of the container via the ram decreases, for example, when the flowable material has a high density and viscosity and low flowability, or when the amount used at the supply destination is small, for example, the flowable material density It increases when the viscosity is low and fluidity is high, or when the amount used is large. For this reason, even when the position of the ram is detected using a position sensor such as a proximity switch, it is difficult to set an appropriate replacement time for the container.

  That is, when using a position sensor such as a proximity switch, the ram position for determining the container replacement time is set appropriately according to various conditions such as the density, viscosity, fluidity, and usage of the flowable material. There is a need to. If this position is not properly set, there is a risk that the replacement time of the container will be premature or delayed. If the container is replaced early, a large amount of material may remain in the container. In addition, if the replacement time of the container is delayed, there is a possibility that the fluid material is not sufficiently supplied from the container and air is mixed into the fluid material or an air blow is generated in which the air is discharged.

  Here, the platen of the flowable material supply apparatus of the present invention has a concave pumping portion around the opening on the inner side of the container as described above. For this reason, when the remaining amount of the fluid material stored in the container is reduced and the replacement time of the container approaches, the fluid material reaching the upper part of the pump decreases, and the pressure of the fluid material in the upper part of the pump decreases. Further, the flow rate of the fluid material that reaches the upper part of the pump fluctuates, and the pressure fluctuates greatly periodically.

  In addition, as described above, the flowable material supply apparatus of the present invention includes a pressure sensor that is disposed at the top of the pump and measures the pressure of the flowable material, and the pressure of the flowable material measured by the pressure sensor. And a determination unit for determining the replacement time of the container based on the change. The determination unit can be configured by, for example, a semiconductor electronic component including a calculation unit such as a CPU or a storage unit such as a memory, or a computer including these semiconductor electronic components.

  The determination unit measures the pressure of the fluid material at the top of the pump by a pressure sensor when the fluid material is supplied, and determines the pressure, the frequency of the pressure, and the pressure of each fluid material at the normal time and the container replacement time. Amplitude and the like can be recorded. Further, the determination unit can set in advance ranges such as pressure, pressure frequency, and pressure amplitude in the normal supply state of the fluid material as a reference for determining the replacement time of the container. .

  The determination unit calculates and records the pressure of the flowable material measured by the pressure sensor, the frequency and amplitude of the pressure of the flowable material, and the like when the flowable material is supplied by the supply device. Then, when the numerical value obtained from the measurement value of the pressure sensor is within a preset range, the determination unit determines that the normal state in which sufficient fluid material remains in the container, and the numerical value is determined in advance. When it is out of the set range, the replacement time of the container can be determined.

  Therefore, according to the flowable material supply apparatus of the present invention, regardless of the density, viscosity, flowability, amount of use, etc. of the flowable material, based on the pressure of the flowable material at the top of the pump measured by the pressure sensor, The determination unit can detect an appropriate replacement time of the container containing the fluid material.

  As can be understood from the above description, according to the flowable material supply device of the present invention, the proper replacement time of the container containing the flowable material is detected, and the remaining material in the replaced container is reduced. It is possible to prevent air from entering the fluid material and to prevent the fluid material from being blown.

The principal part expanded sectional view of the supply apparatus of the fluid material which concerns on embodiment of this invention. The graph which shows the pressure change of the fluid material at the normal time of the supply apparatus shown in FIG. The principal part expanded sectional view which shows the state at the time of replacement | exchange of the container in the supply apparatus shown in FIG. The graph which shows the pressure change of the fluid material at the time of replacement | exchange of a container.

  Hereinafter, the flowable material supply apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part of a flowable material supply apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The fluidity material supply device 1 of the present embodiment is a supply device 1 for supplying fluidity material M such as a sealing material and adhesive used for waterproofing between automobile parts, for example. More specifically, the supply device 1 removes the fluid material M contained in the container C from the container C, such as an adhesive or other sealant used for waterproofing automobile equipment such as a headlamp and a tail lamp. It is a device for supplying to.

  The flowable material supply apparatus 1 of the present embodiment mainly includes a platen 2, a ram 3, a pressure sensor 4, and a determination unit 5. The platen 2 is made of, for example, a disk-shaped metal material, and has, for example, a circular opening 2a at the center. When the platen 2 is inserted into the container C in which the fluid material M is accommodated, the outer edge portion is provided so as to slidably contact the inner wall of the container C with a sealing property.

  The container C is, for example, a cylindrical container C that houses a fluid material M such as an adhesive or other sealing material. The container C is disposed at a predetermined position of the fluidity material supply device 1 of the present embodiment in a state where the fluidity material M is accommodated, and when the fluidity material M inside is supplied to the outside and is almost empty, The fluid container M is replaced with a new container C containing the fluid material M.

  The platen 2 has a concave pumping portion 2b around the opening 2a on the inner side of the container C. In the example shown in the drawing, the upper portion 2b of the pump 2 passes through the central portion of the bottom surface of the platen 2 that is substantially perpendicular to the supply direction D of the fluid material M and faces the fluid material M along the central axis direction of the container C. It is formed by sinking in the direction from the inner side toward the outer side, that is, in the supply direction D of the fluid material M.

  As a result, the upper part 2b has a concave shape having a bottom on the lower side, that is, the inner side of the container C, and on the upper side, that is, the outer side of the container C. The pumping upper part 2b of the platen 2 may be provided with an air venting mechanism 6 for extracting air from the pumping upper part 2b, such as an air venting bar provided on the platen 2.

  The opening 2a of the platen 2 is formed, for example, at the most central position of the bottom of the concave pumping top 2b and at the most outer side of the container C. Accordingly, the opening 2a of the platen 2 is provided with a pumping upper part 2b around the inner side of the container C, and faces the inner side of the container C through the pumping upper part 2b. A tubular ram 3 is connected to the outer side of the container C in the opening 2 a of the platen 2.

  The ram 3 is a metal member provided in a hollow tubular shape, for example, and is connected to an opening 2 a provided in the platen 2. The ram 3 is connected to a pump (not shown), for example, and drives the pump to pump up the flowable material M inside the container C through the opening 2 a of the platen 2. In the inside of the ram 3, the flowable material M pumped from the inside of the container C through the pumping upper part 2b and the opening 2a of the platen 2 is supplied from the inner side of the container C toward the outer side of the container C. It flows to D and is supplied to the outside of the container C.

  The pressure sensor 4 for measuring the pressure of the flowable material M is attached to, for example, a sensor hole 2c provided in the pumping top 2b of the platen 2, so that the pressure of the flowable material M inside the pumping top 2b can be measured. , And are exposed in the internal space of the upper part 2b. The pressure sensor 4 is connected to a signal line 4a for outputting a signal of the measured pressure of the fluid material M.

  The determination unit 5 can be configured by, for example, a semiconductor electronic component including a calculation unit such as a CPU or a storage unit such as a memory, or a computer including these semiconductor electronic components. The determination unit 5 may be configured as a part of the control unit 7 that controls the entire flowable material supply device 1 including a pump (not shown). The determination unit 5 determines the replacement time of the container C based on the change in pressure measured by the pressure sensor 4.

  More specifically, the determination unit 5 measures, for example, the pressure of the fluid material M in the upper part 2b by the pressure sensor 4 when the fluid material M is supplied, and the flow of each of the normal time and the replacement time of the container C is determined. The pressure of the material M, the frequency of the pressure, the amplitude of the pressure, etc. are recorded. Further, in the determination unit 5, ranges such as pressure, pressure frequency, and pressure amplitude in a normal supply state of the fluid material M are set in advance as a reference for determining the replacement time of the container C. be able to.

  The determination unit 5 calculates and records the pressure of the fluid material M measured by the pressure sensor 4 and the frequency and amplitude of the pressure of the fluid material M when the fluid material M is supplied by the supply device 1. And the determination part 5 determines with the normal state with sufficient fluid material M remaining in the container C, when the numerical value obtained from the measured value of the pressure sensor 4 is in the preset range. Moreover, when the numerical value obtained from the measured value of the pressure sensor 4 is outside the preset range, it is determined that it is time to replace the container C.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the flowable material supply device 1 of the present embodiment will be described.

  The fluid material supply apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment starts the supply of the fluid material M in the container C by, for example, driving a pump (not shown) by the control unit 7. The fluid material M pumped up by the pump fills the concave pumping portion 2b provided on the inner side of the container C of the platen 2, and flows into the opening 2a of the platen 2 provided on the pumping portion 2b. At this time, it is possible to prevent the air from flowing into the opening 2 a of the platen 2 by extracting the air from the upper part 2 b by the air release mechanism 6.

  The flowable material M that has flowed into the ram 3 through the pumping upper part 2b and the opening 2a of the platen 2 flows through the ram 3 and is supplied to the outside of the container C, and is used, for example, for waterproofing between automobile parts. The The supply speed of the flowable material M to the outside of the container C through the ram 3 decreases when, for example, the density or viscosity of the flowable material M is high and the flowability is low, or when the amount used at the supply destination is small, for example, It rises when density and viscosity are low and fluidity is high, or when the amount used at the supplier is large. Therefore, even if the position of the ram 3 is detected using a position sensor such as a proximity switch, it is difficult to set an appropriate replacement time for the container C.

  That is, when using a position sensor such as a proximity switch as in the conventional device described in Patent Document 1, according to various conditions such as density, viscosity, fluidity, and usage amount of the fluid material M, It is necessary to appropriately set the position of the ram 3 for determining the replacement time of the container C. If this position is not properly set, the container C may be replaced earlier or delayed. If the replacement time of the container C becomes too early, a large amount of material may remain in the container C. Further, if the replacement time of the container C is delayed, there is a possibility that the fluid material M is not sufficiently supplied from the container C and air is mixed into the fluid material M, or an air blow that exhausts air occurs. is there.

  On the other hand, the flowable material supply device 1 of the present embodiment is provided on the platen 2 slidably contacting the inner wall of the container C in which the flowable material M is accommodated, as described above. And a tubular ram 3 connected to the opening 2a. In addition, the fluid material supply apparatus 1 according to this embodiment includes a pressure sensor 4 that measures the pressure of the fluid material M, and a replacement timing of the container C based on a change in pressure measured by the pressure sensor 4. And a determination unit 5 that performs the determination. The platen 2 has a concave pumping portion 2b around the opening 2a on the inner side of the container C, and the pressure sensor 4 is disposed on the pumping portion 2b.

  FIG. 2 is a graph showing a change in pressure of the fluid material M at the normal time of the supply device 1 shown in FIG. In a normal supply state in which a sufficient amount of the flowable material M is accommodated inside the container C and the flowable material M is supplied to the outside of the container C without delay, the pressure of the flowable material M is, for example, a comparison The pressure fluctuates in a narrow range of a predetermined pressure, and fluctuates at a constant frequency with a relatively small amplitude. Therefore, the determination unit 5 can record the pressure range, frequency, amplitude, and the like of the fluid material M in the normal supply state as determination criteria for the replacement time of the container C.

  FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part showing a state when the container C is replaced in the supply device 1 shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a graph showing the pressure change of the fluid material M at the time of replacement of the container C. When the supply of the flowable material M inside the container C to the outside of the container C proceeds by the supply device 1 and the amount of the flowable material M inside the container C decreases and the time for replacement of the container C approaches, The flowable material M which reaches | attains decreases and the pressure of the flowable material M in the pump top 2b falls. Further, the flow rate of the flowable material M reaching the pumping upper portion 2b varies, and the pressure of the flowable material M varies more periodically than normal.

  The flowable material supply apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment measures a change in the pressure of the flowable material M in the pump top 2b by the pressure sensor 4 disposed in the pump top 2b, and determines the container C by the determination unit 5. The time can be determined. More specifically, the determination unit 5 calculates the pressure of the fluid material M measured by the pressure sensor 4 and the frequency and amplitude of the pressure of the fluid material M when the fluid device M is supplied by the supply device 1. And record. And the determination part 5 determines with the normal state with sufficient fluid material M remaining in the container C, when the numerical value obtained from the measured value of the pressure sensor 4 is within a preset range, When the numerical value is outside the preset range, it can be determined that it is time to replace the container C.

  Therefore, according to the flowable material supply apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the flowable material M of the upper part 2b measured by the pressure sensor 4 regardless of the density, viscosity, flowability, usage amount, etc. of the flowable material M. Based on this pressure, the determination unit 5 can detect an appropriate replacement time of the container C containing the fluid material M. In addition, when the determination unit 5 determines the replacement time of the container C, the fluid material supply apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment stops the driving of the pump by the control unit 7 to supply the fluid material M, for example. Can be stopped.

  As described above, according to the flowable material supply apparatus 1 of the present embodiment, the supply of the flowable material M is stopped by detecting an appropriate replacement time of the container C in which the flowable material M is stored. Thus, the remaining material in the container C to be exchanged can be reduced, air can be prevented from entering the fluid material M, and the fluid material M can be prevented from being blown.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the drawings, but the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and there are design changes and the like without departing from the gist of the present invention. They are also included in the present invention.

  For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which a pump is connected to a ram has been described. However, the platen is pushed into the container by a drive unit that raises and lowers the ram, and pressure is applied to the flowable material so that the fluid flows to the outside of the container. It is also possible to supply a functional material.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Feeding device 2 Platen 2a Opening part 2b Upper part 3 Ram 4 Pressure sensor 5 Judging part C Container M Flowable material

Claims (1)

A flowable material supply apparatus comprising: a platen that slidably contacts an inner wall of a container containing a flowable material; and a tubular ram connected to an opening provided in the platen,
A pressure sensor that measures the pressure of the flowable material; and a determination unit that determines a replacement time of the container based on a change in the pressure measured by the pressure sensor. Having a concave pumping top around the opening on the side,
The pressure sensor is disposed in the upper part of the pump, and the fluidity material supplying device.

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