JPH11147511A - Substance-filling apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make filling executable continuously into a plurality of containers in an atmosphere of inactive gas by a method wherein the container is sent to a filling position with a turn table in a sealed box in which air can be displaced by inactive gas and the container is closed with a lid that is capable of going up and down and after that, the container is filled with a substance. SOLUTION: Air in a sealed box 1 is displaced by inactive gas and a drum 4 for filling is put on a filling position with a turn table 2. With an air cylinder 10 driven, the drum 4 is closed with a drum lid 12. During this process, the inactive gas is ejected from an inactive gas ejection nozzle and thereby the inside of the sealed box 1 is kept in an atmosphere of the inactive gas at the pressure higher than in the sealed box 1. Then, a vibration feeder 6 is operated and a bottom-opening valve 13 for a drier is opened, and a dried substance is filled into the drum 4 through a duct 16, the vibration feeder 6 and an expansion 11. Every operation is stopped after the filling, and the fillings are repeated to following drum 4. Thereby, continuous filling can be made in the atmosphere of the inactive gas.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a substance filling apparatus, and more particularly to a substance filling apparatus which continuously fills (charges) a substance which deteriorates when exposed to air.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, when putting a substance, which deteriorates when exposed to air, into a container, an operator places a container for filling a substance (material), which is a substance to be charged, with the outside. Carrying into a sealed box that can maintain airtightness, introducing inert gas into the sealed box and discharging air from inside the sealed box, then filling the container with the substance in an inert atmosphere, and completing the filling In order to prevent the worker from being deficient in oxygen due to the inert gas, allow the air to enter the seal box and discharge the inert gas, replace the filled container with an empty container, and then The replacement empty container was filled with the substance in the same process as described above.

[0003]

However, in the above-mentioned work process, since the batch method is employed in which the operator replaces the containers in the seal box one by one, the residual inert gas is easily generated, and the work safety is reduced. In addition to the above problem, a step of introducing an inert gas into the seal box every time before the container replacement is required, which takes time and increases costs.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a substance filling apparatus for continuously filling a plurality of containers with a substance in an atmosphere of an inert gas.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a substance filling apparatus for filling a substance into a container in an inert atmosphere, wherein the inside can be replaced with an inert gas and air. A seal box, a turntable disposed in the seal box, fixed to the plurality of containers, and rotated to bring each container to the filling position in order, and closing or opening the container in the filling position. A substance filling device, comprising: a container lid that can be moved up and down, and a charging unit that charges an object to be charged into the container through the container lid when the container lid closes the container. To adopt.

[0006]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view, partially cut away, of a substance filling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. 1, and FIG. FIG. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view mainly showing a drum lid elevating device in the material filling device shown in FIG.

The seal box 1 constituting the frame of the substance filling apparatus of the present invention has a rectangular shape, and has a hermetically sealed structure in which a transparent PVC plate is stuck on all wall surfaces. The seal box 1 is provided with a door 3, through which a drum 4, which is a container for filling a substance, is taken in and out. When the door 3 is closed, the sealing property of the seal box 1 is maintained. The drum 4 has a caster 4a attached to the lower end thereof.
It can be moved freely with a small force.

[0008] A turntable 2 is disposed substantially at the center of the seal box 1.
This is a shape having a plurality of concave portions 2a (six at equal intervals in the embodiment) cut out in a semicircular shape at a circular circumferential portion. Therefore, the protrusion 2b is provided between the adjacent recesses 2a.
Will exist. The turntable 2 is adapted to be rotated about its rotation axis 2c. In this embodiment, the turntable 2 is rotated clockwise.

A drum can fixing arm 5 is rotatably mounted on each of the projecting portions 2b of the turntable 2, and a pressing member 5a is fixed to the end thereof. Holes (not shown) are formed in the drum can fixing arm 5 and the protruding portion 2b so as to align when the drum can 4 is fixed. The drum can 4 is arranged in the concave portion 2a, and the drum can fixing arm 5 is rotated to hold the pressing member 5a.
When the drum cans 4 are pressed, the pin members (not shown) are inserted into the aligned holes, thereby fixing the drums 4 to the turntable 2. A stopper (not shown) for preventing the pin member from coming off is provided.

[0010] A reduction gear 8 is disposed substantially above the upper wall 1a of the seal box 1 at the center thereof.
Is connected to the speed reducer 8 and driven. A servo motor 9 is provided above the reduction gear 8.
Are arranged, and the driving force from the servo motor 9 is transmitted to the speed reducer 8 to be decelerated to rotate the turntable. In this embodiment, the six drums 4 can be arranged to be moved on a turntable, so that the turntable 2 can be rotated 60 degrees, for example, clockwise, in order to bring the drums to the substance filling position in turn.

When filling the drum 4 with a substance, the container lid for covering the drum 4, that is, the drum lid 12 is vertically moved between the upper part of the drum 4 at the substance filling position and the upper wall 1 a of the seal box 1. It is movably arranged. A drum can support pipe 15 is vertically disposed through the upper wall 1a to support and vertically move the drum can lid 12, and its upper end is connected to the air cylinder 10.
Therefore, the operation of the air cylinder 10 causes the drum can lid 12 to move the lower position for covering the drum 4 and the drum can 4
Is moved up and down between the upper position and the upper position away from the upper position. The drum can lid 12 is used to effectively load a substance such as powder into the drum 4 and prevent the powder from rising during charging of the powder. It is used to close the drum 4 only during charging.

In connection with the drum can support pipe 15, a capacitance type level meter 7 is disposed at the upper end thereof, and a probe (not shown) of the level meter 7 is passed through the inside of the drum can support pipe 15. The tip of the probe projects from the lower surface of the drum lid 12. For this reason, the drum lid 1
When the lid 2 covers the drum 4, the probe is located inside the drum and can measure the level of the substance filled in the drum 4.

The drum lid 12 is also provided with an expansion 11 for filling the substance therethrough, the expansion 11 being composed of two parts, an upper expansion and a lower expansion, with a duct intermediate between the upper and lower parts. The portion is fixed while penetrating the upper wall 1a of the seal box 1. The lower end of the lower expansion is fixed to an opening formed in the drum can lid 12, and the upper end of the upper expansion is fixed to the discharge end of the vibration feeder 6. Here, the lower expansion is for allowing the drum lid 12 to move up and down, and the upper expansion is for absorbing the vibration of the vibration feeder 6.

The supply end of the vibrating feeder 6 is connected to a duct 16 from a dryer (not shown), and a dryer bottom valve 13 is arranged between the dryer and the duct 16.

Further, an inert gas blowing nozzle 14 is attached to the drum can lid 12 and opens into a hole formed in the drum can lid 12. For this reason, the drum lid 12
When the drum is closed, an inert gas can be supplied into the drum 4.

The seal box 1 has a ventilation duct (not shown) from which an inert gas such as N ₂ (nitrogen gas) is replaced when the inert gas is replaced with air.
To discharge. At this time, a valve (not shown) for inhaling air is opened and replaced with an inert gas. On the other hand, when supplying an inert gas into the seal box 1, a valve (not shown) is opened to supply the inert gas from an inert gas supply source (not shown) and the inert gas is supplied. Air is then exhausted through ventilation ducts. The opening and closing of the valve is performed automatically.

Next, the operation of the substance filling apparatus of the present invention will be described. The door 3 of the seal box 1 is opened, and, for example, six drums 4 are carried into the seal box 1. The servo motor 9 is operated to rotate the turntable 2 by a pitch of 60 degrees, and the drum cans 4 are fixed to the fixed positions of the turntable 2 by the drum can fixed arms 5.
When all the drums 4 have been mounted on the turntable 2, the door 3 of the seal box 1 is closed, and an automatic charging button (not shown) is pressed to start automatic charging.

The automatic charging is performed as follows, but the automatic charging process described below is an example, and the present invention is not limited to this. First, the air in the seal box 1 is replaced by an inert gas. Subsequently, the material to be charged (filled material) is dried by a dryer (not shown),
For example, at the same time as drying the powder, the air cylinder 10 is operated, the drum can lid 12 is lowered, and the upper part of the drum can 4 is covered and covered. The inert gas blowing nozzle 14 blows out inert gas during automatic charging, and the inert gas is supplied to the inside of the covered drum 4. Therefore,
The inside of the drum can has an inert atmosphere higher than the inert atmosphere in the seal box.

Next, the vibrating feeder 6 is operated, the dryer bottom opening valve 13 is opened, and the material to be dried, for example, powder, dried by the dryer is passed through the duct 16, the vibrating feeder 6, and the expansion 11 into a drum can. 4 is charged.
When a set time elapses after the dryer bottom opening valve 13 is opened, a timer (not shown) operates and the dryer bottom opening valve 13 is closed. Subsequently, the vibration feeder 6 stops, the air cylinder 10 is operated, and the drum lid 12 is raised. There is a time difference of several seconds between when the dryer bottom valve 13 is closed and when the vibration feeder 6 stops, and when the vibration feeder 6 is stopped, the vibration feeder 6 is charged. Things do not accumulate.

As described above, the material to be loaded is loaded into one drum 4. Next, the servo motor 9 is operated, the turntable 2 is rotated clockwise by 60 degrees, and the next drum 4 is rotated. 4 is brought to the charging position, and charging to the next drum 4 is started in the same manner as described above. In this way, the automatic charging is continued until the turntable 2 rotates 360 degrees.

The capacitance level meter 7 detects an excessive charging during the automatic charging and detects the occurrence of the excessive charging, and automatically stops the automatic charging.

[0022]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention, a substance filling apparatus for continuously filling a plurality of containers with a substance in an inert gas atmosphere can be obtained.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway plan view of a substance filling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view mainly showing a drum can lid elevating device in the substance filling device shown in FIG. 2;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Seal box 2 Turntable 4 Drum can 12 Drum can lid 10 Air cylinder 9 Servo motor 5 Drum can fixed arm 6 Vibration feeder 11 Expansion

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A substance filling apparatus for filling a substance into a container in an inert atmosphere, comprising: a seal box in which the inside can be replaced with an inert gas and air; Fixed,
A turntable that is rotated to sequentially bring each container to the filling position; a container lid that can be raised and lowered to close or open the container at the filling position; and wherein the container lid is closing the container, A charging means for charging an object to be charged into the container through the container lid. 2. The material filling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
The substance filling apparatus further comprising an inert gas supply unit that supplies an inert gas into the container when the container lid closes the container. 3. The substance filling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
A substance filling device, further comprising a level meter for detecting a level of the substance in the container when the substance to be charged is being charged into the container through the container lid by the charging means. . 4. The substance filling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
The substance filling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the turntable includes a plurality of concave portions each having a circular circumferential portion cut out in a substantially semicircular shape, and a protrusion between the concave portions. 5. The substance filling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the container is a drum having a caster on a bottom. 6. The substance filling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
The charging means is provided with a vibration feeder that receives the charged material from the supply source of the charged material and conveys the vibration while giving the vibration, and is disposed between the vibration feeder and the container lid. A substance filling device, comprising: an expandable / contractible expansion for transferring an object to be loaded into the container and allowing the container lid to be moved up and down. 7. The substance filling apparatus according to claim 3, wherein
The substance filling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the level meter includes a probe serving as a level detection sensor located at a lower portion of the container lid through a duct for supporting and lifting the container lid.