TWI516428B - Vibrating conveyor - Google Patents

Description

Vibrating conveyor

The present invention relates to a vibrating conveyor, and more particularly to a transport mechanism for a transport device in the case of a linear transport member.

In general, the vibrating transport device is configured such that the transport body is elastically supported by the pedestal by a leaf spring, and the transport body is excited by an excitation mechanism such as an electromagnetic drive or a piezoelectric actuator to face the transport direction. An oblique upward vibration is generated, thereby conveying a member along a conveying path formed on the conveying body. In recent years, as a result of the increase in the number of microelectronic devices as a transport object, there is an increasing demand for high-speed supply of such a small transport object. Therefore, it is necessary to use a piezoelectric drive source to excite a large amount of micro transport objects. A device that is aligned and transported at high speed.

In order to satisfy the demand of such high-speed conveyance, the following common problem arises in the vibrating conveying device, that is, since the reaction force of the vibration of the conveying body is transmitted to the setting surface, it is possible to face the surroundings via the setting. The device causes vibrational influence, or the conveying body vibrates in a direction different from the original vibration direction due to the pitching operation of the entire excitation structure for vibrating the conveying body, thereby causing different positions in the conveying direction. Conveying speed The degree is different, or the conveyed object vibrates in a direction other than the conveying direction to confuse the conveying posture.

In order to solve the above problems, a method has been proposed for the prior vibrating conveyor in which the vibration system is supported by an anti-vibration spring, and vibration is provided in the vibrating system in a phase opposite to the conveying body. The reaction counterweight (inertial body) transmits the reaction force of the vibration of the transport body by the vibration of the reaction counterweight, thereby reducing the vibration energy transmitted to the installation surface (for example, Patent Document 1 below). However, in this configuration, since the center of gravity of the conveying body and the reaction weight is shifted in the up and down direction, the entire apparatus is pitched as the conveying body vibrates, thereby causing a decrease in conveying efficiency and a conveying direction. The conveying speeds at different positions are different, or the conveying posture is disordered. Therefore, a vibrating type conveying apparatus that suppresses the above-described pitch by reducing the deviation between the center of gravity of the conveying body and the center of gravity of the reaction weight is known.

For example, a structure in which a balance block disposed under a reaction weight is connected to a transport body (for example, Patent Document 2 below) is known, and a piezoelectric vibrating portion supported by an anti-vibration spring is transported. The body is connected and disposed with a counter weight between the piezoelectric vibrating portion and the transport body, and is configured to connect the piezoelectric vibrating portion and the center of gravity of the entire transport body and the line of the center of gravity of the weight and apply the transported object a structure in which the vibration direction is parallel (for example, Patent Document 3 below); the movable plate attached to the conveying body is elastically supported above the fixing frame supported by the anti-vibration spring, and the lower weight is connected below the movable plate and in the fixing frame The fixed weight is connected to the upper side, whereby the center of gravity of the two is brought close to each other, thereby suppressing a structure that generates torque (for example, Patent Document 4 below).

[Previous Technical Literature] [Patent Literature]

Patent Document 1: Japanese Gazette, JP-A-2-204210

Patent Document 2: Japanese Gazette, JP-A-4-39206

Patent Document 3: Japanese Gazette, JP-A-2006-248727

Patent Document 4: Japanese Gazette, Special Open 2009-298498

However, in the above-described prior vibrating conveying device provided with the reaction counterweight, there is a problem that the structure is complicated in order to make the center of gravity of the conveying body close to or linearly arranged with the center of gravity of the reaction weight, thereby causing the structure to be complicated. Since the size of the apparatus is increased or the manufacturing cost is increased, and since the position of the center of gravity has to be extremely finely set, it is difficult to obtain a sufficient effect at the manufacturing site where the type of the conveyed object or the conveying speed changes. In particular, even if there is only a slight deviation in the position of the center of gravity, when the driving frequency is increased in order to enable high-speed conveyance, the pitching motion or the up-and-down motion or the like may become severe and an appropriate conveyance state may not be obtained, so that it is difficult to achieve high frequency or High speed conveying.

In addition, the above-mentioned prior art vibrating conveying device provided with a reaction counterweight and reducing the center of gravity deviation between the conveying body and the reaction weight has the following common disadvantages: a structure in which a reaction counterweight and a center of gravity deviation are set Further, the mass body in the apparatus has a multilayer structure of three or more layers, and thus the height of the apparatus is increased. In such an apparatus, since it is necessary to ensure the multilayer structure of the above three or more mass bodies and the length of the leaf spring for connecting the respective mass bodies, the overall height of the apparatus is inevitably increased. However, when the size of the conveyed object such as an electronic device is small, the other devices disposed at the front and rear positions in the transport direction of the production line are also miniaturized, and thus the transport device is required to be miniaturized. However, on the other hand, in order to suppress the overall height of the apparatus, it is considered to shorten the length of the leaf spring. However, when the length of the leaf spring is shortened, there is a problem that the spring constant cannot be obtained on the conveyance path. A sufficient amplitude or difficulty in adjusting the number of vibrations makes it impossible to obtain sufficient performance.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vibrating conveying apparatus capable of obtaining a stable conveying state and capable of ensuring the conveying performance while miniaturizing the apparatus, particularly suppressing the overall height of the apparatus. .

In view of the above-described actual circumstances, the vibrating conveying device (10) of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises: a pair of anti-vibration springs (13a, 13b) which are respectively disposed at front and rear positions in the conveying direction, and are provided to face the conveying a leaf spring of a directional plate surface; a reference mass body (11) supported by a pair of the anti-vibration springs at a front and rear position in the conveying direction; an upper side mass body (12A) disposed at the reference mass Above the body; a lower mass body (12B) disposed under the reference mass body; a pair of upper vibrating springs (14a, 14b) that respectively respectively determine the reference mass at positions before and after the conveying direction The body is elastically coupled to the upper side mass body, and includes a leaf spring structure having a plate surface facing the conveying direction; a pair of lower vibration springs (15a, 15b) respectively at the front and rear positions of the conveying direction The reference mass body is elastically coupled to the lower side mass body, and includes a leaf spring structure having a plate surface facing the conveying direction; and an in-phase excitation mechanism (16a, 16b) facing the reference mass body and the Upper side quality Between, and the reference substance An exciting force is applied between the measuring body and the lower side mass body to generate in-phase vibration in the conveying direction; and conveying conveyance is provided on at least one of the upper side mass body and the lower side mass body a conveying path (21) of the object (W); the upper vibration springs (14a, 14b) having upper vibration lower projections (16ad, 16bd) and upper vibration upper elastic portions (17a, 17b), wherein The upper vibration lower projections (16ad, 16bd) are connected to the reference mass and extend downward, and the upper vibration upper elastic portions (17a, 17b) are located below the reference mass. The upper vibration is connected by a lower side protrusion and extends from a lower position of the reference mass body toward an upper side of the reference mass body and is connected to the upper side mass body; the lower vibration springs (15a, 15b) have The lower vibration upper projections (16au, 16bu) and the lower vibration lower elastic portions (18a, 18b), wherein the lower vibration upper projections (16au, 16bu) are coupled to the reference mass and oriented Extending upward, the lower side of the lower vibration a sexual portion (18a, 18b) is connected to the lower vibration upper projection at a position above the reference mass, and extends from an upper position of the reference mass toward a lower side of the reference mass and The lower mass body is connected.

According to the present invention, the upper side mass body and the lower side mass body are elastically connected to the upper and lower sides of the reference mass body respectively supported by the anti-vibration springs at the front and rear positions in the conveying direction via the vibration springs at the front and rear positions in the conveying direction, respectively, and by The in-phase excitation mechanism applies an exciting force, whereby the upper mass and the lower mass vibrate in phase when viewed from the conveying direction, and the reference mass and the upper mass and the lower mass are opposite when viewed from the conveying direction. Phase vibration. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the position of the center of gravity of the reference mass body and the upper mass body and Since the total center of gravity of the lower mass body is deviated in the up and down direction, the effect of eliminating the vibration reaction force of the reference mass body and the upper side mass body and the lower side mass body in the transport direction can be improved.

Further, in the case of vibration, the direction of the torque applied by the upper mass to the reference mass is opposite to the direction of the torque applied by the lower mass to the reference mass, and thus the rotational direction of the reference mass is affected by the vibration. The reaction forces are canceled or weakened each other, so that the pitching motion (rotational motion) can be suppressed. Therefore, the reaction force transmitted to the installation surface via the vibration-proof spring and the reaction force in the vertical direction are weakened, and it is possible to suppress the vibration energy from leaking to the installation surface via the vibration-proof spring. Further, by suppressing the pitching operation, even if the frequency is high, the vibration is not easily disturbed, and the posture of the conveyed object is also stabilized. Therefore, high-speed conveyance can be realized, and the conveyance state such as the conveyance speed or the conveyance posture along the conveyance path can be improved. Uniformity.

In the present invention, as described above, the upper vibration spring that elastically connects the reference mass body and the upper mass body has the lower vibration lower protruding portion that extends downward from the reference mass body and the lower position from the reference mass body. The upper vibration unit that is connected to the upper side is connected to the upper side elastic portion, and the lower vibration spring that elastically connects the reference mass body and the lower side mass body has a lower vibration upper protruding portion that extends upward from the reference mass body and the reference quality. The lower portion of the body is configured such that the lower vibration portion extending downward is connected to the lower elastic portion. Thereby, the upper vibration spring can be configured such that the length thereof is larger than the interval between the reference mass body and the upper side mass body, and the lower vibration spring can be configured such that its length is larger than the interval between the reference mass body and the lower side mass body, and thus Can reduce the upper vibrating bomb while suppressing the overall height of the device The spring and the lower vibration spring are limited to ensure sufficient conveying capacity.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the in-phase excitation mechanisms (16a, 16b) have upper vibration driving lower piezoelectric driving portions (16ad, 16bd) and lower vibration upper piezoelectric driving portions (16au, 16bu), wherein The upper vibration lower piezoelectric driving unit (16ad, 16bd) constitutes the upper vibration lower protruding portion at least one of the front and rear positions in the transport direction, and the lower vibration upper piezoelectric driving portion (16au, 16bu). The lower vibration upper protruding portion that constitutes at least one of the front and rear positions of the conveying direction. In this case, it is preferable that the lower side protruding portions for the upper vibration in the front and rear positions in the transport direction are each constituted by the piezoelectric driving portion, and it is preferable that the upper side protruding portions for the lower vibration at the front and rear positions in the transport direction are pressed. The electric drive unit is configured.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the in-phase excitation mechanism (16a, 16b) has a plate-shaped piezoelectric driving body on at least one side of the front-rear position in the conveying direction, wherein the piezoelectric driving body plate The piezoelectric driving body is configured to constitute an upper vibration lower piezoelectric driving unit (16ad, 16bd) constituting the upper vibration lower protruding portion and an upper side for constituting the lower vibration. The lower vibration of the protruding portion is integrally formed by the upper piezoelectric driving portions (16au, 16bu), and the piezoelectric driving body is located at the lower piezoelectric lower driving portion and the lower vibration upper piezoelectric portion. The central portion between the driving portions is coupled to the reference mass body, and the upper vibration lower piezoelectric driving portion and the lower vibration upper piezoelectric driving portion are integrally flexibly deformed as a whole.

Thereby, the central portion of the piezoelectric actuator integrally formed is coupled to the reference mass body, and is extended downward toward the reference mass body. The upper-side piezoelectric body is excited by the lower-side piezoelectric driving unit, and the lower-side mass body is excited by the upper-side piezoelectric driving unit that extends toward the upper side of the reference mass body, so that the lower mass body can be excited easily and reliably. The upper mass and the lower mass are vibrated in phase. Further, since the upper mass body and the lower mass body can be excited by the integrated piezoelectric actuator, the overall height of the apparatus can be reduced, and the device structure can be downsized. Moreover, it is preferable that the piezoelectric actuator is composed of an upper vibration lower projection and a lower vibration upper projection on either side of the front-rear position in the conveyance direction. In this case, the front and rear positions of the conveyance direction are The piezoelectric actuators described above are driven in phase with each other.

In this case, it is preferable that the piezoelectric actuator has a lower piezoelectric driving portion for the upper vibration and an upper piezoelectric driving portion for the lower vibration (from a position to be coupled to the reference mass) An integrated piezoelectric body extending from the upper and lower sides. In the present invention, for example, the elastic substrate may be integrally formed, and the upper piezoelectric driving portion above the reference mass body and the lower piezoelectric driving portion below the reference mass body may be formed by different piezoelectric driving bodies. However, the piezoelectric actuator having the integral piezoelectric body extending toward the upper and lower sides of the reference mass body as described above can easily simplify the structure, reduce the production cost, and uniformize the vibration state of the upper and lower sides.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the upper vibration upper elastic portions (17a, 17b) and the lower vibration lower elastic portions (18a, 18b) are disposed at positions before and after the transport direction. Adjoining in a width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction; the upper vibration upper side elastic portions (17a, 17b) are at the front and rear positions in the conveying direction, respectively, in the width The upper vibration lower projection is connected to the upper mass, and the lower vibration lower elastic portion (18a, 18b) is at the front and rear positions of the conveyance direction, respectively. The other side in the width direction connects the lower vibration upper protrusion to the lower side mass.

With this configuration, the upper vibration upper elastic portion and the lower vibration lower elastic portion are disposed adjacent to each other in the width direction at the front and rear positions in the transport direction, whereby the elastic support of the upper and lower mass bodies can be reduced. The deviation of the position in the conveying direction and the size of the device structure in the conveying direction can be reduced. In addition, since each of the upper vibration upper elastic portion and the lower vibration lower elastic portion is disposed on the same side of one side and the other side in the width direction at the front and rear positions in the transport direction, it is possible to prevent the reference quality The body and the upper mass, or the elastic support structure between the reference mass and the lower mass, exert a force in a twist direction.

In the invention, it is preferable that the piezoelectric actuator has an elastic substrate and a piezoelectric body laminated on the elastic substrate. Further, when the lower piezoelectric upper driving portion and the upper vibration lower piezoelectric driving portion are formed of an integrated piezoelectric driving body, it is preferably on the upper and lower elastic substrates of the integrated piezoelectric driving body. A piezoelectric body that is vertically integrated is formed so as to straddle the upper piezoelectric driving portion for lower vibration and the lower piezoelectric driving portion for upper vibration. In this case, it is preferable that the piezoelectric body that is vertically integrated has a structure that is vertically symmetrical with respect to a bonding position with the reference mass.

In the invention, it is preferable that a bonding position of the piezoelectric driving body and the reference mass body is provided on both sides in the width direction, and a piezoelectric body is disposed between the bonding positions. Thus, due to the piezoelectric actuator and the reference quality The body is coupled to both sides in the width direction, and the piezoelectric body is disposed between the bonding positions, so that uniform bonding rigidity can be ensured on both sides in the width direction with respect to the reference mass body, and a stable vibration state can be easily realized.

In the invention, it is preferable that the reference mass body is supported from below by a pair of the anti-vibration springs. Although the anti-vibration spring can support the reference mass body from any direction, in the case of the above-described configuration, it is possible to reduce the overall occupation of the apparatus as compared with when the reference mass body is suspended from above or when the reference mass body is supported from the side. Area. Further, it is preferable that each of the pair of anti-vibration springs is constituted by a leaf spring, and the leaf spring is disposed in a connection direction (longitudinal direction) from the reference mass body toward the installation surface (base) side A vertical state in which the vertical plane perpendicular to the conveying direction is parallel. When the anti-vibration spring is constituted by a leaf spring in a vertical state, the vibration component in the vertical direction of the reference mass body can be reduced, and thus the conveyance posture can be stabilized or the leakage of the vibration toward the installation surface can be reduced.

In the invention, it is preferable that the conveying path is provided on the upper side mass body. As described above, the conveying path may be provided on at least any one of the upper side mass body and the lower side mass body. However, in particular, the conveyance path is provided on the upper side mass body, and the handling of the apparatus or the conveyed object during operation can be facilitated.

In the present invention, it is preferable that the mass of the reference mass body is substantially equal to or greater than a sum of masses of the upper side mass body and the lower side mass body. Since the reference mass body and the upper mass body and the lower mass body mutually cancel the relationship of the reaction direction (vibration direction) reaction force, the mass of the reference mass body is substantially equal to the mass of the upper side mass body and the lower side mass body. And, can improve the elimination effect of the reaction force. However, due to baseline quality Since the body is supported by the vibration-proof spring on the installation surface and is restricted, the mass of the reference mass is greater than the sum of the masses, and the amplitude of the reference mass can be suppressed, and the upper mass and the lower mass can be increased. The amplitude of the body can suppress the vibration energy flowing to the installation surface, and can secure a sufficient conveying force on the upper mass or the lower mass, thereby achieving a more stable vibration state.

In the present invention, preferably, the mass of the upper side mass is substantially equal to the mass of the lower side mass, the center-of-gravity spacing and the spring constant between the reference mass body and the upper side mass body, and The center of gravity interval and the spring constant between the reference mass body and the lower side mass body are substantially equal. Thereby, since the inertial mass and the elastic connection form of the upper mass body and the lower mass body are symmetrical with respect to the reference mass body, the torque can be cancelled and the pitching motion can be further reduced.

In the invention, it is preferable that the conveying path is linear, and the conveying direction is a direction along a straight line. The present invention is also applicable to a case where a rotating vibrator having a direction of rotation about a predetermined axis (a tangential direction around the axis) is used as a vibration direction, and a vibration of a spiral conveying path provided on the rotating vibrator In the transport device, the transported object is transported along the spiral transport path by vibration in the rotational direction. However, in the case where the conveyed object is conveyed linearly along the linear conveying path, as shown in the following embodiment, the structure of the apparatus can be simplified, and the conveying speed can be easily increased or the conveying state can be stabilized.

According to the present invention, the following excellent effects can be obtained, namely: It is possible to provide a vibrating conveying apparatus which can obtain a stable conveying state and which can ensure the conveying performance while miniaturizing the apparatus, particularly suppressing the overall height of the apparatus.

10‧‧‧Vibrating conveyor

11‧‧‧Base quality body

11a, 11b‧‧‧ Connections

12A‧‧‧Upper mass body

12B‧‧‧Bottom mass body

13a, 13b‧‧‧ anti-vibration spring

14a, 14b‧‧‧ upper vibration spring

15a, 15b‧‧‧ lower vibration spring

16a, 16b‧‧‧ Piezoelectric actuator

16au, 16bu‧‧‧ upper piezoelectric drive unit (upper side projection for lower vibration)

16ad, 16bd‧‧‧ lower piezoelectric drive unit (lower side projection for upper vibration)

16S‧‧‧elastic substrate

16P‧‧‧piezoelectric body

16as, 16bs‧‧‧ side joint edges

17a, 17b‧‧‧Upper side expansion spring (upper side elastic part for upper vibration)

18a, 18b‧‧‧ Lower side expansion spring (lower side elastic part for lower vibration)

19‧‧‧Abutment

θ‧‧‧Vibration angle (tilt angle)

(a) of FIG. 1 is a front perspective view showing a state in which the entire structure of the vibrating conveying apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention is obliquely viewed from the front front side of the conveying direction, and (b) shows a rear side opposite to the conveying direction. A rear perspective view of a state in which the entire structure of the vibrating conveyor device according to the embodiment of the present invention is observed obliquely.

2(a) is a right side view of the same embodiment, and (b) is a left side view.

Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the main structure of the same embodiment.

Fig. 4 (a) is a front view of the piezoelectric actuator of the same embodiment, and Fig. 4 (b) is a front view showing an embodiment in which piezoelectric bodies are different.

Fig. 5 is a front elevational view showing the shape and mutual arrangement of the upper side amplification spring and the lower side amplification spring of the same embodiment.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 1 to 3 are respectively a perspective view, a side view, and an exploded perspective view showing the entire structure of the present embodiment. 4 is a front view of the piezoelectric actuator, and FIG. 5 is a front view showing the upper and lower amplifying springs connected to the upper mass and the lower mass.

The vibrating transport device 10 of the present embodiment has a reference mass body 11, an upper mass body 12A disposed above the reference mass body 11, and a lower mass body 12B disposed below the reference mass body 11. The reference mass body 11 is supported from below by plate-shaped anti-vibration springs 13a and 13b, respectively, at the front and rear positions in the conveying direction of the conveying direction F (refer to FIG. 2), wherein the plate-shaped anti-vibration springs 13a, 13b respectively have The surface facing the conveying direction. The lower ends of these anti-vibration springs 13a, 13b are fixed to a base 19 which is disposed on the installation surface.

Here, the front-rear position in the conveyance direction means two positions separated from each other in the conveyance direction, that is, the front position means the position toward the F side (the side in the conveyance direction), and the rear position means the conveyance direction on the opposite side of the F ( The position of the other side of the conveying direction). In the present specification, the term "transport direction" means a direction in which a transport object W such as an electronic device is transported in a transport path 21 formed on the transport body 20, and the so-called "transport direction F" means the transport direction. The conveyance body 20 is fixed in the direction in which the conveyance body 20 is fixed to the upper side mass body 12A of the vibrating conveyor 10.

Further, the reference mass body 11 and the upper mass body 12A are elastically connected by the upper vibration springs 14a and 14b, respectively, at the front and rear positions in the conveying direction, wherein the upper vibration springs 14a, 14b respectively include the plate faces having the direction toward the conveying direction. Leaf spring structure. That is, the upper mass body 12A is supported from below by the upper vibration springs 14a and 14b at the front and rear positions in the transport direction. Further, the reference mass body 11 and the lower mass body 12B are elastically connected by the lower vibration springs 15a and 15b, respectively, at the front and rear positions in the conveying direction, wherein the lower vibration springs 15a, 15b respectively include plates having a direction toward the conveying direction. The leaf spring-like structure of the surface. That is, the lower mass body 12B is suspended from above by the lower vibration springs 15a and 15b at the front and rear positions in the transport direction.

The anti-vibration springs 13a and 13b, the upper vibration springs 14a and 14b, and the lower vibration springs 15a and 15b each have a leaf spring structure which is formed in a plate shape as a whole, and has a low spring constant in the direction of the plate surface, and the longitudinal direction ( The spring constant of the connection direction between the objects connected to the upper and lower sides thereof is high. Further, in the present embodiment, the leaf spring structures of the above-described vibration-proof springs 13a and 13b, the upper vibration springs 14a and 14b, and the lower vibration springs 15a and 15b are respectively mounted in respective extension (length) directions and near vertical directions. A posture in which the tilt direction T is uniform. Therefore, in the illustrated example, the support rigidity of each spring in the vertical direction or the width direction is high, and the rigidity in the conveying direction is low.

Thereby, the support structure between the reference mass body 11, the upper mass body 12A, and the lower mass body 12B is stabilized, and it is easy to maintain the positional relationship with each other, and it is easy to generate the direction of the conveyance W toward the conveyance direction F. The vibration of the thrust suppresses the generation of unnecessary vibration that does not contribute to the above-described thrust or obstructs the above-described conveyance.

Here, by making the width of the anti-vibration springs 13a and 13b larger than the other springs, the support rigidity in the width direction is increased, and the length of the anti-vibration springs 13a and 13b is made larger than that of the other springs, thereby making it easy in the conveying direction. Elastic deformation. However, the elastic properties of the above springs can also be adjusted by the material or thickness. In addition, in this specification, the "width direction" means the direction orthogonal to the said conveyance direction and the perpendicular direction.

In the present embodiment, the reference mass body 11 has a central mass portion 11x disposed at a central position in the transport direction, and is disposed at the central mass. The portion 11x is a connecting portion 11a, 11b at a front-rear position in the conveying direction. Each of the connecting portions 11a and 11b is constituted by a pair of protruding portions and a connecting member such as a spacer, a washer, a bolt, and the like, wherein the pair of protruding portions face the front in the conveying direction from two positions on both sides in the width direction of the central mass portion 11x. Or protruding rearward, the connecting member such as a spacer, a washer, a bolt, or the like is attached to a position forward or rearward of the protruding portion in the conveying direction.

The central mass portion 11x has a structure in which the thickness is enlarged toward the upper and lower sides of the connecting portions 11a, 11b provided at the front and rear positions in the conveying direction, and is disposed at an intermediate position in the conveying direction. In the illustrated example, the center of gravity of the reference mass body 11 is disposed on a line connecting the connecting portions 11a and 11b at the front and rear positions in the conveying direction. The anti-vibration springs 13a and 13b and the piezoelectric driving bodies 16a and 16b are bonded (connected and fixed) to the connecting portions 11a and 11b, respectively. The anti-vibration springs 13a and 13b are respectively connected to the front and rear positions in the transport direction from the connection position of the piezoelectric actuators 16a and 16b.

The piezoelectric driving bodies 16a, 16b are connected and fixed to the connecting portions 11a, 11b by the side connecting edges 16as, 16bs, wherein the side connecting edges 16as, 16bs are respectively disposed on the piezoelectric driving bodies 16a, 16b. The position in the center of the vertical direction and the sides in the width direction. Then, through the connection structure, the piezoelectric driving bodies 16a, 16b have portions extending toward the upper side of the reference mass body 11, that is, the upper piezoelectric driving portions 16au, 16bu, and a portion extending downward below the reference mass body 11, that is, the lower side Piezoelectric drive units 16ad and 16bd.

As shown in (a) of FIG. 4, the piezoelectric actuators 16a and 16b of the present embodiment have a metal elastic substrate 16S called a shim plate, and are bonded (laminated) in the elasticity. Surface and back of substrate 16S Piezoelectric body (piezoelectric layer) 16P on the surface. On the elastic substrate 16S, an upper connection edge 16su and a lower connection edge 16sd are formed on the upper side and the lower side of the installation region of the piezoelectric body 16P, respectively, and the side portions are formed on the left and right sides of the installation region of the piezoelectric body 16P, respectively. The edges 16as, 16bs are connected. In the illustrated example, the upper connecting edge 16su, the lower connecting edge 16sd, and the side connecting edges 16as, 16bs each have a shape that protrudes toward the left and right sides of the installation region of the piezoelectric body 16P.

Further, a connection structure (a through hole for connection in the illustrated example) is formed on each of the upper connection edge 16su, the lower connection edge 16sd, and the side connection edges 16as and 16bs. Here, the connection structure may be a screw hole, a boss, a slit, or the like, and is not particularly limited to the illustrated example. The lower connecting edge 16sd has a portion that protrudes from one side below the installation region of the piezoelectric body 16P toward one side in the width direction, and the connection structure (two through holes) is provided in the portion. Further, the upper connecting edge 16su has a portion that protrudes from the upper side of the installation region of the piezoelectric body 16P toward the other side in the width direction, and the connection structure (two through holes) is provided in the portion.

At this time, the piezoelectric body 16P is disposed on the elastic substrate 16S at an intermediate position between the left and right side connecting structures 16as and 16bs in the width direction. In this manner, since the bonding position of the piezoelectric driving bodies 16a and 16b and the reference mass body 11 is provided on both sides in the width direction of the piezoelectric body 16P, it is difficult to affect the flexural deformation operation of the piezoelectric driving bodies 16a and 16b. Further, since the piezoelectric actuators 16a and 16b can be firmly fixed to the reference mass body 11 by being reliably coupled to the reference mass body 11 on the right and left sides, the reference to the reference mass body 11 can be reliably used. Upper side quality on the upper and lower sides The body 12A and the lower mass body 12B apply an exciting force.

Further, in the piezoelectric actuators 16a and 16b of the present embodiment, the piezoelectric body 16P is integrally formed so as to straddle the upper piezoelectric driving units 16au and 16bu and the lower piezoelectric driving units 16ad and 16bd. As described below, the upper piezoelectric driving portions 16au and 16bu and the lower piezoelectric driving portions 16ad and 16bd are uniformly and integrally deformed, and the upper mass body 12A and the lower portion can be reliably driven in the same phase and in the same operation mode. Side mass body 12B.

The piezoelectric actuators 16a and 16b are configured to deform the piezoelectric body 16P by a voltage when a voltage is applied between the front surface and the back surface of the piezoelectric body 16P, thereby deflecting the elastic substrate 16S in the longitudinal direction. . Further, by applying an alternating voltage of a predetermined frequency, the piezoelectric actuators 16a and 16b are alternately bent and deformed in opposite directions to generate vibrations, which are transmitted via the upper side amplification springs 17a and 17b and the lower side amplification springs 18a and 18bm described below. On the basis of the reference mass body 11, the upper mass body 12A and the lower mass body 12B generate vibrations that substantially coincide with the conveyance direction.

Here, the piezoelectric driving bodies 16a and 16b mounted at the front and rear positions in the conveying direction are all flexibly deformed in the conveying direction in the same direction, and the respective upper piezoelectric driving portions 16au and 16bu and the lower piezoelectric driving portion 16ad, Since 16bd is also deformed in the transport direction in the same direction, the upper mass body 12A and the lower mass body 12B also vibrate in the transport direction in the same direction with respect to the reference mass body 11. At this time, the reference vibrating body 11 vibrates in a phase opposite to the upper mass body 12A and the lower mass body 12B to eliminate the reaction force generated by the vibration of the upper mass body 12A and the lower mass body 12B.

In addition, in the illustrated example, the piezoelectric driving bodies 16a, 16b have There is a bimorph structure in which the piezoelectric body 16P is disposed on both surfaces of the elastic substrate 16S. However, a unimorph structure in which a piezoelectric body is disposed only on one surface of the elastic substrate 16S may be used. Other well known piezoelectric actuators. Further, the piezoelectric driving bodies 16a and 16b have a structure in which the center portion (specifically, the connecting line between the side connecting edges 16as and 16bs on both sides in the width direction) is symmetrical with respect to the longitudinal direction (up and down direction). And also has a symmetrical structure in the width direction (left and right direction). Thereby, it is possible to reliably apply an equal and in-phase excitation force to both the upper mass body 12A and the lower mass body 12B.

The upper connection edges 16su of the piezoelectric actuators 16a, 16b are connected to the upper connection edges 18au, 18bu of the lower side amplification springs 18a, 18b shown in Fig. 5, and the lower side amplification springs 18a, 18b are positioned above the reference mass body 11 (reference The position above the center of gravity of the mass body 11 extends downward to the height position of the lower side mass body 12B. Further, the lower connecting edges 18ad, 18bd of the lower side flare springs 18a, 18b are connected and fixed to the lower side mass body 12B at the front and rear positions in the conveying direction, respectively. According to this configuration, the lower vibration springs 15a and 15b are configured by the series connection structure of the upper piezoelectric driving units 16au and 16bu and the lower side amplification springs 18a and 18b. Here, the upper piezoelectric driving portions 16au and 16bu correspond to the lower vibration upper protruding portion and the lower vibration upper piezoelectric driving portion. Further, the lower side amplification springs 18a and 18b correspond to the lower vibration lower elastic portion.

The lower connecting edges 16sd of the piezoelectric driving bodies 16a, 16b are connected to the lower connecting edges 17ad, 17bd of the upper side increasing springs 17a, 17b shown in Fig. 5, and the upper side amplitude increasing springs 17a, 17b are located below the reference mass body 11. (the position below the center of gravity of the reference mass body 11) extends upward to the height position of the upper mass body 12A. The upper connecting edges 17au, 17bu of the upper side amplification springs 17a, 17b are connected and fixed to the upper side mass body 12A at the front and rear positions in the conveying direction, respectively. According to this configuration, the upper vibration springs 14a and 14b are configured by the series connection structure of the lower piezoelectric driving units 16ad and 16bd and the upper side amplification springs 17a and 17b. Here, the lower piezoelectric driving portions 16ad and 16bd correspond to the upper vibration lower protruding portion and the upper vibration lower piezoelectric driving portion. Further, the upper side amplification springs 17a and 17b correspond to the upper vibration upper side elastic portion.

As shown in Fig. 5, the upper side amplification springs 17a, 17b are formed in a plate shape extending upward from the lower connection edges 17ad, 17bd to the upper connection edges 17au, 17bu. The upper side amplification springs 17a and 17b are provided with a belt-shaped portion extending upward from the lower connection edges 17ad and 17bd at a position on one side in the width direction, and are formed on the outer edge of the intermediate portion in the up-and-down direction of the belt-shaped portion. There are recesses 17as and 17bs for avoiding the connecting portions 11a and 11b of the reference mass body 11. Further, the upper connecting edges 17au and 17bu are configured to protrude from the upper end of the strip-shaped portion toward the other side in the width direction so as to have substantially the same range on both sides in the width direction center position of the vibrating conveyor 10.

Further, the lower side amplitude-increasing springs 18a and 18b are formed in a plate shape extending downward from the upper connecting edges 18au and 18bu to the lower connecting edges 18ad and 18bd. The lower side amplification springs 18a, 18b are provided with a strip-shaped portion extending downward from the upper connecting edges 18au, 18bu at a position on the other side in the width direction direction, and an outer edge at an intermediate position in the up-and-down direction of the strip-shaped portion. Upper portions 18as and 18bs for avoiding the connecting portions 11a and 11b of the reference mass body 11 are formed. Further, the lower connecting edges 18ad and 18bd are configured to protrude from the lower end of the strip-shaped portion toward one side in the width direction so as to have substantially the same range on both sides in the width direction center position of the vibrating conveyor 10.

The upper side amplification springs 17a, 17b and the lower side amplification springs 18a, 18b each have a plate surface parallel to the width direction, and the upper side amplification springs 17a and the lower side amplification springs 18a, and the upper side amplification springs 17b and the lower side amplification springs 18b, respectively The same position in the conveying direction is arranged in such a manner as to be separated in the width direction. More specifically, as shown in Fig. 5, the strip-shaped portion of the upper side expander spring 17a and the strip-shaped portion of the upper side expander spring 17b, and the strip-shaped portion of the lower side expander spring 18a and the lower side expander spring 18b are as described above. The strip portions are disposed on one side and the other side in the width direction so as to be separated from each other, and are disposed at positions overlapping when viewed in the width direction.

In addition, the upper connecting edges 17au, 17bu are disposed above the upper connecting edges 18au, 18bu and are separated from each other, and the upper connecting edge 17au and the upper connecting edge 18au, and the upper connecting edge 17bu and the upper connecting edge 18bu are respectively disposed from the up and down direction Observe the overlapping positions at the time of observation. Further, the lower connecting edges 18ad, 18bd are disposed below the lower connecting edges 17ad, 17bd and are separated from each other, and the lower connecting edge 18ad and the lower connecting edge 17ad, and the lower connecting edge 18bd and the lower connecting edge 17bd are respectively disposed from above and below When the directions are observed, they overlap each other.

As shown in Figure 2, the pressure at the front position in the conveying direction The electric driving body 16a is disposed in front of the upper side amplification spring 17a and the lower side amplification spring 18a. Further, the piezoelectric actuator 16b located at a rear position in the transport direction is also disposed in front of the upper side amplification spring 17b and the lower side amplification spring 18b. Here, regarding the positional relationship between the piezoelectric actuators 16a and 16b and the upper side amplification springs 17a and 17b and the lower side amplification springs 18a and 18b in the transport direction, whether the piezoelectric actuators 16a and 16b are in front, The upper side amplification springs 17a and 17b and the lower side amplification springs 18a and 18b may be in front. Further, the front-rear positional relationship in the above-described conveying direction may be opposite to the front position and the rear position in the conveying direction. However, the direction of the vibration applied to the upper mass body 12A and the lower mass body 12B at the front and rear positions in the conveying direction is made uniform, so that the conveying force in the conveying direction of the conveying path 21 on the conveying body 20 is made uniform. Preferably, the front-rear positional relationship in the transport direction is the same as the front position in the transport direction and the rear position as shown in the drawing.

The anti-vibration spring 13a is attached to the connecting portion 11a at a position closer to the front side in the conveying direction than the mounting position of the piezoelectric driving body 16a, and the anti-vibration spring 13b is mounted on the connecting portion 11b as compared with the piezoelectric driving. The mounting position of the body 16b is further at the position behind the conveying direction. By disposing the anti-vibration springs 13a and 13b in the outer side of the front-rear position in the transport direction from the upper vibrating springs 14a and 14b and the lower vibrating springs 15a and 15b, the stability of the entire main vibration system is improved.

In the connecting portions 11a and 11b, spacers are disposed between the piezoelectric driving bodies 16a and 16b and the anti-vibration springs 13a and 13b, and the piezoelectric driving bodies 16a and 16b and the anti-vibration springs 13a and 13b are set by the spacers. The interval between. Although the interval contributes to the above stability, when the interval is too large, The pitching motion is caused by the insufficient rigidity of the connecting portions 11a and 11b, or the size in the conveying direction of the entire apparatus is increased. Therefore, it is preferable to set the minimum interval required for the structure. An opening (a circular hole) is formed in the anti-vibration springs 13a and 13b, so that the connection between the lower side amplification springs 18a and 18b and the lower mass body 12B can be performed from the outside, or the anti-vibration spring 13a can be avoided. 13b and the components connecting the lower side amplification springs 18a, 18b and the lower side mass body 12B interfere.

As shown in Fig. 3, in the present embodiment, the lower ends of the anti-vibration springs 13a, 13b are respectively connected and fixed to the front side and the rear side of the pair of protruding portions 19a, 19b at the front and rear positions of the base 19 formed in the conveying direction. on. Further, cover plates 10s and 10s are attached to both side faces of the base 19. These cover plates 10s extend upward from their mounting positions on the base 19 and reach the lateral positions of the upper side mass bodies 12A, respectively.

In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the conveying body 20 is provided on the upper side mass body 12A. A conveying path 21 that linearly extends along the conveying direction F is formed in the conveying body 20. Further, the conveying body 20 may be provided on the lower side mass body 12B. However, it is generally preferable to provide the conveying body W on the upper side mass body 12A in terms of the treatment of the conveying material W or the adjustment of the conveying state. In this case, in the vibration system of the vibrating conveyor 10, the upper mass body 12A functions as an inertial body having a mass including the transport body 20.

In the vibrating conveyor 10, the piezoelectric actuators 16a and 16b, the upper side amplification springs 17a and 17b, the lower side amplification springs 18a and 18b, and the anti-vibration bomb are used by the connection structure of the respective portions such as the connecting portions 11a and 11b. The springs 13a and 13b are attached to the conveyance direction F in a posture in which the plate surface faces the oblique direction S shown in FIG. 3, that is, a posture having a plate surface parallel to the illustrated oblique direction T. At this time, the upper mass body 12A and the transport body 20 vibrate in the above-described oblique direction S perpendicular to the oblique direction T, and the vibration angle θ is set so as to be capable of transporting the transported object W on the transport path 21 of the transport body 20 The angle of the thrust towards F.

The vibrating conveyor 10 of the present embodiment having the configuration described above operates as follows. When the piezoelectric driving bodies 16a and 16b are operated by a control driving unit (not shown), the piezoelectric driving bodies 16a and 16b are flexibly deformed in the same direction as the front and rear directions in the transport direction, thereby generating vibration. This vibration is transmitted to the lower mass body 12B along the lower vibration springs 15a, 15b, that is, from the upper piezoelectric driving portions 16au, 16bu via the lower side amplification springs 18a, 18b, and along the upper vibration springs 14a, 14b, that is, from the lower The side piezoelectric driving portions 16ad and 16bd are transmitted to the upper mass body 12A via the upper side amplification springs 17a and 17b.

At this time, the lower ends of the lower piezoelectric driving portions 16ad and 16bd vibrate in a substantially arc shape around the central portion of the piezoelectric driving bodies 16a and 16b. Further, the upper side extension springs 17a and 17b extending upward are vibrated in a substantially linear shape (the radius of curvature is larger than the arcuate arc shape) along the oblique direction S. On the other hand, the upper ends of the upper piezoelectric driving portions 16au and 16bu vibrate in a substantially arc shape around the central portion of the piezoelectric driving bodies 16a and 16b. Further, the lower side amplification springs 18a and 18b extending downward are vibrated in a substantially linear shape (the radius of curvature is larger than the arcuate arc shape) along the oblique direction S.

Through the above actions, the reference mass body 11 and the upper side mass are made The body 12A and the lower side mass body 12B vibrate in opposite phases in the conveying direction. At this time, by arranging the upper mass body 12A and the lower mass body 12B on the upper and lower sides of the reference mass body 11, it is easy to reduce the center of gravity of the reference mass body 11 and the overall center of gravity of the upper side mass body 12A and the lower side mass body 12B. The deviation between the positions. Here, it is preferable to design the entire center of gravity of the reference mass body 11 to coincide with the position of the center of gravity of the upper side mass body 12A and the lower side mass body 11B in a stationary state.

Further, since the upper mass body 12A and the lower mass body 12B vibrate in phase with each other in the transport direction, the reaction force applied by the upper vibrating springs 14a and 14b and the lower vibrating springs 15a and 15b are seen from the reference mass body 11. The applied reaction force cancels or weakens, thereby reducing the torque generated on the reference mass body 11, thereby suppressing the pitch motion of the entire vibration system. Here, it is preferable that the mass of the upper mass body 12A (the mass of the transport body 20 in the illustrated example) is the same as the mass of the lower mass body 12B. However, it is not actually necessary to make the mass of the upper side mass body 12A (the mass of the transport body 20 in the illustrated example) exactly the same as the mass of the lower side mass body 12B. This is because the upper mass body 12A is supported by the upper side amplification springs 17a and 17b extending downward, and is lifted from below, and the lower mass body 12B is supported by the upper side amplification springs 18a and 18b extending upward. The state of suspension from above is supported, and it is considered that the difference in the support state affects the optimum quality relationship, and is also affected by the position of the occupied space or the position of the center of gravity in the actual device structure, the presence or absence of the installation of the transport body 20, and the like. influences. Further, in general, in consideration of the stability of vibration, the reference mass body 11 is supported on the base 19 via the anti-vibration springs 13a, 13b. Preferably, the mass of the reference mass body 11 is larger than the total mass of the upper side mass body 12A and the lower side mass body 12B.

In the embodiment described above, the piezoelectric actuators 16a and 16b which are integrally formed by the upper piezoelectric driving portion and the lower piezoelectric driving portion are used. However, the structure of the piezoelectric actuator may be such that the upper piezoelectric driving portion and the lower piezoelectric driving portion are composed of different piezoelectric driving bodies, and the different piezoelectric driving bodies are respectively coupled to each other. On the reference mass body 11. Further, in the present embodiment, the portion of the piezoelectric body 16P formed on the upper piezoelectric driving portion of the elastic substrate 16S is integrally formed with the portion formed in the lower piezoelectric driving portion, but may be configured. The piezoelectric body 16P' formed in the upper piezoelectric driving portions 16au' and 16bu' and the lower side pressure are formed as in the piezoelectric driving bodies 16a' and 16b' shown in Fig. 4(b). The piezoelectric bodies 16Pd in the electric drive portions 16ad', 16bd' are separately disposed on the elastic substrate 16S' so as to be separated from each other.

In the vibration system of the present embodiment, the vibration phase of the reference mass body 11 is opposite to the vibration phase of the upper mass body 12A and the lower mass body 12B (the phase difference is 180 degrees) as viewed in the transport direction. Therefore, when considering the base 19 as a reference, the reaction direction reaction force generated by the vibration of the reference mass body 11 and the total reaction force generated by the vibration transmitted through the upper side mass body 12A and the lower side mass body 12B are mutually eliminated. (offset or weakened relationship). Thereby, it is possible to reduce the vibration in the conveying direction which is transmitted to the base 19 side via the anti-vibration springs 13a and 13b.

On the other hand, when the reference mass body 11 is taken as a reference, the reaction force applied by the upper mass body 12A is applied to the lower mass body 12B. The reaction force is the same when viewed from the conveying direction. However, since the torque of the upper mass body 12A vibrating in phase with each other is opposite to the direction of the torque of the lower mass body 12B, the mutual elimination relationship is eliminated. (offset or weakened relationship). Therefore, the reaction force in the rotational direction received by the reference mass body 11 is reduced, so that the pitching operation is less likely to occur, and the vibration in the vertical direction transmitted to the base 19 side via the anti-vibration springs 13a and 13b is also reduced. Further, by this, it is possible to stabilize the conveyance state such as the conveyance speed or the conveyance posture of the conveyed material W along the longitudinal direction of the conveyance path 21.

In the present invention, the in-phase excitation mechanisms, that is, the piezoelectric actuators 16a and 16b, which apply the exciting force to the in-phase vibration of the upper mass body 12A and the lower mass body 12B with respect to the reference mass body 11 are provided. The upper mass body 12A and the lower mass body 12B are operated substantially as one mass body, in other words, the upper mass body 12A and the lower mass body 12B are restricted to operate as one mass body by the in-phase excitation mechanism. Therefore, the following forced (attenuated) vibration system is formed: that is, a reference mass body 11 which is a mass body elastically coupled to the base 19 via the anti-vibration springs 13a, 13b, and via the vibration springs 14a, 14b, 15a, The four springs 15b are elastically connected to the other mass body (the upper side mass body 12A and the lower side mass body 12B) on the reference mass body 11, and are substantially two Degree Of Freedom or Two-Parts (Two- Mass) forced (attenuated) vibration system.

In the vibration system, there are two resonance frequencies ω 1 and ω 2 , and the two mass bodies vibrate in opposite phases to each other in the frequency band between the two resonance frequencies ω 1 and ω 2 .

Having the two mass bodies 11 and the mass bodies 12A, 12B In the reverse phase mode of the vibration system, the reaction force of the conveying direction between the two mass bodies is mutually canceled when viewed from the conveying direction, and in the present embodiment, as described above, with respect to one mass body, The reference mass body 11 and the other mass body are divided into an upper side mass body 12A and a lower side mass body 12B, and are respectively elastically coupled to opposite sides of the reference mass body 11, and therefore, the torque received by the reference mass body 11 is also mutual Eliminate the relationship.

The above configuration and operational effects are based on the present invention including the reference mass body 11, the upper mass body 12A, the lower mass body 12B, the anti-vibration springs 13a and 13b, the upper vibration springs 14a and 14b, and the lower vibration springs 15a and 15b. Obtained from the basic structure. However, in the present embodiment, in addition to the above configuration, the in-phase excitation unit (piezoelectric actuator) is provided with an upper excitation unit (upper piezoelectric drive unit) and a lower excitation unit (lower side). The piezoelectric drive unit) directly and separately applies the exciting force, so that the device configuration can be simplified, and the frequency or amplitude of the excitation side, for example, for responding to variations in the conveyed object or the conveyance path, can be easily adjusted. Wait. In particular, in the present embodiment, the lower piezoelectric driving portions 16ad and 16bd included in the upper vibration springs 14a and 14b and the upper piezoelectric driving portion 16au included in the lower vibration springs 15a and 15b are provided. Since 16bu is excited by the piezoelectric driving method, it is not necessary to separately provide an excitation mechanism (such as an electromagnetic driving body described below) separately from the vibration system, and the device structure can be further simplified.

In the present embodiment, the lower side amplification springs 18a and 18b connected to the upper piezoelectric driving units 16au and 16bu extend downward from the upper position of the reference mass body 11 and are connected to the lower side mass body 12B, and are connected to the lower side. Upper side amplification springs 17a, 17b on the side piezoelectric driving portions 16ad, 16bd Since it extends upward from the lower position of the reference mass body 11 and is connected to the upper mass body 12A, it is possible to reduce the overall height of the apparatus while securing the lengths of the upper vibration springs 14a and 14b and the lower vibration springs 15a and 15b. Thereby, it is possible to achieve a remarkable effect that the conveying performance is not sacrificed even if the height of the vibrating conveyor 10 is lowered. The above-described configuration is particularly effective in securing the lengths of the upper side amplification springs 17a and 17b and the lower side amplification springs 18a and 18b, whereby even if the amplitudes of the piezoelectric actuators 16a and 16b are small, they can be sufficiently enlarged and then applied to the conveyance. On body 20.

Further, in the present embodiment, the arcuate vibration generated by the upper piezoelectric driving portions 16au and 16bu extending upward from the reference mass body 11 is transmitted to the lower side via the lower side amplification springs 18a and 18b extending downward in the opposite direction. In the mass body 12B, the arcuate vibration generated by the lower piezoelectric driving portions 16ad and 16bd extending downward from the reference mass body 11 is transmitted to the upper mass body 12A via the upper side amplification springs 17a and 17b extending upward. Thereby, the vibration states of the upper mass body 12A and the lower mass body 12B vibrate more linearly in the oblique direction S than in the prior art. In other words, by providing the upper vibration springs 14a and 14b and the lower vibration springs 15a and 15b which are folded back in the extending direction as described above, it is possible to increase the arcuate radius of curvature of the vibration direction of the transport body 20, thereby enabling a more stable state. The conveyed material W is conveyed. Further, even if the amplitude is increased, the fluctuation of the vibration angle θ is suppressed, so that the conveyed object W can be accurately conveyed at the set vibration angle θ, whereby the conveyance speed or the conveyance speed can be easily adjusted along the conveyance path 21. Uniformity in direction.

Further, in the present embodiment, based on the above reasons, The degree of freedom in designing the upper side amplification springs 17a and 17b and the lower side amplification springs 18a and 18b is increased, so that the setting or control of the vibration frequency is facilitated, and the adjustment operation of the vibration frequency is also facilitated. Further, when the overall height of the apparatus is set to the same height as that of the previous apparatus, since the lengths of the upper side amplification springs 17a, 17b and the lower side amplification springs 18a, 18b can be increased as compared with the previous apparatus, the conveyance body 20 can be enlarged. The amplitude makes it possible to increase the conveying speed and also to widen the adjustment range of the conveying speed.

In addition, the vibrating conveyor of the present invention is not limited to the above-described illustrated example, and various modifications may be added without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the upper vibration springs 14a and 14b and the lower vibration springs 15a and 15b each include the in-phase piezoelectric actuators 16ad and 16bd and the upper side amplification springs 17a and 17b, respectively. And upper piezoelectric drive units 16au and 16bu and lower side amplification springs 18a and 18b. However, it is also possible to form an electromagnetic driving body that applies an exciting force between the reference mass body 11 and the upper mass body 12A and between the reference mass body 11 and the lower mass body 12B by electromagnetic force. The in-phase excitation mechanism and the upper vibration spring (the upper vibration lower projection and the upper vibration upper elastic portion) and the lower vibration spring (the lower vibration upper projection and the lower vibration lower elastic) are respectively configured by separate leaf springs. unit). Further, in the above-described embodiment, the upper vibration springs 14a and 14b and the lower vibration springs 15a and 15b are configured such that a portion extending downward and a portion extending upward are connected to each other. However, the upper vibration springs 14a and 14b may be integrally formed in a U shape. The elastomer constitutes the above two parts.

10‧‧‧Vibrating conveyor

11‧‧‧Base quality body

12A‧‧‧Upper mass body

12B‧‧‧Bottom mass body

13a, 13b‧‧‧ anti-vibration spring

14a, 14b‧‧‧ upper vibration spring

15a, 15b‧‧‧ lower vibration spring

16a, 16b‧‧‧ Piezoelectric actuator

16au, 16bu‧‧‧ upper piezoelectric drive unit (upper side projection for lower vibration)

16ad, 16bd‧‧‧ lower piezoelectric drive unit (lower side projection for upper vibration)

17a, 17b‧‧‧Upper side expansion spring (upper side elastic part for upper vibration)

18a, 18b‧‧‧ Lower side expansion spring (lower side elastic part for lower vibration)

19‧‧‧Abutment

Claims (5)

A vibrating conveying device comprising: a pair of anti-vibration springs respectively provided at front and rear positions in a conveying direction, and being constituted by a leaf spring having a plate surface facing the conveying direction; a reference mass body Supporting a pair of the anti-vibration springs at a front and rear position of the conveying direction; an upper side mass body disposed above the reference mass body; and a lower side mass body disposed below the reference mass body; a pair of upper vibration springs elastically connecting the reference mass body and the upper side mass body at front and rear positions in the conveying direction, respectively, and including a leaf spring structure having a plate surface facing the conveying direction; a lower vibration spring that elastically connects the reference mass body and the lower side mass body at front and rear positions of the conveying direction, respectively, and includes a leaf spring structure having a plate surface facing the conveying direction; and the same phase a vibrating mechanism that applies an exciting force between the reference mass body and the upper side mass body and between the reference mass body and the lower side mass body to In-phase vibration is generated in the conveying direction; at least one of the upper side mass body and the lower side mass body is provided with a conveying path for transporting the conveying object; the upper vibrating spring has a lower side protruding portion for upper vibration and an upper vibration An upper elastic portion, wherein the upper vibration lower protrusion is connected to the reference mass and extends downward, the upper vibration upper elastic portion being at a position below the reference mass and the The upper vibration is connected by the lower protrusion, and from the lower position of the reference mass toward the reference mass The upper portion of the body extends and is coupled to the upper mass body; the lower vibration spring has a lower vibration upper protrusion and a lower vibration lower side elastic portion, wherein the lower vibration upper protrusion is connected to the reference quality Extending upwardly and upwardly, the lower vibration lower elastic portion is connected to the lower vibration upper projection at a position above the reference mass, and from the upper position of the reference mass toward the The lower side of the reference mass body extends and is connected to the lower side mass body. The vibrating conveyor according to the first aspect of the invention, wherein the in-phase excitation mechanism includes an upper vibration lower piezoelectric driving unit and a lower vibration upper piezoelectric driving unit, wherein the upper vibration is used The lower piezoelectric driving portion constitutes the upper vibration lower protruding portion at least one of the front and rear positions in the transport direction, and the lower vibration upper piezoelectric driving portion constitutes at least one of the front and rear positions in the transport direction. The lower vibration is used for the upper protruding portion. The vibrating conveying device according to claim 2, wherein the in-phase excitation mechanism has a plate-shaped piezoelectric driving body on at least one side of the front and rear positions in the conveying direction, wherein the piezoelectric The piezoelectric driving body is configured to include an upper piezoelectric lower driving portion for the upper vibration lower protruding portion and an upper vibration supporting upper protruding portion for constituting the upper vibration lower protruding portion. The lower portion of the upper vibration driving portion is integrally formed, and the piezoelectric driving body is located at the center between the lower vibration lower piezoelectric driving portion and the lower vibration upper piezoelectric driving portion. The upper portion is coupled to the reference mass body, and the upper vibration lower piezoelectric driving portion and the lower vibration upper piezoelectric driving portion are integrally flexibly deformed as a whole. The vibrating conveyor according to any one of the first aspect, wherein the upper vibration upper elastic portion and the lower vibration lower elastic portion are in a front and rear position in the conveying direction. The portions are respectively arranged to be adjacent in a width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, and the upper vibration upper elastic portion vibrates the upper portion on one side in the width direction at a front and rear position in the conveying direction The lower side protruding portion is connected to the upper side mass body, and the lower side vibration lower portion elastic portion protrudes from the upper side of the lower side vibration in the width direction on the other side in the width direction The portion is connected to the lower mass body. The vibrating conveyor according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the conveying path is provided on the upper mass.