WO2012077343A1 - Powder dispensing device and powder dispensing method - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a powder dispensing device capable of precisely and easily dispensing a small amount of powder, without any limitation in use. [Solution] A powder dispensing device (M) is provided with: a first placement unit (20) on which a raw material container (C1) is to be placed; a powder dispensing unit (40) provided with a rod member (58) for drawing powder in the raw material container (C1); a movement means (42, 52) for the rod member (58); a vibration means (63, 64) for vibrating the rod member (58); and an electric balance (30) on which a dispensed container (C2) to hold the drawn out powder is to be placed: wherein the rod member (58) is provided with a pick portion (58c) for picking and holding the powder to be drawn out, and the movement means (42, 52) can move the rod member (58) between a powder drawing position and a powder discharging position.

Description

Powder dispensing apparatus and powder dispensing method

The present invention relates to a powder dispensing apparatus and a powder dispensing method, and more particularly, to a quantitative dispensing apparatus and a quantitative dispensing method for measuring a certain amount of granules such as foods and drugs, and powders such as powder.

The work of taking out a small amount (for example, 100 milligrams or less) of chemicals from a container such as a bottle, weighing it, and dispensing it into a container such as a test tube is used in experiments in various fields such as academic research and technological development. Has been done. Conventionally, such work has been performed exclusively by hand. Also, when handling powder that is not desirable to adhere to the human body, put a container or measuring instrument filled with the target powder in a sealed space (such as a glove box), and perform the above-described work manually, I went over gloves. However, in order to perform a wide variety of experiments and the like, it is necessary to perform the above work more efficiently, and in recent years, an apparatus that separates powders has been attracting attention.

For example, there is a powder supply device using a charged stick (see Patent Document 1 and FIG. 2). In this apparatus, first, the stick 4 is charged, and the powder 8 is adhered to the charged stick 4. Thereafter, the charge is released and the stick 4 is vibrated, so that the powder 8 adhered to the stick 4 is transferred to the container 9.

In addition, there is a container device in which a cone portion 4 is arranged at a discharge port 2 at the lower end of a hopper (powder fluid container) 1 and the discharge port 2 is opened and closed by raising and lowering the cone portion 4 to discharge a predetermined amount of powder particles ( (See Patent Document 2 and FIG. 1). In this apparatus, the discharge amount of the granular material is adjusted by adjusting the size of the gap 14 between the discharge port 2 and the cone portion 3.

And there is a powder fixed amount feeding device provided with a cone part composed of an auger screw 25 on a screw guide 35 which is a discharge port at the lower end of the hopper 31 (see Patent Document 3, FIG. 1). In this apparatus, a predetermined amount of powder is discharged from the hopper 31 by rotating the auger screw 25.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-25476 JP 2001-335155 A JP 2002-104302 A

However, in the first powder supply device, the powder to be handled is charged, which is not preferable depending on the application such as research. In addition, since the second container device and the third powder quantitative feeding device are configured to discharge the powder from the hopper, only a small amount of powder such as 1 gram or less is separated. It ’s difficult.

The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and its application is not limited, and a powder dispensing device that can easily separate a minute amount of powder by an accurate amount, and An object is to provide a powder dispensing method.

A first placement portion on which a raw material container containing powder is placed; a second placement portion on which a sorting container for placing powder taken out of the raw material container is placed; A powder separating means including a rod-shaped rod member for taking out a part of the powder; a vibrating means for vibrating the rod member; and the rod member with respect to the first placement portion and the second placement portion. Moving means for relative movement, and the rod member includes a powder holding portion for holding powder to be taken out at a tip portion thereof, and the moving means includes the rod member and the first mount. A powder take-in position where at least a part of the powder holding part comes into contact with the powder in the raw material container by moving at least one of the placing part and the second placing part; and the powder holding The powder taken in the part is dispensed into the sorting container. Is intended to position the rod member to the body payout position, it is a powder dispensing device comprising a.
The powder sorting means includes a cylinder that houses the rod member, and an elevating means that raises and lowers the rod member relative to the cylinder, and the moving means includes the powder sorting means. A powder separating unit moving means for moving the powder and the lifting means, wherein the lifting means includes the rod member and a powder storage position where the powder holding part is located in the cylinder. The powder holding part is exposed from the cylindrical body and can be moved at least to a powder operating position where powder can be taken in and discharged.
Further, the powder holding part includes a closing part capable of closing the opening on the front end side of the cylindrical body on the tip powder holding body located at the tip thereof.
The controller further comprises a controller for controlling the lifting means, and a measuring instrument for measuring the amount of powder dispensed into the sorting container, wherein the controller includes a rod member. It is possible to adjust the protrusion length of the tube outside the cylindrical body based on the amount of powder measured by the measuring instrument, and to move the rod member to a plurality of powder operation positions having different protrusion lengths. .
Further, the powder separating means includes a rotating means for rotating the rod member around a long axis, and the powder holding portion of the rod member is a spiral or a screw arranged around the axis of the rod member. It has parallel multi-stage ridges.
Moreover, the powder holding part which consists of the said spiral eaves part is a multiple-stripes | helical shape.
The rod member is made of a spring material.
The powder sorting unit includes a lifting body that is lifted and lowered by the lifting means with respect to a main body of the powder sorting means, and an detachable unit that is detachably installed on the main body of the powder sorting means. The elevating body includes rotating means for rotating the rod member, and the detachable unit engages the cylindrical body, the rod member, and the rod member so as to be detachable from the rotating means. Engaging means.
Further, the powder sorting means includes attachment / detachment unit swinging means for causing the attachment / detachment unit to move at least one of rotation, raising / lowering and vibration.
The powder sorting unit moving means includes a means for moving the powder sorting means including the cylindrical body up and down and a means for moving the powder sorting means in the lateral direction.
In addition, the first placement unit includes swinging means for causing the raw material container to move at least one of rotation, elevation, and vibration.

Another invention of the present application is a powder take-out process in which a part of the powder in the raw material container is taken out by a rod-shaped rod member provided with a powder holding portion, and a sorting container in which the taken-out powder is a separate container. A powder discharging step for discharging the powder into the inside, wherein the powder discharging step includes a rod advancing operation for bringing the powder holding portion of the rod member into contact with the powder in the raw material container, The discharging step includes a powder discharging operation in which the powder held in the powder holding portion of the rod member in the powder discharging step is discharged into the sorting container by vibrating the rod member. This is a powder dispensing method.
In the powder take-out step, the powder taken out from the raw material container by moving at least one of the rod member and the cylindrical body arranged so as to surround the rod member in the major axis direction of the rod member. A powder holding portion accommodating operation of positioning the powder holding portion in a state of holding the powder inside the cylinder.
Further, in the powder take-out step, before the rod advancing operation, the cylindrical body is used as the raw material while maintaining all or part of the powder holding portion of the rod member in the cylindrical body. A cylinder lowering operation for lowering to a cylinder lowering position that contacts the upper surface of the powder in the container is performed, and the rod advancement operation is performed in a powder holding portion of the rod member located below the cylinder. It is an operation that immerses you.
In addition, the powder holding unit accommodating operation is an operation of raising the rod member while vibrating and positioning the powder holding unit in the cylinder.
Further, the powder take-out step includes a cylinder raising operation for raising the cylinder to a cylinder raising position that is above the cylinder lowering position and spaced from the powder upper surface, and a tip of the cylinder A grinding operation in which the rod member is vibrated in a state in which the powder holding portion protrudes from the side opening, and then the powder holding portion is accommodated in the cylinder.
In the powder take-out step, the rod member is rotated around a long axis between the start of the rod advancement operation and the end of the powder holding unit housing operation, thereby forming a spiral shape constituting the powder holding unit or It includes a powder take-in operation in which powder is taken into a recess that is a gap between parallel multi-stage flanges.
In the powder take-out step, the powder holding unit is closed by closing the opening on the tip side of the cylindrical body from which the powder holding unit enters and exits from a state where the powder holding unit is moved into the cylinder. Includes powder storage operation for confinement in the body.
In the powder take-out step, the raw material that applies at least one of rotation, raising / lowering or vibration to the raw material container for at least a predetermined time from the start of the rod advancement operation to the end of the powder take-up operation Includes container vibration action.
The powder discharging step includes a measuring operation for measuring the amount of powder discharged into the sorting container, and a powder discharging stop for stopping the powder discharging operation when the measured amount of powder reaches a set amount. Including actions.

In the present invention, a rod-shaped rod member is used as a means for taking out the powder in the raw material container, and this rod member is moved to bring the powder holding portion at the tip of the rod member into contact with the powder in the raw material container. In this state, the powder in the raw material container is taken into the powder holding unit. Thereby, a trace amount powder can be easily separated. In addition, since the vibration means for vibrating the rod member is provided, when the powder held in the powder holding portion is separated and discharged to the container, the rod member is vibrated to quickly discharge the powder. Can do.
If the powder separation means is provided with a cylindrical body that accommodates the rod member, the powder holding portion of the rod member can be positioned in the cylindrical body, and the powder held from the raw material container is held. The powder holding part can be moved into the cylinder. Thereby, the powder holding | maintenance part currently moving to the sorting container side from the raw material container side is covered with a cylinder, and the spillage of a powder is suppressed to the minimum.
Furthermore, if the rod member is provided with a closing portion that closes the distal end side opening of the cylindrical body, powder spillage can be prevented more reliably.
Further, if a controller for controlling the lifting means and a measuring instrument for measuring the amount of powder dispensed into the sorting container are provided, the rod member jumps out of the cylinder based on the amount of powder measured by the measuring instrument. The length can be adjusted. That is, it is possible to move the rod member to a plurality of powder operation positions having different popping lengths based on the amount of powder.
Further, if the powder separating means is provided with a rotating means for rotating the rod member around the long axis, and the powder holding part of the rod member is a powder holding part having a spiral or parallel multistage flange, the powder During the taking-in operation, the powder can be taken into the powder holding part quickly and reliably by rotating the rod member.
Further, if the powder separating means includes a detachable detachable unit and the detachable unit includes a rod member, the rod member can be easily and quickly replaced and maintained with the detachable unit removed. Can do.
Moreover, if the thing provided with the attachment / detachment unit rocking | fluctuation means is used as an attachment / detachment unit of a powder separation means, a cylinder can be vibrated. Thereby, it becomes possible to shake off the powder adhering to the outer periphery or the opening end of the cylindrical body.
And if a cylinder can be raised / lowered, the powder storage position in which the powder holding | maintenance part will be accommodated in the cylinder can be raised / lowered.
In addition, since it is provided with rocking means for rotating, raising and lowering or vibrating the raw material container, the powder in the raw material container can be more quickly and reliably transferred by rotating, raising and lowering or vibrating the raw material container during the powder extraction operation. It can be taken into the powder holding part of the rod member.

Another invention of the present invention is that in the powder discharging process, the powder held in the powder holding part of the rod member in the powder discharging process is discharged to the sorting container by vibrating the rod member. The powder can be dispensed to the sorting container.
In the powder extraction process, if the powder holding part that holds the powder extracted from the raw material container is positioned inside the cylinder that is placed so as to surround the rod member, the powder fall-off is minimized. Suppressed to the limit.
Further, in the powder take-out process, before the rod advancing operation, the cylindrical body is placed on the upper surface of the powder in the raw material container while maintaining a state where all or a part of the powder holding portion of the rod member is accommodated in the cylindrical body. If the contact operation is performed, the powder storage position of the rod member can be lowered. As a result, the rod lowering distance during the rod advance operation performed to take the powder into the powder holding portion is shortened, and the powder holding portion of the rod member can be quickly immersed into the powder existing below the cylinder. it can. In addition, the ascending distance of the rod member after the powder take-in operation to the powder storage position is shortened, and powder spillage from the powder holding unit during the ascending operation (powder holding unit storing operation) is prevented. The
Further, if the state of the cylindrical body during the powder holding unit housing operation is a state in contact with the upper surface of the powder in the raw material container, during the powder holding unit housing operation, by raising the rod member while vibrating, The powder can be taken into the powder holding part while raising the rod member, and the powder can be taken into the powder holding part quickly and efficiently.
Further, in the powder take-out step, a cylinder raising operation for raising the cylinder to a cylinder raising position that is above the cylinder lowering position and is separated from the upper surface of the powder, and a powder holding portion from the opening on the tip side of the cylinder If the rod member is vibrated in a state of protruding, and then the powder holding portion is accommodated in the cylindrical body, the powder adhering to the outer periphery and the open end of the cylindrical body is shaken off to form a raw material container Can be dropped inside.
Also, in the powder take-out process, the rod member is rotated around the long axis between the start of the rod advancement operation and the end of the powder holding portion accommodation operation, and the powder is taken into the recess of the powder holding portion. The powder can be quickly and reliably taken into the powder holding unit.
In addition, the powder holding unit is closed in the state where the powder holding unit is moved into the cylinder in the powder extraction process, and the powder holding unit is closed in the cylinder so that the powder holding unit is closed. Spill-off is more reliably prevented.
In the powder take-out process, the raw material container is moved by rotating, raising / lowering, or vibrating the raw material container between the start of the rod advancement operation and the end of the powder take-in operation, so that it is quicker and more reliable. The powder can be taken into the powder holding portion of the rod member.
Also, in the powder dispensing process, the amount of powder dispensed into the sorting container is weighed, and when the measured amount of powder reaches the set amount, the powder dispensing operation is stopped. Can separate the body.

It is a perspective view which shows the powder dispensing apparatus of embodiment which concerns on this invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a powder dispensing head of the powder dispensing apparatus in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a side view showing the head of FIG. 2. It is a perspective view which shows the attachment / detachment unit of the main body of the head of FIG. (A) is sectional drawing which shows the principal part of the attachment / detachment unit of FIG. 4, (B) is sectional drawing which shows the state which closed the lower end opening of the cylinder with the umbrella part of the rod member. It is explanatory drawing which shows the measuring device installed in the powder dispensing apparatus of FIG. (A) is an enlarged view which shows a rod member, (B) is the sectional drawing. It is a block diagram which shows the controller of the powder dispensing apparatus of FIG. It is a front view which shows the various aspects of the pick part of a rod member. It is a flowchart figure which shows the flow of operation | movement of the powder dispensing method. It is explanatory drawing for demonstrating the measuring method of the upper surface height position of the powder in a raw material container. (A) (B) is a top view which shows schematic structure of the 1st mounting part and 2nd mounting part of another embodiment which can move within a horizontal surface.

10 ... Case, 20, 20a, 20b ... Raw material container placing part (first placing part), 21 ... Raw material placing table,
22 ... Exciter (oscillating means), 22 ... Laser measuring instrument (powder height measuring means),
23 ... Laser light output unit 23, 23a ... Laser output unit, 23b ... Elevating support unit,
24 ... Laser light receiving unit 24,
30, 30a, 30b ... electronic balance (second mounting part), 31 ... weighing part, 32 ... mounting table,
40 ... powder sorting unit, 41 ... unit body,
42 ... Slide mechanism (robot unit), 43 ... Slider,
44 ... Motor for slide, 45 ... Positioning means (laser pointer) for electronic balance,
50 ... Head for powder dispensing (powder separating means), 51 ... Head body,
510: Head body elevator, 52 ... Elevating mechanism, 52a ... Elevating rail, 52b ... Elevating pedestal,
53 ... Motor for lifting, 54 ... Projection, 54a ... Hut, 55 ... Removable unit,
56 ... Detachable unit body, 56a ... Detachable arm, 56b ... Groove, 56c ... Screw hole,
57 ... Cylinder (powder container), 57a ... Lower end opening,
58, 58A, 58B, 58C, 58D ... rod member, 58a ... large diameter part,
58b ... Pick part (powder holding part, screw shape part), 58c ... Umbrella part (lid),
58d ... closed part, 58e ... buttocks, 58f ... buttocks, 58g ... buttocks, 58s ... space,
58z ... plate material (buttock), 59 ... coil spring (spring, elastic member),
60 ... Lifting unit, 61 ... Lifting unit body, 62 ... Leaf spring,
63 ... vibrating body, 63a ... engraving engagement portion, 64 ... vibrating motor,
70 ... Static eliminator, 80 ... Controller (control part),
C1, Ca1, Cb1 ... Raw material container, C2, Ca2, Cb2 ... Separate container (another container),
M ... powder dispensing device, P ... raw material powder (powder), T ... XY table,
TC: Tool storage unit, X direction: Lateral direction, Z direction: Elevating direction (vertical direction).

Hereinafter, a powder dispensing apparatus and a powder dispensing method according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, a powder dispensing apparatus M includes a casing 10 of the apparatus, a raw material container mounting section (first mounting section) 20 installed in the casing 10, and an electronic balance (second mounting). 30), a powder sorting unit 40, a static electricity removing device 70, and a controller (control unit, see FIG. 8) 80 for controlling the operation of the powder dispensing device. The static eliminator 70 is a well-known static eliminator installed for static eliminator in the powder dispensing apparatus M, and therefore detailed description thereof is omitted here.

The raw material container mounting unit 20 includes a raw material mounting table 21 on which the raw material container C1 is mounted, and a vibrator (oscillating means) 22 for vibrating the raw material mounting table 21. Therefore, when the vibrator 22 is operated, the raw material powder P (see FIG. 7B) in the raw material container C1 placed on the raw material placing table 21 is referred to as “powder P”. Vibrate.
Furthermore, the raw material container mounting portion 20 includes a measuring instrument (powder height measuring means) 22 for positioning a cylinder 57 described later in contact with the upper surface of the powder in the raw material container C1 (powder height measuring means) 22 ( (See FIG. 6). This measuring instrument 22 is a laser measuring instrument provided with a laser light output unit 23 and a laser light receiving unit 24. The laser beam output unit 23 includes a laser output unit 23a that outputs a laser beam in the horizontal direction toward the light receiving unit of the laser beam receiving unit 24, and an elevating support unit 23b that supports the laser output unit 23a to be movable up and down. Yes. Further, the laser light output unit 23 and the laser light receiving unit 24 are arranged so that the optical path of the irradiated laser light can pass through the central portion of the raw material container C1 placed on the raw material placing table 21. Yes. Therefore, when laser light is irradiated with the transparent raw material container C1 placed on the raw material placing table 21, when the raw material container C1 is empty, the laser light emitted from the laser output unit 23b passes through the raw material container C1. Light is received by the light receiving portion of the laser light receiving unit 24. On the other hand, when the raw material container C1 is filled with the raw material powder P, the laser light is blocked by the raw material powder P, and the laser light receiving unit 24 cannot receive the laser light. In the measuring instrument 22, the laser beam output unit 23a is moved up and down while irradiating the laser beam, and the height position of the laser beam output unit 23a that can receive the passing laser beam that has passed through the raw material container C1 is measured. The upper surface height of the raw material powder P in the raw material container C1 is detected based on the height position of the laser beam corresponding to the lowest height position. In the controller 80, the state in which the head body 51 is lowered until the lower end opening 57a of the cylinder 57 reaches the upper surface height position, and the cylinder 57 is in contact with the upper surface of the powder in the raw material container C1. Judge.
Since the vibrator 22 and the measuring device 22 are well-known devices, detailed description thereof is omitted here.

The electronic balance 30 is a means for weighing the amount of the separated powder, and includes a weighing unit 31 on which a weighing object is placed. The weighing unit 31 includes a mounting table 32 on which another container (hereinafter referred to as a sorting container) C2 for powder sorting is placed. Since the mounting table 32 of the sorting container C2 is disposed on the electronic balance 30, the amount of the powder P in the sorting container C2 can be easily and quickly measured. The electronic balance 30 is detachably installed on the housing 10. Accordingly, only the electronic balance 30 can be removed and transported.

The powder sorting unit 40 is a device for taking out the powder in the raw material container C1 and putting it in the sorting container C2, and includes a main body 41 of the unit fixed to the housing 10 and a slide mechanism ( (Robot Unit) 42 and a powder dispensing head (separating means, see FIG. 2) 50 attached to the slide mechanism 42.

The slide mechanism 42 includes a slider 43 that can move in the horizontal direction (X direction, see FIG. 1), a slide motor 44 that moves the slider 43 in the horizontal direction, and positioning means for positioning the electronic balance (for example, a laser pointer). ) 45 and. Therefore, by operating the slide mechanism 42, the head 50 can be moved in the lateral direction. Further, by irradiating the laser pointer 45 for positioning the electronic balance, the user of the powder dispensing apparatus M can easily recognize the electronic balance installation position on the housing 10. Therefore, even when the electronic balance 30 is removed from the housing 10, the electronic balance 30 can be easily and quickly installed at an accurate position on the housing 10. The positioning means may be a detachable mechanical jig, a wire with a detachable weight, or the like.
In the powder dispensing apparatus M according to the present embodiment, the slide mechanism 42 and a head main body lifting machine (powder sorting part lifting / lowering means) 510 (see FIG. 1) described later constitute a powder sorting part moving means. The powder sorting unit moving means and the lifting mechanism 52 described later constitute moving means for the head 50. A slide motor 44 controlled by the controller 80 and a lift motor 53 described later are positioning means for the head 50. Since the slide mechanism 42 is constituted by a known slider, detailed description thereof is omitted here.

As shown in FIG. 2, a powder dispensing head (powder sorting means) 50 includes a head main body 51 attached to a slider 43 (see FIG. 1) via a head main body elevator 510, and a head main body 51. And an elevating unit 60 installed to be movable up and down with respect to the main body 51.
Since the head main body elevator 510 (see FIG. 1) is a known elevator, detailed description of the head main body elevator and the elevation drive motor that operates the head main body elevator is omitted here.

As shown in FIG. 2, the head main body 51 includes an elevating mechanism 52 including an elevating rail 52 a and an elevating pedestal 52 b that travels on the rail, an elevating motor 53 that raises and lowers the elevating pedestal 52 b of the elevating mechanism 52, and the head main body. And a downwardly extending protrusion 54 disposed at a lower portion of 51. Therefore, the lifting mechanism 60 can be moved up and down by operating the lifting mechanism 52, and a rod member 58 described later can be placed at an arbitrary position between a powder storage position (described later) and a powder operation position (described later). Can be positioned. In addition, since the raising / lowering mechanism 52 is comprised by the known raising / lowering apparatus, the detailed description is abbreviate | omitted here.
The projecting portion 54 includes a detachable unit 55 that is detachably attached to the tip end portion (the lower end portion in the present embodiment).

As shown in FIG. 4, the detachable unit 55 includes a detachable unit main body 56 that is detachably attached to the projecting portion 54, and a pair of left and right detachable arms 56 a and 56 a that are attached to the left and right sides of the main body 56. A hollow cylinder (powder container) 57 attached to the unit main body 56, a rod member 58 inserted through the cylinder, and a coil spring (spring, elastic member) 59 externally inserted into the rod member 58 are provided. ing. The coil spring 59 has a lower end in contact with the detachable unit main body 56 and an upper end in contact with the large-diameter portion 58a at the upper end of the rod member 58. That is, the rod member 58 is supported by the detachable unit main body 56 via the coil spring 59. Accordingly, the rod member 58 is supported by the head body 51 via the coil spring 59 in a state where the detachable unit 55 is mounted on the protrusion 54.
Here, the detachable unit main body 56 and the cylinder 57 will be described first, and the rod member 58 will be described in detail after the description of the elevating unit 60.

The detachable unit main body 56 is detachable in the vertical direction (Z direction) with respect to the protrusion 54 as described above. The left and right side surfaces of the projecting portion 54 of the head body 51 are formed with flange portions 54a and 54a (not shown in the left back side in FIG. 4) extending in the vertical direction. On the inner side surfaces of the arms 56a and 56a, grooves 56b and 56b (the groove on the right front side in FIG. 4 are not shown) extending in the vertical direction and engaging with the flange 54a are formed. Therefore, when the detachable unit main body 56 is moved upward toward the projecting portion 54 and brought close, the groove portions 56b and 56b of the detachable unit main body 56 engage with the flange portions 54a and 54a of the projecting portion 54. Then, the detachable unit main body 56 is attached to the head main body 51 by engaging screws (not shown) in the screw holes 56c, 56c in the engaged state. Further, the detachable unit body 56 in the mounted state can be detached from the head body 51 in the reverse procedure.

As shown in FIG. 5A, the cylindrical body 57 is arranged so as to surround the rod member 58, and a later-described pick portion 58b provided at the distal end (lower end in the present embodiment) of the rod member 58. Can be accommodated (see FIG. 5B). If the pick part 58b in a state where the powder to be taken out is held can be accommodated in the cylindrical body 57, the spilling of powder from the pick part 58b is suppressed during the movement of the rod member 58.
Further, the cylindrical body 57 has a hollow cylindrical shape with both ends opened, and the cylindrical axial direction (the extending direction of the hollow portion) is directed vertically with the detachable unit 55 attached to the head body 51. It is arranged to be. The cylinder 57 is shorter than the rod member 58, and the tip of the rod member 58 projects downward from the lower end opening 57a of the cylinder 57. Further, the cylindrical body 57 is arranged so that its lower end protrudes downward from the lower end of the detachable unit main body 56.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the elevating unit 60 includes an elevating unit body 61 fixed to the elevating pedestal 52 b of the elevating mechanism 52, and a vibration attached to the lower side of the elevating unit body 61 via a leaf spring 62. A body 63 and a vibration motor 64 for vibrating the vibration body 63 are provided. The leaf spring 62, the vibrating body 63, and the vibration motor 64 constitute a vibration means.

As shown in FIG. 5A, the rod member 58 includes a large diameter portion 58a formed at the upper end of the rod member, and a pick portion (powder holding portion, screw shape portion) 58b for collecting and holding the powder P. It has. As described above, the rod member 58 is inserted into the cylindrical body 57 so as to be movable up and down, and is attached and detached through the coil spring 59 sandwiched between the lower end surface of the large diameter portion 58a and the upper end surface of the cylindrical body 57. The unit main body 56 supports the unit.

In the rod member 58, the large-diameter portion 58a at the upper end of the rod member 58 contacts the vibrating body 63 of the elevating / lowering portion 60 in a state where the detachable unit main body 56 is attached to the protruding portion 54. At this time, the coil spring 59 is in a compressed state and has a biasing force, and the rod member 58 is pressed against the vibrating body 63 by the biasing force of the coil spring 59. Therefore, when the elevating unit 60, that is, the vibrating body 63 is moved up and down, the rod member 58 is moved up and down while maintaining a state in contact with the vibrating body 63. More specifically, a concave and convex engaging portion 63a that engages with the large diameter portion 58a at the upper end of the rod member 58 is formed at the lower end portion of the vibrating body 63. Due to the engaging portion 63a, it is possible to prevent the backlash and displacement between the vibrating body 63 and the rod member 58.

The pick part 58b is a part for holding the powder to be taken out, and is a screw-shaped part formed at the tip part (lower end part) of the rod member 58 as shown in FIG. In other words, the screw-shaped portion is composed of a slope-shaped plate material (saddle portion) 58z that spirally surrounds the axis of the rod member 58 (see FIG. 7A), and a plate material (saddle portion). ) A space 58s is formed between 58z. The space 58s functions as a recess for taking in the powder P. The rod member 58 is for placing and taking out the powder that has entered the space 58s of the pick portion 58b having such a shape on a slope-shaped plate material 58z.
In the present embodiment, the screw-shaped pick part 58b is formed by cutting the rod member 58, and the diameter of the pick part 58b is the same as the diameter of the main body portion of the rod member 58. That is, in the rod member 58, the diameters of portions other than the large diameter portion 58a at the upper end and the umbrella portion 58c at the lower end are constant. With such a structure, the movement of the rod member 58 in the cylinder 57 is stable, and the rod member 58 can be raised and lowered smoothly.

Further, the pick part 58b includes an umbrella part (lid body) 58c provided at the tip part thereof. In other words, the umbrella portion 58c is provided at the tip (lower end) of the rod member 58. The umbrella portion 58c includes a closing portion (step portion) 58d that contacts the lower end opening 57a of the cylinder 57 and opens and closes the lower end opening 57a. Therefore, the lower end opening 57a of the cylinder 57 can be opened and closed by moving the rod member 58 up and down. That is, the umbrella portion 58c is a member for taking out the powder and a member for opening and closing the opening of the cylindrical body 57.
With such an umbrella portion 58c, the lower end opening 57a of the cylindrical body 57 can be closed by the umbrella portion 58c when the pick portion 58b having taken in the powder P is accommodated in the cylindrical body 57, and the pick portion 58b Can be securely stored in the cylinder 57. Thereby, it is possible to more reliably prevent the powder P from spilling out from the pick part 58b and the cylindrical body 57.

The controller (see FIG. 8) 80 controls the operation of control objects such as the vibrator 22, the slide motor 44, the lift motor 53, the vibration motor 64, and the like. A signal can be output. For example, the lateral movement and position of the rod member 58 can be controlled by the operation control of the sliding motor 44, and the vertical movement and the lifting position of the rod member 58 can be controlled by the operation control of the lifting motor 53. The vibration state of the rod member 58 can be controlled by the operation control of the vibration motor 64. In addition, weighing information is input from the electronic balance 30 to the controller 80, and operations of the various devices described above can be controlled based on the weighing information.

Note that examples of the pick portion of the rod member 58 include pick portions 58A, 58B, 58C, and 58D having various shapes as shown in FIG. For example, a pick part 58A shown in FIG. 5A includes parallel multi-stage flange parts 58e, and takes powder into a space (concave part) 58s that is a gap between the flange parts 58e. Each flange 58e has the same diameter and has a disk shape. The pick portion 58A includes a closing portion 58d that opens and closes the lower end opening 57a of the cylindrical body 57 on the upper surface of the umbrella portion (lid body) 58c at the tip. Also, the pick part 58B shown in (B) is different from the pick part 58A in (A) and is provided with a closing part 58d on the outer peripheral surface of the umbrella part 58c at the tip part. Further, the pick portion 58C shown in (C) includes a parallel multi-stage flange portion 58f having a diameter that decreases from the lower end side (front end side) to the upper end side (base end side). Furthermore, the flanges 58g arranged in parallel multiple stages of the pick part 58D shown in (D) have an upper surface that is inclined downward as it goes from the axial center side of the rod member 58 to the outside.

The operation of separating the raw material powder P by such a powder dispensing device M will be described using the flowchart shown in FIG.

First, an initial operation is performed (step 1-1, hereinafter referred to as “S1-1”). Here, for example, the switch of the static eliminator 70 is turned on. Thereby, static electricity in the powder dispensing device M is removed, and accurate weighing by the electronic balance 30 becomes possible. Then, as shown in FIG. 1, the raw material container C1 containing the raw material powder P is placed on the raw material container mounting table 21. In addition, the sorting container C2 is mounted on the mounting table 32 of the electronic balance 30. In this state, a waiting time is secured for the purpose of waiting for the vibration of the apparatus to attenuate and become stationary.

Next, initial settings are made as necessary (S1-2). Initial settings include, for example, setting the height positions of the bottom and top surfaces of the raw material container C1 and the sorting container C2, resetting the weighing to “0” with the sorting container C2 mounted, and a desired sorting amount (setting For example, a weighing setting operation for setting (weighing).

Next, a powder take-out step for taking out the powder in the raw material container C1 is executed (S2).

In the powder extraction process, the preparation operation is performed. In this operation, first, the height of the upper surface of the raw material powder P in the raw material container C1 is measured (see FIG. 6). Here, the laser beam output unit 23a in the laser beam irradiation state is moved up and down toward the raw material container C1, and the laser beam output unit 23a capable of receiving the passing laser beam that has passed through the raw material container C1 by the laser beam output unit 23a. The height position is measured, and based on this height position, the upper surface height of the raw material powder P in the raw material container C1 is detected (powder upper surface height detection operation). Note that the powder upper surface height measurement operation may be performed in the initial operation stage. Next, the slide motor 44 is operated, and the rod member 58 is positioned above the material mounting table 21 (powder extraction operation starting position), that is, above the material container C1 mounted on the material container mounting table 21. (See FIG. 11). At this time, the pick part 58b is stored in the cylinder 57, and the cylinder 57 is in a state where the lower end opening 57a is closed by the closing part 58d of the umbrella part 58c (the cylinder closed state, see FIG. 5B). It is. Next, with the pick part 58 b stored in the cylinder 57, the head body elevator 510 (see FIG. 1) is operated to lower the head body 51 relative to the slider 43. Here, the head main body 51 is lowered (powder) until the cylinder 57 (that is, the lower end opening 57a of the cylinder 57) reaches a position (powder extraction start position) that contacts the upper surface of the powder in the raw material container C1. (Cylinder descending operation before taking out). Specifically, the head body 51 is lowered until the lower end opening 57a of the cylindrical body 57 reaches a state where the upper surface height position of the raw material powder P detected previously is reached. At this time, the umbrella part at the tip of the pick part 58b is also in contact with the upper surface of the powder in the raw material container C1.

Next, an operation (powder taking-in operation) of taking the powder P into the space 58s (see FIG. 7) of the pick portion 58b and placing the powder on the plate material 58z of the pick portion 58b is performed.
In the powder take-in operation, first, the elevating motor 53 is operated to lower the rod member 58 in a vibrating state (rod advance operation during take-up). By this operation, the pick part 58b of the rod member 58 is immersed in the powder P in the raw material container C1 and is inserted into the powder P (a state where the powder is taken in). The immersion depth of the rod member 58 into the raw material powder P is based on, for example, the amount of powder that needs to be dispensed in the powder dispensing operation performed after the taking-in operation currently being performed, as will be described later. Determined.
Next, the lowered rod member 58 is vibrated to take in powder into the pick part 58b (powder taking-in operation). At this time, the powder container C1 is vibrated at the same time (container vibration operation during loading). The start time of the container vibration operation at the time of intake is when the rod advancing operation at the time of taking in is started, during the rod advancing operation at the time of taking in, at the start of the powder taking-in operation, after the start of the powder taking-in operation, or the like. By the operation so far, the powder is taken into the space of the pick part 58b of the rod member 58.

Subsequently, the elevating motor 53 is operated to raise the stationary rod member 58 (rod retracting operation at the time of taking-in). By this operation, the rod member 58 is raised to the pick portion accommodation position and is accommodated in the cylinder 57 (powder holding portion accommodation operation). Further, the closing part 58d of the umbrella part 58c comes into contact with the lower end opening 57a of the cylinder 57, and the cylinder 57 is closed (powder storing operation). In this state, spillage of powder from the cylinder 57 of the pick part 58b is prevented. Thereby, the taken-out powder can be efficiently conveyed to the sorting container C2 side.
The operation of vibrating the rod member 58 (rod vibration operation) is performed by operating the vibration motor 64, and the operation of vibrating the raw material container C1 (raw material container vibration operation) operates the vibrator 22. Is done. Both can be vibrated at an arbitrary time, and by stopping the vibration at an arbitrary time, the rod member 58 can be stationary with respect to the head body, or the raw material container C1 can be moved relative to the raw material container mounting table 21. And can be stationary.
If one or both of these vibration operations are performed during the powder take-in operation, a larger amount of powder can be taken into the space 58s of the pick part 58b quickly and reliably. If more powder can be taken in quickly by a single powder take-in operation, the dispensing efficiency will be improved. It should be noted that the timing for performing these vibration operations may be temporary, such as only during the rod advance operation during capture or only during the rod retraction operation during capture. Examples of the rod vibration operation include vibration due to rotation of the rod member 58, vertical vibration (reciprocating motion in the longitudinal direction of the rod member), and lateral vibration (reciprocating motion in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the rod member). .

Further, in the powder take-in operation, the immersion depth of the pick portion 58b of the rod member 58 is adjusted stepwise (here, three steps), and the amount of powder that can be taken in the pick portion 58b in each powder take-in operation. Can be adjusted. When the powders are separated, the number of powder discharge processes described later may be multiple, and the amount of powder discharge required in the final powder discharge process may be extremely small. Therefore, if the amount of powder taken in each powder take-in operation can be adjusted, the amount of powder taken out in the final powder take-out step can be adjusted to a small amount in advance, and the powder take-out in the final powder take-out step Fine adjustment of the amount becomes easier. The immersion depth is determined based on the amount of powder that needs to be discharged in the powder discharging operation performed after the powder taking-in operation. The amount of powder that needs to be dispensed is the weight of insufficient powder in the sorting container C2 (the weight obtained by subtracting the "current weight of powder in the sorting container C2" from the "set sorting amount"). Compare this deficient powder amount with the maximum amount of powder that can be taken in the pick part 58 (powder amount that can be taken in the deepest of the three stages). If it is greater than 0.7 times the possible amount, the depth of immersion is the deepest step; if it is 0.7 to 0.3, the depth of immersion is the intermediate step; The depth of penetration is the shallowest stage.

When the powder take-in operation is completed, next, an operation (powder operation) of shaking off the powder adhering to the outer periphery of the cylindrical body 57 and the periphery of the lower end opening is performed.
In the grinding operation, first, the head body elevator 510 is operated to slightly raise the head body 51 (cylinder separation operation). The cylinder separation position in this operation is a position above the powder take-out start position of the cylinder 57 and separated from the upper surface of the powder.
Next, the rod member 58 is vibrated as necessary. For example, when there is a possibility that massive powder is taken into the cylinder 57, the mass is broken by vibrating the rod member 58 at this stage. Next, an operation of projecting the rod member 58 from the lower end opening 57a of the cylinder 57 is performed. In other words, the closing portion 58d of the pick portion 58b of the rod member 58 is separated from the lower end opening 57a of the cylindrical body 57. At this time, the state where the umbrella part at the tip of the pick part is not in contact with the upper surface of the powder is maintained.
In this state, the vibration motor 64 is operated to vibrate the rod member 58. When the rod member 58 is vibrated with the powder P in the cylinder 57, the vibration is also efficiently transmitted to the cylinder 57 and the cylinder 57 also vibrates. When this vibration is performed, the powder adhering to the outer periphery of the cylinder 57 and the periphery of the lower end opening and the powder adhering to the tip of the pick part 58b of the rod member 58 are shaken off and collected in the raw material container C1. This more reliably prevents the powder from dropping from the cylinder 57 and the rod member 58 during the movement in the head moving step (step 3) described next. In order to increase the powder recovery efficiency, the above-described cylinder separation position is preferably as low as possible. For example, the lower end opening 57a of the cylinder 57 is in a state where the cylinder 57 is located in the raw material container C1. Is preferred.
After the end of the vibration, the rod member 58 is retracted into the cylinder 57, and the pick part 58b is moved to a pick part accommodation position that is a position in the cylinder 57. In other words, the closed portion 58d of the pick portion of the rod member is brought into contact with the lower end opening 57a of the cylinder, and the lower end opening 57a is closed (the cylinder is closed, see FIG. 5B).

When the grinding operation is finished and the powder take-out process is finished, a head moving process for carrying the powder is performed (S3).
In the head moving process during powder conveyance, first, the head body 51 is raised to the powder extraction operation start position (see FIG. 11). Subsequently, the head body 51 is separated and moved laterally toward the container C2.

Next, a powder discharging process for separating the extracted powder P into the container C2 is executed (S4).

In the powder dispensing process, first, a dispensing preparation operation is performed. In this operation, first, the slide motor 44 is operated so that the rod member 58 is positioned above the sorting container C2 placed on the placement table 32 (powder dispensing operation start position) (see FIG. 1). . At this time, the pick part 58b is stored in the cylinder 57, and the cylinder 57 is in a state where the lower end opening 57a is closed by the closing part 58d of the umbrella part 58c (see FIG. 5B).
In addition, before or after the start of the powder dispensing process, a weighing operation for detecting weighing information from the electronic balance 30 at any time is started.
Next, with the pick part 58 b accommodated in the cylinder 57, the head body elevator 510 is operated to lower the head body 51 relative to the slider 43. Here, the head main body 51 is lowered to a position where the lower end opening 57a of the cylinder 57 is located in the sorting container C2 (cylinder lowering operation before powder discharge).

Subsequently, a powder dispensing operation is performed. In the powder dispensing operation, first, the lifting motor 53 is operated to further lower the rod member 58 (rod advance operation during dispensing). By this operation, the pick portion 58b of the rod member 58 is inserted into the sorting container C2 and exposed (a state in which the powder is discharged). Next, the vibration motor 64 is operated to vibrate the rod member 58 (powder dropping operation). Thereby, the powder P taken in the pick part 58b falls into the sorting container C2.
In the powder discharging operation, the advancement length of the rod member 58 from the cylindrical body 57 is adjusted stepwise (here, three steps), and the powder discharging speed (dispensing rate) in each powder discharging operation is adjusted. It is possible to adjust.
Specifically, based on the weighing information (powder amount) measured by the electronic balance 30, the controller 80 controls the operation of the elevating motor 53 to move the rod member 58, and from the cylinder 57 of the rod member 58. The advancement length, that is, the powder operation position is adjusted to an arbitrary position.
When the number of powder discharge processes is a plurality of times, the amount of powder discharge required in the final powder discharge process may be extremely small. Therefore, if the powder delivery speed in each powder delivery operation can be adjusted, the powder delivery speed in the final powder delivery process can be reduced, and the amount of powder actually delivered can be adjusted to a small amount. Fine adjustment of the powder discharge amount in the single powder discharge step becomes easier. The advancement length is determined based on the initially set amount of separation (hereinafter referred to as the set amount of separation in this paragraph) and the amount of insufficient powder in the sorting container C2. For example, when the set amount of separation is compared with the amount of insufficient powder, if the amount of insufficient powder is greater than 0.5 times the set amount of separation, the advancement length is the longest stage, and when 0.5 to 0.2, The advance length is set to an intermediate stage, and if it is less than 0.2, the advance length is set to the shortest stage.
In the powder dispensing operation, the vibration of the rod member during the powder dispensing operation is controlled based on the weighing value of the electronic balance 30. For example, when the weighing value of the electronic balance 30 becomes close to the amount to be set (set weighing), the vibration of the rod member is reduced by reducing the rotation speed of the vibration motor 64 and reducing the amplitude of the vibrating body 63. Control or intermittent rotation of the vibration motor 64 is performed. As described above, the vibration operation of the rod member can include vibration due to rotation of the rod member 58, vertical vibration, and lateral vibration. By performing such control, it becomes easier to adjust the dispensing of a very small amount, and the powder P can be more accurately separated.

Further, while the powder dispensing operation is being executed, a weighing operation step (S5) for determining whether or not the weighing of the electronic balance 30 has reached the sorting amount (set weighing), and the powder dropping operation time is a predetermined amount. The powder dropping operation time measuring step (S6) for determining whether or not the operation time has elapsed is repeatedly executed.
Then, when the balance of the electronic balance 30 reaches the separation amount (set weighing), the rod member 58 is retracted into the cylinder 57 (retraction operation at the time of powder dispensing) and other dispensing end operations are performed. The powder dispensing process is finished, and the sorting operation is completed.
On the other hand, if the weighing of the electronic balance 30 does not reach the set separation amount even after a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds) has elapsed since the start of the powder dropping operation, the rod member 58 is moved back into the cylinder 57. After performing the (retracting operation at the time of powder discharge) and ending the powder discharge process, the powder discharge end process (S7) is executed.
In the retreating operation at the time of discharging the powder, the lifting motor 53 is operated to raise the rod member 58 until the cylindrical body is closed (see FIG. 5B).

In the powder discharge end step (S7), for example, the operation of stopping the vibration motor 64 (powder discharge stop operation) or the head body elevator 510 is operated to separate the cylinder 57 and the rod member 58 from the container C2. Then, the head body 51 is moved up to the powder discharge operation start position (see FIG. 1).
When the powder discharge end process is executed, the head return movement process (S8) is executed next in order to execute the powder extraction process (S2) again.

In the head return movement process, the head main body 51 at the powder discharge operation start position is moved laterally toward the raw material container C1 side, and the rod member 58 stored in the cylinder 57 is placed on the raw material container placing table 21. It is positioned above the raw material container C1 (see FIG. 11).
Thereby, it will be in the state which can perform again the powder extraction process (S2) mentioned above. In this way, the steps from taking out the powder to discharging are repeatedly executed, and finally, a set weight of the powder is sorted into the sorting container C2.

Using a powder dispensing apparatus that operates in this way, a small amount of powder can be easily and quickly removed by a predetermined amount.

In the head return movement step (S8) described above, an operation (powder return operation) for returning the powder P remaining in the pick part 58b to the raw material container C1 may be performed as necessary. The powder returning operation is the same as the powder discharging operation except that the return destination of the powder P is not the sorting container C2 but the raw material container C1, and therefore detailed description thereof is omitted here.
In addition, the powder returning operation may be performed before the cylinder descending operation before the powder extraction during the extraction preparation operation in the powder extraction process.

Note that the powder dispensing apparatus and the powder dispensing method according to the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and the present invention includes various types of powders modified without departing from the spirit of the invention. A body dispensing device and a powder dispensing method are included.

For example, the raw material container mounting portion (first mounting portion) 20 of the powder dispensing apparatus according to the present invention includes the vibrator 22, but any means for moving the raw material container C 1 (swinging means) may be used. For example, a device other than the vibrator may be used. That is, as a raw material container mounting part, you may provide any one or more of a vibrator, the rotator which rotates a raw material container, or the raising / lowering device which raises / lowers. The rotator performs at least one of an operation of rotating the raw material container by positioning the rotation shaft at the center of gravity of the raw material container and an operation of rotating the raw material container by being eccentric. Also good.

Moreover, although the raw material container mounting part 20 and the electronic balance (second mounting part 30) can be taken out from the casing 10 of the powder dispensing device M, they may be fixed to the casing or detachable. It may be attached to.
Furthermore, an apparatus and method for measuring the height position of the upper surface of the raw material powder in the raw material container C1, and an apparatus and method for bringing the tip of the cylindrical body 57 into contact with the upper surface of the raw material powder in the raw material container C1, It is not restricted to the apparatus and method using a measuring device as mentioned above, A various apparatus and method are employable.

Further, the rod member 58 is a part of the detachable unit 55 of the head body 51, but may be a member of the elevating unit 60. That is, for example, a structure attached to the vibrating body 63 of the elevating unit 60 may be used. Further, the rod member 58 may be made of a spring material.

The rod member 58 is vibrated by the vibrating body 63 vibrated by the vibration motor 64, but the vibration means is not limited to this. For example, a piezoelectric element (piezoelectric element) that can be used as an oscillator, an oscillation circuit, or a vibration sensor may be used as the vibration means of the rod member. Note that the piezoelectric element mentioned here includes a crystal resonator.

Further, the rod member 58 may be rotatably installed. For example, a bearing may be disposed between the rod member 58 and the vibrating body 63, and a rotational power transmission mechanism that transmits rotational power to the rod member 58 and a rod member rotation motor may be provided. In this way, the rod vibration operation described above can be executed by operating the rod member rotating motor to rotate the rod member 58 during the powder taking operation. The rotation of the rod member 58 includes rotation (when the rotation axis of the rod member and the axis of the rod member are coincident) and revolving motion (the rotation axis of the rod member and the axis of the rod member are coincident). If not)

In the above embodiment, the head body 51 of the head (sorting means) 50 is installed on the slider 43 via the head body elevator 510, and the head body 51 can be raised and lowered with respect to the slider 43. The head main body 51 may be installed on the slider 43 via a drive mechanism that enables not only the direction but also the lateral and front-back movement. In this case, the head main body 51 can move in the up-down direction, the lateral direction, and the front-rear direction with respect to the slider 43. On the contrary, the head body 51 may be fixed to the slider 43. In this case, the rod member can be moved up and down only by the lifting mechanism 52. In this case, the fixing structure of the head body 51 becomes more robust.

Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the rod member 58 is moved to the raw material container mounting portion (first mounting portion) 20 by moving the head 50 with respect to the casing 10 of the powder dispensing device using the slide mechanism 42. Or the electronic balance (second mounting portion) 30 but the rod member is relatively moved by moving the raw material container mounting portion 20 and the electronic balance 30 instead of moving the head 50. 58 may be configured to move with respect to the raw material container mounting unit 20 and the electronic balance 30. Examples of the means for moving relative to the raw material container mounting part 20 and the electronic balance 30 include an XY table T that is installed on the base part of the housing 10 so as to be movable in the X direction and the Y direction. (See FIG. 12A). On this XY table T, the placement parts 20a, 20b of the plurality of raw material containers Ca1, Cb1 and the electronic balance 30 which is the placement part of the sorting container C2 may be installed. With such a configuration, a plurality of types of powders can be quickly and accurately mixed. Further, a plurality of electronic balances 30a and 30b may be installed on the XY table T so that the placement unit 20 of the raw material container C1 and the plurality of sorting containers Ca2 and Cb2 can be placed (FIG. 12B )reference). With such a configuration, after the powder has been sorted into one sorting container C2a, the sorting container on one side can be replaced while the powder is being sorted into the other sorting container Cb2. The powder can be quickly and continuously separated. In addition to the XY table T, examples of the movement support means on which the placement unit 20 and the like can be moved include movement support means such as a uniaxial slider and a rotary table.
Further, the rod member 58 and the above-described placement unit 20 and the electronic balance 30 may be configured to be slidable.

Further, the powder dispensing device may be provided with a tool changer (tool change function) (see FIG. 12). For example, as shown in FIG. 12, a configuration in which a tool change is possible by including a tool storage unit TC in which a plurality of rod members 58 are stored and a tool changer (not shown) is conceivable. With such a configuration, the rod member can be easily replaced during the dispensing operation, and an accurate amount of the powder P can be taken out from the plurality of raw material containers C1 and dispensed into the sorting container C2. A desired medicine obtained by blending a plurality of types of powder P can be obtained.
Note that the tool changer can be installed in either a configuration in which the rod member 58 is slidable or fixed, but in the case of a configuration in which the rod member does not slide and only moves up and down, Since tool change is easy, it is preferable in that a tool changer with a simple configuration can be used.

Claims (20)

1. A first placement portion on which a raw material container containing powder is placed; a second placement portion on which a sorting container for placing powder taken out of the raw material container is placed; A powder separating means including a rod-shaped rod member for taking out a part of the powder; a vibrating means for vibrating the rod member; and the rod member with respect to the first placement portion and the second placement portion. Moving means for relative movement, and
   The rod member includes a powder holding portion that holds powder to be taken out at a tip portion thereof,
   The moving means moves at least one of the rod member, the first placement portion, and the second placement portion, so that at least a part of the powder holding portion is powder in the raw material container. The powder is characterized in that the rod member is positioned at a powder take-in position in contact with a body and a powder discharge position at which the powder taken in the powder holding part is discharged into the sorting container. Dispensing device.
2. The powder separating means includes a cylinder that houses the rod member, and an elevating means that raises and lowers the rod member relative to the cylinder,
   The moving means includes a powder sorting unit moving means for moving the powder sorting means, and the elevating means.
   The lifting means includes the rod member, a powder storage position where the powder holding portion is located in the cylinder, and the powder holding portion is exposed from the cylinder so that powder can be taken in and out. The powder dispensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the powder dispensing apparatus can be moved at least to a powder operation position.
3. 3. The powder dispensing device according to claim 2, wherein the powder holding unit includes a closing part capable of closing a front end side opening of the cylindrical body at a tip powder holding body located at a tip thereof. .
4. A controller provided with a lifting control means for controlling the lifting means, and a measuring instrument for measuring the amount of powder dispensed into the sorting container,
   The controller for controlling the elevation of the controller adjusts the protruding length of the rod member to the outside of the cylindrical body based on the amount of powder measured by the measuring device, and sets the plurality of powder operating positions having different protruding lengths. The powder dispensing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the rod member can be moved.
5. The powder separating means includes a rotating means for rotating the rod member around a long axis,
   The powder dispensing device according to claim 4, wherein the powder holding portion of the rod member has a spiral or parallel multistage flange portion arranged around the axis of the rod member.
6. 6. The powder dispensing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the powder holding part formed of the spiral hook part has a plurality of spiral shapes.
7. The powder dispensing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein the rod member is made of a spring material.
8. The powder sorting means comprises a lifting body that is lifted and lowered by the lifting means with respect to the main body of the powder sorting means, and a detachable unit that is detachably installed on the main body of the powder sorting means,
   The elevating body includes rotating means for rotating the rod member,
   The said detachable unit is provided with the said cylinder, the said rod member, and the engaging means which engages | engages the said rod member with the said rotation means so that engagement / disengagement is possible. The powder dispensing apparatus described in 1.
9. 9. The powder dispensing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the powder separating means includes attachment / detachment unit swinging means for causing the attachment / detachment unit to move at least one of rotation, elevation and vibration.
10. The said powder sorting part moving means is provided with the means to raise / lower the said powder sorting means provided with the said cylinder, and a means to move to a horizontal direction. Powder dispensing equipment.
11. The said 1st mounting part is provided with the rocking | fluctuation means which makes at least any one movement of rotation, raising / lowering, or a vibration of the said raw material container as described in any one of Claims 1-10. Powder dispensing device.
12. A powder extraction step of extracting a part of the powder in the raw material container with a rod-shaped rod member provided with a powder holding portion;
    A powder discharging step of discharging the extracted powder into a separate container, which is a separate container,
    The powder extraction step includes a rod advance operation for bringing the powder holding portion of the rod member into contact with the powder in the raw material container,
    The powder discharging step includes a powder discharging operation for discharging the powder held in the powder holding portion of the rod member in the powder discharging step into the sorting container by vibrating the rod member. A powder dispensing method characterized by that.
13. In the powder take-out step, the powder taken out from the raw material container is moved by moving at least one of the rod member and the cylindrical body arranged so as to surround the rod member in the long axis direction of the rod member. The powder dispensing method according to claim 12, further comprising a powder holding unit housing operation for positioning the powder holding unit in a holding state in the cylinder.
14. In the powder take-out step, before the rod advancing operation, the cylindrical body is placed in the raw material container while maintaining a state where all or a part of the powder holding portion of the rod member is accommodated in the cylindrical body. A cylinder lowering operation for lowering to a cylindrical lowering position in contact with the upper surface of the powder,
    The powder dispensing method according to claim 12 or 13, wherein the rod advancing operation is an operation of immersing the powder holding portion of the rod member into powder existing below the cylindrical body.
15. 15. The powder dispensing method according to claim 14, wherein the powder holding unit accommodating operation is an operation of raising the rod member while vibrating the rod member to position the powder holding unit in the cylinder.
16. The powder take-out step is a cylinder raising operation for raising the cylinder to a cylinder raising position that is above the cylinder lowering position and is spaced from the powder upper surface;
    The rod member is vibrated in a state in which the powder holding portion protrudes from the opening on the distal end side of the cylindrical body, and then includes a grinding operation for accommodating the powder holding portion in the cylindrical body. Item 16. The powder dispensing method according to any one of Items 15 to 15.
17. In the powder take-out step, the rod member is rotated around a long axis between the start of the rod advancement operation and the end of the powder holding unit housing operation, thereby forming a spiral shape constituting the powder holding unit or The powder dispensing method according to any one of claims 12 to 16, further comprising a powder taking-in operation of taking the powder into a concave portion that is a gap between parallel multi-stage flanges.
18. The powder take-out step closes the opening on the distal end side of the cylinder from which the powder holding part comes in and out from the state where the powder holding part is moved into the cylinder, and places the powder holding part in the cylinder. The powder dispensing method according to any one of claims 12 to 17, further comprising a powder storing operation for confinement.
19. In the powder take-out step, the raw material container vibration that applies at least one of rotation, raising / lowering, and vibration to the raw material container for at least a predetermined time from the start of the rod advancement operation to the end of the powder take-in operation. The powder dispensing method according to any one of claims 12 to 18, further comprising an operation.
20. The powder discharging step includes a measuring operation for measuring the amount of powder discharged into the sorting container, and a powder discharging stop for stopping the powder discharging operation when the measured amount of powder reaches a set amount. The powder dispensing method according to any one of claims 12 to 19, which includes an operation.

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