WO2020235379A1

WO2020235379A1 - Powder cartridge and powder supply method

Info

Publication number: WO2020235379A1
Application number: PCT/JP2020/018850
Authority: WO
Inventors: 公智梶; 直樹吉井; 克治門沢
Original assignee: 東京エレクトロン株式会社
Priority date: 2019-05-22
Filing date: 2020-05-11
Publication date: 2020-11-26

Abstract

A powder cartridge according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a powder cartridge that supplies powder to a feeder, the powder cartridge being provided with: a housing that is attachable to and detachable from the feeder and has a first room that is capable of accommodating the powder in an airtight state and a second room that is capable of communicating with the first room and provided with at least any of a gas supply port and a gas discharge port; and an opening/closing part that controls a communication state between the first room and the second room.

Description

Powder cartridge and powder supply method

This disclosure relates to a powder cartridge and a powder supply method.

A thermal spraying device is known in which a thermal spray material powder supplied from a container filled with an inert gas is heated and melted, and the molten powder is sprayed onto the object to form a thermal spray film on the object. (See, for example, Patent Document 1). Further, as a method for transporting powder, a technique for transporting powder such as toner by rotationally driving a screw is known (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2014-123663 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-195659

The present disclosure provides a technique capable of quantitatively supplying powder without exposure to the atmosphere.

The powder cartridge according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a powder cartridge that supplies powder to the feeder, and is a housing that can be attached to and detached from the feeder, and has a first chamber that can accommodate the powder in an airtight state, and the said. A housing capable of communicating with the first chamber and having a second chamber provided with at least one of a gas supply port and a gas exhaust port, and a state of communication between the first chamber and the second chamber. It is provided with an opening / closing unit for controlling.

According to the present disclosure, the powder can be quantitatively supplied without being exposed to the atmosphere.

The figure which shows the structural example of the plasma spraying apparatus The figure which shows the recovery and disposal mechanism of the plasma spraying apparatus of FIG. The figure which shows the powder cartridge of the 1st configuration example The figure for demonstrating the operation of the powder cartridge of 1st configuration example. The figure for demonstrating the operation of the powder cartridge of 1st configuration example. The figure for demonstrating the operation of the powder cartridge of 1st configuration example. The figure for demonstrating the operation of the powder cartridge of 1st configuration example. The figure which shows the powder cartridge of the 2nd configuration example The figure which shows the powder cartridge of the 3rd configuration example The figure for demonstrating the operation of the powder cartridge of the 3rd configuration example. The figure for demonstrating the operation of the powder cartridge of the 3rd configuration example. The figure for demonstrating the operation of the powder cartridge of the 3rd configuration example. The figure for demonstrating the operation of the powder cartridge of the 3rd configuration example. The figure for demonstrating the operation of the powder cartridge of the 3rd configuration example. The figure for demonstrating the operation of the powder cartridge of the 3rd configuration example. The figure which shows the powder cartridge of 4th structural example The figure which shows the powder cartridge of the 5th structural example The figure which shows an example of the opening and closing part The figure which shows an example of the opening and closing part The figure which shows another example of the opening and closing part The figure which shows another example of the opening and closing part The figure which shows still another example of the opening and closing part The figure which shows still another example of the opening and closing part The figure which shows still another example of the opening and closing part The figure which shows still another example of the opening and closing part The figure which shows still another example of the opening and closing part The figure which shows still another example of the opening and closing part The figure which shows still another example of the opening and closing part The figure which shows still another example of the opening and closing part

Hereinafter, non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In all the attached drawings, the same or corresponding members or parts are designated by the same or corresponding reference numerals, and duplicate description is omitted.

[Plasma spraying device]
A plasma spraying device will be described as an example of a device to which a powder cartridge can be applied. Hereinafter, as an example of the plasma spraying device, a device that performs plasma spraying in a chamber in which an inert gas is sealed and the atmosphere is adjusted (environmental control) will be described, but a device that performs plasma spraying in the atmosphere may also be used.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a plasma spraying device. As shown in FIG. 1, the plasma spraying device 1 is a device that performs plasma spraying in a chamber C in which an inert gas is sealed and the atmosphere is adjusted (environmental control). In the plasma spraying apparatus 1, the powder of the thermal spraying material (hereinafter referred to as “powder R1”) is injected from the opening 11b at the tip of the nozzle 11 and melted by the heat of the plasma jet P formed by the high-speed gas to adjust the atmosphere. It is sprayed toward the surface of the base material W in the chamber C. As a result, a film of the thermal spray material (hereinafter referred to as “thermal spray film”) F1 is formed on the surface of the base material W.

An example of the base material W is an electrode such as copper (Cu). An example of the powder R1 is a lithium (Li) powder. For example, by completely melting lithium powder on a copper electrode using a plasma spraying device 1 to form a film, it becomes possible to doping the electrode used in a lithium secondary battery with lithium ions. However, the powder R1 is not limited to the lithium powder, and may be, for example, a powder of aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), gold (Au), etc., and is a powder obtained by mixing these. You may.

Since the plasma spraying device 1 melts the thermal spray material with low energy, the powder of the thermal spray material does not sublimate, but exists in a liquid state and can form a film. Therefore, one of the advantages of the plasma spraying apparatus 1 is that even a specific thermal spraying material such as lithium having a low melting point can be sprayed to form a film. Therefore, the plasma spraying device 1 is particularly suitable when a metal powder having a low melting point such as lithium is used as a thermal spraying material.

The plasma spraying device 1 includes a supply unit 10, a control unit 30, a gas supply unit 40, a plasma generation unit 60, a chamber C, a recovery / disposal mechanism 83, and a dry chamber 88.

The supply unit 10 has a nozzle 11 and a feeder 20, carries the powder R1 by the plasma generating gas, and injects the powder R1 from the opening at the tip. The feeder 20 supplies the powder R1 to the nozzle 11. The powder R1 is supplied to the feeder 20 from the powder cartridge 90 described later. The powder R1 is housed in the container 21 in the feeder 20. The powder R1 is a fine powder having a central particle size of 1 μm to 500 μm, preferably a fine powder having a central particle size of 1 μm to 200 μm, and more preferably a fine powder having a central particle size of 1 μm to 20 μm.

The feeder 20 is provided with an actuator 22. The nozzle 11 is a rod-shaped annular member, and a flow path 11a through which the powder R1 is carried is formed inside the nozzle 11. The flow path 11a of the nozzle 11 and the inside of the container 21 communicate with each other. The powder R1 is charged from the container 21 into the flow path 11a in the nozzle 11 by the power of the actuator 22. The feeder 20 may be, for example, a bowl feeder.

A plasma generating gas is supplied to the nozzle 11 together with the powder R1. The plasma-producing gas is a gas for generating plasma. The plasma-generated gas also functions as a carrier gas that carries the powder R1 in the flow path 11a. In the gas supply unit 40, plasma generated gas is supplied from the gas supply source 41, opened / closed and flow rate controlled through a valve 46 and a mass flow controller (MFC), and a flow path in the nozzle 11 passes through a pipe 42. It is supplied to 11a. As the plasma generating gas, a gas such as argon gas (Ar), helium gas (He), nitrogen gas (N ₂ ), hydrogen gas (H ₂ ), and a gas combining these various gases can be used. In the present embodiment, a case where argon gas is supplied as the plasma generation gas will be described as an example.

The nozzle 11 penetrates the main body 12 of the plasma generation unit 60, and its tip protrudes into the plasma generation space U. The powder R1 is transported to the tip of the nozzle 11 by the plasma generation gas, and is injected together with the plasma generation gas from the opening 11b at the tip into the plasma generation space U.

The main body 12 is formed of an insulating material. The main body portion 12 has a through port 12a in the central portion. The front portion 11c of the nozzle 11 is inserted into the through port 12a of the main body portion 12. The front portion 11c of the nozzle 11 is connected to the DC power supply 50 and also functions as an electrode (cathode) to which a current is supplied from the DC power supply 50. The front portion 11c of the nozzle 11 is made of metal.

The plasma generation space U is a space mainly defined by the recessed portion 12b and the overhanging portion 12d of the main body portion 12, and the tip of the nozzle 11 projects into the plasma generation space U. The overhanging portion 12d is connected to the metal plate 12c provided on the outer wall of the main body portion 12 at one end. The metal plate 12c is connected to the DC power supply 50. As a result, the metal plate 12c and the overhanging portion 12d function as electrodes (anodes).

Power of 500 W to 10 kW is supplied from the DC power supply 50 between the electrodes, and a discharge occurs between the tip of the nozzle 11 and the other end of the overhanging portion 12d. As a result, the plasma generation unit 60 ionizes (decomposes) the argon gas injected from the nozzle 11 in the plasma generation space U to generate argon plasma.

Further, argon gas is supplied as a swirling flow to the plasma generation space U. Argon gas is supplied from the gas supply source 41, opens and closes and the flow rate is controlled through the valve 46 and the mass flow controller (MFC), flows through the main body 12 through the pipe 43, and is supplied to the plasma generation space U from the lateral direction. Will be done.

In FIG. 1, only one supply flow path for the argon gas introduced into the plasma generation space U is shown, but the main body 12 is provided with a plurality of supply flow paths. As a result, the argon gas is supplied to the plasma generation space U as a swirling flow in the lateral direction from the plurality of supply channels. Therefore, the diffusion of the generated plasma is prevented, and the plasma jet P becomes linearly deflected. As a result, the plasma generation unit 60 decomposes the plasma generation gas injected from the tip of the nozzle 11 to generate a plasma jet P in which the nozzle 11 and the axis O are common. In addition, "the shaft core is common" means that the central axis of the supply unit 10 (nozzle 11) and the central axis of the plasma jet P in the blowing direction coincide with or substantially the same direction.

With this configuration, the supply unit 10 causes the powder R1 and the argon gas to travel straight through the flow path 11a formed inside the nozzle 11, and injects the powder R1 and the argon gas into the plasma generation space U from the opening 11b at the tip. The injected powder R1 is ejected toward the surface of the base material W while being melted by the heat of the plasma jet P formed by the high-speed argon gas, and forms a thermal spray film F1 on the surface of the base material W.

A refrigerant flow path 72 is formed inside the main body 12. The refrigerant supplied from the chiller unit 70 circulates through the refrigerant pipe 71, the refrigerant flow path 72, and the refrigerant pipe 73 by opening and closing the

valves

74 and 75, and returns to the chiller unit 70. As a result, the main body 12 is cooled, and it is possible to prevent the main body 12 from becoming hot due to the heat of the plasma. A window 82 for visually observing the inside of the chamber C is attached to the side wall of the chamber C.

[Chamber]
Chamber C will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 1, the chamber C is a cylindrical hollow container. The chamber C is made of, for example, aluminum, stainless steel, quartz or the like. In the chamber C, the main body portion 12 is supported by the ceiling portion, and the supply portion 10 and the plasma generation portion 60 are closed spaces. The base material W is placed on a stage 80 arranged at the bottom 81 of the chamber C. The inside of the chamber C is depressurized to a predetermined pressure, for example. However, the inside of the chamber C does not necessarily have to be depressurized.

Some powder R1 explodes when it comes in contact with moisture, such as Li powder. Further, when the powder R1 reacts with nitrogen or oxygen like Li powder, it becomes a nitride or an oxide, and changes from an active state to a stable state. In that case, the movement of lithium ions between the positive electrode and the negative electrode reduces the function of the lithium ion battery for charging and discharging.

Therefore, it is preferable to place the powder R1 in a space in which each component of water, oxygen, and nitrogen is reduced as much as possible. Therefore, in the plasma spraying device 1, the supply unit 10 and the plasma generation unit 60 are closed by the chamber C, so that the chamber C including the container 21 in which the powder R1 is housed, the nozzle 11, and the plasma generation space U is included. Reduce water, oxygen, and nitrogen from the inside as much as possible.

Further, the inside of the chamber C is filled with argon gas. Argon gas is supplied from the gas supply source 41 through the pipe 45 into the chamber C. However, the gas filled in the chamber C is not limited to the argon gas, and may be an inert gas. As a result, for example, the oxygen concentration inside the chamber C is reduced to about 1 ppm (10 ^-4 %) or less, and for example, the oxygen concentration in the Li film formed on the Cu electrode (substrate) is about 0.5%. Can be done. Therefore, according to the plasma spraying apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, the characteristics of the film can be improved and the battery efficiency can be improved by forming the powder R1 without reacting with water, oxygen, and nitrogen.

[Collection and disposal mechanism]
The collection / disposal mechanism 83 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a recovery / disposal mechanism 83 of the plasma spraying device 1 of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, the collection / disposal mechanism 83 sucks argon gas and powder inside the chamber C through the exhaust pipe 84 by opening / closing the valve 85, and discards the powder. The collection / disposal mechanism 83 includes a liquid seal pump 100, a motor 101, an impeller 103, a pipe 104, a tank 106, a pipe 108, and a disposal mechanism 109.

The liquid seal pump 100 sucks in the thermal spray material (hereinafter referred to as “thermal spray waste”) and argon gas that have not been used for plasma spraying inside the chamber C, and seals the sucked thermal spray waste and argon gas with the working liquid. To do.

The liquid seal pump 100 is filled with a fluorine-based solvent or oil. In the present embodiment, water cannot be used as the working liquid used for the recovery of the sprayed waste, and a fluorine-based solvent or oil is used so that the sprayed waste does not ignite. Further, the liquid seal pump 100 is formed of a scrubber type pump capable of sucking in a gas mixed with thermal spray waste. For example, a turbo molecular pump or a dry pump is difficult to use in the present embodiment because it is assumed that the turbo molecular pump or the dry pump will break down when a gas mixed with solid sprayed waste is sucked. The pump flow rate of the liquid seal pump 100 is, for example, 300 L / min to 1200 L / min.

The liquid seal pump 100 rotates the shaft 102 by the power of the motor 101 to rotate the impeller 103. As a result, the sprayed waste and argon gas are passed from the chamber C through the exhaust pipe 84 and the open valve 85, sucked into the pump through the suction port I, and sealed with the working liquid. The working liquid is sent from the discharge port J to the tank 106 through the pipe 104 in a state where the sprayed waste and the argon gas are sealed.

The disposal mechanism 109 has a filtration unit 110 and an incineration unit 107, and disposes of thermal sprayed waste. The filtration unit 110 extracts the thermal spray waste with a filter or the like. The sprayed waste extracted by the filtration unit 110 needs to be disposed of so as not to ignite due to moisture or the like.

Therefore, the incineration unit 107 incinerates the extracted thermal spray waste and discards it. The working liquid from which the sprayed waste has been removed is returned to the tank 106 through the pipe 108 and reused as the working liquid of the liquid seal pump 100. According to the collection / disposal mechanism 83 according to the present embodiment, the sprayed waste can be safely disposed of without being ignited by moisture or the like. In addition, the heat and working liquid used for disposal can be reused.

[Dry room]
The dry chamber 88 is provided adjacent to the chamber C and forms a closed space dehumidified to a predetermined humidity. Further, the dry chamber 88 is depressurized to a predetermined pressure by the exhaust device 89. However, the dry chamber 88 does not have to be decompressed.

The base material W after film formation is transported to the dry chamber 88 and transported to the next process. The base material W after film formation is immediately carried into the dry chamber 88 from the

gate valves

86 and 87 so that the sprayed film F1 does not react with nitrogen and oxygen as much as possible in the transfer step of the base material W after film formation.

[Control unit]
The plasma spraying device 1 has a control unit 30. The control unit 30 controls the plasma spraying device 1. Specifically, the control unit 30 controls the gas supply source 41, the feeder 20 (actuator 22), the DC power supply 50, the chiller unit 70, the collection / disposal mechanism 83, and the like.

The control unit 30 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The CPU selects a program (recipe) for forming a specific metal sprayed material by plasma spraying and sets it in the RAM. The CPU sends a control signal to each unit based on the program stored in the RAM. As a result, the thermal spray film F1 having desired characteristics can be sprayed onto the base material W. The function of the control unit 30 may be realized by using software or may be realized by using hardware.

[Powder cartridge]
(First configuration example)
A first configuration example of the powder cartridge 90 that supplies powder to the feeder 20 of the plasma spraying device 1 described above will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the powder cartridge 300 of the first configuration example, and shows a state in which the powder cartridge 300 is attached to the feeder 20.

As shown in FIG. 3, the powder cartridge 300 is a portable container that houses the powder R1 in an airtight state. When the powder R1 is contained in the powder cartridge 300, for example, the powder R1 is filled in the powder cartridge 300 from a storage container stored in an airtight state in a dry box provided in an environment-controlled dry booth. The dry booth is kept at a humidity of, for example, 2% to 4%. The dry box is maintained at a humidity of, for example, 0.5% to 1.5%. This makes it possible to prevent the powder R1 before being filled in the powder cartridge 300 from reacting with water, oxygen, and nitrogen. Further, in the dry box, the powder R1 may be heated by a heating means such as a heater and then filled in the powder cartridge 300.

The powder cartridge 300 can be attached to and detached from the upper part of the feeder 20. The powder cartridge 300 supplies the powder R1 to the feeder 20 in a state of being attached to the upper portion of the feeder 20. The powder cartridge 300 includes a housing 310, an opening / closing portion 320, and a gas supply port 330.

The housing 310 is configured to be removable from the feeder 20. The housing 310 has a first chamber 311 and a second chamber 312. The first chamber 311 and the second chamber 312 can communicate with each other, and the communication state is controlled by the opening / closing unit 320. The first chamber 311 is configured to be able to accommodate the powder R1 in an airtight state. As a result, the powder cartridge 300 can accommodate the powder R1 without reacting the powder R1 with water, nitrogen, and oxygen. The second chamber 312 is configured to be connectable to the feeder 20.

The opening / closing unit 320 controls the communication state between the first chamber 311 and the second chamber 312. The opening / closing portion 320 is a valve-type opening / closing valve having a lid portion 321 and an expansion / contraction portion 322. The lid portion 321 is, for example, a plate-shaped member, and is formed in a size that blocks the communication state between the first chamber 311 and the second chamber 312 when the expansion / contraction portion 322 is extended. The telescopic portion 322 is formed of an extendable member, and raises and lowers the lid portion 321. The telescopic portion 322 extends by, for example, electrical control or mechanical control. When the telescopic portion 322 contracts, the lid portion 321 moves downward to communicate with the first chamber 311 and the second chamber 312, and the powder R1 inside the first chamber 311 passes through the second chamber 312. It can be supplied to the container 21 of the feeder 20. On the other hand, when the expansion / contraction portion 322 is expanded, the lid portion 321 moves upward to cut off the communication between the first chamber 311 and the second chamber 312, and the powder R1 inside the first chamber 311 becomes the second. Not supplied to room 312. When the opening / closing portion 320 is closed in this way, the first chamber 311 is in an airtight state, so that even if the powder cartridge 300 is taken out from the dry box into the atmosphere, the powder filled in the powder cartridge 300 It is possible to prevent R1 from reacting with water, oxygen, and nitrogen.

The gas supply port 330 is provided in the second chamber 312. As shown in FIG. 1, the gas supply port 330 is connected to the gas supply source 41 via a pipe 44 having a valve 47 interposed therebetween. Argon gas from the gas supply source 41 is filled into the second chamber 312 from the gas supply port 330 through the pipe 44. As a result, the inside of the second chamber 312 can be adjusted to an argon gas atmosphere. The gas filled in the second chamber 312 is not limited to the argon gas, and may be an inert gas, for example, a helium gas. Further, the gas supply port 330 may be connected to a gas supply source provided separately from the gas supply source 41.

A gas exhaust port may be provided instead of the gas supply port 330. In this case, the inside of the second chamber 312 can be adjusted to a vacuum atmosphere. Further, a gas exhaust port may be provided separately from the gas supply port 330. In this case, the time required for purging in the second chamber 312 (purge time) can be shortened by combining (or switching) the supply of argon gas into the second chamber 312 and the exhaust gas in the second chamber 312. Further, the adjustment of the atmosphere in the second chamber 312 may be performed via the connection port 370 with the feeder 20 of the powder cartridge 300. In this case, the inside of the second chamber 312 may be adjusted to an inert gas atmosphere by supplying the inert gas from the feeder 20 into the second chamber 312 via the connection port 370, via the connection port 370. The inside of the second chamber 312 may be exhausted. In this way, the connection port 370 may function as a gas supply port 330 or a gas exhaust port.

Next, an example of a powder supply method for supplying powder to the feeder 20 of the plasma spraying device 1 using the powder cartridge 300 of the first configuration example will be described with reference to FIGS. 4A to 4D. The powder supply method described below may be executed by, for example, the control unit 30, or may be executed by a control unit (not shown) provided separately from the control unit 30. When the control unit is provided separately from the control unit, the control unit may be detachably attached to, for example, the housing 310, and is preferably drip-proof or waterproof. 4A to 4D are diagrams for explaining the operation of the powder cartridge 300 of the first configuration example.

First, the powder R1 is filled into the powder cartridge 300 from a storage container stored in an airtight state in a dry box provided in an environment-controlled dry booth. In the present embodiment, with the opening / closing portion 320 of the powder cartridge 300 closed in the dry box, the lid (not shown) provided in the first chamber 311 is opened to open the first chamber 311 of the powder cartridge 300. The powder R1 is filled therein. This makes it possible to prevent the powder R1 before being filled in the powder cartridge 300 from reacting with water, oxygen, and nitrogen. After the filling of the powder R1 is completed, the lid provided in the first chamber 311 is closed, and the powder cartridge 300 is taken out from the dry box. As a result, even if the powder cartridge 300 is taken out from the dry box into the atmosphere, it is possible to prevent the powder R1 filled in the powder cartridge 300 from reacting with water, oxygen, and nitrogen.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 4A, the powder cartridge 300 is attached to the upper part of the feeder 20, the second chamber 312 is filled with argon gas from the gas supply port 330, and the inside of the second chamber 312 is filled with an argon gas atmosphere. Adjust to. The atmosphere in the second chamber 312 may be an inert gas atmosphere, and may be, for example, a helium gas atmosphere or a nitrogen gas atmosphere instead of the argon gas atmosphere.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 4B, the filling of the argon gas from the gas supply port 330 to the second chamber 312 is stopped, the expansion / contraction portion 322 is contracted, and the lid portion 321 is lowered. As a result, the first chamber 311 and the second chamber 312 communicate with each other, and the powder R1 contained in the first chamber 311 starts to be supplied into the second chamber 312. At this time, the lid portion 321 is lowered below the position of the gas supply port 330.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 4C, the telescopic portion 322 is further contracted to further lower the lid portion 321. As a result, the powder R1 in the first chamber 311 is supplied into the container 21 of the feeder 20 via the second chamber 312. At this time, for example, by controlling the lowering distance of the lid portion 321 and the lowering time of the lid portion 321, the amount of powder R1 supplied from the first chamber 311 to the second chamber 312 is controlled per unit time.

After supplying the powder R1 having a predetermined mass to the container 21 of the feeder 20, the stretchable portion 322 is stretched to raise the lid portion 321 as shown in FIG. 4D. As a result, the communication state between the first chamber 311 and the second chamber 312 is cut off. At this time, it is preferable to raise the lid portion 321 while filling the second chamber 312 with argon gas from the gas supply port 330. As a result, the powder R1 on the lid portion 321 can be removed, so that the powder R1 can be prevented from being caught between the housing 310 and the lid portion 321.

The operations of FIGS. 4A to 4D are repeated, and after the powder R1 contained in the first chamber 311 is exhausted, the filling of argon gas from the gas supply port 330 to the second chamber 312 is stopped, and the powder cartridge is used. Remove 300 from the feeder 20. At this time, since the communication state between the first chamber 311 and the second chamber 312 is blocked by the opening / closing portion 320, it is possible to prevent the inside of the first chamber 311 from being exposed to the atmospheric environment, and the first chamber 311 is prevented from being exposed to the atmospheric environment. It is possible to prevent the powder R1 in the chamber 311 from reacting with water, oxygen, and nitrogen.

According to the powder cartridge 300 of the first configuration example, the powder cartridge 300 has a first chamber 311 and a second chamber 312 partitioned by an opening / closing portion 320, and a gas supply port 330 is provided in the second chamber 312. .. As a result, the powder R1 can be supplied to the feeder 20 from the inside of the powder cartridge 300 while maintaining the airtight state. Therefore, the powder R1 in the powder cartridge 300 can be supplied to the container 21 of the feeder 20 without reacting with water, nitrogen, and oxygen. As a result, when plasma spraying is performed using the powder R1 supplied to the feeder 20, the stability of the film quality of the sprayed film using the powder R1 is improved.

Further, according to the powder cartridge 300 of the first configuration example, since the opening / closing portion 320 is provided, the amount of powder R1 supplied from the first chamber 311 to the second chamber 312 can be controlled per unit time. .. As a result, the powder can be quantitatively supplied to the feeder 20.

By the way, when the central particle size of the powder R1 is 1 μm to 20 μm, it is exposed to the atmosphere because the surface area per unit volume is larger than that of the commonly used powder having a central particle size of 50 μm to 100 μm. Is likely to react with water, oxygen, and nitrogen. Therefore, when the powder is supplied to the feeder 20 in the air, the powder R1 may react with water, oxygen, and nitrogen and aggregate. When the powder R1 aggregates, it is difficult to melt, so that the quality of the sprayed film deteriorates. Therefore, in the plasma spraying device 1 of the present embodiment, the environment is controlled in the feeder 20, the nozzle 11, and the chamber C, and when the powder R1 is supplied to the feeder 20 by the powder cartridge 300, the powder R1 is in the atmosphere. We have realized an environment that is not exposed to plasma. As a result, when the powder R1 is supplied to the feeder 20, deterioration of the film quality of the sprayed film due to the aggregation of the powder R1 can be prevented.

(Second configuration example)
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the powder cartridge 500 of the second configuration example, and shows a state in which the powder cartridge 500 is attached to the feeder 20. As shown in FIG. 5, the powder cartridge 500 of the second configuration example has the first configuration in that it has an opening / closing portion 520 which is a shutter type opening / closing valve instead of the opening / closing portion 320 which is a valve type opening / closing valve. It is different from the powder cartridge 300 of the example. The other configurations may be the same as those of the powder cartridge 300. Hereinafter, the differences will be mainly described.

The powder cartridge 500 is removable from the top of the feeder 20. The powder cartridge 500 supplies the powder R1 to the feeder 20 in a state of being attached to the upper portion of the feeder 20. The powder cartridge 500 includes a housing 510, an opening / closing portion 520, and a gas supply port 530. The housing 510 and the gas supply port 530 may have the same configurations as the housing 310 and the gas supply port 330 described above, respectively.

The opening / closing unit 520 controls the communication state between the first chamber 511 and the second chamber 512. The opening / closing portion 520 is a shutter-type opening / closing valve having a lid portion 521 and a slide portion 522. The lid portion 521 is, for example, a plate-shaped member, and is formed in a size that blocks communication between the first chamber 511 and the second chamber 512 when inserted into the housing 510. The slide portion 522 is connected to the lid portion 521 and slides in the horizontal direction to move the lid portion 521 between the internal position and the external position of the housing 510. The operation of the slide unit 522 may be performed by, for example, electrical control or mechanical control, or may be performed by, for example, a user. When the slide portion 522 is slid and the lid portion 521 moves to a position outside the housing 510, the first chamber 511 and the second chamber 512 communicate with each other, and the powder R1 inside the first chamber 511 becomes the first. It can be supplied to the container 21 of the feeder 20 via the chamber 512 of 2. On the other hand, when the slide portion 522 is slid and the lid portion 521 moves to the internal position of the housing 510, the communication between the first chamber 511 and the second chamber 512 is cut off, and the inside of the first chamber 511 is cut off. The powder R1 is not supplied to the second chamber 512. When the opening / closing portion 520 is closed in this way, the first chamber 511 is in an airtight state. Therefore, even if the powder cartridge 90 is taken out from the dry box into the atmosphere, the powder filled in the powder cartridge 500 It is possible to prevent R1 from reacting with water, oxygen, and nitrogen.

According to the powder cartridge 500 of the second configuration example, the powder cartridge 500 has a first chamber 511 and a second chamber 512 separated by an opening / closing portion 520, and a gas supply port 530 is provided in the second chamber 512. .. As a result, the powder R1 can be supplied to the feeder 20 from the inside of the powder cartridge 500 while maintaining the airtight state. Therefore, the powder R1 in the powder cartridge 500 can be supplied to the container 21 of the feeder 20 without reacting with water, nitrogen, and oxygen. As a result, when plasma spraying is performed using the powder R1 supplied to the feeder 20, the stability of the film quality of the sprayed film using the powder R1 is improved.

Further, according to the powder cartridge 500 of the second configuration example, since the opening / closing portion 520 is provided, the amount of powder R1 supplied from the first chamber 511 to the second chamber 512 can be controlled per unit time. .. As a result, the powder can be quantitatively supplied to the feeder 20.

In particular, according to the powder cartridge 500 of the second configuration example, since the opening / closing portion 520 is a shutter type on-off valve, the powder R1 is controlled by opening / closing the slide portion 522 of the opening / closing portion 520 to control the opening ratio and opening time. The amount of supply can be adjusted. As a result, a desired amount of powder R1 can be accurately supplied to the feeder 20. In addition, since it can be realized with a simple structure, cost reduction can be expected.

(Third configuration example)
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the powder cartridge 600 of the third configuration example, and shows a state in which the powder cartridge 600 is attached to the feeder 20. As shown in FIG. 6, the powder cartridge 600 of the third configuration example has a second chamber 612 including an intermediate portion 613 and a supply portion 614 partitioned by the second opening / closing portion 640. It is different from the powder cartridge 500 of the configuration example. The other configurations may be the same as those of the powder cartridge 500. Hereinafter, the differences will be mainly described.

The powder cartridge 600 is removable from the top of the feeder 20. The powder cartridge 600 supplies the powder R1 to the feeder 20 in a state of being attached to the upper portion of the feeder 20. The powder cartridge 600 includes a housing 610, an opening / closing portion 620, a gas supply port 630, and a second opening / closing portion 640. The opening / closing portion 620 may have the same configuration as the opening / closing portion 520 described above, and is a shutter-type on-off valve having a lid portion 621 and a slide portion 622.

The housing 610 is configured to be removable from the feeder 20. The housing 610 has a first chamber 611 and a second chamber 612. The first chamber 611 and the second chamber 612 can communicate with each other, and the communication state is controlled by the opening / closing unit 620.

The first chamber 611 is configured to be able to accommodate the powder R1 in an airtight state. As a result, the powder cartridge 600 can accommodate the powder R1 without reacting the powder R1 with water, nitrogen, and oxygen.

The second room 612 is configured to be connectable to the feeder 20. The second chamber 612 includes an intermediate section 613 and a supply section 614. The intermediate portion 613 is connected to the first chamber 611 via the opening / closing portion 620. The supply unit 614 is connected to the intermediate unit 613 via the second opening / closing unit 640, and is detachably connected to the feeder 20. That is, the intermediate portion 613 is provided between the first chamber 611 and the supply portion 614.

The gas supply port 630 is provided in the supply unit 614. As shown in FIG. 1, the gas supply port 630 is connected to the gas supply source 41 via a pipe 44 in which a valve 47 is interposed. Argon gas from the gas supply source 41 is filled into the supply unit 614 from the gas supply port 630 through the pipe 44. As a result, the inside of the supply unit 614 can be adjusted to an argon gas atmosphere. The gas filled in the supply unit 614 is not limited to the argon gas, and may be an inert gas, for example, a helium gas. Further, the gas supply port 630 may be connected to a gas supply source provided separately from the gas supply source 41.

A gas exhaust port may be provided instead of the gas supply port 630. In this case, the inside of the supply unit 614 can be adjusted to a vacuum atmosphere. Further, a gas exhaust port may be provided separately from the gas supply port 630. In this case, the time required for purging in the supply unit 614 (purge time) can be shortened by combining (or switching) the supply of argon gas into the supply unit 614 and the exhaust gas in the supply unit 614. Further, the adjustment of the atmosphere in the supply unit 614 may be performed via the connection port 670 with the feeder 20 of the powder cartridge 600. In this case, the inside of the supply unit 614 may be adjusted to an inert gas atmosphere by supplying the inert gas from the feeder 20 to the supply unit 614 via the connection port 670, and the supply unit 614 may be adjusted to the inert gas atmosphere through the connection port 670. The inside may be exhausted. In this way, the connection port 670 may function as a gas supply port 630 or a gas exhaust port.

The second opening / closing section 640 controls the communication state between the intermediate section 613 and the supply section 614, and measures the mass of the powder R1 contained in the intermediate section 613. The second opening / closing unit 640 is an on / off valve having a function as, for example, an electronic balance. The operation of the second opening / closing unit 640 may be performed by, for example, electrical control or mechanical control, or may be performed by, for example, a user. When the second opening / closing section 640 is opened, the intermediate section 613 and the supply section 614 communicate with each other, and the powder R1 inside the intermediate section 613 can be supplied to the container 21 of the feeder 20 via the supply section 614. On the other hand, when the second opening / closing section 640 is closed, the communication between the intermediate section 613 and the supply section 614 is cut off, and the powder R1 inside the intermediate section 613 is not supplied to the supply section 614. Further, in the state where the second opening / closing portion 640 is closed, the second opening / closing portion 640 functions as an electronic balance and measures the mass of the powder R1 contained in the intermediate portion 613. When the second opening / closing portion 640 is closed in this way, the intermediate portion 613 is in an airtight state. Therefore, even if the powder cartridge 600 is taken out from the dry box into the atmosphere, it is possible to prevent the powder R1 filled in the powder cartridge 600 from reacting with water, oxygen, and nitrogen.

Next, an example of a powder supply method for supplying powder to the feeder 20 of the plasma spraying device 1 using the powder cartridge 600 of the third configuration example will be described with reference to FIGS. 7A to 7F. The powder supply method described below may be executed by, for example, the control unit 30, or may be executed by a control unit (not shown) provided separately from the control unit 30. When a control unit is provided separately from the control unit, the control unit may be detachable from, for example, the housing 610. 7A to 7F are diagrams for explaining the operation of the powder cartridge 600 of the third configuration example.

First, the powder R1 is filled into the powder cartridge 600 from a storage container stored in an airtight state in a dry box provided in an environment-controlled dry booth. In the present embodiment, with the opening / closing portion 620 of the powder cartridge 600 closed in the dry box, the lid (not shown) provided in the first chamber 611 is opened to open the first chamber 611 of the powder cartridge 600. The powder R1 is filled therein. This makes it possible to prevent the powder R1 before being filled in the powder cartridge 600 from reacting with water, oxygen, and nitrogen. After the filling of the powder R1 is completed, the lid provided in the first chamber 611 is closed, and the powder cartridge 600 is taken out from the dry box. Thereby, even if the powder cartridge 600 is taken out from the dry box into the atmosphere, it is possible to prevent the powder R1 filled in the powder cartridge 600 from reacting with water, oxygen, and nitrogen.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 7A, the powder cartridge 600 is attached to the upper part of the feeder 20.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 7B, argon gas is filled into the supply unit 614 from the gas supply port 630, and the inside of the supply unit 614 is adjusted to an argon gas atmosphere. The atmosphere in the supply unit 614 may be an inert gas atmosphere, and may be, for example, a helium gas atmosphere or a nitrogen gas atmosphere instead of the argon gas atmosphere.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 7C, the filling of argon gas from the gas supply port 630 to the supply unit 614 is stopped, the slide unit 622 is slid horizontally, and the lid unit 621 is positioned outside the housing 610. Move to. As a result, the first chamber 611 and the intermediate portion 613 of the second chamber 612 communicate with each other, and the powder R1 contained in the first chamber 611 begins to be supplied into the intermediate portion 613. At this time, the mass of the powder R1 supplied to the intermediate portion 613 is measured by the second opening / closing portion 640.

After the mass of the powder R1 supplied to the intermediate portion 613 reaches a predetermined mass, the opening / closing portion 620 is closed as shown in FIG. 7D. That is, the slide portion 622 is slid in the horizontal direction to move the lid portion 621 to the internal position of the housing 610. As a result, the supply of the powder R1 from the inside of the first chamber 611 to the intermediate portion 613 is stopped.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 7E, the second opening / closing part 640 is opened. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 7E and 7F, the powder R1 in the intermediate portion 613 measured by the second opening / closing portion 640 is supplied into the container 21 of the feeder 20 via the supply portion 614. After the powder R1 is supplied to the container 21 of the feeder 20, the second opening / closing portion 640 is closed. The second opening / closing part 640 has a function as, for example, an electronic balance like the lid part A1 described later, and automatically rotates when the second opening / closing part 640 measures the powder R1 having a predetermined mass. It may be configured to open.

The operations of FIGS. 7A to 7F are repeated, and after the powder R1 contained in the first chamber 611 is exhausted, the filling of argon gas from the gas supply port 630 to the second chamber 612 is stopped, and the powder cartridge is used. Remove 600 from the feeder 20. At this time, since the communication state between the first chamber 611 and the second chamber 612 is blocked by the opening / closing portion 620, the inside of the first chamber 611 is prevented from being exposed to the atmospheric environment, and the first chamber 611 is prevented from being exposed to the air environment. It is possible to prevent the powder R1 in the chamber 611 from reacting with water, oxygen, and nitrogen.

According to the powder cartridge 600 of the third configuration example, the powder cartridge 600 has a first chamber 611 and a second chamber 612 partitioned by an opening / closing portion 620, and a gas supply port 630 is provided in the second chamber 612. .. As a result, the powder R1 can be supplied to the feeder 20 from the inside of the powder cartridge 600 while maintaining the airtight state. Therefore, the powder R1 in the powder cartridge 600 can be supplied to the container 21 of the feeder 20 without reacting with water, nitrogen, and oxygen. As a result, when plasma spraying is performed using the powder R1 supplied to the feeder 20, the stability of the film quality of the sprayed film using the powder R1 is improved.

Further, according to the powder cartridge 600 of the first configuration example, since the opening / closing portion 620 is provided, the amount of powder R1 supplied from the first chamber 611 to the second chamber 612 can be controlled per unit time. .. As a result, the powder can be quantitatively supplied to the feeder 20.

In particular, according to the powder cartridge 600 of the third configuration example, the second chamber 612 includes an intermediate portion 613 and a supply portion 614 partitioned by the second opening / closing portion 640, and the second opening / closing portion 640 is an intermediate portion. It is configured so that the mass of the powder R1 contained in 613 can be measured. As a result, the powder R1 accurately measured by the second opening / closing unit 640 can be supplied to the feeder 20 via the supply unit 614.

By the way, when the central particle size of the powder R1 is 1 μm to 20 μm, it is exposed to the atmosphere because the surface area per unit volume is larger than that of the commonly used powder having a central particle size of 50 μm to 100 μm. Is likely to react with water, oxygen, and nitrogen. Therefore, when the powder is supplied to the feeder 20 in the air, the powder R1 may react with water, oxygen, and nitrogen and aggregate. When the powder R1 aggregates, it is difficult to melt, so that the quality of the sprayed film deteriorates. Therefore, in the plasma spraying device 1 of the present embodiment, the environment is controlled in the feeder 20, the nozzle 11, and the chamber C, and when the powder R1 is supplied to the feeder 20 by the powder cartridge 600, the powder R1 is in the atmosphere. We have realized an environment that is not exposed to plasma. As a result, when the powder R1 is supplied to the feeder 20, deterioration of the film quality of the sprayed film due to the aggregation of the powder R1 can be prevented.

(Fourth configuration example)
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the powder cartridge 800 of the fourth configuration example, and shows a state in which the powder cartridge 800 is attached to the feeder 20. As shown in FIG. 8, the powder cartridge 800 of the fourth configuration example is provided in the first chamber 811 and has an optical sensor 850 capable of measuring the amount of powder R1 housed in the first chamber 811. In that respect, it differs from the powder cartridge 600 of the third configuration example. The other configurations may be the same as those of the powder cartridge 600. Hereinafter, the differences will be mainly described.

The powder cartridge 800 includes a housing 810, an opening / closing section 820, a gas supply port 830, a second opening / closing section 840, and an optical sensor 850. The housing 810, the opening / closing part 820, the gas supply port 830 and the second opening / closing part 840 may have the same configuration as the above-mentioned housing 610, the opening / closing part 620, the gas supply port 630 and the second opening / closing part 840. .. That is, the housing 810 has a first chamber 811 and a second chamber 812, and the second chamber 812 includes an intermediate portion 813 and a supply portion 814. The opening / closing portion 820 has a lid portion 821 and a slide portion 822. The second opening / closing unit 840 may be an on / off valve that does not have a function as an electronic balance.

The optical sensor 850 is an example of a measuring unit, which is provided in the first chamber 811 and measures the amount of powder R1 contained in the first chamber 811. In the present embodiment, the optical sensor 850 is a laser displacement meter provided on the ceiling of the first chamber 811 and irradiates the laser beam LB downward to detect the reflected light reflected by the powder R1. Thereby, the height of the powder R1 is measured. As a result, by detecting the difference in height of the powder R1 contained in the first chamber 811 before and after opening and closing the opening / closing portion 820, the first chamber 811 to the second chamber 811 to the second when the opening / closing portion 820 is opened. The amount of powder R1 supplied to the chamber 812 can be measured. However, the optical sensor 850 may be, for example, an LED displacement meter using LED light or a displacement meter capable of detecting displacement using lamp light.

According to the powder cartridge 800 of the fourth configuration example, the powder cartridge 800 has a first chamber 811 and a second chamber 812 partitioned by an opening / closing portion 820, and a gas supply port 830 is provided in the second chamber 812. .. As a result, the powder R1 can be supplied to the feeder 20 from the inside of the powder cartridge 800 while maintaining the airtight state. Therefore, the powder R1 in the powder cartridge 800 can be supplied to the container 21 of the feeder 20 without reacting with water, nitrogen, and oxygen. As a result, when plasma spraying is performed using the powder R1 supplied to the feeder 20, the stability of the film quality of the sprayed film using the powder R1 is improved.

Further, according to the powder cartridge 800 of the fourth configuration example, since the opening / closing portion 820 is provided, the amount of powder R1 supplied from the first chamber 811 to the second chamber 812 can be controlled per unit time. .. As a result, the powder can be quantitatively supplied to the feeder 20.

In particular, according to the powder cartridge 800 of the fourth configuration example, the amount of powder R1 supplied from the first chamber 811 to the intermediate portion 813 of the second chamber 812 can be measured by the optical sensor 850. As a result, the powder R1 measured with high accuracy can be supplied to the feeder 20 via the supply unit 814.

(Fifth configuration example)
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the powder cartridge 900 of the fifth configuration example, and shows a state in which the powder cartridge 900 is attached to the feeder 20. As shown in FIG. 9, the powder cartridge 900 of the fifth configuration example is provided in the first chamber 911 and has a scale 960 capable of measuring the amount of the powder R1 contained in the first chamber 911. Therefore, it is different from the powder cartridge 600 of the third configuration example. The other configurations may be the same as those of the powder cartridge 600. Hereinafter, the differences will be mainly described.

The powder cartridge 900 includes a housing 910, an opening / closing portion 920, a gas supply port 930, a second opening / closing portion 940, and a scale 960. The housing 910, the opening / closing section 920, the gas supply port 930, and the second opening / closing section 940 may have the same configuration as the housing 610, the opening / closing section 620, the gas supply port 630, and the second opening / closing section 840 described above. .. That is, the housing 910 has a first chamber 911 and a second chamber 912, and the second chamber 912 includes an intermediate portion 913 and a supply portion 914. The opening / closing portion 920 has a lid portion 921 and a slide portion 922. The second opening / closing unit 940 may be an on / off valve that does not have a function as an electronic balance.

The scale 960 is an example of the measuring unit, and is provided in the first chamber 911 to measure the amount of powder R1 contained in the first chamber 911. In the present embodiment, the scale 960 is visible from the outside of the housing 910, and is a plurality of (for example, six) bar displays provided at intervals in the vertical direction. By confirming the position of the powder R1 with respect to the scale 960, the user can measure the amount of the powder R1 contained in the first chamber 911. As a result, by detecting the difference in height of the powder R1 contained in the first chamber 911 before and after opening and closing the opening / closing portion 920, the first chamber 911 to the second chamber 911 to the second when the opening / closing portion 920 is opened. The amount of powder R1 supplied to the chamber 912 can be measured. FIG. 9 shows an example in which the powder R1 is stored up to the position indicated by the fifth bar from the bottom.

According to the powder cartridge 900 of the fifth configuration example, the powder cartridge 900 has a first chamber 911 and a second chamber 912 partitioned by an opening / closing portion 920, and a gas supply port 930 is provided in the second chamber 912. .. As a result, the powder R1 can be supplied to the feeder 20 from the inside of the powder cartridge 900 while maintaining the airtight state. Therefore, the powder R1 in the powder cartridge 900 can be supplied to the container 21 of the feeder 20 without reacting with water, nitrogen, and oxygen. As a result, when plasma spraying is performed using the powder R1 supplied to the feeder 20, the stability of the film quality of the sprayed film using the powder R1 is improved.

Further, according to the powder cartridge 900 of the fifth configuration example, since the opening / closing portion 920 is provided, the amount of powder R1 supplied from the first chamber 911 to the second chamber 912 can be controlled per unit time. .. As a result, the powder can be quantitatively supplied to the feeder 20.

In particular, according to the powder cartridge 900 of the fifth configuration example, the amount of powder R1 supplied from the first chamber 911 to the intermediate portion 913 of the second chamber 912 can be measured by the scale 960, so that the cost can be reduced. It becomes.

[Opening and closing part and second opening and closing part]
A modified example of the opening / closing portion 320 of the powder cartridge 300 will be described with reference to FIGS. 10A to 10B, FIGS. 11A to 11B, 12A to 12E, and 13A to 13C. Similarly, the opening / closing part 520 of the powder cartridge 500, the opening / closing part 620 of the powder cartridge 600, the opening / closing part 820 of the powder cartridge 800, and the opening / closing part 920 of the powder cartridge 900 are also shown in FIGS. 10A to 10B and 11A to 11B. It may be replaced with the opening / closing part of FIGS. 12A to 12E and 13A to 13C. Similarly, the second opening / closing part 640 of the powder cartridge 600, the second opening / closing part 840 of the powder cartridge 800, and the second opening / closing part 940 of the powder cartridge 900 are also shown in FIGS. 10A to 10B and 11A to 11B. , 12A to 12E and 13A to 13C may be replaced with the opening / closing portion.

10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of an opening / closing portion. FIG. 10A shows the side surface of the opening / closing part in the closed state, and FIG. 10B shows the side surface of the opening / closing part in the open state. The opening / closing portion V1 is configured to rotate about a rotation shaft B1 provided at one end of the lid portion A1 between the closed position shown in FIG. 10A and the open position shown in FIG. 10B. The lid portion A1 has a function as, for example, an electronic balance, and is configured such that the rotation shaft B1 rotates when the lid portion A1 measures a powder R1 having a predetermined mass. The rotation direction of the rotation axis B1 may be, for example, clockwise (arrow direction in FIG. 10A). The rotation angle of the rotation axis B1 may be, for example, 30 degrees to 90 degrees.

11A and 11B are diagrams showing another example of the opening / closing portion. FIG. 11A shows the side surface of the opening / closing part in the closed state, and FIG. 11B shows the side surface of the opening / closing part in the open state. The opening / closing portion V2 is configured to rotate about the rotation shaft B2 provided at the center of the lid portion 1A as a rotation center between the closed position shown in FIG. 11A and the open position shown in FIG. 11B. The lid portion A2 has a function as, for example, an electronic balance, and is configured such that the rotation shaft B2 rotates when the lid portion A2 measures a powder R1 having a predetermined mass. The rotation direction of the rotation axis B2 may be, for example, clockwise (arrow direction in FIG. 11A). The rotation angle of the rotation axis B2 may be, for example, 30 degrees to 90 degrees.

12A to 12E are views showing still another example of the opening / closing portion. 12A and 12B are top views and perspective views of the opening / closing portion in the closed state, respectively, and FIGS. 12C and 12D are top views and perspective views of the opening / closing portion in the open state, respectively. FIG. 12E is a diagram showing a configuration example of the fan plate-shaped member. The opening / closing portion V3 is formed in a conical shape having a lower apex by arranging a plurality of valve bodies A3 (16 in the illustrated example) formed in a fan plate shape in the circumferential direction. As shown in FIG. 12E, one end of the wire B3 is fixed to the tip A3a of each valve body A3. The wire B3 is pulled out to the outside through the hole A3b formed in the arc portion of each valve body A3, and by pulling the wire B3, the tip A3a of each valve body A3 moves downward, and between the valve bodies A3. The opening / closing portion V3 is configured to open with a gap. Further, it is preferable that the periphery of each valve body A3 is covered with a sealing member such as resin or rubber. As a result, leakage of the powder R1 from between the adjacent valve bodies A3 and between the valve body A3 and the inner side wall of the housing 310 can be suppressed.

13A to 13C are views showing still another example of the opening / closing portion. 13A, 13B and 13C are cross-sectional views, perspective views and side views of the opening / closing portion, respectively. The on-off valve V4 is formed in a region of a cylindrical body V4a rotatably provided at a connection portion between the first chamber 311 and the second chamber 312 and a part of the cylindrical body V4a in the circumferential direction, and is predetermined in the longitudinal direction. It has a groove V4b having a length X1 of. In the on-off valve V4, the first operation is repeated by rotating the rotating body V4a to direct the groove V4b from the upper side to the lower side and rotating the rotating body V4a to direct the groove V4b from the lower side to the upper side. The powder R1 is supplied from the chamber 311 to the second chamber 312. In the operation of rotating the rotating body V4a to direct the groove V4b from the upper side to the lower side, the rotating body V4a is rotated by, for example, 180 degrees with the powder R1 filled in the groove V4b, and the groove V4b is directed from the upper side to the lower side. , The powder R1 in the groove V4b is supplied into the second chamber 312. In the operation of rotating the rotating body V4a to direct the groove V4b from the lower side to the upper side, the rotating body V4a is rotated 180 degrees and the groove V4b is directed from the lower side to the upper side, so that the empty groove V4b is filled with the powder R1 again. Will be done. As described above, in the on-off valve V4, the supply amount of the powder R1 can be controlled by a simple operation of rotating the rotating body V4a. That is, it becomes easy to control the supply amount of the powder R1.

Although the configuration example of the opening / closing portion has been described above, the configuration of the opening / closing portion is not limited to this, and another opening / closing portion can be used as long as the structure does not crush or twist the powder R1. The second opening / closing part is the same as the opening / closing part.

[How to clean the powder cartridge]
A method of cleaning the powder cartridge 300 will be described by taking as an example a case of cleaning the powder cartridge 300 after supplying Li powder to the feeder 20 of the plasma spraying device 1.

First, by holding the powder cartridge 300 removed from the feeder 20 of the plasma spraying device 1 in an air environment or an oxygen gas atmosphere, the Li powder adhering to the housing 310 of the powder cartridge 300 is sufficiently oxidized. It is converted to lithium oxide and inactivated. At this time, if a control unit (not shown) provided separately from the control unit 30 is attached to the housing 310 of the powder cartridge 300, the control unit is removed from the housing 310. This is because if the step described later is performed with the control unit attached to the housing 310, the control unit may be damaged. If the control unit is waterproof, it is not necessary to remove the control unit from the housing 310. The time for holding the powder cartridge 300 in an air environment or an oxygen gas atmosphere may be, for example, one hour. Further, since lithium oxide is carbonized and disappears during plasma spraying, even if it adheres to the inside of the housing 310, it does not affect the sprayed film.

Subsequently, the powder cartridge 300 is immersed in a container containing water to melt the Li powder adhering to the housing 310 of the powder cartridge 300. At this time, if a large amount of Li powder is attached to the housing 310, the Li powder may be removed by using an air blow, a brush, or the like before immersing the powder cartridge 300 in the container containing water. preferable.

Subsequently, the powder cartridge 300 is immersed in a container containing an ethanol solution for ultrasonic cleaning. The conditions for ultrasonic cleaning are appropriately determined according to the amount of Li powder and the like.

Subsequently, the powder cartridge 300 is housed in the drying furnace, and the powder cartridge 300 is dried in the drying furnace. As an example of the drying conditions, the temperature may be 100 ° C. or lower and the drying time may be 1 hour to 100 hours.

The example of the cleaning method of the powder cartridge 300 has been described above, but the

powder cartridges

500, 600, 800, and 900 can also be cleaned by the same method as the powder cartridge 300.

The embodiments disclosed this time should be considered to be exemplary in all respects and not restrictive. The above-described embodiment may be omitted, replaced, or changed in various forms without departing from the scope and purpose of the appended claims.

In the above embodiment, the plasma spraying device that forms a thermal spray film on the base material W by plasma spraying has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the thermal spraying device that forms a thermal spray film on the base material W by arc spraying or frame spraying. It may be.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the powder cartridge is applied to the thermal spraying device has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. The powder supply device can also be applied to, for example, a device that injects powder onto the surface of an object in a solid state to perform surface treatment (for example, blast treatment) of the object. Further, the powder cartridge can be applied to, for example, an apparatus in which powder is sublimated to form a gas and then injected into the surface of the object in a gaseous state to form a film on the surface of the object.

This international application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-096309 filed on May 22, 2019, and the entire contents of the application will be incorporated into this international application.

20 Feeder 30

Control unit

300, 500, 600, 800, 900

Powder cartridge

310, 510, 610, 810, 910

Housing

311, 511, 611, 811, 911

First chamber

312, 512, 612, 812, 912 Room 2 613, 813, 913

Intermediate part

614, 814, 914

Supply part

320, 520, 620, 820, 920 Opening / closing

part

330, 530, 630, 830, 930

Gas supply port

640, 840, 940 Second opening / closing part 850 Optical sensor 960 Scale R1 powder

Claims

A powder cartridge that supplies powder to the feeder
A housing that is removable from the feeder and can accommodate the powder in an airtight state, and at least one of a gas supply port and a gas exhaust port that can communicate with the first chamber is provided. A housing with a second chamber
An opening / closing unit that controls the communication state between the first chamber and the second chamber,
To prepare
Powder cartridge.
The second chamber has an intermediate portion and a supply portion partitioned by a second opening / closing portion.
The intermediate portion is connected to the first chamber via the opening / closing portion.
The supply unit is detachably connected to the feeder.
The powder cartridge according to claim 1.
The second opening / closing portion can measure the mass of the powder contained in the intermediate portion.
The powder cartridge according to claim 2.
A measuring unit provided in the first chamber and measuring the amount of the powder contained in the first chamber is provided.
The powder cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The measuring unit is an optical sensor provided in the first room.
The powder cartridge according to claim 4.
The measuring unit is a scale provided in the first chamber.
The powder cartridge according to claim 4.
A control unit for controlling the opening / closing unit is further provided.
By controlling the opening / closing unit, the control unit supplies a predetermined amount of the powder from the first chamber to the second chamber.
The powder cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
The particle size of the powder is 1 μm to 500 μm.
The powder cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 7.
The powder is a powder of a thermal spray material,
The powder cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 8.
The powder is a lithium powder.
The powder cartridge according to any one of claims 1 to 9.
It is a powder supply method that supplies powder to the feeder.
A housing having a first chamber containing the powder in an airtight state and a second chamber separated from the first chamber by an opening / closing portion and provided with at least one of a gas supply port and a gas exhaust port. With the process of attaching to the feeder
A step of adjusting the inside of the second chamber of the housing to an inert gas atmosphere or a vacuum atmosphere, and
A step of supplying a predetermined amount of the powder from the first chamber to the second chamber by opening the opening / closing portion to communicate the first chamber and the second chamber.
Have,
Powder supply method.