Classifications

• • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
  • B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
  • B01L—CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE
  • B01L3/00—Containers or dishes for laboratory use, e.g. laboratory glassware; Droppers
  • B01L3/02—Burettes; Pipettes

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a powder supplying device and a powder supplying method that sucks in and expels powder.
• Patent Document 1 discloses a powder dispensing device that includes a powder dispensing tip with a filter having fine pores, a nozzle with a tip that detachably holds the tip, a pump, a means for connecting the nozzle to the suction side of the pump, a means for connecting the nozzle to the discharge side of the pump, and a means for switching between the two means.
• Figure 3 of Patent Document 2 discloses, as prior art, a powder drop tray with holes drilled into it that have a predetermined clearance from the outer periphery of the filling piston, which allows excess powder adhering to the periphery to fall off, and a mass cutter to remove excess powder adhering below the bottom end surface of the filling piston. Furthermore, Figure 1 of Patent Document 2 discloses a powder drop tray equipped with a filter that communicates with a vacuum source.
• Patent Document 2 According to the method disclosed in Patent Document 2, it is possible to remove excess powder adhering to the filling piston to some extent.
• the mechanism is such that excess powder on the outer circumferential surface of the filling piston falls off due to sliding with the solid powder layer 17, there is a problem in that some powder that cannot be removed remains on the outer circumferential surface of the filling piston.
• the method of Patent Document 2 requires the preparation of a powder drop table having a filter that communicates with a vacuum source, which makes it difficult to make the device compact.
• the present invention aims to provide a powder supplying device and a powder supplying method that can easily remove excess powder adhering to an inhalation measuring device having a measuring chamber and an inhalation port.
• a powder supplying device comprising an inhalation measuring device having a measuring chamber separated by a filter and an inlet at its tip, a nozzle that applies negative pressure to the measuring chamber, a powder removal brush having bristles extending in a direction intersecting the vertical direction, a relative movement robot that moves the inhalation measuring device and the powder removal brush relative to each other, and a control device that controls the operation of the relative movement robot, wherein the relative movement robot causes the tip of the inhalation measuring device to be embedded in powder in a powder tank and the powder to be sucked into the measuring chamber, and the control device removes excess powder adhering to the inhalation measuring device after the powder has been sucked in by causing the relative movement robot to move the inhalation measuring device and the brush bristles relative to each other while elastically deforming the bristles.
• the control device is capable of removing excess powder adhering to the outer surface and tip of the inhalation metering device by, after inhaling the powder, raising the inhalation metering device so that the tip of the inhalation metering device is positioned above the bottom end of the lowest brush bristle layer and below the bottom end of the top brush bristle layer of the layered bristle structure, and then performing the relative movement.
• the first powder removal brush has a first bristle member in which the bristles are planted in large numbers so that they extend horizontally at the tip and at least a portion of the section between the tip and the base
• the second powder removal brush has a second bristle member in which the bristles are planted in large numbers so that they extend horizontally at the tip and at least a portion of the section between the tip and the base.
• the powder supplying device according to [12], wherein the support has an engaging portion for engaging with the powder tank.
• the powder supplying device characterized in that the support has an installation part for standing upright in the powder tank.
• the powder removal brush is a powder supply device described in any one of [1] to [7], which has an arc-shaped outer surface on which the brush bristles are planted, and is equipped with a bristle planting member from which the brush bristles extend radially outward from the outer surface.
• the powder supplying device according to any one of [1] to [20], comprising a powder tank table on which the powder tank is placed, and a rotating device that rotates the powder tank table.
• the powder supplying device according to any one of [1] to [21], comprising a powder tank table on which the powder tank is placed, and a vibration device that vibrates the powder tank table.
• the powder supplying device according to any one of [12] to [15], further comprising a rotation device that rotates the cover member.
• the powder supplying device according to any one of [12] to [15] and [23], further comprising a vibration device that vibrates the cover member.
• the powder supplying device according to any one of [1] to [24], wherein the inhalation measuring device is a disposable tip, and the tip is removably attached to the nozzle.
• a powder supplying device according to any one of [1] to [25], wherein the inhalation measuring device is directly or indirectly connected to the tip of a flexible pipe that deforms in accordance with the movement of the inhalation measuring device.
• the powder supplying device according to any one of [1] to [26], which is a tabletop type.
• a powder removal brush comprising an inhalation measuring device having a measuring chamber separated by a filter and an inhalation port at the tip, a nozzle that applies negative pressure to the measuring chamber, a relative movement robot that moves the inhalation measuring device and the powder removal brush relative to each other, and a control device that controls the operation of the relative movement robot, the powder removal brush being used to remove excess powder adhering to the inhalation measuring device of a powder supply device that immerses the tip of the inhalation measuring device in powder in a powder tank and inhales the powder into the measuring chamber, the powder removal brush comprising brush bristles that extend in a direction intersecting the vertical direction and a bristle-implanted member in which the brush bristles are implanted.
• the powder removal brush described in [29] or [30] further comprises a first brush bristle guide member that guides the portion between the tip and base of the bristles of the first bristle-implanted member from below, and a second brush bristle guide member that guides the portion between the tip and base of the bristles of the second bristle-implanted member from below.
• a powder supplying device comprising an inhalation measuring device having a measuring chamber separated by a filter and an inhalation port at the tip, a nozzle that is moved relatively by a relative moving robot and applies negative pressure to the measuring chamber, and a powder removal brush described in any of [28] to [34], wherein the tip of the inhalation measuring device is embedded in the powder in a powder tank and the powder is sucked into the measuring chamber, and after the powder is sucked in, the powder supplying device removes excess powder adhering to the inhalation measuring device by moving the inhalation measuring device and the brush bristles relative to each other while elastically deforming the brush bristles.
• a powder supplying method using a powder supplying device comprising: an inhalation measuring device having a measuring chamber partitioned by a filter and an inlet at its tip; a nozzle that applies negative pressure to the measuring chamber; a powder removal brush having bristles extending in a direction intersecting the vertical direction; a relative moving robot that moves the inhalation measuring device and the powder removal brush relatively; and a control device that controls the operation of the relative moving robot, the powder supplying method comprising: a filling step in which the relative moving robot immerses the tip of the inhalation measuring device in powder in a powder tank and sucks the powder into the measuring chamber; a powder removal step in which the relative moving robot brings the bristles into contact with the inhalation measuring device and moves the inhalation measuring device and the brush bristles relatively while elastically deforming the bristles, thereby removing excess powder adhering to the inhalation measuring device; and a discharge step in which the relative moving robot moves
• the brush bristles have a layered bristle structure in which brush bristle layers are stacked in the vertical direction
• the method includes a positioning step, performed immediately after the filling step, of raising the inhalation measuring device so that the tip of the inhalation measuring device is positioned above the bottom end of the bottommost brush bristle layer and below the bottom end of the topmost brush bristle layer in the layered bristle structure, and the powder removal step moves the inhalation measuring device in one direction, thereby simultaneously performing the outer peripheral surface removal step and the tip removal step.
• the powder supplying method according to any one of [36] to [43] wherein the powder removing step is carried out while rotating the suction metering device and the powder removing brush relative to each other.
• the present invention makes it possible to provide a powder supplying device and a powder supplying method that can easily remove excess powder adhering to an inhalation measuring device having a measuring chamber and an inhalation port.
• FIG. 1 is a side view showing a powder measuring device according to an embodiment.
• FIG. 1 is a perspective side view of a main part showing a state in which the tip of a tip attached to a powder measuring device of an embodiment is embedded in powder in a powder tank.
• 3 is a perspective side view of a main part showing a state in which powder is sucked and filled into a measuring chamber of the powder measuring device, following the state shown in FIG. 2 .
• FIG. 4 is a perspective side view of a main part showing a state in which the tip of the powder measuring device is raised from the powder tank from the state shown in FIG. 3.
• FIG. 10A is a perspective view showing how excess powder is removed from the peripheral surface of a tip using a powder removal brush, and FIG.
• FIG. 10B is a side view of FIG. 1A and 1B are plan views showing the manner in which the powder removal brush is used, in which (a) shows the powder removal brush in a first position, (b) shows the powder removal brush in a second position, (c) shows the powder removal brush in a third position, and (d) shows the powder removal brush in a fourth position.
• FIG. 10A is a perspective view showing how excess powder at the tip of a tip is removed by a powder removal brush
• FIG. 10B is a side view of FIG.
• FIG. 1A and 1B are side views showing how the powder removal brush is used, where (a) shows the powder removal brush in position a, (b) shows the powder removal brush in position b, (c) shows the powder removal brush in position c, (d) shows the powder removal brush in position d, (e) shows the powder removal brush in position e, and (f) shows the powder removal brush in position f.
• FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the movement paths of the first and second powder removal brushes and the tip.
• FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the movement paths of the first and third powder removing brushes and tips according to Modification 1.
• FIG. 10A and 10B are side views showing the positional relationship between the tip and the powder removal brush, where (a) shows the tip in position a, (b) shows the tip in position b, (c) shows the tip in position c, (d) shows the tip in position d, (e) shows the tip in position e, (f) shows the tip in position f, and (g) shows the tip in position g.
• 10A is a plan view showing a fourth powder removing brush according to Modification 2
• FIG. 10B is a plan view showing a fifth powder removing brush according to Modification 3.
• FIG. FIG. 10 is a side view of a powder tub cover member according to an example embodiment.
• FIG. 10 is a side view of the powder tank cover member with static electricity removal function according to the embodiment.
• FIG. 10 is a side view of a powder tub cover member having a stacked bristle structure according to an example embodiment.
• 1A is a side view of an attachment-type powder tank cover member according to an embodiment
• FIG. 1B is a side view of a free-standing powder tank cover member according to an embodiment
• FIG. 10A is a side view showing the eleventh and twelfth powder removal brushes
• FIG. 10B is a side view showing the thirteenth and fourteenth powder removal brushes.
• FIG. 10A is a side view showing the eleventh and twelfth powder removal brushes
• FIG. 10B is a side view showing the thirteenth and fourteenth powder removal brushes.
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a tabletop powder supplying device according to a first embodiment.
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a brush device and a vibration device according to the first embodiment.
• FIG. 10 is a side view of a powder measuring device according to a second embodiment.
• FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a powder supplying device according to a second embodiment.
• the powder supplying device 1 of the embodiment includes a powder measuring device 10 and powder removing brushes (20, 30).
• ⁇ Powder measuring device 10> 1 is a side view showing a powder-measuring device 10.
• the powder-measuring device 10 is mainly composed of a main body 11, a nozzle 12 extending from the bottom end of the main body 11, and a tip (inhalation measuring device) 13 attached to the tip of the nozzle 12, and is also called a powder pipette.
• the main body 11 can apply negative pressure to the internal space of the nozzle 12 using an external or internal negative pressure source (not shown).
• a tip 13 is removably attached to the tip of the cylindrical nozzle 12.
• the tip 13 is composed of an attachment section 131 into which the nozzle 12 is inserted and an inlet section 132 that extends downward from the attachment section 131 and has a smaller diameter than the attachment section 131.
• the lower end of the inlet section 132 of the tip 13 is provided with an inlet port 133 that opens downward.
• the tip 13 is a well-known tip, is made of a resin material, and is generally disposable.
• the shape of the tip 13 is not limited to the cylindrical shape shown in the example, and tips of any shape, including tapered shapes, can be used. In this specification, the tip 13 may also be referred to as an inhalation metering device. Note that the tip is not limited to being made of resin, and may be made of metal such as aluminum or stainless steel, glass, or paper.
• the powder measuring device 10 of this embodiment is used to suck in a desired amount of powder by inserting the lower end of the suction section 132 of the tip 13 into the powder stored in a powder tank, and then discharging the powder after moving to a predetermined position.
• a problem occurs in which excess powder adheres to the tip of the tip 13. Below, the problem of excess powder adhering to the tip of the tip 13 will be explained with reference to Figures 2 to 4.
• FIG 2 is a transparent side view of the essential parts, showing the tip of the tip 13 attached to the powder measuring device 10 of the embodiment embedded in the powder 102 in the powder tank 101.
• the attachment part 131 of the tip 13 has a stepped flow path formed by a large diameter flow path 131a and a small diameter flow path 131b.
• the tip of the nozzle 12 is inserted into the large diameter flow path 131a and is fixed by abutting against a step provided at the upper end of the small diameter flow path 131b.
• the fixing of the nozzle and tip is not limited to abutting against a step, but may also be fixed by a taper.
• a filter 14 is disposed in the suction section 132 of the tip 13 at a position spaced a certain distance from the suction port 133.
• the space in the tip 13 from the filter 14 to the suction port 133 constitutes a measuring chamber 15.
• FIG. 3 is a transparent side view of the main parts showing the state in which powder 102 has been sucked and filled into the measuring chamber 15 of the powder measuring device 10 from the state shown in FIG. 2.
• the tip of the tip 13 is buried to a depth D into the powder 102, and the main body 11 applies negative pressure to the internal space of the nozzle 12 from a negative pressure source such as a pump (not shown). This then applies negative pressure to the internal space of the tip 13, which is connected to the internal space of the nozzle 12, and the powder 102 is sucked into the measuring chamber 15 through the suction port 133 of the tip 13.
• the filter 14 installed at the upper end of the measuring chamber 15 has a pore structure with a coarseness that allows gas to pass through but not powder 102, so the powder 102 sucked through the suction port 133 is stored in the measuring chamber 15.
• the timing at which negative pressure from the negative pressure source is applied to the nozzle 12 can be automatically controlled by a control device (not shown). It goes without saying that the control device can adjust the negative pressure to the desired level.
• Figure 4 is a transparent side view of the main parts showing the state in which the tip 13 of the powder measuring device 10 has been raised from the powder tank from the state in Figure 3.
• the main body 11 is raised by a relative movement robot (not shown)
• excess powder 103 adheres to the outer peripheral surface near the tip of the suction section 132 of the tip 13.
• excess powder 104 held by negative pressure also protrudes from the suction port 133 and adheres to the tip of the tip 13. If the excess powder 103 on the outer peripheral surface of the tip 13 and the excess powder 104 at the tip are discharged together when the powder in the measuring chamber 15 is discharged, this can cause an error in the supply amount.
• the excess powder 103, 104 may fall due to air currents or slight vibrations when the powder measuring device 10 is moved to the supply location, which may contaminate the work environment.
• the first powder removal brush 20 is configured to include a bristle member 21 and brush bristles 22.
• the brush bristles 22 are drawn thicker in FIG.
• the bristles 22 are made up of a group of elastic bristles of the same length and diameter extending along the extension direction 23. Materials that can be used for the bristles 22 include, for example, synthetic resin bristles, synthetic fibers, various animal hairs, various plant fibers, and some or all of these that have been made conductive.
• the bristle implantation member 21 shown in Figure 5 has a flat side on which the brush bristles 22 are implanted, but the side of the bristle implantation member 21 may also be a curved, arc-shaped side on which the brush bristles 22 are implanted.
• the brush bristles 22 may also be made up of a combination of elastic bristles of different lengths and/or diameters.
• the brush bristles 22 have three brush layers consisting of an upper layer, a middle layer, and a lower layer that are arranged at equal intervals in a first traveling direction 24 that is perpendicular to the extension direction 23.
• the brush bristles 22 in the example embodiment have a three-layered bristle structure formed by stacking three brush layers in the vertical direction.
• the extension direction 23 of each brush layer is horizontal, but each brush layer may be arranged so that its extension direction forms an angle of less than 90 degrees with the horizontal direction.
• the layered bristle structure of the brush bristles 22 of the first powder removal brush 20 is not limited to the three layers shown in the example, but may be two layers, or four or more layers.
• the first powder removal brush 20 is used by abutting the tip 13 against the first side surface 25, and then moving the tip 13 along the first direction of travel 24 while elastically deforming the brush bristles 22.
• Figure 5(a) is a perspective view showing how excess powder is removed by abutting the tip 13 against the first side surface 25 of the first powder removal brush 20, and
• Figure 5(b) is a side view of Figure 5(a). Note that the first powder removal brush 20 is used while held on a brush holder (not shown), and the tip 13 is moved by a relative movement robot (not shown).
• FIG. 6 is a plan view showing how the first powder removal brush 20 is used, where (a) shows the powder removal brush in a first position, (b) shows the powder removal brush in a second position, (c) shows the powder removal brush in a third position, and (d) shows the powder removal brush in a fourth position.
• the powder measuring device 10 is moved by a relative movement robot (not shown) to a position where the tip 13 faces the first side surface 25 of the first powder removal brush 20 (see Figure 6(a)).
• the horizontal position of the tip 13 relative to the first powder removal brush 20 is not such that it abuts the tip 13 near the tip of the bristles, but rather such that the tip 13 abuts the brush bristles 22 closer to the base than the tip of the bristles.
• the tip 13 abuts within a range of 3/4 to 1/8 or 2/3 to 1/6 of the length L of the bristles 22 from the tip of the bristles 22.
• the tip 13 comes into contact with the first side surface 25. If the tip 13 is then advanced in the first direction of travel 24, the brush bristles 22 that have come into contact with the tip 13 elastically deform and come into close contact with the outer surface of the tip 13 on the bristle-implanted member 21 side, thereby scraping off excess powder 103 adhering to the outer surface of the tip 13 on the bristle-implanted member 21 side (see Figure 6(b)).
• the brush bristles 22 near the second side surface 26 opposite the first side surface 25 also come into contact with the tip 13 and elastically deform, while the brush bristles 22 near the first side surface 25 are released from contact with the tip 13 and return to their original positions (see FIG. 6(c)). Furthermore, when the tip 13 is moved along the first direction of travel 24, all of the brush bristles 22 are released from contact with the tip 13 and return to their original positions (see FIG. 6(d)).
• the opposite outer peripheral surface of the tip 13 may be cleaned by moving it along a second direction of travel 27, which is the opposite direction to the first direction of travel 24. Since the scraping action of the brush bristles 22 is stronger on the outer peripheral surface on the direction of travel side that the brush bristles 22 first come into contact with than on the outer peripheral surface on the opposite side of the direction of travel, a greater cleaning effect can be achieved by cleaning while moving it along the second direction of travel 27.
• the remaining half of the outer periphery of the tip 13 (the side opposite the bristle member 21) can also be cleaned with the first powder removal brush 20, thereby removing excess powder 103 adhering to the entire outer periphery of the tip 13.
• the main body 11 may be rotated 180 degrees to clean the outer periphery of the tip 13 on the side that is not being cleaned (the side opposite the bristle member 21).
• a preferred embodiment includes the second powder removal brush 30, which will be described later.
• Figures 7(a) and (b) are diagrams illustrating the removal of excess powder 104 at the tip of the tip 13 by the first powder removal brush 20. Note that, for ease of explanation, the brush bristles 22 are drawn thicker in Figure 7 than in reality.
• the excess powder 104 at the tip of the tip 13 is removed by the upper surfaces of the lower bristles 22 of the first powder removal brush 20 scraping away the powder adhering to the tip surface of the tip 13.
• the vertical position at which the tip of the tip 13 abuts against the brush 20 preferably falls within a range of 2/3 of the height H of the bristles 22 from the bottom end of the bristles 22. It is preferable that the upper surfaces of the middle or lower bristles 22 of the first powder removal brush 20 come into contact with the tip of the tip 13, but this contact is not essential; as long as there are bristles 22 located directly below the tip of the tip 13, it is possible to remove the excess powder 104 that protrudes from the tip of the tip 13.
• the thickness (height H) of the first powder removal brush 20 is, for example, set to 5 mm to 60 mm or 10 mm to 50 mm. From another perspective, it is preferable to configure the height H of the first powder removal brush 20 to be greater than the depth D (see Figure 2) at which the tip 13 is embedded in the powder 102.
• the effect of the present invention can be achieved by moving the tip 13 relative to the first powder removal brush 20 to remove the excess powder 103 above the side surface of the tip 13, and then moving the tip 13 relative to the first powder removal brush 20 again to remove the excess powder 103 and excess powder 104 below the side surface of the tip 13.
• the tip 13 is position the tip 13 so that it is located a buffer distance B from the tip of the brush bristles 22 toward the base, to prevent the tip of the brush bristles 22 from entering the suction port 133 and scraping out the powder inside the measuring chamber 15 (see Figure 7(b)).
• the tip 13 is set to abut against the brush bristles 22 within a range of 3/4 to 1/8 or 2/3 to 1/6 of the length L of the brush bristles 22 from the tip of the brush bristles 22.
• FIG. 8(a) to 8(f) are side views showing the first powder removal brush 20 at positions a to f, respectively, as viewed from the tip side of the brush bristles 22.
• the upper layer of the brush 22 is indicated by reference numeral 22a
• the middle layer of the brush 22 by reference numeral 22b
• the lower layer of the brush 22 by reference numeral 22c As shown in FIG. 8A, the lower end of the chip 13 at position a is located between the middle layer 22b and the lower layer 22c in the vertical direction.
• the upper layer brush bristles 22a1 and the middle layer brush bristles 22b1 constituting the first side surface 25 are released from contact with the tip 13 and return to their original positions.
• the upper layer brush bristles 22a2 and the middle layer brush bristles 22b2 adjacent to the upper layer brush bristles 22a1 and the middle layer brush bristles 22b1 are elastically deformed by the pressure of the tip 13.
• the upper layer brush bristles 22a2 and the middle layer brush bristles 22b2 are released from contact with the tip 13 and return to their original positions.
• the upper layer brush bristles 22a3 and the middle layer brush bristles 22b3 which are adjacent to the upper layer brush bristles 22a2 and the middle layer brush bristles 22b2 , are elastically deformed by the pressure of the tip 13.
• the excess powder 103 on the side surface of the tip 13 and the excess powder 104 spilling out from the tip are removed by the first powder removal brush 20.
• a preferred embodiment includes a second powder removal brush 30 disposed opposite the first powder removal brush 20.
• the second powder removal brush 30 has the same configuration as the first powder removal brush 20, and includes a bristle member 31 and brush bristles 32.
• the second powder removal brush 30 is positioned with the first powder removal brush 20 so that their bristles face each other.
• a gap G is provided between the first powder removal brush 20 and the second powder removal brush 30.
• the bristle implants 21 and 31 are shown as separate components in Figure 9, they may be formed as a single, integral component.
• the sides of the first powder removal brush 20 and the second powder removal brush 30 on which the bristles 22, 32 are implanted may be curved rather than flat.
• the first powder removal brush 20 and the second powder removal brush 30 do not need to be positioned parallel to each other; they may be positioned such that the intersection of their extensions forms an acute angle (e.g., less than 45 degrees).
• the bristle implants 21, 31 may be integrally formed, for example, as C-, V-, or U-shaped (semi-bracket) implants.
• the chip 13 is moved along a path in the order of the circled numbers 1 to 6 shown in FIG.
• the tip 13 moves along the width direction W of the brush 21 from the position indicated by the circled number 1 to the position indicated by the circled number 2, thereby removing the excess powder 103 adhering to the left half-circumferential surface and the excess powder 104 spilling out from the tip.
• Figure 10(a) shows the tip 13 moving from the position indicated by the circled number 1 to the position indicated by the circled number 2.
• FIG 10(b) shows the tip 13 midway as it moves from the position of circled number 2 to the position of circled number 3. Note that the movement path from the position of circled number 2 to the position of circled number 3 may be the same as the movement path from the position of circled number 1 to the position of circled number 2.
• the tip 13 moves from the position indicated by the circled number 3 to the position indicated by the circled number 4, and the second powder removal brush 30 removes the excess powder 103 that has adhered mainly to the right half of the periphery.
• the tip 13 moves from the position indicated by the circled number 4 to the position indicated by the circled number 5, thereby removing the excess powder 103 adhering to the right half of the circumference and the excess powder 104 at the tip that was not completely removed.
• Figure 10(c) shows the tip 13 as it moves from the position indicated by the circled number 4 to the position indicated by the circled number 5.
• Figure 10(d) shows the tip 13 midway as it moves from the position of circled number 5 to the position of circled number 6. Note that the movement path from the position of circled number 5 to the position of circled number 6 may be the same as the movement path from the position of circled number 4 to the position of circled number 5.
• the excess powder 103 on the entire circumferential surface of the tip 13 can be reliably removed by the first powder removal brush 20 and the second powder removal brush 30.
• the tip 13 is moved to a position where it is completely released from contact with the bristles 22 and 32 of the brushes 20 and 30; however, sufficient excess powder removal can be achieved even if the tip starts to move back while it is still in a state where it is not released from contact with the bristles 22 and 32.
• the embodiment according to the first modification includes a third powder removal brush 40 disposed opposite the first powder removal brush 20.
• the third powder removal brush 40 has the same configuration as the first powder removal brush 20, and includes a bristle member 41 and brush bristles 42.
• the third powder removal brush 40 is positioned so that the bristles of the first powder removal brush 20 face each other. Furthermore, the first powder removal brush 20 and the third powder removal brush 40 are positioned so that the bristles of the brushes overlap each other.
• the chip 13 is moved along a route in the order of the circled numbers 1 to 3 shown in FIG.
• the tip 13 moves from the position of the circled number 1 to the position of the circled number 2, thereby removing the excess powder 103 adhering to the entire circumferential surface and the excess powder 104 spilling out from the tip.
• Figures 12(a) to 12(d) show the tip 13 as it moves from the position of the circled number 1 to the position of the circled number 2.
• FIGS 12(d) to (g) show the tip 13 as it moves from the position indicated by circled number 2 to the position indicated by circled number 3. Note that the path of movement from the position indicated by circled number 2 to the position indicated by circled number 3 may be the same as the path of movement from the position indicated by circled number 1 to the position indicated by circled number 2.
• the first powder removal brush 20 and the third powder removal brush 40 can remove excess powder 103 from the entire circumferential surface of the tip 13 with a shorter movement distance of the tip 13 (i.e., one round trip) than in Figure 9, thereby shortening the cleaning time of the tip 13.
• the tip 13 is moved to a position where it is completely released from contact with the bristles 22, 42 of the brushes 20, 40, but sufficient excess powder removal can be achieved even if the tip 13 begins to move back before it is released from contact with the bristles 22, 42.
• the embodiment according to the second modification includes a fourth powder removal brush 50.
• the fourth powder removal brush 50 includes an annular bristle member 51 and brush bristles 52.
• the annular bristle-implanted member 51 has brush bristles 52 planted on its inner circumferential surface, extending toward the center.
• the length of the brush bristles 52 is such that a central hole 53 is formed in the center of the powder removal brush 50.
• the bristle-implanted member 51 is made up of a single annular member, but the bristle-implanted member 51 may also be made up of multiple bristle-implanted members, each with brush bristles 52 planted on its arc-shaped inner circumferential surface.
• the tip 13 When removing excess powder 103 on the side surfaces of the tip 13 and excess powder 104 at the tip, first insert the tip 13 into the central hole 53 and adjust the height position of the tip 13. This height position adjustment is the same as the example in Figure 7 above. Note that the height position of the tip 13 may also be adjusted by inserting the tip 13 closer to the base than the tip of the brush 52, rather than into the central hole 53. Next, by moving the tip 13 closer to the base than the tip of the brush bristles 52 and moving the tip 13 in a clockwise or counterclockwise circular motion, it is possible to remove excess powder 103 on the side surfaces of the tip 13 and excess powder 104 at the tip.
• the embodiment according to the third modification includes a fifth powder removal brush 60.
• the fifth powder removal brush 60 includes an annular bristle member 61 and brush bristles 62.
• the annular bristle member 61 has brush bristles 62 extending radially planted on its outer circumferential surface.
• the bristle member 61 may be formed of a disk-shaped or cylindrical member.
• the powder tank cover member 70 is configured by the first powder removal brush 20 and the second powder removal brush 30 described with reference to FIGS.
• the first powder removal brush 20 and the second powder removal brush 30 are positioned above the powder tank 101 by a support device (not shown) to form the powder tank cover member 70 (see Figure 23 described below).
• the width W (see Figure 9) of the first powder removal brush 20 and the second powder removal brush 30 is large enough to cover all or part of the powder tank 101.
• the tip 13 When the powder measuring device 10 sucks in the powder 102, the tip 13 is inserted into the gap G or brush bristles 22, 32 between the first powder removal brush 20 and the second powder removal brush 30. Excess powder 103, 104 adhering to the tip 13 during the powder sucking operation is removed by moving the tip 13 relative to the first powder removal brush 20 and the second powder removal brush 30, and falls into the powder tank 101. Because the first powder removal brush 20 and the second powder removal brush 30 are positioned directly above the powder tank 101, the movement distance of the powder measuring device 10 required to remove the excess powder 103, 104 is also minimized.
• the powder tank cover member 70 described above serves to prevent the scattered powder 105 in the powder tank 101 from scattering to the outside. It also serves to prevent external dust 106 from entering the powder tank 101.
• a vibration device that imparts vibrations to the powder tank cover member 70 may be provided, and the powder tank cover member 70 may be vibrated when removing excess powder 103, 104. The vibrations from this vibration device may also be transmitted to vibrate the powder tank 101.
• ⁇ Powder Tank Cover Member 170 with Static Electricity Removal Function> 15 is a side view of the powder tank cover member 170 with static electricity removal function.
• the tip 13 is generally made of a resin material, and excess powder can adhere to the tip and outer periphery of the tip 13 due to static electricity. This function is effective in removing excess powder that has adhered due to static electricity.
• some or all of the brush bristles 82, 92 are made of conductive material bristles with a static-removing effect.
• conductive material bristles include nylon surfaces coated with conductive carbon, acrylic or nylon fibers chemically bonded to copper sulfide, and composites of nylon and carbon-containing conductive materials.
• the bristle implants 81, 91 on which the brush bristles 82, 92 are implanted are also made of a conductive material. Brush bristles 82, 92 made of a conductive material can instantly remove static electricity through corona discharge generated when the tip 13 comes into contact.
• an earth wire 171 to the bristle implants 81, 91. While FIG. 15 shows an earth wire 171 only on the sixth powder removal brush 80, it goes without saying that an earth wire can also be provided on the seventh powder removal brush 90.
• the powder tank cover member 170 described above not only functions as a cover to prevent the powder inside the powder tank 101 from scattering and the intrusion of dust from the outside, but also has a static elimination function that effectively removes excess static-charged powder that has adhered to the tip and outer surface of the tip 13. It goes without saying that the static elimination brush is not limited to being used as a powder tank cover member, and the static elimination function can be added to a brush alone without a powder tank.
• ⁇ Powder tank cover member 270 with multi-stage structure> 16 is a side view of a multi-tiered powder tank cover member 270.
• This powder tank cover member 270 includes a lower tier cover member having a first powder removal brush 20 and a second powder removal brush 30, and an upper tier cover member having an eighth powder removal brush 220 and a ninth powder removal brush 230.
• the eighth powder removal brush 220 has the same configuration as the first powder removal brush 20, and is equipped with a bristle member 221 and brush bristles 222.
• the ninth powder removal brush 230 has the same configuration as the second powder removal brush 30, and is equipped with a bristle member 231 and brush bristles 232.
• the powder removal brushes (20, 30) that make up the lower cover member and the powder removal brushes (220, 230) that make up the upper cover member are supported by a support device (not shown).
• the powder removal brushes (20, 30) that make up the lower cover member and the powder removal brushes (220, 230) that make up the upper cover member are drawn apart, but they can also be placed close to each other. In this case, excess powder adhering to the tip 13 can be removed not only by the first powder removal brush 20 and the second powder removal brush 30, but also by the eighth powder removal brush 220 and the ninth powder removal brush 230.
• the multi-tiered powder tank cover member 270 shown in Figure 16 allows the upper-tier cover members (220, 230) to contain excess powder that scatters upward when the first powder removal brush 20 and the second powder removal brush 30 are used to remove excess powder adhering to the tip and outer peripheral surface of the tip 13.
• FIG. 17(a) is a side view of an attachment-type powder tank cover member 370 according to an embodiment.
• the attachment-type powder tank cover member 370 includes bristle members 321 and 331 and brush bristles 322 and 332 that can be attached to the powder tank 101.
• the bristle members 321 and 331 are integrally formed.
• the bristle members 321 and 331 have hook-shaped engaging portions 321a and 331a, respectively, and the powder tank cover member 370 can be easily attached to the powder tank 101 by engaging the engaging portions 321a and 331a with the powder tank 101.
• the brush bristles 322, 332 are arranged inside the powder tank 101, making it possible to more effectively prevent the powder 102 inside the powder tank 101 from scattering to the outside.
• a vibration device that applies vibrations to the powder tank cover member 370 may be provided, and the powder tank cover member 370 may be vibrated when removing excess powder 103, 104. The vibrations from this vibration device may also be transmitted to vibrate the powder tank 101.
• FIG. 17(b) is a side view of a freestanding powder basin cover member 470 of an example embodiment.
• the free-standing powder tank cover member 470 includes bristle members 421, 431 and brush bristles 422, 432 that can stand on their own in the powder tank 101.
• the bristle members 421 and 431 are integrally formed.
• the bristle members 421, 431 have grounding portions 421a, 431a, respectively, and by grounding the grounding portions 421a, 431a on the powder 102 in the powder tank 101, the powder tank cover member 470 can stand on its own in the powder tank 101.
• the brush bristles 422, 432 are positioned inside the powder tank 101, making it possible to more effectively prevent the powder 102 inside the powder tank 101 from scattering to the outside. Furthermore, since it can be installed in any powder tank 101 with an inner diameter that can accommodate the powder tank cover member 470, it can be applied to powder tanks 101 of various sizes.
• the powder supplying device 1 equipped with the above-described powder tank cover member (70, 370) can be equipped with various rotation devices for relatively rotating the tip 13 and the powder tank cover member (70, 370).
• the rotation operation described below may be either clockwise or counterclockwise.
• Figure 18(a) is a side view showing a configuration in which a tip rotation device that rotates the powder measuring device 10 around a vertical axis is provided in the powder supply device 1 of Figure 14.
• tip rotation devices include providing a rotation device such as a motor that rotates the nozzle 12 on the main body 11, or mounting the powder measuring device 10 on a relative moving robot (not shown) via a rotation device such as a motor that rotates the powder measuring device 10.
• a rotation device such as a motor that rotates the nozzle 12 on the main body 11
• a relative moving robot not shown
• a rotation device such as a motor that rotates the powder measuring device 10.
• Figure 18(b) is a side view showing a configuration in which a cover member rotation device that rotates the powder tank cover member 70 around a vertical axis of rotation is provided in the powder supply device 1 of Figure 14.
• a cover member rotation device such as a motor is provided on the support for the powder tank cover member 70.
• Figure 18(c) is a side view showing a configuration in which a powder tank rotation device that rotates the powder tank 101 around a vertical axis of rotation is provided in the powder supply device 1 of Figure 17(a).
• a powder tank rotation device is disclosed in which a rotation device such as a motor is provided on the table on which the powder tank is placed.
• a relative movement robot not shown
• by combining the rotation operation of the powder tank rotation device it is possible to more effectively remove excess powder (103, 104) adhering to the tip 13.
• the excess powder (103, 104) adhering to the tip 13 can also be removed by rotating only the powder tank rotation device while the tip 13 is stationary.
• a vibration device that vibrates the table on which the powder tank is placed can also be provided in combination with the rotation device.
• Figure 19(a) is a perspective view showing the powder removal brush 20 and the powder suction device 180
• Figure 19(b) is a side view thereof.
• the powder suction device 180 has a suction port 181 that communicates with a negative pressure source (not shown) via an on-off valve, and sucks excess powder 103, 104 removed from the tip 13 by the brush bristles 22 through the suction port 181.
• the powder suction device 180 which is located below the bristle member 21, may be connected to the underside of the bristle member 21 or to a support that supports the powder removal brush 20.
• the timing at which negative pressure is generated in the suction port 181 can be automatically controlled by a control device (not shown).
• FIG 19 (c) is a side view showing the tenth powder removal brush 320, in which a suction port 323 is provided in the bristle member 321.
• Brush bristles 322 are implanted on the side of the bristle member 321, and multiple suction ports 323 are provided in the parts of the same side where no brush bristles 322 are implanted.
• a powder suction device 333 is provided in the bristle member 321.
• the suction port 323 is connected to a negative pressure source (not shown) via an on-off valve, and excess powder 103, 104 removed from the tip 13 by the brush bristles 322 is sucked through the suction port 323.
• the timing at which negative pressure is generated in the suction port 323 can be automatically controlled by a control device (not shown).
• the powder suction devices 180, 333 described above can prevent excess powder 103, 104 removed from the tip 13 from scattering to the outside.
• the powder suction devices 180, 333 can also be applied to the powder removal brushes shown in Figures 9 to 18.
• FIG. 20( a ) is a side view showing the eleventh powder removing brush 620 and the twelfth powder removing brush 630 .
• the eleventh powder removing brush 620 includes a bristle implant member 621 and bristles 622, the bristles 622 being arranged so that the side surface of the bristles 622 faces diagonally upward.
• Bristles are implanted on the side of the bristle implantation member 621 that faces diagonally upward, with the roots 622a of the bristles extending in a direction perpendicular to the side of the bristle implantation member 621.
• the roots 622a extend diagonally upward because the central portions 622b and tip portions 622c tend to sag due to their own weight.
• the roots 622a of the brush bristles 622 extend diagonally upward to take into account sagging due to their own weight, so that the bristles extend horizontally at the central portions 622b and tip portions 622c.
• the effects of the present invention can be achieved as long as either the central portions 622b or tip portions 622c of the brush bristles extend horizontally.
• the twelfth powder removal brush 630 is provided so that the tip 622c of the eleventh powder removal brush 620 faces the tip 632c.
• the twelfth powder removal brush 630 has the same configuration as the eleventh powder removal brush 620, and includes a bristle member 631 and brush bristles 632.
• the twelfth powder removal brush 630 is also implanted in the bristle member 631 so that the base 632a of the bristles 632 extends diagonally upward.
• the base 632a of the bristles 632 of the twelfth powder removal brush 630 extends diagonally upward, taking into account sagging due to the bristles' own weight, so that the bristles extend horizontally at the center 632b and tip 632c. Note that the effects of the present invention can be achieved as long as either the center 632b or tip 632c of the bristles extends horizontally.
• FIG. 20( b ) is a side view showing the thirteenth powder removing brush 720 and the fourteenth powder removing brush 730 .
• the thirteenth powder removal brush 720 has a bristle member 721 similar to that of the first powder removal brush 20, but differs in that the roots 722a of the bristles 722 are planted so that they extend diagonally upward. Also, it differs from the eleventh powder removal brush 620 in that the side of the bristles of the bristle member 721 on which the bristles are planted is arranged parallel to the vertical direction, and the tips of the bristles 722 are aligned on the same plane parallel to the vertical direction.
• the thirteenth powder removal brush 720 has its root portion 722a extending diagonally upward, taking into account the sagging of the brush bristles due to their own weight, so that the bristles extend horizontally at the center portion 722b and tip portion 722c.
• the brush bristles 722 have their root portion 722a extending diagonally upward, taking into account the sagging of the brush bristles due to their own weight, so that the bristles extend horizontally at the center portion 722b and tip portion 722c.
• the tip portions 722c of the brush bristles are configured so that the tips of the bristles from the upper to lower layers are positioned on a plane parallel to the vertical direction. The effects of the present invention can be achieved as long as either the center portion 722b or tip portion 722c of the brush bristles extend horizontally.
• the fourteenth powder removal brush 730 is provided so that the tip 722c and tip 732c of the thirteenth powder removal brush 720 face each other.
• the fourteenth powder removal brush 730 has the same configuration as the thirteenth powder removal brush 720, and includes a bristle member 731 and brush bristles 732.
• the bristles 732 of the fourteenth powder removal brush 730 have their root portions 732a extending diagonally upward to account for sagging due to the bristles' own weight, so that the bristles extend horizontally at the center portion 732b and tip portion 732c.
• the tip portions 732c of the brush bristles are configured so that the tips of the bristles from the upper to lower layer are positioned on a plane parallel to the vertical direction.
• the effects of the present invention can be achieved as long as either the center portion 732b or tip portion 732c of the brush bristles extend horizontally.
• the 13th powder removal brush 720 and the 14th powder removal brush 730 When using the 13th powder removal brush 720 and the 14th powder removal brush 730 to remove excess powder 103, 104 adhering to the tip 13, it is advisable to abut the tip 13 against the center portions 722b, 732b or the tip portions 722c, 732c of the horizontally extending brush bristles (for example, the path shown in Figure 9 or Figure 11).
• the 13th powder removal brush 720 and the 14th powder removal brush 730 are configured so that the gaps between the brush bristles 722, 732 are uniform from the top to the bottom layer, making it possible to make the sweet spot of the tip portions 722c, 732c for removing excess powder 103, 104 from the tip 13 wider than that of the 11th powder removal brush 620 and the 12th powder removal brush 630.
• the central portions 722b and 732b in Figure 20(b) refer to the portions between the base portions 722a and 732a and the tip portions 722c and 732c.
• FIG. 21( a ) is a side view showing the fifteenth powder removing brush 820 , the sixteenth powder removing brush 830 , the first brush guide member 841 and the second brush guide member 842 .
• the fifteenth powder removal brush 820 includes a bristle implantation member 821, with the side surface facing the bristles 822 facing diagonally downward, and brush bristles 822.
• a first brush guide member 841 having a flat upper surface is disposed below the central portions 822b of the brush bristles.
• the bristles are implanted on the diagonally downward-facing side of the bristle implantation member 821 so that the root portions 822a of the brush bristles extend in a direction perpendicular to the side surface of the bristle implantation member 821, and the central portions 822b abut against the first brush guide member 841. Due to the guiding action of the first brush guide member 841, the central portions 822b and tip portions 822c of the brush bristles extend horizontally.
• the effects of the present invention can be achieved as long as either the central portions 822b or tip portions 822c of the brush bristles extend horizontally.
• the sixteenth powder removal brush 830 is provided so that the tip 822c and tip 832c of the fifteenth powder removal brush 820 face each other.
• the sixteenth powder removal brush 830 has the same configuration as the fifteenth powder removal brush 820, and includes a bristle member 831 and brush bristles 832.
• a second brush guide member 842 with a flat upper surface is disposed below the central portions 832b of the brush bristles.
• the central portions 832b of the brush bristles extend diagonally downward from the side of the bristle member 831 and abut against the second brush guide member 842. Due to the guiding action of the second brush guide member 842, the central portions 832b and tip portions 832c of the brush bristles extend horizontally. Note that the effects of the present invention can be achieved as long as either the central portions 832b or tip portions 832c of the brush bristles extend horizontally.
• the first and second brush guide members 841, 842 function as guide plates that support the brush bristles 822, 832 from below, so that even if the bristles are long enough to hang down under their own weight, the central portions 822b, 832b and tip portions 822c, 832c of the brush bristles 822, 832 can be extended horizontally.
• the first and second brush guide members 841, 842 are connected to and fixed to a support that supports the powder removal brushes 820, 830, for example.
• Figure 21(b) is a side view showing the seventeenth powder removal brush 920, the eighteenth powder removal brush 930, the first brush guide member 841, and the second brush guide member 842.
• the first and second brush guide members 841 and 842 are the same as those shown in Figure 21(a), and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.
• the seventeenth powder removal brush 920 has a bristle member 921 similar to that of the first powder removal brush 20, but differs in that the roots 922a of the bristles 922 are planted so that they extend diagonally downward.
• the side of the bristles of the bristle member 921 on which the bristles are planted is arranged parallel to the vertical direction, and the tips of the bristles 922 are aligned on the same plane parallel to the vertical direction.
• the 17th powder removal brush 920 has bristles at the center 922b and tip 922c of the brush bristles extending horizontally due to the guiding action of the first brush guide member 841.
• the 17th powder removal brush 920 is also configured so that the bristles from the upper to lower layers are positioned on a plane parallel to the vertical direction.
• the effects of the present invention can be achieved as long as either the center 922b or tip 922c of the brush bristles extend horizontally.
• the 18th powder removal brush 930 has the same configuration as the 17th powder removal brush 920, and includes a bristle member 931 and brush bristles 932. Like the 17th powder removal brush 920, the 18th powder removal brush 930 has the bristles at the center 932b and tip 932c of the brush bristles extending horizontally due to the guiding action of the second brush guide member 842.
• the 18th powder removal brush 930 is also configured so that the bristles from the upper to lower layers are positioned on a plane parallel to the vertical direction. The effects of the present invention can be achieved as long as either the center 932b or tip 932c of the brush bristles extend horizontally.
• the 17th powder removal brush 920 and the 18th powder removal brush 930 are configured so that the gaps between the brush bristles 922, 932 are uniform from the top to the bottom layer, making it possible to make the sweet spot of the tips 922c, 932c for removing excess powder 103, 104 from the tip 13 wider than that of the 15th powder removal brush 820 and the 16th powder removal brush 830.
• a pair of powder removal brushes is shown with the bristles pressed against the first and second brush guide members 841 and 842, but as shown in Figures 14 to 18, it is also possible to combine a powder removal brush whose bristles extend horizontally with the first and second brush guide members 841 and 842.
• the brush guide members can also be applied to a single powder removal brush 20.
• FIG 21(c) is a side view showing the first powder removal brush 20, the second powder removal brush 30, and the first to fourth brush guide members 841 to 844.
• the first powder removal brush 20 and the second powder removal brush 30 have already been explained with reference to Figures 9 and 10, so further explanation will be omitted.
• a first brush guide member 841 is positioned below the brush bristles 22 in a position close to or in contact with the brush bristles 22, and a second brush guide member 842 is positioned below the brush bristles 32 in a position close to or in contact with the brush bristles 32.
• a third brush guide member 843 is positioned above the brush bristles 22 in a position close to or in contact with the brush bristles 22, and a fourth brush guide member 844 is positioned above the brush bristles 32 in a position close to or in contact with the brush bristles 32.
• the third brush guide member 843 which has the same shape as the first brush guide member 841, is positioned opposite each other, but the shapes of the two do not necessarily have to be identical, and the centers of the two may be offset from each other. The same applies to the second brush guide member 842 and the fourth brush guide member 844.
• FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the tabletop powder supplying device 1 according to the first embodiment.
• the powder measuring device 510 has the same configuration as the powder measuring device 10 shown in FIG. 1, and includes a main body 511 and a nozzle 512, and is used by attaching a tip 13 to the tip of the nozzle 512.
• the powder measuring device 510 is mounted on a Z-direction drive device 503 so that the extension direction of the nozzle 512 is vertical, allowing for positioning in the Z direction (vertical direction).
• the Z-direction drive device 503 is mounted on a gate-shaped Y-direction drive device 502, allowing for positioning in the Y direction.
• a work table 504 on which the powder tank 101 and other components that are the objects of operation of the powder measuring device 510 are mounted is mounted on an X-direction drive device 501, allowing for positioning in the X direction.
• the X-direction drive device 501 is disposed on a stand 508.
• the XYZ-direction drive devices (501, 502, 503) may be referred to as relative movement robots.
• the control device 520 is a computer equipped with a processing device and a storage device, and a control program that controls the operation of the powder measuring device 510 and the XYZ direction drive devices (501, 502, 503) is stored in the storage device.
• the control device 520 controls the XYZ direction drive devices (501, 502, 503) to position the powder measuring device 510 at any coordinate on the work table 504.
• the control device 520 also controls the operation of a switching valve (not shown) that connects or disconnects the nozzle 512 of the powder measuring device 510 to a negative pressure source (not shown).
• the control device 520 also controls the operation of the vibration device 540, which will be described later.
• FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a brush device 530 and a vibration device 540 according to the first embodiment.
• the brush device 530 is configured to include bristle members 531 and 532 and brush bristles 533 and 534, and is supported by a support 535.
• the support 535 is connected to a vibration table 542 of the vibration device 540.
• the support 535 may be connected to the work table 504.
• the bristle members 531 and 532 are columnar members with brush bristles 533 and 534 respectively attached to the inner surfaces thereof, and are connected to a support 535 .
• the brush bristles 533, 534 are similar to the brush bristles 22, 32 in the above-described embodiment and are composed of elastic bristles of the same length and diameter.
• the brush bristles 533, 534 are arranged so that their tips face each other, with a gap between them.
• the width of the bristles 533, 534 in the extension direction of the bristle implants 531, 532 is large enough to cover a portion of the opening of the powder tank 101.
• the tip 13 When lowering the tip 13 into the powder tank 101, lowering it at a position not covered by the brush bristles 533, 534 or at a position where there is a gap can be prevented, preventing dust adhering to the brush bristles 533, 534 from entering the tip 13 or the powder tank 101 due to contact during the tip 13's descent.
• the tip 13 may be lowered at a position covered by the brush bristles 533, 534.
• Powder is stored in a cylindrical container, the powder tank 101.
• the shape of the powder tank 101 is not limited to the cylindrical shape shown in the example, and any shape of powder tank, including a bottle or a bag, can be used.
• the vibration device 540 includes a vibration table 541 and a vibration table 542, and is fixed to the work table 504 by a fixture 543.
• the fixture 543 may be configured integrally with the support 535.
• a vibration device may be provided to vibrate the brush device 530, and the powder tank 101 may be vibrated by the vibration transmitted via the support 535.
• the vibration table 541 is equipped with a vibration device such as a motor inside, and the ON/OFF operation of the vibration device is controlled by the control device 520.
• the vibration table 542 is a table on which the powder tank 101 is placed, and the brush device 530 described above is connected via a support 535.
• the vibration table 542 may be provided with a holding mechanism for holding the powder tank 101.
• the vibration table 541 is fixed to the work table 504 by a fixing device 543, and is moved in the X direction together with the work table 504 by the X-direction driving device 501.
• ⁇ Powder supply operation The following describes the operation when supplying powder to a powder tray using the powder measuring device 510.
• the control device 520 moves the powder measuring device 510 above the powder tank 101 and lowers the nozzle 512 to bury the tip of the tip 13 in the powder in the powder tank 101.
• the control device 520 connects the nozzle 512 to a negative pressure source (not shown) and sucks the powder into the measuring chamber 15 in the tip 13.
• a filter 14 that defines the upper end of the measuring chamber 15 is disposed in the tip 13, and the powder is filled into the measuring chamber 15 by the action of the negative pressure (see FIG. 3).
• the vibrating device 540 vibrates the powder tank 101. Suction creates indentations on the surface of the powder in the powder tank 101, but vibrating the powder tank 101 allows the surrounding powder to flow into the indentations, smoothing out the unevenness on the powder surface. The formation of indentations on the surface of the powder in the powder tank 101 is undesirable, as it can lead to air being sucked in and uneven suction flow rates.
• the vibrating device 540 vibrates the powder tank 101, the vibrations are transmitted to the tip 13 via the powder. Vibrating the tip 13 uniformly distributes the powder sucked into the measuring chamber 15, also achieving a consistent bulk density. In addition, the powder may be sucked into the measuring chamber 15 while vibrating the powder measuring device 510.
• the Z-direction driving device 503 is driven to vertically position the powder measuring device 510 in order to remove the excess powder.
• the control device 520 performs positioning so that the tip of the tip 13 is positioned on the top surface of the lowest bristles of the brush bristles 533, 534, for example, as shown in Figure 7 or 8.
• the control device 520 causes the X-direction driving device 501 and the Y-direction driving device 502 to move the tip 13 relative to the brush device 530 so that the tip 13 moves along a path such as that shown in Fig. 9. This removes excess powder (103, 104) from the tip and side peripheral surface of the tip 13.
• the control device 520 drives the XYZ direction drive devices (501, 502, 503) to move the powder measuring device 510 above the powder tray (not shown), and releases the negative pressure from the negative pressure source that was acting within the measuring chamber 15 or applies positive pressure, thereby discharging the powder within the measuring chamber 15 into the powder tray (not shown).
• the tip 13 may be vibrated to promote discharging.
• the control device 520 drives the XYZ direction drive devices (501, 502, 503) to move the powder measuring device 510 to the tip removal jig 505, and detaches the tip 13 from the tip of the nozzle 512.
• the detached tip 13 is discharged into the tip disposal tray 506. If there is a subsequent dispensing operation for a different type of powder, a new tip 13 from the tip tray 507 is attached to the nozzle 512, and the powder is sucked into the powder tank 101 containing the different type of powder using the same procedure. At this time, it is preferable to also replace the brush device 530 with a new one.
• the powder supplying device 201 of Example 2 differs from the powder supplying device 1 of Example 1 mainly in that the powder measuring device 610 has a flexible pipe 612.
• the following description will focus on the differences from Example 1, and elements that are the same as those in Example 1 will be given the same reference numerals in the drawings, and explanations will be omitted.
• FIG 24 is a side view of a powder measuring device 610 according to Example 2.
• This powder measuring device 610 comprises a main body 611 that applies negative pressure to flexible piping 612, and the flexible piping 612.
• the flexible piping 612 is made of a flexible tube, and the tip 612a of the flexible piping forms a nozzle.
• a tip 613 is detachably attached to the tip 612a of the flexible piping.
• a nozzle member may be connected to the tip 612a of the flexible piping, and the flexible piping 612 and tip 613 may be indirectly connected via the nozzle member.
• the nozzle head 619 described below, may be used as the nozzle member, and the tip 613 may be detachably attached to a cylindrical tip mounting portion provided on the nozzle head 619.
• Tip 613 is a disposable type equipped with an intake port 614, a measuring chamber 615, a filter 616, an intake section 617 having an internal space communicating with flexible tubing 612, and an attachment section 618 for attachment to flexible tubing 612. Negative pressure is applied to the measuring chamber 615 from the main body 611 via the flexible tubing 612 and filter 616. Tip 613 is similar to tip 13, except that the measuring chamber 615 and intake section 617 are frustum-shaped.
• FIG. 25 is a perspective view of a powder supplying device 201 according to the second embodiment.
• the powder measuring device 610 has a main body 611 provided on the outside of the stand 508.
• the main body 611 is installed on the control device 520, but the main body 611 can be installed in any location, and the main body 611 can also be built into the stand 508.
• One end of the flexible piping 612 extends from the main body 611, and the other end is inserted into the nozzle head 619.
• a tip 613 is attached to the tip 612a of the flexible piping extending from the nozzle head 619.
• the nozzle head 619 is mounted on a Z-direction driver 503, allowing it to be positioned in the Z direction (vertical direction).
• the Z-direction driver 503 is mounted on a Y-direction driver 502, allowing it to be positioned in the Y direction.
• the work table 504 is mounted on an X-direction driver 501, allowing it to be positioned in the X direction.
• the brush device 530 and vibration device 540 installed on the work table 504 are the same as those in Example 1. The modifications to these devices described in Example 1 can also be applied to Example 2.
• the flexible piping 112 is capable of deforming to follow the movement of the nozzle head 619, allowing the negative pressure supplied from the main body 611 to be applied to the nozzle head 619 at any position.
• the method of removing excess powder adhering to the tip and outer peripheral surface of the tip 613 using the brush device 530 is the same as in Example 1.
• the method of sucking in powder while vibrating the powder tank 101 using the vibration device 540 is also the same as in Example 1.
• Example 2 With the powder supply device 201 of Example 2 described above, after the powder has been measured and inhaled, excess powder adhering to the tip and side surface of the tip 613 can be automatically removed, making it possible to measure and discharge with high precision. Furthermore, by inhaling powder while vibrating the powder tank 101 with the vibration device 540, it is possible to fill the measuring chamber 615 with powder at a constant bulk density. Additionally, because the nozzle head 619 is lighter than the inhalation and metering device 510 of Example 1, it is possible to use a relative movement robot with a smaller driving force than in Example 1.
• the present invention can also be applied to a non-disposable device, such as that shown in Patent Document 2, that has a filling piston (which doubles as an inhalation measuring device and nozzle) with a measuring chamber separated by a filter and an inhalation port at the tip.
• a filling piston which doubles as an inhalation measuring device and nozzle
• a measuring chamber separated by a filter and an inhalation port at the tip.
• Powder supply device 10 Powder measuring device 11: Main body (of powder measuring device) 12: Nozzle 13: Tip (inhalation measuring device) 14: Filter 15: Measuring chamber 20: First powder removal brush 21: Bristles 22: Brush bristles 23: Extension direction 24: First traveling direction 25: First side surface 26: Second side surface 27: Second traveling direction 30: Second powder removal brush 31: Bristles 32: Brush bristles 40: Third powder removal brush 41: Bristles 42: Brush bristles 50: Fourth powder removal brush 51: Bristles 52: Brush bristles 60: Fifth powder removal brush 61: Bristles 62: Brush bristles 70: Powder tank cover Material 80: sixth powder removal brush 81: bristle member 82: brush bristles 90: seventh powder removal brush 91: bristle member 92: brush bristles 101: powder tank 102: powder 103: surplus powder on outer surface 104: surplus powder at tip 105: scattered powder 106: dust in the air 131: attachment part 132: suction part 133: suction port

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Citations (9)

• 2025
  • 2025-05-08 KR KR1020267004865A patent/KR20260033616A/ko active Pending
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