Quantitative supply device for small parts

Abstract

To provide a quantitative supply device of small components easy to quantitatively supply small components with excellent reproducibility, even when a lot of the small components are stored in a storing container.SOLUTION: A quantitative supply device 100 of small components has a storing container 20, a rotary body 40, a magnet 46, a capturing part 83, and a takeoff part 70. The storing container 20 has a first storing region 21 and a second storing region 22 separated from each other by a partition wall 30. A bottom face 27 of the storing container 20 is inclined downward from the first storing region 21 side toward the second storing region 22 side. A space between a lower edge 30 of the partition wall 30 and the bottom face 27 of the storing container 20 forms a communication part 23 for supplying the small components from the first storing region 21 to the second storing region 22. The magnet 46 attracts the small components of the second storing region 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a metering and feeding device for small parts.

Background Art

[0002] As a metering and feeding device for small parts that takes out and supplies a fixed quantity (for example, a constant) of small parts from a large number of stored small parts, there is, for example, a constant supply device for small parts described in Patent Document 1.

[0003] In the constant supply device for small parts described in Patent Document 1, a magnet is provided on a rotating body disposed facing the inside of a storage container (the storage part in the same document), and the small parts adsorbed by the magnet are captured by a capturing part as they rotate with the rotating body.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, from the viewpoint of work efficiency, there is a demand to store a large number of small parts in a storage container. From that viewpoint, the constant supply device for small parts described in Patent Document 1 still has room for improvement.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a metering and feeding device for small parts that makes it easy to supply a fixed quantity of small parts with good reproducibility even when a large number of small parts are stored in a storage container.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] According to the present invention, a quantitative supply device for supplying a fixed quantity of small parts comprises: a storage container for storing a plurality of the small parts; a rotating body that rotates around a horizontal axis; a magnet provided on the rotating body that attracts the small parts and causes the small parts to rotate and move in conjunction with the rotation of the rotating body; a capturing unit that captures the small parts that are attracted and rotated by the magnet; and a removal unit from which the small parts captured by the capturing unit are removed, wherein the storage container has a first storage area and a second storage area separated from each other by a partition wall, and the storage The bottom surface of the container slopes downward from the first storage area to the second storage area, the gap between the lower edge of the partition wall and the bottom surface of the storage container constitutes a communication section for supplying the small parts from the first storage area to the second storage area, the magnet attracts the small parts in the second storage area, a dispensing rotating body is provided in or near the communication section for feeding the small parts from the first storage area to the second storage area, the dispensing rotating body has a rotating shaft and rotating blades provided at the tip of the rotating shaft, The tip of the rotating shaft protrudes upward from the bottom surface of the storage container, and the rotating blades are provided at the tip of the rotating shaft. A quantitative feeding device for small parts is provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, even if a large quantity of small parts are stored in a storage container, it becomes easy to supply small parts in a quantitative manner with good reproducibility. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is an overall perspective view of a quantitative supply device for small parts according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] This diagram shows the configuration of a quantitative supply device for small parts according to an embodiment, as viewed from the front, and illustrates the structure within the second storage area. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the configuration of a quantitative supply device for small parts according to an embodiment, as viewed from the front, and illustrates the structure within the first storage area. [Figure 4] Figure 3 shows the state in which the second part of the partition wall has been displaced downward relative to the first part. [Figure 5]This figure shows a plan view of the quantitative supply device for small parts according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] This figure shows a side view of the quantitative supply device for small parts according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7(a) is a magnified view of section A shown in Figure 5, and Figure 7(b) is a magnified view of section B shown in Figure 6. [Figure 8] Figure 6 shows a magnified view of section A, illustrating a cross-section along the axial direction of the magnet. [Figure 9] Figures 9(a) and 9(b) illustrate the process by which small parts are detached from the magnet. [Figure 10] Figures 10(a) and 10(b) illustrate the process by which small parts are detached from the magnet. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In all drawings, the same reference numerals are used for similar components, and their descriptions are omitted where appropriate. Furthermore, in the following, "vertical direction" refers to the vertical direction when the quantitative dispensing device 100 is positioned as shown in Figure 2. More specifically, the quantitative dispensing device 100 is self-supporting when installed on a horizontal mounting surface in the posture shown in Figure 2. Furthermore, "horizontal direction" refers to the left-right direction when the quantitative dispensing device 100 is positioned as shown in Figure 2. The left-right direction of the quantitative dispensing device 100 is sometimes referred to as the width direction. Furthermore, the direction perpendicular to both the vertical and left-right directions is called the front-back direction. Furthermore, the front side in Figure 2 is sometimes referred to as the front or rear side, and the opposite side as the rear or back side.

[0011] The quantitative supply device 100 for small parts according to this embodiment (hereinafter simply referred to as the quantitative supply device 100) is a quantitative supply device that supplies a fixed amount of small parts (in this embodiment, screws 110 (see Figures 9(a) and 9(b), etc.)). As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the quantitative supply device 100 includes a storage container 20 for storing a plurality of small parts, a rotating body 40 that rotates around a horizontal axis, a magnet 46 provided on the rotating body 40 that attracts small parts and causes the small parts to rotate along with the rotation of the rotating body 40, a capturing unit 83 that captures the small parts that are attracted by the magnet 46 and rotate, and a removal unit 70 from which the small parts captured by the capturing unit 83 are removed. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the storage container 20 has a first storage area 21 and a second storage area 22 separated from each other by a partition wall 30. The bottom surface 27 of the storage container 20 slopes downward from the first storage area 21 side to the second storage area 22 side. The gap between the lower edge 30a of the partition wall 30 and the bottom surface 27 of the storage container 20 constitutes a communication section 23 that supplies small parts from the first storage area 21 to the second storage area 22, and the magnet 46 attracts the small parts in the second storage area 22. More specifically, multiple small parts are first placed in the first storage area 21. The placed small parts slide down the bottom surface 27 of the storage container 20 and move to the second storage area 22 via the communication section 23, where they are attracted by the magnet 46.

[0012] According to this embodiment, the storage container 20 is divided into a first storage area 21 and a second storage area 22 by a partition wall 30, and has a communication section 23 that connects the lower end of the storage container 20 (below the partition wall 30). Therefore, by putting a large number of small parts into the first storage area 21, the small parts are supplied to the second storage area 22 in small amounts via the communication section 23. This prevents the number of small parts attracted to a single magnet 46 in the second storage area 22 from becoming excessive. In other words, even if a large number of small parts (for example, the storage limit of the first storage area 21) are stored in the storage container 20, it becomes easy to supply the small parts in a quantitative manner with good reproducibility.

[0013] In the case of this embodiment, the small parts are, for example, a male screw (bolt) 110 having a head and a shaft portion (hereinafter simply referred to as screw 110). That is, the screw 110 is stored in the storage container 20 and quantitatively supplied to the take-out portion 70. In the case of this embodiment, as an example, one screw 110 is adsorbed to one magnet 46 and conveyed to the capture portion 83. At least a part of the screw 110 is made of a magnetic metal that is adsorbed by a magnet, such as 400 series stainless steel or steel material. However, in the present invention, the small parts are not limited to this example, and may be other articles adsorbed by a magnet.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the metering and feeding device 100 includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing 10 having a front wall 12 located on the front side, side walls 15 and 16 respectively located on the left and right, and a rear wall 13 located on the rear side. Inside the housing 10, a storage container 20 for storing a plurality of small parts is formed.

[0015] The storage container 20 has, for example, a side peripheral wall 25 having a rectangular shape in plan view and a bottom surface 27, and is formed in a substantially box shape that is open upward. The above-described rotating body 40 is disposed along the side peripheral wall 25 on the opposite side (rearward in the case of this embodiment) of the second storage region 22 with the side peripheral wall 25 of the storage container 20 interposed therebetween. More specifically, among the side peripheral walls 25 that define the storage container 20, for example, the rear surface portion 26 on the rear side serves as a partition portion that partitions the storage container 20 and the arrangement region 18 of the rotating body 40. The plate surface of the rear surface portion 26 is arranged in the front-rear direction and is orthogonal to the rotation axis (AX1 described later) of the rotating body 40. The rear surface portion 26 is made of a non-magnetic metal such as 300 series stainless steel. A cover portion 19 is provided above the arrangement region 18 of the rotating body 40.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, on the inner surface 26a side of the rear surface portion 26, the above-described capture portion 83 and a guide rail 69 for guiding the movement of the small parts toward the capture portion 83 are provided respectively. The guide rail 69 is positioned along the movement path of the small parts attracted by the magnet 46 (the dashed line 201 shown in Figure 2). Note that the movement path 201 is the same as the movement path of the magnet 46. The capture unit 83 captures small parts that are attracted by the magnet 46 and move as the rotating body 40 rotates. The capture unit 83 is located, for example, to the upper right of the center C1 of the rotating body 40. The capture unit 83 is formed in a trough shape that slopes downward from left to right. A spacing adjustment unit 80, which will be described later, is provided at the downstream end of the capture unit 83, and this downstream end also serves as a chute for sliding small parts towards the extraction unit 70. The spacing adjustment unit 80 is provided, for example, on the right side wall 15. More specifically, the right side wall 15 has an opening 15a for taking out of the housing 10. The downstream end of the capture unit 83 is positioned to penetrate the side wall 15 through the opening 15a and is provided both inside and outside the housing 10. Furthermore, an outlet 70 is provided on the exterior of the housing 10, for example, on the outer surface of the right side wall 15, to receive small parts discharged from the opening 15a. In Figure 2, the configuration behind the partition wall 30, the outlet section 70 provided on the outer surface of the right side wall 15, and the control unit 90 and second rotary motor 93, which will be described later, are shown, respectively, while the front wall 12 and partition wall 30 are omitted from the illustration.

[0017] The bottom surface 27 of the storage container 20 is composed of three inclined surfaces, for example, the first inclined surface 27a, the second inclined surface 27b, and the third inclined surface 27c shown in Figure 5. The second inclined surface 27b slopes downward from front to back and from left to right, for example. On the other hand, the first inclined surface 27a slopes downward only from front to back and does not slope in the left-right direction. More specifically, as shown in Figure 5, the first inclined surface 27a is formed in a trapezoidal shape in plan view, with the lower base of the trapezoidal shape coinciding with the inner surface of the front wall 12 in plan view, and the upper base coinciding with a portion of the inner surface 26a of the rear surface 26 (the central portion in the left-right direction) in plan view. The lower base of the trapezoidal shape is longer than the upper base. The lower base of the trapezoidal shape constitutes the front edge of the bottom surface 27, and the upper base of the trapezoidal shape constitutes a portion of the rear edge of the bottom surface 27 (the central portion in the left-right direction). The upper base of the trapezoidal shape extends horizontally in front of the lower end of the rotating body 40. The second inclined surface 27b is formed in the shape of a right triangle in plan view, with the right angle of the right triangle located in the back left. One of the two sides enclosing the right angle coincides with the inner surface of a portion of the side wall 16 (the front portion) in plan view, and the other of the two sides enclosing the right angle coincides with a portion of the inner surface 26a of the rear portion 26 (the left portion) in plan view. One of the two sides enclosing the right angle of the right triangle constitutes the left edge of the base surface 27, and the other of the two sides enclosing the right angle of the right triangle constitutes a portion of the rear edge of the base surface 27 (the left portion). The hypotenuse of the right triangle coincides with one leg (hypotenuse) of the trapezoidal shape (the left side). The third inclined surface 27c is formed in the shape of a right triangle in plan view, with the right angle of the right triangle located at the back right. One of the two sides enclosing the right angle coincides with the inner surface of a portion of the side wall 15 (the front portion) in plan view, and the other of the two sides enclosing the right angle coincides with a portion of the inner surface 26a of the rear portion 26 (the right portion) in plan view. One of the two sides enclosing the right angle of the right triangle constitutes the right edge of the base surface 27, and the other of the two sides enclosing the right angle of the right triangle constitutes a portion of the rear edge of the base surface 27 (the right portion). The hypotenuse of the right triangle coincides with the other leg (hypotenuse) of the trapezoidal shape (right side).

[0018] As shown in Figure 5, the partition wall 30 is positioned between the front and rear portions 26 of the side perimeter wall 25, and extends across the right side wall 15 and the left side wall 16. The partition wall 30 has its surface facing in the front-to-back direction. In the internal space of the storage container 20, the area in front of the partition wall 30 constitutes the first storage area 21, and the area in the rear constitutes the second storage area 22. As shown in Figure 5, the partition wall 30 is positioned, for example, slightly behind the position that divides the storage container 20 into two equal parts front to back in a plan view. Therefore, the front-to-back width dimension of the first storage area 21 is larger than the front-to-back width dimension of the second storage area 22. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the partition wall 30 includes, for example, a first portion 31 fixed to the right side wall 15 and the left side wall 16, and a second portion 36 fixed to the first portion 31 so as to be vertically displaceable relative to it. In Figures 3 and 4, the internal configuration of the housing 10 is selectively shown, including the partition wall 30, the outlet section 70 provided on the outer surface of the right side wall 15, and the control unit 90 and second rotary motor 93, which will be described later. The other components behind the partition wall 30 are not shown. Each of the first part 31 and the second part 36 is formed, for example, in a substantially flat shape with its surface facing in the front-to-back direction. In a front view, the first portion 31 is formed in a roughly rectangular shape, for example, with an elongated length in the left-right direction. The left edge of the first portion 31 is fixed to the side wall 16, and the right edge of the first portion 31 is connected to the side wall 15. The height of the upper edge of the first portion 31 is approximately the same as the height of the upper edge of the side peripheral wall 25, and the height of the lower edge of the first portion 31 is approximately the same as the height of the upper edge of the bottom surface 27. In a front view, the upper part of the second part 36 is formed in a roughly rectangular shape, for example, with a longer horizontal dimension, while the lower part of the second part 36 is formed in a roughly trapezoidal shape, for example, with a longer upper base than lower base. The overall dimensions of the second part 36 are set to be slightly smaller than those of the first part 31, for example. The second part 36 is positioned along the front surface of the first part 31.

[0019] Here, the second portion 36 of the partition wall 30 has a pair of elongated holes 36a formed therein for fixing the second portion 36 to the first portion 31. The pair of elongated holes 36a each extend vertically and are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the second portion 36 can be fixed to the first portion 31 using fastening members 38 such as bolts in a pair of elongated holes 36a. Here, the fixing position of the fastening member 38 with respect to the elongated hole 36a is adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the elongated hole 36a. Therefore, the relative position of the second part 36 with respect to the first part 31 can be changed in the vertical direction. This makes it possible to adjust the height of the second part 36 relative to the first part 31 so that the lower edge of the second part 36 is positioned above the lower edge of the first part 31, or to adjust the height of the second part 36 relative to the first part 31 so that the lower edge of the second part 36 is positioned below the lower edge of the first part 31. In other words, with this configuration, the vertical dimensions of the partition wall 30 can be adjusted as appropriate. As a result, the vertical dimensions of the connecting section 23 can also be adjusted as appropriate, and the number of small parts that move from the first storage area 21 to the second storage area 22 via the connecting section 23 can also be adjusted.

[0020] As described above, the communication portion 23 is formed by the gap between the lower edge 30a of the partition wall 30 and the bottom surface 27. More specifically, the communication portion 23 is defined, for example, by the lower edge 30a of the partition wall 30 (the lower edge of the first portion 31 or the lower edge of the second portion 36), a portion of the upper surface of the first inclined surface 27a, a portion of the upper surface of the second inclined surface 27b, and a portion of the upper surface of the third inclined surface 27c. More specifically, as shown in Figure 3, when the lower edge of the second portion 36 is located above the lower edge of the first portion 31, the communication portion 23 is defined by the lower edge of the first portion 31, a portion of the upper surface of the first inclined surface 27a, a portion of the upper surface of the second inclined surface 27b, and a portion of the upper surface of the third inclined surface 27c. As shown in Figure 4, when the lower edge of the second portion 36 is located below the lower edge of the first portion 31, the communication portion 23 is defined by the lower edge of the second portion 36, a portion of the first portion 31, a portion of the upper surface of the first inclined surface 27a, a portion of the upper surface of the second inclined surface 27b, and a portion of the upper surface of the third inclined surface 27c.

[0021] Here, a discharge rotating body 50 (see Figures 5, 6, 7(a), and 7(b)) is provided at or near the communication section 23 to feed small parts from the first storage area 21 to the second storage area 22. In Figures 5 and 7(a), the discharge rotating body 50 is schematically shown by a dashed line. In Figures 1 to 4, the discharge rotating body 50 is not shown. This allows, for example, even when a large number of small parts are stored in the first storage area 21, the small parts located in the lower layers of the first storage area 21 to be scraped out and sent to the second storage area 22 in small quantities by the dispensing rotating body 50. In other words, the movement of small parts from the first storage area 21 to the second storage area 22 can be made smoother. Furthermore, even if a blockage of small parts occurs in or near the communication section 23 due to a large amount of small parts being stored in the first storage area 21, the blockage can be cleared by the dispensing rotating body 50.

[0022] As shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(b), the dispensing rotating body 50 includes, for example, a rotating shaft 51 and a rotating blade 53 provided on the tip side of the rotating shaft 51. More specifically, the dispensing rotating body 50 includes, for example, four rotating blades 53 and a mounting portion 54 to which the four rotating blades 53 are fixed and which is attached to the rotating shaft 51. The mounting portion 54 is formed, for example, in a cylindrical shape. The rotating blade 53 is mounted on the rotating shaft 51 because the mounting portion 54 is externally fitted onto the rotating shaft 51. The four rotating blades 53 are arranged intermittently (for example, at 90-degree intervals) in the circumferential direction of the mounting portion 54. Each rotating blade 53 includes a rib-shaped base portion 53a that protrudes radially outward from the outer peripheral surface of the mounting portion 54, and a substantially flat plate portion 53b provided on the outer peripheral edge of the base portion 53a. As an example, the dispensing rotating body 50 rotates counterclockwise in Figure 7(a). In addition, each flat plate portion 53b is inclined downward toward the front in the direction of rotation of the dispensing rotating body 50, and its plate surfaces face in different directions from each other.

[0023] Furthermore, the discharge rotating body 50 has a first rotating motor 91 that rotates the rotating shaft 51, and the first rotating motor 91 is housed inside the motor case 56 (see Figure 6). The rotating shaft 51 is positioned inside the motor case 56 so as to be rotatable around its axis. More specifically, the tip of the rotating shaft 51 is exposed to the outside from the top surface of the motor case 56, and a rotating blade 53 is attached to the tip of the rotating shaft 51. The shape of the motor case 56 is not particularly limited, but as an example, it is formed in a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape that is elongated in one direction. The longitudinal direction of the motor case 56 coincides with the axial direction of the rotation axis 51. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, a gap is formed inside the housing 10 below the bottom surface 27 of the storage container 20, and the first rotating motor 91 and motor case 56 are arranged in this gap. An opening 28 (see Figure 5) is formed in the center of the first inclined surface 27a of the bottom surface 27, and the tip of the rotating shaft 51 and the rotating blades 53 protrude above the bottom surface 27 through this opening 28. The central axis AX2 of the rotating shaft 51 is positioned offset outward from the centerline of the motor case 56 (the centerline along the longitudinal direction of the motor case 56). More specifically, the central axis AX2 of the rotating shaft 51 is located on the second storage area 22 side of the aforementioned centerline of the motor case 56.

[0024] Here, it is preferable that the axial center of the rotating shaft 51 at the mounting location of the rotating blade 53 (C2 shown in Figure 7(b)) is located on the second storage area 22 side rather than the first storage area 21 side, with reference to the lower edge 30a of the partition wall 30. More preferably, at the mounting location of the rotating blade 53, the entire rotating shaft 51 is located on the second storage area 22 side rather than the first storage area 21 side, with reference to the lower edge 30a of the partition wall 30. With this configuration, for example, multiple small parts that are placed into the first storage area 21 are prevented from being stacked on the rotating shaft 51. Therefore, even when a large number of small parts are stored in the first storage area 21, the dispensing rotating body 50 can rotate smoothly. In this embodiment, the mounting location for the rotating blade 53 is, for example, the connection point between the inner periphery of the base portion 53a and the mounting portion 54. Furthermore, the statement that "the axial center of the rotating shaft 51 is located on the second storage area 22 side, not the first storage area 21 side, with reference to the lower edge 30a of the partition wall 30" means that the horizontal position of the axial center of the rotating shaft 51 is located on the second storage area 22 side, not the first storage area 21 side, with reference to the lower edge 30a of the partition wall 30.

[0025] Furthermore, it is preferable that the rotating shaft 51 is tilted from the first storage area 21 side toward the second storage area 22 side. That is, it is preferable that the rotating shaft 51 is inclined in a direction that displaces upward toward the second storage area 22 side. In this manner, the dispensing rotating body 50 can capture small parts sliding down from the first storage area 21 side along the bottom surface 27 with its rotating blades 53 and smoothly dispensing them to the second storage area 22 side via the connecting section 23.

[0026] More specifically, in this embodiment, the motor case 56 is positioned with an upward inclination toward the rear. Therefore, the rotating shaft 51 is also inclined toward the rear. The rotating shaft 51 is perpendicular to the first inclined surface 27a, which is inclined toward the rear. The inclination angle of the rotation axis 51 with respect to the mounting surface is not particularly limited, but is preferably 15 degrees or more and 75 degrees or less, and more preferably 20 degrees or more and 70 degrees or less. Furthermore, in a plan view, it is preferable that at least one of the multiple rotating blades 53 is positioned on the first storage area 21 side, with respect to the partition wall 30, and at least one of the remaining rotating blades 53 is positioned on the second storage area 22 side. This allows small parts in the first storage area 21 to be smoothly fed to the second storage area 22 side. In this embodiment, in the state shown in Figures 5 and 7(a), in a plan view, with respect to the partition wall 30, the entire flat portion 53b of one rotating blade 53 is positioned on the first storage area 21 side, and the entire flat portion 53b of the rotating blade 53 positioned 180 degrees opposite to the first rotating blade 53 is positioned on the second storage area 22 side. Also in a plan view, with respect to the partition wall 30, a portion of the flat portion 53b of the remaining two rotating blades 53 is positioned on the first storage area 21 side, and the remaining portion of each rotating blade 53 is positioned on the second storage area 22 side.

[0027] As described above, the small parts that have moved from the first storage area 21 to the second storage area 22 are attracted to the magnet 46 in the second storage area 22 and rotate along with the rotation of the rotating body 40. The rotating body 40 is positioned along the side circumferential wall 25 of the storage container 20, on the opposite side from the second storage area 22, with the side circumferential wall 25 in between. In this embodiment, for example, the rotating body 40 is positioned on the opposite side (i.e., the rear side) from the second storage area 22, with the rear surface portion 26 in between, and rotates along the surface direction of the rear surface portion 26. In Figure 2, the rotating body 40 is shown rotating clockwise as an example. The shape of the rotating body 40 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, for example, it is formed in the shape of a disc when viewed from the front. The rotating body 40 is held by the housing 10 so as to be rotatable around a horizontal rotation axis AX1 (Figure 2) that passes through the center C1 of the rotating body 40, is perpendicular to the plate surface of the rotating body 40, and is horizontal. Furthermore, the rotation axis AX1 of the rotating body 40 is perpendicular to both the plate surface of the partition wall 30 and the plate surface of the rear portion 26. The rotating body 40 is made of, for example, a resin material. The rotating body 40 has a second rotating motor 93, and the rotating body 40 rotates around the rotation axis AX1 by the drive of the second rotating motor 93. As shown in Figure 2, in this embodiment, a timing belt is attached to the rotating body 40, and the rotation of the second rotating motor 93 is transmitted to the rotating body 40 via the timing belt.

[0028] The rotating body 40 is provided with, for example, a plurality (e.g., four) of magnets 46 intermittently (preferably at equal angular intervals) in the circumferential direction of the rotating body 40. More specifically, for example, one magnet 46 is arranged at 90-degree intervals in the circumferential direction of the rotating body 40. Each magnet 46 is positioned on the rotating body 40 at a location where the distance from the center C1 of the rotating body 40 in the radial direction is equal to that of the magnets 46. As shown in Figure 6, each magnet 46 is formed in a cylindrical shape, for example, with the front-to-back direction as its axial direction. Each magnet 46 is inserted into its corresponding holding hole 42.

[0029] Small parts attracted to the magnet 46 move along the movement path 201 shown in Figure 2 as the rotating body 40 rotates. Small parts attracted to the magnet 46 are either brushed off by the brushing-off section 61 (described later) or captured by the capturing section 83 and guided toward the removal section 70.

[0030] Furthermore, the quantitative supply device 100 is further equipped with a second magnet 48 that attracts small parts with a stronger attractive force than the magnet 46. The second magnet 48 is located on the rotating body 40 at a position closer to the center of rotation of the rotating body 40 (rotation axis AX1) than the position where the magnet 46 is located, and at a position in front of the magnet 46 in the direction of rotation (to the right in this embodiment). As a result, when the rotating body 40 rotates, if multiple small parts are stacked on top of each other in the second storage area 22, the second magnet 48 can selectively attract the small parts located on the upper side, and then the remaining small parts (small parts located on the lower side) can be selectively attracted by the magnet 46. In other words, even when a large number of small parts are stored in the second storage area 22, it is possible to more reliably attract one small part (screw 110) with one magnet 46. The rotating body 40 is provided with, for example, the same number of second magnets 48 as the magnets 46 (for example, four), intermittently (preferably at equal angular intervals) in the circumferential direction of the rotating body 40. More specifically, for example, one second magnet 48 is arranged at 90-degree intervals in the circumferential direction of the rotating body 40. Each second magnet 48 is positioned on the rotating body 40 at a location where the distance from the center C1 of the rotating body 40 in the radial direction is equal to that of the other second magnets 48. As shown in Figure 6, each second magnet 48 is formed in a cylindrical shape, for example, with the front-to-back direction as its axial direction. In this embodiment, for example, magnet 46 and the second magnet 48 are made of the same type of magnet (for example, neodymium magnet), and the outer diameter of the second magnet 48 is set to be larger than the outer diameter of magnet 46. Therefore, the magnetic force of the second magnet 48 is greater than the magnetic force of magnet 46. However, the present invention is not limited to this example, and the magnet 46 and the second magnet 48 may be made of different magnetic materials, and the outer diameters of the second magnet 48 and the magnet 46 may be set to the same dimensions. In this case, it is preferable that the magnetic force of the magnetic material constituting the second magnet 48 is greater than the magnetic force of the magnetic material constituting the magnet 46.

[0031] Here, as shown in Figures 2 and 8, the rotating body 40 has a holding hole 42 for holding the magnet 46, and the magnet 46 is positioned within the holding hole 42 at a distance from the side circumferential wall 25 of the storage container 20. In this embodiment, the magnet 46 is positioned at a distance rearward from the rear surface portion 26. This prevents the magnet 46 from coming into contact with the side circumferential wall 25 (rear surface portion 26) when the rotating body 40 rotates, thereby preventing scratches from occurring on the rear surface of the rear surface portion 26, and also prevents wear on the magnet 46. In this embodiment, four retaining holes 42 are arranged at 90-degree intervals in the circumferential direction of the rotating body 40. Each retaining hole 42 penetrates, for example, the rotating body 40 in the thickness direction of the rotating body 40. The axis of each retaining hole 42 extends in a direction perpendicular to the plate surface of the rotating body 40. The inner diameter of each retaining hole 42 is set to a dimension approximately equivalent to the outer diameter of the corresponding magnet 46. The magnets 46 are positioned so that their respective axes align with the axes of the corresponding retaining holes 42. The outer surface of each magnet 46 and the inner surface of the corresponding retaining hole 42 are fixed together by an adhesive (not shown).

[0032] Similarly, the rotating body 40 has a second holding hole 44 for holding a second magnet 48, and the second magnet 48 is positioned within the second holding hole 44 at a position spaced rearward from the side circumferential wall 25 (in this embodiment, the rear surface 26) of the storage container 20. This prevents the second magnet 48 from coming into contact with the side circumferential wall 25 (rear surface portion 26) when the rotating body 40 rotates, thereby preventing scratches from occurring on the rear surface of the rear surface portion 26, and also prevents wear on the second magnet 48. The second retaining hole 44 is located in the rotating body 40 at a position closer to the center of rotation (rotation axis AX1) of the rotating body 40 than the position where the retaining hole 42 is located, and is located in front of the retaining hole 42 in the rotational direction (to the right in this embodiment). In the rotating body 40, the second retaining holes 44 are provided in the same number as the retaining holes 42, for example. More specifically, four second retaining holes 44 are arranged at 90-degree intervals in the circumferential direction of the rotating body 40. One second magnet 48 can be selectively inserted into either of the two second retaining holes 44. The second magnets 48 are positioned such that their respective axes align with the axes of the corresponding second retaining holes 44. The outer surface of each second magnet 48 and the inner surface of the corresponding second retaining hole 44 are fixed together by an adhesive (not shown).

[0033] As described above, a guide rail 69 is provided on the inner surface 26a of the rear surface 26 to guide the movement of small parts attracted to the magnet 46. More specifically, in this embodiment, a plate-like portion 67 is provided along the inner surface 26a of the rear surface portion 26, and a portion of the end face 68 of the plate-like portion 67 constitutes the guide rail 69. As shown in Figures 2 and 5, the plate-like portion 67 is positioned such that its surface faces in the front-to-back direction and is perpendicular to the rotation axis AX1 of the rotating body 40. In a front view, the plate-like portion 67 is positioned to overlap with the upper part of the rotating body 40. The end face 68 of the plate-shaped portion 67 includes an arc-shaped portion 68a that follows the movement path 201 of the small part attracted by the magnet 46, and an extension portion 68b that is connected to the arc-shaped portion 68a and extends tangentially to the arc-shaped portion 68a on the front side (left side in this embodiment) in the rotational direction of the rotating body 40. At the end face 68 of the plate-shaped portion 67, the arc-shaped portion 68a and the extension portion 68b constitute the guide rail 69. The guide rail 69 (end face 68) extends, for example, in the rotational direction of the rotating body 40, from behind the first and second brushing sections 63 and 65 (described later) to above the capturing section 83. The radius of curvature of the arc-shaped portion 68a is set to be approximately equal to the radius of curvature of the movement path 201 of the small part attracted by the magnet 46. In the radial direction of the rotating body 40, the arc-shaped portion 68a is positioned between the movement path 201 and the movement path 202 of the small part attracted by the second magnet 48. In a front view, the arc-shaped portion 68a is positioned to overlap with the upper left portion of the rotating body 40. Furthermore, the central angle of the arc-shaped portion 68a is, for example, 45 degrees or more and less than 90 degrees. The extension 68b extends, for example, in a direction that moves away from the center C1 of the rotating body 40 toward the right, and one end of the extension 68b protrudes to the right beyond the outer shape of the rotating body 40. The extension 68b includes, for example, a first portion which is connected to the right end of the arc-shaped portion 68a and is formed in an arc shape, and a second portion which extends substantially linearly to the right from the first portion. The radius of curvature of the first portion of the extension 68b is greater than the radius of curvature of the arc-shaped portion 68a. The right end of the extension 68b (the right end of the second part of the extension 68b) is positioned, for example, in a plan view, to coincide with the upstream end of the capturing part 83, and extends to the right of the said upstream end.

[0034] With this configuration, small parts located below the second storage area 22 are attracted by the magnet 46 and lifted upward as the rotating body 40 rotates, beginning to rotate and move. The rotating small parts are then guided along the arc-shaped portion 68a to the extension 68b, and then guided by the extension 68b in a direction away from the movement path 201. In other words, the small parts attracted by the magnet 46 are detached from the magnet 46 as they move along the extension 68b. The small parts detached from the magnet 46 fall towards the capture unit 83 by their own weight, are captured by the capture unit 83, and guided to the removal unit 70.

[0035] Thus, the quantitative feeding device 100 is positioned on the inner surface of the side circumferential wall 25, on the side opposite to the rotating body 40 with the side circumferential wall 25 in between, along the movement path 201 of the small parts attracted by the magnet 46, and further includes a guide rail 69 that guides the movement of the small parts toward the capture unit 83. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the quantitative feeding device 100 has a plate-shaped portion 67 along the inner surface of the side circumferential wall 25, on the side opposite to the rotating body 40 with the side circumferential wall 25 in between. The end face 68 of the plate-shaped portion 67 includes an arc-shaped portion 68a that follows the movement path 201 of the small parts attracted by the magnet 46, and the portion of the end face 68 of the plate-shaped portion 67 that includes the arc-shaped portion 68a constitutes the guide rail 69. Furthermore, the quantitative feeding device 100 includes an arc-shaped portion 68a at the end face 68 of the plate-shaped portion 67, and an extension portion 68b that is connected to the arc-shaped portion 68a on the front side in the rotational direction of the rotating body 40 and extends in the tangential direction of the arc-shaped portion 68a, and which together with the arc-shaped portion 68a constitutes a guide rail 69. As small parts attracted by the magnet 46 move along the extension portion 68b, they are detached from the magnet 46 and captured by the capture portion 83.

[0036] Furthermore, the quantitative supply device 100 includes a projection 66 (see Figures 2 and 5, etc.) that protrudes from the side peripheral wall 25 (rear surface portion 26 in this embodiment) toward the interior of the second storage area 22, located near the boundary between the arc-shaped portion 68a and the extension portion 68b, and near the lower side of the guide rail 69. With this configuration, when multiple small parts are attracted to a single magnet 46 and reach the protrusion 66, it becomes easy to remove the excess small parts with the protrusion 66, leaving one small part behind. Furthermore, the remaining small part comes into contact with the protruding part 66 near the boundary between the arc-shaped portion 68a and the extension portion 68b, and is pushed upward towards the guide rail 69, thereby preventing it from falling off the guide rail 69. In other words, the small part attracted by the magnet 46 can be more reliably detached from the magnet 46 as it moves along the extension portion 68b. More specifically, the small part attracted to the magnet 46 rotates along the movement path 201 to the vicinity of the protrusion 66 (Figure 9(a)). The small part then comes into contact with the protrusion 66, hindering its rotational movement, while the magnet 46 continues to rotate along with the rotation of the rotating body 40 (Figure 9(b)). As a result, the magnet 46 moves away from the small part, and the attractive force of the magnet 46 on the small part weakens. Therefore, the small part is detached from the magnet 46 (Figure 10(a)), guided along the extension 68b toward the capture unit 83, and falls into the capture unit 83 (Figure 10(b)). The projection 66 is, for example, a male screw (bolt) having a head and a shaft. The axis of the projection 66 is arranged along the front-rear direction. More specifically, the shaft of the projection 66 protrudes forward from the inner surface 26a of the rear surface 26, and the tip of the projection 66 (the tip in the protruding direction) constitutes the head. Furthermore, the projection 66 penetrates, for example, the plate-like portion 67, and the tip of the projection 66 (the head) is located in front of the front surface of the plate-like portion 67 and the guide rail 69. As shown in Figure 2, the protrusion 66 is located radially inward of the rotating body 40 compared to the guide rail 69, and is positioned to the upper left of the upstream end of the capturing portion 83.

[0037] Furthermore, the quantitative feeding device 100 includes a scraping section 61 provided on the inner surface 26a of the rear section 26. The scraping section 61 includes, for example, a first scraping section 63 and a second scraping section 65 (see Figures 2 and 5). The first brush-off unit 63 is positioned on the movement path 201 of small parts attracted by the magnet 46, and selectively brushes off the small parts attracted by the magnet 46 from among the magnet 46 and the second magnet 48 before they are captured by the capture unit 83. The second brush-off unit 65 is positioned on the movement path 202 of small parts attracted by the second magnet 48, and selectively brushes off the small parts attracted by the second magnet 48, which is attracted by the second magnet 48, before they are captured by the capture unit 83. With this configuration, it is possible to more reliably ensure that a fixed quantity (one in this embodiment) of small parts is attracted by a single magnet 46.

[0038] As shown in Figure 2, the first brush-off section 63 is located on the upper left side of the rear section 26 and, in a front view, is positioned radially outward from the outer edge of the rotating body 40. The first scraping section 63 includes, for example, a first flat plate section which is substantially L-shaped in front view, and a second plate-shaped section for fixing the first flat plate section to the rear surface section 26. The first flat plate portion has two planar portions that are perpendicular to each other, and one surface of each of the two planar portions constitutes a first brushing surface 63a, 63b for brushing off small parts, respectively. The first brushing surface 63a is positioned facing the rotating body 40. The first brushing surface 63b is positioned facing the rear in the direction of rotation of the rotating body 40. The second flat plate portion rises vertically from the rear edge of the planar portion having the first brushed-off surface 63a, and its plate surface is oriented in the front-to-back direction. The second flat plate portion has, for example, a pair of elongated holes formed therein for fixing the first flat plate portion and, consequently, the first brush-off portion 63, to the rear surface portion 26. The pair of elongated holes each extend along the radial direction of the rotating body 40 and are arranged side by side in the circumferential direction. As shown in Figure 2, the first brush-off portion 63 is fixed to the rear portion 26 by fixing the second flat plate portion to a pair of elongated holes using fastening members such as bolts. Here, the fixing position of the fastening member to the elongated hole is adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the elongated hole. Therefore, the relative position of the first brush-off portion 63 with respect to the rear portion 26 can be changed in the radial direction of the rotating body 40.

[0039] As shown in Figure 2, the second brush-off portion 65 is positioned on the front surface of the plate-shaped portion 67 and, in a front view, is positioned radially inward from both the outer edge of the rotating body 40 and the arc-shaped portion 68a of the guide rail 69. The second scraping section 65 includes, for example, a third flat plate section that is substantially L-shaped in front view, and a fourth flat plate section for fixing the third flat plate section to the rear surface section 26. The third flat plate portion has two intersecting planar portions, and one surface of one of these planar portions constitutes a second brushing surface 65a for brushing off small parts. The second brushing surface 65a is positioned facing away from the center C1 side of the rotating body 40. The fourth flat plate portion rises vertically from the rear edge of the planar portion having the second brushed-off surface 65a, and its plate surface is oriented in the front-to-back direction. The fourth flat plate portion has a pair of elongated holes formed therein for fixing, for example, the third flat plate portion and thus the second brush-off portion 65 to the rear surface portion 26. The pair of elongated holes each extend along a direction that includes the radial component of the rotating body 40 and are arranged side by side in a direction that includes the circumferential component. As shown in Figure 2, the second flat plate portion is fixed to the plate-like portion 67 and, consequently, to the rear surface portion 26 by using fastening members such as bolts to secure the second flat plate portion to a pair of elongated holes. Here, the fixing position of the fastening member to the elongated hole is adjustable in the longitudinal direction of the elongated hole. Therefore, the relative position of the second brushing portion 65 to the rear surface portion 26 can be changed in a direction that includes the radial component of the rotating body 40.

[0040] The first brush-off section 63 is detachable from the rear section 26. Similarly, the second brush-off section 65 is detachable from the plate-shaped section 67 (and therefore from the rear section 26).

[0041] The second scraping section 65 is positioned closer to the center C1 of the rotating body 40 than the first scraping section 63. Therefore, a gap (gate) is formed between the first scraping section 63 and the second scraping section 65 to allow small parts to pass through. More specifically, the first brushing surface 63a of the first brushing section 63 and the second brushing surface 65a of the second brushing section 65 are arranged opposite each other and spaced apart, allowing small parts attracted to the magnet 46 to pass through the gap (gate) 64 between the first brushing surface 63a and the second brushing surface 65a. Here, the width dimension of the gap 64 is set to a dimension slightly larger than the maximum dimension of one small part. Therefore, when multiple small parts are attracted to a single magnet 46, only one small part can pass through the gap 64, while the remaining small parts can come into contact with the first brushing surface 63a or the second brushing surface 65a and be brushed off. In other words, one magnet 46 can be used to transport one small part to the capture unit 83. Furthermore, small parts attracted to the second magnet 48 come into contact with the second brushing surface 65a and are brushed off.

[0042] As described above, the capture section 83 is formed in a trough shape that slopes downward from left to right. The bottom surface of the capture section 83 is formed in a V-groove or U-groove shape, for example. As a result, small parts captured by the capture section 83 are guided downstream (to the right) by the bottom surface of the capture section 83, and move towards the center of the capture section 83 in the width direction (front-to-back direction). Furthermore, the width dimension of the capture section 83 is set to a dimension that is larger than the maximum dimension of the small part, and smaller than twice that maximum dimension. This allows each small part to flow down the capture section 83 one by one.

[0043] In this embodiment, the quantitative supply device further includes an interval adjustment unit 80 that adjusts the interval at which each small part flowing down the capture unit 83 is discharged to the extraction unit 70. The interval adjustment unit 80 has a roller 81 positioned at the downstream end of the capture unit 83 and the opening 15a, and a roller holding unit 87 that holds the roller 81 so as to be rotatable around the axis of the roller 81. In the state shown in Figure 2, the roller 81 has a cylindrical circumferential surface (outer surface), and is positioned at the downstream end of the capture unit 83 such that the axis of rotation of the roller 81 is horizontal and extends in the front-rear direction, thereby closing the downstream end of the capture unit 83. In other words, the lower left portion of the circumferential surface of the roller 81 faces the inside of the capture unit 83. The central part of the roller 81 in the width direction is aligned with the central part of the capturing part 83 in the width direction, that is, the deepest part of the bottom surface of the capturing part 83 which has a V-groove or U-groove shape. The roller holding portion 87 is provided, for example, on the outer surface of the right side wall 15 at a position corresponding to the opening 15a. The roller holding portion 87 is fixed to the side wall 15 so as to be able to swing up and down about a horizontal pivot axis, and the roller 81 is also able to swing up and down about a pivot axis relative to the side wall 15. From the state shown in Figure 2, the roller holding part 87 and the roller 81 swing upward, ensuring a sufficient gap between the circumferential surface of the roller 81 and the upper surface of the capture part 83, and opening 15a and the downstream end of the capture part 83 become open. From this state, the roller holding part 87 and the roller 81 swing downward, causing the roller 81 to be positioned inside the downstream end of the capture part 83 again, and opening 15a and the downstream end of the capture part 83 become closed again.

[0044] When a small part is caught in the capture unit 83, the roller 81 first functions as a stopper to delay the flow of the small part down the capture unit 83. Then, the weight of the small parts flowing downstream pushes the roller 81 upward, causing the roller 81 and the roller holder 87 to swing upward, which widens the gap between the roller 81 and the downstream end of the capture unit 83. As a result, the small parts pass through this gap between the roller 81 and the downstream end of the capture unit 83 and slide down towards the extraction unit 70. Once the small parts slide down, the roller 81 and the roller holder 87 swing downward due to their own weight, and the opening 15a and the downstream end of the capture unit 83 close again. With this configuration, when multiple small parts flow down the capture unit 83, the first (most downstream) small part is discharged to the extraction unit 70, and then there is a short interval (a short time elapsed) before the next small part is discharged to the extraction unit 70. Therefore, even if multiple small parts are attracted to a single magnet 46 and fall into the capture unit 83, the counting sensor, described later, can easily detect each small part discharged onto the extraction unit 70.

[0045] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the dispensing section 70 is a tray formed in a hemispherical shape (the shape of the lower half of a sphere). More specifically, the inner and outer diameters of the dispensing section 70 gradually decrease in diameter towards the bottom. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the dispensing section 70 is supported by a support member 78, which is, for example, an L-shaped plate member in front view. The support member 78 has a first plate surface that is positioned horizontally and a second plate surface that is positioned upright, and the first plate surface supports the dispensing section 70. The support member 78 is positioned so that the second plate surface is upright from the left end of the first plate surface upwards.

[0046] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a control unit 90 is provided inside the housing 10 to control the operation of the first rotating motor 91 and the second rotating motor 93, respectively. The control unit 90 is configured to include, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores a control program, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes control operations according to this control program, and RAM (Random Access Memory) that functions as a work area for the CPU. The control unit 90 controls the operation of the first rotary motor 91, for example, causing the delivery rotary body 50 to rotate around the rotation axis 51, and the control unit 90 controls the operation of the second rotary motor 93, causing the rotary body 40 to rotate around the rotation axis AX1.

[0047] Next, I will explain how it works. First, the worker places several small parts into the first storage area 21. Next, the operator instructs the control unit 90 to start the discharge operation by operating an operating unit (not shown). This starts the rotational drive of the rotating body 40. The rotating body 40 is driven to rotate, and the small parts are sent out by the dispensing rotating body 50 to the second storage area 22 via the communication section 23, starting with the small parts located near the communication section 23 within the first storage area 21. As a result, the accumulation of a large number of small parts in the second storage area 22 is suppressed, thus preventing an excessive number of small parts from being attracted to a single magnet 46. In this embodiment, as described above, a dispensing rotating body 50 is provided in or near the communication section 23. Therefore, even when a large number of small parts are stored in the first storage area 21, the dispensing rotating body 50 can scrape out small amounts of the small parts located in the lower layer of the first storage area 21 and send them to the second storage area 22. In this invention, the dispensing rotating body 50 may be set to rotate continuously while the quantitative supply device 100 is in operation, or it may be set to rotate intermittently at regular intervals. Furthermore, the dispensing rotating body 50 may be set to rotate if, for example, the discharge of small parts is not detected for a predetermined period of time. Next, the small parts sent into the second storage area 22 are attracted to the magnet 46 and rotate together with the rotating body 40 toward the capture unit 83. More specifically, as described above, when passing through the gap 64 between the first brushing surface 63a and the second brushing surface 65a, if multiple small parts are attracted to one magnet 46, one of the small parts is transported directly to the capture unit 83, while the remaining small parts are brushed off by the first brushing unit 63. Therefore, small parts can be transported to the capture unit 83 one by one more reliably. Furthermore, small parts attracted to the second magnet 48 are brushed off by the second brushing unit 65 at a point behind the upstream end of the capturing unit 83 in the rotational direction of the rotating body 40. Thus, it is possible to prevent small parts attracted to the second magnet 48 from being transported to the capturing unit 83. Next, the small parts that have passed through the gap 64 between the first brushing surface 63a and the second brushing surface 65a are separated from the magnet 46 and captured by the capturing section 83 as they move along the extension section 68b. The captured small parts then flow down the capturing section 83 and are discharged into the removal section 70 through the opening 15a. Here, as described above, a projection 66 is positioned near the boundary between the arc-shaped portion 68a and the extension portion 68b, and near the lower side of the guide rail 69. Therefore, even if multiple small parts are attracted to a single magnet 46 after passing through the gap 64 between the first brushing surface 63a and the second brushing surface 65a, it becomes easy to brush off the excess small parts with the protrusion 66, leaving one small part behind. Furthermore, the remaining small part can be made to come into contact with the protrusion 66 near the boundary between the arc-shaped portion 68a and the extension portion 68b, and be pushed up toward the guide rail 69, thereby being separated from the magnet 46.

[0048] In this embodiment, the housing 10 is provided with, for example, a removal determination switch (not shown) for detecting the removal of small parts from the removal section 70. The removal determination switch (not shown) is positioned opposite the second plate surface of the support member 78, and the second plate surface is provided with a switch pressing section (not shown), which is a projection for pressing the removal determination switch. Furthermore, a hinge 76 is provided on the side wall 15. The hinge 76 comprises a fixed part 76a fixed to the outer surface of the side wall 15 and a rotating part 76b that is rotatable relative to the fixed part 76a. The axis of rotation of the rotating part 76b relative to the fixed part 76a is in a direction along the outer surface of the side wall 15 and is horizontal. The upper end of the second plate surface of the support member 78 is fixed to the rotating part 76b of the hinge 76. The retrieval determination switch is normally pressed by the switch pressing part due to the weight of the retrieval part 70 and the support member 78, thereby turning it ON. When a small part discharged onto the extraction unit 70 is grasped and lifted from the extraction unit 70 by the operator's hand, the extraction unit 70 is pulled to the right in Figure 2, causing the rotating unit 76b, the support member 78, and the extraction unit 70 to rotate relative to the fixed unit 76a, and the switch pressing part lifts up from the extraction determination switch. As a result, the extraction determination switch is temporarily turned off. The control unit 90 monitors the state of the extraction determination switch, and after a predetermined time (for example, 2 seconds) calculated from the moment the extraction determination switch switches from the ON state to the OFF state, it restarts the rotational drive of the rotating body 40, that is, it resumes the ejection operation of small parts. In this way, the operation of discharging a predetermined number of small parts from the storage container 20 to the removal unit 70, the operation of stopping the rotating body 40 and the operation of the notification unit to provide notification, and the operation of the operator to remove a predetermined number of small parts from the removal unit 70 can be repeatedly performed.

[0049] The quantitative supply device 100 further includes a counting sensor (not shown) for counting the number of small parts discharged onto the extraction section 70. The counting sensor is, for example, a photoelectric sensor having a light-emitting section and a light-receiving section arranged opposite each other. The counting sensor is, for example, located downstream of the roller 81. Each time the counting sensor detects a small part, it outputs a detection signal to the control unit 90. The control unit 90 counts the number of detection signals input from the counting sensor, and when this count reaches a predetermined number (for example, a number between 5 and 10; hereinafter referred to as the predetermined number), it outputs a stop signal to the second rotating motor 93. Upon receiving the stop signal, each rotating motor stops operating, and the rotation of the rotating body 40 stops. Furthermore, the control unit 90 outputs a stop signal to each rotary motor and also outputs a notification signal to a notification unit such as a lamp (not shown), and the notification unit that receives the notification signal performs a notification operation such as emitting light. This notification allows the operator to recognize that a predetermined number of small parts have been discharged onto the removal unit 70.

[0050] The embodiments have been described above with reference to the drawings, but these are merely examples of the present invention, and various other configurations can also be adopted.

[0051] For example, in the above description, an example was explained in which a small part attracted by the magnet 46 is detached from the magnet 46 as it moves along the extension 68b (guide rail 69). However, in the present invention, for example, the capture unit 83 may be equipped with a detachment mechanism (not shown) for detaching the small part from the magnet 46. In this case, for example, the detachment mechanism is provided at the upstream end of the capture unit 83, and the small part attracted by the magnet 46 and reaching the upstream end of the capture unit 83 is detached from the magnet 46 by the detachment mechanism and flows down the capture unit 83.

[0052] This embodiment encompasses the following technical concepts. (1) A quantitative supply device for supplying a fixed amount of small parts, A storage container for storing multiple small parts, A rotating body that rotates around a horizontal axis, A magnet provided on the rotating body, which attracts the small part and causes the small part to rotate and move in conjunction with the rotation of the rotating body, A capturing unit that captures the small part that is attracted by the magnet and rotates, A removal unit from which the small parts captured by the capture unit are removed, Equipped with, The storage container has a first storage area and a second storage area separated from each other by a partition wall. The bottom surface of the storage container slopes downward from the first storage area side to the second storage area side. The gap between the lower edge of the partition wall and the bottom surface of the storage container constitutes a communication section that supplies the small parts from the first storage area to the second storage area. The magnet is a quantitative supply device for small parts that attracts small parts from the second storage area. (2) A rotating body for dispensing the small parts is provided in the communication section or near the communication section for sending the small parts from the first storage area to the second storage area, as described in (1). (3) The rotating body for sending out the contents The axis of rotation and A rotating blade provided at the tip of the aforementioned rotating shaft, It has, The quantitative supply device for small parts according to (2), wherein the axis of the rotating shaft at the mounting location of the rotating blade is located on the second storage area side rather than the first storage area side, with reference to the lower edge of the partition wall. (4) The quantitative supply device for small parts according to (3), wherein the rotating shaft is tilted from the first storage area side toward the second storage area side. (5) The rotating body is arranged along the side wall of the storage container on the side opposite to the second storage area, with the side wall of the storage container in between, as described in any one of (1) to (4). (6) The quantitative supply device for small parts according to (5), further comprising a guide rail on the inner surface of the side peripheral wall, on the side opposite to the rotating body with the side peripheral wall in between, which is arranged along the movement path of the small parts attracted by the magnet, and which guides the movement of the small parts toward the capture part. (7) On the inner surface of the side peripheral wall, on the side opposite to the rotating body with the side peripheral wall in between, a plate-like portion is provided along the inner surface, The end face of the plate-like portion includes an arc-shaped portion that follows the movement path of the small part attracted by the magnet. The quantitative supply device for small parts according to (6), wherein the portion of the end face of the plate-like part that includes the arc-shaped part constitutes the guide rail. (8) The end face of the plate-like portion is The aforementioned arc-shaped portion, An extension portion connected to the arc-shaped portion and extending tangentially to the arc-shaped portion is located on the front side in the rotational direction of the rotating body, and together with the arc-shaped portion, constitutes the guide rail. Includes, The quantitative supply device for small parts according to (7), wherein the small parts attracted by the magnet move along the extension and are then separated from the magnet and captured by the capture unit. (9) The quantitative supply device for small parts according to (8), further comprising a protrusion that protrudes from the side peripheral wall toward the interior of the second storage area at a position near the boundary between the arc-shaped portion and the extension portion and near the lower side of the guide rail. (10) The rotating body is made of a resin material, The rotating body has a holding hole for holding the magnet, The quantitative supply device for small parts according to any one of (5) to (9), wherein the magnet is positioned within the holding hole at a location spaced apart from the side circumferential wall of the storage container. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0053] 10 cabinets 12 Front wall 13 Rear wall 15 Side wall 15a opening 16 side wall 18 Placement area 19. Cover section 20 Storage containers 21. First Storage Area 22 Second Storage Area 23 Communication section 25 Side walls 26 Rear part 26a Inner surface 27 Bottom 27a 1st slope 27b 2nd slope 27c 3rd slope 28 Aperture 30 Partition walls 30a lower edge 31 Part 1 36 Part 2 38 Fastening member 40 Rotating Bodies 42 Retaining hole 44 2nd holding hole 46 Magnets 48. Second Magnet 50 Rotating body for delivery 51 Rotation axis 53 rotating blades 53a base 53b Flat plate part 54 Mounting part 56 Motor Case 61. Payment section 63. First Payment Section 64 Gap 65. Second Payment Section 66 Protrusion 67 Plate-like part 68 End face 68a Arc-shaped portion 68b Extension 69 Guide rails 70 Removal section 76 Hinge 76a Fixed part 76b Rotating part 78 Support member 80 Spacing adjustment section 81 Laura 83 Capture section 87 Roller holding part 90 Control Unit 91 First Rotation Motor 93 Second Rotation Motor 100 Quantitative feeding device 110 Screws (small parts) Routes 201 and 202 AX1, AX2 Rotation axis C1 center C2 Axis center of the rotation axis

Claims

1. A quantitative feeding device that supplies a fixed amount of small parts, A storage container for storing multiple small parts, A rotating body that rotates around a horizontal axis, A magnet provided on the rotating body, which attracts the small part and causes the small part to rotate and move in conjunction with the rotation of the rotating body, A capturing unit that captures the small part that is attracted by the magnet and rotates, A removal unit from which the small parts captured by the capture unit are removed, Equipped with, The storage container has a first storage area and a second storage area separated from each other by a partition wall. The bottom surface of the storage container slopes downward from the first storage area side to the second storage area side. The gap between the lower edge of the partition wall and the bottom surface of the storage container constitutes a communication section that supplies the small parts from the first storage area to the second storage area. The magnet attracts small parts in the second storage area, A dispensing rotating body is provided in the communication section or near the communication section for sending the small parts from the first storage area to the second storage area. The aforementioned rotating body for sending out is The axis of rotation and A rotating blade provided at the tip of the aforementioned rotating shaft, It has, The tip of the rotating shaft protrudes upward from the bottom surface of the storage container. The aforementioned rotating blade is a quantitative supply device for small parts provided at the tip of the rotating shaft.

2. In a plan view, the rotating blades are arranged across the first storage region and the second storage region, as described in claim 1, for quantitative supply of small parts.

3. A quantitative feeding device that supplies a fixed amount of small parts, A storage container for storing multiple small parts, A rotating body that rotates around a horizontal axis, A magnet provided on the rotating body, which attracts the small part and causes the small part to rotate and move in conjunction with the rotation of the rotating body, A capturing unit that captures the small part that is attracted by the magnet and rotates, A removal unit from which the small parts captured by the capture unit are removed, Equipped with, The storage container has a first storage area and a second storage area separated from each other by a partition wall. The bottom surface of the storage container slopes downward from the first storage area side to the second storage area side. The gap between the lower edge of the partition wall and the bottom surface of the storage container constitutes a communication section that supplies the small parts from the first storage area to the second storage area. The magnet attracts small parts in the second storage area, A dispensing rotating body is provided in the communication section or near the communication section for sending the small parts from the first storage area to the second storage area. The aforementioned rotating body for sending out is The axis of rotation and A rotating blade provided at the tip of the aforementioned rotating shaft, It has, A quantitative supply device for small parts, wherein the axis of the rotating shaft at the mounting location of the rotating blade is located on the second storage area side, not the first storage area side, with reference to the lower edge of the partition wall.

4. The quantitative supply device for small parts according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the rotating shaft is tilted from the first storage area side toward the second storage area side.

5. The quantitative supply device for small parts according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the rotating body is arranged along the side circumferential wall of the storage container on the side opposite to the second storage area, with the side circumferential wall of the storage container in between.

6. The quantitative supply device for small parts according to claim 5, further comprising a guide rail on the inner surface of the side peripheral wall, on the side opposite to the rotating body with the side peripheral wall in between, arranged along the movement path of the small parts attracted by the magnet, and guiding the movement of the small parts toward the capture part.

7. On the inner surface of the side circumferential wall, on the side opposite to the rotating body with the side circumferential wall in between, a plate-like portion is provided along the inner surface. The end face of the plate-like portion includes an arc-shaped portion that follows the movement path of the small part attracted by the magnet. The quantitative supply device for small parts according to claim 6, wherein the portion of the end face of the plate-like part that includes the arc-shaped portion constitutes the guide rail.

8. The end face of the plate-like portion is The aforementioned arc-shaped portion, An extension portion connected to the arc-shaped portion and extending tangentially to the arc-shaped portion is located on the front side in the rotational direction of the rotating body, and together with the arc-shaped portion, constitutes the guide rail. Includes, The quantitative supply device for small parts according to claim 7, wherein the small parts attracted by the magnet move along the extension, and are then separated from the magnet and captured by the capture unit.

9. The quantitative supply device for small parts according to claim 8, further comprising a protrusion that protrudes from the side peripheral wall toward the interior of the second storage area at a position near the boundary between the arc-shaped portion and the extension portion and near the lower side of the guide rail.

10. The rotating body is made of a resin material, The rotating body has a holding hole for holding the magnet, The quantitative supply device for small parts according to any one of claims 5 to 9, wherein the magnet is positioned within the holding hole at a location spaced apart from the side circumferential wall of the storage container.

Images