Spoon knocking device and automatic weighing device

Abstract

The invention provides a spoon knocking device and the like which can avoid aggregation of powder and can reliably perform an operation of enabling powder scooped on a spoon to drop little by little compared with a condition that the powder drops by continuously vibrating the spoon for a specified time period. The spoon knocking device and the like can be used for reliably performing an operation of enabling the powder scooped on the spoon to drop little by little compared with a condition that the powder drops by continuously vibrating the spoon. A spoon striking device (1) is provided with: a spoon (3) for scooping up powder; a knocking tool (4) that knocks a portion (3a) of the spoon from above; and a driving device (5) that intermittently drives the striking tool; the striking tool (4) has: a contact portion (41) that contacts a portion (3a) of the key; and a movable arm (42) to which the abutting portion is mounted and which moves so as to bring the abutting portion into contact with a portion of the key; a drive device (5) moves the movable arm so that the abutting portion intermittently abuts against a portion of the spoon when the powder spooned on the spoon is made to drop a little.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a spoon striking device and an automatic weighing device used when a powder or granular material scooped on a spoon is made to drop little by little and then weighed. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a technique for scooping up a powder or granular body composed of a powder or granular body and separating it into predetermined amounts, for example, the technique described in the following Patent Document 1 is known.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a powder or granule weighing device that automatically takes out a set amount of powder or granule from a powder or granule container having an opening at the top.

[0004] In addition, Patent Document 1 describes the powder and granule weighing device in which, after scooping powder and granule from a powder and granule container using a shovel disposed at the front end of a multi-jointed arm robot, the weight of the scooped powder and granule is compared with the unmeasured value of the powder and granule in the powder and granule container.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 1 shows that when the weight of the powder and granular material is not equal to the unmeasured value in the comparison result, the shovel is tilted at a downward slope and a vibrator composed of a vibration device is driven for a specified time to apply vibration to the shovel, so that the powder and granular material in the shovel are shaken off little by little into the powder and granular material container.

[0006] Prior art literature

[0007] Patent Literature

[0008] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-202720 (claim 1, page 5, lower left column, line 8 to page 6, upper left column, line 16, Figure 1 , Figure 3) Summary of the invention

[0009] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0010] The present invention provides a spoon striking device and an automatic weighing device using the same, which can avoid the aggregation of powders and particles and reliably make the powders and particles scooped on the spoon fall little by little, compared with the case where the powders and particles fall by continuously vibrating the spoon for a predetermined time.

[0011] Means used to solve problems

[0012] The first invention is a key striking device, characterized in that it comprises: a spoon for scooping powder or granular material; a striking tool for striking a part of the aforementioned spoon from above; and a driving device for driving the aforementioned striking tool to strike the part of the aforementioned spoon; the aforementioned striking tool has: an abutting portion for abutting against the part of the aforementioned spoon; and a movable arm for moving with the aforementioned abutting portion mounted thereon so that the aforementioned abutting portion abuts against the part of the aforementioned spoon; the aforementioned driving device moves the aforementioned movable arm so that the aforementioned abutting portion intermittently abuts against the part of the aforementioned spoon when causing the powder or granular material scooped on the aforementioned spoon to fall little by little.

[0013] In addition, the second invention is an automatic weighing device, characterized in that it comprises: a first container for storing powder and grain; a spoon for scooping the powder and grain from the first container; a multi-joint robot for holding the spoon and moving to perform a plurality of operations including the scooping operation of the powder and grain from the first container; a key striking device of the first invention, which is mounted on the multi-joint robot and strikes a part of the spoon from above the spoon when causing the powder and grain scooped on the spoon to fall at least into the first container; a first scale for weighing the weight of the powder and grain stored in the first container; and a control device for controlling the movement of the multi-joint robot and the movement of the key striking device; the control device is configured to perform a fine adjustment striking operation in which the key striking device intermittently strikes a part of the spoon for fine adjustment until the weighed amount obtained by subtracting the weight of the powder and grain after scooping weighed by the first scale from the weight before scooping weighed by the first scale reaches within an allowable range of the target weight.

[0014] Effects of the Invention

[0015] According to the spoon striking device of the first invention, compared with the case where the powder or granules are dropped by continuously vibrating the spoon for a predetermined time, the powder or granules can be prevented from agglomerating and the powder or granules scooped on the spoon can be reliably dropped little by little.

[0016] In addition, according to the automatic weighing device of the second invention, by applying a spoon striking device, compared with the case where the powder or grain is caused to fall by continuously vibrating the spoon for a prescribed time, it is possible to avoid the aggregation of powder or grain and reliably perform the operation of making the powder or grain scooped on the spoon fall little by little, resulting in efficient and reliable weighing of the powder or grain. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a perspective view of an automatic weighing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 A stereoscopic view of the automatic weighing device from another viewpoint.

[0019] Figure 3(A) is Figure 1 Side view of the automatic weighing device.

[0020] Figure 3(B) is Figure 1 Top view of the automatic weighing device.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of a portion of a key striking device and the like according to an embodiment of the present invention applied to an automatic weighing device.

[0022] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A top view of parts such as the key striking device.

[0023] Figure 6 yes Figure 4 A three-dimensional diagram of a key striking device.

[0024] Figure 7(A) is Figure 5 A top view of a key striking device.

[0025] Figure 7(B) is Figure 5 A side view of a key striking device.

[0026] FIG8(A) is a top view of a spoon.

[0027] Fig. 8(B) is a side view of the spoon.

[0028] FIG8(C) is a diagram showing the state of the scooping portion when the spoon is viewed from the arrow J direction.

[0029] FIG. 9(A) is a side view of a state before or after a striking tool of a key striking device strikes a key.

[0030] FIG9(B) is a side view of the state in which the striking tool of the key striking device strikes the key.

[0031] Fig.10 Yes means Figure 1 Functional block diagram of the structure of the control system in the automatic weighing device.

[0032] Fig.11 It means by Figure 1 Flowchart of an example of the operation of automatic weighing performed by an automatic weighing device.

[0033] Fig.12 It means adjustment Fig.11 A flowchart diagram of an action example of fine-tuning the conditions of a tapping action during an action.

[0034] Fig.13 This is a side view of the main parts of the automatic weighing device when performing a scooping operation.

[0035] FIG. 14(A) is a side view of the main parts of the automatic weighing device when the scooping operation is completed.

[0036] FIG. 14(B) is a side view of the main part of the key striking device of the automatic weighing device when performing a fine adjustment striking action.

[0037] FIG. 15(A) is a side view showing the state of the spoon during the crushing operation.

[0038] FIG. 15(B) is a side view showing the state of the key when performing a fine adjustment striking action.

[0039] Fig.16 This is a side view of the main parts of the automatic weighing device when it is performing a collection operation.

[0040] Fig.17 This is a graph showing an example of the results of a test using an automatic weighing device.

[0041] Fig.18 It is a plan view showing the positional relationship between the striking tool in the striking device and the key 3 held by the key holding device.

[0042] FIG. 19(A) is a top view of a spoon as another example.

[0043] FIG19(B) is a side view of a spoon as another example.

[0044] FIG19(C) is a diagram showing a state of a scooping portion when a spoon as another example is viewed from the arrow J direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] Below, while referring to the attached Figure 1 The following describes a method for implementing the present invention.

[0046] exist Figure 1 FIG. 3 shows an automatic weighing device 2 to which the key striking device 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied. Figures 4 to 6 The key striking device 1 and the like are shown in the middle.

[0047] (Structure of automatic weighing device)

[0048] The automatic weighing device 2 of the embodiment is as follows Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 3 , the apparatus includes a first container 21 , a first scale 22 , a spoon 3 , a spoon striking device 1 , a second container 23 , a second scale 24 , a multi-joint robot 7 , a control device 8 , and the like.

[0049] Figure 1 Reference numeral 20 in the figures denotes a workbench of the automatic weighing device 2 .

[0050] The automatic weighing device 2 is basically configured to perform the following operation: the powder or granule 9 contained in the first container 21 is scooped and weighed by the spoon 3 held and operated by the multi-joint robot 7, and the powder or granule 9 is contained in the second container 23 until the total amount of the scooped powder or granule 9 reaches the allowable range of the target weight.

[0051] Furthermore, the automatic weighing device 2 is also configured to perform an operation of knocking the spoon 3 that has scooped the powder or granular material 9 by the spoon knocking device 1 when weighing the powder or granular material 9 while dropping the powder or granular material 9 scooped on the spoon 3 little by little into the first container 21 .

[0052] The first container 21 is a container for containing the powder or granular material 9 to be weighed. As shown in FIG3(B), the first container 21 has a main body 21a for containing the powder or granular material 9, and an opening 21b having a size and shape that enables the scooping operation of the powder or granular material 9 by the spoon 3. The main body 21a and the opening 21b are not particularly limited in size and shape as long as they can contain the required amount of powder or granular material 9. The opening 21b is closed with a lid (not shown) when the powder or granular material 9 is not being taken out or put in.

[0053] The first container 21 is Figure 2 3, a placing table 215 having a placing portion is provided, and the placing portion can place the first container 21 with the opening 21b tilted obliquely upward. The angle of the above tilted obliquely upward is set, for example, to an angle within a range of 30° to 45° between the opening 21b or the bottom surface of the main body 21a of the first container 21 and the top plate 20b of the workbench 20.

[0054] The mounting table 215 is provided on the first scale 22 in a state where weighing by the first scale 22 is possible.

[0055] The powder and granule 9 is composed of fine powdery powder and fine granular granules. The powder and granule 9 is usually stored in a dry state. The powder and granule 9 can be used in the fields of pharmaceuticals, other medicines, foods, chemical materials, battery materials, electronic materials, etc.

[0056] The second container 23 is a container for accommodating the powder or granule 9 scooped on the spoon 3 and weighed. As shown in FIG3 , the second container 23 has a main body 23a for accommodating the powder or granule 9, and an opening 23b of a size and shape that enables the front end side of the spoon 3 (the scooping part 32 described later) to enter and drop the powder or granule 9. The main body 23a is not particularly limited in size and shape as long as it can accommodate the weighed amount of powder or granule 9. The opening 23b is closed with a lid not shown in the figure when the powder or granule 9 is not being taken out or put in.

[0057] The second container 23 is Figure 2 As shown in FIG. 3 , a placing table 235 having a placing portion is provided, and the placing portion can place the second container 23 with the opening 23b tilted obliquely upward. The required angle when tilting obliquely upward is set, for example, within the range of the angle in the first container 21. The placing table 235 is provided on the second weighing device 24 in a state where weighing by the second weighing device 24 can be performed.

[0058] The first weighing device 22 is a weighing device for weighing the weight of the powder or granule 9 accommodated in the first container 21 . The second weighing device 24 is a weighing device for weighing the weight of the powder or granule 9 accommodated in the second container 23 .

[0059] As the first scale 22 and the second scale 24 , for example, an electronic balance is used.

[0060] The first scale 22 is used after being adjusted to zero reset, etc., to weigh the weight after subtracting the weight of the empty first container 21 and the mounting table 215, that is, the weight of the powder and granular material 9 contained only in the first container 21. In addition, the second scale 24 is used after being adjusted to weigh the weight after subtracting the weight of the empty second container 23 and the mounting table 235, that is, the weight of the powder and granular material 9 contained only in the second container 23.

[0061] The first scale 22 and the second scale 24 are provided at predetermined positions on the workbench 20 .

[0062] Workbench 20 Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, for example, a box-shaped main body 20a having a top plate 20b is provided. In addition, the workbench 20 is provided with a cover body 20c that covers the space above the top plate 20b in a manner of surrounding. At least a portion of the cover body 20c is configured as a transparent portion, and at least a portion of it is configured to be openable and closable.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 3 , the multi-jointed robot 7 is a robot having a multi-jointed arm 71 and a hand 75 that holds the spoon 3 and the like and moves to perform a plurality of operations including scooping the powder or granular material 9 from the first container 21 .

[0064] The plurality of operations will be described in the description of the operation of automatic weighing, etc., which will be described later.

[0065] The multi-joint robot 7 in the present embodiment is a robot including, for example, an arm 71 having six-axis joints on a base 70 .

[0066] In addition, multi-joint robots 7 such as Figure 4 , Figure 5As shown in the figures, a hand 75 is used which supports and moves a mounting plate 76 rotatably, and the mounting plate 76 is mounted with a key gripping device 25 for gripping the key 3 and a key striking device 1. The hand 75 is configured so that the mounting plate 76 can be rotated at least by a predetermined angle (e.g., 180°) relative to the front end of the arm 71.

[0067] The multi-joint robot 7 is installed at a predetermined position of the top plate 20 b of the workbench 20 .

[0068] The spoon 3 is a tool for scooping the powder or granular material 9 from the first container 21 .

[0069] As key 3, Figure 4 , Figure 5 8, etc., a spoon consisting of an arm 31 and a scooping portion 32 is used, wherein the arm 31 is formed in a shape long in one direction, and the scooping portion 32 is provided at one end side of the arm 31 in the longitudinal direction with a step 33.

[0070] The arm 31 is a plate-like part in an elongated rectangular shape. A part of the arm 31 is gripped by the key gripping device 25 when the key 3 is in use. In addition, in order to make the part of the arm 31 fixed when being gripped, it can also be configured to correspond to a mark for positioning. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8 and the like, a cutout 39 is provided on the side of the part of the arm 31 gripped by the key gripping device 25, which is cut in a shape with a front end tapered toward the inside.

[0071] 8, the scooping portion 32 is a portion having a bottom surface 34 on which the scooped powder or granular material 9 is placed and side surfaces 35 and 36 existing on both sides of the bottom surface 34 along the one direction and reaching the step 33. The bottom surface 34 is a substantially rectangular plane.

[0072] The leading end of the scooping portion 32 opposite to the step 33 is an open end 37 that is not surrounded by the side surfaces 35 and 36 but is open and is constituted only by the bottom surface 34 .

[0073] Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 8(C), the scooping portion 32 has a concave portion that appears to be recessed inward when viewed from the J direction shown in Fig. 8(B). In other words, the scooping portion 32 has a shape in which the bottom surface 34 is surrounded by side surfaces 35 and 36 that rise from the left and right ends thereof.

[0074] When the spoon 3 including the arm 31 and the scooping portion 32 is used, the powder or granular material 9 can be stably dropped when the spoon 3 is struck from the open end 37 while preventing the powder or granular material 9 from accidentally falling out of the scooping portion 32 .

[0075] In addition, the spoon 3 constructed in this manner may be called a spatula, for example.

[0076] In addition, as shown in FIG. 8(B) , the spoon 3 in this embodiment has a bottom surface 34 of the scooping portion 32 that is inclined in an ascending manner toward the front end of the open end 37. That is, the bottom surface 34 is a surface that is inclined in an ascending manner at a predetermined angle α with respect to the longitudinal direction of the arm 31 from a point where the height 33h of the step 33 that descends obliquely at one end of the arm 31 descends downward.

[0077] The spoon 3 places the scooped powder or granule 9 in the range surrounded by the bottom surface 34, the side surfaces 35 and 36, and the inner surface 33a of the step 33 in the scooping portion 32. Therefore, the spoon 3 can adjust the amount of powder or granule 9 that can be scooped at one time by changing the size of the scooping portion 32 and other conditions.

[0078] The spoon 3 is made of stainless steel, for example. The spoon 3 is preferably a spoon that has been subjected to surface treatment such as polishing or grinding at least on the scooping portion 32. When the spoon 3 subjected to such surface treatment is used, the scooped powder 9 is less likely to adhere to the spoon 3 and can easily slide on the scooping portion 32.

[0079] (Key striking device)

[0080] Key striking device 1 Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 7 and other figures, the key 3 , a striking tool 4 for striking a portion 3 a of the key 3 from above, and a driving device 5 for driving the striking tool 4 to strike the portion 3 a of the key 3 are provided.

[0081] The striking tool 4 is a tool for striking a portion 3a of the key 3. Figures 4 to 6 As shown in the figures, the key 3 includes an abutting portion 41 that abuts against a portion 3a of the key 3, and a movable arm 42 that moves with the abutting portion 41 mounted so that the abutting portion 41 abuts against the portion 3a of the key 3.

[0082] The movable arm 42 is as follows Figure 5 In detail, when the movable arm 42 is equipped in the key striking device 1, it extends linearly at a distance from the arm portion 31 of the key 3 and then bends to reach above a portion 3a of the arm portion 31.

[0083] The movable arm 42 is formed of a material such as stainless steel into an elongated plate-shaped member having a predetermined width, thickness, and length.

[0084] Furthermore, the abutment portion 41 is attached to a tip end portion 42 e of the bent front end of the movable arm 42 .

[0085] The abutting portion 41 is a member formed into a disc shape with a predetermined diameter and thickness (height) in which a surface material made of a synthetic resin, rubber, metal, etc. is provided on and around the lower surface of the core material. The weight and hardness of the abutting portion 41 are appropriately selected, for example, from the viewpoint of being able to strike the portion 3a of the spoon 3 with a predetermined strength. The abutting portion 41 is detachably and replaceably mounted on the terminal end 42e of the bent front end of the movable arm 42 by a fixing mechanism such as a screw.

[0086] In the key striking device 1, the movable arm 42 of the striking tool 4 is constructed as an arm of the shape described above, so it is difficult for the striking tool 4 to accidentally contact the key 3 when striking the key 3. In addition, the striking tool 4 is difficult to interfere when the key 3 is held by the key holding device 25 described later.

[0087] Furthermore, the knocking tool 4 knocks by knocking the knocking portion 41 against a part of the part 3 a of the key 3 , but a part of the arm portion 31 is used as the part 3 a of the key 3 .

[0088] For example, as shown in FIG8(B), a portion of the arm 31 is a portion of the arm 31 that is located in the middle of the three regions M1, M2, and M3 obtained by dividing the portion of the arm 31 other than the portion MH that is intended to be held during use into three equal parts in the longitudinal direction, and a portion of the arm 31 is located in the region M2. However, the portion of the arm 31 is a portion that has the center of the width direction of the arm 31 that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction as the center point.

[0089] The part of the arm portion 31 is selected in consideration of the amount and state of the powder or granular material 9 that falls from the scooping portion 32 of the spoon 3 when the knocking tool 4 is knocked once.

[0090] When the region M2 of the arm 31 is used as the part 3a of the spoon 3, the action of the striking tool 4 striking the spoon 3 is appropriately transmitted to the scooping part 32, and the amount and state of the powder or granular material 9 falling down can be easily adjusted. In contrast, when the region M3 of the arm 31 adjacent to the scooping part 32 is selected as the part 3a of the spoon 3, it is difficult to adjust the amount or state of the powder or granular material 9 falling down when struck by the striking tool 4.

[0091] In addition, the striking tool 4 is Figure 6 7 (B), 9, etc., the movable arm 42 is installed in the support frame 6 so as to be able to move up and down with the shaft 62 as a fulcrum. Thus, the striking tool 4 is in the support frame 6, and the front end portion of the movable arm 42 to which the abutment portion 41 is installed reciprocates in the up and down directions Up and Dw.

[0092] In addition, the striking tool 4 is Figure 6 7 (B) and the like, a bearing member 43 having a concave side surface is mounted on the lower surface of the rear end portion of the movable arm 42 on the opposite side of the front end portion. The striking tool 4 is mounted in a state where the shaft 62 is rotatably penetrated at one corner portion of the lower portion of the bearing member 43.

[0093] The shaft 62 is not directly provided on the support frame 6, but is provided on the upper end of a position adjustment member 64, and the position adjustment member 64 is mounted on a bracket 63 fixed to the support frame 6. The lower end of the position adjustment member 64 is fixed to the bracket 63 via a fixable shaft 65. Thus, the shaft 62 can be adjusted to be arranged at a predetermined position relative to the support frame 6.

[0094] The support frame 6 is fixed by a fixing mechanism such as screws and is mounted on a mounting plate 76 in the hand 75 of the multi-joint robot 7. The support frame 6 may be mounted on the key gripping device 25 mounted on the mounting plate 75.

[0095] In addition, the support frame 6 is provided with two screw through holes 68 with one end open and cut in parallel. Therefore, the support frame 6 can be fixed by moving the bolt 69 of the fixing mechanism in the direction indicated by the double arrow K and then tightening the bolt 69 at a desired position, as shown in FIG. 7(B) or FIG. 9(A). Thus, the relative mounting position of the support frame 6 with respect to the key 3 and the mounting plate 76 can be adjusted.

[0096] Drive device 5 such as Figure 6 7, etc., is a device for moving the movable arm 42 so that the abutting portion 41 intermittently abuts against a portion 3a of the spoon 3 when the powder or granular material 9 scooped in the spoon 3 falls little by little.

[0097] As the driving device 5 , a device capable of moving the movable arm 42 so that the abutting portion 41 intermittently abuts against the portion 3 a of the key 3 is applied, and there is no particular limitation on the type and the like.

[0098] In addition, intermittent impact refers to impacting at intervals. More specifically, it refers to the impact in a manner that the interval before and after the impact is an interval of 0.5 seconds or more, preferably an interval of 1 second or more, when the impact is continuously impacted. Thus, each time the impact tool 4 impacts the part 3a of the spoon 3 once, it is possible to ensure the time required to grasp the amount of the powder 9 falling, determine the necessity of the next impact action based on the situation, and adjust the conditions for the action.

[0099] In the present embodiment, a push-type solenoid is applied as the driving device 5 .

[0100] As an example of the driving device 5, a solenoid Figure 6 As shown in FIG. 5 , a main body 51 in which an electromagnetically driven advancing and retreating mechanism and the like are built-in is mounted on the support frame 6 via a bracket 56 .

[0101] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 7(B) , the solenoid as the driving device 5 has a movable shaft 52 such as a plunger that moves forward and backward relative to the main body 51 in the directions indicated by arrows P1 and P2 .

[0102] Furthermore, one end of a connecting member 57 connected to the movable arm 42 of the striking tool 4 is fixedly mounted on the front end of the movable shaft 52 of the solenoid as the driving device 5. The other end of the connecting member 57 is rotatably connected to the other corner of the lower part of the bearing member 43 installed at the movable arm 42 of the striking tool 4 via the shaft 66.

[0103] In addition, the main body 51 of the solenoid of the driving device 5 is connected to the connection terminal 58 protruding upward. A driving connection cable (not shown) is connected to the connection terminal 58, and the power required for driving is input through the driving connection cable. Thus, the driving device 5 is driven when the power required for driving is input.

[0104] When driving power is input to the driving device 5 composed of a solenoid, the movable shaft 52 moves a predetermined amount in the upward direction indicated by the arrow P1 to become a state of protruding from the main body 51, and moves in the downward direction indicated by the arrow P2 just after protruding, and moves and returns to the original position.

[0105] The connection terminal 58 is also connected to the surface detection device 26 described later. That is, the connection terminal 58 functions as a terminal for inputting power required for driving the surface detection device 26 and also functions as a terminal for outputting a detection signal of the surface detection device 26 when transmitting it.

[0106] The key striking device 1 is mounted on the hand 75 of the multi-joint robot 7 via the support frame 6 and the mounting plate 76. On the other hand, the key 3 is held at the same position in the key holding device 25 mounted on the hand 75 via the mounting plate 76. The holding at the same position is achieved, for example, by the rear portion of the arm 31 of the key 3 being inserted into a groove (described later) of the key holding device 25 and the notch 39 of the arm 31 of the key 3 being positioned by a positioning pin 25b (described later) of the key holding device 25.

[0107] Thus, the positional relationship between the key striking device 1, especially the striking tool 4, and the key 3 when being held by the key holding device 25 is maintained substantially constant. Fig.18As shown, the interval R between the center of the abutting portion 41 of the striking tool 4 and the center of the cutout portion 39 of the key 3 or the center of the positioning pin 25b of the key gripping device 25 is kept constant. The center of the abutting portion 41 is the approximate center of the actual abutting portion.

[0108] In addition, before the key striking device 1 performs a striking action (when not in action), as shown in Figure 9(A), the abutment portion 41 of the striking tool 4 is maintained stationary in a state facing the portion of the upper surface of the arm portion 31 of the key 3 that is to be struck (a portion 3a of the key 3) at a predetermined distance L.

[0109] In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9(A) , the angle β formed by the abutting surface (lower surface) of the abutting portion 41 and the upper surface of the arm portion 31 of the key 3 is set to an angle satisfying the distance L described above.

[0110] The predetermined distance L is equivalent to the length of the action domain during the tapping action, and is, for example, about 1 cm. In addition, the angle β is, for example, about 15°. The distance L and the angle β can be appropriately changed according to the viewpoint of adjusting the intensity of the tapping, etc.

[0111] Furthermore, when the key striking device 1 strikes the key 3 (is in operation), the driving device 5 is activated by input of electric power, and drives the striking tool 4 to strike.

[0112] That is, in this case, the key knocking device 1 is driven by the solenoid as the driving device 5 so that the movable arm 42 of the knocking tool 4 is swung about the shaft 62 as a fulcrum, and the abutment portion 41 is moved downwardly in synchronization with the swinging.

[0113] 9(B), the abutting portion 41 moves the distance L of the action domain, and the lower surface of the abutting portion 41 abuts against a portion of the arm 31 of the key 3 (the portion in the middle area M2: FIG. 8) at a desired speed, thereby striking a portion 3a of the key 3 once.

[0114] In addition, after the lower surface of the abutting portion 41 of the key striking device 1 abuts against a part of the arm 31 of the key 3, the movable arm 42 of the striking tool 4 is swung around the shaft 62 as a fulcrum in conjunction with the return action of the movable shaft 52 of the solenoid serving as the driving device 5, and the abutting portion 41 moves in the upward direction indicated by the arrow Up in synchronization with the swing.

[0115] As a result, the key striking device 1 returns to the original state before the striking operation by the striking tool 4 as shown in FIG. 9(A) .

[0116] The control device 8 is as follows Fig.10 As shown, it includes a central control unit 81, an apparatus control unit 82, and a robot control unit 83. Fig.10 There is no record of other structures related to driving and operation such as power supply.

[0117] The central control unit 81 is a control unit that comprehensively controls the overall operation of the automatic weighing device 2 .

[0118] The central control unit 81 includes a processing unit 811 for processing various information, and a storage unit 812 for storing information such as control programs and various data. The central control unit 81 is composed of a processing unit, a storage element, an input / output device, etc. The device control unit 82 and the robot control unit 83 are also composed of substantially the same hardware as the central control unit 81.

[0119] The central control unit 81 is connected to the device control unit 82 and the robot control unit 83 so as to enable information communication. The second scale 24 , the key gripping device 25 described later, the key supply device 28 , and the operation panel 29 are also connected.

[0120] The key knocking device control unit 82 is a control unit that controls the operation of the key knocking device 1 .

[0121] The key striking device control unit 82 has a processing unit 821 and a storage unit 822, similarly to the central control unit 81. The processing unit 821 is described in detail. It is composed of a functional unit including an acquisition unit 823 that acquires various information and stores necessary information in the storage unit 822, a calculation unit 824 that calculates necessary information, a determination unit 825 that compares and determines the acquired information, and a determination unit 826 that determines a control result.

[0122] The key striking device control unit 82 is connected to the key striking device 1 as a controlled object, which is actually the driving device 5, in a manner that enables information communication, and is also connected to the first weighing device 22, the surface detection device 26 described later, and the temperature and humidity meter 201 in a manner that enables information communication.

[0123] The robot control unit 83 is a control unit that controls the operation of the multi-joint robot 7 .

[0124] The robot control unit 83 includes a processing unit 831 for processing various information, and the like.

[0125] The robot control unit 83 is connected to the multi-joint robot 7, which is actually the arm 71, and the hand drive unit 750 of the hand 75, which is the control target, in a manner that allows information communication. The arm drive unit 710 and the hand drive unit 750 are composed of motors, sensors, etc. Information on the range of motion in various operations set in advance, the position of the object to be fixed, etc. is input to the robot control unit 83 in advance.

[0126] (Detailed structure of automatic weighing device)

[0127] In addition, the automatic weighing device 2 is as follows Figures 1 to 5 , Fig.10 As shown in any one of the above, the key holding device 25, the surface detection device 26, the static elimination device 27, the key supply device 28, the operation panel 29, the temperature and humidity measuring device 201, etc. are also provided.

[0128] The key holding device 25 is a device for holding the key 3 .

[0129] The spoon gripping device 25 may be any device as long as it can hold the end portion of the base of the arm portion 31 of the spoon 3 on the opposite side to the scooping portion 32 .

[0130] In this embodiment, as the key gripping device 25, a device having a chuck mechanism that opens and closes by parallel movement of a pair of gripping portions 25a in directions of approaching and separating from each other is used. In addition, at least one of the pair of gripping portions 25a in the key gripping device 25 is provided with a linear groove (not shown) into which the end portion of the arm portion 31 of the key 3 is fitted. In addition, at one of the pair of gripping portions 25a, such as at Figure 5 As indicated by the dotted line, a positioning pin 25b is provided for contacting the cutout portion 39 of the key 3 to position the cutout portion 39. The positioning pin 25b is composed of, for example, a ball plunger.

[0131] The key holding device 25 is as follows Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , a mounting plate 76 of a hand 75 mounted on the multi-joint robot 7 is provided.

[0132] The surface detection device 26 is a detection device that detects the surface state of the powder or granular material 9 contained in the first container 21 .

[0133] As the surface detection device 26, a laser sensor that measures the surface state (containment state) of the powder or granular material 9 by irradiating laser light, a measuring device that performs image processing on image information captured by a camera, or the like is used.

[0134] The surface detection device 26 is, for example, Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 , a mounting plate 76 of a hand 75 mounted on the multi-joint robot 7 is shown.

[0135] The detection information of the surface detection device 26 is sent to the key striking device control unit 82 of the control device 8. The key striking device control unit 82 calculates / determines the action conditions of the key 3 performed by the multi-joint robot 7 during the scooping operation based on the information of the surface state detected by the surface detection device 26, and then sends the action conditions to the robot control unit 83 as control information.

[0136] The static elimination device 27 is a device for eliminating static electricity from an object such as the key 3. As the static elimination device 27, for example, a device in which a corona discharge type electrode is arranged is applied.

[0137] Static elimination equipment 27 such as Figure 1 3 , the first container 21 and the second container 23 are disposed at respective positions spaced apart upward. Specifically, two static eliminating devices 27 are installed at positions corresponding to the support arms 275 disposed on the workbench 20 .

[0138] The two static elimination devices 27 are used to eliminate static electricity of the spoon 3 before the scooping operation, and are also used to eliminate static electricity of the spoon 3 before the storage operation of the scooped and weighed powder and granular material 9 in the second container 23. In addition, the two static elimination devices 27 are set to also perform the scooping operation and the powder and granular material 9 during the weighing operation, and the first container 21 and the second container 23.

[0139] The key supply device 28 is as follows Figure 1 3 , the key storage unit 281, the key recovery unit 283, and the key extraction device 285 are provided. The key supply device 28 is provided at a predetermined position on the top plate 20b of the workbench 20.

[0140] The key storage portion 281 is a portion that stores a plurality of unused keys 3 as the keys 3 .

[0141] The key storage part 281 is composed of a structure that can store a plurality of keys 3 in a stack and take out the top key 3 for use. The structure is a frame or the like having a frame in which a storage space that can store a plurality of keys 3 in a stack and take out the top key 3 for use is divided.

[0142] The spoon storage portion 281 is configured to store the same type of spoons 3 and different types of spoons 3 separately when a large number of spoons 3 are used or when multiple types of spoons 3 with different scooping amounts are used.

[0143] The key recovery unit 283 is a part for recovering the used keys 3. Figure 2 , as shown in FIG3 , it is composed of a box with an upper opening.

[0144] The key taking-out device 285 is a device that takes out the unused keys 3 accommodated in the key accommodation portion 281 one by one.

[0145] The key extraction device 285 is as follows Figure 1 As shown in FIG. 3 , it is composed of a gripping portion 286 , a support plate 287 a , a lifting holding portion 287 b , and a horizontal movement holding portion 287 c .

[0146] The gripping portion 286 is a portion for gripping one of the keys 3 stacked and stored in the key storage portion 281. The support plate 287a is a plate member that supports the gripping portion 286. The lifting and lowering holding portion 287b is a structural portion that holds the support plate 287a (and the gripping portion 286) so that it can be lifted and lowered in the vertical direction D near the key storage portion 281. The horizontal movement holding portion 287c is a structural portion that holds the lifting and lowering holding portion 287b so that it can be moved in the horizontal direction E along the key storage portion 281 on the top plate 20b of the workbench 20.

[0147] The operation panel 29 includes a housing 290 , and an input unit 291 , an output unit 292 , and the like disposed in the housing 290 .

[0148] The input unit 291 is an input device 29a ( Figure 2 The output unit 292 is a display device 29b (which processes the information obtained by the automatic weighing device 2) and displays the setting conditions, setting contents, status and other information required for the operation of the automatic weighing device 2. Figure 2 ) displays the processed portion.

[0149] As the input device 29a, switches / buttons, a liquid crystal display panel capable of inputting operations, etc. are applied. As the display device 29b, lamps, a liquid crystal display panel, etc. are applied.

[0150] The operation panel 29 is installed in a place where it can be easily operated by a person who operates the automatic weighing device 2. The operation panel 29 in this embodiment is arranged on a part of the cover 20c of the workbench 20.

[0151] The temperature and humidity measuring device 201 is a device that measures the temperature and humidity in the space surrounded by the cover 20 c of the workbench 20 .

[0152] The temperature and humidity measuring device 201 only needs to be able to measure temperature and humidity and transmit information of the measurement results to the key device control unit 82. Although not shown, the temperature and humidity measuring device 201 is installed at a predetermined position in the space surrounded by the cover 20c.

[0153] (Action of automatic weighing device)

[0154] Next, the operation related to automatic weighing of the automatic weighing device 2 will be described.

[0155] The automatic weighing device 2 is operated by controlling various operations based on control programs, related data and other information by the central control unit 81 , the key striking device control unit 82 , and the robot control unit 83 constituting the control device 8 , except for some manual operations.

[0156] First, in the automatic weighing device 2, before starting automatic weighing, the operator performs subsequent pre-weighing work manually.

[0157] That is, the operator places the first container 21 containing the predetermined type of powder or granular material 9 on the placing table 215 on the first weighing device 22 , and places the empty second container 23 on the placing table 235 on the second weighing device 24 .

[0158] Furthermore, the operator stores a necessary number of unused keys 3 in the key storage portion 281 of the key supply device 28 .

[0159] Furthermore, the operator inputs necessary information such as the type of the powder or granular material 9 to be automatically weighed and the target weight to be scooped, using the input device 29 a of the operation panel 29 .

[0160] Then, after completing these pre-weighing operations, the operator performs an operation to start the automatic weighing device 2 on the operation panel 29 .

[0161] In addition, the information inputted into the input unit 29b composed of the input device 29a of the operation panel 29 by the pre-weighing operation is sent to the central control unit 81 of the control device 8. In addition, the necessary information among the inputted information is also sent from the central control unit 81 to the key striking device control unit 82 and the robot control unit 83.

[0162] If the automatic weighing device 2 starts the automatic weighing action, Fig.11 As shown, the multi-joint robot 7 and the key supply device 28 are started up, and a key gripping operation of gripping the key 3 is performed (step S101).

[0163] During the holding operation, the key taking device 285 in the key supply device 28 is operated, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, after only one of the required keys 3 stored in the key storage portion 281 is taken out, an operation of making it stand still at a predetermined delivery position and wait is performed.

[0164] In addition, during the gripping operation, the arm 71 of the multi-joint robot 7 moves, such as Figure 1 , Figure 2 and Fig.11 As shown, the hand 75 is moved to the handover position near the key supply device 28. Then, the key gripping device 25 in the hand 75 is actuated, and the gripping portion 25a receives and grips one key 3 taken out by the key taking-out device 285.

[0165] At this time, key 3 Figure 5 , Fig.18As shown in FIG. 1 , the key 3 is inserted into the groove (not shown) of the gripping portion 25a of the key gripping device 25 and is clamped, and the cut-in portion 39 of the key 3 is positioned by the positioning pin 25b in the gripping portion 25a. As a result, the key 3 is held at the same position in the key gripping device 25 by the center of the cut-out portion 39 or the center of the positioning pin 25b and the center of the abutting portion 41 of the striking tool 4 of the key striking device 1.

[0166] The key taking-out device 285 returns to the original position after the delivery of the key 3 is completed. In the automatic weighing device 2, since the key taking-out device 285 is used when the key 3 is held, the holding operation can be performed efficiently.

[0167] In addition, substantially simultaneously with the operation of step S101, the first scale 22 weighs the weight (W1) of the powder 9 before scooping out of the first container 21 (step S102). The information of the weighing result (W1) of the first scale 22 is sent to the key striking device control unit 82.

[0168] Next, in the multi-joint robot 7 , the arm 71 is operated to move the hand 75 to the vicinity of the neutralization device 27 , and then the neutralization operation of the held unused key 3 is performed (step S103 ).

[0169] In the automatic weighing device 2, by performing this static elimination operation, the powder or granule 9 can be prevented from being attached to the spoon 3 due to static electricity, and the operation of tapping the spoon 3 to slightly drop the powder or granule 9 can be smoothly performed while suppressing the occurrence of a malfunction caused by static electricity.

[0170] Next, in the multi-joint robot 7, after the arm 71 is operated to move the hand 75 to a position facing the opening 21b of the first container 21, the surface detection device 26 detects the surface state of the powder 9 in the first container 21 (step S104). The information of the detection result of the surface detection device 26 at this time is sent to the key striking device control unit 82.

[0171] At this time, the key striking device control unit 82 calculates the surface state of the powder or granular material 9 in the first container 21 based on the information of the detection result of the surface detection device 26, and then sends the information related to the surface state to the robot control unit 83. In addition, if the robot control unit 83 receives the information related to the surface state of the powder or granular material 9, the operation conditions of the multi-joint robot 7 during the scooping operation are calculated based on the information (step S105).

[0172] In the automatic weighing device 2, before the scooping operation is performed, the surface state of the powder or granular material 9 in the first container 21 is detected and the operation conditions of the multi-joint robot 7 during the scooping operation are calculated. Thus, in the automatic weighing device 2, the scooping operation can be appropriately performed according to the surface state of the powder or granular material 9 in the first container 21 in a state where the opening 21b is tilted obliquely upward and the subsequent state change.

[0173] Next, the multi-joint robot 7 performs the scooping operation of the powder or granular material 9 described below (step S106 ).

[0174] First, the multi-joint robot 7 Fig.13 As shown, the arm 71 is operated to allow the scooping portion 32 of the spoon 3 held by the spoon holding device 25 of the hand 75 to enter the main body 21 a from the opening 21 b of the first container 21 .

[0175] At this time, the scooping portion 32 of the spoon 3 is moved forward obliquely downward so as to be parallel to the inclined state of the first container 21 and enter into the main body portion 21 a of the first container 21 .

[0176] At this time, the scooping portion 32 of the spoon 3 enters a desired position in the main body 21 a and is placed in a state of being inserted into the powder or granular material 9 in the main body 21 a to a desired depth.

[0177] Next, the multi-joint robot 7 operates the arm 71 to move the spoon 3, and the spoon 3 is made still while the scooping portion 32 (bottom surface 34) of the spoon 3 is kept horizontal. As a result, the spoon 3 is placed in a mountain-shaped state with the powder 9a scooped from the first container 21 on the scooping portion 32 as shown in FIG. 14(A).

[0178] Through the above, the scooping operation is completed.

[0179] In the automatic weighing device 2 , the scooping operation is performed in a state where the first container 21 is placed in a tilted posture with the opening 21 b thereof facing obliquely upward.

[0180] Therefore, compared with the case where the scooping operation is performed with the first container 21 set with its opening 21 b facing directly upward, it is easier to get the scooping portion 32 of the spoon 3 into the first container 21, and the powder or granular material 9 can be efficiently scooped from the first container 21.

[0181] Next, when the scooping operation is completed, the key striking device control unit 82 determines whether a disintegrating operation is required in which the key striking device 1 strikes the spoon 3 to disintegrate the scooped powder or granular material 9 (step S107 ).

[0182] The determination at this time is performed based on, for example, a determination criterion that has been predetermined with respect to information such as the type of the powder or granular material 9 .

[0183] When it is determined in step S107 that the crushing operation is necessary, the crushing operation is performed by the key striking device 1 (step S108 ).

[0184] On the other hand, when it is determined that the fragmentation operation is not necessary, the fragmentation operation is not performed and the process proceeds to the next step S109 .

[0185] The disintegration action is performed after the second static action.

[0186] The second stationary motion is an motion for causing the multi-joint robot 7 to move the arm 71 and to stationary the robot 7 with the bottom surface 34 of the scooping portion 32 of the spoon 3 tilted at the opening 21b of the first container 21 with the front side higher and the back side lower as shown in FIG. 15(A) .

[0187] The posture of being inclined with the front higher and the back lower at this time means that the bottom surface 34 of the scooping portion 32 is inclined in a manner to form an ascending slope at a predetermined angle γ relative to the top plate 20b of the horizontal workbench 20. The predetermined angle γ also varies depending on the type of the powder 9 and other conditions, but is, for example, about 5°.

[0188] When the second stationary operation is completed, the key striking device 1 is activated to perform a disintegrating operation in which the striking tool 4 strikes the stationary key 3 a predetermined number of times.

[0189] The number of tapping times is set to, for example, about 3 times. When the number of tapping times is set to a plurality of times, the plurality of tapping actions are performed intermittently (for example, at intervals of about 1 second).

[0190] In the disintegration operation, as shown in FIG. 15(A) , the powder and granules 9a placed in an irregular mountain shape on the scooping portion 32 of the spoon 3 are untied in an aggregated state, and the excess powder and granules 9c are shaken off.

[0191] As a result, the scooped powder 9a is less likely to aggregate on the scooping portion 32 of the spoon 3, and the powder 9b is arranged into a smooth mountain shape as shown in FIG. 14(B) and is held in the scooping portion 32 of the spoon 3.

[0192] Incidentally, the powder and granules 9c shaken off during the crushing operation fall in principle and return to the first container 21. In addition, if a part of the powder and granules 9c shaken off at this time may fall outside the first container 21, it is sufficient to be captured by a capturing member (not shown) disposed on the first weighing device 22 in a manner that exists around the first container 21. In the case of adopting this structure, a part of the powder and granules 9c captured by the capturing member can also be weighed by the first weighing device 22.

[0193] In the automatic weighing device 2, by performing the crushing action, the powder or granule 9 is prevented from accidentally falling off from the scooping portion 32 of the spoon 3, while the weighing operation of the powder or granule 9 accompanied by the fine adjustment tapping operation performed by the spoon tapping device 1 described later and the movement of the spoon 3 after the scooping operation are stably performed.

[0194] Furthermore, in the automatic weighing device 2 , by performing the second stationary operation before the crushing operation, the powder or granule 9 is prevented from falling more than necessary from the spoon 3 during the crushing operation, and the crushed powder or granule 9 can be retained in the scooping portion 32 of the spoon 3 .

[0195] Next, the first scale 22 weighs the weight (W2) of the scooped powder or granule 9 in the first container 21 (step S109). Information on the weighing result (W2) of the first scale 22 is sent to the key striking device control unit 82.

[0196] When the weighing of the weight (W2) of the powder or granule 9 in step S109 is completed, the key striking device control unit 82 calculates the weighed amount Sa, which is the amount of the powder or granule 9 scooped by the scooping operation (step S110).

[0197] The weighed amount Sa is basically calculated by subtracting the weight W2 after scooping from the weight W1 before scooping (Sa=W1-W2).

[0198] Here, the weighed amount Sa is calculated by further adding and subtracting the weight (W3) weighed by the second weighing device 24 during the scooping from the weight W1 before scooping when the operation is transferred to the later step S121 (Sa=W1-W2-W3). In addition, the weighed amount Sa is calculated by subtracting all the weights (W3) weighed by the second weighing device 24 during the scooping when the operation is transferred to the later step S121 multiple times.

[0199] Next, the key striking device control unit 82 determines whether the weighed amount Sa is within the permissible range of the target weight to be scooped (step S111 ).

[0200] The judgment at this time is made based on whether the weighed amount Sa is within the permissible range of the target weight ± N. ±N also varies depending on the type of the powder 9, the required accuracy and other conditions, but is set to a value within the range of ±5% to ±10%, for example.

[0201] If the weighed amount Sa is determined to be within the permissible range of the target weight ±N in step S111, the process proceeds to step S114 to transfer the scooped powder 9b to the second container 23. The process in this case will be described later.

[0202] On the other hand, when the judgment result in step S111 becomes that the weighed amount Sa is an amount exceeding the upper limit value (target weight + N) in the allowable range of the target weight, the conditions for the fine-tuning tapping action performed by the key tapping device 1 are adjusted in the key tapping device control unit 82 (step S112).

[0203] In adjusting the conditions for fine-tuning the tapping action, first, Fig.12 As shown, the key striking device control unit 82 calculates the difference D (=target weight-Sa) between the weighed amount Sa and the target weight (step S131), and then determines whether the difference D is less than a threshold value Ds (step S132).

[0204] At this time, the threshold value Ds is, for example, a value of M% of the target weight. M% is a value greater than the above-mentioned N (M>N), and, for example, a value of about 15% is used.

[0205] When the difference D is less than the threshold value Ds in step S132, the driving force during the striking action by the key striking device 1 is set to the condition of "weak" (step S133). On the other hand, when the difference D is more than the threshold value Ds, the driving force during the striking action is set to the condition of "strong" (step S134).

[0206] Here, the condition that the driving force during the striking action is "weak" is, for example, a relatively small electric power (actually a driving voltage) is supplied to the driving device 5 as the electric power for driving the driving device 5 of the key striking device 1. On the contrary, the condition that the driving force during the striking action is "strong" is, for example, a relatively large electric power (actually a driving voltage) is supplied to the driving device 5 as the electric power for driving the driving device 5 of the key striking device 1.

[0207] The result of adjusting the condition is temporarily stored in the key striking device control unit 82 until the adjustment of the condition for the next fine adjustment striking action is performed (step S112).

[0208] Next, in the automatic weighing device 2, based on the adjustment result of the conditions of the tapping action, as shown in FIG. Fig.11 As shown, a fine adjustment striking action by the key striking device 1 is performed (step S113).

[0209] The fine adjustment tapping action is an action of finely adjusting the weighing operation by intermittently tapping a portion 3a of the spoon 3 by the key tapping device 1. In detail, the fine adjustment tapping action is an action of finely adjusting the weighing operation by intermittently tapping a portion 3a of the spoon 3 by the key tapping device 1 until the weighed amount Sa when the weight (W2) of the powder or granule 9 after scooping weighed by the first scale 22 is subtracted from the weight (W1) of the powder or granule 9 before scooping weighed by the first scale 22 reaches an amount within the allowable range of the target weight.

[0210] Furthermore, the fine adjustment tapping action is performed after the first stationary action is performed.

[0211] The first stationary motion is an motion for causing the multi-joint robot 7 to move the arm 71 and to stationary the robot 7 with the bottom surface 34 of the scooping portion 32 of the spoon 3 tilted at the opening 21b of the first container 21 with the front side lower and the rear side higher as shown in FIG. 15(B).

[0212] The posture of being inclined with the front lower and the back higher at this time means that the bottom surface 34 of the scooping portion 32 is inclined in a manner to form a descending slope of a predetermined angle δ relative to the top plate 20b of the workbench 20 along the horizontal direction. The predetermined angle δ also varies depending on the difference in conditions such as the type of the powder 9, but is, for example, an angle of about 10°.

[0213] When the first stationary action is completed, the key striking device 1 is activated to start a fine adjustment striking action of striking the portion 3a of the key 3 in the stationary state at least once by the striking tool 4. The fine adjustment striking action is also an action of striking the portion 3a of the key 3 intermittently a plurality of times as needed as described later.

[0214] During the fine adjustment tapping action, as illustrated in FIG. 14(B) , a portion of the powder 9b (powder 9d) placed in a mountain shape on the scooping portion 32 of the spoon 3 collapses or slides due to the impact of being struck, and falls mainly through the open end 37 of the scooping portion 32 .

[0215] In the automatic weighing device 2, the spoon 3 having the scooping portion 32 in a concave shape as shown in FIG8(C) is used, so that the powder or granule 9d placed on the scooping portion 32 of the spoon 3 is difficult to fall from the side surfaces 35 and 36 (see FIG8 ) of the scooping portion 32, and sometimes falls from the open end 37 of the scooping portion 32 in response to the tapping action in the fine adjustment tapping action. In this regard, for example, when a spoon having a scooping portion in a concave shape without the side surfaces 35 and 36 is used as the spoon 3, the direction in which the powder or granule 9d falls from such a scooping portion cannot be restricted and controlled, and it is difficult to adjust / control the amount of the powder or granule 9d falling by each tapping action in the fine adjustment tapping action.

[0216] In the automatic weighing device 2 , depending on the type and condition of the powder or granule 9 d , a part of the powder or granule 9 d placed on the scooping portion 32 of the spoon 3 may fall from the side surfaces 35 and 36 of the scooping portion 32 .

[0217] Incidentally, the powder and granules 9d dropped during the fine adjustment tapping operation fall into the first container 21 and are returned in principle. In addition, if part of the powder and granules 9d dropped at this time may fall outside the first container 21, it is sufficient to be similarly captured by the above-mentioned capturing member.

[0218] In the automatic weighing device 2, by performing this fine-adjustment tapping action, compared with the case where the powder or granule 9 is dropped by continuously vibrating a part 3a of the spoon 3 for a prescribed time, it is possible to avoid the powder or granule 9 from agglomerating in the scooping portion 32 of the spoon 3 and reliably perform the operation of dropping the powder or granule 9 scooped in the spoon 3 little by little.

[0219] Furthermore, in the automatic weighing device 2, by adjusting the driving force of the driving device 5 as a condition for the fine adjustment tapping action, the amount and state of the powder or granular material 9 falling when the spoon 3 is tapped by the fine adjustment tapping action can be appropriately adjusted, thereby achieving efficient weighing.

[0220] Furthermore, in the automatic weighing device 2, by performing the first stationary action before the fine adjustment tapping action, the powder or granular material 9 can stably drop when the spoon 3 is tapped while reducing excess or deficiency of the drop amount compared to the case where the first stationary action is not performed.

[0221] In the automatic weighing device 2, if one tapping action by the fine adjustment tapping action is completed, Fig.11 As shown, the process returns to perform the actions of steps S110 and S111.

[0222] That is, in the automatic weighing device 2, the key striking device control unit 82 recalculates the amount of powder or granular material 9 scooped by the scooping operation, that is, the weighed amount Sa, and then determines again whether the weighed amount Sa is within the permissible range of the scooped target weight.

[0223] At this time, the key striking device control unit 82 obtains the weighing result of the first scale 22 after the fine adjustment striking action is completed as the weighed amount Sa to be determined.

[0224] At this time, the weight (W2) of the scooped powder or granule 9 in the first container 21 increases by the weight of the powder or granule 9d (see FIG. 14(B)) that falls and is returned to the first container 21 by one fine adjustment tapping action. On the other hand, the weighed amount Sa obtained at this stage decreases by the weight of the powder or granule 9d that falls and is returned to the first container 21 by one fine adjustment tapping action.

[0225] Then, when the weighed amount Sa is determined to be within the permissible range of the target weight in the next step S111 when the control unit returns again, the operation of moving the spoon 3 is executed (step S114).

[0226] In addition, in the above-mentioned initial step S111, when the weighed amount Sa is determined to be within the permissible range of the target weight (when the fine adjustment tapping action is not performed), the same Fig.11 As shown, the operation is transferred to the operation of moving the key 3 in step S114.

[0227] When the operation shifts to the moving operation in step S114, the first automatic weighing is completed regardless of the difference in the flow of the operation up to that point.

[0228] The moving operation is an operation in which the multi-joint robot 7 operates the arm 71 to move the key 3 from the first container 21 to the second container 23 .

[0229] In this mobile operation, if Fig.16 As illustrated, the scooping portion 32 of the spoon 3 holding the scooped and weighed powder or granular material 9 is inserted from the opening 23 b of the second container 23 into the main body 23 a .

[0230] When the moving operation is completed, the powder or granular material 9 is stored in the second container 23 (step S115 ).

[0231] The storage operation is an operation in which the articulated robot 7 operates the hand 75 to turn the spoon 3 upside down on the opening 23 b of the second container 23 to store the powder or granular material 9 on the scooping portion 32 in the second container 23 .

[0232] In this containment operation, if Fig.16 As shown in the example, the hand 75 rotates the mounting plate 76 by 180 degrees to turn the scooping portion 32 of the spoon 3 upside down. Thus, the powder 9 placed on the scooping portion 32 falls by gravity and is stored in the main body 23a of the second container 23.

[0233] In addition, during the storage operation, a knocking operation is also performed in which the knocking tool 4 of the key knocking device 1 knocks the upside-down spoon 3 to knock off the powder or granular material 9 .

[0234] The elimination knocking motion is an action in which the key knocking device 1 is operated to knock a part 3a of the inverted key 3 a predetermined number of times by the knocking tool 4. In the elimination knocking motion, the abutting portion 41 of the knocking tool 4 abuts against the part 3a of the inverted key 3 and knocks.

[0235] The number of tapping times at this time is set to, for example, 3 or more. The intervals between the multiple tapping actions are arbitrarily set.

[0236] In the automatic weighing device 2 , the weighed powder or granular material 9 can be automatically and efficiently stored in the second container 23 by performing the moving operation and the storing operation.

[0237] Furthermore, in the automatic weighing device 2 , by performing the removal knocking operation during the storage operation, the weighed powder or granular material 9 can be reliably moved to the second container 23 while suppressing the powder or granular material 9 from remaining on the spoon 3 .

[0238] Furthermore, in the automatic weighing device 2, the second container 23 is set in a tilted position with its opening 23b facing obliquely upwards to perform the storage operation. Therefore, compared with the case where the second container 23 is set in a position with its opening 23b facing directly upwards to perform the storage operation, it is easier to put the spoon 3 into the second container 23, and the storage operation can be performed efficiently. In addition, even if a part of the powder and granular body 9d is dropped and stored in the second container 23, it is surrounded by the inner wall of the main body 23a of the second container 23, and the part of the powder and granular body 9d is prevented from leaking to the outside.

[0239] Next, when the storage operation of step 115 is completed, the weight ( W4 ) of the powder or granular material 9 stored in the second container 23 is weighed and recorded by the second scale 24 (step S116 ).

[0240] At this time, information on the weighing result ( W4 ) of the second scale 24 is sent to the central control unit 81 and the key striking device control unit 82 .

[0241] In the automatic weighing device 2, when the information of the weighing result (W4) is obtained, the automatic weighing is temporarily terminated.

[0242] On the other hand, in the automatic weighing device 2, when the weighed amount Sa is judged to be less than the lower limit value (target weight-N) of the permissible range of the target weight in step S111, Fig.11 As shown, the process transfers to perform each action of steps S121 to S125.

[0243] In this case, first, a pre-movement knocking operation is performed (step S114 ) in which the knocking tool 4 of the key knocking device 1 knocks a portion 3 a of the key 3 on the opening 21 b of the first container 21 a predetermined number of times.

[0244] The number of tapping at this time is set to, for example, 3 or more. When the number of tapping is set to a plurality of times, the plurality of tapping actions are performed at intervals of, for example, about 0.5 seconds.

[0245] In the automatic weighing device 2 , by performing the pre-movement knocking operation, when the spoon 3 is moved toward the second container 23 after the pre-movement knocking operation, the powder or granular material 9 can be stably moved while preventing accidental fall of the scooping portion 32 of the spoon 3 .

[0246] Next, when the pre-movement knocking operation is completed, the spoon 3 is moved to the second container 23 (step S122 ), and then the powder or granular material 9 is stored in the second container 23 (step S123 ).

[0247] The moving operation of step S122 and the storing operation of step S123 are the same operations as the moving operation of step S114 and the storing operation of step S152 described above.

[0248] By performing the moving operation of step S122 and the storing operation of step S123 , the powder or granular material 9 of an amount Sa smaller than the lower limit value of the permissible range of the target weight is first stored in the second container 23 .

[0249] In the automatic weighing device 2, by performing the above-mentioned moving operation and storage operation when the weighed amount Sa is less than the lower limit of the allowable range of the target weight, for example, when the target weight is relatively large, the time required for automatic weighing can be shortened and the weighing operation can be made more efficient.

[0250] Next, if the moving operation and the storage operation are completed, the weight (W3) of the powder and granular material 9 stored in the second container 23 is weighed and recorded by the second weighing device 24 (step S124), and then the remaining amount (R) of the target weight of the powder and granular material 9 is calculated (step S125).

[0251] At this time, information on the weighing result ( W3 ) of the second scale 24 is sent to the key striking device control unit 82 .

[0252] In addition, at this time, in the key striking device control unit 82, if the information of the weighing result (W3) is obtained, the information of the weighing result (W3) is temporarily stored in the storage unit 822, and the remaining amount R (= target weight - W3) of the target weight of the powder and particle 9 is calculated, and the information of the remaining amount R is temporarily stored in the storage unit 822.

[0253] Then, if the above steps S121 to S125 are completed, the automatic weighing device 2 Fig.11 As shown, the process returns to step S104, and the above-mentioned operations from step S104 to step S111 are performed in the same manner.

[0254] In this case, if it is determined in step S111 that the weighed amount Sa is within the permissible range of the target weight, the process proceeds to the operations after step S114 as described above.

[0255] In addition, in the automatic weighing device 2, if the action of the above step S116 is completed, the automatic weighing currently in progress is completed, so Fig.11 As shown, the central control unit 81 of the control device 8 determines whether there is no next automatic weighing (step S117).

[0256] When it is determined in step S117 that there is the next automatic weighing, Fig.11 As shown, the process returns to step S104, and the actions of the steps following step S104 are repeated in the same manner until there is no next automatic weighing.

[0257] When it is determined in step S117 that there is no next automatic weighing, the spoon is removed (step S118).

[0258] In the key removal operation, the multi-joint robot moves the arm 71, as shown in FIG3, to move the hand 75 to a position just above the key recovery portion 283 in the key supply device 28. Then, the key gripping device 25 in the hand 75 is operated to separate the used key 3 from the gripping portion 25a. As a result, the used key 3 falls and is stored in the key recovery portion 283.

[0259] After the above-mentioned operation steps, the automatic weighing of the same type of powder or granular material 9 by the automatic weighing device 2 is completed.

[0260] In the automatic weighing device 2, by applying the spoon striking device 1, compared with the case where the powder or particle 9 is dropped by continuously vibrating the spoon 3 for a prescribed time, the aggregation of the powder or particle 9 scooped on the spoon 3 can be avoided and the operation of making the powder or particle 9 scooped on the spoon 3 drop little by little can be reliably performed. As a result, the powder or particle 9 can be weighed efficiently and reliably.

[0261] (test)

[0262] Next, a test in which automatic weighing of the powder or granular material 9 is performed using the automatic weighing device 2 according to the embodiment will be described. Fig.17 This is a graph showing an example of the results of this test.

[0263] In the test, two kinds of powders and granules 9 were respectively automatically weighed by the automatic weighing device 2 .

[0264] The first type of powder 9 is a powder composed of fine powder such as wheat flour. Fig.17 In the column of the type of powder or granule, "Fa" is displayed. In addition, regarding the first type of powder or granule 9 (Fa), the same amount of each of which is contained in 10 first containers 21 is prepared ( Fig.17 The 10 first containers 21 are automatically weighed while being replaced.

[0265] In addition, the second powder 9 is a powder composed of tiny particles. Fig.17 In the column of the type of powder or granule, "Fb" is displayed. In addition, regarding the second type of powder or granule 9 (Fb), the same amount of each of which is contained in seven first containers 21 is prepared ( Fig.17 The seven first containers 21 are replaced while being automatically weighed.

[0266] Incidentally, the second type of powder and granule 9 (Fb) exhibits physical properties such as lower cohesion and lower angle of repose compared to the first type of powder and granule 9 (Fa).

[0267] In the automatic weighing of the test, the target weight of the first type of powder or granule 9 (Fa) was set to 200 mg, and the target weight of the second type of powder or granule 9 (Fb) was set to 500 mg.

[0268] In addition, the permissible range of the target weight is set to be within the range of ±10% of the target weight in both the powder and granular body 9 (Fa) and the powder and granular body 9 (Fb).

[0269] Furthermore, the temperature and humidity inside the cover 20c were measured by the temperature and humidity measuring device 201, and the test was conducted while maintaining the temperature (26°±1°) and humidity (19% RH to 20% RH) at substantially constant levels.

[0270] The fine-tuning tapping action in the experiment is as follows Fig.11 This is performed when it is indicated as one of the determination results of step S111 that the weighed amount exceeds the upper limit value (target weight + 10%) of the permissible range of the target weight.

[0271] The fine adjustment tapping action at this time is completed when the weighed amount becomes a value below the upper limit value (target weight + 10%) of the permissible range of the target weight (strictly speaking, a value within the range of ± 10% of the target weight).

[0272] Fig.17 The initial weighing in the chart is equivalent to the amount of Fig.11 The weighed amount Sa is calculated by the action of step S110.

[0273] In addition, Fig.17 The shaded portion in the graph of indicates that the fine adjustment tapping action is not necessary and is not performed. This includes a case where the fine adjustment tapping action is not performed even once (for example, in the embodiment when the powder is Fb5 to Fb7) and a case where the fine adjustment tapping action is performed more than once.

[0274] Furthermore, in Fig.17 In the column of the number of tapping actions of fine adjustment tapping actions and the weighed amount after each tapping action in the graph of , the weighed amount recorded in italics (font that is tilted diagonally) in the last square (cell) that is the result of automatic weighing of each powder or granule 9 (Fa, Fb) indicates the result when the amount is within the allowable range of the target weight. In addition, in the same column, the weighed amount recorded in the squares other than the last square that is the result of automatic weighing of each powder or granule 9 (Fa, Fb) is the result of exceeding the upper limit value of the target weight.

[0275] In the automatic weighing of this test, the above-mentioned crushing operation, adjustment of the conditions for finely adjusting the tapping operation, and the like are performed as necessary.

[0276] Moreover, according to Fig.17 As shown in the results, the number of fine-tuning tapping operations required to obtain a result in which the weighed amount is within the allowable range of the target weight varies greatly depending on the type (Fa, Fb) of the powder or particle 9, and also varies between powders or particles 9 of the same type.

[0277] In the automatic weighing of the first type of powder or granule 9 (Fa), a maximum of 8 fine adjustment tapping operations are required. In the automatic weighing of the second type of powder or granule 9 (Fb), a maximum of 4 fine adjustment tapping operations are required.

[0278] In addition, according to Fig.17 The results shown show that, for example, by performing a fine adjustment tapping operation, the powder or granular material 9 can be weighed efficiently and reliably while being adjusted by causing the powder or granular material 9 to drop little by little from the spoon 3 .

[0279] Furthermore, in this test, even in the case of the first powder 9 (Fa) having higher cohesion than the second powder 9 (Fb), the powder 9 placed on the spoon 3 did not coagulate (in other words, clump or tighten) when the fine adjustment tapping action was performed.

[0280] Incidentally, in the examples of powders and granules Fb5 to Fb7, the weighed amount was within the permissible range (500 mg ± 10%) of the target weight only by the initial scooping operation, and no subsequent fine-tuning tapping operation was required.

[0281] As a comparative test, instead of striking the spoon 3 with the key striking device 1 , an attempt was made to vibrate the spoon 3 with a vibrating device to cause the powder or granular material 9 to drop little by little and to perform weighing.

[0282] An electromagnetic vibration feeder was used as the vibration device and was placed against the grip portion 25a of the key gripping device 25. The vibration condition was set to continuously apply periodic vibration for two seconds with a vibration interval (period) of 0.1 seconds or less per one cycle.

[0283] Therefore, in the comparative test, the vibration of the electromagnetic vibration feeder was applied to the spoon 3 via the gripping portion 25a.

[0284] This comparative test revealed that it is difficult to finely adjust the amount of powder 9 dropped from the spoon 3. For example, if the vibration is weak, the powder 9 does not move on the spoon 3 and is difficult to drop, while if the vibration is strong, a large amount of powder 9 tends to drop.

[0285] Furthermore, in the weighing of the first type of powder 9 (Fa), the powder 9 (Fa) may aggregate on the plate 3 due to vibration. This also revealed that, particularly for a type of powder 9 with high cohesion or low fluidity, it is difficult to properly perform weighing by vibrating the spoon 3 and dropping the powder 9 little by little as in the comparative test while avoiding aggregation of the powder 9.

[0286] (Variation Example)

[0287] The present invention is not limited to the configurations exemplified in the above-mentioned embodiments, and modifications such as addition, replacement, and combination of configurations may be made as necessary.

[0288] When the automatic weighing device 2 changes the type of the powder 9 to be weighed and performs automatic weighing, it only needs to be configured as follows, for example. That is, the automatic weighing device 2 in this case is configured to, by means of the multi-joint robot 7, disassemble the used spoon 3 and store it in the spoon recovery part 283 and replace the spoon with the unused spoon 3 stored in the spoon storage part 281 before transferring to the automatic weighing of a different type.

[0289] In the automatic weighing device 2 configured in this way, different types of powders and granules 9 can be automatically weighed efficiently while avoiding mixing of different types of powders and granules 9 .

[0290] In addition, when the automatic weighing device 2 automatically weighs the same type of powder or granular material 9 for multiple times, it can be configured as follows, for example. That is, the automatic weighing device 2 in this case is configured to perform automatic weighing while preparing a plurality of types of spoons with different scooping parts 32 as the spoons 3 and distinguishing the spoons 3 with different scooping parts 32 to be used based on information such as the actual weighing situation and the weighing limit time.

[0291] In addition, in the automatic weighing device 2, a spoon constructed in a manner different from that illustrated in the embodiment may be used as the spoon 3. As a spoon constructed in a different manner, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 19 , a spoon 3B in which the bottom surface 34 of the scooping portion 32 is substantially parallel to the length direction of the arm portion 31 may be cited.

[0292] In the automatic weighing device 2, the first static motion performed before the fine adjustment tapping motion may be changed to a static motion with the bottom surface 34 of the scooping portion 32 of the spoon 3 tilted with respect to the horizontal direction.

[0293] In the case of such a configuration, the powder or granular material 9 can be stabilized from falling little by little in response to the striking action according to the type and physical properties (cohesion, fluidity, etc.) of the powder or granular material 9 .

[0294] In the automatic weighing device 2, the first container 21 may be arranged on the stage 215 in such a manner that the opening 21b thereof is oriented in the horizontal direction (horizontally) and the container as a whole is in a posture falling down or a posture close to the falling down state (a posture with an inclination angle of less than 30° relative to the horizontal direction). The second container 23 may be arranged on the stage 235 in such a manner that the opening 23b thereof is oriented in the horizontal direction and the container as a whole is in a posture falling down or a posture close to the falling down state (a posture with an inclination angle of less than 30° relative to the horizontal direction).

[0295] Furthermore, the second container 23 may be configured to be placed on the mounting table 235 in a posture in which the opening 23 b thereof faces directly upward.

[0296] The overall shapes and dimensions of the first container 21 and the second container 23 are not limited to those exemplified in the above embodiment. For example, a container such as a laboratory dish or a petri dish may be used as the first container 21 .

[0297] Furthermore, the automatic weighing device 2 may omit some equipment or add new equipment to adapt to the type and use of the powder 9. For example, in the automatic weighing device 2, the static eliminating device 27 and the spoon supply device 28 may be omitted.

[0298] Furthermore, in the automatic weighing device 2, when the amount of the powder or granule 9 scooped in one scooping operation is excessive, for example, before or instead of the crushing operation, the spoon striking device 1 continuously strikes the spoon 3 to return a portion of the scooped powder or granule 9 to the first container 21 (excess return operation). In the excess return operation, the interval of striking the spoon 3 may be set to a shorter condition of, for example, about 0.5 seconds, thereby shortening the time required for the return operation.

[0299] Furthermore, in the automatic weighing device 2, it can also be configured that the control device 8 (central control unit 81) controls the display unit 29a, which is an example of a display device in the operating panel 29, to display the result of comparing the weight of the powder and granular material finally obtained by the first weighing machine 22 with the weight of the powder amount weighed by the second weighing machine 24 after performing the above-mentioned collection operation.

[0300] In the automatic weighing device 2 constructed in this way, it is possible to confirm the difference between the amount of powder or granule 9 scooped and weighed from the first container 21 and the amount of powder or granule 9 contained in the second container 23, and it is possible to know whether all the powder or granule 9 scooped from the first container 21 is contained in the second container 23.

[0301] In the above embodiment, the example of using the middle region M2 of the three partitions of the arm 31 as the part 3a of the knocking of the spoon 3 in the spoon knocking device 1 is shown. However, depending on the type of the powder 9, the amount of the powder 9 dropped from the spoon 3, etc., the partition M1 (see FIG. 8 (B)) at the root of the arm 31 on the opposite side of the scooping part 32 may be used.

[0302] (Summarize)

[0303] The present invention includes the following third invention: in the spoon striking device of the above-mentioned first invention, the aforementioned spoon is composed of an arm portion and a scooping portion, the arm portion is composed of a shape that is long in one direction, the scooping portion is arranged at one end side of the length direction of the aforementioned arm portion with a step difference and has a bottom surface for carrying the scooped powder and particles and a side surface that exists on both sides of the aforementioned bottom surface on the left and right sides along the aforementioned direction and reaches the aforementioned step difference; a part of the aforementioned spoon is a part of the aforementioned arm portion.

[0304] According to the third invention, the powder or granular material can be stably dropped when the spoon is struck, while preventing the powder or granular material from accidentally falling off from the scooping portion of the spoon.

[0305] The present invention includes the following fourth invention: In the key striking device of the above-mentioned third invention, a part of the aforementioned arm portion is present in the middle area when the part of the aforementioned arm portion other than the gripping portion is divided into three equal parts in the aforementioned one direction or in the area that becomes the root on the opposite side of the aforementioned scooping portion.

[0306] According to the fourth invention, compared with the case where a part of the arm is present outside the aforementioned middle area or root area, the effect of hitting the spoon is not excessive or insufficient but is appropriately transmitted to the scooping part, making it easy to adjust the falling state of the powder and granular material.

[0307] The present invention includes the following fifth invention: in the key striking device of the above-mentioned third invention, the movable arm is constructed as an arm that extends in a straight line at a distance from the arm portion of the key and then is bent to reach the top of a part of the arm portion; the abutment portion is installed at the end portion of the bent front end of the movable arm.

[0308] According to the fifth invention, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of unintended contact between the striking tool and the key when the striking tool strikes the key, and the striking tool is less likely to interfere when the key is held.

[0309] The present invention includes the following sixth invention: In the key striking device of the first invention, the driving force of the driving device when striking a part of the key is changed.

[0310] According to the sixth invention, the amount of powder or granular material that falls when the spoon is struck can be adjusted.

[0311] The present invention includes the following seventh invention: In the key striking device of any one of the above-mentioned first invention, the key, the striking tool and the driving device are held by a multi-joint robot.

[0312] According to the seventh invention, the movement of the multi-joint robot can smoothly perform the scooping operation of the powder or granular material with the spoon and the dropping operation of causing the scooped powder or granular material to drop little by little from the spoon while ensuring accurate movement and holding of the stop posture.

[0313] The present invention includes the following eighth invention: In the automatic weighing device of the second invention, the control device adjusts the conditions of the first or next fine-adjustment tapping action performed by the tapping device based on the result of comparing the weighed amount obtained from the weighing result of the first weighing device when the spoon is initially scooped from the first container with the allowable range of the target weight, or the result of comparing the weighed amount obtained from the weighing result of the first weighing device each time the spoon is tapped once by the fine-adjustment tapping action.

[0314] According to the eighth invention, since the conditions for the first or next fine adjustment tapping action are adjusted to conditions suitable for the weighing amount, accurate and efficient weighing can be performed.

[0315] The present invention includes the following ninth invention: in the automatic weighing device of the above-mentioned second invention, there is a surface detection device for detecting the surface state of the powder or granular material contained in the above-mentioned first container; the above-mentioned control device controls to adjust the movement of the above-mentioned spoon brought by the above-mentioned multi-joint robot during the above-mentioned scooping operation based on the information of the surface state detected by the above-mentioned surface detection device.

[0316] According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to perform an appropriate scooping operation in accordance with changes in the surface state of the powder or granular material stored in the first container.

[0317] The present invention includes the following tenth invention: in the automatic weighing device of the above-mentioned second invention, there is a de-staticizing device for de-staticizing the aforementioned key; before the aforementioned control device uses an unused spoon as the aforementioned spoon to perform the aforementioned scooping operation, it controls to perform a de-staticizing operation of de-staticizing the spoon by means of the aforementioned de-staticizing device with the aid of the aforementioned multi-joint robot.

[0318] According to the tenth invention, it is possible to prevent the powder or granular material from being attached to an excess portion of the spoon due to static electricity, and further, the operation of slightly dropping the powder or granular material by striking the spoon can be smoothly performed.

[0319] The present invention includes the following eleventh invention: in the automatic weighing device of the above-mentioned second invention, before performing the above-mentioned fine-adjustment tapping action, the above-mentioned control device controls the above-mentioned multi-joint robot to perform a first stationary action in which the above-mentioned spoon with the part carrying the powder and granular material is tilted in a posture with the front lower and the back higher or the front higher and the back lower relative to the horizontal direction.

[0320] According to the eleventh invention, the powder or granules can fall smoothly or stably when the spoon is struck, compared with a case where the spoon is not kept still with the portion carrying the powder or granules tilted relative to the horizontal direction with the front lower and the rear higher or the front higher and the rear lower before fine-adjusting the striking action.

[0321] The present invention includes the following twelfth invention: In the automatic weighing device of the above-mentioned second invention, after the powder or granular material is scooped by the above-mentioned scooping operation, the above-mentioned control device controls the above-mentioned spoon striking device to perform a crushing action of crushing the scooped powder or granular material by striking the above-mentioned spoon.

[0322] According to the twelfth invention, the weighing of the powder or granular material accompanied by the fine adjustment of the tapping action and the movement of the spoon after the scooping operation can be stably performed while suppressing the unexpected fall of the powder or granular material from the spoon.

[0323] The present invention includes the following thirteenth invention: In the automatic weighing device of the above-mentioned twelfth invention, before performing the above-mentioned crushing action, the above-mentioned control device controls the above-mentioned multi-joint robot to perform a second stationary action in which the above-mentioned spoon with the part carrying the powder and granular material is tilted higher at the front and lower at the back relative to the horizontal direction.

[0324] According to the thirteenth invention, it is possible to suppress the powder or granule from falling more than necessary during the crushing operation, and to leave the crushed powder or granule on the spoon.

[0325] The present invention includes the following fourteenth invention: in the automatic weighing device of the above-mentioned second invention, the above-mentioned control device has a second container for storing powder and granular materials scooped on the above-mentioned spoon and weighed; and controls the above-mentioned multi-joint robot to perform a moving operation of moving the above-mentioned spoon from the above-mentioned first container to the above-mentioned second container, and a storing operation of making the spoon moved to the second container become an upside-down state on the second container so that the powder and granular materials are stored in the second container.

[0326] According to the fourteenth invention, the weighed powder or granular material can be automatically and efficiently stored in the second container.

[0327] The present invention includes the following fifteenth invention: In the automatic weighing device of the above-mentioned fourteenth invention, when performing the above-mentioned receiving operation, the above-mentioned control device controls the above-mentioned key striking device to perform the exclusion striking action of striking the above-mentioned upside-down key to shake off the powder and particles.

[0328] According to the fifteenth invention, the powder or granular material can be reliably moved to the second container while suppressing the powder or granular material from remaining on the spoon after weighing.

[0329] The present invention includes the following sixteenth invention: in the automatic weighing device of the above-mentioned second invention, there are provided a key storage portion for storing a plurality of unused spoons as the above-mentioned key and a key recovery portion for recovering the used key; when the type of the powder or granular material to be weighed is changed, the above-mentioned control device controls the above-mentioned multi-joint robot to perform a key replacement operation of disassembling the used key and storing it in the above-mentioned key recovery portion and storing the unused key stored in the above-mentioned key storage portion.

[0330] According to the sixteenth invention, different kinds of powders and granules can be automatically weighed efficiently while avoiding mixing of different kinds of powders and granules.

[0331] The present invention includes the following seventeenth invention: in the automatic weighing device of the above-mentioned sixteenth invention, a key taking-out device for taking out the unused keys accommodated in the aforementioned key accommodation portion one by one is provided; when performing the aforementioned replacement operation, the aforementioned control device controls the aforementioned key taking-out device to perform a taking-out action of taking out the unused keys from the aforementioned key accommodation portion, and controls the aforementioned multi-joint robot to perform a holding action of holding the unused keys taken out by the aforementioned key taking-out device.

[0332] According to the seventeenth invention, the replacement operation to an unused key can be smoothly performed.

[0333] Description of Reference Numerals

[0334] 1 Key striking device

[0335] 2 Automatic weighing device

[0336] 3 spoons

[0337] 3a part of spoon

[0338] 4. Striking tools

[0339] 5 Drive equipment

[0340] 7 Multi-joint robot

[0341] 8 Control device

[0342] 9 Powder

[0343] 21 First Container

[0344] 21b Opening

[0345] 22First weighing machine

[0346] 23 Second Container

[0347] 23b Opening

[0348] 24 Second weighing machine

[0349] 26Surface inspection equipment

[0350] 27Static elimination equipment

[0351] 29a Display unit (an example of a display device)

[0352] 31 Arm

[0353] 32 Scooping unit

[0354] 34 bottom

[0355] 35, 36 side

[0356] 41 collision part

[0357] 42 movable arm

[0358] 42e end

[0359] 281 Key Containment Unit

[0360] 283 Key Recovery Department

[0361] 285 Key Extractor

[0362] MH controlled part

[0363] The area at the root of M1

[0364] The area in the middle of M2

Claims

1. A key striking device, characterized in that: have: Spoon, scoop up powder and granules; a striking tool for striking a portion of the aforementioned key from above; and A driving device for driving the striking tool to strike a portion of the key; The striking tool comprises: a butting portion that butts against a portion of the spoon; and a movable arm that moves with the butt portion mounted thereon so that the butt portion butts against a portion of the spoon; The driving device moves the movable arm so that the abutting portion intermittently abuts against a part of the spoon when the powder or granular material scooped on the spoon drops little by little.

2. The key striking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The spoon is composed of an arm portion and a scooping portion, the arm portion is formed in a shape long in one direction, the scooping portion is provided at one end side of the length direction of the arm portion with a step and has a bottom surface for placing the scooped powder or granules and a side surface existing on both sides of the bottom surface along the one direction and reaching the step; A portion of the spoon is a portion of the arm.

3. The key striking device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The part of the arm portion is present in a middle region when the part of the arm portion other than the gripping portion is divided into three equal parts in the one direction or in a region that becomes a root on the opposite side to the scooping portion.

4. The key striking device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The movable arm is configured as an arm having a shape that extends linearly at a distance from the arm portion of the spoon and then is bent so as to reach above a portion of the arm portion; The abutment portion is mounted on a distal end portion of the bent front end of the movable arm.

5. The striking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving device is configured so that the driving force when a part of the key is struck is changed.

6. The striking device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The aforementioned key, striking tool, and driving device are held by a multi-joint robot.

7. An automatic weighing device, characterized in that: have: A first container for containing powder or granules; A spoon is used to scoop the powder or granules from the first container; a multi-jointed robot that holds the spoon and moves to perform a plurality of operations including scooping powder or granules from the first container; The spoon striking device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, which is mounted on the multi-joint robot and strikes a part of the spoon from above when the powder or granular material scooped on the spoon is dropped at least into the first container; A first weighing device for weighing the weight of the powder or granular material contained in the first container; and A control device for controlling the movement of the aforementioned multi-joint robot and the movement of the aforementioned key striking device; The control device is configured to control the key striking device to intermittently strike a portion of the spoon to make fine adjustments until the weight of the powder or granule after scooping, as measured by the first weighing device, is subtracted from the weight of the powder or granule before scooping, as measured by the first weighing device, to fall within an allowable range of the target weight.

8. The automatic weighing device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The control device adjusts the conditions of the first or next fine-adjustment tapping action performed by the tapping device based on the result of comparing the weighed amount obtained from the weighing result of the first scale when the spoon is initially scooped from the first container with the allowable range of the target weight, or the result of comparing the weighed amount obtained from the weighing result of the first scale each time the spoon is tapped once by the fine-adjustment tapping action.

9. The automatic weighing device according to claim 7, characterized in that: A surface detection device for detecting the surface state of the powder or granular material contained in the first container; The control device performs control to adjust the movement of the spoon brought about by the multi-joint robot during the scooping operation based on the information of the surface state detected by the surface detection device.

10. The automatic weighing device according to claim 7, characterized in that: A device for removing static electricity from the aforementioned key is provided; The control device controls the multi-joint robot to perform a destaticizing operation of destaticizing the spoon by the destaticizing device before performing the scooping operation using an unused spoon as the spoon.

11. The automatic weighing device according to claim 7, characterized in that: Before performing the fine adjustment tapping action, the control device controls the multi-joint robot to perform a first stationary action in which the spoon with the portion carrying the powder or granular material is stationary in a posture in which the spoon is tilted with the front lower and the rear higher or with the front higher and the rear lower relative to the horizontal direction.

12. The automatic weighing device according to claim 7, characterized in that: After the powder or granular material is scooped by the scooping operation, the control device controls the spoon striking device to perform a crushing operation of crushing the scooped powder or granular material by striking the spoon.

13. The automatic weighing device according to claim 12, characterized in that: Before performing the crushing operation, the control device controls the multi-joint robot to perform a second stationary operation in which the spoon, with the portion on which the powder or granule is placed, is stationary in a posture in which the spoon is tilted with its front side higher and its rear side lower with respect to a horizontal direction.

14. The automatic weighing device according to claim 7, characterized in that: A second container for receiving the powder or granules scooped on the spoon and weighed; The control device controls the multi-joint robot to move the spoon from the first container to the second container and to store the powder or granular material in the second container by turning the spoon moved to the second container upside down.

15. The automatic weighing device according to claim 14, characterized in that: When performing the storage operation, the control device controls the key striking device to perform a knocking operation of knocking the upside-down key to shake off the powder or granules.

16. The automatic weighing device according to claim 7, characterized in that: A key storage unit for storing a plurality of unused keys as the aforementioned keys and a key recovery unit for recovering used keys; When the type of powder or granular material to be weighed is changed, the control device controls the multi-joint robot to remove the used spoon and store it in the spoon recovery unit and to hold the unused spoon stored in the spoon storage unit to replace the spoon.

17. The automatic weighing device according to claim 16, characterized in that: A key taking device for taking out unused keys stored in the key storage portion one by one; When performing the replacement operation, the control device controls the key retrieval device to perform a retrieval action to retrieve an unused key from the key storage portion, and controls the multi-joint robot to perform a gripping action to grip the unused key retrieved by the key retrieval device.

Images