Quantitative feeding device

Abstract

To provide a quantitative feeding device that can further reliably shake off small articles that are attracted on magnets and move.SOLUTION: A rotating body 40 rotates with a horizontal axis as a rotation axis. A magnet 46 is attached to the rotating body 40. The magnet 46 attracts small articles and therefore moves the small articles in the rotating direction of the rotating body 40 as the rotating body 40 rotates. A guide part 60 guides the movement of the small articles in the rotating direction. An upward region 201 is inclined upward in the rotating direction. The upward region 201 is a partial length region of a trajectory 200 along which the magnet 46 moves as the rotating body 40 rotates. The guide part 60 has a shaking-off part 61. The shaking-off part 61 is aligned with the upward region 201. A directional length L from the shaking-off part 61 to the trajectory 200, with the radial outward direction of the trajectory 200 being positive, decreases in the rotating direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a constant volume supply device. [Background technology]

[0002] There is a fixed-volume feeder (100) that feeds a fixed amount of small items such as screws. With regard to this type of technology, the following Patent Document 1 discloses a fixed-volume feeder in which small items are attracted to magnets (11a, 11b, 11c) and moved, and the small items are fed to a receiving tray (10). More specifically, the constant-quantity feeder (100) has a brush-off section (first brush-off section (34a) and second brush-off section (21b)) to regulate and adjust the movement of the small objects attracted to the magnets (11a, 11b, 11c). For example, when it is desired to feed small objects of a desired size, small objects other than the desired size are brushed off by the brush-off section and removed from the magnets (11a, 11b, 11c), so that the small objects of the desired size can be selectively fed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-052615 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The brush-off section in Patent Document 1 restricts the movement of a small object at one point on the path of the rotating and moving magnet. However, there may be cases where the brush-off section is insufficient in restricting the movement of the small object to brush it off.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and provides a constant quantity supplying device that can more reliably shake off small articles that are attracted to and moved by a magnet. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The quantitative supply device of the present invention is a quantitative supply device that supplies a fixed amount of small items, and comprises a storage section that stores a plurality of the small items, a rotating body that rotates about a horizontal axis, a magnet attached to the rotating body and adsorbs the small items, thereby moving the small items in the rotational direction of the rotating body as the rotating body rotates, and a guide section that guides the movement of the small items in the rotational direction, wherein a partial length region of the trajectory along which the magnet moves as the rotating body rotates is upwardly inclined in the rotational direction, and the guide section has a brush-off section that follows the partial length region, and the directional length from the brush-off section to the trajectory, with the radial outward direction of the trajectory being positive, decreases toward the rotational direction.

[0007] Since the directed length from the brush-off portion to the trajectory along which the magnet moves, which is positive in the radial outward direction of the rotator, decreases in the direction of rotation of the rotor, the movement of the small item attracted to the magnet is restricted by the brush-off portion as it progresses in the direction of rotation. Furthermore, the brush-off portion in the present invention is along a partial length region of the trajectory, and the brush-off portion restricts the movement of the magnet over a predetermined length of the trajectory. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the constant quantity supply device of the present invention, the movement of small objects is restricted and adjusted over a predetermined length by the brush-off portion, thereby enabling the brush-off portion to brush off small objects more reliably. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a constant volume feeder according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the constant rate feeder according to the first embodiment as viewed from the front side, illustrating the structure of a first storage region. [Diagram 3]FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a structure of the constant quantity supply device according to the first embodiment in a plan view. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a constant quantity supplying device according to a first embodiment, as viewed from the right side, with the position of a magnet and one of the holding holes shown by solid lines; [Diagram 5] 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a guide section as viewed from the front side of the constant-quantity feeder according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 6] 5 is a partial enlarged view and vertical cross-sectional view of part A shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 7] 5 is an explanatory diagram for explaining movement of small objects in the constant volume supply device according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration of a guide portion as viewed from the front side of a constant-volume feeder according to a second embodiment. [Figure 9] 13 is an explanatory diagram for explaining movement of small objects in a constant volume supply device according to a second embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] The various components of the constant-volume supply device 100 of the present invention do not need to be independent entities, and it is permitted that multiple components are formed as a single member, that one component is formed from multiple members, that one component is part of another component, that part of one component overlaps with part of another component, etc. In addition, the method for supplying small items 110 described below may be explained using a number of steps described in sequence, but the order of description does not limit the order or timing of performing the steps. Therefore, when implementing the method of the present invention, the order of the steps may be changed to the extent that does not interfere with the content, and some or all of the timing of performing the steps may overlap with each other.

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, corresponding components are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted as appropriate. In the present embodiment, the directions of front, back, left, right, top and bottom are defined for the sake of convenience in order to easily explain the relative relationships between components, and are not intended to limit the directions when the product embodying the present invention is manufactured or used. The "vertical direction" refers to the vertical direction in the state where the constant-volume supplying device 100 is arranged in the orientation shown in FIG. 2. More specifically, the constant-volume supplying device 100 can stand on its own by being placed on a horizontal mounting surface in the posture shown in FIG. 2. The "left-right direction" refers to the left-right direction in the state where the constant-volume supplying device 100 is arranged in the orientation shown in FIG. 2. The left-right direction of the constant-volume supplying device 100 may also be referred to as the width direction. The direction perpendicular to both the up-down direction and the left-right direction is referred to as the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the front-rear direction coincides with the direction of the rotation axis described later. In this embodiment, the left-right direction and the front-rear direction are also horizontal directions. The front side in FIG. 2 may also be referred to as the front or front side, and the opposite side, that is, the back side of the paper, may also be referred to as the rear or back side. Further, the term "flat surface" as used in the present invention means a shape that is physically formed with a flat surface as a target, and it is not necessarily required that the surface be a geometrically perfect flat surface.

[0012] First Embodiment (Quantitative supply device) FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a constant volume supply device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] First, an overview of the constant volume supply device 100 of this embodiment will be described. The constant-volume feeder 100 shown in FIG. 1 is a device that feeds a fixed amount of small objects 110 (see FIG. 7). As shown in FIG. 2, the constant-volume feeder 100 includes a storage section 20a, a rotating body 40, a magnet 46, and a guide section 60, each of which will be described later. The storage section 20a stores a plurality of small objects 110 (see FIG. 7). The rotating body 40 rotates about a horizontal axis (rotation axis AX1 in FIG. 5). The magnet 46 is attached to the rotating body 40. The magnet 46 attracts the small object 110, thereby moving the small object 110 in the rotation direction of the rotating body 40 as the rotating body 40 rotates. The guide section 60 guides the movement of the small object 110 in the rotation direction. The upward region 201 is inclined upward in the rotation direction. The upward region 201 is a partial length region of the trajectory 200 along which the magnet 46 moves as the rotating body 40 rotates. The guide portion 60 has a brush-off portion 61. The brush-off portion 61 is aligned along the upward region 201. A directional length L (see FIG. 5 ) from the brush-off portion 61 to the trajectory 200, with the radial outward direction of the trajectory 200 being taken as the positive direction, decreases in the rotation direction.

[0014] According to this embodiment, the directional length L from the brush-off portion 61 to the trajectory 200 along which the magnet 46 moves, which is positive in the radial outward direction of the trajectory 200, decreases in the rotation direction of the rotor 40. As a result, the width of the path along which the small object 110 attracted to the magnet 46 moves (the width dimension in the radial direction of the rotor 40) becomes narrower as it advances in the rotation direction. That is, the movement of the small object 110 attracted to the magnet 46 is gradually or stepwise restricted by the brush-off portion 61 as it advances in the rotation direction. Furthermore, since the brush-off portion 61 is along a partial length region of the upward region 201, the brush-off portion 61 restricts the movement of the small object 110 attracted to the magnet 46 over a predetermined length of the partial length region. In this way, the brush-off section 61 restricts the movement of the small item 110 over a predetermined length of the trajectory 200 (upward region 201) along which the small item 110 moves, so that the brush-off section 61 can brush off the small item 110 more reliably. The brush-off unit 61 of this embodiment is particularly effective when two or more small objects 110 are attracted to one magnet 46. In this case, the brush-off unit 61 of this embodiment can more reliably brush off the multiple small objects 110, or can more reliably brush off the excess small objects 110 while keeping one small object 110 attracted to the magnet 46. Details will be described later. The brush-off unit 61 of this embodiment is also effective when it is desired to supply only small objects 110 of a predetermined size and brush off small objects 110 of other sizes from among the small objects 110 of various sizes stored in the storage unit 20a. In addition, in this embodiment, the brush-off portion 61 is disposed below a part of the trajectory 200 of the magnet 46 (a part of the upward region 201) as viewed in the direction of the rotation axis of the rotor 40. In other words, the movement of the small item 110 is restricted from the inner diameter side of the trajectory 200. That is, the width of the movement path of the small item 110 becomes smaller from the inner diameter side. This makes it easier to brush off the excess small items 110. As described later, the excess small items 110 are often indirectly attracted to the magnet 46 via one small item 110 that is directly attracted to the magnet 46, and hang from the one small item 110. Therefore, by providing the brush-off portion 61 below a part of the upward region 201, the one small item 110 can be supported by the brush-off portion 61, while the excess small item 110 can be separated from the one small item by the brush-off portion 61.

[0015] Next, the constant volume supply device 100 of this embodiment will be described in detail. The constant-quantity feeder 100 feeds a constant amount of small items 110. The small items 110 are stored in a storage container 20 shown in Fig. 1, and a constant amount of the small items 110 are fed to a take-out section 70. As will be described in detail later, as shown in Fig. 2, the small items 110 stored in the storage section 20a are attracted by a magnet 46, transported with the rotation of the rotor, and fed to the take-out section 70 through a capture section 83. The small items 110 are not shown in Figs. 1 to 6 and 8. The small item 110 is an item that is generally used as a component of a product. At least a portion of the small item 110 is made of a magnetic metal that can be attracted by a magnet, such as 400 series stainless steel or steel material. However, the small item 110 is not limited to this example, and may be an item made of other materials that can be attracted by a magnet. Moreover, the term "small" in the case of small item 110 means that the size of small item 110 is not extremely large compared to the attractive force of magnet 46 to which small item 110 is attracted. In other words, the term "small" does not necessarily mean that small item 110 is small in absolute size. Furthermore, in cases where magnet 46 is large or the attractive force of magnet 46 is particularly strong compared to the size of magnet 46, the size of small item 110 may be large. In this embodiment, the small item 110 is, for example, a screw 110 (male screw, bolt) having a screw head and a shaft, a nut, etc. In the following description, the small item 110 will be described as a screw 110.

[0016] 1, the constant volume supply device 100 includes a substantially rectangular parallelepiped housing 10 having a front wall 12 located on the front side, side walls 15 and 16 located on the left and right sides, and a rear wall 13 located on the rear side. The shape of the housing 10 is not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and may be, for example, a column with a polygonal or circular bottom shape. A storage container 20 is formed in a part (for example, the inside) of the housing 10. The storage container 20 is a container for storing the screws 110. The storage container 20 in this embodiment has a rectangular side wall 25 and a bottom surface 27 in a plan view, and is formed in a generally box shape that is open upward.

[0017] 2 stores a plurality of screws 110. The storage portion 20a is a part of the storage container 20 (see FIG. 1, particularly the second storage region 22), and specifically, is in the vicinity of the bottom surface 27 (see FIG. 3) of the storage container 20 (the lower portion of the storage container 20). It is preferable that a predetermined amount of screws 110 is stored in storage section 20a. In order to confirm that a predetermined amount of screws 110 is stored in storage section 20a, a remaining amount confirmation sensor such as a photoelectric sensor (not shown) may be attached inside storage container 20. The remaining amount confirmation sensor detects whether screws 110 are present near the lower part of first inclined surface 27a or the lower part of second inclined surface 27b (described later). The remaining amount confirmation sensor is attached, for example, to the upper part inside storage container 20.

[0018] The rotating body 40 is a member that rotates about a rotation axis AX1 and moves the magnet 46 in conjunction with the rotation. The rotation axis AX1 does not need to be completely horizontal. It is sufficient that the extension direction of the rotation axis AX1 has a horizontal component. The rotating body 40 rotates in a predetermined rotation direction. The rotation direction of the rotating body 40 in this embodiment is the clockwise direction in Fig. 2 and Fig. 5. Hereinafter, the rotation direction of the rotating body 40 will be simply referred to as the rotation direction. Also, with respect to a predetermined member or the trajectory 200 of the magnet 46, etc., a part on the forward side in the rotation direction may be referred to as the leading end or terminal end, or the leading end or terminal end, and a part on the opposite side to the forward side in the rotation direction may be referred to as the base end or base end, etc. In this embodiment, the shape of the rotor 40 is circular when viewed in the axial direction of the rotation axis AX1 (front-rear direction; hereinafter, simply referred to as the axial direction). The rotor 40 is a plate-like disk. As shown in FIG. 3, the rotor 40 is disposed in a space (arrangement area 18) different from the storage section 20a inside the housing 10. In this embodiment, the internal space of the housing 10 is partitioned into the arrangement area 18 and the storage container 20 (specifically, the second storage area 22) by the rear surface portion 26. The rear surface portion 26 is, for example, a part of the rear side of the side peripheral wall 25 that defines the storage container 20. In addition, the rear surface portion 26 is made of a non-magnetic metal such as 300 series stainless steel. The arrangement area 18 and the storage container 20 may be separated by the rear surface portion 26 and may not be in communication with each other, or may be in communication with each other in part. The arrangement area 18 is covered from above with a cover portion 19 (see FIG. 1). The rotating body 40 is disposed in the arrangement area 18 so that the rotation axis AX1 is perpendicular to the plate surface of the rear surface portion 26. The main surface of the rotating body 40 facing the front side faces the plate surface of the rear surface portion 26. 2, the rotating body 40 is supported by a support 41. The constant-volume supply device 100 has a second rotary motor 93, and the second rotary motor 93 and the rotating body 40 are connected via a belt 94. When the second rotary motor 93 is driven, the rotating body 40 rotates around a rotation axis AX1.

[0019] The magnet 46 is a member that is attracted to the screw 110 and moves the screw 110 as the rotating body 40 rotates. In this embodiment, the magnet 46 is a magnet made of a neodymium magnet, but it may be a magnet made of other materials. The magnet 46 moves on a trajectory 200 shown by a dashed line in Fig. 5. The trajectory 200 shown by the dashed line is the trajectory of the center of the magnet 46 when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis. In this embodiment, four magnets 46 are attached to the rotating body 40. The distance from the rotation axis AX1 to each of the four magnets 46 as viewed in the rotation axis direction is the same. Alternatively, the distance may be different for each magnet 46. 4 and 6, in this embodiment, the magnet 46 is attached so as to be embedded in the rotating body 40. Specifically, the magnet 46 is disposed inside a retaining hole 42 provided in the rotating body 40. The retaining hole 42 may be formed with a shape and dimensions that match the size of the magnet 46, or the retaining hole 42 may be formed with a predetermined shape and dimensions regardless of the size of the magnet 46. 5 and 6, in this embodiment, the retaining hole 42 is formed with a shape and dimensions that are at least one size larger than the shape and dimensions of the magnet 46 when viewed in the rotation axis direction. As shown in Fig. 6, the magnet 46 is contained within a sleeve 43, and the sleeve 43 is embedded in the retaining hole 42. The inner diameter of the sleeve 43 is approximately equal to the outer diameter of the magnet 46. The outer diameter of the sleeve 43 is approximately equal to the inner diameter of the retaining hole 42. By using multiple sleeves 43 with a constant outer diameter but different inner diameters, magnets 46 of different sizes can be attached to the retaining hole 42. As described later, magnets 46 of different sizes may be used depending on the size of the small item 110. By using multiple types of sleeves 43 (see FIG. 6) with different inner diameters, various magnets 46 can be attached to one type of rotating body having a holding hole 42 of a predetermined size. In other words, there is no need to prepare multiple types of rotating bodies 40 with holding holes 42 of different sizes. As shown in FIG. 6, the magnet 46 is embedded in the sleeve 43 so that the entire magnet 46 is located inside the sleeve 43. More specifically, the magnet 46 is disposed at a position retreated toward the rear side from a part of the front side of the sleeve 43 and fixed to the sleeve 43. Furthermore, the magnet 46 is preferably disposed at a position retreated toward the rear side from the plate surface on the front side of the rotating body 40. This prevents the magnet 46 from rubbing against the rear surface portion 26 when the rotating body 40 rotates, causing wear of the rear surface portion 26. A part of the front side of the sleeve 43 may be disposed further forward than the plate surface on the front side of the rotating body 40, or may be disposed further rearward than the plate surface. The size and magnetic strength of the magnet 46 may be changed depending on the size of the supplied screw 110. For example, a small size magnet 46 or a magnet 46 with weak magnetic strength may be used for a small screw 110 or a light screw 110, and a large size magnet 46 or a magnet 46 with strong magnetic strength may be used for a large screw 110 or a heavy screw 110.

[0020] 2 is a member that guides the movement of the screw 110 attracted to the magnet 46. Specifically, the guide portion 60 has a guide surface 62 (which in this embodiment corresponds to a brush-off portion 61, described later) that is a part of the surface of the guide portion 60, and the guide surface 62 is curved along the trajectory 200 of the magnet 46. The guide surface 62 following the trajectory 200 of the magnet 46 means that, of the extending direction of the guide surface 62, the component parallel to the extending direction of the trajectory 200 is larger than the component perpendicular thereto (radial component). The guide surface 62 assists the movement of the small item 110 attracted to the magnet 46. When the directional length L (particularly the directional length L at the end portion 61c of the brush-off portion 61) described later is equal to or less than the length dimension of the small item 110, particularly when the directional length L is a positive value equal to or less than the length dimension of the small item 110, the movement of the small item 110 is well assisted. When the directional length L is equal to or less than half the length dimension of the small item 110, the movement of the small item 110 is even better assisted. Here, the length dimension of the small item 110 refers to the dimension of the small item 110 in any direction. For example, when the small item 110 is a screw, the length dimension of the screw in the axial direction of the screw or the width dimension of the screw head (the dimension in the direction intersecting the axial direction of the screw) is exemplified. When the small item 110 is an item (such as a nut or a washer) having a shape of a regular polygon or a circle when viewed from one direction, the circumscribing circle of the regular polygon or the diameter of the circle is exemplified. The guide surface 62 of the guide unit 60 is a surface that faces the moving small item 110 and supports the small item 110. The guide surface 62 may be a physical surface or a virtual surface. For example, when the guide unit 60 is composed of a plate-like member as in the present embodiment, a part of the side end surface of the plate-like member is the guide surface 62. As another example, when the guide unit 60 is composed of two plate surfaces facing each other and is hollow inside, a virtual surface connecting the outer edges of the two plate surfaces is the side end surface of the guide unit 60, and a part of the side end surface is the guide surface 62. In addition, when the guide unit 60 is a plurality of protruding parts that protrude from the rear surface part 26 to the front side and are aligned along the trajectory 200, the entirety of the plurality of protruding parts may be the guide unit 60, and a virtual surface that faces the outside of the guide unit 60 in the radial direction of the rotating body 40 may be the guide surface 62. The guide surface 62 is not limited to a uniform surface, but may be an uneven surface overall, or may be curved in the front-rear direction.

[0021] In this embodiment, the guide portion 60 is provided on the front side (the inner side of the storage container 20) of the rear portion 26. Specifically, the guide portion 60 is fixed to the rear portion 26 by screws or the like. In this embodiment, the guide section 60 has a first guide member 60a, a second guide member 60b, and a third guide member 60c. The first guide member 60a, the second guide member 60b, and the third guide member 60c are each a plate-shaped member. The guide surface 62 (the brushing section 61) is a surface formed by joining a side end surface of the first guide member 60a and a side end surface of the second guide member 60b. The first guide member 60a and the second guide member 60b are members that have a substantially fan-shaped shape when viewed from the rotation axis direction. The first guide member 60a and the second guide member 60b are arranged to overlap in the front-rear direction and are fixed to each other by screws. The second guide member 60b has a protruding portion 60b1, and the protruding portion 60b1 overlaps with the third guide member 60c in the front-rear direction. The protruding portion 60b1 has a long hole 60b2 that extends in the up-down direction. In this embodiment, the protruding portion 60b1 has two long holes 60b2. The third guide member 60c is disposed next to the first guide member 60a. In other words, the plate surface of the third guide member 60c is disposed on the same plane as the plate surface of the first guide member 60a.

[0022] The brush-off portion 61 is a portion for brushing off the screws 110 attracted to the magnet 46 and moving. In particular, as described later, the brush-off portion 61 is a portion for brushing off the excess screws 110 attracted to the magnet 46. The brush-off portion 61 is at least a part of the guide surface 62, and is a physical or virtual surface portion of the guide surface 62. In this embodiment, the entire guide surface 62 is the brush-off portion 61. Alternatively, the guide surface 62 may be along both the upward region 201 and the downward region 202, and the brush-off portion 61 may be a portion of the guide surface 62 that is along the upward region 201. In other words, the guide surface 62 may continue to the tip side or base end side of the brush-off portion 61 in the rotation direction. As described above, the brush-off portion 61 is aligned along a partial length region (upward region 201) of the trajectory 200 of the magnet 46 that slopes upward in the rotation direction of the rotor 40. In other words, the brush-off portion 61 is not aligned along a partial length region (downward region 202) of the trajectory 200 that slopes downward in the rotation direction. In this embodiment, the upward region 201 is the left half of the trajectory 200, and the downward region 202 is the right half of the trajectory 200. In this embodiment, the brush-off portion 61 is located along a part of the upper side of the upward region 201. In other words, the brush-off portion 61 (particularly its surface) faces upward. Furthermore, the fact that the brush-off portion 61 is aligned along the upward region 201 does not mean that the brush-off portion 61 is completely parallel to the upward region 201. The extension direction of the brush-off portion 61 (part of the brush-off portion 61) contains more components in the extension direction of the upward region 201 than components in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the upward region 201 adjacent to the brush-off portion 61. The brush-off portion 61 is curved to the same extent as the upward region 201 and in approximately the same direction. Furthermore, when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis, the brush-off portion 61 may be separated from, in contact with, or intersect with the upward region 201.

[0023] The directional length L shown in Fig. 5 will be described. The directional length L is a signed length from the brushing-off portion 61 to the trajectory 200, with the radial outward direction of the trajectory 200 being positive. The directional length L relates to the length between the brushing-off portion 61 and the trajectory 200 along the radial direction of the trajectory 200. The directional length L can take either a positive value or a negative value. For example, when the brush-off portion 61 is disposed in a second position (the position of the brush-off portion 61 shown by a solid line in FIG. 5) described later, the directional length L decreases in the rotation direction while remaining a positive value. In contrast, when the brush-off portion 61 is disposed in a first position (the position of the brush-off portion 61x shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 5) described later, the directional length L takes both positive and negative values. Specifically, in this case, the brush-off portion 61 and the ascending region 201 intersect at an intersection when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis. At the base end in the rotation direction, the directional length L is a positive value, but the directional length L approaches zero in the rotation direction, and at the intersection, the directional length L becomes zero. After passing the intersection, the directional length L further decreases in the rotation direction while taking a negative value. In this embodiment, the directional length L gradually decreases in the rotation direction, but is not limited to this. The directional length L may decrease in multiple stages of three or more steps in the rotation direction. In addition, in this embodiment, the directional length L decreases monotonically in the rotation direction. Alternatively, the directional length L may not decrease monotonically in the rotation direction, but may increase in part. However, in this case, the directional length L at the terminal end 61c of the brush-off portion 61 is smaller than the directional length L at the base end 61b of the brush-off portion 61.

[0024] 2, in this embodiment, one or more (four in this embodiment) second magnets 48 are provided on the rotating body 40. The second magnets 48 are magnets for stirring the screws 110. The second magnets 48 in this embodiment have a stronger attraction force than the magnet 46. In addition, as viewed in the direction of the rotation axis, the second magnets 48 are provided at a position closer to the rotation axis AX1 than the position where the magnet 46 is provided. Furthermore, as viewed in the direction of the rotation axis, the second magnets 48 are provided at a position closer to the rotation axis AX1 than the position where the brush-off portion 61 is provided. When the rotating body 40 rotates and multiple screws 110 are stacked on top of each other in the second storage area 22 (storage section 20a), the second magnet 48 attracts and moves the upper screws 110 or the lower screws 110 among the multiple screws 110. As a result, the multiple screws 110 in the second storage area 22 are loosened and attracted to the magnet 46, making them easier to move. Also, the second magnet 48 is disposed between two adjacent magnets 46 in the rotation direction. As a result, the screws 110 can be stirred by the second magnet 48 immediately before the magnet 46 attracts the screws 110. In this embodiment, the distance from the rotation axis AX1 to each of the two opposing second magnets 48 as viewed in the rotation axis direction is different from the distance from the rotation axis AX1 to each of the other two opposing second magnets 48. This allows the second magnets 48 to stir different screws 110 in the storage section 20a. Instead of this embodiment, the distances from the rotation axis AX1 to each of the multiple second magnets 48 as viewed in the rotation axis direction may all be equal. The second magnet 48 is housed in a second retaining hole 44 provided in the rotating body 40. The second magnet 48 may be housed in the second retaining hole 44 via a sleeve, similar to the magnet 46, or may be housed directly in the second retaining hole 44. In this embodiment, the second magnet 48 is made of the same type of magnet as the magnet 46 (e.g., a neodymium magnet). The outer diameter of the second magnet 48 is larger than the outer diameter of the magnet 46. However, the second magnet 48 and the magnet 46 may be made of different materials. The outer diameter of the second magnet 48 may be equal to or smaller than that of the magnet 46.

[0025] 2, in this embodiment, the downward-facing side end surface (collision surface 60e) of the guide portion 60 is inclined with respect to the horizontal. More specifically, the collision surface 60e is inclined to follow the radial direction of the rotating body 40. The collision surface 60e is inclined so that a part of the collision surface 60e continuing from the brush-off portion 61 is disposed upward, and another part of the collision surface 60e adjacent to the rotation axis AX1 on the opposite side of the part is disposed downward. The screw 110 attracted to the second magnet 48 collides with the collision surface 60e and falls into the storage section 20a. Since the collision surface 60e is an inclined surface, the screw 110 that collided with the collision surface 60e falls to a position different from the position before being attracted to the second magnet 48. This allows the second magnet 48 to effectively stir the screw 110. In addition, since the collision surface 60e is inclined so that its left side portion is positioned upward, the screw 110 that collides with the collision surface 60e and falls falls to a position to the left of the position before being attracted to the second magnet 48. This allows the magnet 46 to easily attract the fallen screw 110.

[0026] 1, the constant quantity supply device 100 has a capture section 83. The capture section 83 is a member for capturing the moving screw 110 attracted to the magnet 46 and guiding it to the removal section 70. The capture section 83 in this embodiment is formed as a passage that slopes downward from a part of the trajectory 200 toward the removal section 70 when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis. The screw 110 that has been attracted to the magnet 46 and moved falls to the upper end of the capture section 83 by detaching from the magnet 46 under its own weight above the upper end of the capture section 83. Alternatively, the screw 110 that has been attracted to the magnet 46 hits the third guide member 60c and detaches from the magnet 46, thereby falling to the upper end of the capture section 83. Alternatively, the screw 110 that has been attracted to the magnet 46 hits the upper end of the capture section 83 and detaches from the magnet 46, thereby landing on the upper end of the capture section 83. As a result, the screw 110 is supplied to the extraction section 70 along the capture section 83. The bottom surface of the capture portion 83 has a shape that is recessed downward, for example, U-shaped or V-shaped. This allows the screws 110 to gather at the center of the width direction (front-rear direction) of the capture portion 83 and pass through. In this embodiment, the bottom surface of the capture portion 83 is formed into a V-shape by two inclined surfaces. The angle between the two inclined surfaces may be 90 degrees, may be smaller than 90 degrees, or may be smaller than 75 degrees. The angle is preferably larger than 45 degrees, and more preferably larger than 60 degrees. By making the angle smaller than 90 degrees, even if the screw 110 is small, the screw 110 can be effectively prevented from bouncing off the bottom surface of the capture portion 83 and escaping from the capture portion 83.

[0027] 1 and 2, the removal portion 70 is a tray, and in this embodiment, the removal portion 70 is formed in a hemispherical shape (the shape of the lower half of a sphere). More specifically, the inner and outer diameters of the removal portion 70 each gradually decrease downward. In this embodiment, the removal section 70 is supported by a support member 78, which is a plate-like member having an L-shape when viewed from the front. The support member 78 has a first plate surface arranged horizontally and a second plate surface arranged in an upright state, and the first plate surface supports the removal section 70. The support member 78 is arranged in a state in which the second plate surface stands upward from the left end of the first plate surface.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, a control unit (not shown) that controls the operation of each of a first rotary motor 91 (see FIG. 4) and a second rotary motor 93, which will be described later, is provided inside the housing 10. The control unit is configured, for example, with a ROM (Read Only Memory) that stores and holds a control program, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that executes control operations in accordance with the control program, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) that functions as a working area for the CPU, etc. The control unit, for example, controls the operation of a first rotary motor 91 (see FIG. 4), causing a sending rotor 50 (see FIG. 4) described later to rotate around a rotary axis 51 (see FIG. 4), and controls the operation of a second rotary motor 93, causing the rotor 40 to rotate around a rotary axis AX1.

[0029] 3, a plurality of through holes 84 are provided in the bottom of the capture portion 83. The plurality of through holes 84 are aligned in the extension direction of the capture portion 83. This prevents dust and the like from accumulating on the bottom of the capture portion 83. The constant-volume supply device 100 also includes a counting sensor (not shown) above the capture unit 83. The counting sensor is a sensor for counting the number of screws 110 supplied to the extraction unit 70 through the capture unit 83. An example of the counting sensor is a photoelectric sensor having a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit arranged opposite each other. The light-emitting unit and the light-receiving unit are arranged to sandwich the capture unit 83, and light from the light-emitting unit may pass through one through-hole 84 (for example, the rightmost through-hole 84 of the multiple through-holes 84) toward the light-receiving unit. The counting sensor outputs a detection signal to a control unit (not shown) every time it detects a screw 110. The control unit counts the number of detection signals input from the counting sensor, and when the count reaches a predetermined number (e.g., a number between 5 and 10; hereinafter, a predetermined number), it outputs a stop signal to the second rotary motor 93 (see FIG. 2), and each rotary motor that receives the stop signal stops operating, thereby stopping the rotation of the rotating body 40. The control unit outputs a stop signal to each rotating motor, and also outputs an alarm signal to an alarm unit such as a lamp (not shown), and upon receiving the alarm signal, the alarm unit performs an alarm operation such as emitting light. This alarm operation allows the operator to recognize that a predetermined number of screws 110 have been discharged onto the extraction unit 70.

[0030] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the storage container 20 is divided into a first storage area 21 and a second storage area 22 by a partition wall 30. The partition wall 30 is disposed between the front surface and rear surface 26 of the side peripheral wall 25, and is disposed (bridged) across the right side wall 15 and the left side wall 16. The plate surface of the partition wall 30 faces the front-rear direction. In the internal space of the storage container 20, the area in front of the partition wall 30 is the first storage area 21, and the area in the rear of the partition wall 30 is the second storage area 22. 3, in this embodiment, the partition wall 30 is disposed slightly rearward of a position that divides the storage container 20 into two equal parts in a front-rear direction in a plan view. Therefore, the dimension of the first storage area 21 in the front-rear direction is larger than the dimension of the second storage area 22 in the front-rear direction. As shown in FIG. 4, the lower portion of the partition wall 30 and the bottom surface 27 (see FIG. 3) are spaced apart, and the first storage area 21 and the second storage area 22 communicate with each other via an opening . The partition wall 30 in this embodiment includes a first portion 31 fixed to each of the right side wall 15 and the left side wall 16, and a second portion 36 fixed so as to be vertically displaceable relative to the first portion 31. A visor portion 32 that protrudes toward the front is provided at the lower portion of the second portion 36. The visor portion 32 is inclined so that its tip slopes downward.

[0031] Most of the screws 110 are stored in the first storage area 21. Some of the screws 110 stored in the first storage area 21 are supplied little by little to the second storage area 22 through the opening 28. This is because the bottom surface 27 of the storage container is inclined downward toward the rear side, and the screws 110 slide down on the bottom surface 27. In addition, the bottom surface 27 in this embodiment includes three inclined surfaces, a first inclined surface 27a, a second inclined surface 27b, and a third inclined surface 27c. The second inclined surface 27b slopes downward from the front side to the rear side and from the left side to the right side. The first inclined surface 27a slopes downward from the front side to the rear side. The third inclined surface 27c slopes downward from the front side to the rear side and from the right side to the left side. In a plan view, the first inclined surface 27a and the third inclined surface 27c are right-angled triangles, and the second inclined surface 27b is a trapezoid. In a plan view, the second inclined surface is disposed between the first inclined surface 27a and the third inclined surface 27c. In addition, the left-right dimension of the rear portion of the third inclined surface 27c is smaller than the left-right dimension of the rear portion of the first inclined surface 27a. As a result, the rear portion of the second inclined surface 27b is disposed biased to the left of the center in the left-right direction of the entire bottom surface 27.

[0032] Moreover, the overhanging portion 32 prevents the screws 110 from becoming clogged near the opening 28. This is because the overhanging portion 32 bears the weight of the screws 110 stored in the first storage area 21. 4, the constant-volume feeder 100 in this embodiment has a delivery rotor 50 near the opening 28 in the lower part of the partition wall 30. The delivery rotor 50 assists in sending the screws 110 from the first storage area 21 to the second storage area 22. Note that the delivery rotor 50 is omitted in FIGS. 1 and 2, and is shown by a dotted line in FIG. 3. The output rotor 50 of this embodiment has a rotating shaft 51 and a rotating vane 53 provided on the tip side of the rotating shaft 51. The output rotor 50 further has a first rotating motor 91 that rotates the rotating shaft 51, and the first rotating motor 91 is housed inside a motor case 56. A gap is provided below the bottom surface 27 inside the housing 10, and the first rotating motor 91 and the motor case 56 are disposed in the gap. In addition, the tip of the rotating shaft 51 and the rotating vane 53 protrude above the bottom surface 27 and are disposed in the vicinity of the opening 28.

[0033] 5, in this embodiment, the shape of the brush-off portion 61 is an arc when viewed from the rotation axis direction of the rotor 40. The radius of curvature of the brush-off portion 61 is smaller than the radius of the trajectory 200. In addition, the difference between the radius of curvature of the brush-off portion 61 and the radius of the trajectory 200 is smaller than the dimension (thickness dimension) of the brush-off portion 61 in the rotation axis direction. With the above configuration, the constant-quantity feeder 100 of this embodiment can meet the demand to feed screws 110 of various sizes with one type of guide section 60, while also meeting the demand to take out the screws 110 one by one from the storage section 20a using the magnet 46 and feed them. In general, it is considered to use guide surfaces 62 (including the brushing section 61) with different radii of curvature according to the size of the screws 110. This is to regulate the width of the movement path of the screws 110 (the dimension in the radial direction of the rotor 40 of the path through which the screws 110 attracted to the magnet 46 can pass when moving) according to the size of the screws 110 by changing the distance between the guide surfaces 62 and the trajectory 200 using guide surfaces 62 with different radii of curvature. For example, a guide surface 62 with a small radius of curvature is used for a large screw 110, and a guide surface 62 with a large radius of curvature is used for a small screw 110. In other words, if a guide surface 62 (screw-off portion 61) with a large radius of curvature is used for a large screw 110, the width of the movement path of the screw 110 is excessively restricted, and almost all of the screws 110 attracted to the magnet 46 are unable to pass along the sweep-off portion 61 and are brushed off. Also, if a guide surface 62 (screw-off portion 61) with a small radius of curvature is used for a small screw 110, the sweep-off portion 61 cannot restrict the width of the movement path, and multiple screws 110 may be supplied to the removal portion 70 while still attracted to one magnet 46. If multiple screws 110 are supplied by one magnet 46, there is a problem that the counting sensor cannot properly count the number of screws 110, resulting in an error in the amount of supply. In this embodiment, the occurrence of the above-mentioned problem is suppressed by making the radius of curvature of the brush-off portion 61 smaller than the radius of the path 200 and making the difference between the two radii smaller than the thickness dimension of the brush-off portion 61. Specifically, firstly, by making the radius of curvature of the brush-off portion 61 smaller than the radius of the path 200, even a large screw 110 is less likely to be immediately brushed off by the brush-off portion 61 (particularly its base end portion 61b), and a wide-sized screw 110 can pass along the brush-off portion 61. Secondly, in this embodiment, by making the difference between the radius of curvature of the brush-off part 61 and the radius of the path 200 smaller than a predetermined value, the radius of curvature of the brush-off part 61 is not extremely small compared to the path 200. This allows the brush-off part 61 to follow the path 200 over a longer distance, and the brush-off part 61 can sufficiently brush off the screws 110. Thirdly, the difference between the radius of curvature of the brush-off portion 61 and the radius of the trajectory 200 is smaller than the thickness of the brush-off portion 61. In other words, the thickness of the brush-off portion 61 is sufficiently large compared to the width of the path along which the screw 110 moves. As a result, if multiple screws 110 are attracted to one magnet 46, the multiple screws 110 are encouraged to align along the brush-off portion 61 as shown in FIG. 7, for example. This makes it difficult for the attractive force of the magnet 46 to reach the surplus screw 110 (screw 110b in FIG. 7), making it easier for the surplus screw 110b to detach from the magnet 46. Note that in FIG. 7, the surplus screw 110b is indirectly attracted to the magnet 46 via one screw 110a that is directly attracted to the magnet 46.

[0034] The brush-off portion 61 may be a part of an arc of a perfect circle, or a part of an arc with an inconstant curvature such as an elliptical arc. When the brush-off portion 61 is a part of an arc with an inconstant curvature, the radius of curvature of the brush-off portion 61 may be the radius of curvature of a part of the brush-off portion 61 near the center in the extension direction of the brush-off portion 61 that is approximated to an arc. The radius of curvature of the brush-off portion 61 may also be the average radius of curvature of the entire brush-off portion 61. In this embodiment, the thickness dimension of the brush-off portion 61 is the sum of the thickness dimension of the first guide member 60a and the thickness dimension of the second guide member 60b. In an alternative to this embodiment, when the brush-off portion 61 is spaced apart from the rear surface portion 26, the thickness dimension of the brush-off portion 61 may be the dimension from the rear surface portion 26 to a part of the front side of the brush-off portion 61.

[0035] The difference between the radius of curvature of the brush-off portion 61 and the radius of the trajectory 200 of the magnet 46 may be smaller or larger than the thickness (dimension in the rotation axis direction) of the rotating body 40. Furthermore, the difference between the radius of curvature of the brush-off portion 61 and the radius of the trajectory 200 of the magnet 46 may be smaller or larger than the dimension of the magnet 46 in the rotation axis direction. The difference between the radius of curvature of the brush-off portion 61 and the radius of the trajectory 200 of the magnet 46 may be smaller or larger than the distance from the rotation axis AX1 to the centers 61a, 61ax of the brush-off portion 61 in the left-right direction. Moreover, it is preferable that the difference between the radius of curvature of the brush-off portion 61 and the radius of the trajectory 200 of the magnet 46 is larger than a directional length L at a terminal end 61c of the brush-off portion 61 (particularly, the directional length L at a first position) described later. This ensures a sufficient width of the path for the small object 110 to move.

[0036] 5, in this embodiment, the center (center 61a or center 61ax) of the arc of the brush-off part 61 as viewed in the axial direction is disposed to the right (the side closer to the removal part 70 in the left-right direction (horizontal direction)) of the center of the trajectory 200 (the position of the rotation axis AX1). This ensures a wide movement path width of the screw 110 in the vicinity of the base end 61b of the brush-off part 61, and screws 110 of various sizes can move along the brush-off part 61 without being brushed off by the base end. In addition, by disposing the centers 61a, 61ax of the brush-off part 61 to the right of the rotation axis AX1, the directional length L decreases from the base end to the tip of the brush-off part 61 (towards the rotation direction). In this embodiment, the distance from the rotation axis AX1 to the centers 61a, 61ax of the brush-off portion 61 as viewed from the axial direction in the left-right direction (horizontal direction) is smaller than the vertical movement width of the brush-off portion 61 (the distance between the centers 61a and 61ax). The fact that the brush-off portion 61 can move in the vertical direction will be described later. Since the centers 61a, 61ax of the brush-off portion 61 are not excessively offset to the right from the rotation axis AX1, the width of the movement path of the screw 110 can be secured while preventing the movement path width of the screw 110 from becoming excessively large.

[0037] 5 and 7, the brush-off portion 61 terminates midway up in the rotational direction. Moreover, the guide surface 62 also terminates midway up and does not continue beyond the brush-off portion 61 in the rotational direction. Small objects 110 (excess screws 110b) that move in the rotational direction along the brush-off portion 61 and pass the end of the brush-off portion (the tip of the end portion 61c) and become detached from the magnet 46 can fall into the storage portion 20a (see FIG. 2). As a result, even if two or more screws 110 are attracted to one magnet 46, the surplus screws 110 are shaken off when the screws 110 pass the terminal end 61c of the brush-off section 61, thereby preventing two or more screws 110 from being supplied to one magnet 46. Note that in Fig. 7, the multiple screws 110a, 110b and the magnet 46 when they pass the terminal end 61c of the brush-off section 61 (particularly when the other end of the screw 110a passes the terminal end 61c) are shown by solid lines, and the screw 110ax and the magnet 46x after they have passed the terminal end 61c are shown by dotted lines. Specifically, when two or more screws 110 are attracted to one magnet 46, there is often a difference in the attractive force between the one screw 110 and the other excess screws 110. For example, as shown in Fig. 7, there are cases where one screw 110a is directly attracted (strongly attracted) to the magnet 46, and the excess screw 110b is indirectly attracted (weakly attracted) to the magnet 46 via the screw 110a. Moreover, in Fig. 7, the multiple screws 110 (screws 110a and 110b) are lined up in a row along the brush-off portion 61. Since the shake-off portion 61 terminates midway up, the screw 110a strongly attracted to the magnet 46 swings significantly due to its own weight when it passes the terminal portion 61c. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, one screw 110a changes direction so that one end (e.g., the head) remains attracted to the magnet 46 while the other end (the shaft tip) moves in the direction of arrow A. At this time, the excess screw 110b attracted to the one screw 110a (particularly the other end) is shaken off by its own weight as the one screw 110a rotates around the magnet 46. As a result, only the one screw 110a is attracted to the magnet 46 and is supplied to the extraction portion 70. In addition, because the terminal end 61c is inclined upward, when the screw 110a passes the terminal end 61c, the surplus screw 110b is arranged so as to be inclined, not horizontally, along the brush-off section 61. More specifically, the surplus screw 110b is arranged on the brush-off section 61 in an inclined state with the tip (head) in the rotation direction on the upper side and the base end (shaft tip) in the rotation direction on the lower side. Therefore, when the screw 110a passes the terminal end 61c and the shaft tip is swung, the surplus screw 110b is prevented from passing over the terminal end 61c. The surplus screw 110b can drop to the base end side of the brush-off section 61 after detaching from the magnet 46 and one screw 110a. Furthermore, even if the screw 110b exceeds the terminal portion 61c, the screw 110b can fall into the storage portion 20a, thereby preventing surplus screws 110b from being mistakenly supplied to the extraction portion 70, and allowing the surplus screws 110b to be reused.

[0038] As shown in Figure 2, small items 110 that move in the rotational direction along the brush-off portion 61 and pass the end of the brush-off portion 61 and become detached from the magnet 46 can fall into the storage portion 20a, which means that the space 61d beyond the end of the brush-off portion 61 in the rotational direction is connected to the storage portion 20a below the space 61d. It is not necessary that some member is disposed between the space 61d and the storage section 20a, and that the storage section 20a communicates directly below the space 61d. The space 61d and the storage section 20a may communicate through a space below the space 61d (including a space disposed to the left or right of the space 61d). In other words, the surplus screw 110b may fall from the space 61d after passing the end portion 61c into the storage section 20a while colliding with other members.

[0039] In this embodiment, the position of the brush-off portion 61 can be changed in the vertical direction, and the fixed position of the brush-off portion 61 relative to the rear surface portion 26 can be changed in the vertical direction. Here, the "vertical direction" in which the position of the brush-off portion 61 can be changed is not limited to the vertical direction. The "vertical direction" in which the position of the brush-off portion 61 can be changed refers to a direction having a vertical component that is greater than the left-right component (horizontal component). It is preferable that the position of the brush-off portion 61 be changed in the vertical direction. This allows the width of the path of the screw 110 at the base end 61b to be sufficiently secured while sufficiently restricting the width of the path of the screw 110 at the terminal end 61c of the brush-off portion 61. As a result, it is possible to ensure sufficient attraction of the screw 110 to the magnet 46 while reliably brushing off the excess screw 110. Specifically, if the brush-off portion 61 is disposed at an upper position, the directional length L between the terminal end 61c and the trajectory 200 is smaller than when the brush-off portion 61 is disposed at a lower position. As a result, it is possible to restrict the width of the path of the screw 110 at the terminal end 61c. On the other hand, if the brush-off portion 61 is disposed at an upper position, the directional length L between the base end 61b and the trajectory 200 does not decrease significantly or becomes larger than when the brush-off portion 61 is disposed at a lower position. This prevents the width of the path of the screw 110 at the base end 61b from being extremely narrowed, and the screw 110 that has been attracted to the magnet 46 and carried to the base end 61b is prevented from being brushed off more than necessary. In other words, the screw 110 attracted to the magnet 46 can be guided along a movement path along the knock-off portion 61 with more certainty. Here, the directional length L between the base end 61b and the trajectory 200 does not decrease significantly means that the decrease in the directional length L between the base end 61b and the trajectory 200 is smaller than the decrease in the directional length L between the terminal end 61c and the trajectory 200. For example, when the base end 61b is disposed near the left side of the trajectory 200 as in this embodiment, the directional length L between the base end 61b and the trajectory 200 does not decrease significantly by disposing the brush-off part 61 in an upper position. Also, when the base end 61b of the brush-off part 61 extends to the lower part of the trajectory 200 instead of this embodiment, the directional length L between the base end 61b and the trajectory 200 increases by disposing the brush-off part 61 in an upper position.

[0040] As described above, the second guide member 60b has an elongated hole 60b2 in the protruding portion 60b1. The elongated hole 60b2 extends in substantially the same direction as the movement direction of the brush-off portion 61. The position of the second guide member 60b can be changed by fixing the second guide member 60b to the rear surface portion 26 at any position of the elongated hole 60b2. In addition, since the first guide member 60a is fixed to the second guide member 60b, the position of the first guide member 60a can be changed together with the second guide member 60b. By changing the positions of the first guide member 60a and the second guide member 60b, the position of the brush-off portion 61 can be changed. The vertical dimension of the elongated hole 60b2 is preferably equal to or greater than the movable length of the brushing part 61 (the distance between the center 61a and the center 61ax in FIG. 5).

[0041] As shown in FIG. 5, the dispenser 100 includes one or more magnets 46 . The one or more magnets 46 include a first magnet 46. The first magnet 46 is disposed at the outermost position in the radial direction of the rotating body 40. In other words, a magnet (e.g., the second magnet 48) disposed on the inner diameter side of the first magnet 46 is not included in the first magnet 46. Here, the outer diameter side or inner diameter side of a member (such as the magnet 46) is not limited to the outer diameter side or inner diameter side on a line connecting the center of a circle (here, the center of the trajectory 200) and the member. The outer diameter side or inner diameter side of a member (such as the magnet 46) means the outer diameter side or inner diameter side of a concentric circle having a radius equal to the distance between the center of the circle and the member. The brush-off portion 61 is movable between a first position and a second position. The first position is a position where the brush-off portion 61 is disposed so as to intersect with the ascending region 201 of the trajectory 200 as viewed in the direction of the rotation axis. More specifically, in the first position, a part of the end side of the brush-off portion 61 is disposed radially outward of the trajectory 200 of the first magnet 46. The second position is a position where the brush-off portion 61 is disposed apart from the trajectory 200 as viewed in the direction of the rotation axis and disposed on the inner diameter side of the trajectory 200. More specifically, in the second position, the entire brush-off portion 61 is disposed radially inward of the trajectory 200 of the first magnet 46 as viewed in the direction of the rotation axis. In FIG. 5, the guide portion 60 including the brush-off portion 61 disposed in the first position is indicated by a two-dot chain line, and the guide portion 60 including the brush-off portion 61 disposed in the second position is indicated by a solid line.

[0042] By making it possible to arrange the brush-off portion 61 at the first position in this way, even if the screw 110 is small or lightweight, the excess screw 110 can be sufficiently brushed off. Specifically, even if the movement path width of the small or lightweight screw 110 is restricted to be small relative to the size of the screw 110, the excess screw 110 may move together with the magnet 46 beyond the terminal end portion 61c due to its light weight. An example of a case where the movement path width is restricted to be small relative to the size of the screw 110 is a case where the movement path width of the screw 110 is approximately the same as or slightly smaller than the diameter of the head. Therefore, by arranging the brush-off portion 61 so as to intersect with the trajectory 200, the excess screw 110 can be satisfactorily brushed off by the brush-off portion 61. Alternatively, the brush-off part 61 does not have to be disposed at the first position. Specifically, the position of the position-variable brush-off part 61 when disposed at the uppermost position may be on the inner diameter side of the trajectory 200 (below a part of the trajectory 200 when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis).

[0043] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, at least a part of the first magnet 46 is disposed radially inward of the arc of the brush-off portion 61 relative to the brush-off portion 61 when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis at the first position. More specifically, when the first magnet 46 is disposed in a position close to the terminal end 61c, the first magnet 46 is disposed radially inward of the arc of the brush-off portion 61 relative to the brush-off portion 61. When the first magnet 46 is disposed in a position other than the vicinity of the terminal end 61c, it may or may not be disposed radially inward of the arc of the brush-off portion 61 relative to the brush-off portion 61. Preferably, the entire first magnet 46 is disposed radially inward of the arc of the brush-off portion 61 relative to the brush-off portion 61 when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis at the first position. This allows the screw 110, which is small or lightweight, to be more effectively brushed off.

[0044] Second Embodiment FIG. 8 is a front view of a guide portion showing an example of a constant volume feeder 100 according to this embodiment. First, an overview of the constant volume supply device 100 of this embodiment will be described. As will be described in detail later, the constant-volume supplying device 100 of this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the guide portion 60 has a second brushing portion 63. The constant-volume supplying device 100 of this embodiment has the following features, similar to the first embodiment. Descriptions that overlap with the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate. In this embodiment, the directional length from the brushing-off portion 61 to the trajectory 200, which is positive in the radial outward direction of the trajectory 200 in the first embodiment, decreases in the rotation direction. Furthermore, the radius of curvature of the brush-off portion 61 is smaller than the radius of the path 200, and the difference between the radius of curvature of the brush-off portion 61 and the radius of the path 200 is smaller than the dimension of the brush-off portion 61 in the rotation axis direction. The brush-off portion 61 terminates midway up in the rotational direction, and small items 110 that move along the brush-off portion 61 in the rotational direction and fall off the magnet 46 beyond the end of the brush-off portion can fall into the storage portion 20a. Furthermore, the position of the brushing part 61 can be changed in the vertical direction. Similarly to the first embodiment, the brushing portion 61 is movable between a first position and a second position.

[0045] Next, the constant volume supply device 100 of this embodiment will be described in detail. The quantitative supply device 100 according to the second embodiment is outlined below. 8 is inclined downward in the direction of rotation. The downward region 202 is another part of the trajectory 200 on the forward side in the direction of rotation than the upward region 201. The constant-quantity feeder 100 further has a second brushing-off portion 63 between the brushing-off portion 61 and the capture portion 83 (see FIG. 2). The second brushing-off portion 63 interferes with the small article 110 (screw 110) moving on the downward region 202. The second brushing-off portion 63, as viewed in the direction of the rotation axis, has a protruding shape that protrudes radially outward. The second brushing-off portion 63 (second brushing-off portion 63a, second brushing-off portion 63b) has two faces (first faces 63a1, 63b1 and second faces 63a2, 63b2). The first faces 63a1, 63b1 and the second faces 63a2, 63b2 sandwich the protruding tip 63c. One of the two faces (first faces 63a1, 63b1) is an inclined face facing the brushing-off portion 61. The other of the two faces (second faces 63a2, 63b2) is a face that extends in the vertical direction. As a result, when two or more screws 110 continue to be attracted to the magnet 46 beyond the terminal end 61c of the brush-off portion 61, the surplus screws 110b are more effectively brushed off while one screw 110a attracted to the magnet 46 remains attracted to the magnet 46. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 9, the first surfaces 63a1, 63b1 are inclined surfaces, so that the one screw 110a attracted to the magnet 46 collides with the second brush-off portion 63 with a smaller impact. Therefore, the one screw 110a is prevented from detaching from the magnet 46 and falling due to the collision of the one screw 110a with the second brush-off portion 63. Furthermore, since the second surfaces 63a2 and 63b2 are vertical and steep, when the first screw 110ay and 110az move in the rotational direction and pass the tip 63c, the one end (screw head) of the first screw 110a that is attracted to the magnets 46y and 46z and the other end (screw tip) on the opposite side swing greatly. Specifically, when the other end of the first screw 110ay and 110az passes the tip 63c, it rotates by an angle equal to or greater than the inclination angle of the first surfaces 63a1 and 63b1 (the angle between the first surfaces 63a1 and 63b1 and the vertical direction). That is, the other end of the first screw 110ay and 110az swings and rotates as shown by the arrow B in the figure. This is because the first screw 110ay and 110az are not supported by the second surfaces 63a2 and 63b2. In this manner, the one screws 110ay, 110az swing widely, so that the excess screws 110b (the excess screws 110b attracted to the one screws 110ay, 110az are not shown for convenience) are shaken off.

[0046] The constant volume supplying device 100 according to the second embodiment will be described in detail. The second brush-off portion 63 is a member different from the brush-off portion 61, and is a member for interfering with the screw 110 to brush off the screw 110. The second brush-off portion 63 interfering with the screw 110 means that a part of the second brush-off portion 63 collides or can collide with the screw 110 when the screw 110 is attracted to the magnet 46 and moves. Specifically, the screw 110 collides or can collide with the first surfaces 63a1, 63b1, the second surfaces 63a2, 63b2, or the tip 63c of the second brush-off portion 63. The second brushing-off portion 63 is disposed forward (inner side of the storage container 20) of the rear surface portion 26 (see FIG. 1). In this embodiment, the second brushing-off portion 63 is a member different from the rear surface portion 26 and is fixed to the rear surface portion 26, but this is not limited to this. The second brushing-off portion 63 may be formed integrally with the rear surface portion 26. In other words, the second brushing-off portion 63 may protrude forward from the rear surface portion 26. In this embodiment, the second brushing portion 63 is integrally provided on the side end surface facing upward of the third guide member 60c. Alternatively, the second brushing portion 63 may be a separate member from the third guide member 60c and fixed to the rear surface portion 26 (see FIG. 1) independently of the third guide member 60c.

[0047] It is preferable that the second brushing-off portion 63 is disposed on the inner diameter side of the trajectory 200 (downward region 202) as viewed from the axial direction. In particular, it is preferable that the tip 63c of the second brushing-off portion 63 is disposed on the inner diameter side of the trajectory 200 as viewed from the axial direction. This makes it possible to satisfactorily secure the width of the movement path of the screw 110 as viewed from the axial direction. It is preferable that the distance between the trajectory 200 and the tip 63c is equal to or less than an arbitrary length dimension of the screw 110, or equal to or less than half of the length dimension. Instead of this embodiment, only a part of the second brushing-off portion 63 may be disposed on the inner diameter side of the trajectory 200, and the other part of the second brushing-off portion 63 including the tip 63c may be disposed on the outer diameter side of the trajectory 200. In this case, the brushing-off of the screw 110 can be reliably performed. The second brush-off portion 63 has a predetermined thickness (dimension in the front-rear direction) sufficient to interfere with the screw 110, and therefore can collide with the screw 110 that is attracted to the magnet 46 and moves. Specifically, the thickness of the second brush-off portion 63 is at least one-quarter, preferably at least one-half, of any dimension of the screw 110 (particularly the width dimension of the screw head). Alternatively, the thickness of the second brush-off portion 63 may be equal to or less than the thickness dimension (dimension in the front-rear direction) of the brush-off portion 61. When the second brush-off portion 63 is disposed at a predetermined distance from the rear surface portion 26, the height of the second brush-off portion 63 based on the rear surface portion 26 (the distance from the rear surface portion 26 to the front surface of the second brush-off portion 63) is at least one-quarter, preferably at least one-half, of any dimension of the screw 110.

[0048] In this embodiment, the second brushing-off portion 63 is a plate-like member having a triangular shape when viewed in the axial direction. Specifically, as described above, the second brushing-off portion 63 has the tip 63c and the first faces 63a1, 63b1 and the second faces 63a2, 63b2 that sandwich the tip 63c. The first faces 63a1, 63b1 and the second faces 63a2, 63b2 are faces on the second brushing-off portion 63 and have a predetermined width dimension in the front-rear direction. In this embodiment, the first faces 63a1, 63b1 and the second faces 63a2, 63b2 are parts of the side end faces of the second brushing-off portion 63. Instead of this embodiment, the first faces 63a1, 63b1 and the second faces 63a2, 63b2 may be virtual faces that hinder the movement of the screw 110. For example, when the second brushing portion 63 is a thin plate spaced apart from the rear surface portion 26, a part of an imaginary surface connecting the outer edge of the second brushing portion 63 and the rear surface portion 26 may be the first surface 63a1, 63b1 or the second surface 63a2, 63b2. The first surfaces 63a1, 63b1 and the second surfaces 63a2, 63b2 are adjacent to each other with the tip portion 63c therebetween.

[0049] The first surfaces 63a1, 63b1 are more gently inclined than the second surfaces 63a2, 63b2. That is, the second surfaces 63a2, 63b2 are more steeply inclined or extend in the vertical direction than the first surfaces 63a1, 63b1. Specifically, the first surfaces 63a1, 63b1 are aligned along the radial direction of the locus 200. Here, the fact that a surface is aligned along the radial direction of the locus 200 means that the extension direction of the surface includes more radial components than a component in a direction perpendicular to the radial direction of the extension direction of the surface. The extension direction of the first surfaces 63a1, 63b1 does not have to coincide with the radial direction of the locus 200 as in this embodiment, and may coincide with the radial direction of the locus 200. As described above, the second surfaces 63a2, 63b2 are aligned along the vertical direction. Here, the fact that the surface is aligned along the vertical direction means that the extending direction of the surface includes more vertical components than the extending direction of the surface that is perpendicular to the vertical direction (here, the horizontal direction). In this embodiment, the second surfaces 63a2, 63b2 extend in the vertical direction. Alternatively, the extending direction of the second surfaces 63a2, 63b2 may not coincide with the vertical direction, and the second surfaces 63a2, 63b2 may extend at a slight incline. As described above, the first surfaces 63a1 and 63b1 face the brush-off portion 61 (particularly the end portion 61c). Here, the first surfaces 63a1 and 63b1 facing the brush-off portion 61 means that the first surfaces 63a1 and 63b1 face the direction in which the brush-off portion 61 is arranged. In other words, the first surfaces 63a1 and 63b1 face the base end side of the rotation direction (the direction opposite to the rotation direction). In this embodiment, the first surfaces 63a1 and 63b1 face leftward and upward. The second surfaces 63a2 and 63b2 face toward the take-out portion 70 (see FIG. 1). That is, the second surfaces 63a2 and 63b2 face the rotation direction. In this embodiment, the second surfaces 63a2 and 63b2 face rightward. The length of each of the first surfaces 63a1, 63b1 and the second surfaces 63a2, 63b2 along the extending direction is preferably equal to or greater than any length dimension of the screw 110 (particularly the length dimension of the screw 110 in the axial direction).

[0050] In this embodiment, two second brushing-off portions 63a, 63b are formed in the third guide member 60c. As in this embodiment, the constant volume supply device 100 may be provided with two or more second brushing-off portions 63, or may be provided with only one second brushing-off portion 63. In this embodiment, the second brushing-off portion 63a arranged on the left side (the base end side in the rotation direction) is larger than the second brushing-off portion 63b arranged on the right side (the tip end side in the rotation direction). Specifically, the length dimension in the extension direction (the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction which is the width direction of each face) of the first face 63a1 and the second face 63a2 of the left second brushing-off portion 63a is larger than the length dimension in the extension direction of the first face 63b1 or the second face 63b2 of the right second brushing-off portion 63b. Alternatively, the distance between the tip end 63c of the second brushing-off portion 63a and the trajectory 200 and the distance between the tip end 63c of the second brushing-off portion 63b and the trajectory 200 may be either smaller or larger, or may be the same. The second brushing parts 63a, 63b are preferably arranged close to each other. In this embodiment, the second brushing parts 63a, 63b are arranged side by side in the rotation direction (left-right direction). In the upper part of the rotating body 40, the rotation direction roughly coincides with the left-right direction. Specifically, in the upper part of the rotating body 40, the tip side in the rotation direction is the right side, and the base side in the rotation direction is the left side. The distance between the left second brushing portion 63a and the right second brushing portion 63b may be equal to or smaller than any length dimension of the screw 110 (particularly the longest length dimension, for example, the length dimension in the axial direction of the screw 110). In this way, the screw 110 continuously collides with the second brushing portions 63a, 63b and is continuously swung, so that the excess screw 110b is reliably brushed off. The distance between the left second brushing portion 63a and the right second brushing portion 63b is, for example, the distance between the tip 63c of the left second brushing portion 63a and the tip 63c of the right second brushing portion 63b. Alternatively, the distance between the left second brushing portion 63a and the right second brushing portion 63b may be equal to or larger than any length dimension of the screw 110. By providing a sufficient distance between the second brush-off portions 63a, 63b in this manner, the screw 110 that collides with one of the second brush-off portions 63a, 63b can rotate sufficiently widely, making it easier for the excess screw 110b to be brushed off.

[0051] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but includes various modifications and improvements as long as the object of the present invention is achieved.

[0052] The above embodiment encompasses the following technical ideas. (1) A fixed-volume feeder that feeds a fixed amount of small items, A storage section for storing a plurality of the small items; A rotating body that rotates around a horizontal axis; a magnet attached to the rotating body and adapted to attract the small item and thereby move the small item in a rotational direction of the rotating body in accordance with the rotation of the rotating body; a guide portion that guides the movement of the small item in the rotation direction, a partial length region of a trajectory along which the magnet moves in association with the rotation of the rotor is inclined upward in the rotation direction; The guide portion has a brush-off portion along the partial length region, A constant quantity supply device, wherein a directional length from the brushing portion to the trajectory, with a radially outward direction of the trajectory being positive, decreases in the rotation direction. (2) the shape of the brushing portion is arcuate when viewed from the direction of the rotation axis of the rotor, The radius of curvature of the brushing portion is smaller than the radius of the path, The constant-volume supply device according to (1), wherein a difference between a radius of curvature of the brush-off portion and a radius of the path is smaller than a dimension of the brush-off portion in the direction of the rotation axis. (2-1) A constant volume supply device, in which the difference between the radius of curvature of the brush-off portion and the radius of the magnet's trajectory is larger than the directional length at the terminal end of the brush-off portion (particularly the directional length at a first position described later). (2-2) A constant volume supply device, in which the difference between the radius of curvature of the brush-off portion and the radius of the magnet's trajectory is smaller or larger than the distance from the rotation axis to the center of the brush-off portion in the left-right direction. (2-3) A constant-volume feeder, in which the difference between the radius of curvature of the brushing portion and the radius of the magnet's trajectory is smaller or larger than the dimension of the magnet in the direction of the rotation axis. (2-4) A constant volume supply device, wherein the center of the arc of the brushing part when viewed in the axial direction is located closer to the removal part in the horizontal direction than the center of the trajectory. (3) The brush-off portion terminates midway up in the rotation direction, The quantitative supply device according to (2), wherein the small objects that move along the brush-off portion in the rotational direction and pass the end of the brush-off portion and become detached from the magnet fall into the storage portion. (4) The constant volume supply device according to (3), wherein the position of the brushing part can be changed in the vertical direction. (4-1) A constant volume supply device, in which the distance from the rotation axis to the center of the brush-off part when viewed in the axial direction in the horizontal direction is smaller than the vertical movement range of the brush-off part. (5) The constant-volume supply device has one or more of the magnets, the one or more magnets include a first magnet arranged radially outermost on the rotating body, The quantitative supply device described in (4) is capable of changing its position between a first position that is positioned so as to intersect with the partial length region of the locus when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis, and a second position that is spaced apart from the locus and positioned on the inner diameter side of the locus when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis. (5-1) A constant volume supply device, wherein at least a portion of the first magnet is disposed radially inward of the arc of the brush-off portion relative to the brush-off portion when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis in the first position. (6) Another part of the trajectory on the forward side of the rotation direction from the partial length region of the trajectory is inclined downward in the rotation direction, The quantitative supply device further includes a second brushing portion that interferes with the small object moving on the other part, The second brushing portion, as viewed in the rotation axis direction, has a protruding shape protruding radially outward and has two surfaces sandwiching a protruding end of the protruding shape, One of the two surfaces is an inclined surface facing the brushing portion, The constant-volume supply device according to (5), wherein the other of the two surfaces is a surface extending along the vertical direction. (6-1) A constant quantity supply device, wherein the thickness dimension of the second brushing portion is at least one-fourth, preferably at least one-half, of the dimension of the small object. (6-2) A constant volume supply device in which a plurality of second brushing units are arranged side by side and adjacent to each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 10. Chassis 12 Front wall 13 Rear wall 15 Side wall 16 side wall 18 Placement area 19 Cover part 20 Storage Container 20a Storage section 21 First storage area 22 Second storage area 25 Side Wall 26 Rear part 27 Bottom 27a First slope 27b Second slope 27c Third slope 28 Aperture 30 Partition Wall 31 Part 1 32 Eaves 36 Second part 40 Rotating Body 41 Support 42 Retaining hole 43 Sleeve 44 Second holding hole 46,46x,46y,46z Magnet 46 First magnet 48 Second magnet 50 Rotating body for sending 51 Rotation axis 53 Rotor blade 56 Motor case 60 Guide part 60a first guide member 60b second guide member 60b1 Overhang 60b2 long hole 60c third guide member 60e collision surface 61,61x Brushing part 61a,61ax center 61b Proximal end 61c Termination section 61d space 62 Guide surface 63, 63a, 63b Second brushing section 63a1,63b1 Front page 63a2,63b2 Second side 63c Tip 70 Removal section 78 Support member 83 Capture unit 84 Through Hole 91 First Rotating Motor 93 Second Rotation Motor 94 Belt 100 Quantitative feeding device 110 Small items, screws 110a, 110ax, 110ay, 110az, 110b screws 200 trajectory 201 Upstream area 202 Downstream area AX1 Rotation axis

Claims

1. A fixed quantity supply device that supplies a fixed amount of small items, A storage section for storing a plurality of the small items; A rotating body that rotates around a horizontal axis; a magnet attached to the rotating body and adapted to attract the small item and thereby move the small item in a rotational direction of the rotating body in accordance with the rotation of the rotating body; a guide portion that guides the movement of the small item in the rotation direction, a partial length region of a trajectory along which the magnet moves in association with the rotation of the rotor is inclined upward in the rotation direction; The guide portion has a brush-off portion along the partial length region, A constant quantity supply device, wherein a directional length from the brushing portion to the trajectory, with a radially outward direction of the trajectory being positive, decreases in the rotation direction.

2. The brushing portion has an arc shape when viewed from the rotation axis direction of the rotor, The radius of curvature of the brushing portion is smaller than the radius of the path, 2. The constant volume supply device according to claim 1, wherein a difference between a radius of curvature of the brush-off portion and a radius of the path is smaller than a dimension of the brush-off portion in the direction of the rotation axis.

3. The brushing portion terminates midway up in the rotation direction, 3. The constant quantity supply device according to claim 2, wherein the small object moves along the brush-off portion in the rotational direction, passes over an end of the brush-off portion, and becomes dislodged from the magnet, and falls into the storage portion.

4. 4. The constant volume supply device according to claim 3, wherein the position of the brushing part is variable in the vertical direction.

5. The constant-volume supply device has one or more of the magnets, the one or more magnets include a first magnet arranged radially outermost on the rotating body, The quantitative supply device according to claim 4, wherein the brushing portion is movable between a first position that is positioned so as to intersect with the partial length region of the locus when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis, and a second position that is spaced apart from the locus and positioned on the inner diameter side of the locus when viewed in the direction of the rotation axis.

6. Another part of the locus on the forward side in the rotation direction of the rotational ... The quantitative supply device further includes a second brushing portion that interferes with the small object moving on the other part, The second brushing portion, as viewed in the rotation axis direction, has a protruding shape protruding radially outward and has two surfaces sandwiching a protruding end of the protruding shape, One of the two surfaces is an inclined surface facing the brushing portion, The constant volume supply device according to claim 5 , wherein the other of the two surfaces is a surface extending along a vertical direction.

Images