Material feeding device, and material feeding method

Abstract

To provide a material feeding device and a material feeding method capable of feeding a powder / granular material to a feeding destination without excess or deficiency in accordance with an operating situation of the feeding destination, to prevent decrease in operational efficiency and mistakes when changing transport capacity settings.SOLUTION: In a memory 53 of a control unit 51, transport settings (normal transport settings and purge transport settings) in accordance with each of a plurality of operating states of an injection molding machine 4 being a feeding destination of a powder / granular material are stored. On the occasion of transport operation that transports the material from a drying hopper being a transport origin of the powder / granular material to a transport destination hopper installed above the injection molding machine 4, a transport setting according to a signal input to a signal input unit 55 of the control unit 51 is read out from the memory 53. Then, in the transport operation, according to the transport setting read out from the memory 53, that is, according to the transport setting in accordance with the operating state of the injection machine 4, an operation of a transport blower 37 that generates, in a material transport pipe, air current directing from the drying hopper toward the transport destination hopper, is controlled.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a material supplying device and a material supplying method. [Background technology]

[0002] In the manufacturing process of resin molded products, before the powdered or granular materials are fed into the molding machine, various pretreatment processes are carried out, such as pre-drying the powdered or granular materials in a dryer to remove moisture from the powdered or granular materials, and preparing and mixing the blend of multiple types of powdered or granular materials in a mixer.

[0003] For example, a destination hopper is provided above the molding machine to temporarily store the pre-processed powdered or granular material before it is fed into the molding machine. A level meter is provided on the destination hopper or on the pipe connecting the destination hopper to the molding machine to detect the presence or absence of powdered or granular material. When the powdered or granular material is fed from the destination hopper to the molding machine and the level meter detects the absence of the powdered or granular material, the pre-processed powdered or granular material is transported from the pre-processing device to the destination hopper. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-131448 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] To prevent the molding machine from being short or overloaded with powdered or granular material while it is operating, the transport capacity of the powdered or granular material from the dryer to the destination hopper is set according to the processing capacity of the molding machine (the production capacity of resin molded products).

[0006] However, the processing capacity of a molding machine is not constant throughout the operation period, and there are times when it temporarily becomes higher than normal. When the processing capacity becomes higher than normal, the transport capacity set according to the normal processing capacity is not balanced with the processing capacity, and a shortage of powdered granular material occurs in the molding machine. If the transport capacity setting is changed in response to a change in the processing capacity of the molding machine, when the processing capacity of the molding machine returns to the normal processing capacity (original processing capacity), the transport capacity setting must also be reset, which reduces work efficiency. In addition, there is a possibility that an operator may make a mistake by setting the transport capacity incorrectly, or may forget to reset the transport capacity setting when the processing capacity of the molding machine returns to normal.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a material supplying device and a material supplying method that can supply powdered or granular material to a destination without excess or deficiency in accordance with the operating conditions of the destination, and prevent a decrease in work efficiency and errors in changing the transport capacity settings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, a material supplying device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a destination receiving section that receives material transported from a source and supplies the material to a destination, a material transport pipe that is connected to the source and the destination receiving section and through which the material transported from the source to the destination receiving section flows, an airflow generating section that generates an airflow in the material transport pipe from the source toward the destination receiving section, and a control section. The control section includes a memory section that stores transport settings corresponding to each of a plurality of operating states of the destination, and a signal input section to which a signal is input, reads out the transport settings corresponding to the signal input to the signal input section from the memory section, and in a transport operation to transport material from the source to the destination receiving section, controls the amount of material transported by the transport operation in accordance with the transport settings read out from the memory section.

[0009] According to this configuration, the memory unit stores transport settings corresponding to each of the multiple operating states of the supply destination. During a transport operation to transport materials from the transport source to the destination receiving unit, the transport settings corresponding to the signal input from the memory unit are read out. As a result, during the transport operation, the amount of material transported by the transport operation is controlled according to the transport settings read out from the memory unit, that is, according to the transport settings corresponding to the operating state of the supply destination. Therefore, materials can be transported from the transport source to the supply destination with a transport capacity that matches the operating state of the supply destination, and the material can be supplied to the supply destination without excess or shortage.

[0010] The amount of material transported by the transport operation may be controlled by controlling an airflow generating unit that generates an airflow in the material transport pipe from the transport source toward the transport destination receiving unit.

[0011] The material supplying device may further include an operation unit that accepts an operation to switch a signal input to the signal input unit, and a signal corresponding to the operation of the operation unit may be input to the signal input unit.

[0012] In this configuration, the user can operate the operation unit to select transport settings that correspond to the operating status of the supply destination, and this selection allows the supply of materials to the supply destination without excess or shortage with a transport capacity that matches the operating status of the supply destination.

[0013] A signal corresponding to an operating state may be input to the signal input unit from a supply destination control unit provided at the supply destination.

[0014] In this configuration, when the operating state of the supply destination changes, the transport settings read from the memory unit automatically change, eliminating the need to manually change the transport settings (there is no need to change the transport settings by operating the operation unit), eliminating the need to do so.

[0015] A detection unit may be provided that detects the presence or absence of the material at a predetermined position in the transport destination receiving section, and one transport operation may be started in response to the detection of the absence of the material by the detection unit.

[0016] In this case, the transport setting may be such that the operation time of the airflow generating unit in one transport operation differs depending on the operating state of the supply destination.

[0017] This makes it possible to vary the amount of material transported in one transport operation depending on the operating state of the supply destination. That is, when the supply destination is in an operating state where the material is processed at a relatively high speed, the amount of material transported in one transport operation is made relatively large, and when the supply destination is in an operating state where the material is processed at a relatively low speed, the amount of material transported in one transport operation is made relatively small, so that the material can be supplied to the supply destination without excess or deficiency.

[0018] The supply destination is an injection molding machine, and the operating states include a normal operating state in which material is injected from a heating barrel (heating cylinder) into a molding die, and a purge operating state in which the material is injected from the heating barrel at a higher speed than in the normal operating state and discharged from the heating barrel, and in the transport setting according to the purge operating state, it is preferable that the operating time of the airflow generating unit in one transport operation is longer than that in the transport setting according to the normal operating state.

[0019] This makes it possible to supply the injection molding machine with the material just enough, regardless of whether the injection molding machine at the supply destination is in a normal operation state or a purge operation state.

[0020] A material supply method according to another aspect of the present invention is a method for supplying material from a source to a destination by a material supply device comprising: a destination receiving section that receives material transported from a source and supplies the material to a destination, a material transport pipe connected to the source and the destination receiving section and through which the material transported from the source to the destination receiving section flows, an air flow generating section that generates an air flow in the material transport pipe from the source toward the destination receiving section, a memory section that stores transport settings corresponding to each of a plurality of operating states of the destination, and a signal input section to which a signal is input, the method reading out from the memory section the transport settings corresponding to the signal input to the signal input section, and controlling the amount of material transported by the transport operation in accordance with the transport settings read out from the memory section during a transport operation in which the material is transported from the source to the destination receiving section.

[0021] According to this method, it is possible to achieve the same effects as those achieved by the material supplying device described above.

[0022] The supply destination is an injection molding machine, and the operating states include a normal operating state in which material is injected from a heating barrel into a molding die, and a purge operating state in which the material is injected from the heating barrel at a higher speed than in the normal operating state and discharged from the heating barrel, and during the transport operation, when the operating state is the normal operating state, the operating time of the airflow generating unit may be a first time, and when the operating state is the purge operating state, the operating time of the airflow generating unit may be a second time longer than the first time.

[0023] This makes it possible to supply the injection molding machine with the material just enough, regardless of whether the injection molding machine at the supply destination is in a normal operation state or a purge operation state. Effect of the Invention

[0024] According to the present invention, materials can be transported from a transport source to a supply destination at a transport capacity suited to the operating state of the supply destination, and the supply destination can be supplied with just the right amount of material. As a result, it is no longer necessary to change the transport capacity setting according to the operating state of the supply destination, and it is possible to prevent a decrease in work efficiency and mistakes in changing the transport capacity setting. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a system incorporating a material supplying device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the material supplying device. [Diagram 3] 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of a transport operation process (main routine). [Figure 4] 13 is a flowchart showing the flow of a transport setting reading process (subroutine). [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a material supplying device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6]6 is a flowchart showing the flow of a transport setting reading process (subroutine) executed in the material supplying device shown in FIG. 5. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] <Molded product manufacturing system> FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a system 2 incorporating a material supplying device 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] The material supply device 1 is incorporated into a system 2 that manufactures resin molded products, and is a device that transports powdered material such as plastic pellets from a dryer 3, which is the source, and supplies the powdered material to an injection molding machine (IMM) 4, which is the destination.

[0029] The dryer 3 includes a drying hopper 11 and a loader hopper 12 disposed above the drying hopper 11.

[0030] The powdered material is supplied from the loader hopper 12 into the drying hopper 11 and stored in the drying hopper 11. The lower part of the drying hopper 11 is formed in a cone shape tapering downward, and a discharge port 13 is formed at the lower end. The drying hopper 11 is provided with a gate shutter 14 for opening and closing the discharge port 13.

[0031] The dryer 3 is, for example, a dehumidifying dryer. The drying hopper 11 has a gas inlet and a gas outlet. With the powdered material stored in the drying hopper 11, a drying gas heated by a heater is supplied from the gas inlet into the drying hopper 11. In the drying hopper 11, the drying gas removes moisture from the powdered material, and the powdered material is dried. The drying gas that has removed moisture from the powdered material flows from the gas outlet through a drying gas line outside the drying hopper 11 toward an absorber. When the drying gas passes through the absorber, the moisture contained in the drying gas is adsorbed by the absorber, and the drying gas becomes a dehumidified low-dew-point dry gas. The drying gas is then heated by the heater to become a dehumidified and heated dry gas, which is supplied from the gas inlet into the drying hopper 11.

[0032] The dryer 3 is not limited to a dehumidifying dryer, but may be another type of dryer, such as a reduced-pressure dryer (vacuum dryer) that applies heat of vaporization to the powdered or granular material using a heater arranged on the peripheral wall of a drying hopper to reduce the pressure inside the drying hopper, a hot air dryer that does not have an adsorber, or a nitrogen dryer that uses an inert gas such as nitrogen as a drying gas.

[0033] The injection molding machine 4 is equipped with a cylinder (heating barrel) 21.

[0034] A screw is disposed within the cylinder 21 along the center line of the cylinder 21. In the injection molding machine 4, the powdered granular material is sent through the cylinder 21 toward the tip of the cylinder 21 by the rotation of the screw, while the powdered granular material is plasticized (melted by heating). Thereafter, the screw is moved toward the tip of the cylinder 21, and the plasticized powdered granular material, that is, the resin material, is injected from the injection nozzle at the tip of the cylinder 21. The resin material injected from the injection nozzle fills the cavity of the molding die and is cooled to solidify. When the resin material has solidified, the molding die is opened, and the resin molded product is removed from the molding die.

[0035] The material supplying device 1 includes a transport destination hopper 31 , a primary transport pipe 32 , a secondary transport pipe 33 , a primary / secondary changeover valve 34 , a primary suction pipe 35 , a secondary suction pipe 36 , and a transport blower 37 .

[0036] The destination hopper 31 is provided above the injection molding machine 4. The lower part of the destination hopper 31 is formed in a cone shape tapering downward. The lower end of the destination hopper 31 is connected to the upper wall of the injection molding machine 4, and the inside of the destination hopper 31 communicates with the inside of the injection molding machine 4.

[0037] One end of the primary transport pipe 32 is connected to a side wall of the loader hopper 12 of the dryer 3, and the inside of the primary transport pipe 32 communicates with the inside of the loader hopper 12. The other end of the primary transport pipe 32 is connected to a suction pipe 38. Undried powdered or granular material is stored in a raw material tank (not shown), and the suction pipe 38 is disposed within the stored powdered or granular material.

[0038] One end of the secondary transport pipe 33 is connected to the discharge port 13 of the drying hopper 11 of the dryer 3 via a gate shutter 14. The other end of the secondary transport pipe 33 is connected to the side wall of the destination hopper 31, and the inside of the secondary transport pipe 33 communicates with the inside of the destination hopper 31. An outside air intake valve 15 is connected to the secondary transport pipe 33 at a position immediately after the gate shutter 14 in the direction toward the destination hopper 31. The outside air intake valve 15 may be connected between the discharge port 13 of the drying hopper 11 and the gate shutter 14.

[0039] The primary / secondary switching valve 34 has a primary input port 41, a secondary input port 42, and an output port 43. The primary / secondary switching valve 34 is provided with valve bodies that individually open and close the primary input port 41 and the secondary input port 42. Depending on the positions of the valve bodies, the primary / secondary switching valve 34 can be switched between a primary transport position in which the secondary input port 42 is closed and the primary input port 41 is opened to communicate between the primary input port 41 and the output port 43 in the valve box, and a secondary transport position in which the primary input port 41 is closed and the secondary input port 42 is opened to communicate between the secondary input port 42 and the output port 43 in the valve box.

[0040] One end of the primary suction pipe 35 is connected to the primary input port 41 of the primary / secondary switching valve 34. The other end of the primary suction pipe 35 is connected to the upper wall of the loader hopper 12, and the inside of the primary suction pipe 35 is connected to the inside of the loader hopper 12.

[0041] One end of the secondary suction pipe 36 is connected to the secondary input port 42 of the primary / secondary switching valve 34. The other end of the secondary suction pipe 36 is connected to the upper wall of the destination hopper 31, and the inside of the secondary suction pipe 36 is connected to the inside of the destination hopper 31.

[0042] The transport blower 37 has an inlet 44 and an outlet 45. One end of a negative pressure pipe 46 is connected to the inlet 44. The other end of the negative pressure pipe 46 is connected to the output port 43 of the primary / secondary switching valve 34.

[0043] When powdered or granular material is supplied from the raw material tank to the loader hopper 12, the primary / secondary switching valve 34 is set to the primary transport position. When the transport blower 37 is driven, negative pressure is generated in the negative pressure pipe 46, the valve box of the primary / secondary switching valve 34, and the primary suction pipe 35. Due to this negative pressure, the powdered or granular material in the raw material tank is sucked into the suction pipe 38, and the powdered or granular material is supplied from the suction pipe 38 through the primary transport pipe 32 into the loader hopper 12.

[0044] The powdered or granular material supplied to the loader hopper 12 is supplied from the loader hopper 12 into the drying hopper 11. In a configuration in which the gate shutter 14 is normally kept open, a portion of the powdered or granular material supplied into the drying hopper 11 enters the secondary transport pipe 33. At this time, the outside air intake valve 15 is closed.

[0045] After the powdered or granular material is dried in the drying hopper 11, when the powdered or granular material is transported from the drying hopper 11 to the destination hopper 31, the primary / secondary switching valve 34 is set to the secondary transport position. Then, the transport blower 37 is driven. When the transport blower 37 is driven, negative pressure is generated in the negative pressure pipe 46, in the valve box of the primary / secondary switching valve 34, and in the secondary suction pipe 36. Due to the negative pressure, an airflow from the drying hopper 11 toward the destination hopper 31 is generated in the secondary transport pipe 33, and the powdered or granular material in the drying hopper 11 is discharged into the secondary transport pipe 33 through the discharge port 13. Then, the powdered or granular material is transported by the airflow in the secondary transport pipe 33 toward the destination hopper 31, and is supplied from the secondary transport pipe 33 into the destination hopper 31. Furthermore, when the outside air intake valve 15 is opened, the airflow passing through the secondary transport pipe 33 is switched to outside air sucked in from the outside air intake valve 15, and the outside air flows into the secondary transport pipe 33 without transporting the powdered or granular material from the drying hopper 11. This allows the powdered or granular material remaining in the secondary transport pipe 33 to be transported to the destination hopper 31, and prevents the powdered or granular material from remaining in the secondary transport pipe 33.

[0046] The exhaust gas from the transport blower 37 may be discharged into the atmosphere from the outlet 45, but a closed-loop transport configuration may be adopted in which, for example, one end of an exhaust return pipe is connected to the outlet 45 and the other end of the exhaust return pipe is connected to the upstream end of the secondary transport pipe 33, and the air flows through a circulation line including the secondary transport pipe 33, the negative pressure pipe 46, and the exhaust return pipe. In addition, when a closed-loop transport configuration is adopted, a branch pipe branching off from the middle of the exhaust return pipe may be connected to the outside air intake valve 15.

[0047] <Electrical configuration of the material supply device> FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the material supplying device 1. As shown in FIG.

[0048] The material supplying device 1 includes a control unit 51.

[0049] The control unit 51 includes a CPU 52 and a memory 53 such as a flash memory or a dynamic random access memory (DRAM). The CPU 52 and the memory 53 may be incorporated in a microcomputer (microcontroller).

[0050] A detection signal from a level meter 54 is input to the control unit 51. The level meter 54 is attached to a side wall of the destination hopper 31. The level meter 54 has a position at a predetermined height in the destination hopper 31 as a detection position, and outputs a detection signal according to the presence or absence of powdered or granular material at the detection position. For example, when powdered or granular material is present at the detection position, an on-level signal (on signal) is output from the level meter 54, and when powdered or granular material is not present at the detection position, an off-level signal (off signal) is output from the level meter 54. Note that the level meter 54 may be, for example, a non-contact type capacitance type level meter or a contact type level switch, as long as it outputs a detection signal according to the presence or absence of powdered or granular material at the detection position.

[0051] The control unit 51 is also provided with a signal input unit 55. A signal corresponding to the operating state of the injection molding machine 4 is input to the signal input unit 55 from the control unit 61 of the injection molding machine 4.

[0052] The control unit 61 of the injection molding machine 4 includes, for example, a microcomputer with a built-in CPU and memory. The control unit 61 outputs a signal corresponding to the operation state of the injection molding machine 4. Specifically, the operation state of the injection molding machine 4 includes a normal operation state in which a normal operation is performed in which a resin material is injected from the cylinder 21 into a molding die, and a purge operation state in which a purge operation is performed in which a resin material is injected from the cylinder 21 to the outside of the molding die at a higher speed than in the normal operation state and the resin material is discharged from the cylinder 21. When the injection molding machine 4 performs a normal operation, the control unit 61 outputs a signal corresponding to the normal operation state (hereinafter referred to as a "normal operation signal") before or after the start of the normal operation. Also, when the injection molding machine 4 performs a purge operation, the control unit 61 outputs a signal corresponding to the purge operation state (hereinafter referred to as a "purge operation signal") before or after the start of the purge operation.

[0053] The memory 53 of the control unit 51 stores transport settings corresponding to each operation state of the injection molding machine 4. The transport settings are settings related to a transport operation for transporting the powdered or granular material from the drying hopper 11 to the destination hopper 31.

[0054] In each transport setting, the execution time of the main transport operation (hereinafter referred to as the "main transport time"), the execution time of the remaining transport operation (hereinafter referred to as the "remaining transport time"), and the discharge waiting time are set in one transport operation. In the main transport operation, the gate shutter 14 of the drying hopper 11 is opened and the outside air intake valve 15 is closed, and the transport blower 37 is turned on (operated), thereby actively transporting the powdered material from the drying hopper 11 to the destination hopper 31. The remaining transport operation is performed following the main transport operation, and the outside air intake valve 15 is opened with the transport blower 37 turned on, thereby stopping the discharge of the powdered material from the drying hopper 11 to the secondary transport pipe 33, and the powdered material remaining in the secondary transport pipe 33 is transported to the destination hopper 31. The remaining transport operation is ended by turning off (stopping) the transport blower 37. The discharge waiting time is the time during which the transport blower 37 remains off until all the powdered material falls from the secondary transport pipe 33 into the destination hopper 31 after the remaining transport operation is completed.

[0055] In addition, instead of a configuration in which the discharge of powdered or granular material from the drying hopper 11 to the secondary transport pipe 33 is stopped when the outside air intake valve 15 is switched from closed to open, a configuration may be adopted in which the discharge of powdered or granular material from the drying hopper 11 to the secondary transport pipe 33 is started when the gate shutter 14 is switched from closed to open, and the discharge of powdered or granular material from the drying hopper 11 to the secondary transport pipe 33 is stopped when the gate shutter 14 is switched from open to closed.

[0056] In the transport setting according to the normal operation state of the injection molding machine 4 (hereinafter referred to as "normal transport setting"), the main transport time is set to time N1 (e.g., 20 seconds), the remaining transport time is set to time N2 (e.g., 5 seconds), and the discharge waiting time is set to time N3. On the other hand, in the transport setting according to the purge operation state of the injection molding machine 4 (hereinafter referred to as "purge transport setting"), the main transport time is set to time P1 (e.g., 30 seconds) longer than time N1, the remaining transport time is set to time P2 (e.g., 5 seconds) the same as time N2, and the discharge waiting time is set to time P3 the same as time N3. In this way, in the transport setting, the operation time of the transport blower 37 in one transport operation is made different depending on the operation state of the injection molding machine 4.

[0057] Strictly speaking, the operating time of the transport blower 37 is the sum of the actual transport time and the remaining transport time, but if the remaining transport time is set to the same time in each transport setting, only the actual transport time may be considered as the operating time of the transport blower 37.

[0058] The CPU 52 of the control unit 51 controls the operations of the outside air intake valve 15, the primary / secondary switching valve 34, and the transport blower 37 based on the detection signal of the level meter 54 and the signals (normal operation signal, purge operation signal) input to the signal input unit 55. In a configuration in which the opening and closing of the gate shutter 14 switches between starting and stopping the discharge of powdered or granular material from the drying hopper 11 to the secondary transport pipe 33, the CPU 52 further controls the opening and closing of the gate shutter 14.

[0059] The material supplying device 1 also includes an operation display unit 56. The operation display unit 56 is configured, for example, with a touch panel. The CPU 52 controls the display of the operation display unit 56, whereby images of various information, operation keys, and the like are displayed on the operation display unit 56. When the user presses (touches) an operation key displayed on the operation display unit 56, the operation is accepted by the operation display unit 56, and a signal corresponding to the content of the operation is transmitted from the operation display unit 56 to the control unit 51.

[0060] In a configuration in which the primary / secondary switching valve 34 and the transport blower 37 of the material supply device 1 are disposed inside the housing of the dryer 3, the control unit 51 may be integrated with the control unit provided in the dryer 3, and the operation display unit 56 may be disposed in the housing of the dryer 3. Of course, the control unit 51 may be provided separately from the control unit of the dryer 3, or the operation display unit 56 may be installed in a location other than the housing of the dryer 3 and connected to the control unit 51.

[0061] <Transportation operation processing> FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of the transport operation process (main routine).

[0062] In the material supplying device 1, while the injection molding machine 4 is in operation, the CPU 52 of the control unit 51 executes a transport operation process.

[0063] In the transportation operation process, it is determined whether or not the level meter 54 is off (step S1). Whether or not the level meter 54 is off can be determined based on whether or not an on signal is input from the level meter 54 to the control unit 51.

[0064] If it is determined that the level gauge 54 is not off (NO in step S1), that is, if the level gauge 54 is on (no transport request), it is determined to wait without performing a transport operation for transporting the powdered or granular material from the drying hopper 11 to the destination hopper 31 (step S2), and the transport operation process is terminated. The transport operation process is repeatedly executed at all times, but may be executed, for example, every time a certain time has elapsed since the end of the previous transport operation process.

[0065] If the level gauge 54 is off (YES in step S1), that is, if an on signal is not input from the level gauge 54 to the control unit 51 (if the on signal is blocked), transport settings corresponding to the operating state of the injection molding machine 4 are read from the memory 53 (step S3).

[0066] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of the transport setting reading process.

[0067] In order to read out the transport settings corresponding to the operating state of the injection molding machine 4 from the memory 53, in step S3 in FIG. 3, the control unit 51 executes a transport setting reading process (subroutine) shown in FIG.

[0068] In the transport setting reading process, it is determined whether or not the operation state of the injection molding machine 4 is a normal operation state (step S31). Specifically, it is determined whether or not a normal operation signal is input from the control unit 61 of the injection molding machine 4 to the control unit 51.

[0069] When a normal operation signal is input from the control unit 61 of the injection molding machine 4 to the control unit 51, the operating state of the injection molding machine 4 is the normal operating state (YES in step S31), so that the normal transport settings corresponding to the normal operating state are read from the memory 53 (step S32).

[0070] Moreover, in order to inform the user that the injection molding machine 4 is in a normal operation state and that a transport operation is being performed in accordance with the normal transport setting, the contents of the normal transport setting are displayed on the operation display unit 56 (step S33).

[0071] On the other hand, if a normal operation signal is not input from the control unit 61 of the injection molding machine 4 to the control unit 51, the operating state of the injection molding machine 4 is the purge operation state, not the normal operation state (NO in step S31), so that the purge transport setting corresponding to the purge operation state is read from the memory 53 (step S34).

[0072] Then, in order to inform the user that the injection molding machine 4 is in a purge operation state and a transport operation is performed in accordance with the purge transport setting, the contents of the purge transport setting are displayed on the operation display unit 56 (step S35).

[0073] In this way, when the transport settings corresponding to the operating state of the injection molding machine 4 are read from the memory 53 and the contents of the transport settings are displayed on the operation display unit 56, the transport setting reading process is terminated and the process executed by the control unit 51 returns to the transport operation process (main routine) shown in Figure 3.

[0074] Although it has been described above that whether the operation state of the injection molding machine 4 is in the normal operation state is determined based on whether a normal operation signal is input from the control unit 61 of the injection molding machine 4 to the control unit 51, whether the operation state of the injection molding machine 4 is in the normal operation state may be determined based on whether a purge operation signal is input from the control unit 61 of the injection molding machine 4 to the control unit 51. That is, in a state in which a purge operation signal is not input from the control unit 61 of the injection molding machine 4 to the control unit 51, it may be determined that the operation state of the injection molding machine 4 is in the normal operation state, and in a state in which a purge operation signal is input from the control unit 61 of the injection molding machine 4 to the control unit 51, it may be determined that the operation state of the injection molding machine 4 is in the purge operation state rather than the normal operation state. Furthermore, in step S31, instead of determining whether the operating state of the injection molding machine 4 is a normal operating state or not, a determination may be made as to whether the operating state of the injection molding machine 4 is a purge operation state or not. In this case, if it is determined that the operating state is a purge operation state, the process proceeds from step S31 to step S34, and if it is determined that the operating state is not a purge operation state, the process proceeds from step S31 to step S32.

[0075] When returning from the transport setting reading process to the transport operation process, the operations of the outside air intake valve 15, the primary-secondary switching valve 34 and the transport blower 37 are controlled in accordance with the transport setting read from the memory 53, and the transport operation is started (step S4).

[0076] When the normal transport setting is read from the memory 53, the main transport operation is performed for the main transport time N1 according to the normal transport setting, and then the remaining transport operation is performed for the remaining transport time N2. Then, after the remaining transport operation is completed and the discharge waiting time N3 has elapsed, one transport operation is completed (step S5), and the transport operation process is terminated.

[0077] When the purge transport setting is read out from the memory 53, the main transport operation is performed for the main transport time P1 (>N1) according to the purge transport setting, and then the remaining transport operation is performed for the remaining transport time P2 (=N2). Then, after the remaining transport operation is completed, when the discharge waiting time P3 (=N3) has elapsed, one transport operation is completed (step S5), and the transport operation process is terminated.

[0078] The remaining transportation times N2, P2 and the discharge waiting times N3, P3 may be changed as appropriate in accordance with the settings of the main transportation times N1, P1.

[0079] After one transport operation is completed, the transport operation process is executed again, and if the level gauge 54 is still off (YES in step S1), the transport setting corresponding to the operating state of the injection molding machine 4 is read from the memory 53, and the transport operation is performed again according to the transport setting that has been read. That is, the transport operation process (including the transport setting reading process) is repeatedly executed until the level gauge 54 is turned on, and the transport operation is repeated.

[0080] <Action and effect> As described above, the memory 53 of the control unit 51 stores transport settings (normal transport settings, purge transport settings) corresponding to each of a plurality of operating states of the injection molding machine 4, which is the supply destination of the powdered or granular material. During transport operation to transport material from the drying hopper 11, which is the transport source of the powdered or granular material, to the destination hopper 31, a transport setting corresponding to a signal input to the signal input unit 55 of the control unit 51 is read from the memory 53. Then, during transport operation, the operation of the transport blower 37, which generates an air flow from the drying hopper 11 toward the destination hopper 31 in the material transport pipe, is controlled according to the transport setting read from the memory 53, that is, according to the transport setting corresponding to the operating state of the injection molding machine 4. Therefore, the powdered or granular material can be transported from the drying hopper 11 to the injection molding machine 4 with a transport capacity suitable for the operating state of the injection molding machine 4, and the powdered or granular material can be supplied to the injection molding machine 4 without excess or deficiency.

[0081] A signal corresponding to the operation state is automatically input to the signal input unit 55 from the control unit 61 provided in the injection molding machine 4. When the operation state of the injection molding machine 4 changes, a signal corresponding to the changed operation state is input from the control unit 61 to the signal input unit 55. When the signal input to the signal input unit 55 changes, a transport setting corresponding to the changed signal is read from the memory 53 when the transport setting read process is executed. That is, when the signal input to the signal input unit 55 changes from a normal operation signal to a purge operation signal, a purge transport setting corresponding to the purge operation signal (purge operation state) is read from the memory 53. Also, when the signal input to the signal input unit 55 changes from a purge operation signal to a normal operation signal, a normal transport setting corresponding to the normal operation signal (normal operation state) is read from the memory 53. In this way, since the transport setting read from the memory 53 automatically changes, there is no need to manually change the transport setting, and the trouble of doing so can be eliminated.

[0082] Furthermore, in a configuration in which the user manually changes the transport settings, if the operating state of the injection molding machine 4 changes again after the change, the transport settings must be changed again, but the user may forget to change them. Even if the operating state of the injection molding machine 4 changes, the transport settings are automatically changed and there is no need to change them manually, so that it is possible to prevent errors caused by the user forgetting to change the transport settings.

[0083] A level gauge 54 is provided for detecting the presence or absence of powdered or granular material at a predetermined detection position in the destination hopper 31. When the level gauge 54 detects the absence of powdered or granular material, one transport operation is started.

[0084] In the transport setting, the operation time of the transport blower 37 in one transport operation is changed according to the operating state of the injection molding machine 4, and the main transport times N1 and P1 are appropriately changed. As a result, the transport amount of the powdered granular material in one transport operation can be changed according to the operating state of the injection molding machine 4. That is, when the injection molding machine 4 is in a purge operation state in which the powdered granular material is processed at a relatively high speed, the transport amount of the powdered granular material in one transport operation is made relatively large. This can prevent the injection molding machine 4 from running short of the powdered granular material. On the other hand, when the injection molding machine 4 is in a normal operation state in which the powdered granular material is processed at a relatively low speed, the transport amount of the powdered granular material in one transport operation is made relatively small. This can reduce the amount of powdered granular material stored in the injection molding machine 4 and the transport destination hopper 31, and prevent the moisture content of the stored powdered granular material from increasing.

[0085] <Other embodiments> Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a material supplying device 101 according to another embodiment of the present invention. In Fig. 5, parts corresponding to the parts shown in Fig. 2 are given the same reference numerals as those parts. In the following, the description of the parts given the same reference numerals will be omitted, and differences from the configuration shown in Fig. 2 will be described.

[0086] In the electrical configuration of the material supplying device 1 shown in FIG. 2, a signal corresponding to the operating state of the injection molding machine 4 is input from the control unit 61 of the injection molding machine 4 to the signal input unit 55 provided in the control unit 51.

[0087] In contrast, in the electrical configuration of the material supplying device 101 shown in Figure 5, the signal input unit 55 is not connected to the control unit 61 of the injection molding machine 4, and a signal transmitted from the operation display unit 56 (a signal corresponding to the content of the operation of the operation display unit 56) is input to the signal input unit 55.

[0088] For example, the operation display unit 56 displays operation keys that allow the user to select and set transport settings according to the operating state of the injection molding machine 4, i.e., a normal transport setting selection key that allows the user to select and set the normal transport setting, and a purge transport setting selection key that allows the user to select and set the purge transport setting.

[0089] In the material supplying device 101, instead of the transport setting reading process shown in FIG. 4, a transport setting reading process shown in FIG. 6 is executed.

[0090] 6, it is determined whether the normal transport setting is selected (set) by the user (step S311). That is, it is determined whether the normal transport setting selection key or the purge transport setting selection key displayed on the operation display unit 56 is pressed by the user.

[0091] When the user, recognizing that the injection molding machine 4 is in a normal operating state, presses the normal transport setting selection key to select the normal transport setting (YES in step S311), the normal transport setting corresponding to the normal operating state of the injection molding machine 4 is read from the memory 53 (step S312).

[0092] Moreover, in order to inform the user that the normal transport setting has been selected, the contents of the normal transport setting are displayed on the operation display unit 56 (step S313).

[0093] On the other hand, when the user recognizes that the injection molding machine 4 is in the purge operation state and presses the purge transport setting selection key to select the purge transport setting (NO in step S311), the purge transport setting corresponding to the normal purge operation state of the injection molding machine 4 is read from the memory 53 (step S314).

[0094] Moreover, in order to inform the user that the purge transport setting has been selected, the contents of the purge transport setting are displayed on the operation display unit 56 (step S315).

[0095] In this way, when the transport settings corresponding to the operating state of the injection molding machine 4 are read from the memory 53 and the contents of the transport settings are displayed on the operation display unit 56, the transport setting reading process is terminated and the process executed by the control unit 51 returns to the transport operation process (main routine) shown in Figure 3.

[0096] In the material supply device 101, the user can select transport settings according to the operating state of the injection molding machine 4 by operating the operation display unit 56, and by making this selection, it is possible to supply powdered or granular material to the injection molding machine 4 with the transport capacity that matches the operating state of the injection molding machine 4, without excess or shortage.

[0097] <Modification> Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention can be embodied in other forms.

[0098] For example, in the above embodiment, the discharge waiting times N3 and P3 after the end of the remaining transport operation are the same in the normal transport setting and the purge transport setting, but the discharge waiting time P3 in the purge transport setting may be shorter than the discharge waiting time N3 in the normal transport setting. As a result, when the injection molding machine 4 is in the purge operation state, the cycle in which the drying operation is performed is shorter in the case where the drying operation is repeated multiple times until the level gauge 54 turns on, compared to when the injection molding machine 4 is in the purge operation state, so that the transport amount of the powdered or granular material by the multiple transport operations can be increased.

[0099] In addition, in order to further prevent a shortage of powdered or granular material in the injection molding machine 4, after the start of the transport operation, the level meter 54 turns on and switching of the primary-secondary switching valve 34 may be prohibited until the transport operation is terminated, thereby prohibiting the supply of powdered or granular material from the raw material tank to the loader hopper 12 (primary transport).

[0100] The normal transport setting and the purge transport setting have been mentioned as transport settings stored in the memory 53 of the control unit 51, but if the injection molding machine 4 can have three or more operating states, it is preferable that three or more transport settings corresponding to each operating state are stored in the memory 53, and the transport setting corresponding to the operating state of the injection molding machine 4 is read out from the memory 53.

[0101] In addition, although the configuration in which a signal transmitted from the control unit 61 of the injection molding machine 4 or a signal transmitted from the operation display unit 56 is input to the signal input unit 55 has been described, the operating state of the injection molding machine 4 may be indirectly determined based on a signal from a sensor whose output changes depending on the operating state of the injection molding machine 4. For example, if the interval between when the level gauge goes from on to off is shorter than a certain value several times in a row while there is powdered or granular material in the transport destination hopper 31, it may be determined that the processing capacity of the injection molding machine 4 has increased from normal, and the operating state of the injection molding machine 4 may be determined to be in a purge operating state.

[0102] In the above-described embodiment, the case where the source of transport is the drying hopper 11 of the dryer 3 is taken as an example, however, the source of transport is not limited to the drying hopper 11 and may be any container for storing powdered or granular material, such as a hopper for storing powdered or granular material to be measured in a weighing device that weighs powdered or granular material, a hopper for storing a mixture of powdered or granular material in a weighing and mixing device that measures and mixes multiple types of powdered or granular material, or a raw material tank for storing powdered or granular material.

[0103] Furthermore, the transport destination is not limited to the injection molding machine 4, but may be another type of molding machine or may be a machine other than a molding machine. For example, the transport destination may be a hopper for storing powdered or granular material to be dried in a dryer that dries powdered or granular material, a hopper for storing powdered or granular material to be measured in a measuring device that measures powdered or granular material, or a hopper for storing a mixed material of powdered or granular material in a measuring and mixing device that measures and mixes multiple types of powdered or granular material.

[0104] In addition, various design modifications can be made to the above-described configuration within the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 1,101: Material supply device 3: Dryer 4: Injection molding machine (supply destination) 11: Drying hopper (source) 21: Cylinder (heated cylinder) 31: Destination hopper (destination receiving part) 33: Secondary transport pipe (material transport pipe) 37: Transport blower (airflow generating part) 51: Control unit 53: Memory (storage section) 54: Level meter (detection part) 55: Signal input section 56: Operation display section (operation section) 61: Control unit (supply destination control unit)

Claims

1. a transport destination receiving section that receives the material transported from a transport source and supplies the material to a supply destination; a material transport pipe connected to the transport source and the transport destination receiving portion, through which a material to be transported from the transport source to the transport destination receiving portion flows; an airflow generating unit that generates an airflow in the material transport pipe from the transport source toward the transport destination receiving unit; A control unit, The control unit is A storage unit that stores transportation settings corresponding to each of a plurality of operating states of the supply destination; A signal input unit to which a signal is input, A material supply device that reads out from the memory unit the transport settings corresponding to the signal input to the signal input unit, and during a transport operation in which material is transported from the source to the destination receiving unit, controls the amount of material transported by the transport operation in accordance with the transport settings read out from the memory unit.

2. The material supplying device according to claim 1 , wherein a signal corresponding to the operating state is input to the signal input unit from a supply destination control unit provided at the supply destination.

3. An operation unit that receives an operation to switch a signal input to the signal input unit, The material supplying device according to claim 1 , wherein a signal corresponding to an operation of the operation unit is input to the signal input unit.

4. A detection unit is provided in the transport destination receiving unit and detects the presence or absence of a material at a predetermined position in the transport destination receiving unit, The material supplying device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control unit starts one of the transport operations in response to the detection unit detecting an absence of the material.

5. The material supplying device according to claim 4 , wherein the transport setting is such that an operation time of the airflow generating unit in one transport operation differs depending on the operation state.

6. the supply destination is an injection molding machine, The operating states include a normal operating state in which material is injected from a heating barrel into a molding die, and a purge operating state in which material is injected from the heating barrel at a higher speed than in the normal operating state, and the material is discharged from the heating barrel; The material supplying device according to claim 5 , wherein the transport setting according to the purge operation state provides a longer operating time of the airflow generating unit in one transport operation than the transport setting according to the normal operation state.

7. A method for supplying material from a transport source to a supply destination by a material supply device comprising: a destination receiving section that receives material transported from a transport source and supplies the material to a supply destination; a material transport pipe that is connected to the transport source and the destination receiving section and through which the material transported from the transport source to the destination receiving section flows; an airflow generating section that generates an airflow in the material transport pipe that flows from the transport source to the destination receiving section; a memory section that stores transport settings corresponding to each of a plurality of operating states of the supply destination; and a signal input section that receives signals, the method comprising the steps of: The transport setting corresponding to the signal input to the signal input unit is read from the storage unit, A material supply method, comprising: controlling, in a transport operation for transporting material from the transport source to the transport destination receiving portion, an amount of material transported by the transport operation in accordance with the transport settings read from the memory unit.

8. the supply destination is an injection molding machine, The operating states include a normal operating state in which a resin material is injected from a heating barrel into a molding die, and a purge operating state in which the resin material is injected from the heating barrel at a higher speed than in the normal operating state, and the resin material is discharged from the heating barrel; In the transportation operation, When the operating state is the normal operating state, an operation time of the airflow generating unit is set to a first time, 8. The material supplying method according to claim 7, wherein when the operating state is the purge operating state, the operating time of the airflow generating unit is set to a second time longer than the first time.

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