Scraping device

Abstract

To provide a scraping device that scrapes materials that may adhere to a tip of a nozzle.SOLUTION: A scraping device is used in a coating system having a nozzle L whose outer wall surface is formed to taper as going toward a tip of the nozzle, and comprises: a pair of scraping parts 40 having corner portions E for scraping off viscous materials adhering to the outer wall surface; and a driving part 20 that makes the pair of scraping parts approach and separate from each other. The nozzle can be moved so as to be temporarily arranged between the pair of scraping parts. When the nozzle is arranged between the pair of scraping parts, the pair of scraping parts move to approach each other, and further approach each other so that the corner parts come into contact with each other when the nozzle moves to get out of a space between the pair of scraping parts.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a scraping device.

Background Art

[0002] Among systems for applying a viscous material, there are various shapes and discharge types for the nozzles that discharge the viscous material. In the prior art regarding discharge nozzles, those that discharge the material in a planar shape from the tip of the nozzle (which can be called a slit nozzle, a flat nozzle, etc.) are known.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The inventors of the present invention have focused on the fact that the viscous material discharged can adhere to the tip of the (discharge) nozzle as in Patent Document 1, and have intensively studied a device for scraping the viscous material adhering to the nozzle.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a scraping device for scraping the viscous material that can adhere to the tip of the nozzle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The scraping device according to one aspect of the present invention for solving the above problems is used in a coating system having a nozzle formed such that the outer wall surface tapers toward the tip, and includes a scraping part and a driving part. The scraping part has a contact part for scraping the viscous material adhering to the outer wall surface, and is configured in a pair. The driving part moves the pair of scraping parts closer to and away from each other. The nozzle is movable so as to be temporarily disposed between the pair of scraping parts. The pair of scraping parts move closer to each other when the nozzle is disposed between the pair of scraping parts, and move closer until the contact parts abut by moving so that the nozzle retracts from between the pair of scraping parts.

Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the scraping device of the present invention, the material that can adhere to the tip of the nozzle can be scraped off.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] (First Embodiment) Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The embodiments shown here are examples for embodying the technical idea of the present invention and do not limit the present invention. Also, all other possible embodiments, examples, and operation techniques that can be conceived by those skilled in the art without departing from the gist of the present invention are included in the scope and gist of the present invention, and are included in the invention described in the claims and its equivalent scope.

[0010] Furthermore, the drawings attached to this specification may be schematically represented with changes from the actual object in terms of scale, aspect ratio of length and width, shape, etc. for the convenience of illustration and easier understanding, but this is merely an example and does not limit the interpretation of the present invention.

[0011] Also, in the following description, ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" are used for explanation, but unless otherwise specified, they are used for convenience and do not define any order.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a scraping device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the scraping device 100. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a nozzle L constituting a coating system. FIG. 4 is a front view showing a scraping unit 40. FIGS. 5 to 7 are views showing the state in which the scraping unit 40 scrapes off the viscous material attached to the tip of the nozzle L.

[0013] Here, the viscous material m scraped by the scraping device 100 exhibits thixotropy by adding a filler to the viscous body. The viscous material m exhibiting thixotropy may penetrate not only to the tip of the nozzle but also to the outer wall surface, and it is necessary to scrape the nozzle tip and the outer wall surface. Examples of the viscous body include, but are not limited to, oil, epoxy resin, silicone resin, urethane resin, (meth)acrylic resin, etc. Examples of the filler include inorganic fillers and organic fillers. Examples of the inorganic filler include, but are not limited to, glass powder, hollow glass powder, silica powder, amorphous silica powder, alumina powder, talc powder, mica powder, calcium carbonate powder, aluminum nitride powder, kaolin clay powder, dried clay mineral powder, dried diatomaceous earth powder, metal powder, etc. Examples of the organic filler include, but are not limited to, silicone rubber powder, poly(meth)acrylic powder, polystyrene powder, polyurethane powder, carbon powder, hollow plastic powder, etc. Furthermore, the air bubbles dispersed in the viscous body can also be regarded as one type of filler. The average particle size of the filler is preferably 0.001 to 100 μm, and examples of the measurement method of the average particle size include, but are not limited to, the laser diffraction method. Also, examples of the shape of the filler include, but are not limited to, true sphere, spherical, flake-like, fiber-like, irregular shape, etc. The surface of the filler may be hydrophobically treated by hydrophilic treatment or a silane coupling agent, etc., or it may be a core / shell powder in which a shell is formed with respect to the core which is the filler particle. In particular, the viscous material m exhibiting thixotropy refers to a viscous material having a structure viscosity ratio greater than 1.0.

[0014] The scraping device 100 according to this embodiment is used when separating the viscous material m discharged from the coating system from the nozzle L. The coating system can be widely used in those including a pressure feed pump, a dispenser, and the like. The nozzle L is formed such that the outer wall surface S has an inclined surface that tapers toward the tip with respect to the vertical direction. The nozzle L is formed such that the cross section shown in FIG. 3 extends in the depth direction X with a constant length. Hereinafter, a coordinate system will be used for the description of the scraping device. X is the depth direction of the scraping device, and is the depth direction X. Y is the lateral direction of the scraping device, and is the lateral direction Y. Z is the vertical direction of the scraping device, and is the vertical direction Z.

[0015] (Scraping device) The scraping device 100 is configured to scrape the viscous material m discharged from the nozzle L of the above-described coating system from the nozzle L. The scraping device 100 includes a rail 10, a drive unit 20, a moving unit 30, and a scraping unit 40. Hereinafter, each configuration will be described in detail.

[0016] The rail 10 is arranged to extend in the lateral direction Y orthogonal to the depth direction X in which the nozzle L extends. Mechanical elements including the moving unit 30 and the scraping unit 40 are movably arranged on the rail 10.

[0017] The drive unit 20 is configured as a drive source that moves mechanical elements including the moving unit 30 and the scraping unit 40 closer to and away from each other in the lateral direction Y along the rail 10. The drive unit 20 is configured to include a motor or an actuator.

[0018] The moving part 30 is configured to move horizontally in the lateral direction Y by the driving part 20. The moving part 30 includes an engaging part 31 that engages with the rail 10, a base part 32 installed on the engaging part 31, an upper base part 33 disposed substantially at the center of the base part 32, a top plate 34 installed on the upper part of the upper base part 33, and an attachment part 35 for attaching the scraping part 40. The attachment part 35 detachably attaches the scraping part 40 to the upper part. In this embodiment, the attachment part 35 is configured to provide a groove for attaching the scraping part 40. However, if the scraping part 40 can be firmly fixed at a predetermined position, the specific form of the attachment part 35 does not necessarily need to have a groove and may be configured to include bolts or the like.

[0019] The scraping part 40 is configured in a pair so as to scrape off the viscous material m adhering to the nozzle L of the coating system. In this embodiment, the scraping part 40 is made of a thermoplastic resin such as POM (polyacetal resin or polyoxymethylene resin). The scraping part 40 is formed to extend in the depth direction X of FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 2, the scraping part 40 is configured to be rotatable along the rotation axis P so as to adjust the contact state in the depth direction X with respect to the nozzle L together with the attachment part 35 when viewed in plan.

[0020] The scraping part 40 is configured to include a horizontal plane 41, a vertical plane 42, a first inclined part 43, and a second inclined part 44 as shown in FIG. 4. The horizontal plane 41 is a part extending in a substantially horizontal direction (lateral direction Y), and forms a corner part E as a part that contacts the nozzle L at the tip. Since the liquid accumulates during scraping and reattaches to the side surface of the nozzle when the area of the horizontal plane 41 is large, the area is configured to be as small as possible.

[0021] The vertical surface 42 is a portion that extends approximately in the vertical direction Z, and together with the horizontal surface 41, forms a corner E (a contact portion for scraping off the viscous material adhering to the outer wall surface) as a portion that contacts the nozzle L at the tip. The vertical surface 42 is configured to abut when the scraping portions 40 approach each other. Since a large vertical surface 42 may cause the scraped liquid to come out up and down and cause reattachment of the liquid to the nozzle L, the area is configured to be as small as possible.

[0022] The first inclined portion 43 is continuous with the horizontal surface 41 and is formed to be inclined so as to be spaced outward from the nozzle L as it goes downward in a plan view. The first inclined portion 43 is a surface on which the liquid adhering to the horizontal surface 41 flows during scraping. The closer it is to vertical, the faster the flow rate becomes, and when continuously cleaned, the liquid does not accumulate and reattachment to the nozzle is less likely to occur. Therefore, it is preferable that the first inclined portion 43 is closer to vertical.

[0023] The second inclined portion 44 is a surface continuous with the vertical surface 42 and is configured to be inclined so as to be spaced outward from the nozzle L as it goes downward in a plan view. The second inclined portion 44 is a place where the cleaned liquid mainly flows. The closer it is to horizontal, the larger space can be secured when it is closed, and more liquid can be temporarily stored, which is advantageous during continuous operation. Therefore, it is preferable that the second inclined portion 44 is as close to horizontal as possible.

[0024] The control unit includes a CPU and the like, is electrically connected to the drive unit 20 and the like, and is configured to control the operations of the drive unit 20 and the like. The nozzle L can be set to move to a predetermined location, and a signal indicating the position of the nozzle L can be output each time the nozzle L moves. The control unit can control the drive unit 20 to move the corresponding scraping portion 40 according to the signal regarding the position received from the nozzle L. The pair of scraping portions 40 move closer to each other when the nozzle L is disposed between the scraping portions 40 by the control unit, and approach until they abut by moving so that the nozzle L retracts from between the pair of scraping portions 40.

[0025] Further, the attachment portion 35 that constitutes the moving portion 30 is configured to be rotatable about the rotation axis P so as to adjust the orientation of the scraping portion 40 as shown in FIG. 2. By configuring it in this way, when the scraping portion 40 is pressed against the nozzle L, it is possible to adjust so that the scraping portion 40 is pressed against the nozzle L with a uniform pressure with respect to the nozzle L.

[0026] Next, a method for cleaning the nozzle L using the scraping device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. Here, it is assumed that the nozzle L of the coating system is configured to be movable to enter or retreat between the location where the viscous material m is applied and the scraping portion 40. In other words, the nozzle L is configured to be movable so as to be temporarily disposed between the pair of scraping portions 40.

[0027] First, the viscous material m is discharged at the location (not shown) where the nozzle L discharges the viscous material m, and then approaches between the pair of scraping portions 40. When the control unit receives a signal regarding its own position from the nozzle L, the control unit controls the drive unit 20, and the drive unit 20 moves the moving portion 30, whereby the scraping portions 40 approach each other.

[0028] As a result, since the nozzle L is positioned between the pair of scraping portions 40, the scraping portions 40 approach so as to sandwich the tip of the nozzle L as shown in FIG. 5. Here, when the nozzle L attempts to move so as to retreat from between the scraping portions 40, the separation of the nozzle L and the approach of the scraping portions 40 are combined, and the scraping portions 40 move along the inclined surface of the tip portion of the nozzle L toward the tip portion. As a result, the scraping portions 40 come into contact with each other, and the contacted portion is located near the tip portion of the nozzle L as shown in FIG. 6. The scraping portions 40 hold the viscous material m discharged from the nozzle L so as to separate it from the nozzle L as shown in FIG. 7. Thereby, the scraping of the viscous material m from the nozzle L is performed. The nozzle L does not move to the predetermined position where the application of the viscous material m starts until the pair of scraping portions 40 come into contact with each other and the scraping of the viscous material m is completed.

[0029] As described above, the scraping device 100 according to the present embodiment is used in a coating system having a nozzle L formed such that the outer wall surface S tapers toward the tip, and includes a scraping unit 40 and a driving unit 20. The scraping unit 40 has a corner E for scraping the viscous material m adhering to the outer wall surface S, and is configured in a pair. The driving unit 20 is configured to move the pair of scraping units 40 closer to and away from each other. The nozzle L is configured to be movable so as to be temporarily disposed between the pair of scraping units 40. The pair of scraping units 40 move closer to each other when the nozzle L is disposed between the pair of scraping units 40, and move closer until the corner E abuts by moving so that the nozzle L retracts from between the pair of scraping units 40. By configuring in this way, the viscous material m adhering to the tip of the nozzle L can be scraped off in conjunction with the operation of the nozzle L.

[0030] Further, the scraping unit 40 forms a contact portion by a corner E where a horizontal plane 41 extending in the horizontal direction (lateral direction Y) and a vertical plane 42 extending in the vertical direction Z intersect. By configuring in this way, when the pair of scraping units 40 approach and abut in a substantially horizontal direction, the viscous material m can be separated from the nozzle L and scraped off.

[0031] Further, the scraping unit 40 includes a first inclined portion 43 and a second inclined portion 44. The first inclined portion 43 is continuous with the horizontal plane 41 and is inclined so as to proceed outward with respect to the nozzle L as it goes downward in a plan view. The second inclined portion 44 is continuous with the vertical plane 42 and is inclined so as to proceed outward with respect to the nozzle L as it goes downward in a plan view. By configuring in this way, the viscous material m can be caused to flow on the first inclined portion 43 and the second inclined portion 44, thereby preventing or suppressing the reattachment of the viscous material m to the nozzle L.

[0032] Further, the pair of scraping portions 40 are formed to extend in the depth direction X intersecting the vertical direction Z. The pair of scraping portions 40 are attached to an attachment portion 35 that moves together with the pair of scraping portions 40 by the drive portion 20. The attachment portion 35 is configured to be rotatable so as to adjust the orientation of the scraping portions 40. By configuring in this way, even if the pair of scraping portions 40 are likely to come into contact unevenly in the thickness direction (depth direction X), the contact mode with the nozzle L can be adjusted around the rotation axis P, and thus the viscous material m can be smoothly scraped off from the nozzle L.

[0033] (Second Embodiment) FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view showing the scraping portion 40a according to the second embodiment. In the first embodiment, it was described that the scraping portion 40 is made of POM or the like and includes a horizontal plane 41, a vertical plane 42, a first inclined portion 43, and a second inclined portion 44. However, the scraping portion can also be configured as follows. Since the configuration other than the scraping portion of the scraping device in the present embodiment is the same as that of the scraping device 100 in the first embodiment, the description thereof is omitted.

[0034] The scraping portion 40 includes a deformed member 41a, clamping portions 42a and 43a, and a fixing portion 44a as shown in FIG. 8. The deformed member 41a is configured to be elastically deformable by a thermoplastic resin such as POM as in the first embodiment, and is configured to form a contact portion with the nozzle L. By abutting the tip portion (corner portion Ea) of the deformed member 41a against the nozzle L in a state where the deformed member 41a is elastically deformed (so that the left side in FIG. 8 is convex), the viscous material m discharged from the nozzle L can be scraped off.

[0035] The clamping portions 42a and 43a are configured to clamp the deformation member 41a. The clamping portion 42a is arranged on the upper side in FIG. 8 as one side of the deformation member 41a, and the clamping portion 43a can be arranged on the lower side which is the other side of the deformation member 41a. The clamping portions 42a and 43a are configured to clamp the deformation member 41a such that the deformation member 41a is positioned at approximately 45° obliquely as shown in FIG. 8. The fixing portion 44a is provided with bolts or the like and is configured to adjust the clamping force of the deformation member 41a by the clamping portions 42a and 43a when attached to the clamping portions 42a and 43a. A plurality of fixing portions 44a can be installed at predetermined intervals in the thickness direction (depth direction X) of the deformation member 41a.

[0036] When the sensor detects that the nozzle L is arranged between the pair of scraping portions 40a as in the first embodiment, the driving portion 20 is controlled to move the scraping portions 40a closer to each other, and the deformation member 41a is brought into contact with the inclined surface of the nozzle L. The deformation member 41a moves until the nozzle L retracts from between the scraping portions 40a and the two come into contact. Thereby, the viscous material m adhering to the tip (inclined surface) of the nozzle L is scraped off by the scraping portions 40a.

[0037] As described above, the scraping portion 40a is configured to be elastically deformable and includes a deformation member 41a that forms a contact portion with the nozzle L, and clamping portions 42a and 43a that clamp the deformation member 41a in pairs. By configuring in this way, the deformation member 41a can be moved along the tip surface of the nozzle L, and the viscous material m discharged from the nozzle L can be scraped off.

[0038] Note that the present invention is not limited only to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0039] 100 Scraping device, 10 Rail, 20 Driving portion, 30 Moving portion, 35 Mounting portion, 40, 40a scraping part, 41 horizontal plane, 41a deformable member, 42 vertical plane, 42a clamping part, 43 first inclined part, 43a clamping part, 44 second inclined part, E corner (contact part), m adhesive material, P rotation axis, S outer wall surface, X depth direction (thickness direction), Z vertical direction.

Claims

1. It is used in a coating system having a nozzle whose outer wall surface is tapered toward the tip, A pair of scraping parts having contact parts for scraping off viscous material adhering to the outer wall surface; A drive unit that moves the pair of scraping units toward and away from each other, The nozzle is movable so as to be temporarily disposed between a pair of the scraping units; A scraping device in which the pair of scraping parts move closer to each other when the nozzle is disposed between the pair of scraping parts, and the nozzle moves away from between the pair of scraping parts, thereby causing the contact portions to approach each other until they come into contact with each other.

2. The scraping device according to claim 1 , wherein the scraping portion forms the contact area with the nozzle by a corner portion at which a horizontal plane extending in a horizontal direction intersects with a vertical plane extending in a vertical direction.

3. The scraping portion includes a first inclined portion that is connected to the horizontal plane and inclined downward in a plan view so as to progress outward with respect to the nozzle; The scraping device according to claim 2 , further comprising: a second inclined portion that is connected to the vertical surface and inclined so as to progress outward relative to the nozzle as it extends downward in a plan view.

4. The scraping device according to claim 1 , wherein the scraping portion is configured to be elastically deformable and includes a deformable member that forms the contact portion with the nozzle, and a pair of clamping portions that clamp the deformable member.

5. The pair of scraping portions are formed to extend in a thickness direction intersecting with the vertical direction, The pair of scraping units are attached to a mounting portion that is moved together with the pair of scraping units by the driving unit, The scraping device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the attachment portion is rotatable so as to adjust the orientation of the scraping portion.

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