Method and apparatus for producing magnetorheological fluid device

Abstract

To provide a method and an apparatus for producing a magnetic viscous fluid device capable of reducing variations in the amount of a magnetic viscous fluid when supplying a constant amount of the magnetic viscous fluid to a component of the device before being filled with the magnetic viscous fluid.SOLUTION: A method for producing a magnetic viscous fluid device includes a transfer step of transferring a magnetic viscous fluid from a storage container 5 to a container 20, and a supply step of supplying the magnetic viscous fluid to a component 12 of a device which is a portion excluding the magnetic viscous fluid from the magnetic viscous fluid device. In the supply step, a predetermined amount of the magnetic viscous fluid is sent out to the nozzle 23 to supply the magnetic viscous fluid to the constituent member, the supply step is performed a plurality of times for one transfer step to supply the magnetic viscous fluid to the constituent members of the plurality of devices, and the magnetic viscous fluid in the container 20 is discarded through the nozzle 23 before at least one supply step among the supply steps performed for one transfer step.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for producing a magnetorheological fluid device in which a magnetorheological fluid is interposed between members and a force corresponding to the strength of a magnetic field applied to the magnetorheological fluid is transmitted between the members. [Background technology]

[0002] A magnetorheological fluid (hereinafter also referred to as "MRF") is a functional fluid whose viscosity changes depending on the strength of an applied magnetic field. A magnetorheological fluid device (hereinafter also referred to as "MRF device") using this MRF makes it possible to realize various operations and controls that are difficult to achieve with devices that do not use MRF. An example of an MRF device is the one disclosed in Patent Document 1.

[0003] MRF is a fluid in which magnetic particles such as iron are dispersed in a dispersion medium such as oil, and even when a magnetic field of the same strength is applied, the greater the proportion of magnetic particles contained in the MRF, the higher the viscosity will be, and the smaller the proportion of magnetic particles contained in the MRF, the lower the viscosity will be. Therefore, in order for an MRF device to perform as designed, it is important to adjust the proportion of magnetic particles in the MRF used in the MRF device (hereinafter also referred to as the "magnetic particle content") to a specified value.

[0004] Generally, when an MRF device user obtains MRF, they purchase a fixed amount of MRF in a container (e.g., 300 ml, 500 ml, 1000 ml, etc.). If the MRF device is small and only a small amount of MRF (e.g., a few ml or less) is to be used, the MRF can be efficiently filled into the MRF device by using a dispenser. When using a dispenser, the obtained MRF is transferred from the container to the syringe of the dispenser. Then, by pressurizing the syringe using the dispenser's function, a fixed amount of MRF is discharged from the outlet at the bottom of the syringe and filled into the MRF device. Dispensers that can be used in this way are disclosed in Patent Documents 2 to 4, etc. Containers may also be used as the syringe of a dispenser. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-152401 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-126227 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-80464 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-104453 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In an MRF device, an MRF is interposed between components, and the force transmitted between the components is determined by the strength of the magnetic field applied to the MRF. Since the force transmitted between the components is determined by the viscosity of the MRF, any variation (error) in the state of the MRF filled into the MRF device (the proportion of magnetic particles contained in the MRF, the particle size distribution of the magnetic particles contained in the MRF) will result in variation in the force transmitted between the components of the MRF device. For an MRF device to perform as designed, it is necessary to ensure that the state of the MRF filled into each MRF device is uniform.

[0007] The factor that has the greatest impact on the force transmitted between components of an MRF device is the proportion of magnetic particles in the MRF. Due to the nature of MRF, the magnetic particles contained in the MRF do not mix completely with the dispersion medium. Furthermore, the magnetic particles contained in the MRF have a particle size distribution. Therefore, within the container, the dispersion state of the magnetic particles may vary depending on the location due to aggregation or sedimentation of the magnetic particles.

[0008] When the MRF device is small and the amount of MRF used is extremely small (for example, a few ml or less), a portion of the MRF contained in a syringe (container) is supplied to the MRF device by a dispenser to fill it. However, if the dispersion state of the magnetic particles in the syringe is different, there is a risk that the magnetic particle content in the MRF filled in the MRF device will change significantly from the magnetic particle content in the MRF originally contained in the syringe.

[0009] Thus, in the case of a small MRF device that requires only a very small amount of MRF, even if the magnetic particle content of the MRF in the syringe matches the specified value recommended by the manufacturer of the small MRF device, the magnetic particle content of the MRF actually filled in the small MRF device may differ significantly from the specified value, and there is a risk of variation in the proportion of magnetic particles contained in the MRF filled in the MRF device (magnetic particle content), which will prevent the MRF device from performing to its full potential.

[0010] In order to manage the condition of the MRF filled into an MRF device, it is important to manage the magnetic particle content in the MRF. Each MRF device is filled with a fixed amount (volume) of MRF, but if there is variation in the magnetic particle content in the MRF, there will also be variation in the weight of the fixed amount of MRF filled into the MRF device. Therefore, it is possible to manage the magnetic particle content in the MRF based on the variation in the weight of the fixed amount of MRF filled into the MRF device.

[0011] However, variations in the weight of the MRF may also be due to variations in the volume of the filled MRF. Therefore, it is necessary to always keep the amount of MRF filled into the MRF device constant. If the amount of MRF filled can be kept constant, it will be possible to control the magnetic particle content in the MRF by measuring and managing only the weight of the MRF filled into the MRF device.

[0012] Although a fixed amount of MRF is supplied from one syringe to multiple MRF devices, there are various possible reasons why the amount of MRF filled in each MRF device varies. One cause of variation is dripping, which occurs when the MRF remains in the nozzle used to supply the MRF to the MRF device and, due to its weight, hangs down over time instead of falling from the tip of the nozzle.

[0013] If MRF is supplied to an MRF device while dripping from the tip of the nozzle, the MRF will be supplied to the MRF device with the amount of MRF added to the fixed amount of MRF discharged from the syringe. Therefore, the amount of MRF filled into the MRF device after dripping occurs will be greater than the preset filling amount by the amount of dripping. In this way, if dripping occurs at the tip of the nozzle used to supply MRF, the amount of MRF filled into the MRF device will be greater than the setting, and there is a risk of variation in the amount of MRF filled into each MRF device.

[0014] The present invention was devised in consideration of the above-mentioned situation, and aims to provide a method and apparatus for producing a magnetorheological fluid device that can reduce variation (error) in the amount of magnetorheological fluid supplied when supplying a constant amount of magnetorheological fluid to components of a device before the magnetorheological fluid is filled. [Means for solving the problem]

[0015] A first aspect of the present invention provides a method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device, in which a magnetorheological fluid is interposed between components, and a force corresponding to the strength of a magnetic field applied to the magnetorheological fluid is transmitted between the components. The method includes a transfer step of transferring the magnetorheological fluid from a storage container to a container, and a supply step of supplying the magnetorheological fluid to components of a device, which is the portion of the magnetorheological fluid device excluding the magnetorheological fluid. In the transfer step, the magnetorheological fluid is transferred from the storage container to the container in an amount sufficient to fill multiple devices, after or while stirring the magnetorheological fluid in the storage container. In the supply step, a predetermined amount of the magnetorheological fluid is delivered from the container containing the magnetorheological fluid to a nozzle attached to the container, thereby supplying the magnetorheological fluid to the components of the device through the nozzle. For each transfer step, the supply step is performed multiple times to supply the magnetorheological fluid to the number of components required to form multiple devices. The magnetorheological fluid in the container is discharged through the nozzle before at least one of the supplying steps, which are carried out each time the transferring step is carried out.

[0016] A second aspect of the present invention relates to a method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device, which includes a magnetorheological fluid interposed between components, and a force corresponding to the strength of a magnetic field applied to the magnetorheological fluid being transmitted between the components. The method includes a transfer step of transferring the magnetorheological fluid from a storage container to a container, and a supply step of supplying the magnetorheological fluid to components of a device, which is the portion of the magnetorheological fluid device excluding the magnetorheological fluid. In the transfer step, the magnetorheological fluid is transferred from the storage container to the container after or while stirring the magnetorheological fluid in the storage container, in an amount sufficient to fill multiple devices. In the supply step, a predetermined amount of the magnetorheological fluid is delivered from the container containing the magnetorheological fluid to a nozzle attached to the container, thereby supplying the magnetorheological fluid to the components of the device through the nozzle. For each transfer step, the supply step is performed multiple times to supply the magnetorheological fluid to the number of components required to form multiple devices. Among the multiple supply steps that are performed each time the transfer step is performed, a process is performed to discard the magnetorheological fluid present inside and / or at the tip of the nozzle before performing the first supply step.

[0017] A third aspect of the present invention relates to a method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device, which is the same as the second aspect of the method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device, except that the treatment is a drip removal treatment for removing drips of the magnetorheological fluid that occur at the tip of the nozzle.

[0018] A fourth aspect of the present invention relates to a method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device, in which a magnetorheological fluid is interposed between components and a force corresponding to the strength of a magnetic field applied to the magnetorheological fluid is transmitted between the components. The method includes a transfer step of transferring the magnetorheological fluid from a storage container to a container and a supply step of supplying the magnetorheological fluid to components of a device, which is the portion of the magnetorheological fluid device excluding the magnetorheological fluid. In the transfer step, after or while stirring the magnetorheological fluid in the storage container, the magnetorheological fluid is transferred from the storage container to the container in an amount sufficient to fill multiple devices. In the supply step, a predetermined amount of the magnetorheological fluid is delivered from the container containing the magnetorheological fluid to a nozzle attached to the container, thereby supplying the magnetorheological fluid to the components of the device through the nozzle. For each transfer step, the supply step is performed multiple times to supply the magnetorheological fluid to the number of components required to form multiple devices. Of the multiple supply steps that are performed each time the transfer step is performed, the amount of the magnetorheological fluid delivered from the container to the nozzle when the first supply step is performed is reduced from the predetermined amount to be less than the amount of the magnetorheological fluid delivered from the container to the nozzle when the second or subsequent supply steps are performed.

[0019] A fifth aspect of the present invention relates to a method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device, which includes a magnetorheological fluid interposed between components, and a force corresponding to the strength of a magnetic field applied to the magnetorheological fluid being transmitted between the components. The method includes a transfer step of transferring the magnetorheological fluid from a storage container to a container, and a supply step of supplying the magnetorheological fluid to components of a device, which is the portion of the magnetorheological fluid device excluding the magnetorheological fluid. In the transfer step, the magnetorheological fluid is transferred from the storage container to the container in an amount sufficient to fill multiple devices, after or while stirring the magnetorheological fluid in the storage container. In the supply step, a predetermined amount of the magnetorheological fluid is delivered from the container containing the magnetorheological fluid to a nozzle attached to the container, thereby supplying the magnetorheological fluid to the components of the device through the nozzle. For each transfer step, the supply step is performed multiple times to supply the magnetorheological fluid to the number of components required to form multiple devices. The amount of the magnetorheological fluid discharged from the nozzle in the first supply step among the plurality of supply steps performed each time the transfer step is performed is measured, and the amount of the magnetorheological fluid delivered from the container to the nozzle in the first supply step is adjusted so that the amount of the magnetorheological fluid obtained by the measurement is close to the predetermined amount.

[0020] A sixth aspect of the present invention relates to a method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device, which includes a magnetorheological fluid interposed between components, and a force corresponding to the strength of a magnetic field applied to the magnetorheological fluid being transmitted between the components. The method includes a transfer step of transferring the magnetorheological fluid from a storage container to a container, and a supply step of supplying the magnetorheological fluid to components of a device, which is the portion of the magnetorheological fluid device excluding the magnetorheological fluid. In the transfer step, the magnetorheological fluid is transferred from the storage container to the container after or while stirring the magnetorheological fluid in the storage container, in an amount sufficient to fill multiple devices. In the supply step, a predetermined amount of the magnetorheological fluid is delivered from the container containing the magnetorheological fluid to a nozzle attached to the container, thereby supplying the magnetorheological fluid to the components of the device through the nozzle. For each transfer step, the supply step is performed multiple times to supply the magnetorheological fluid to the number of components required to form multiple devices. Before each supply step, the condition of the tip of the nozzle is observed, and if dripping of the magnetorheological fluid is observed at the tip of the nozzle, the magnetorheological fluid present inside and / or at the tip of the nozzle is discarded before carrying out the supply step.

[0021] A seventh aspect of the present invention relates to a method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device, which is the method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device according to the sixth aspect, wherein the treatment is a drip removal treatment for removing drips of the magnetorheological fluid that occur at the tip of the nozzle.

[0022] A method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is a method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device in which a magnetorheological fluid is interposed between components and a force corresponding to the strength of a magnetic field applied to the magnetorheological fluid is transmitted between the components. The method includes a transfer step of transferring the magnetorheological fluid from a storage container to a container and a supply step of supplying the magnetorheological fluid to components of a device, which is the portion of the magnetorheological fluid device excluding the magnetorheological fluid. In the transfer step, after or while stirring the magnetorheological fluid in the storage container, the magnetorheological fluid is transferred from the storage container to the container in an amount sufficient to fill multiple devices. In the supply step, a predetermined amount of the magnetorheological fluid is delivered from the container containing the magnetorheological fluid to a nozzle attached to the container, thereby supplying the magnetorheological fluid to the components of the device through the nozzle. For each transfer step, the supply step is performed multiple times to supply the magnetorheological fluid to the number of components required to form multiple devices. The condition of the tip of the nozzle is observed before each supply step, and if dripping of the magnetorheological fluid is observed at the tip of the nozzle, the amount of the magnetorheological fluid delivered from the container to the nozzle during that supply step is reduced from the predetermined amount to be less than the amount of the magnetorheological fluid delivered from the container to the nozzle if no dripping is observed.

[0023] According to the methods for producing a magnetorheological fluid device according to the first to eighth aspects, it is possible to reduce variations in the amount of magnetorheological fluid supplied to the components of the device.

[0024] A ninth aspect of the present invention is a method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, and includes a measurement step of measuring the weight of the predetermined amount of magnetorheological fluid supplied to the component, and a selection step of selecting the component such that the weight measurement result is within a predetermined error range from a specified value.

[0025] According to the method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device having such a configuration, the method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device relating to any of the first to eighth aspects reduces variation in the amount (volume) of magnetorheological fluid supplied to the component parts of the device, so that the magnetic particle content in the MRF supplied to the component parts of the device can be managed simply by determining whether the measurement result of the weight of the magnetorheological fluid supplied to the component parts of the device is within a specified error range with respect to the specified value.

[0026] A tenth aspect of the present invention is a method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, in which the transfer step is carried out, the supply step is carried out multiple times in succession, and the steps up to the step of carrying out the transfer step again constitute one cycle. In the transfer step of each cycle, the magnetorheological fluid is transferred from the storage container to the container until the liquid level of the magnetorheological fluid in the container reaches the same predetermined height in each cycle.

[0027] The magnetorheological fluid device production apparatus of the 11th aspect of the present invention is a magnetorheological fluid device production apparatus used to carry out the magnetorheological fluid device production method of any of the first to eighth aspects, and comprises the storage container, the container, an agitation device for agitating the magnetorheological fluid in the storage container, and the nozzle.

[0028] A production apparatus for a magnetorheological fluid device according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention is the production apparatus of the eleventh aspect, wherein the container has a syringe and a piston slidably inserted into the syringe, and further comprises a switching valve capable of switching the valve position between a first valve position connecting the storage container and the container and a second valve position connecting the container and the nozzle, a piston driving means for driving the piston, and a control device for controlling the operation of the stirring device, the switching valve and the piston driving means. The control device carries out the transfer process after or while stirring the magnetorheological fluid in the storage container, and in the transfer process, sets the switching valve to a first valve position and pulls the piston via the piston driving means to transfer the magnetorheological fluid in an amount sufficient to fill multiple devices from the storage container to the container, and in the supply process, sets the switching valve to a second valve position and pushes the piston via the piston driving means to supply the magnetorheological fluid from the container containing the magnetorheological fluid to the component through the nozzle.

[0029] A thirteenth aspect of the present invention relates to a production apparatus for a magnetorheological fluid device, and is the production apparatus of the eleventh aspect, wherein the container has a syringe and a piston slidably inserted into the syringe, and further comprises a first valve for opening and closing a flow path connecting the storage container and the container, a second valve for opening and closing a flow path from the container to the tip of the nozzle, a piston driving means for driving the piston, a delivery means for delivering a predetermined amount of the magnetorheological fluid from the container containing the magnetorheological fluid to the nozzle, and a control device for controlling the operation of the stirring device, the first valve, the second valve, the delivery means and the piston driving means. The control device carries out the transfer process after or while stirring the magnetorheological fluid in the storage container, and in the transfer process, opens the first valve, closes the second valve, and pulls the piston via the piston driving means to transfer the magnetorheological fluid in an amount sufficient to fill multiple devices from the storage container to the container, and in the supply process, closes the first valve, opens the second valve, and sends the magnetorheological fluid from the container to the nozzle via the delivery means, thereby supplying the magnetorheological fluid to the component through the nozzle.

[0030] According to the magnetorheological fluid device production apparatuses according to the eleventh to thirteenth aspects, the same effects as those of the magnetorheological fluid device production methods according to the first to eighth aspects can be obtained. [Effects of the Invention]

[0031] According to the present invention, when a constant amount of magnetorheological fluid is supplied to a component of a device before the magnetorheological fluid is filled, it is possible to reduce variations (errors) in the amount of magnetorheological fluid supplied. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0032] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a production apparatus for an MRF device according to first and third embodiments of the present invention. [Figure 2]FIG. 1 is a partially enlarged view of the MRF supply device with dripping liquid at the tip of the nozzle. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a method for producing an MRF device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an MRF device production apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an MRF device production apparatus according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an MRF device production apparatus according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an MRF device production apparatus according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0033] First Embodiment A method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device and a production apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device and the production apparatus 1 described in this and other embodiments are, among the many steps carried out to produce a magnetorheological fluid device, a method relating to steps subsequent to the step of supplying a magnetorheological fluid to the component parts of a device, which is the part of the magnetorheological fluid device excluding the magnetorheological fluid, and an apparatus used to carry out this method.

[0034] First, a production apparatus 1 used to carry out a method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device (MRF device) will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, the production apparatus 1 is composed of an MRF supply device 2, a weight measuring device 3, etc.

[0035] The MRF supply device 2 is composed of a storage container 5, an agitator 6, a transfer pipe 7, a container 20, a switching valve 22, a nozzle 23, a flow rate detector 8, a control device 10, and the like.

[0036] The storage container 5 contains the MRF 13 to be supplied to the component 12 of the device (hereinafter simply referred to as the "component 12"), which is the portion of the MRF device excluding the MRF. The MRF device is completed when the component 12 to which the MRF has been supplied is assembled. The MRF device is configured such that the MRF is interposed between components, and a force corresponding to the strength of the magnetic field applied to the MRF is transmitted between the components.

[0037] The agitator 6 is a device that agitates the MRF 13 in the storage container 5, and is mainly composed of an agitator blade 14, a shaft 15, a motor 16, etc. The agitator blade 14 is rotatably disposed in the storage container 5, and is rotated by the motor 16 via the shaft 15. In this embodiment, the drive of the motor 16 is controlled by the control device 10.

[0038] The base end of the transfer pipe 7 is in communication with the bottom of the storage container 5, and the MRF 13 in the storage container 5 is transferred to the container 20 through the transfer pipe 7.

[0039] The container 20 has a syringe 20a having a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and a piston 20b slidably inserted into the syringe 20a. The syringe 20a can contain an amount of MRF 13A that can fill multiple devices.

[0040] Piston 20b is moved up and down by actuator 24, which is a piston driving means. The drive of actuator 24 is controlled by control device 10. Piston 20b is pulled by actuator 24 and moved upward relative to container 20, whereby MRF 13 is transferred from storage container 5 into container 20.

[0041] In this embodiment, a three-position switching valve is used as the switching valve 22. When the switching valve 22 is in a first valve position, the transfer pipe 7 and the container 20 are connected to each other, and the flow path connecting the container 20 to the nozzle 23 is closed. When the switching valve 22 is in a second valve position, the container 20 and the nozzle 23 are connected to each other, and the flow path connecting the transfer pipe 7 and the container 20 is closed. When the switching valve 22 is in a third valve position, the flow path connecting the container 20 to the nozzle 23 is closed, and the flow path connecting the transfer pipe 7 and the container 20 is closed. The switching valve 22 is not particularly limited and may be configured to switch the flow paths of a three-way cock or the like. The switching position of the switching valve 22 is controlled by a switching valve actuator (not shown) driven based on a command from the control device 10. In this embodiment, the switching valve 22 is built into the bottom of the container 20.

[0042] The nozzle 23 is attached to the bottom of the container 20. When the MRF 13A is transferred into the container 20 and the piston 20b is pushed into the syringe 20a while the switching valve 22 is communicating between the container 20 and the nozzle 23, the MRF 13A in the container 20 is sent to the nozzle 23 and supplied to the component 12. A flow path having a constant cross-sectional area is formed inside the nozzle 23.

[0043] The flow rate detector 8 is provided to detect the flow rate of the MRF passing through the nozzle 23. The flow rate detector 8 detects the amount (volume) of the MRF that has passed through the nozzle 23. In this embodiment, the flow rate detector 8 transmits information about the flow rate of the MRF that has passed through the nozzle 23 to the control device 10.

[0044] The control device 10 controls the valve position of the switching valve 22, the drive of the actuator 24, the drive of the motor 16, and the like based on various input information.

[0045] The weight measuring device 3 measures the weight of the MRF supplied to the component 12. In this embodiment, the weight measuring device 3 measures the weight obtained by subtracting a predetermined weight from the weight of the component 12 to which the MRF has been supplied as the weight of the MRF supplied to the component 12. Here, the predetermined weight is the weight of the component 12 in a state where the MRF has not been supplied, and is registered in advance in the weight measuring device 3. The weight measured individually by the weight measuring device 3 before the MRF is supplied may also be used as the predetermined weight. By individually measuring the predetermined weight, it is possible to suppress the influence of variations in the weight of the component 12 before the MRF is supplied on the measurement result of the weight of the MRF. The weight measurement result is displayed on the display unit 3a of the weight measuring device 3, and information on the weight measurement result is transmitted to the control device 10.

[0046] It is desirable that the materials of the storage container 5, transfer pipe 7, syringe 20a and piston 20b of container 20, stirring blade 14, shaft 15, etc. be non-magnetic so as not to affect the magnetic particles in the MRF.

[0047] Next, the steps of the manufacturing method for the magnetorheological fluid device will be described.

[0048] First, in the "MRF preparation process," magnetic particles and a dispersion medium are mixed in a preparation container (not shown), and an MRF is prepared so that the magnetic particle content is a predetermined value while measuring the specific gravity (volume and weight). It is assumed that the particle size distribution of the magnetic particles contained in the prepared MRF is the same each time. After powering on the control device 10, the prepared MRF is transferred to the storage container 5. Note that, in the initial state upon powering on, the control device 10 controls the valve position of the switching valve 22 to the third valve position.

[0049] Next, in the "transfer step," the MRF13 is stirred in the storage container 5 for a predetermined time, and then, preferably while continuing to stir the MRF13, the MRF13 in the storage container 5 is transferred to the container 20. At this time, the amount of MRF13 transferred to the container 20 is an amount that can be filled into multiple devices plus a margin. The margin will be explained later.

[0050] In this embodiment, when a user performs a predetermined operation on the operation unit of the control device 10 (for example, pressing a start button), the motor 16 of the agitator 6 rotates, and the agitator blade 14 rotating together with the motor 16 agitates the MRF 13 in the storage container 5, dispersing the magnetic particles in the storage container 5. Then, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of agitation, the control device 10 switches the valve position of the switching valve 22 from the third valve position to the first valve position, opening the flow path between the transfer pipe 7 and the container 20 to establish communication (S11). Next, the control device 10 drives the actuator 24 to raise the piston 20b, thereby transferring the MRF from the storage container 5 to the container 20 through the transfer pipe 7 (S12).

[0051] Thereafter, when piston 20b rises to a predetermined position and a predetermined amount of MRF is transferred to container 20, control device 10 stops actuator 24 from moving piston 20b up, and further switches switching valve 22 from the first valve position to the third valve position to close the flow path connecting transfer pipe 7 and container 20 (S13). As a result, the transfer of MRF from storage container 5 to container 20 stops.

[0052] Next, the "supply pre-treatment process" is carried out. The "supply pre-treatment process" is carried out after the "transfer process" is carried out and before the first "supply process" is carried out. The specific contents of the "supply pre-treatment process" will be described in detail later.

[0053] Next, in the "supplying step," a predetermined amount of MRF 13A in container 20 is supplied to components 12. The supplying step is performed multiple times each time the transfer step is performed once. During the multiple supplying steps, MRF is supplied to the number of components 12 required to configure multiple devices. The number of supplying steps performed for each component 12 is not particularly limited, and the supplying step may be performed once for each component 12, or multiple times for each component 12.

[0054] In this embodiment, when a user performs a predetermined operation on the operation unit of the control device 10, the control device 10 switches the valve position of the switching valve 22 from the third valve position to the second valve position, thereby opening the flow path between the nozzle 23 and the container 20 and establishing communication (S31). Furthermore, the control device 10 drives the actuator 24 to lower the piston 20b, thereby sending the MRF 13A from the container 20 to the nozzle 23 and supplying the MRF 13A to the components 12 through the nozzle 23 (S32). A specified value (specified amount) of MRF is supplied to each component 12 by performing one or more supply steps. That is, the specified value (specified amount) of MRF may be supplied to one component 12 by performing one supply step, or the specified value (specified amount) of MRF may be supplied to one component 12 by performing multiple supply steps consecutively.

[0055] In the supply step, when the flow rate detector 8 detects that the amount of MRF that has passed through the nozzle 23 has reached a predetermined amount, the controller 10 stops the actuator 24 from lowering the piston 20b. Next, the controller 10 switches the valve position of the switching valve 22 from the second valve position to the third valve position to close the flow path connecting the nozzle 23 and the container 20 (S33). As a result, the supply of MRF 13A from the container 20 to the component 12 stops.

[0056] However, when MRF 13A is supplied continuously to a plurality of components 12, or when MRF 13A is supplied continuously to the same component 12, after the control device 10 detects with the flow rate detector 8 that the amount of MRF passing through the nozzle 23 has reached a predetermined amount, the control device 10 may temporarily stop the descent of the piston 20b by the actuator 24 and, without switching the valve position of the switching valve 22, continue to lower the piston 20b until it detects that the amount of MRF passing through the nozzle 23 has reached the predetermined amount. Then, after repeating this descent and temporary suspension of the piston 20b a certain number of times, the control device 10 may switch the valve position of the switching valve 22 to close the flow path connecting the nozzle 23 and the container 20. Note that the amount of MRF 13A supplied to the component 12 in one supply step may be extremely small (for example, a few ml or less).

[0057] Next, in the "weight measurement process", the weight of the specified amount of MRF supplied to the component 12 is measured by the weight measuring device 3. In this embodiment, the measured weight is displayed on the display unit 3a of the weight measuring device 3, and measurement result information is sent to the control device 10.

[0058] Next, in the "selection process," components whose weights measured in the "weight measurement process" for the MRF supplied to the component 12 are within a predetermined tolerance range relative to a pre-calculated specified value for the MRF weight are selected as those that meet the quality standards. The selected components are assembled to complete an MRF-filled MRF device, which is then shipped as a finished product. The specified value for the weight of the MRF is a value calculated in advance based on the specified value for the specific gravity of the MRF supplied to the component 12 and the specified amount of MRF supplied to the component 12. The specified value for the specific gravity and the specified amount of MRF supplied to the component 12 are both design values ​​determined by the MRF device designer or other personnel so that the MRF device will perform as expected. By calculating the specified value for the weight of the MRF supplied to the component 12 in advance, the magnetic particle content in the MRF can be controlled based on the variation in the weight of the MRF supplied to the component 12.

[0059] The production apparatus 1 performs multiple supply steps consecutively for each transfer step. However, dripping 13B of the MRF 13A may occur at the tip of the nozzle 23 before the supply step. When the production apparatus 1 is used repeatedly, dripping 13B is likely to occur, particularly before the first supply step after the transfer step. When the production apparatus 1 is used, a cycle is defined as a cycle in which the production apparatus 1 performs a single transfer step, multiple supply steps, and then a cycle before the transfer step is performed again. The inventors conducted a test in which the cycle was repeatedly performed. From the results, they found that dripping 13B is likely to occur before the first supply step after the transfer step. If dripping 13B occurs at the tip of the nozzle 23, dripping 13B is also supplied to the component 12. Therefore, more MRF 13A than the amount delivered from the container 20 to the nozzle 23 is supplied to the component 12. In this specification, the first supply step performed after the transfer step is also referred to simply as the “first supply step” or the “first supply step.”

[0060] For this reason, a "supply pre-treatment process" is performed before the first supply process after the transfer process. In the "supply pre-treatment process," a drip removal process is performed to discard the MRF present inside and / or at the tip of the nozzle 23 in order to eliminate the effects of drip 13B. In this embodiment, a drip removal process is performed by discarding the MRF 13A. The discard process is a process in which the MRF 13A inside the container 20 is discharged to the outside through the nozzle 23. By discarding, the drip 13B is discharged together with the MRF 13A, and the tip of the nozzle 23 is left free of drip 13B.

[0061] When the MRF 13A is to be discarded, a discard container (not shown) or the like for receiving the discarded MRF 13A is placed below the nozzle 23, rather than placing the component 12 below the nozzle 23. The nozzle 23 may be moved above the discard container or to a discard location. The discarded MRF 13A can also be collected and reused.

[0062] After the transfer step, in order to perform the trial injection, the control device 10 switches the valve position of the switching valve 22 from the third valve position to the second valve position, opening the flow path between the nozzle 23 and the container 20 to establish communication (S21). The control device 10 then drives the actuator 24 to lower the piston 20b, and the MRF 13A in the container 20 is injected into the trial injection container through the nozzle 23 (S22). The control device 10 then switches the valve position of the switching valve 22 from the second valve position to the third valve position, closing the flow path between the container 20 and the nozzle 23, thereby completing the trial injection (S23). Thereafter, the control device 10 again switches the valve position of the switching valve 22 from the third valve position to the second valve position, and performs the first supply step.

[0063] The amount of MRF dispensed as a dummy discharge may be equal to or greater than the amount of drip 13B expected to occur at the tip of the nozzle 23. For example, the shape of the drip 13B formed at the tip of the nozzle 23 is assumed to be as shown in FIG. 2, and the volume of a sphere having the diameter of the flow path of the nozzle 23 is calculated as the amount of drip 13B. The amount of drip 13B is then set based on the volume of the sphere. In this case, the amount of drip 13B dispensed may be set to a value equal to or greater than the volume of the sphere. The amount of drip 13B may be determined, for example, by performing multiple supply processes in advance, measuring the amount of drip 13B formed at the tip of the nozzle 23 multiple times, and calculating the average value, or by photographing the drip 13B formed and calculating the volume based on the images of the multiple drips 13B. In addition to the amount of drip 13B, the amount of MRF 13A dispensed to the component 12 in one supply process may also be used as the dummy discharge amount.

[0064] In this embodiment, the amount of MRF 13A transferred to container 20 in the transfer step is an amount that can be used for multiple supply steps plus a one-time dump amount as a margin. Therefore, the number of supply steps N that can be performed by MRF 13A housed in container 20 is set based on the maximum capacity of container 20 and the dump amount, which is the margin. The amount of MRF supplied in one supply step is a ml, the maximum capacity of container 20 is A ml, and the dump amount is X1 ml, and the natural number obtained from Equation 1 is the number of supply steps N.

[0065]

number

[0066] When the number of supply steps N is determined by Equation 1, the waste injection amount X1 ml becomes a surplus amount. If the calculation result of Equation 1 shows no surplus or only a small surplus, the sum of the amount of MRF13A supplied in N supply steps and the surplus amount will approximately match the maximum capacity A ml of the container 20. In this case, to avoid being unable to supply a ml of MRF13A in the final supply step, the surplus amount may be increased in advance.

[0067] 3, in this embodiment, one cycle consists of a transfer step, a supply step N times in succession, and then a process before another transfer step is performed. In this way, the number of supply steps N and the surplus amount are set, and once one cycle is completed, a transfer step is performed again to transfer MRF from storage container 5 to container 20. Then, once the MRF has been transferred to container 20, a new supply step is started, but a trial injection is performed before the first supply step.

[0068] The margin amount may be increased by determining the number of supply steps N1 using the following formula 2. The number of supply steps N1 obtained by formula 2 is the number N obtained by formula 1 minus 1. By determining the number of supply steps N1 using formula 2, the margin amount becomes the sum of the waste injection amount X1 ml and the supply amount a ml of one supply step. By determining the number of supply steps N1 in this way, the margin amount can be increased and a shortage of MRF13A supplied in the final supply step can be prevented.

[0069]

number

[0070] If there is a remainder when calculating the number of supply steps N using Equation 1, the amount of magnetorheological fluid transferred in the transfer step, when calculated as the sum of the amount of MRF13A supplied in N supply steps and the surplus amount, will be less than the maximum capacity A ml of container 20. Therefore, in order to prevent an insufficient amount of supply to component 12 in the final supply step, the remainder in Equation 1 may be added to the surplus amount, and the amount of MRF13 transferred from storage container 5 to container 20 in the transfer step may be set to the maximum capacity A ml of container 20.

[0071] In this embodiment, assuming that drips 13B will occur before the first supply step after the transfer step, a trial run is performed as a drip removal process before the first supply step after the transfer step. However, in case drips 13B occur during repeated supply steps due to environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, etc.) and the properties of the magnetorheological fluid (particle concentration, particle size, viscosity, etc.), a trial run may be performed before the second or subsequent supply step performed after the transfer step and the first supply step (here, "before the supply step" means after the previous supply step of the relevant supply step and before the relevant supply step is performed). In this case, the method for performing the drip removal process may be determined by, for example, predicting the timing of the occurrence of drips 13B based on past experience when drips 13B are observed. Furthermore, the drip removal process is not limited to trial run, and a process other than trial run may also be used as a drip removal process. For example, the nozzle 23 may be replaced with a new nozzle 23 that does not produce drips 13B, or the drips 13B may be physically removed.

[0072] According to the above-described magnetorheological fluid device production method and production apparatus 1, the amount of MRF supplied from container 20 to components 12 in multiple supply steps after the transfer step is kept constant, with less variation due to reduced effects of dripping 13B. Furthermore, simply by measuring the weight of the MRF supplied to components 12, it becomes possible to supply each component 12 with a constant amount of MRF necessary to control the magnetic particle content in the MRF.

[0073] In addition, the specified value of the weight of the MRF supplied to the component 12 is set based on the specified value of the specific gravity of the MRF. Since there is usually little error in the specific gravity of the solvent contained in the MRF, the specific gravity of the MRF (density of the MRF) is set based on the density of water (1.0 g / cm 3 ) is large, the proportion of magnetic particles contained in the MRF is high, and the specific gravity of the MRF is low, the proportion of magnetic particles contained in the MRF is low. Therefore, if the weight of the MRF supplied to the component 12 is measured and managed so that it is within a predetermined error range from the specified value, the variation in the force transmitted between the components of the MRF device can be reduced, increasing the likelihood that the MRF device will perform as designed. Note that the particle size distribution of the magnetic particles contained in the MRF supplied to the component 12 can also affect the magnitude of the force transmitted between the components of the MRF device. However, since it is relatively easy to maintain a constant particle size distribution of the magnetic particles contained in the MRF when fabricating the MRF, this embodiment assumes that the particle size distribution of the magnetic particles contained in the MRF will be the same each time.

[0074] Furthermore, according to the above-described magnetorheological fluid device production method and production apparatus 1, rework is reduced and production costs can be reduced compared to when errors (deviation from the reference value of the force transmitted between components of the MRF device) are detected during finished product inspection of the MRF device.

[0075] Second Embodiment In the first embodiment, a trial injection is performed as a drip removal process, but it is also possible to remove the drip 13B generated at the tip of the nozzle 23 by an external means as a drip removal process.

[0076] A method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device and a production apparatus 1A according to a second embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIG. 4. First, the production apparatus 1A for an MRF device, which implements the method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device, will be described. The production apparatus 1A is composed of an MRF supply device 2A, a weight measuring device 3, and the like. In the following description, when the functions of the components constituting each part are the same as those in the production apparatus 1 described in the first embodiment, the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment will be used and the description will be omitted even if the shape, etc., is slightly different.

[0077] The MRF supply device 2A of this embodiment is composed of a storage container 5, a stirring device 6, a transfer pipe 7, a container 20, a switching valve 22, a nozzle 23, a flow rate detector 8, a control device 10, and a drip removal means 9. The weight measuring device 3 has the same configuration as in the first embodiment.

[0078] In this embodiment, the "MRF preparation step," "transfer step," "supply step," "weight measurement step," and "selection step" are performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment. After the transfer step, before the first supply step is performed, dripping 13B is removed using dripping removal means 9 as a dripping removal process, instead of the trial injection in the first embodiment.

[0079] The dripping removal means 9 may be any means capable of physically removing dripping 13B from the tip of the nozzle 23. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the dripping removal means 9 includes a dripping removal member 9a having a wedge-shaped pointed tip and a driving means 9b for driving the dripping removal member 9a. An example of the dripping removal member 9a is a spatula. The dripping removal member 9a is moved by the driving means 9b so that its pointed portion passes near the tip of the nozzle 23. At this time, it is desirable that the dripping removal member 9a be moved in a direction perpendicular to the discharge direction of the nozzle 23 (to the left in FIG. 4). The dripping removal member 9a moves near the tip of the nozzle 23, thereby removing dripping 13B from the tip of the nozzle 23. The dripping removal means 9 is always activated and performs an operation to remove dripping 13B before the first supplying step after the transferring step, regardless of whether dripping 13B actually occurs at the tip of the nozzle 23.

[0080] In the dripping removal means 9, a rag or the like for wiping off dripping 13B may be used instead of the dripping removal member 9a. In this case, the rag or the like may be passed near the tip of the nozzle 23 by the driving means 9b to wipe off dripping 13B. Alternatively, a means for blowing air onto dripping 13B at the tip of the nozzle 23 may be used as the dripping removal means.

[0081] When removing drips 13B with drip removing means 9, if there is a risk that the removed drips 13B will fall downward, the removed drips 13B are prevented from entering component 12. For example, after removal of drips 13B is complete, component 12 is positioned below nozzle 23. Alternatively, drips 13B may be removed at a different location, and after removal of drips 13B is complete, nozzle 23 may be moved above component 12.

[0082] In order to remove dripping 13B, after the transfer step, the control device 10 sets the valve position of the switching valve 22 to the third valve position, drives the drive means 9b to pass the tip of the dripping removing member 9a near the tip of the nozzle 23, thereby removing dripping 13B from the tip of the nozzle 23, and then returns the dripping removing member 9a to its original position. Once removal of dripping 13B by the dripping removing means 9 has been completed in this manner, the control device 10 switches the valve position of the switching valve 22 from the third valve position to the second valve position, and performs the first supply step.

[0083] In this embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, no waste injection is performed, so it is possible not to set a margin when setting the number of supply processes. However, it is preferable to set a margin to prevent the amount of MRF supplied to the component 12 from being insufficient for some reason in the final supply process. The margin may be the amount of MRF supplied in one supply process. Alternatively, the margin may be the amount of MRF 13A remaining in the container 20 after transferring MRF 13 from the storage container 5 to the maximum capacity of the container 20 and performing multiple supply processes.

[0084] In this embodiment, the dripping 13B is removed by the dripping removing means 9 before the first supply step among the multiple supply steps performed after the transfer step. However, the dripping 13B may also be removed by the dripping removing means 9 immediately before any one or more supply steps performed after the second supply step among the multiple supply steps performed after the transfer step. In this case, the control device 10 has a means for receiving an instruction from a user and storing a setting for activating the dripping removing means 9 immediately before any one or more supply steps among the second and subsequent supply steps after the transfer step, and activates the dripping removing means 9 before the second or subsequent supply steps after the transfer step according to the stored setting. For example, after activating the dripping removing means 9, the dripping removing means 9 can be activated once every four or five supply steps.

[0085] According to the above-described method and apparatus 1A for producing a magnetorheological fluid device, by physically removing dripping 13B, it is possible to reduce the variation in the amount of MRF supplied to component 12 in each supply process and make it a constant amount. Furthermore, since the weight of MRF supplied to component 12 is measured and controlled so that it falls within a predetermined error range from a specified value, the same effects as those of the first embodiment are achieved.

[0086] <Third embodiment> In the second embodiment, among the multiple supply steps performed after the transfer step, in order to prevent the amount of MRF supplied to component 12 in the first supply step from being greater than the amount of MRF supplied to component 12 in the second or subsequent supply steps, drip removal means 9 is operated to remove drip 13B from the tip of nozzle 23 as a "pre-supply treatment step." However, it is also possible to omit the drip removal treatment (pre-supply treatment step) and adjust the amount of MRF delivered from container 20 to nozzle 23 to provide an appropriate amount of MRF to component 12. Specifically, among the multiple supply steps performed after the transfer step, the amount of MRF supplied to component 12 can be adjusted by adjusting the amount of movement of piston 20b in the first supply step.

[0087] A method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device and a production apparatus 1 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Fig. 1. The method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device according to the third embodiment can be implemented by using the production apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, in which the amount by which the control device 10 moves the piston 20b is different between the first supply step and the second and subsequent supply steps. Therefore, a description of the production apparatus 1 will be omitted in the description of this embodiment.

[0088] In this embodiment, the "MRF preparation process," "transfer process," "weight measurement process," and "selection process" are performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment, but the "supply pretreatment process" is not performed. Regarding the "supply process," the amount of MRF sent from the container 20 to the nozzle 23 is adjusted when the first supply process is performed after the transfer process, and for the second and subsequent supply processes, the amount of MRF sent from the container 20 to the nozzle 23 is set to a predetermined amount.

[0089] In this embodiment, to determine the optimal adjustment amount for the amount of MRF delivered from the container 20 to the nozzle 23 during the initial supply step, the production apparatus 1 is first used to perform multiple cycles, from the transfer step to multiple supply steps, and the amount of MRF actually delivered to the component 12 during each supply step is measured. At this time, a predetermined amount of MRF is delivered from the container 20 to the nozzle 23 and supplied to the component 12 without any process such as bleed-in or drip removal. The average amount of MRF delivered to the component 12 during the initial supply step after the transfer step in each cycle is then calculated. Because the amount of MRF delivered from the container 20 to the nozzle 23 during each supply step is controlled to be a predetermined amount, the adjustment amount is determined by calculating the difference between the average amount of MRF delivered during the initial supply step and the predetermined amount.

[0090] Another method for calculating the adjustment amount is to determine in advance the difference between the amount of MRF discharged from the nozzle 23 during the first supply step after the transfer step and the average amount of MRF discharged from the nozzle 23 during the second and subsequent supply steps. For example, using the production apparatus 1, multiple supply steps are performed consecutively after the transfer step, and the amount of MRF actually supplied to the component 12 during each supply step is measured. During this process, a predetermined amount of MRF is sent from the container 20 to the nozzle 23 and supplied to the component 12 without any process such as bleed-off or drip removal. Furthermore, the supply step is performed only once for each component 12. Then, based on the measurement data of the amount of MRF supplied to the component 12, the average amount of MRF supplied to each component 12 during the second through final supply steps is calculated, and the difference between the amount of MRF supplied to the component 12 during the first supply step and the average amount during the second and subsequent supply steps is calculated and used as the adjustment amount. In addition, in order to obtain measurement data for calculating the adjustment amount, it is also possible to carry out a transfer process using the production device 1, carry out the supply process multiple times in succession, and then carry out the cycle multiple times before carrying out the transfer process again, calculate multiple differences between the average value of the second and subsequent supply processes and the amount of MRF in the first supply process, and use the average value of the multiple differences as the adjustment amount.

[0091] If drip 13B occurs at the tip of nozzle 23 during the initial supply step, the MRF actually supplied to component 12 will include the MRF that formed drip 13B. Therefore, a larger amount of MRF will be supplied to component 12 than the amount of MRF delivered from container 20 to nozzle 23 by movement of piston 20b. Therefore, using the adjustment amount, an adjustment is made to reduce the amount of MRF delivered from container 20 to nozzle 23 during the initial supply step after the transfer step. In this embodiment, the amount of MRF delivered from container 20 to nozzle 23 during the initial supply step is reduced from a predetermined amount by the adjustment amount. Specifically, the movement amount of piston 20b during the initial supply step is reduced by an amount corresponding to the adjustment amount compared to the movement amount of piston 20b during the second or subsequent supply steps. By making such an adjustment, the amount of MRF actually delivered to component 12 during the initial supply step is close to the predetermined amount. Thus, in this embodiment, the amount of MRF delivered from the container 20 to the nozzle 23 in the first supply process is less than the amount of MRF delivered from the container 20 to the nozzle 23 in the second or subsequent supply processes, but the amounts of MRF actually delivered to the component 12 in the first and second or subsequent supply processes are similar values.

[0092] In this embodiment, the amount of MRF supplied to component 12 due to dripping 13B in the first supply step after the transfer step, which increases and causes variations, is reduced by adjusting the amount of MRF delivered from container 20 to nozzle 23 based on actually measured data. Because the adjustment amount is calculated using actually measured data, even if the amount of MRF supplied to component 12 increases due to a cause other than dripping 13B, the amount of MRF can be adjusted to a predetermined amount, thereby reducing variations.

[0093] <Fourth embodiment> In the second embodiment, among the multiple supply steps performed after the transfer step, in order to prevent the amount of MRF supplied to the component 12 in the first supply step from being greater than the amount of MRF supplied to the component 12 in the second or subsequent supply steps, the dripping removal means 9 is operated to remove dripping 13B from the tip of the nozzle 23 as a "pre-supply treatment step." However, even if dripping 13B does not occur at the tip of the nozzle 23 before the first supply step, the dripping removal means 9 is operated. However, it is also possible to operate the dripping removal means 9 to remove dripping 13B only when dripping 13B occurs.

[0094] A method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device and a production apparatus 1B according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIG. 5. First, the production apparatus 1B for an MRF device that implements the method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device will be described. The production apparatus 1B is composed of an MRF supply device 2B, a weight measuring device 3, and the like. In the following description, when the functions of the components constituting each part are the same as those in the production apparatus 1A described in the second embodiment, the same reference numerals as in the second embodiment will be used and the description will be omitted even if the shape, etc., is slightly different.

[0095] 5, the MRF supply device 2B of this embodiment is composed of a storage container 5, a stirring device 6, a transfer pipe 7, a container 20, a switching valve 22, a nozzle 23, a flow rate detector 8, a control device 10, a drip removal means 9B, a drip observation means 90, etc. The weight measuring device 3 has the same configuration as in the first to third embodiments.

[0096] In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5, a dripping removal means 9B equipped with an air jetting port 91 is used to perform the dripping removal process. The dripping removal means 9B sprays air from the jetting port 91 toward the tip of the nozzle 23 to remove the dripping 13B. The dripping removal means 9B is controlled by the control device 10. When removing the dripping 13B, care is taken to prevent the removed dripping 13B from entering the component 12.

[0097] The drip observation means 90 is a means for observing drip 13B at the tip of the nozzle 23 before the supply process. For example, a photoelectric sensor, a camera, etc. can be used as the drip observation means 90. The control device 10 controls and operates the drip observation means 90 before each supply process.

[0098] In this embodiment, the "MRF preparation process," "transfer process," "supply process," "weight measurement process," and "selection process" are performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment. Before performing each supply process, the control device 10 sets the valve position of the switching valve 22 to the third valve position and activates the drip observation means 90. If the drip observation means 90 observes the occurrence of a drip 13B at the tip of the nozzle 23, the drip observation means 90 transmits the observation of the drip 13B to the control device 10. The control device 10 then activates the drip removal means 9B to inject air from the injection port 91 toward the drip 13B at the tip of the nozzle 23 for a certain period of time, thereby removing the drip 13B. Once the removal of the drip 13B is complete, the control device 10 switches the valve position of the switching valve 22 from the third valve position to the second valve position and performs the supply process.

[0099] If dripping 13B is not observed by the dripping observation means 90 when the dripping observation means 90 is operated before the supply step, the control device 10 switches the valve position of the switching valve 22 from the third valve position to the second valve position and carries out the supply step. The control device 10 can also record data such as the number of times dripping 13B is observed (the number of times the dripping removal means 9B is operated). The control device 10 can also operate the dripping observation means 90 and the dripping removal means 9B while the valve position of the switching valve 22 is left in the second valve position without switching it to the third valve position.

[0100] In this embodiment, unlike the first embodiment, no waste injection is performed, so it is possible not to set a margin when determining the number of supply steps. However, it is preferable to set a margin to prevent the amount of MRF supplied to the component 12 from being insufficient for some reason in the final supply step. The margin may be the amount of MRF supplied in one supply step. Alternatively, the margin may be the amount of MRF 13A remaining in the container 20 after transferring MRF 13 from the storage container 5 to the maximum capacity of the container 20 and performing multiple supply steps.

[0101] In this embodiment, when drip 13B is detected by drip observation means 90, drip 13B is removed by drip removal means 9B, but drip 13B can also be removed by a dummy injection instead of drip removal means 9B. In this case, the amount of MRF to be dummy injected should be set to be equal to or greater than the amount of drip 13B. Also, removal means 9 of the second embodiment can be used instead of removal means 9B.

[0102] In this embodiment, dripping 13B is removed only when it occurs, thereby efficiently reducing variation in the amount of MRF supplied to component 12 in each supply process and making it constant. Furthermore, even if dripping 13B occurs at a timing other than the expected timing due to environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, etc.) or the properties of the magnetorheological fluid (particle concentration, particle size, viscosity, etc.), dripping 13B can be reliably removed. In this way, the weight of MRF supplied to component 12 is measured and managed so that it falls within a predetermined error range from the specified value, thereby achieving the same advantageous effects as those of the first embodiment.

[0103] Fifth Embodiment In the fourth embodiment, when dripping 13B is observed by the drip observation means 90, drip removal processing is performed by the drip removal means 9B, but it is also possible to reduce the variation in the amount of MRF supplied to the component 12 by not performing drip removal processing when dripping is observed by the drip observation means 90 and instead reducing the amount of MRF sent from the container 20 to the nozzle 23.

[0104] A method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device and a production apparatus 1C according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to FIG. 6. First, the production apparatus 1C for an MRF device, which implements the method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device, will be described. The production apparatus 1C has a configuration similar to that of the production apparatus 1B of the fourth embodiment, except that it does not include the drip removal means 9B, and is composed of an MRF supply device 2C, a weight measuring device 3, and the like. In the following description, if the functions of the components constituting each part are the same as those in the production apparatus 1B described in the fourth embodiment, they will be denoted by the same reference numerals as in the fourth embodiment, even if the shape, etc., is slightly different, and further description will be omitted.

[0105] 6, the MRF supply device 2C of this embodiment is composed of a storage container 5, a stirring device 6, a transfer pipe 7, a container 20, a switching valve 22, a nozzle 23, a flow rate detector 8, a control device 10, and a drip monitoring means 90. The weight measuring device 3 has the same configuration as in the first to third embodiments.

[0106] The drip observation means 90 is a means for observing drip 13B at the tip of the nozzle 23 before the supply process. For example, a photoelectric sensor, a camera, etc. can be used as the drip observation means 90. The control device 10 controls and operates the drip observation means 90 before each supply process.

[0107] In this embodiment, the "MRF preparation process," "transfer process," "weight measurement process," and "selection process" are performed in the same manner as in the fourth embodiment. The "supply process" is performed by adjusting the amount of MRF sent from the container 20 to the nozzle 23 depending on whether or not dripping 13B is observed by the drip observation means 90.

[0108] In this embodiment, before each supply step is performed, the control device 10 sets the valve position of the switching valve 22 to the third valve position and activates the drip observation means 90. When the drip observation means 90 observes the occurrence of drip 13B at the tip of the nozzle 23, the drip observation means 90 transmits the observation of drip 13B to the control device 10. The control device 10 then switches the valve position of the switching valve 22 from the third valve position to the second valve position and performs the supply step. At this time, the amount of MRF delivered from the container 20 to the nozzle 23 is reduced from a predetermined amount to prevent the amount of MRF supplied to the component 12 from increasing above a predetermined amount due to drip 13B.

[0109] If dripping 13B is not observed by dripping observation means 90, control device 10 switches the valve position of switching valve 22 from the third valve position to the second valve position, performs the supply step, and delivers a predetermined amount of MRF from container 20 to nozzle 23 to supply MRF to component 12. The dripping observation means 90 may be activated after the valve position of switching valve 22 is switched from the third valve position to the second valve position. In this case, after dripping 13B has been observed by dripping observation means 90, the supply step is performed with switching valve 22 remaining in the second valve position.

[0110] When drip 13B is observed by drip observation means 90, the amount of MRF delivered from container 20 to nozzle 23 during the supply process can be set to a predetermined amount minus the amount of drip 13B expected to occur at the tip of nozzle 23, or an amount close to this amount. For example, assuming that drip 13B has the shape shown in FIG. 6 as the shape of drip 13B formed at the tip of nozzle 23, and assuming the volume of a sphere having the diameter of the flow path of nozzle 23 as the amount of drip 13B, the volume of the sphere is calculated, and the calculated volume of the sphere is set as the amount by which the predetermined amount is subtracted. Alternatively, the amount of drip 13B can be determined by, for example, performing the supply process multiple times in advance, measuring the amount of drip 13B formed at the tip of nozzle 23 multiple times, and calculating the average value, or by photographing the drip 13B that has occurred and calculating the volume based on the images of the multiple drips 13B, and then calculating the average value.

[0111] In this embodiment, since the amount of MRF delivered from the container 20 to the nozzle 23 is reduced when dripping 13B occurs, it is possible not to set a margin when setting the number of supply steps. However, it is preferable to set a margin to prevent the amount of MRF supplied to the component 12 from being insufficient for some reason in the final supply step. The margin may be the amount of MRF supplied in one supply step.

[0112] If one cycle is defined as a process in which a transfer step is performed once, followed by a supply step multiple times, and then a process before a transfer step is performed again, then in the transfer step of the first cycle, an amount of MRF sufficient to perform multiple supply steps plus a margin is transferred from storage container 5 to container 20. In this embodiment, during the transfer step of the second or subsequent cycle, the amount of MRF remaining in container 20 varies depending on the number of times the amount of MRF delivered from container 20 to nozzle 23 was reduced from a predetermined amount in the supply step of the previous cycle. Therefore, in the transfer step of the second or subsequent cycle, a different amount of MRF must be transferred to container 20 than in the transfer step of the first cycle. Therefore, in this embodiment, the liquid level of MRF 13A in container 20 after the transfer step of the first cycle is used to control the amount of MRF transferred from storage container 5 to container 20 during the transfer step of the second or subsequent cycle.

[0113] The control device 10 observes and stores the liquid level of the MRF 13A in the container 20 after the transfer step of the first cycle using a liquid level detection means or the like. As the liquid level detection means, a sensor or the like that measures the liquid level of the MRF 13A is provided in the syringe 20a of the container 20. Then, during the transfer step of the second or subsequent cycles, the control device 10 controls the drive of the actuator 24 until the liquid level of the MRF 13A in the container 20 reaches the liquid level after the transfer step of the first cycle, thereby transferring the MRF from the storage container 5 to the container 20. In this way, by utilizing the liquid level of the MRF 13A in the container 20, the required amount of MRF can be reliably transferred from the storage container 5 to the container 20 during the transfer step of the second or subsequent cycles.

[0114] According to the above-described method and apparatus 1C for producing a magnetorheological fluid device, even if dripping 13B occurs, no drip removal process is performed and the amount of MRF sent from container 20 to nozzle 23 is reduced, thereby eliminating the need to discharge excess MRF through waste injection or the like, and preventing excess consumption of MRF. Furthermore, the weight of MRF supplied to component 12 is measured and managed so that it falls within a predetermined error range from the specified value, thereby achieving the same effects as those of the first embodiment.

[0115] Sixth Embodiment In the above embodiments, the supply devices 2, 2A, and 2B each having a container 20 and a switching valve 22 are used, but it is also possible to use a supply device having a configuration other than the container 20 and the switching valve 22.

[0116] A method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device and a production apparatus 1D according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIG. 7. First, the production apparatus 1D for an MRF device, which implements the method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device, will be described. The production apparatus 1D is composed of an MRF supply device 2D, a weight measuring device 3, and the like. In the following description, when the functions of the components constituting each part are the same as those in the production apparatus 1 described in the first embodiment, the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment will be used and description thereof will be omitted even if the shape, etc., is slightly different.

[0117] The MRF supply device 2D of this embodiment is composed of a storage container 5, a stirring device 6, a transfer pipe 7D, a container 25, a first valve 27a, a second valve 27b, a nozzle 23, a flow rate detector 8, a sending means 26, a control device 10, and a drip monitoring means 90. The weight measuring device 3 has the same configuration as in the first to fifth embodiments.

[0118] The base end of transfer pipe 7D communicates with the bottom of storage container 5, and the tip end of transfer pipe 7D communicates with one end of container 25. MRF 13 in storage container 5 is transferred to container 25 through transfer pipe 7.

[0119] The container 25 has a syringe 25a having a cylindrical shape with a bottom, and a piston 25b slidably inserted into the syringe 25a. The syringe 25a can contain an amount of MRF 13A that can fill multiple devices.

[0120] Piston 25b is moved by actuator 24D, which is a piston driving means. Actuator 24D is controlled by control device 10. Piston 25b is pulled by actuator 24D and extracted to the right in FIG. 7 relative to container 25, whereby MRF 13 is transferred from storage container 5 into container 25.

[0121] The first valve 27a opens and closes the flow path from the transfer pipe 7D to the container 25. The second valve 27b opens and closes the flow path from the container 25 to the nozzle 23. The first valve 27a and the second valve 27b are opened and closed in response to commands from the control device 10.

[0122] The delivery means 26 is provided to supply the MRF 13A in the container 25 to the component 12. In this embodiment, a compressed air delivery means that delivers compressed air into the syringe 25a is used as the delivery means 26. The compressed air delivery means is attached to the syringe 25a. Note that the delivery means 26 is not limited to a compressed air delivery means as long as it can deliver the MRF 13A in the container 25 to the component 12. For example, the piston 25b can be used not only as a means for transferring the MRF 13 from the storage container 5 to the container 25 but also as the delivery means. When the piston 25b is used as the delivery means, the nozzle 23 and the second valve 27b are configured to be located on the side of the first valve 27a in FIG. 7 , and the MRF 13A can be supplied to the component 12 by moving the piston 25b leftward using the actuator 24D.

[0123] Nozzle 23 is attached to the other end side of container 25. A flow path having a constant cross-sectional area is formed inside nozzle 23. After MRF 13A has been transferred into container 25, first valve 27a is closed and second valve 27b is opened to connect container 25 and nozzle 23, and in this state, MRF 13A in container 25, which has been pressurized by compressed air supply means, is supplied to component 12 through nozzle 23.

[0124] The control device 10 controls the opening and closing of the first valve 27a and the second valve 27b, controls the sending means 26, controls the driving of the actuator 24D, controls the driving of the motor 16, and so on, based on various input information.

[0125] In this embodiment, the "MRF preparation step," "weight measurement step," and "selection step" are performed in the same manner as in the first embodiment. In the "transfer step" following the "MRF preparation step," the MRF 13 is stirred in the storage container 5 for a predetermined time, and then, preferably while continuing to stir, the MRF 13 in the storage container 5 is transferred to the container 25. At this time, the amount of MRF 13 transferred to the container 25 is the amount that can be supplied to the plurality of components 12 plus a margin.

[0126] In this embodiment, when a user performs a predetermined operation on the operation unit of the control device 10, the motor 16 of the agitator 6 rotates, and the agitator blade 14 rotating together with the motor 16 agitates the MRF 13 in the storage container 5. Then, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of agitation, the control device 10 opens the first valve 27a to connect the transfer pipe 7D to the container 25. At this time, the flow path connecting the nozzle 23 to the container 25 is closed by the second valve 27b. Next, the control device 10 drives the actuator 24D to move the piston 25b, thereby transferring the MRF from the storage container 5 to the container 25 through the transfer pipe 7D.

[0127] Thereafter, when piston 25b moves to a predetermined position and a predetermined amount of MRF is transferred to container 25, control device 10 stops the movement of piston 25b by actuator 24D, and further closes first valve 27a to close the flow path connecting transfer pipe 7D and container 25. This stops the transfer of MRF from storage container 5 to container 25.

[0128] Next, before each supply step is performed, the control device 10 operates the drip observation means 90 with the first valve 27a and the second valve 27b closed. If the drip observation means 90 observes that a drip 13B has occurred at the tip of the nozzle 23, the drip observation means 90 transmits the observation of the drip 13B to the control device 10. The control device 10 then performs a trial discharge of the MRF 13A as a drip removal process.

[0129] In this embodiment, to perform the test injection, the control device 10 opens the second valve 27b to connect the nozzle 23 to the container 25. The control device 10 then activates the compressed air supply means to supply compressed air into the container 25, and the MRF 13A in the container 25 is test injected into the test injection container through the nozzle 23. In this manner, the control device 10 closes the second valve 27b to complete the test injection. Thereafter, the control device 10 again opens the second valve 27b to perform the supply process. By the test injection, the drip 13B is discharged together with the MRF 13A, and the tip of the nozzle 23 is free of the drip 13B. As in the first embodiment, the amount of MRF to be test injected may be equal to or greater than the amount of drip 13B expected to occur at the tip of the nozzle 23.

[0130] Next, in the "supply step," a predetermined amount of MRF 13A in the container 25 is supplied to the components 12. The supply step is performed multiple times each time the transfer step is performed once. While the supply step is performed multiple times, the MRF is supplied to the number of components 12 required to configure multiple devices. The number of times the supply step is performed for each component 12 is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, the supply step is performed once for each component 12.

[0131] In this embodiment, when a user performs a predetermined operation on the operation unit of the control device 10, the control device 10 opens the second valve 27b to bring the nozzle 23 and the container 25 into communication. Furthermore, the control device 10 operates the compressed air supply means to supply compressed air into the container 25, and sends the MRF 13A in the container 25 to the nozzle 23, and supplies it to the components 12 through the nozzle 23. A specified value (specified amount) of MRF is supplied to each component 12 by performing one supply process.

[0132] In the supply step, when the flow rate detector 8 detects that the amount of MRF passing through the nozzle 23 has reached a predetermined amount, the control device 10 stops the compressed air supply means. Next, the control device 10 closes the second valve 27b to close the flow path connecting the nozzle 23 and the container 25. As a result, the supply of MRF 13A from the container 25 to the component 12 stops.

[0133] After the supplying step, a "weight measuring step" and a "selecting step" are carried out. In this embodiment, the "weight measuring step" and the "selecting step" are carried out in the same manner as in the first embodiment.

[0134] In this embodiment, since the number of trial shots is not fixed, it is necessary to set a surplus amount assuming that multiple trial shots will be performed. For example, assuming that a trial shot is performed before each supply process, the surplus amount may be the amount of MRF required to perform the same number of trial shots as the number of supply processes performed in one cycle. Alternatively, the surplus amount may be set based on data on the number of actual trial shots performed, assuming that the maximum number of trial shots will be performed in one cycle. The sum of the surplus amount set in this way and the amount of MRF required to perform multiple supply processes is the amount of MRF transferred from storage container 5 to container 25 in the transfer process.

[0135] According to the above-described magnetorheological fluid device production method and production apparatus 1D, a trial injection is performed when dripping is observed, so dripping 13B can be reliably removed even if the timing at which dripping is expected to occur changes depending on environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, etc.) and the properties of the magnetorheological fluid (particle concentration, particle size, viscosity, etc.). Furthermore, the amount of MRF supplied from container 25 to component 12 in multiple supply steps after the transfer step is kept constant, with less variation due to a reduced effect of dripping 13B.

[0136] Like the supply device 2D of this embodiment, the supply device of the production device can be configured in various forms, and regardless of the form of the supply device, by performing a test injection when dripping is observed, it is possible to reduce variation in the amount of MRF supplied to the component 12 in each supply process and maintain a constant amount. Furthermore, since the weight of the MRF supplied to the component 12 is measured and managed so that it falls within a predetermined error range from the specified value, the same effects as those of the first embodiment are achieved.

[0137] Seventh Embodiment In the first, second and fourth embodiments, the dripping removal means 9, 9B are used as a trial run for dripping removal processing, but it is also possible to replace the nozzle 23 with a new nozzle 23.

[0138] When the supplying step is performed multiple times in succession after the transferring step, a dripping removal process is performed before the first supplying step after the transferring step. In the dripping removal process, the nozzle 23 in which dripping 13B is occurring is replaced with a new nozzle 23. If dripping 13B is occurring in the nozzle 23, dripping 13B is removed along with the nozzle 23. In this case, dripping 13B is not occurring at the tip of the replaced nozzle 23, but MRF is also not present in the flow path inside the nozzle 23.

[0139] When MRF is supplied to component 12 through nozzle 23 during the supply process, the MRF accumulated in the flow path of nozzle 23 is supplied to component 12 along with the MRF delivered to nozzle 23 during each supply process. A portion of the newly delivered MRF accumulates in the flow path of nozzle 23. Because a constant amount of MRF always accumulates in the flow path of nozzle 23, the amount of MRF supplied to component 12 is not affected when consecutive supply processes are performed. However, when nozzle 23 is replaced, no MRF accumulates in the flow path of the new nozzle 23. Therefore, in the first supply process, some of the MRF delivered to nozzle 23 accumulates in the flow path of nozzle 23 and is not supplied to component 12. Therefore, in the supply process after nozzle 23 replacement, a predetermined amount of MRF equivalent to the amount of MRF in the flow path of nozzle 23 must be added and delivered from container 20 to nozzle 23. The amount of MRF to be added can be easily calculated from the diameter and length of the flow path in nozzle 23. In this way, if the amount of MRF sent from the container 20 to the nozzle 23 in the supply process after the nozzle 23 is replaced is increased, it is possible to use the nozzle 23 as a drip removal process to remove drips.

[0140] Eighth Embodiment In the production devices 1, 1A, and 1B of the first to fifth embodiments, a piston 20b is used as a configuration for transferring MRF from the storage container 5 to the container 20 and supplying the MRF from the container 20 to the component 12, but this is not limited to the piston 20b. Each time a supply process is performed in the container 20, compressed air may be supplied to send the MRF in the container 20 from the container 20 to the nozzle 23, and the MRF may be supplied to the component 12 through the nozzle 23.

[0141] Ninth Embodiment In the embodiment described above, the amount (volume) of MRF delivered from container 20 to nozzle 23 is detected by flow detector 8. However, instead of this, it is also possible to use a configuration in which a fixed amount of MRF is supplied to component 12 each time without measuring the amount (volume) of MRF using flow detector 8 or the like.

[0142] Tenth Embodiment In the embodiment described above, the weight of the MRF supplied to the component 12 is measured by measuring the component 12 after the MRF has been supplied using the weight measuring device 3. However, instead of this, it is also possible to measure the container 20 before and after supplying the MRF to the component 12, and measure the weight of the MRF supplied to the component 12 based on the amount of weight loss of the MRF in the container 20.

[0143] The above-described embodiment includes the following technical ideas.

[0144] <Additional Notes> A method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device in which a magnetorheological fluid is interposed between members and a force corresponding to the strength of a magnetic field applied to the magnetorheological fluid is transmitted between the members, the method comprising: a transfer step of transferring the magnetorheological fluid from a storage container to a container; and a supply step of supplying the magnetorheological fluid to components of a device that are the parts of the magnetorheological fluid device excluding the magnetorheological fluid, In the transferring step, after stirring the magnetorheological fluid in the storage container or while stirring the magnetorheological fluid, an amount of the magnetorheological fluid that can be applied to the plurality of devices is transferred from the storage container to the container; In the supplying step, a predetermined amount of the magnetorheological fluid is sent from the container containing the magnetorheological fluid to a nozzle attached to the container, thereby supplying the magnetorheological fluid to the component of the device through the nozzle; each time the transfer step is performed once, the supply step is performed a plurality of times to supply the magnetorheological fluid to the number of component members necessary to configure a plurality of the devices; measuring the amount of the magnetorheological fluid discharged from the nozzle in the first supply step among the plurality of supply steps that are performed each time the transfer step is performed, and the amount of the magnetorheological fluid discharged from the nozzle in each of the supply steps that are performed from the second time onward; based on information about the amount of the magnetorheological fluid obtained by the measurement, adjusting the amount of the magnetorheological fluid to be sent from the container to the nozzle in the first supply step so that the amount of the magnetorheological fluid discharged from the nozzle in the first supply step is close to the average amount of the magnetorheological fluid discharged from the nozzle in the second or subsequent supply steps; 10. A method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device comprising: [Industrial Applicability]

[0145] The present invention can be applied to a method and apparatus for producing a magnetorheological fluid device in which, for example, a magnetorheological fluid is interposed between components that are arranged to be rotatable relative to one another, and the torque transmitted between the components can be changed by changing the strength of the magnetic field applied to the magnetorheological fluid. [Explanation of symbols]

[0146] 1,1A,1B,1C,1D MRF device production equipment 2,2A,2B,2C,2D supply device 3 Weight measuring device 5. Storage container 6. Mixing device 7 Transfer pipe 8 Flow Detector 9,9B Dripping removal means 9a Removal member 9b Driving means 10 Control device 12 Components 13, 13A MRF (Magnetorheological Fluid) 13B Dripping 14 Mixing blade 15 shaft 16 motors 20 containers 20a syringe 20b piston 22 Switching valve 23 nozzles 24,24D Actuator 25 Container 25a syringe 25b piston 26 Transmission means 27a First valve 27b Second valve 90 Liquid drip observation means 91 Nozzle

Claims

1. A method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device in which a magnetorheological fluid is interposed between members and a force corresponding to the strength of a magnetic field applied to the magnetorheological fluid is transmitted between the members, the method comprising: a transfer step of transferring the magnetorheological fluid from a storage container to a container; and a supply step of supplying the magnetorheological fluid to components of a device that are the parts of the magnetorheological fluid device excluding the magnetorheological fluid, In the transferring step, after stirring the magnetorheological fluid in the storage container or while stirring the magnetorheological fluid, an amount of the magnetorheological fluid capable of filling a plurality of the devices is transferred from the storage container to the container; In the supplying step, a predetermined amount of the magnetorheological fluid is sent from the container containing the magnetorheological fluid to a nozzle attached to the container, thereby supplying the magnetorheological fluid to the component of the device through the nozzle; each time the transfer step is performed once, the supply step is performed a plurality of times to supply the magnetorheological fluid to the number of component members necessary to configure a plurality of the devices; the magnetorheological fluid in the container is discharged through the nozzle before at least one of the supplying steps is performed each time the transferring step is performed; 10. A method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device comprising:

2. A method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device in which a magnetorheological fluid is interposed between members and a force corresponding to the strength of a magnetic field applied to the magnetorheological fluid is transmitted between the members, the method comprising: a transfer step of transferring the magnetorheological fluid from a storage container to a container; and a supply step of supplying the magnetorheological fluid to components of a device that are the parts of the magnetorheological fluid device excluding the magnetorheological fluid, In the transferring step, after stirring the magnetorheological fluid in the storage container or while stirring the magnetorheological fluid, an amount of the magnetorheological fluid capable of filling a plurality of the devices is transferred from the storage container to the container; In the supplying step, a predetermined amount of the magnetorheological fluid is sent from the container containing the magnetorheological fluid to a nozzle attached to the container, thereby supplying the magnetorheological fluid to the component of the device through the nozzle; each time the transfer step is performed once, the supply step is performed a plurality of times to supply the magnetorheological fluid to the number of component members necessary to configure a plurality of the devices; a process of discarding the magnetorheological fluid present inside and / or at the tip of the nozzle before a first supply step of the supply steps, which are performed each time the transfer step is performed; 10. A method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device comprising:

3. 3. The method of producing a magnetorheological fluid device according to claim 2, further comprising: the treatment is a drip removal treatment for removing drips of the magnetorheological fluid generated at the tip of the nozzle; 10. A method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device comprising:

4. A method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device in which a magnetorheological fluid is interposed between members and a force corresponding to the strength of a magnetic field applied to the magnetorheological fluid is transmitted between the members, the method comprising: a transfer step of transferring the magnetorheological fluid from a storage container to a container; and a supply step of supplying the magnetorheological fluid to components of a device that are the parts of the magnetorheological fluid device excluding the magnetorheological fluid, In the transferring step, after stirring the magnetorheological fluid in the storage container or while stirring the magnetorheological fluid, an amount of the magnetorheological fluid capable of filling a plurality of the devices is transferred from the storage container to the container; In the supplying step, a predetermined amount of the magnetorheological fluid is sent from the container containing the magnetorheological fluid to a nozzle attached to the container, thereby supplying the magnetorheological fluid to the component of the device through the nozzle; each time the transfer step is performed once, the supply step is performed a plurality of times to supply the magnetorheological fluid to the number of component members necessary to configure a plurality of the devices; Among the supply steps performed multiple times each time the transfer step is performed, the amount of the magnetorheological fluid delivered from the container to the nozzle when the first supply step is performed is reduced from the predetermined amount to be less than the amount of the magnetorheological fluid delivered from the container to the nozzle when the second or subsequent supply steps are performed.

10. A method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device comprising:

5. A method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device in which a magnetorheological fluid is interposed between members and a force corresponding to the strength of a magnetic field applied to the magnetorheological fluid is transmitted between the members, the method comprising: a transfer step of transferring the magnetorheological fluid from a storage container to a container; and a supply step of supplying the magnetorheological fluid to components of a device that are the parts of the magnetorheological fluid device excluding the magnetorheological fluid, In the transferring step, after stirring the magnetorheological fluid in the storage container or while stirring the magnetorheological fluid, an amount of the magnetorheological fluid capable of filling a plurality of the devices is transferred from the storage container to the container; In the supplying step, a predetermined amount of the magnetorheological fluid is sent from the container containing the magnetorheological fluid to a nozzle attached to the container, thereby supplying the magnetorheological fluid to the component of the device through the nozzle; each time the transfer step is performed once, the supply step is performed a plurality of times to supply the magnetorheological fluid to the number of component members necessary to configure a plurality of the devices; measuring the amount of the magnetorheological fluid discharged from the nozzle in a first supply step among a plurality of supply steps that are performed each time the transfer step is performed; adjusting the amount of the magnetorheological fluid delivered from the container to the nozzle in the initial supplying step so that the amount of the magnetorheological fluid obtained by the measurement is close to the predetermined amount; 10. A method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device comprising:

6. A method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device in which a magnetorheological fluid is interposed between members and a force corresponding to the strength of a magnetic field applied to the magnetorheological fluid is transmitted between the members, the method comprising: a transfer step of transferring the magnetorheological fluid from a storage container to a container; and a supply step of supplying the magnetorheological fluid to components of a device that are the parts of the magnetorheological fluid device excluding the magnetorheological fluid, In the transferring step, after stirring the magnetorheological fluid in the storage container or while stirring the magnetorheological fluid, an amount of the magnetorheological fluid capable of filling a plurality of the devices is transferred from the storage container to the container; In the supplying step, a predetermined amount of the magnetorheological fluid is sent from the container containing the magnetorheological fluid to a nozzle attached to the container, thereby supplying the magnetorheological fluid to the component of the device through the nozzle; each time the transfer step is performed once, the supply step is performed a plurality of times to supply the magnetorheological fluid to the number of component members necessary to configure a plurality of the devices; the state of the tip of the nozzle is observed before each of the supplying steps, and if dripping of the magnetorheological fluid is observed at the tip of the nozzle, a process of discarding the magnetorheological fluid present inside and / or at the tip of the nozzle is performed before carrying out the supplying step.

10. A method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device comprising:

7. 7. The method of producing a magnetorheological fluid device according to claim 6, further comprising: the treatment is a drip removal treatment for removing drips of the magnetorheological fluid generated at the tip of the nozzle; 10. A method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device comprising:

8. A method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device in which a magnetorheological fluid is interposed between members and a force corresponding to the strength of a magnetic field applied to the magnetorheological fluid is transmitted between the members, the method comprising: a transfer step of transferring the magnetorheological fluid from a storage container to a container; and a supply step of supplying the magnetorheological fluid to components of a device that are the parts of the magnetorheological fluid device excluding the magnetorheological fluid, In the transferring step, after stirring the magnetorheological fluid in the storage container or while stirring the magnetorheological fluid, an amount of the magnetorheological fluid capable of filling a plurality of the devices is transferred from the storage container to the container; In the supplying step, a predetermined amount of the magnetorheological fluid is sent from the container containing the magnetorheological fluid to a nozzle attached to the container, thereby supplying the magnetorheological fluid to the component of the device through the nozzle; each time the transfer step is performed once, the supply step is performed a plurality of times to supply the magnetorheological fluid to the number of component members necessary to configure a plurality of the devices; the state of the tip of the nozzle is observed before each of the supplying steps, and if dripping of the magnetorheological fluid is observed at the tip of the nozzle, the amount of the magnetorheological fluid to be delivered from the container to the nozzle during the supplying step is reduced from the predetermined amount to be less than the amount of the magnetorheological fluid to be delivered from the container to the nozzle if dripping is not observed; 10. A method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device comprising:

9. 9. A method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising: a measuring step of measuring the weight of the predetermined amount of the magnetorheological fluid supplied to the component; a selection step of selecting the component member such that the weight measurement result falls within a predetermined error range with respect to a specified value, 10. A method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device comprising:

10. 9. A method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising: The steps of carrying out the transfer step, carrying out the supply step multiple times in succession, and then carrying out the transfer step again are defined as one cycle; In the transfer step of each cycle, the magnetorheological fluid is transferred from the storage container to the container until the liquid level of the magnetorheological fluid in the container reaches the same predetermined height in each cycle.

10. A method for producing a magnetorheological fluid device comprising:

11. A magnetorheological fluid device production apparatus used to carry out the magnetorheological fluid device production method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising: The storage container; The container; a stirring device that stirs the magnetorheological fluid in the storage container; The nozzle; Equipped with A production device characterized by:

12. The production device according to claim 11, the container has a syringe and a piston slidably inserted into the syringe; a switching valve capable of switching a valve position between a first valve position that connects the storage container and the container and a second valve position that connects the container and the nozzle; a piston driving means for driving the piston; a control device that controls the operations of the stirring device, the switching valve, and the piston driving means; Furthermore, The control device carrying out the transferring step after or while stirring the magnetorheological fluid in the storage container; In the transfer step, the switching valve is set to a first valve position, and the piston is pulled via the piston driving means, thereby transferring the magnetorheological fluid from the storage container to the container in an amount sufficient to fill the plurality of devices; In the supplying step, the switching valve is set to a second valve position, and the piston is pushed in via the piston driving means, thereby supplying the magnetorheological fluid from the container containing the magnetorheological fluid to the component through the nozzle. A production device characterized by:

13. The production device according to claim 11, the container has a syringe and a piston slidably inserted into the syringe; a first valve that opens and closes a flow path that connects the storage container and the container; a second valve that opens and closes a flow path from the container to the tip of the nozzle; a piston driving means for driving the piston; a delivery means for delivering a predetermined amount of the magnetorheological fluid from the container containing the magnetorheological fluid to the nozzle; a control device that controls the operations of the stirring device, the first valve, the second valve, the delivery means, and the piston drive means; Furthermore, The control device carrying out the transferring step after or while stirring the magnetorheological fluid in the storage container; In the transferring step, the first valve is opened, the second valve is closed, and the piston is pulled by the piston driving means, thereby transferring the magnetorheological fluid from the storage container to the container in an amount sufficient to fill the plurality of devices; In the supplying step, the first valve is closed and the second valve is opened, and the magnetorheological fluid is sent from the container to the nozzle by the delivery means, thereby supplying the magnetorheological fluid to the component through the nozzle. A production device characterized by:

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