Powder filling apparatus and powder filling method

Abstract

To provide a powder filling device that can create a beautiful gradient not only on the surface but also inside the cosmetic product. [Solution] The powder filling device includes a hopper 2 having an input port 21 into which powder is introduced, a discharge port 22 for filling a container by discharging the powder introduced from the input port 21, and a partition plate 23 that divides the powder flow path from the input port 21 to the discharge port 22 into a plurality of sections. The hopper 2 includes a grid plate 7 provided at the discharge port 22. The grid plate 7 includes a first grid plate provided at the discharge port 22 and a second grid plate provided upstream of the first grid plate. The first grid plate and the second grid plate are arranged at a predetermined distance apart in the direction of powder discharge.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a powder filling device and a powder filling method for forming a gradation on the surfaces of a plurality of types of powders filled in a container.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a powder filling device for filling a container with a plurality of types of powders having different color tones is known. For example, the powder filling device described in Patent Document 1 includes a hopper having an inlet into which powder is introduced, an outlet for discharging the powder introduced from the inlet to fill the container, a partition plate for partitioning the powder flow path from the inlet to the outlet into a plurality of sections, and a grid plate provided at the outlet. Then, after introducing a plurality of types of powders into each section of the hopper, the powder filling device vibrates the hopper with a vibrator and reciprocates the hopper along directions parallel and perpendicular to the plate surface of the partition plate, thereby filling the container with the plurality of types of powders. As a result, the powder filling device forms a gradation on the surfaces of the plurality of types of powders filled in the container. In addition, the powder filling device makes the mesh roughness different for each region of the grid plate by overlapping two grid plates, so that the falling speed of the powder is made different for each region of the grid plate. Therefore, the speed of filling the powder into the container can be increased, and the surface of the powder filled in the container can be made smooth.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the powder filling apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the falling speed of the powder becomes too fast when the hopper starts reciprocating and filling into the container begins. This has the problem that while a nice gradient can be formed on the surface of the cosmetic, a nice gradient cannot be formed all the way into the interior of the cosmetic.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a powder filling apparatus and a powder filling method that can form a beautiful gradation not only on the surface of a cosmetic product but also inside it. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The powder filling apparatus of the present invention is a powder filling apparatus for filling a container with multiple types of powders having different color tones, and comprises a hopper having an input port into which powder is introduced, a discharge port for filling the container by discharging the powder introduced from the input port, and at least one partition plate for dividing the powder flow path from the input port to the discharge port into multiple sections, wherein the hopper comprises a grid plate provided at the discharge port, the grid plate comprises a first grid plate provided at the discharge port and a second grid plate provided upstream of the first grid plate, and the first grid plate and the second grid plate are arranged at a predetermined distance apart in the direction of powder discharge.

[0007] With this configuration, the grid plate comprises a first grid plate provided at the discharge port and a second grid plate provided upstream of the first grid plate. The first and second grid plates are not arranged by stacking them as in the powder filling device described in Patent Document 1, but are arranged at a predetermined distance apart in the direction of powder discharge. This allows for the formation of a space between the first and second grid plates in which multiple types of powder can be agitated. The powder filling device can agitate the powder repeatedly in at least two spaces: the space formed between the partition plate and the second grid plate, and the space formed between the first and second grid plates, thereby adjusting the powder's falling speed. Consequently, the powder filling device can create a beautiful gradation not only on the surface of the cosmetic but also inside it.

[0008] In the present invention, it is preferable that the first grid plate and the second grid plate are grid plates having the same mesh size.

[0009] With this configuration, since the first and second grid plates have the same mesh size, it is possible to create a space for oscillating multiple types of powders between the first and second grid plates using the same grid plate. Therefore, the powder filling device can be simplified in its configuration.

[0010] In the present invention, it is preferable that the first grid plate and the second grid plate are arranged so that the positions of the mesh openings are offset along a direction perpendicular to the powder discharge direction.

[0011] With this configuration, the first and second grid plates are arranged so that their mesh openings are offset along a direction perpendicular to the powder discharge direction. Compared to the case where the mesh openings are not offset, the powder is more likely to accumulate in the space formed between the first and second grid plates. Therefore, the powder filling device can have a simpler configuration, and the powder falling speed can be adjusted in the same way as when the mesh openings of the first and second grid plates are different.

[0012] In the present invention, it is preferable that the opening of the second grid plate is set to be larger than the opening of the first grid plate.

[0013] With this configuration, the opening of the second grid plate is set to be larger than the opening of the first grid plate, so the openings of the multiple grid plates become smaller as you move in the direction of powder discharge. Therefore, the resistance to the falling speed of the powder increases as you move in the direction of powder discharge, and the falling speed of the powder slows down as you move in the direction of powder discharge. As a result, the powder filling device can reliably form a beautiful gradation not only on the surface of the cosmetic but also inside.

[0014] In the present invention, it is preferable that the predetermined interval is set to be wider than the width of the narrower grid plate among the first and second grid plates in the powder discharge direction.

[0015] With this configuration, the predetermined interval is set wider than the width of the narrower grid plate in the powder discharge direction among the first and second grid plates, so that the powder can be reliably contained in the space formed between the first and second grid plates. Therefore, the powder filling device can create a beautiful gradation not only on the surface of the cosmetic but also inside.

[0016] The present invention relates to a powder filling method for filling a container with multiple types of powders having different color tones, comprising: a powder input step of inputting multiple types of powders into each section of a hopper having an input port into which the powders are introduced, an output port for filling the container by discharging the powders introduced from the input port, and at least one partition plate that divides the powder flow path from the input port to the output port into multiple sections; and a cross-direction reciprocating step of moving the hopper back and forth along a direction that intersects with the surface of the partition plate when filling the container with multiple types of powders in the hopper, wherein the hopper is provided with a grid plate at the output port, and the grid plate comprises a first grid plate provided at the output port and a second grid plate provided upstream of the first grid plate, and the first grid plate and the second grid plate are arranged at a predetermined distance apart in the direction of powder discharge.

[0017] With this configuration, multiple types of powders can be filled into the container by moving the hopper back and forth along a direction intersecting the surface of the partition plate. This blurs the boundaries between the multiple types of powders filled into the container, allowing for the formation of a gradient that smoothly changes in color. Furthermore, the grid plate comprises a first grid plate provided at the discharge port and a second grid plate provided upstream of the first grid plate. Unlike the powder filling device described in Patent Document 1, where two grid plates are stacked on top of each other, the first and second grid plates are arranged at a predetermined distance apart in the direction of powder discharge, thus creating a space between the first and second grid plates that allows multiple types of powder to agitate. The powder filling method allows the powder to agitate repeatedly in at least two spaces: the space formed between the partition plate and the second grid plate, and the space formed between the first and second grid plates, thereby adjusting the falling speed of the powder. Therefore, the powder filling method can create a beautiful gradation not only on the surface of the cosmetic but also inside. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1]Schematic view of the powder filling device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, seen from the side [Figure 2] Cross-sectional view of the hopper [Figure 3] Enlarged cross-sectional view of the lattice plate [Figure 4] View of the first lattice plate and the second lattice plate seen from above [Figure 5] View of the lattice plate seen from above [Figure 6] Cross-sectional view of a powder puff filled with multiple types of powder [Figure 7] View showing the state where the hopper is installed above the powder puff [Figure 8] [[ID=二十一]]Cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the lower space of the hopper, seen from above [Figure 9] View showing the surface of multiple types of powder filled in the powder puff [Figure 10] View showing the state where the hopper according to the second embodiment of the present invention is installed above the powder puff [Figure 11] View of the third lattice plate seen from above

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] 〔First Embodiment〕 Hereinafter, the first embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic view of the powder filling device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, seen from the side. As shown in FIG. 1, the powder filling device 1 includes a hopper 2 that houses a plurality of types of powders having different color tones inside and fills the plurality of types of powders into a container, a vibrator 3 attached to the side surface (left side surface in the figure) of the hopper 2, a support base 4 provided below the hopper 2 and supporting the hopper 2, a spring 5 interposed and attached between the hopper 2 and the support base 4, and a slide mechanism 6 that reciprocates the hopper 2 by sliding the support base 4 along the horizontal direction.

[0020] The vibrator 3 assists in filling the container by vibrating the hopper 2, thereby making it easier for multiple types of powder to fall. This vibrator 3 may be of the piston type or the rotary type. The spring 5 suppresses the transmission of vibrations generated by the vibrator 3 to the support base 4 and the sliding mechanism 6. In this embodiment, the powder filled into the container by the hopper 2 is a solid powder cosmetic such as foundation, face powder, and eyeshadow.

[0021] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the hopper. Specifically, Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of hopper 2 in Figure 1, cut along a plane perpendicular to the left-right direction of the paper. Hopper 2 fills a container with multiple types of powders of different colors, thereby creating a gradient on the surface of the powders filled in the container. As shown in Figure 2, hopper 2 includes an inlet 21 into which multiple types of powders of different colors are introduced, an outlet 22 that fills the container by discharging the powders introduced from the inlet 21, and a grid plate 7 provided at the outlet 22.

[0022] Furthermore, the hopper 2 has a plurality of groove-like grooves 2A formed on its inner surface, and is equipped with four partition plates 23 that divide the powder flow path from the inlet 21 to the discharge port 22 into multiple sections by being attached to these grooves 2A. The number and spacing of the partition plates 23 attached to the hopper 2 should be set according to the number of powder types required to form the gradient. The width and upper end position of the partition plates 23 can also be set arbitrarily.

[0023] Then, the various types of powders, each with a different color tone, are put into their respective compartments in the hopper 2, which are formed by the partition plate 23, and are stored inside the hopper 2. Specifically, multiple types of powders with different color tones are introduced into each section of hopper 2 in such a way that the color tone changes smoothly from one end of the section to the other. For example, to create a gradient from white to pink, white powder is introduced into the leftmost section in the diagram, and pinkish-white powder is introduced into the section to its right. Pink powder is introduced into the rightmost section in the diagram, and light pink powder is introduced into the section to its left. Finally, powder of an intermediate color between white and pink is introduced into the central section in the diagram, and so on.

[0024] The partition plate 23 extends from the top to the bottom of the hopper 2. The area between the lower end of the partition plate 23 and the grid plate 7 is not partitioned by the partition plate 23. In other words, the hopper 2 has a lower space 2B between the lower end of the partition plate 23 and the grid plate 7 that is not partitioned by the partition plate 23. Therefore, in this lower space 2B, the multiple types of powders put into each compartment of the hopper 2 will mix with the powders put into adjacent compartments.

[0025] In this embodiment, the upper end of the partition plate 23 is located below the input opening 21, but it may also be located above the input opening 21. In this case, the position of the upper end of the partition plate 23 is not limited by the area of ​​the input opening 21, and the partition plates 23 can be arranged to widen the spacing between their upper ends. Therefore, the space for introducing multiple types of powder (the upper opening of each compartment) can be widened, making it easier to introduce powder into each compartment of the hopper 2.

[0026] Here, the aforementioned sliding mechanism 6 can be made to reciprocate by sliding the hopper 2 along a direction intersecting the surface of the partition plate 23 (left-right direction in the figure). Alternatively, the sliding mechanism 6 can be made to reciprocate by sliding the hopper 2 along a direction parallel to the surface of the partition plate 23 (front-back direction in the figure). In the following explanation, the direction that intersects the surface of the partition plate 23 will be referred to as the intersecting direction, and the direction parallel to the surface of the partition plate 23 will be referred to as the parallel direction.

[0027] Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the grid plate. As shown in Figure 3(A), the grid plate 7 is provided at the discharge port 22 of the hopper 2 and includes a first grid plate 71 provided at the leading end in the powder discharge direction, a second grid plate 72 provided at the discharge port 22 of the hopper 2 and located upstream of the first grid plate 71 (at the base end in the powder discharge direction), and fixing parts 73 formed on both sides in the intersecting direction (left-right direction in the figure) and fixed to the discharge port 22 of the hopper 2.

[0028] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3(B), the grid plate 7 is formed separately as a first grid plate 71 having a fixing portion 73 and a second grid plate 72, and the first grid plate 71 and the second grid plate 72 are arranged and fixed at a predetermined distance apart in the powder discharge direction. In this embodiment, the predetermined distance is set to be wider than the width of the narrower grid plate in the powder discharge direction among the first grid plate 71 and the second grid plate 72. In this embodiment, since the widths of the first grid plate 71 and the second grid plate 72 are the same, the predetermined interval is set wider than the width of both grid plates.

[0029] In other words, as shown in Figure 3(A), the grid plate 7 has a grid plate space 7A between the first grid plate 71 and the second grid plate 72. Therefore, in this grid plate space 7A, the multiple types of powders introduced into each compartment of the hopper 2 will mix with the powders introduced into adjacent compartments. In this embodiment, the predetermined interval is set wider than the width of the narrower grid plate in the powder discharge direction among the first grid plate 71 and the second grid plate 72, but it may be set narrower. In short, the predetermined interval should be set to an interval that allows the powders introduced into adjacent compartments to mix with each other.

[0030] Figure 4 shows the first and second grid plates viewed from above. Specifically, Figure 4(A) is a view of the first grid plate 71 from above, and Figure 4(B) is a view of the second grid plate 72 from above. As shown in Figure 4(A), the first grid plate 71 is a rectangular plate-like body formed to correspond to the shape of the discharge port 22. In addition to having the aforementioned fixing portion 73, this first grid plate 71 has a grid portion 71A formed in a mesh-like manner, having a plurality of substantially square meshes arranged along the intersecting direction (left-right direction in the figure) and the parallel direction (up-down direction in the figure). As shown in Figure 4(B), the second grid plate 72 corresponds to the shape of the discharge port 22 and is a rectangular plate-like body formed to be approximately the same size as the first grid plate 71. This second grid plate 72 has a grid section 72A formed to be mesh-like, with a plurality of approximately square meshes arranged along the intersecting direction (left-right direction in the figure) and the parallel direction (up-down direction in the figure). This grid section 72A has the same mesh opening shape as the grid section 71A of the first grid plate 71. In other words, the second grid plate 72 is a grid plate with the same mesh opening shape as the first grid plate 71.

[0031] Figure 5 is a view of the grid plate from above. Specifically, Figure 5 is a view of the grid plate 7 from above, showing the first grid plate 71 and the second grid plate 72 positioned and fixed at a predetermined distance apart in the powder discharge direction. As shown in Figure 5, the first grid plate 71 and the second grid plate 72 are arranged so that the positions of the mesh openings are staggered along directions perpendicular to the powder discharge direction (intersecting direction and parallel direction). In this embodiment, by arranging the first grid plate 71 and the second grid plate 72 so that their mesh openings are shifted along a direction perpendicular to the powder discharge direction, when the grid plate 7 is viewed from above, the mesh opening of the grid plate (second grid plate) located on the base end side in the powder discharge direction is set to be pseudo-larger than the mesh opening of the grid plate (first grid plate) located on the tip side in the powder discharge direction. In this embodiment, the mesh opening of the second grid plate is set to be pseudo-larger than that of the first grid plate, but the mesh opening of the second grid plate may actually be set to be larger than that of the first grid plate.

[0032] The following describes a powder filling method in which multiple types of powders with different color tones are filled into a container using a powder filling device 1, thereby forming a gradient on the surface of the multiple types of powders filled into the container.

[0033] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a decorative tray filled with multiple types of powders. Specifically, Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the decorative tray cut along a vertical plane parallel to the intersecting direction. First, as shown in Figure 6, the powder filling device 1 places the decorative tray C, which serves as a container, into the storage section provided in the mold 8. Furthermore, the upper edge of the decorative tray C is set lower than the upper surface of the mold 8. This is because, when the decorative tray C is filled with multiple types of powder and pressed to create the mold, the upper surfaces (surfaces) of the multiple types of powder become lower.

[0034] Figure 7 shows the hopper installed above the decorative tray. Next, as shown in Figure 7, the powder filling device 1 puts multiple types of powder into each compartment of the hopper 2 (powder input step). The powder filling device 1 is then positioned above the decorative tray C by sliding the hopper 2 in a parallel direction using the slide mechanism 6. The hopper 2 then discharges the multiple types of powder that were put in from the input port 21 from the discharge port 22, causing the multiple types of powder to fall and fill the decorative tray C. At this time, the powder filling device 1 assists in filling the decorative tray C by vibrating the hopper 2 by vibrating the vibrator 3, which makes it easier for the multiple types of powder to fall.

[0035] Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the lower space of the hopper, seen from above. Specifically, Figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the vicinity of the lower space 2B of the hopper 2, cut horizontally and seen from above. Furthermore, the powder filling device 1 fills the decorative tray C with multiple types of powder by sliding the hopper 2 with the slide mechanism 6, causing the hopper 2 to reciprocate along the intersecting direction (the direction of the left and right arrows in the figure) (reciprocating step in the intersecting direction). As a result, the surface of the multiple types of powder is smoothed by the grid plate 7 as it reciprocates, making the boundaries between the multiple types of powder filled in the decorative tray C blurred and creating a gradient that allows the color to change smoothly.

[0036] Furthermore, the powder filling device 1 fills the decorative tray C with multiple types of powder by sliding the hopper 2 with the slide mechanism 6, causing the hopper 2 to reciprocate along the parallel direction (direction of the up and down arrows in the figure).

[0037] Here, as mentioned above, the hopper 2 has a lower space 2B between the lower end of the partition plate 23 and the grid plate 7 that is not partitioned by the partition plate 23. Therefore, in the lower space 2B, the multiple types of powders introduced into each compartment of the hopper 2 are diffused horizontally by the vibration of the vibrator 3 and the reciprocating motion of the hopper 2 by the slide mechanism 6, and the powders introduced into adjacent compartments mix together.

[0038] Furthermore, as mentioned above, the grid plate 7 has a grid plate space 7A between the first grid plate 71 and the second grid plate 72. Therefore, in the grid plate space 7A, the multiple types of powders introduced into each compartment of the hopper 2 will diffuse horizontally due to the vibration of the vibrator 3 and the reciprocating motion of the hopper 2 by the slide mechanism 6, and will mix with the powders introduced into adjacent compartments, similar to the lower space 2B.

[0039] Then, after filling a predetermined amount of multiple types of powder into the decorative tray C, the powder filling device 1 removes the decorative tray C from above by sliding the hopper 2 in a parallel direction using the slide mechanism 6. At this time, the discharge port 22 of the hopper 2 and the upper surface of the mold 8 scrape the surface of the multiple types of powder to make it flat.

[0040] Figure 9 shows the surface of multiple types of powders filled into a decorative tray. Subsequently, the powder filling device 1 manufactures a solid powder cosmetic by pressing and molding the multiple types of powders filled in the cosmetic tray C. This allows the powder filling device 1 to form a gradient on the surface of the multiple types of powders filled in the cosmetic tray C, as shown in Figure 9.

[0041] According to this embodiment, the following actions and effects can be achieved. (1) The grid plate 7 comprises a first grid plate 71 provided at the discharge port 22 and a second grid plate 72 provided upstream of the first grid plate 71. The first grid plate 71 and the second grid plate 72 are not arranged by overlapping the two grid plates, but are arranged at a predetermined distance apart in the direction of powder discharge, so that a grid plate space 7A can be formed between the first grid plate 71 and the second grid plate 72 to agitate multiple types of powder. The powder filling device 1 can agitate the powder repeatedly in at least two spaces, the lower space 2B formed between the partition plate 23 and the second grid plate 72, and the grid plate space 7A formed between the first grid plate 71 and the second grid plate 72, and can adjust the falling speed of the powder. Therefore, the powder filling device 1 can form a beautiful gradation not only on the surface of the cosmetic but also inside.

[0042] (2) Since the first grid plate 71 and the second grid plate 72 are grid plates with the same mesh size, the same grid plate can be used to form a grid plate space 7A between the first grid plate 71 and the second grid plate 72 for agitating multiple types of powder. Therefore, the powder filling device 1 can be simplified in its configuration. (3) The first grid plate 71 and the second grid plate 72 are arranged so that the positions of their mesh openings are offset along a direction perpendicular to the powder discharge direction. Compared to the case where they are arranged without offsetting the positions of their mesh openings, the powder is more likely to accumulate in the grid plate space 7A formed between the first grid plate 71 and the second grid plate 72. Therefore, the powder filling device 1 can have a simplified configuration and can adjust the powder falling speed in the same way as when the shapes of the mesh openings of the first grid plate 71 and the second grid plate 72 are different.

[0043] (4) The opening of the second grid plate 72 is set to be larger than the opening of the first grid plate 71, so the openings of the multiple grid plates become smaller as you move in the direction of powder discharge. Therefore, the resistance to the falling speed of the powder increases as you move in the direction of powder discharge, and the falling speed of the powder slows down as you move in the direction of powder discharge, so the powder filling device 1 can reliably form a beautiful gradation not only on the surface of the cosmetic but also inside. (5) The predetermined interval is set to be wider than the width of the narrower grid plate in the powder discharge direction among the first grid plate 71 and the second grid plate 72, so that the powder can be reliably contained in the grid plate space 7A formed between the first grid plate 71 and the second grid plate 72. Therefore, the powder filling device 1 can form a beautiful gradation not only on the surface of the cosmetic but also inside.

[0044] [Second Embodiment] A second embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following explanation, parts that have already been explained will be denoted by the same reference numeral and their explanation will be omitted.

[0045] Figure 10 shows the hopper according to the second embodiment of the present invention installed above the decorative tray. In the first embodiment described above, the hopper 2 was equipped with a grid plate 7 provided at the discharge port 22, and this grid plate 7 was equipped with a first grid plate 71 provided at the leading end in the powder discharge direction, a second grid plate 72 provided upstream of the first grid plate 71 (at the base end in the powder discharge direction), and a fixing part 73 fixed to the discharge port 22 of the hopper 2. In contrast, this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the hopper 2, as shown in Figure 10, includes a third grid plate 9 fixed to the upper end of the fixing portion 73 of the grid plate 7.

[0046] With this configuration, the hopper 2 has a space between the lower end of the partition plate 23 and the third grid plate 9 that is not partitioned by the partition plate 23. Therefore, in this space, the multiple types of powders put into each compartment of the hopper 2 will mix with the powders put into adjacent compartments. In other words, the hopper 2 has an additional space in addition to the lower space 2B and the grid plate space 7A.

[0047] Figure 11 is a view of the third grid plate from above. As shown in Figure 11, the third grid plate 9 is a rectangular plate-like body formed in a shape corresponding to the shape of the discharge port 22. This third grid plate 9 is formed in a frame shape and has a frame-like portion 91 which is fixed to the upper end of the fixing portion 73 of the grid plate 7, and a grid portion 9A which is formed in a mesh shape (plain weave wire mesh) having a plurality of substantially square meshes arranged along the intersecting direction (left-right direction in the figure) and the parallel direction (up-down direction in the figure). This grid portion 9A has a smaller mesh opening than the grid portion 71A of the first grid plate 71 and the grid portion 72A of the second grid plate 72.

[0048] In this embodiment as well, the same functions and effects as those in (1) to (3) and (5) of the first embodiment can be achieved.

[0049] [Variations of the Embodiment] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and any modifications, improvements, etc., that can achieve the objectives of the present invention are included within the scope of the present invention. For example, in each of the above embodiments, the powders filled into the cosmetic tray C by the hopper 2 were solid powder cosmetics such as foundation, face powder, and eyeshadow, but the present invention may also be applied to powder filling devices that fill containers with other powders. In short, the present invention can be applied to powder filling devices that form a gradient on the surface of multiple types of powders filled into a container by filling the container with multiple types of powders with different color tones.

[0050] In the embodiments described above, the second grid plate 72 was a grid plate having the same mesh opening shape as the first grid plate 71, but it may be a grid plate having a different mesh opening shape. Also, the grid portion 71A of the first grid plate 71 and the grid portion 72A of the second grid plate 72 were formed in a mesh shape having multiple substantially square meshes, but the shape of the mesh is not limited to squares, but may be other shapes such as polygons or circles. In each of the above embodiments, the first grid plate 71 and the second grid plate 72 were arranged so as to have their mesh openings offset along directions perpendicular to the powder discharge direction (intersecting direction and parallel direction). However, they may also be arranged so as to have their mesh openings offset along only one of the intersecting direction and the parallel direction, or they may be arranged without offsetting in either direction. [Industrial applicability]

[0051] As described above, the present invention can be suitably used in a powder filling apparatus and a powder filling method for forming a gradient on the surface of multiple types of powders filled in a container. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0052] 1 Powder filling equipment 2 Hopper 2B Lower space 7 lattice plate 7A Lattice plate space 21 Inlet 22 Discharge port 23 Partition Plates 71 First grid plate 72 Second grid plate C. Cosmetic dish (container)

Claims

1. A powder filling apparatus for filling a container with multiple types of powders having different color tones, The hopper comprises an inlet into which powder is introduced, a discharge port for filling a container by discharging the powder introduced from the inlet, and at least one partition plate that divides the flow path of the powder from the inlet to the discharge port into a plurality of sections. The aforementioned hopper is The discharge port is provided with a grid plate, The aforementioned grid plate is A first grid plate provided at the discharge port, The system comprises a second grid plate provided on the upstream side of the first grid plate, A powder filling apparatus characterized in that the first grid plate and the second grid plate are arranged at a predetermined distance apart in the direction of powder discharge.

2. In the powder filling apparatus described in claim 1, A powder filling apparatus characterized in that the first grid plate and the second grid plate are grid plates having the same shape and mesh opening.

3. In the powder filling apparatus described in claim 2, The powder filling apparatus is characterized in that the first grid plate and the second grid plate are arranged so as to have their mesh openings offset along a direction perpendicular to the powder discharge direction.

4. In the powder filling apparatus described in claim 1, A powder filling apparatus characterized in that the opening of the second grid plate is set to be larger than the opening of the first grid plate.

5. In a powder filling apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The powder filling apparatus is characterized in that the predetermined interval is set to be wider than the width of the narrower grid plate among the first grid plate and the second grid plate in the direction of powder discharge.

6. A powder filling method for filling a container with multiple types of powders having different color tones, A powder input step in which multiple types of powder are introduced into each section of a hopper having an input port into which powder is introduced, a discharge port for filling a container by discharging the powder introduced from the input port, and at least one partition plate that divides the powder flow path from the input port to the discharge port into multiple sections, The hopper is equipped with a cross-direction reciprocating step, which causes the hopper to reciprocate along a direction intersecting the surface of the partition plate when filling a container with multiple types of powders using the hopper. The aforementioned hopper is The discharge port is provided with a grid plate, The aforementioned grid plate is A first grid plate provided at the discharge port, The system comprises a second grid plate provided on the upstream side of the first grid plate, A powder filling method characterized in that the first grid plate and the second grid plate are arranged at a predetermined distance apart in the direction of discharge of the powder.

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