Mixing and conveying device

Abstract

This invention provides a mixing and conveying device that enables the mixing and conveying of various powders, granules, liquids, and other materials. [Solution] The pump unit comprises a cylindrical body that forms a transport path, and a plurality of pressing means provided on the outer circumference of the cylindrical body that press the cylindrical body radially inward from the outer circumference, and a control device that controls the operation of the plurality of pressing means of the pump unit, wherein the control device is configured to operate the timing of the plurality of pressing means pressing the cylindrical body asynchronously.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a mixing conveyance device, and particularly to a mixing conveyance device in which a pressurizing medium is supplied between an outer cylinder and an inner cylinder, a pump unit having an expandable inner cylinder is connected, and the inner circumference side of the inner cylinder is configured as a conveyance path by sequentially expanding the inner cylinder of the pump unit.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, as shown in Patent Document 1, an inner cylinder is provided in a cylindrical outer cylinder so as to have a double tube structure, and a fluid such as air is supplied into an annular chamber formed between the outer cylinder and the inner cylinder, whereby the inner cylinder can be expanded radially inward, and a plurality of pump units configured to be able to change the volume inside the inner cylinder as the inner cylinder expands are connected to convey a conveyed material. Then, by expanding the inner cylinders of the connected pump units in order, for example, in a predetermined drive pattern simulating the peristaltic movement in the human intestine, it is possible to convey the conveyed material and mix the conveyed material.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the pump device shown in Patent Document 1 is a mixing using a squeeze flow that extrudes the conveyed material due to blockage in the pipe (inner cylinder) through which the conveyed material passes. Therefore, depending on the properties of the conveyed material such as its fluidity, it takes a long time to mix the conveyed material, or the mixing may not proceed. In particular, when mixing powders with each other or dilatant fluids with a high powder concentration, it is difficult to generate a squeeze flow in the pipe, and mixing is difficult. In order to cope with the mixing of various powders and liquids, it is necessary to cause a three-dimensional composite flow to progress the mixing. Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a mixing and conveying device that enables the mixing and conveying of various powders, granules, liquids, and other materials. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] To solve the above problems, the mixed conveying device comprises a pump unit having a cylindrical body that forms a conveying path, a plurality of pressing means provided on the outer circumference of the cylindrical body that press the cylindrical body radially inward from the outer circumference, and a control device that controls the operation of the plurality of pressing means of the pump unit, wherein the control device is configured to operate the timing of the plurality of pressing means pressing the cylindrical body asynchronously. This configuration allows for the mixing and transport of various materials such as powders, granules, and liquids. Furthermore, as another configuration of the mixing and conveying device, the control device may control the operation of multiple pressing means so that the part pressed by the pressing means moves in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical body. Furthermore, as another configuration of the mixing and conveying device, the control device may control the operation of multiple pressing means so that each pressing means presses the cylindrical body independently. Furthermore, as another configuration for the mixing and conveying device, the pressing means may consist of an actuator that expands when fluid is supplied and contracts when fluid is discharged, and the cylindrical body may be pressed by the expansion of the actuator. Furthermore, as another configuration for the mixing and conveying device, the actuator may be made of artificial muscle. Furthermore, as another configuration for the mixing and conveying device, the pump units may be connected in multiples. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0006] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of the mixing and conveying device. [Figure 2] This is a plan view showing the configuration of the pump unit. [Figure 3] This is an axial cross-sectional view of the pump unit. [Figure 4]This is a radial cross-sectional view of the expandable / contractible body. [Figure 5] This is a diagram illustrating the movement of an artificial muscle. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the pump unit. [Figure 7] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the pump unit. [Figure 8] This is a diagram showing the configuration of the control device. [Figure 9] Block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the controller. [Figure 10] This figure shows an image of the sample being placed in a rubber tube. [Figure 11] This diagram shows the operating cycle of the pump unit during a mixing capacity test. [Figure 12] This is a list of images taken inside the pipe from 0 to 5 minutes after the start of mixing under each driving condition, and a graph showing the change in the standard deviation with respect to mixing time. [Figure 13] This is a histogram of pixel values ​​comparing the intensity of the sample after 3 minutes of mixing in Radial flow with that of manual mixing. [Figure 14] This is an image taken inside a rubber tube during the mixing process. [Figure 15] This figure shows the actual state of the pump unit when artificial muscle is used as the pressing mechanism. [Figure 16] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an overview of another form of the pump unit 10. [Figure 17] This is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an overview of another form of the pump unit 10. [Figure 18] This diagram shows the operation of another form of the pump unit 10.

[0007] The present invention will be described in detail below through embodiments of the invention. However, the following embodiments are not intended to limit the invention as defined in the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the solution of the invention; rather, they include configurations that can be selectively adopted. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] [Schematic Configuration of Hybrid Conveyor Device] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a hybrid conveyor device 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the hybrid conveyor device 1 includes a pump section 8 and a control device 100 that controls the operation of the pump section 8, and is a device that enables the conveyance of conveyed materials and the mixing of conveyed materials.

[0009] The pump section 8 is provided, for example, at the outlet of a storage device where conveyed materials are stored or in the middle of an existing pipe. The pump section 8 can be configured by connecting a plurality of pump units 10 in series, for example. In FIG. 1, the pump section 8 is shown by five pump units 10, but the quantity is not limited. In the hybrid conveyor device 1 of this embodiment, even if the pump unit 10 is alone, it contributes to the mixing of conveyed materials and the conveyance of conveyed materials.

[0010] [Pump Unit] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of the pump unit. The pump unit 10 according to this embodiment is composed of a rubber tube 12, flanges 16 attached to both ends of the rubber tube 12, and an artificial muscle 40 that presses the rubber tube 12 from the outer peripheral side.

[0011] The rubber tube 12 constitutes the conveyance path R in the pump section 8. The rubber tube 12 is mainly formed as a cylindrical tube. For the material of the rubber tube 12, for example, rubber or elastic materials such as natural latex rubber or silicone rubber can be used.

[0012] FIG. 3 is an axial cross-sectional view of the pump unit. As shown in FIG. 3, the rubber tube 12 includes a cylindrical conveyance path portion 12A that serves as the conveyance path R, and flange attachment portions 12B for attaching to the flanges 16 at both ends of the conveyance path portion 12A. The conveyance path portion 12A and the flange attachment portions 12B are integrally formed, for example.

[0013] The flange mounting portion 12B is formed, for example, to extend radially outward from the end of the transport path portion 12A in a flat, annular shape. A projection 13 is formed around the tip (outer circumference) of the flange mounting portion 12B, projecting toward the transport path portion 12A side (axially inward).

[0014] The flange 16 is a component that enables the rubber tube 12 to be connected to other pump units 10 or to piping. In this embodiment, the flange 16 consists of an inner flange 16A and an outer flange 16B, and the flange mounting portion 12B of the rubber tube 12 is sandwiched between the inner flange 16A and the outer flange 16B to attach it to the rubber tube 12.

[0015] The inner flange 16A and the outer flange 16B are formed as flat plate-shaped members. The inner flange 16A has a hollow portion 20 on the central side for the flange mounting portion 12B to pass through, and the outer flange 16B has a hollow portion 21 on the central side for the conveyed material to pass into the rubber tube 12.

[0016] The hollow portion 20 of the inner flange 16A is formed as a circular hole of a size such that it does not deform the conveying path portion 12A, for example, by being in close contact with the outer surface of the conveying path portion 12A of the rubber tube 12. The hollow portion 21 of the outer flange 16B is formed as a circular hole of a size such as the outer diameter of the conveying path portion 12A, so that the conveyed material enters the rubber tube 12 smoothly.

[0017] The hollow portion 20 of the inner flange 16A and the hollow portion 21 of the outer flange 16B are formed to be coaxial when they are placed on top of each other, sandwiching the flange mounting portion 12B.

[0018] Furthermore, the inner flange 16A is provided with an annular groove 22 on the surface facing the outer flange 16B. The annular groove 22 is formed concentrically with the hollow portion 20, and a projection 13 provided on the outer circumference of the flange mounting portion 12B of the rubber tube 12 can be fitted into it.

[0019] The artificial muscle 40 is an actuator that functions as a pressing means for deforming the transport path 12A of the rubber tube 12 by pressing it from the outer circumference to the inner circumference. As shown in Figure 3, the artificial muscle 40 comprises a cylindrical expandable / contractable body 42 and terminal members 44;44 that seal both ends of the expandable / contractable body 42.

[0020] Figure 4 is a radial cross-sectional view of the expandable / contractable body 42. As shown in Figure 4, the expandable / contractible body 42 is made of an elastic body formed as a stretchable material and contains a plurality of fibers 46 inside. The fibers 46 extend along the axial direction (longitudinal direction) of the expandable / contractible body 42 and are arranged, for example, to be evenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the expandable / contractible body 42. In this way, the fibers 46 form a fiber layer inside the expandable / contractible body 42. Note that "along the axial direction" does not refer to a mathematically strict meaning, but rather allows for inclination with respect to the axial direction. The fibers 46 extend continuously from one end to the other end of the expandable / contractible body 42 in the axial direction, for example.

[0021] The elastic material constituting the expandable / contractible body 42 is made of an elastic and stretchable material such as silicone rubber or other synthetic rubber, or natural latex rubber. The fibers 46 can be appropriately selected from stretchable materials such as carbon fibers, glass fibers, nylon, polyamide fibers, polyolefin fibers, or metal fibers. The form of the fibers 46 may be any form such as filaments, yarns (spun yarns and filament yarns), strands, untwisted fibers that are converged without twisting, or fibers made by twisting multiple of these fibers together, and two or more different forms of fibers may be combined.

[0022] Terminal members 44, 44 are inserted into the open ends of the inflatable / contractable body 42. Then, within the range in which the terminal members 44 are inserted, the ends of the inflatable / contractable body 42 are closed by tightening them from the outer circumference side of the inflatable / contractable body 42 with a fastening member 47 such as a band. As a result, a fluid chamber S is formed on the inner circumference side of the inflatable / contractable body 42. One of the terminal members 44 is provided with an air circulation port 48 for circulating air into the fluid chamber S from the outside. A tube extending from the control device 100 is connected to the air circulation port 48.

[0023] Figure 5 shows the operation of an artificial muscle. When compressed air is supplied to the fluid chamber S from the contracted state shown in Figure 5(a), the artificial muscle 40 expands radially outward while contracting axially, as shown in Figure 5(b), due to the restraining force of the fibers 46 enclosed in the expandable / contractible body 42. Furthermore, when the compressed air supplied to the fluid chamber S is discharged from the state in which the artificial muscle 40 has expanded radially outward while contracting axially, as shown in Figure 5(b), it contracts radially inward while extending axially, as shown in Figure 5(a). The artificial muscle 40 returns to its natural length and natural outer diameter when the pressure in the fluid chamber S is equal to the ambient air pressure.

[0024] Multiple artificial muscles 40 configured in this way are arranged to surround the outer circumference of the transport path section 12A of the rubber tube 12. In this embodiment, three artificial muscles are arranged around the outer circumference of the rubber tube 12 at equal intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0025] Each artificial muscle 40 is fixed to the flange 16 using terminal members 44 such that its axis is parallel to the center line of the rubber tube 12. The artificial muscle 40 is attached to the flanges 16, 16 such that, for example, the outer circumference of the inflatable / contractible body 42 in the contracted state is in contact with the outer circumference of the transport path portion 12A of the rubber tube 12.

[0026] The artificial muscle 40 is in its natural state (where the pressure in the fluid chamber S is equal to the ambient pressure) when attached to the flanges 16;16. That is, the length of the artificial muscle 40 from one end to the other in the axial direction is set to be equal to the distance between the inner flanges 16A;16A attached to the rubber tube 12.

[0027] Furthermore, when the artificial muscles 40 are attached to the flanges 16;16 and all of the artificial muscles 40 are inflated, it is preferable to set them so that the occlusion rate of the space on the inner circumference of the rubber tube 12 is highest.

[0028] Figures 6 and 7 are schematic diagrams illustrating the operation of the pump unit. According to the pump unit 10 of this embodiment, for example, as shown in Figure 6(a), it is possible to inflate one artificial muscle 40A to press on one point of the rubber tube 12, as shown in Figure 6(b), to inflate two artificial muscles 40A and 40B in a synchronized manner to press on the rubber tube 12 from two points, or as shown in Figure 6(c), to inflate three artificial muscles 40A, 40B, and 40C in a synchronized manner to press on the rubber tube 12 from three points.

[0029] Furthermore, according to the pump unit 10 of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6(a), first, one artificial muscle 40A is inflated to press against one point on the rubber tube 12. Then, as shown in Figure 6(b), while maintaining the pressure from the artificial muscle 40A, a second artificial muscle 40B is inflated to press against the rubber tube 12 from two points. And, as shown in Figure 6(c), while maintaining the pressure from the artificial muscles 40A and 40B, a third artificial muscle 40C is inflated to press against the rubber tube 12 from three points.

[0030] Furthermore, according to the pump unit 10 of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 7(a), one artificial muscle 40A is inflated to press against one point on the rubber tube 12, then as shown in Figure 7(b), the artificial muscle 40A is contracted to release the pressure on the rubber tube 12 by the artificial muscle 40A, the artificial muscle 40B is inflated to press against another point on the rubber tube 12, then as shown in Figure 7(c), the artificial muscle 40B is contracted to release the pressure on the rubber tube 12 by the artificial muscle 40B, and the artificial muscle 40C is inflated to press against another point on the rubber tube 12.

[0031] As shown in Figure 1, a pump section 8 is formed by connecting multiple pump units 10 with the above configuration along the axial direction, and by sequentially operating the connected pump units 10, it becomes possible to transport materials from upstream to downstream or to mix the materials during the transport process. The operation of the pump unit 10 is controlled by the control device 100.

[0032] Figure 8 shows the configuration of the control device 100. In this figure, the relationship between the control device 100 and the pump unit 10 is explained using one pump unit 10. As shown in Figure 8, the control device 100 includes a compressor 102 that generates compressed air which is used as the driving source for the artificial muscles 40 (40A to 40C) provided in each pump unit 10 (10A to 10E), a regulator 104 that adjusts the compressed air generated by the compressor 102 to a predetermined pressure, a supply valve 106 that supplies compressed air to the artificial muscles 40 via the regulator 104, a discharge valve 108 that discharges the compressed air supplied to the artificial muscles 40, and a control unit 200 that controls the operation of the supply valve 106 and the discharge valve 108.

[0033] The supply valve 106 and the discharge valve 108 utilize so-called solenoid valves that operate based on electrical signals. The solenoid valves used in the supply valve 106 and the discharge valve 108 can be, for example, two-way valves that open when a signal is input and close when the signal input stops. The supply valve 106 and the discharge valve 108 are provided in pairs for each artificial muscle 40 installed in the pump unit 10.

[0034] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the control unit 200. The control unit 200 is a device for controlling changes in the state of each artificial muscle 40 (40A~40C) in each pump unit 10, such as expansion, maintenance of the expanded state, contraction, and maintenance of the contracted state, and can be configured using a so-called computer.

[0035] The control unit 200 includes, for example, storage means 202 such as ROM and RAM provided as hardware resources, arithmetic processing means 204 such as a CPU, an external input / output interface (external IF) 206 that enables input and output of signals to supply valves and discharge valves, communication means 208 such as a network interface that enables connection to the internet, input means 210 such as a keyboard, mouse, and touch panel, and display means 212 such as a monitor. Note that the configuration of the control unit is not limited to the above configuration and can be changed as appropriate.

[0036] The term "computer" as used here is not limited to any specific form, and can include tablet computers, notebook computers, desktop computers, or single-board microcomputers specifically designed to drive the pump unit 8.

[0037] For example, the storage means 202 stores a control program for controlling the operation of the pump unit 10. The arithmetic processing means 204 executes the control program stored in the storage means 202, thereby causing the control unit 200 to function as the means described later, and outputs signals to the supply valve 106 and discharge valve 108 provided for each pump unit 10, thereby controlling the operation of each pump unit 10 that constitutes the pump section 8.

[0038] The control program may include, for example, a program for transporting the transported material from the upstream side to the downstream side (transport operation program), and a program for mixing the transported material during the process of transporting it from the upstream side to the downstream side (mixing operation program). Therefore, the arithmetic processing means 204 executes a transport operation program, thereby causing the control unit 200 to function as a transport operation control means that causes the pump unit 8 to perform a transport operation. Furthermore, the arithmetic processing means 204 executes a mixing operation program, thereby causing the control unit 200 to function as a mixing operation control means that causes the pump unit 8 to perform a mixing operation.

[0039] In the transport operation, for example, the artificial muscles 40 (40A to 40C) of each pump unit 10 (10A to 10E) are controlled to expand and contract synchronously. Then, by sequentially expanding the artificial muscles 40 (40A to 40C) of the pump units 10A to 10E from the upstream side to the downstream side and pressing the rubber tube 12, the transported material is pushed out into the rubber tube 12 of the downstream pump unit 10, thereby transporting the material from upstream to downstream.

[0040] Furthermore, during the mixing operation, the artificial muscles 40 (40A to 40C) of each pump unit 10 (10A to 10E) are controlled to expand and contract independently. For example, as shown in Figure 5, by sequentially expanding the artificial muscles 40A to 40C of each pump unit 10 (10A to 10E) one by one in the circumferential direction and pressing the rubber tube 12, the conveyed materials within each pump unit 10 can be mixed.

[0041] Furthermore, the transport and mixing operations are not limited to those described above and may be modified as appropriate. For example, in a transport operation, if the transported material is to be moved from upstream to downstream, such as mimicking the peristaltic movement of the intestines, the combination and order in which the pump units 10A to 10E are inflated may be changed.

[0042] Furthermore, in the mixing operation, the order and combination of expansion of the artificial muscles 40A to 40C may be changed, as long as the rubber tube 12 is pressed so that the conveyed material rotates inside the rubber tube 12. In other words, the control device 100 controls the timing at which the multiple artificial muscles 40A to 40C press against the rubber tube 12 to be asynchronous, and controls the movement of the multiple artificial muscles 40A to 40C so that the part pressed by the artificial muscles 40A to 40C moves in the circumferential direction of the rubber tube 12. It would be beneficial to control the movements of multiple artificial muscles 40A-40C so that each artificial muscle 40A-40C presses against the rubber tube 12 individually.

[0043] To verify the mixing capacity of the conveyed materials by the mixing conveying device 1 according to this embodiment, a mixing capacity test was conducted. In the mixing capacity test, the degree of mixing was compared between a mixing method using squeeze flow in a single pump unit 10 and a mixing method using independent deformation according to this embodiment. Assuming the material being transported was a powder, glass beads were used as the sample. Furthermore, in the mixing ability test, the degree of mixing of the sample was visually evaluated from the image. Half of the glass beads to be placed in the rubber tube 12 were colored with India ink, and the beads were placed in the rubber tube 12 in such a way that they separated into an uncolored layer and a colored layer (see Figure 10). The driving conditions for the pump unit 10 are based on the assumption of mixing by the squeeze flow described above, and consist of a driving pattern (hereinafter referred to as Axial flow) in which compressed air is simultaneously supplied to all three artificial muscles 40A to 40C to press the rubber tube 12 from three directions, Two conditions were set: a drive pattern (hereinafter referred to as Radial flow) in which compressed air is supplied to each of the artificial muscles 40A to 40C with a time difference to independently press the rubber tube 12 from three directions; and The air supply and exhaust times to the artificial muscle 40 were both set to 1 second (see Figure 11). In this experiment, the degree of mixing of the materials was evaluated using an image of the rubber tube 12 of the pump unit 10 taken from above, as shown in Figure 10. The captured images were first converted to grayscale, and the histogram of pixel values ​​for all pixels in the converted image was examined. When two colors of powder are mixed, the histogram of pixel values ​​in the in-tube image approaches a normal distribution, and the standard deviation becomes smaller. Therefore, the degree of mixing of the contents was evaluated by examining the changes in the standard deviation and mode as mixing progressed. Furthermore, in order to determine the standard deviation and mode, which serve as criteria for determining whether mixing is complete, a preliminary experiment was conducted in which the same sample was thoroughly stirred with a spoon (hereinafter referred to as Handmix), photographed, and the values ​​of the standard deviation and mode were examined. As a result, the standard deviation was 24.4 and the mode was 51. Therefore, in this experiment, we determined that the mixing was complete when the standard deviation fell below 24.4 and the mode was around 51, indicating that the mixing of the data had converged. In this experiment, the standard deviation of the in-pipe images was examined every minute from the start of mixing.

[0044] [Experimental Results] Figure 12(a) is a list of images taken inside the pipe from 0 to 5 minutes after the start of mixing under each driving condition, and Figure 12(b) is a graph showing the change in standard deviation with respect to mixing time. As shown in Figure 12, under all driving conditions, the two-colored sample was observed to mix over time, although a white component was still visible after 5 minutes in the axial flow method. On the other hand, in the Radial flow, the amount of white component decreased after 2 minutes of mixing, and after 5 minutes of mixing, the mixture became a dark green color with the two colors blended together. Furthermore, while the standard deviation never fell below 24.4 even after 5 minutes of mixing with the axial flow, it did fall below 24.4 after 3 minutes of mixing with the radial flow. In other words, with the Radial flow method, mixing for 3 minutes resulted in a color variation similar to that achieved with manual mixing.

[0045] Figure 13 is a histogram of pixel values ​​comparing the intensity of the sample after a mixing time of 3 minutes in Radial flow with that of manual mixing. As shown in Figure 13, in the Radial flow, as the mixing time progressed, the mode of the pixel values ​​approached 51, which is the value obtained when mixing manually. After 5 minutes of mixing, the mode of the pixel values ​​became 51, which is the same as the mode of the pixel values ​​obtained when mixing manually. In other words, with radial flow, after 5 minutes of mixing, the variation in the color intensity of the sample becomes similar to that of manual mixing, and it can be determined that mixing is complete.

[0046] On the other hand, with axial flow, mixing was not completed after 5 minutes of operation. This is thought to be because pressing the rubber tube 12 from three directions simultaneously caused the sample to be compressed in the center, making it difficult for the two colored samples to mix.

[0047] Figure 14 is an image taken inside the rubber tube 12 during mixing. As shown in Figure 14(a), in the axial flow, the artificial muscles 40A to 40C simultaneously press against the rubber tube 12 from three directions, causing the sample to be compressed. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 14(b), in the radial flow, the material moves radially as the cycle of independently pressing the rubber tube 12 from three directions progresses, making it easier for the two colored powders to mix. As explained above, it was confirmed that the mixing capacity for powder is improved by using the mixing and conveying device 1 to generate circumferential flow within the pump unit 10.

[0048] In the above embodiment, the artificial muscle 40 was described as a pressing means, but for example, It may also be an actuator that expands and contracts by supplying and discharging a fluid, like a balloon, by removing the fibers 46 from the artificial muscle 40. Furthermore, the pressing means may be a mechanical operation that presses the rubber tube 12 instead of a fluid-based actuator.

[0049] Figure 15 shows the actual state of the pump unit when an artificial muscle 40 is used as the pressing means. As described above, the state of the pump unit when the artificial muscle 40 is in operation was explained using schematic diagrams in Figures 6 and 7. When the artificial muscle 40 is used as the pressing means, it contracts in the axial direction as the artificial muscle 40 expands (when pressing the rubber tube 12). Therefore, in actual operation, as shown in the figures, the axis of the rubber tube 12, which is the transport path R, is bent (the external shape of the pump unit 10 changes). In this way, the bending of the axis of the rubber tube 12 causes an uneven distribution of the conveyed material to be mixed, which contributes to the mixing of the conveyed material by the pressing means. Therefore, using artificial muscle 40 as the pressing means provides an advantage in mixing the conveyed material.

[0050] In the above embodiment, an artificial muscle is arranged on the outer circumference of the rubber tube 12 that constitutes the transport path as a pressing means for pressing the rubber tube 12 as part of the configuration of the pump unit 10, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, a cylindrical body made of an elastic material may be provided on the outer circumference of the conveying path section 12A of the rubber tube 12 so as to form a double pipe with the conveying path section 12A, and partition walls connecting the outer surface of the conveying path section 12A and the inner surface of the cylindrical body may be provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction. Furthermore, by closing both ends of the conveying path section 12A and the cylindrical body using, for example, flanges 16, a closed space partitioned by partition walls may be formed on the outer circumference of the conveying path section 12A, and by supplying fluid (for example, compressed air) to this closed space, the conveyed objects in the conveying path section 12A may be pressed down.

[0051] The following describes the other components of the pump unit 10. As shown in Figures 16 and 17, the pump unit 10 comprises a cylindrical, expandable inner cylinder 60, a cylindrical outer cylinder 70 provided on the outer circumference of the inner cylinder 60 and also expandable, and a one-end flange 80 and a other-end flange 82 provided on one and the other axial ends of the inner cylinder 60 and outer cylinder 70, respectively. The inner cylinder 60 corresponds to the rubber tube 12 in the above embodiment, and more specifically, to the transport path portion 12A of the rubber tube 12.

[0052] The inner cylinder 60 is cylindrical, made of a rubber material such as natural latex rubber or silicone rubber, and is arranged coaxially with the axis of the outer cylinder 70. Both ends of the inner cylinder 60 are firmly fixed and closed to the inner circumferential surfaces of the flange 80 at one end and the flange 82 at the other end.

[0053] The outer cylinder 70 is formed in a cylindrical shape with openings at both ends, and both ends are fixed and closed by fixing rings 84a and 84b fitted onto the outer circumferential surfaces of the flange 80 at one end and the flange 82 at the other end, respectively.

[0054] As shown in Figure 17(a), the outer cylinder 70 comprises a rubber member made of, for example, low-ammonia natural latex rubber, and a fiber layer 72 interposed in the rubber member. The fiber layer 72 is composed of multiple highly elastic fibers such as carbon fibers, glass fibers, and aramid fibers, which are laminated along the radial direction. Furthermore, the extension direction of the highly elastic fibers constituting the fiber layer 72 coincides with the axial direction of the outer cylinder 70.

[0055] Therefore, as shown in Figure 16(b), when air is introduced into the chamber 80 defined between the inner cylinder 60 and the outer cylinder 70, the inner cylinder 60 expands radially inward, in other words, toward the center of the transport path R, which is a flow path through which the fluid of the transported material formed by the inner circumferential surface of the inner cylinder 60 can flow. Furthermore, when air, as an example of a pressure medium, is introduced into the chamber 80 defined between the outer cylinder 70 and the inner cylinder 60, the outer cylinder 70 expands radially outward, and as a result of its axial extension being constrained by the fiber layer 72, the entire structure contracts axially.

[0056] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 17(a), the inner cylinder 60 may have a fiber layer having the same structure as the fiber layer 72 interposed inside. In this case, the inner cylinder 60 also expands toward the center of the transport path R, and as a result of the fiber layer restricting axial extension, the entire structure contracts in the axial direction.

[0057] By configuring the inner cylinder 60 in this way, it is effective when it is desired to increase the amount of axial contraction of the pump unit 10. For example, when the conveyed material is viscous or contains solids such as granules, the pump unit in this configuration can be placed only in a portion of the pump depending on the application, and these materials can be efficiently conveyed by the portion with increased expansion and contraction.

[0058] As shown in Figure 16, when the openings at both ends of the outer cylinder 70 and the inner cylinder 60 are firmly fixed by the flange 80 at one end and the flange 82 at the other end, a chamber 80 is formed inside the pump unit 10 as a pressure-supplyable air chamber partitioned by the outer cylinder 70, the inner cylinder 60, the flange 80 at one end, and the flange 82 at the other end.

[0059] Chamber 80 is a space that extends along its extension direction (axial direction) around the axis of the center (axis) of the transport path R, which is partitioned by the inner circumferential surface of the inner cylinder 60, and a pressure medium such as air or liquid is supplied into Chamber 80 from a pressure supply and discharge device (not shown).

[0060] Furthermore, the chamber 80 is divided into several adjacent smaller chambers 80A to 80D along the circumferential direction, and each of the smaller chambers 80A to 80C is supplied with a pressure medium. Multiple tube insertion holes 86a are formed on the outer circumferential surface of the flange 80 at one end, evenly spaced along the circumferential direction. The tube insertion holes 86a are formed as passages communicating with the inside and outside of the chamber 80, and are formed individually corresponding to each of the small chambers 80A to 80C.

[0061] Multiple tube insertion holes 86a formed in one end flange 80 are each individually connected to a tube 41. The tubes 41 are connected to a pressure supply and discharge device (not shown), and the fluid supplied from the pressure supply and discharge device is individually fed into the chambers 80 (small chambers 80A to 80C) via the tubes 41.

[0062] Thus, the chamber 80, which is sealed by the outer cylinder 70, the inner cylinder 60, and the flanges 80 and 82 at one end and the other end as sealing means, expands radially and contracts axially when pressure is applied. More specifically, the outer cylinder 70 that partitions the chamber 80 expands radially outward, and the inner cylinder 60 expands radially inward, that is, towards the center of the transport path R, while its axial dimension contracts due to the restriction of the fiber layer 72 interposed in the outer cylinder 70.

[0063] Next, the small chambers 80A to 80C will be described, with particular reference to Figure 17. In this example, the chamber 80 is shown as being divided into three sections, but any number of sections, two or more, more preferably three or more, is acceptable.

[0064] Chamber 80 is divided into small chambers 80A to 80C at equal intervals along the circumferential direction, with the axis of the transport path R within the inner cylinder 60 as the center. As shown in the figure, a plurality of partition walls 85A to 85C are formed between the outer cylinder 70 and the inner cylinder 60, arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction and extending radially inward and outward, and the outer cylinder 70 and the inner cylinder 60 are integrated by these partition walls 85A to 85C.

[0065] The partition walls 85A to 85C are formed of the same rubber as the outer cylinder 70 and inner cylinder 60. The small chamber 80A is partitioned circumferentially by partition walls 85A and 85B, the small chamber 80B is partitioned circumferentially by partition walls 85B and 85C, and the small chamber 80C is partitioned circumferentially by partition walls 85C and 85A.

[0066] Thus, when the pump unit 10 is viewed in cross-section in the radial direction, the chamber 80 is divided into multiple circumferentially adjacent small chambers 80A to 80C by multiple partition walls 85A to 85C.

[0067] Then, when the pressure medium is supplied synchronously into each of the small chambers 80A to 80C from the initial state shown in Figure 17(a), as shown in Figure 17(b), the outer cylinder 70, which constitutes a part of each of the small chambers 80A to 80C, expands in an arc shape radially outward, starting from the radially outer end of the partition wall section 85A to 85C, and similarly, the inner cylinder 60, which also constitutes a part of the small chambers 80A to 80C, expands in an arc shape radially inward, starting from the radially inner end of the partition wall section 85A to 85C. At this time, the inner cylinder 60, which constitutes a part of the small chambers 80A to 80C, expands to converge toward the center of the transport path R formed by the inner circumferential surface of the inner cylinder 60, so that the transport path R is gradually closed by the increase in pressure, and the inner circumferential surfaces come into close contact at its center, resulting in a closed state. In other words, the small chambers 80A to 80C function as pressing means that press against the inner cylinder 60, which corresponds to the artificial muscle 40 mentioned above.

[0068] As described above, each of the small chambers 80A to 80C, acting as air chambers, is arranged radially outward of the transport path R so as to surround the transport path R through which fluid can flow. The inner cylinder 60, which forms part of the small chambers 80A to 80C and also forms the transport path R, expands toward the center of the transport path R, thereby closing the transport path R. Furthermore, simultaneously with the closing of the transport path R, the small chambers 80A to 80C contract axially due to the constraint of the fiber layer 72 interposed in the outer cylinder 70, so that the fluid present in the transport path R is transported by being pushed out in one direction axially.

[0069] Furthermore, since each of the small chambers 80A to 80C can be subjected to independent pressure, the timing of pressing the inner cylinder 60 can be operated asynchronously. For example, as shown in Figure 18, by moving the process of applying pressure to the small chamber 80B to press the conveyed material in the conveying path R to one side in the circumferential direction, a circumferential flow can be generated in the conveyed material in the conveying path R, thereby improving the mixing efficiency of the conveyed material. In other words, by shifting the pressure applied to the small chambers 80A to 80C in the circumferential direction, a circumferential flow can be generated in the conveyed material within the conveying path R, thereby improving the mixing efficiency of the conveyed material.

[0070] As explained above, even with a modified pump unit 10, it can perform the same operation as a pump unit 10 that utilizes multiple artificial muscles 40. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1 Mixing and conveying device, 8 Pump section, 10 (10A~10E) Pump unit 12 rubber tubes, 40 (40A~40C) Artificial muscle, 100 control devices, 200 control units.

Claims

1. A cylindrical body that forms a transport path, A pump unit having a plurality of pressing means provided on the outer circumference of the cylindrical body for pressing the cylindrical body radially inward from the outer circumference, A control device that controls the operation of the multiple pressing means of the pump unit, Equipped with, The control device is A mixing and conveying device in which the timing of the multiple pressing means pressing the cylindrical body is operated asynchronously.

2. The control device is The mixing and conveying apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the operation of a plurality of pressing means is controlled so that the part pressed by the pressing means moves in the circumferential direction of the cylindrical body.

3. The control device is The mixing and conveying apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the operation of a plurality of pressing means is controlled so that the pressing means presses the cylindrical body by itself.

4. The mixing and conveying apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pressing means comprises an actuator that expands when fluid is supplied and contracts when fluid is discharged, and the cylindrical body is pressed by the expansion of the actuator.

5. The mixing and conveying device according to claim 4, wherein the actuator is composed of artificial muscle.

6. The pump unit is a mixture conveying device according to claim 1 or claim 2, with a plurality of units connected together.

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