Powder and granular material storage cylinder, powder and granular material supply equipment, powder and granular material supply device, powder and granular material mixing device, and powder and granular material weighing device.

Abstract

The present invention provides a powder and granular material storage cylinder capable of stably supplying powder and granular material, a powder and granular material supply equipment equipped with the powder and granular material storage cylinder, a powder and granular material supply device equipped with the powder and granular material storage cylinder, a powder and granular material mixing device equipped with the powder and granular material supply device, and a powder and granular material weighing device equipped with the powder and granular material supply device. [Solution] The powder storage cylinder 20L has an upper opening 20La and a lower opening 20Lb, and is cylindrical in shape extending along the vertical axis, with the area of ​​the lower opening 20Lb being larger than the area of ​​the upper opening 20La.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a granular material storage cylinder, a granular material supply facility, a granular material supply device, a granular material mixing device, and a granular material weighing device.

Background Art

[0002] In a storage tank that supplies granular materials to a granular material conveyor by natural fall, a bridging phenomenon may occur in the granular materials in the storage tank. As an invention for suppressing the bridging phenomenon occurring in the granular materials in this storage tank, for example, an agitator described in Patent Document 1 is known.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, outside the movable range of the agitator, a bridging phenomenon may occur, and a lump of granular materials coagulated due to the bridging phenomenon may rotate together with the agitator, and the granular materials may not be loosened, and the granular materials may not be supplied to the granular material conveyor in some cases.

[0005] In view of the above points, an object of the present invention is to provide a granular material storage cylinder capable of stably supplying granular materials, a granular material supply facility including this granular material storage cylinder, a granular material supply device including this granular material storage cylinder, a granular material mixing device including this granular material supply device, and a granular material weighing device including this granular material supply device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The granular material storage cylinder of the present invention has an upper opening and a lower opening, has a cylindrical shape extending along the vertical axis, and the area of the lower opening is larger than the area of the upper opening.

[0007] The powder and granular material supply equipment of the present invention comprises a powder and granular material storage cylinder and a transport unit for supplying powder and granular material to the powder and granular material storage cylinder.

[0008] The powder and granular material supply device of the present invention comprises a powder and granular material storage cylinder, an input section connected to the powder and granular material storage cylinder, and a powder and granular material discharger having a conveying section that can hold the powder and granular material that falls naturally from the powder and granular material storage cylinder and can also discharge the powder and granular material.

[0009] The powder and granular material mixing apparatus of the present invention comprises a measuring container, a mixing tank, and a plurality of powder and granular material supply devices, wherein at least one of the plurality of powder and granular material supply devices is the powder and granular material supply device.

[0010] The powder and granular material weighing device of the present invention comprises a weighing container, a discharge container, and at least one of the powder and granular material supply devices. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a powder and granular material storage cylinder capable of stably supplying powder and granular material, a powder and granular material supply equipment equipped with the powder and granular material storage cylinder, a powder and granular material supply device equipped with the powder and granular material storage cylinder, a powder and granular material mixing device equipped with the powder and granular material supply device, and a powder and granular material weighing device equipped with the powder and granular material supply device. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of a powder and granular material mixing apparatus according to the first embodiment (excluding the suction hose, feed hose, blower, and storage tank). [Figure 2] This is a diagram showing the configuration of a powder and granular material mixing apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of a powder storage cylinder on which a powder separator according to the first embodiment is mounted. [Figure 4] This is a diagram along the IV-IV section of Figure 3. [Figure 5](a) is a front view of the powder and granular material mixing apparatus according to the first embodiment (excluding the suction hose, feed hose, blower, and storage tank). (b) is an enlarged view of the internal structure of the part enclosed by the dashed circle X in (a). [Figure 6] This is a perspective view of a powder and granular material mixing apparatus according to the second embodiment (excluding the suction hose, feed hose, blower, and storage tank). [Figure 7] This diagram is along the VII-VII section of Figure 6. [Figure 8] This is a front view of a powder and granular material weighing device (excluding the suction hose, feed hose, blower, and storage tank) according to the third embodiment. [Figure 9] (a) is a front view of the powder and granular material supply equipment according to the fourth embodiment (excluding the suction hose, feed hose, blower, and storage tank) placed on a transport container via a gate unit. (b) is an enlarged view of the internal structure of the part enclosed by the dashed circle Y in (a). [Figure 10] This is a front view of the powder and granular material supply equipment (excluding the suction hose, feed hose, blower, and storage tank) according to the fourth embodiment, mounted on a suction box. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] (First Embodiment) The first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 5. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the powder and granular material mixing apparatus 10 according to this embodiment includes powder and granular material supply devices 12L, 12R, a measuring container 16, and a mixing tank 18. The powder and granular materials GL and GR refer to particles with particle sizes ranging from several nanometers to several millimeters, and aggregates of these particles. The specific material is, for example, a polyolefin-based thermoplastic elastomer.

[0014] The powder and granular material supply device 12L includes a powder and granular material storage cylinder 20L, a powder and granular material discharging machine 14L, a transportation unit 22L, a level detector 24L, and a control unit 26. Similarly, the powder and granular material supply device 12R includes a powder and granular material storage cylinder 20R, a powder and granular material discharging machine 14R, a transportation unit 22R, a level detector 24R, and a control unit 26. As shown in FIG. 2, the transportation units 22L and 22R include powder and granular material separators 28L and 28R, feed hoses 64L and 64R, suction hoses 62L and 62R, blowers 32L and 32R, and storage tanks 34L and 34R.

[0015] In the following description, the vertical direction is defined as the up-and-down direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the side where the powder and granular material storage cylinders 20L and 20R are located with respect to the mixing tank 18 is the upper side, and the opposite side is the lower side. The direction in which the powder and granular material storage cylinders 20L and 20R are arranged is defined as the left-and-right direction (when viewing the powder and granular material mixing device 10 from the front, the left side is the left). The up-and-down direction and the left-and-right direction are orthogonal. The direction orthogonal to the up-and-down direction and the left-and-right direction is defined as the front-and-back direction. The side where the control unit 26 is located with respect to the powder and granular material storage cylinder 20R is the front side, and the opposite side is the rear side. The structure of the powder and granular material supply device 12R located on the right side is symmetric with respect to the left-and-right center of the powder and granular material mixing device 10 with respect to the powder and granular material supply device 12L located on the left side of the powder and granular material mixing device 10. In the following, the powder and granular material supply device 12L will be described in detail, and the description and illustration of the powder and granular material supply device 12R may be omitted.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 4, the powder and granular material storage cylinder 20L has an upper opening 20La and a lower opening 20Lb, and has a cylindrical shape extending along the vertical axis. The area of the lower opening 20Lb is larger than the area of the upper opening 20La. More specifically, the powder and granular material storage cylinder 20L has a larger diameter of the lower opening 20Lb than the diameter of the upper opening 20La, and forms a hollow truncated cone. The acute angle formed by the outer peripheral surface of the powder and granular material storage cylinder 20L and the vertical axis is within a range greater than 0 degrees and less than 90 degrees, and an angle effective for suppressing the bridging phenomenon is set according to the properties of the powder and granular material GL. In the present embodiment, when viewing the powder and granular material storage cylinder 20L from the front, the acute angle formed by the line forming the outer peripheral surface of the powder and granular material storage cylinder 20L and the vertical axis is 10 degrees.

[0017] At the upper end of the 20L powder and granule storage cylinder, as shown in FIG. 3, an upper flange 36L extending radially from the upper opening 20La is provided. The upper flange 36L is a circular plate-like member when viewed from above. At the lower end of the 20L powder and granule storage cylinder, a lower flange 38L extending radially from the lower opening 20Lb is provided. The lower flange 38L is a square plate-like member when viewed from below.

[0018] The upper flange 36L and the lower flange 38L are connected by three support members 40L. The support members 40L are rod-like members extending along the vertical axis. The three support members 40L are provided such that the intervals between them are larger than the outer diameter of the 20L powder and granule storage cylinder.

[0019] An annular level detector 24L is attached around the 20L powder and granule storage cylinder by the three support members 40L. More specifically, the level detector 24L has a substantially semi-circular shape when viewed from above and is attached to the support members 40L so as to surround the outer peripheral surface of the 20L powder and granule storage cylinder and be at a substantially central position in the vertical direction of the 20L powder and granule storage cylinder. The level detector 24L outputs a signal indicating the presence or absence of the powder and granule GL at a predetermined vertical position of the 20L powder and granule storage cylinder. More specifically, sensors 24La for detecting the presence or absence of the powder and granule GL in the 20L powder and granule storage cylinder are provided at both ends of the level detector 24L. For example, the sensor 24La is an optical photoelectric sensor (transmission type, retroreflective type, diffuse reflective type, etc.) or a capacitance type proximity sensor.

[0020] The signal output from sensor 24La is transmitted to control unit 26. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, control unit 26 is located in the front right part of the powder and granular material mixing device 10. Control unit 26 includes an input unit 26a, a display unit 26b, a processor (not shown), memory, and an output unit. Control unit 26 is also configured as a circuit including one or more dedicated hardware circuits, such as application-specific integrated circuits, that execute various processes according to a computer program, as well as combinations thereof. Memory includes any medium accessible by a general-purpose or dedicated computer. Memory stores a control program configured to cause the processor to execute various processes of the powder and granular material mixing device 10.

[0021] Specifically, the control unit 26 acquires a signal from the level detector 24L and controls the transport unit 22L so that a predetermined amount of powder GL is stored in the powder storage cylinder 20L. More specifically, for example, if the control unit 26 acquires a signal from the sensor 24La indicating that powder GL has been detected from the level detector 24L in the powder storage cylinder 20L, it stops the transport unit 22L. If the control unit 26 does not acquire a signal from the sensor 24La indicating that powder GL has been detected, it operates the transport unit 22L.

[0022] Furthermore, the control unit 26 issues an alarm if the amount of granular material GL transported by the transport unit 22L per predetermined time is less than a predetermined amount. More specifically, when the granular material discharger 14L is in operation, the control unit 26 issues an alarm or stops the granular material discharger 14L if the amount of granular material GL transported by the transport unit 22L to the granular material storage cylinder 20L is less than a predetermined amount. This prevents damage to the granular material discharger 14L due to no-load operation in situations where granular material GL is not supplied to the granular material discharger 14L due to clogging of the input section 54L, as described later, caused by the inclusion of foreign matter. In addition, the control unit 26 also issues an alarm or stops the granular material discharger 14L if it is unable to obtain a signal indicating the detection of granular material GL even after a predetermined time has elapsed since the time when it was not receiving a signal indicating the detection of granular material GL in the granular material storage cylinder 20L.

[0023] As shown in Figure 4, a powder and granular material separator 28L is mounted on the upper flange 36L. The powder and granular material separator 28L includes a suction section 42L and a feed section 44L, with the suction section 42L and feed section 44L stacked vertically on top of each other. The feed section 44L has a shape where the lower part of a roughly cylindrical shape, with the vertical axis as the central axis, tapers downwards in a funnel shape. In other words, the feed section 44L is composed of a cylindrical section 44La and a funnel section 44Lb. The lower end of the cylindrical section 44La and the upper end of the funnel section 44Lb are connected near the point where they overlap with the upper flange 36L when viewed from the front. A filter 46L is fitted into the opening at the upper end of the cylindrical section 44La. As a result, the feed section 44L and the feed section 44L side of the valve body 50L located in the suction section 42L (described later) are connected via the filter 46L. Filter 46L is permeable but can prevent the passage of powder GL.

[0024] A feed hose connection port 44Lc protrudes radially from the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical portion 44La. The feed hose connection port 44Lc is connected to one end of the feed hose 64L. The other end of the feed hose 64L is connected to the storage tank 34L, as shown in Figure 2. The storage tank 34L stores the granular material GL. The funnel portion 44Lb has a circular opening at its lower end, which is located inside the granular material storage cylinder 20L when viewed from below.

[0025] The suction section 42L is cylindrical in shape, with its central axis coinciding with the central axis of the feed section 44L, and its upper end is closed by a top plate 42La. The joint between the outer circumferential surface 42Lb of the suction section 42L and the top plate 42La is chamfered at approximately 45 degrees. A suction hose connection port 42Lc protrudes radially from the outer circumferential surface 42Lb. The suction hose connection port 42Lc is connected to one end of the suction hose 62L. The other end of the suction hose 62L is connected to the blower 32L, as shown in Figure 2.

[0026] The suction section 42L contains an intake valve 48L inside. The intake valve 48L has a valve body 50L and a valve housing 52L.

[0027] The valve body 50L has a sliding portion 50La, a shaft 50Lb, and a hollow conical portion 50Lc. The central axis of the shaft 50Lb coincides with the central axes of the feed portion 44L and the suction portion 42L. The sliding portion 50La is attached to the upper end of the shaft 50Lb, and the conical portion 50Lc is attached to the lower end so as to widen downwards. The conical portion 50Lc is located inside the powder storage cylinder 20L via the funnel portion 44Lb of the feed portion 44L.

[0028] More specifically, the portion of the cone portion 50Lc whose outer diameter is larger than the inner diameter of the opening at the lower end of the funnel portion 44Lb is located below the funnel portion 44Lb, and the portion of the cone portion 50Lc whose outer diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the opening at the lower end of the funnel portion 44Lb is located inside the funnel portion 44Lb. The sliding portion 50La has a flattened cylindrical shape in which its vertical length is shorter than its radial length. The upper end of the sliding portion 50La is covered by an upper end surface. The upper end of the shaft 50Lb is connected to the center of the sliding portion 50La. The outer diameter of the sliding portion 50La is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the projection 52Lb, which will be described later, and the sliding portion 50La is fitted into the projection 52Lb. The sliding portion 50La can slide vertically relative to the projection 52Lb.

[0029] The valve housing 52L has a frustoconical portion 52La and a projection 52Lb. The frustoconical portion 52La is a flattened frustoconical shape that tapers upward toward the inside of the suction portion 42L from the lower end of the inner circumferential surface of the suction portion 42L, with its upper and lower end faces being open. The projection 52Lb is erected upward from around the opening at the upper end of the frustoconical portion 52La. The projection 52Lb is cylindrical with its upper and lower ends being open. Therefore, the inside of the frustoconical portion 52La and the inside of the projection 52Lb are connected along the central axis.

[0030] As shown in Figure 5, the powder and granular material discharger 14L has an input section 54L connected to a powder and granular material storage cylinder 20L, and a conveying section that can hold the powder and granular material GL that naturally falls from the powder and granular material storage cylinder 20L and can also discharge the powder and granular material GL. The conveying section includes a screw shaft 56L, a screw cylinder 58L, and a drive unit 60L. More specifically, the screw cylinder 58L is cylindrical and has an outlet 58La opening at one end, with the drive unit 60L provided at the other end. The screw cylinder 58L is inclined such that the outlet 58La is located above the drive unit 60L. The screw shaft 56L is located inside the screw cylinder 58L. The central axis of the screw shaft 56L coincides with the central axis of the screw cylinder 58L. The screw shaft 56L has helical blades 56Lb around the shaft 56La. One end of the screw shaft 56L is located near the discharge port 58La, and the other end is connected to the drive unit 60L. The input section 54L protrudes upward from the drive unit 60L side (opposite the discharge port 58La) of the screw cylinder 58L. The input section 54L is a flattened cylindrical shape in which the vertical length is shorter than the radial length, and connects the powder storage cylinder 20L and the screw cylinder 58L. Specifically, the open upper end of the input section 54L is connected to the lower opening 20Lb of the powder storage cylinder 20L, and the open lower end is connected to the inside of the screw cylinder 58L. As a result, the powder GL supplied from the powder storage cylinder 20L via the input section 54L by gravity fall is held in the screw cylinder 58L. The powder GL inside the screw cylinder 58L is transported from the input section 54L to the discharge port 58La by the rotation of the screw shaft 56L, and is discharged from the discharge port 58La.

[0031] As shown in Figures 2 and 5, a measuring container 16 is provided below the discharge port 58La of the powder and granular material discharger 14L. The measuring container 16 has a truncated square pyramidal shape that tapers from top to bottom, with openings at the top and bottom. A shutter (not shown) is provided at the opening bottom end of the measuring container 16. The measuring container 16 has a load cell 16a and can measure the mass of the powder and granular material GL that is put into the measuring container 16.

[0032] A mixing tank 18 is provided below the measuring container 16. The mixing tank 18 is designed so that when the shutter of the measuring container 16 opens, the powder GL inside the measuring container 16 falls into the mixing tank 18. The mixing tank 18 is equipped with stirring blades (not shown) that stir and mix the powder GL introduced from the powder discharger 14L and the powder GR introduced from the powder discharger 14R to make them uniform.

[0033] Next, the operation and function of the powder and granular material mixing device 10 will be described. The powder and granular material GL stored in the storage tank 34L is transported to the powder and granular material storage cylinder 20L by the transport unit 22L. More specifically, the powder and granular material GL in the storage tank 34L is transported along with air by the suction of the blower 32L to the feed section 44L of the powder and granular material separator 28L via the feed hose 64L. Meanwhile, the air that flows into the feed section 44L is further drawn into the suction section 42L via the filter 46L and the intake valve 48L. The air that flows into the suction section 42L is drawn into the blower 32L via the suction hose 62L and then exhausted. Specifically, the suction force of the blower 32L moves the valve body 50L upward, connecting the feed section 44L and the suction section 42L via the filter 46L, and at the same time, the opening at the lower end of the funnel section 44Lb of the feed section 44L is closed. More specifically, the sliding portion 50La slides upward relative to the projection portion 52Lb, connecting the suction portion 42L and the feed portion 44L. Simultaneously, the outer surface of the conical portion 50Lc comes into contact with the opening at the lower end of the funnel portion 44Lb, closing the opening at the lower end of the funnel portion 44Lb. In this way, the powder GL is separated from the air and accumulates in the feed portion 44L.

[0034] When the suction of the blower 32L stops, the valve body 50L moves downward, and the feed section 44L and the suction section 42L become disconnected. At the same time, a gap is created between the opening at the lower end of the funnel section 44Lb and the outer surface of the cone section 50Lc. The granular material GL accumulated in the feed section 44L falls through this gap into the granular material storage cylinder 20L. Furthermore, the granular material GL that falls into the granular material storage cylinder 20L reaches the screw cylinder 58L via the input section 54L of the granular material discharger 14L, as shown by the white arrow in Figure 5. When the granular material GL fills the screw cylinder 58L and the input section 54L, and the granular material GL in the granular material storage cylinder 20L reaches a predetermined position, the level detector 24L detects this. The control unit 26 stops the operation of the blower 32L, and the transport of granular material GL by the transport unit 22L stops.

[0035] When the powder and granular material discharger 14L is in operation, the screw shaft 56L pushes the powder and granular material GL in the screw cylinder 58L sequentially from the drive unit 60L side to the discharge port 58La side. The powder and granular material GL in the powder and granular material storage cylinder 20L is sequentially supplied to the drive unit 60L side of the screw cylinder 58L (the lower end of the screw shaft 56L) by gravity via the input unit 54L.

[0036] As the powder GL is supplied from the powder storage cylinder 20L to the powder discharger 14L, if the level detector 24L detects that the powder GL in the powder storage cylinder 20L is not in the predetermined position, the control unit 26 operates the transport unit 22L again to transport the powder GL. In this way, the supply of powder GL from the powder supply device 12L to the powder discharger 14L continues.

[0037] As shown by the white arrow in Figure 5, the powder GL is dropped and fed into the weighing container 16 from the discharge port 58La of the screw cylinder 58L. When the mass of the powder GL measured in the weighing container 16 reaches a set mass that has been previously entered into the control unit 26, the control unit 26 stops the powder discharge machine 14L. The powder GR is then fed into the mixing tank 18 as the shutter of the weighing container 16 opens.

[0038] Similarly, the granular material GR stored in the storage tank 34R is transported to the granular material storage cylinder 20R by the transport unit 22R. The granular material GR supplied to the granular material storage cylinder 20R by the transport unit 22R is filled into the granular material discharger 14R. A preset mass of granular material GR is fed from the granular material discharger 14R to the mixing tank 18 via the weighing container 16. The granular material GL and granular material GR are stirred and mixed by the stirring blades of the mixing tank 18, and then homogenized.

[0039] (effect) As described above, the powder storage cylinder 20L according to this embodiment has an upper opening 20La and a lower opening 20Lb, and is cylindrical in shape extending along the vertical axis, with the area of ​​the lower opening 20Lb being larger than the area of ​​the upper opening 20La. In the powder storage cylinder 20L, as the powder GL falls naturally (moves downward), the vertically perpendicular surface increases, and the gaps between the particles of the powder GL increase. Therefore, the frictional force acting between the particles of the powder GL that are in contact decreases, and in addition, the opportunity for the particles of the powder GL to come into contact with each other decreases, thereby suppressing the compaction of the powder GL. Furthermore, since no reaction force from the inner surface that opposes gravity acting on the powder GL is generated on the powder GL that is in contact with the inner surface of the powder storage cylinder 20L, no frictional force that hinders the natural fall of the powder GL acts upon it. Furthermore, the weight of the granular material GL located at the bottom acts on it, promoting its natural fall. With the 20L granular material storage cylinder, the occurrence of bridging of the granular material GL is suppressed in this way, allowing the granular material GL to fall naturally and stably.

[0040] Furthermore, with the 20L powder storage cylinder, there is no need to install equipment such as agitators or knockers to loosen the powder GL to eliminate bridging, thus reducing the cost of the equipment for storing the powder GL. Also, while agitators have difficulty suppressing bridging that occurs outside their range of motion, the 20L powder storage cylinder has an effect of suppressing bridging throughout the entire stored powder GL. In addition, because the 20L powder storage cylinder has an effect of suppressing bridging throughout the entire stored powder GL, it can suppress the occurrence of rat-hole phenomena, where holes form around the discharge port of the storage equipment. On the other hand, with knockers that apply vibration or shock to the storage equipment, depending on the physical properties of the powder GL, the powder GL may become more compacted, and the effect of suppressing bridging may not be sufficient. Furthermore, vibrations caused by knockers can also be a factor in measurement errors in mixing equipment equipped with a mass measuring device. The 20L powder and granular material storage cylinder effectively suppresses the bridging phenomenon and eliminates the risk of mass measurement errors.

[0041] The powder and granular material supply device 12L according to this embodiment comprises a powder and granular material storage cylinder 20L and a powder and granular material discharger 14L. The powder and granular material discharger 14L has a cylindrical screw cylinder 58L (conveying unit) having an outlet 58La opening at one end and a drive unit 60L (conveying unit) at the other end, a screw shaft 56L (conveying unit) located inside the screw cylinder 58L and connected to the drive unit 60L, and an input unit 54L protruding upward from the drive unit 60L side of the screw cylinder 58L and connecting the powder and granular material storage cylinder 20L and the screw cylinder 58L. The screw cylinder 58L is inclined such that the outlet 58La is located above the drive unit 60L. With this structure, the powder and granular material discharger 14L can hold the powder and granular material GL, which is fed in by gravity from the powder and granular material storage cylinder 20L via the input unit 54L, inside the screw cylinder 58L. The powder storage cylinder 20L has the effect of suppressing the bridging phenomenon and promoting natural fall, but its effect in storing the powder GL is not sufficient. The powder supply device 12L can supplement the storage of powder GL by the powder storage cylinder 20L, suppress the bridging phenomenon of the powder GL, and stably discharge the powder GL. Furthermore, the powder discharger 14L can hold the powder GL without spilling it from the discharge port 58La when the drive unit 60L is stopped. Therefore, by controlling the drive unit 60L, the required mass of powder GL can be accurately discharged. In addition, since opening and closing devices such as shutters and valves are not required at the input unit 54L and the discharge port 58La, the cost of the powder supply device 12L can be reduced.

[0042] On the other hand, even though the bridging phenomenon is suppressed by the powder storage cylinder 20L, if the powder discharger 14L is stopped for a long period of time, the bridging phenomenon may occur in the powder GL in the powder storage cylinder 20L. In this case, when the drive unit 60L starts operating and the powder GL in the screw cylinder 58L is discharged, creating a space in the screw cylinder 58L, the reaction force received from the screw cylinder 58L disappears, promoting the natural fall of the powder GL in the powder storage cylinder 20L, eliminating the bridging phenomenon, and allowing the powder GL to be supplied to the powder discharger 14L. Furthermore, according to a test comparing the movement of powder in a frustoconical cylinder and a cylindrical cylinder, which will be described later, in the frustoconical cylinder, all the powder in the cylinder fell naturally at once 5 seconds after a space was created below the lower opening. This suggests that the bridging phenomenon had disappeared.

[0043] The powder and granular material supply device 12L according to this embodiment further includes a transport unit 22L for supplying powder and granular material GL to the powder and granular material storage cylinder 20L. This allows the powder and granular material GL to be transported to the powder and granular material storage cylinder 20L, and the powder and granular material supply device 12L can stably discharge the powder and granular material GL.

[0044] The powder and granular material supply device 12L according to this embodiment further includes a level detector 24L that outputs a signal indicating the presence or absence of powder and granular material GL at a predetermined position in the powder and granular material storage cylinder 20L, and a control unit 26 that acquires this signal and controls the transport unit 22L so that a predetermined amount of powder and granular material GL is stored in the powder and granular material storage cylinder 20L. As a result, the powder and granular material supply device 12L can further reinforce the storage of powder and granular material GL in the powder and granular material storage cylinder 20L, which is not sufficiently effective in storing powder and granular material GL, while suppressing the bridging phenomenon of powder and granular material GL and stably discharging the powder and granular material GL.

[0045] Furthermore, the control unit 26 of the powder and granular material supply device 12L issues an alarm when the amount of powder and granular material GL transported by the transport unit 22L per predetermined time is less than a predetermined amount. This allows the operator to be alerted to stop the operation of the powder and granular material discharger 14L in the event of a problem where powder and granular material GL is not supplied to the powder and granular material discharger 14L, thereby preventing damage to the powder and granular material discharger 14L due to dry running.

[0046] According to this embodiment, a powder and granular material mixing apparatus 10 can be provided, comprising a measuring container 16, a mixing tank 18, and powder and granular material supply devices 12L and 12R. (A test comparing the movement of powder and granular material inside a cylinder)

[0047] In this test, a sample was gently placed into a cylinder (with open top and bottom ends) on the floor and left undisturbed for 20 minutes before being gently lifted. In both the frustoconical and cylindrical cylinders, the sample remained contained within the cylinder when lifted. In the frustoconical cylinder, all of the sample fell out at once 5 seconds after being lifted. In the cylindrical cylinder, the sample remained contained within the cylinder even after 1 minute, suggesting that a bridging phenomenon occurred. Table 1 shows the shape, material, and amount of sample used for each cylinder. Test environment: Temperature 27°C, humidity 60% Sample: Polyolefin elastomer (particle size 3mm-5mm)

[0048] [Table 1]

[0049] (Second Embodiment) The powder and granular material mixing apparatus 101 according to the second embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 6 and 7. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in the size of the powder and granular material storage cylinder and the structure between the powder and granular material separator and the powder and granular material storage cylinder. The structure and configuration of the transport unit, level detector, control unit, and powder and granular material discharger, excluding the powder and granular material storage cylinder and the structure between the powder and granular material separator and the powder and granular material storage cylinder, are the same as in the first embodiment, and are therefore given the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment, and their description will be omitted.

[0050] The powder and granular material supply device 121L of the second embodiment comprises a powder and granular material storage cylinder 201L, a powder and granular material discharger 14L, a transport unit 22L, a level detector 24L, and a control unit 26. The powder and granular material storage cylinder 201L has a similar shape but is smaller than the powder and granular material storage cylinder 20L of the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, the funnel portion 44Lb of the feed section 44L and the conical portion 50Lc of the valve body 50L are located within the intermediate member 68L (in the first embodiment, the funnel portion 44Lb of the feed section 44L and the conical portion 50Lc of the valve body 50L are located within the powder and granular material storage cylinder 20L). The intermediate member 68L has a cylindrical shape in which its central axis coincides with the central axis of the powder and granular material separator 28L. The upper end of the intermediate member 68L is connected to the lower end of the feed section 44L, and the lower end is connected to the upper end of the different-diameter chute 70L, which will be described later.

[0051] As shown in Figure 7, the chute with different diameters, 70L, has a hollow, frustoconical shape that tapers downwards. The outer diameter of the lower end face 70La is smaller than the diameter of the upper opening 201La of the powder storage cylinder 201L, and the lower end face 70La is located near the upper opening 201La inside the powder storage cylinder 201L.

[0052] This allows the powder separator 28L to be installed in the powder storage cylinder 201L when the diameter of the upper opening 20La of the powder storage cylinder 20L is smaller than the diameter of the feed section 44L of the powder separator 28L, and the feed section 44L cannot be directly placed on the powder storage cylinder 20L. When supplying powder GL from the transport unit 22L to the powder storage cylinder 201L, the powder GL is not stored in the different-diameter chute 70L.

[0053] (Third embodiment) The powder and granular material weighing device 102 according to the third embodiment will be described below with reference to Figure 8. The third embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it has a discharge container instead of a mixing tank. The structure and configuration of the powder and granular material supply device and the weighing container are the same as in the first embodiment, so the same reference numerals are used as in the first embodiment, and their description is omitted.

[0054] The powder and granular material weighing device 102 according to this embodiment includes powder and granular material supply devices 12L and 12R, a weighing container 16, and a discharge container 66. This suppresses the occurrence of bridging phenomena, and allows for the stable discharge of powder and granular material GL from the powder and granular material storage cylinder 20L to the weighing container 16 via the powder and granular material discharger 14L. Similarly, it allows for the stable discharge of powder and granular material GR from the powder and granular material storage cylinder 20R to the weighing container 16 via the powder and granular material discharger 14R. The powder and granular material GL and GR, each weighed to a predetermined amount, can then be loaded from the weighing container 16 into the discharge container 66.

[0055] According to this embodiment, a powder and granular material weighing device 102 can be provided, comprising a weighing container 16, a discharge container 66, and powder and granular material supply devices 12L and 12R.

[0056] (Fourth Embodiment) The powder and granular material supply equipment according to the fourth embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 9 and 10. The fourth embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the powder and granular material supply device does not include a powder and granular material discharger. Therefore, the structure and configuration of the powder and granular material storage cylinder, transport unit, level detector, and control unit are the same as in the first embodiment, and are therefore given the same reference numerals as in the first embodiment, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0057] The powder and granular material supply equipment 30 comprises a powder and granular material storage cylinder 20L, a transport unit 22L, a level detector 24L, and a control unit 26. As shown in Figure 9, the powder and granular material supply equipment 30 is placed on a transport container 70 via a gate unit 68.

[0058] The gate unit 68 has a cylindrical shape with a central axis along the vertical axis. Inside the gate unit 68 are a nozzle 76 and a closing plate 74 driven by an actuator 72. The closing plate 74 can open and close the nozzle 76. More specifically, the nozzle 76 is a cylindrical member extending in the vertical direction. The upper end of the nozzle 76 is connected to the lower opening 20Lb of the powder storage cylinder 20L. An inclined opening 76a is provided at the bottom of the nozzle 76. The inclined opening 76a is inclined and opens from the lower left to the upper right when viewed from the front. The closing plate 74 is a plate-shaped member with a rotational central axis along the front-rear axis. The closing plate 74 can rotate to close the inclined opening 76a of the nozzle 76. The actuator 72 is controlled by a control unit 26. The actuator 72 is, for example, an air cylinder, an electric cylinder, or a motor.

[0059] The transport container 70 stores the granular material GL that falls from the gate unit 68. More specifically, the transport container 70 is a cylindrical container with its lower end closed. The open upper part of the transport container 70 is connected to the lower end of the gate unit 68. A volume detector 78 is provided on the outer surface of the transport container 70. The volume detector 78 detects the amount of granular material GL stored in the transport container 70 and sends a signal to the control unit 26. Upon receiving the signal from the volume detector 78, the control unit 26 controls the gate unit 68 and the transport unit 22L so that a predetermined amount of granular material GL is stored in the transport container 70. More specifically, for example, the control unit 26 controls the actuator 72 so that the closing plate 74 remains open until the volume detector 78 detects a predetermined amount of granular material GL, and also operates the transport unit 22L to control the storage of a predetermined amount of granular material GL in the granular material storage cylinder 20L. This suppresses the occurrence of bridging, allowing the powder GL to be stably fed from the powder storage cylinder 20L to the transport container 70 via the gate unit 68.

[0060] Furthermore, the powder and granular material supply equipment 30 is connected to a suction box 80, as shown in Figure 10. The suction box 80 is cylindrical with an open upper end and a covered lower end. The upper end of the suction box 80 is connected to the lower opening 20Lb of the powder and granular material storage cylinder 20L. A suction outlet 80a protrudes outward from the outer surface of the suction box 80. The suction outlet 80a is connected to a suction device (not shown). This suppresses the occurrence of bridging and allows for stable suction of the powder and granular material GL from the powder and granular material storage cylinder 20L through the suction box 80.

[0061] According to this embodiment, a powder and granular material supply equipment 30 can be provided, comprising a powder and granular material storage cylinder 20L, a transport unit 22L, a level detector 24L, and a control unit 26.

[0062] The powder and granular material storage cylinders 20L and 20R may also be truncated pyramidal in shape.

[0063] Transport units 22L and 22R may be transported by pressurized transport.

[0064] There may be multiple level detectors 24L and 24R. This allows for more precise control of the upper and lower limits of the powder and granular material levels (GL and GR) in the powder and granular material storage cylinders 20L and 20R.

[0065] The powder and granular material dispensers 14R and 14L may also be belt feeders or rotary valves.

[0066] There may be multiple weighing containers 16 for each powder / granular material discharger 14L, 14R.

[0067] The powder and granular material mixing device 10 may also include one of the powder and granular material supply devices 12L or 12R and a conventional powder and granular material supply device (for example, a powder and granular material supply device equipped with an eccentric truncated square pyramidal powder and granular material storage hopper).

[0068] The powder and granular material mixing device 10 may be equipped with three or more powder and granular material supply devices according to the present invention.

[0069] The embodiments described above are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Embodiments of the present invention and their variations are included in the scope and essence of the present invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0070] 10,101: Powder mixing equipment 12L,12R,121L,121R: Powder supply device 20L, 20R, 201L, 201R: Powder and granular material storage cylinders 22L, 22R: Transport Unit 14L,14R: Powder unloading machine 16:Measuring container 18: Mixing tank 24L, 24R: Level detectors 26: Control Unit 30: Powder supply equipment 102: Powder weighing device

Claims

1. Having an upper opening and a lower opening, it is cylindrical in shape and extends along the vertical axis. The area of ​​the lower opening is larger than the area of ​​the upper opening. Powder and granular material storage cylinder.

2. The system comprises a powder storage cylinder and a transport unit for supplying powder to the powder storage cylinder. Powder supply equipment.

3. The aforementioned powder storage cylinder, The device comprises a powder material discharger having an input section connected to the powder material storage cylinder, and a conveying section capable of holding the powder material that naturally falls from the powder material storage cylinder and discharging the powder material, Powder supply device.

4. The aforementioned powder and granular material discharge machine is A cylindrical screw cylinder having an outlet opening at one end and a drive unit at the other end, A screw shaft located inside the screw cylinder and connected to the drive unit, It has an input section that protrudes upward from the drive section side of the screw cylinder and connects the powder storage cylinder and the screw cylinder, The screw cylinder is inclined such that the discharge port is located above the drive unit. The powder and granular material supply device according to claim 3.

5. A level detector that outputs a signal indicating the presence or absence of the powder at a predetermined position in the powder storage cylinder, The system includes a control unit that acquires the aforementioned signal and controls the transport unit so that a predetermined amount of the powder is stored in the powder storage cylinder, The powder and granular material supply equipment according to claim 2.

6. A transport unit for supplying powder to the powder storage cylinder, A level detector that outputs a signal indicating the presence or absence of the powder at a predetermined position in the powder storage cylinder, The system includes a control unit that acquires the aforementioned signal and controls the transport unit so that a predetermined amount of the powder is stored in the powder storage cylinder, The powder and granular material supply device according to claim 3 or claim 4.

7. The control unit shall issue an alarm if the amount of powder transported by the transport unit per predetermined time is less than a predetermined amount. The powder and granular material supply equipment according to claim 5.

8. The control unit shall issue an alarm if the amount of powder transported by the transport unit per predetermined time is less than a predetermined amount. The powder and granular material supply device according to claim 6.

9. It comprises a measuring container, a mixing tank, and multiple powder and granular material supply devices. Of the plurality of powder and granular material supply devices, at least one is a powder and granular material supply device according to any one of claims 3, 4, 6, or 8. Powder mixing equipment.

10. The device comprises a measuring container, a discharge container, and at least one of the powder and granular material supply devices described in claim 3, claim 4, claim 6, and claim 8. Powder weighing device.

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