Shutter structure of vibration trough

Abstract

Regarding the vibration trough, the durability of the shutter structure will be improved. [Solution] The shutter structure of the vibrating trough comprises a shutter 127 provided on the vibrating trough body that opens and closes due to vibration, a cylinder 155 and a rod 156 provided on the vibrating trough body as actuators that hold the shutter 127 in the closed position, and open position holding members 161 and 162 that attach to the shutter 127 and hold the shutter 127 in the open position when the actuator does not hold the shutter 127 in the closed position.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an outlet shutter that appropriately discharges raw materials from a vibrating trough that receives and holds the raw materials.

Background Art

[0002] As a vibrating trough (with various names) on which granular or flaky raw materials are placed, for example, a vibrating trough of equipment that forms a large number of small ventilation holes in the vibrating trough and blows air while vibrating the vibrating trough to cool the raw materials or promote drying of the raw materials, or for example, a vibrating conveyor that moves the raw materials from one end to the other end of the vibrating trough while shaking them by vibration, is known. Also, a shutter structure that restricts the free outflow of raw materials placed on the vibrating trough and discharges the raw materials from the vibrating trough as necessary is known.

[0003] For example, the medium揉茶machine described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 03-091787 (Patent Document 1) includes a tea powder receiver (vibrating trough) that receives tea powder falling from a tea powder separator (cyclone). When the tea powder receiver vibrates, the accumulated tea powder spreads flat on the breathable floor surface of the tea powder receiver, and ventilation is performed evenly. At this time, the opening and closing door (shutter) provided on the side surface of the tea powder receiver is closed so that the tea powder does not spill.

[0004] Also, for example, the grain separator described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 55-041870 (Patent Document 2) includes a sorting plate (vibrating trough) that vibrates in an inclined posture, a sediment grain discharge trough provided at the higher edge of the sorting plate, and an opening and closing valve provided in the sediment grain discharge trough. The opening and closing valve is connected by a solenoid and a wire arranged at a position away from the sorting plate. The solenoid intermittently opens and closes the opening and closing valve (shutter) via the wire.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

[0006] The inventors have found that there are areas for further improvement in the conventional shutter structure described above. Specifically, while the vibration trough is constantly exposed to vibration, the shutter opening and closing structures described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are link structures, making them susceptible to vibration and leaving room for improvement in durability. Furthermore, the structure for opening and closing the opening and closing valve (shutter) described in Patent Document 2 requires the solenoid to be activated each time, and does not utilize the vibration of the sorting plate.

[0007] This invention relates to a vibration trough and aims to improve the durability of the shutter structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The vibration trough according to the present invention comprises a shutter provided on the vibration trough body that opens and closes by vibration, an actuator provided on the vibration trough body that holds the shutter in the closed position, and an open position holding part provided between the vibration trough body and the shutter that adheres to the shutter and holds the shutter in the open position when the actuator does not hold the shutter in the closed position.

[0009] According to this invention, the actuator holds the shutter only when the shutter is to be held in the closed position, and the actuator separates from the shutter when the shutter is not to be closed. Therefore, a link structure is unnecessary, vibration resistance is increased, and durability is improved. Furthermore, the actuator can actively hold the shutter in the closed position. In addition, since the shutter opens and closes due to the vibration of the vibration trough, the operational performance is improved. The direction of opening and closing of the shutter is not particularly limited. The shutter may be of the oscillating type or the sliding type. In the case of an oscillating shutter, the material placed on the vibration trough vibrates and pushes open the oscillating shutter, so there is no need to provide an operating mechanism to open a closed shutter.

[0010] The actuator of the present invention is not particularly limited, and does not need to have a structure that is linked to the shutter by a link structure. The actuator is, for example, a fluid pressure cylinder equipped with a rod that moves back and forth. Alternatively, the actuator is an electromagnet. When the actuator is not holding the shutter in the closed position and the open position holding part is not attached to the shutter and holding the shutter in the open position, the shutter is in a free state and opens and closes due to vibration. When the free state shutter moves to the open position, the open position holding part attaches to the shutter. In one aspect of the present invention, the actuator has a pressing part that moves back and forth toward the shutter, and presses the pressing part against the shutter to hold the shutter in the closed position. In another aspect of the present invention, the actuator may be, for example, an electromagnet, and the electromagnet actuator holds the shutter in the closed position by magnetic attraction only while energized.

[0011] The open-position holding part of the present invention only needs to be made of a material that can be repeatedly attached to and detached from the shutter, as it is used to hold the shutter in the open position each time it is opened and closed, and the material is not particularly limited. In one aspect of the present invention, the open-position holding part includes a magnet and attaches to the open shutter by magnetic force. In this aspect, the shutter can be reliably held in the open position with a simple configuration of magnetic attraction. The magnet may be a permanent magnet or an electromagnet. The material to which it attaches may be a magnet or a magnetic material other than a magnet, such as an iron fitting. In another aspect, the attachment may be by temporary fastening engagement such as a snap fitting or a hook-and-loop fastener.

[0012] In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the vibrating trough body includes a bottom plate on which raw materials are placed on its upper surface, and the shutter is pivotally supported on the vibrating trough body so as to swing directly above the bottom plate. In this aspect, the shutter swings so as to graze the bottom plate, preventing the raw materials from being pinched between the shutter and the bottom plate. In another aspect, the shutter may be in a closed position, in contact with the bottom plate.

[0013] A more preferred aspect of the present invention is the inclusion of a stopper that receives the pressing force of the pressing part and restricts the shutter to the closed position. With this aspect, even if the pressing force from the actuator is excessive, the shutter will not shift from the closed position, and the shutter can be firmly held in the closed position with sufficient pressing force. The shape and placement of the stopper are not particularly limited. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] Thus, the shutter structure of the present invention does not have a link structure, and therefore its resistance to vibration is improved. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing equipment equipped with a vibration trough, which is one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the vibration trough of the same embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a perspective view showing the closed position of the shutter provided in the vibrating trough of the same embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a longitudinal sectional view showing the vibrating trough of the same embodiment taken out. [Figure 5] It is a perspective view showing the open position of the shutter provided in the vibrating trough of the same embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing equipment including a vibrating trough according to an embodiment of the present invention. This equipment 100 includes a charging elevator 101 that is charged with and lifts raw materials such as grain and plant seeds from the outside, a disinfection unit 110 that performs a main process of applying high-temperature steam to the raw materials for disinfection, a cooling unit 120 that performs a post-process of cooling the disinfected raw materials to remove excess moisture, and a discharge elevator 130 for sending the cooled raw materials to the outside.

[0017] The disinfection unit 110 includes an adjustment tank 109 that supplies an appropriate amount of raw materials to the disinfection unit 110, a vibrating trough 111 that receives the raw materials from the adjustment tank, a vibrator (not shown in the figure) that shakes the vibrating trough 111, a steam unit 112 that sprays steam onto the vibrating trough 111, and a ventilation fan 113 that discharges the steam from the vibrating trough 111.

[0018] The cooling unit 120 includes a vibrating trough 121 that receives the raw materials from the disinfection unit 110 and performs primary cooling, a vibrating trough 122 that receives the raw materials from the vibrating trough 121 and performs secondary cooling, a vibrator (specifically described later) that shakes the vibrating troughs 121 and 122, and a blower 117 that supplies air for cooling to the vibrating troughs 121 and 122.

[0019] Each vibrating trough 111, 121, 122 has an elongated and flat bottom plate 123, a pair of side walls 124, 125 standing upright and facing each other on both sides in the width direction of the bottom plate 123, and an end wall 126 standing upright at one end of the bottom plate 123. Further, the vibrating trough 122 has a shutter 127 provided at the other end of the bottom plate 123. The length from one end to the other end of the bottom plate 123 is about 1 m. Further, the vibrating trough 122, although will be described in detail later, has a shutter structure for holding the shutter 127 in the open position and a shutter structure for holding the shutter 127 in the closed position. To distinguish from the shutter 127 and the shutter structure, the bottom plate 123, the side walls 124, 125, and the end wall 126 are also referred to as the vibrating trough body.

[0020] On the bottom plate 123, raw materials such as paddy, unhulled wheat seeds, and other grains are placed in a scattered manner. The raw materials are surrounded on all four sides by the side walls 124, 125, the end wall 126, and the shutter 127. A number of ventilation holes 145 are formed through the bottom plate 123. The hole diameter of the ventilation holes 145 is smaller than the particle size and dimensions of the raw materials. Thereby, the raw materials do not fall through the ventilation holes 145.

[0021] FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the vibrating trough for secondary cooling taken out during the cooling section. The vibrating trough 122 is connected by a drive unit 118 and a rod 119 installed below the bottom plate 123. The drive unit 118 vibrates the vibrating trough 122 via the rod 119. The raw material B placed on one end portion of this vibrating trough 122 from the upstream vibrating trough 121 spreads over the entire upper surface of the bottom plate 123 due to this vibration. Further, the vibration of the vibrating trough 122 biases the raw material B toward the shutter 127 at the other end.

[0022] The vibration trough 122, the drive unit 118, and the rod 119 are arranged inside the housing 128. Inside the housing 128, the lower surface of the bottom plate 123 is connected to the lower end region 142 of the duct 141. The duct 141 extends from the lower end region 142 to the outside of the housing 128. The upstream end 143 of the duct 141 is connected to the blower 117. The blower 117 supplies cooling air to the raw material B through the duct 141 and the ventilation holes 145 (Figure 3) of the bottom plate 123, thereby cooling the raw material B. As cooling occurs, the cooling air volatilizes the moisture adhering to the surface of the raw material. Next, the cooling air is exhausted upwards from the housing 128. The housing 128 and the bottom plate 123 partition the cooling chamber 129 on the upper side of the bottom plate 123.

[0023] In Figure 2, the shutter 127 remains in the closed position while the vibrating trough 122 vibrates for a predetermined time. Initially, when the vibrating trough 122 receives raw material from the upstream vibrating trough 121, the layer thickness of raw material B is small, and the raw material particles move around while changing their orientation one by one. Therefore, the cooling air easily passes through the entire surface of the vibrating trough 122, and the cooling air evenly hits the entire raw material on the vibrating trough 122.

[0024] As the vibrating trough 122 continues to receive raw materials, the thickness of the raw material B layer increases, the movement of individual raw material particles weakens or stops, and the cooling air becomes less able to pass through the vibrating trough 122. The thickness of the raw material B layer gradually increases from the upstream vibrating trough 122 side toward the downstream side. Although the cooling air becomes particularly less able to pass through the vibrating trough 122 downstream (the region close to the shutter 127), cooling and drying continue. As the vibrating trough 122 continues to receive raw materials even further, the thickness of the raw material B layer increases even more, and the cooling efficiency decreases. At this point, the cooling of the raw material is complete. In this embodiment, the thickness of the raw material B layer is increased to the extent that the raw material does not spill from the downstream side of the vibrating trough 122.

[0025] Once the secondary cooling of the raw material is complete, the pressing part 157 retracts toward the air cylinder 155, allowing the shutter 127 to oscillate. Subsequently, the shutter 127 moves to the open position due to the vibration of the vibrating trough 122 and is held in the open position by the holding structure described later. As shown in the vertical cross-sectional view of Figure 4, the raw material on the vibrating trough 122 is discharged from the shutter 127 due to the vibration of the vibrating trough 122 itself. A chute 144 is provided below the shutter 127. The discharged raw material passes through the chute 144 and is placed on the next discharge elevator 130 (Figure 1). Once the discharge of the raw material is complete, the pressing part 157 moves toward the side away from the air cylinder 155 and presses against the pressure receiving member 152 of the shutter 127, causing the shutter 127 to return to the closed position (Figure 2) and be held in the closed position. The pressing part 157 will be described in detail later.

[0026] According to this embodiment, the raw material B is placed on a vibrating trough 122 that is only about 1 m long, and since a large layer thickness of raw material B is used, a large amount of the raw material is cooled. Therefore, the installation space for the vibrating trough in the equipment 100 is reduced. In addition, the raw material B is cooled in the cooling section 120 to a temperature close to the ambient temperature (approximately 5°C or less above the ambient temperature around the equipment 100), preventing condensation.

[0027] Next, we will explain the shutter structure in detail.

[0028] Figure 3 is a magnified perspective view showing the shutter held in the closed position, corresponding to Figure 2. Figure 5 is a magnified perspective view showing the shutter held in the open position, corresponding to Figure 4. The shutter 127 swings between the open and closed positions due to the vibration of the vibration trough 122, and this embodiment further includes a holding structure that holds the shutter 127 in the open and closed positions.

[0029] The shutter 127 is a flat, strip-shaped plate with a lower and upper edge, and in the closed position it is perpendicular to the upper surface of the bottom plate 123. Specifically, in the closed position the shutter 127 is located directly above the bottom plate 123, and the lower edge of the shutter 127 is close to the upper surface of the bottom plate 123 with a small gap between them. This small gap is smaller than the grains of raw material. The upper edge of the shutter 127 is pivotally supported at both ends by a pair of side walls 124 and 125, respectively, forming a common pivot axis O. This makes the shutter 127 oscillating and allows it to swing around the pivot axis O. The lower edge of the shutter 127 swings so as to graze the upper surface of the bottom plate 123 near the closed position (Figure 2), and detaches from the bottom plate 123 at a distance D in the open position (Figure 4). The power for the oscillation of the shutter 127 is the vibration of the vibration trough 122.

[0030] The holding structure that holds the shutter 127 in both the open and closed positions will be described below.

[0031] Regarding the shutter 127, which is a flat plate material, a plate-shaped pressure-receiving member 152 and plate-shaped shutter protruding members 151 and 153 are fixed to the upper edge of the shutter 127. The shutter protruding members 151 and 153 are arranged at intervals in the width direction of the vibration trough 122 and protrude upward from the upper edge of the shutter 127. The pressure-receiving member 152 is positioned in the center in the width direction of the vibration trough 122 and protrudes upward from the upper edge of the shutter 127.

[0032] Next to the shutter 127, a widthwise member 154 is installed between a pair of side walls 124 and 125. The widthwise member 154 is fixed to the upper edges of the side walls 124 and 125 and is made of a plate material parallel to the upper surface of the bottom plate 123. As a result, the widthwise member 154 covers the downstream part of the bottom plate 123 from above, so that even if the thickness of the raw material B layer near the shutter 127 increases, the raw material is prevented from splashing and spilling. An air cylinder 155, which acts as a fluid pressure cylinder, is attached and fixed to the upper side of the widthwise member 154. The air cylinder 155 is connected to a pressure source via a pair of air hoses (not shown). The air cylinder 155 has a rod 156 that moves back and forth toward the shutter 127 and a pressing part 157 provided at the tip of the rod 156.

[0033] While air pressure is supplied from a pressure source (not shown) to the pushing side of the air cylinder 155, as shown in Figure 3, the rod 156 extends from the air cylinder 155, and the pressing part 157 presses against the pressure receiving member 152 of the shutter 127. This pressing force applies a moment about the rotation axis O to the shutter 127, causing the shutter 127 to close. The air cylinder 155 and the rod 156 are actuators that move the pressing part 157.

[0034] Two stoppers 158 and 159 are provided on the lower side of the widthwise member 154. The stoppers 158 and 159 are members that protrude downward from the widthwise member 154 and face the shutter 127. When the shutter 127 is in the closed position, the stoppers 158 and 159 come into contact with the shutter 127 and receive the pressing force from the pressing part 157, thereby restricting the shutter 127 from rotating beyond the closed position toward the widthwise member 154. The shutter 127 is held in the closed position by the pressing force from the pressing part 157 and the positional restriction of the stoppers 158 and 159.

[0035] While air pressure is supplied from a pressure source (not shown) to the pull side of the air cylinder 155, the rod 156 and the pressing part 157 retract toward the air cylinder 155, as shown in Figure 5, and the shutter 127 is allowed to swing. This applies a moment about the rotation axis O to the shutter 127, and the shutter 127 is moved to the open position. It should be noted that immediately after the aforementioned swinging is allowed, the magnets 163 and 164, which are elements of the open position holding structure, are not attracted to the open position holding members 161 and 162. In other words, during this time, the shutter 127 is not held in the closed position by the air cylinder 155, nor is it held in the open position by the attraction of the magnets 163 and 164, and is left in a free state until the magnets 163 and 164 are attracted to the open position holding members 161 and 162.

[0036] Referring again to Figure 5, plate-shaped open-position holding members 161 and 162 made of a magnetic material such as iron are erected on the upper side of the widthwise member 154 as an open-position holding structure. The open-position holding members 161 and 162 are spaced apart in the width direction of the vibration trough 122 and face the shutter protruding members 151 and 153. Permanent magnets 163 and 164 are fixed to the shutter protruding members 151 and 153, respectively.

[0037] While the pressing portion 157 is retracted toward the air cylinder 155, the shutter 127 is allowed to swing due to the vibration of the vibration trough 122. When the shutter 127 rotates from the closed position to the open position, one permanent magnet 163 approaches the open position holding member 161. Then, the open position holding member 161 is attracted to the permanent magnet 163 by the magnetic force of the permanent magnet 163. The other open position holding member 162 is also attracted to the permanent magnet 164. Thus, as shown in Figure 5, the shutter 127 is held in the open position. Note that in the open position, the shutter 127 is separated from directly above the bottom plate 123, and a gap of horizontal distance D is formed. The raw material is quickly discharged from the vibration trough 122 by passing through this gap. Note that, referring to the circled diagram in Figure 4, the pressing portion 157 is separated from the pressure receiving member 152 with a clearance S for play. Because the gap S separates the air cylinder 155 and the shutter 127, no link structure is provided between them.

[0038] To explain the rotation of the shutter 127 from the open position to the closed position, the pressing part 157 approaches and presses against the pressure receiving member 152. This pressing force overcomes the magnetic force of the permanent magnets 163 and 164, separating the permanent magnets 163 and 164 from the open position holding members 161 and 162, which were previously attached to each other. The pressing part 157, which is an element of the closed position holding structure, then pushes the shutter 127 to the closed position shown in Figure 3, where it remains. The rotation of the shutter 127 may include vibrations of the vibration trough 122. Since the permanent magnet 163 and the open position holding member 161 are separated separately, there is no link structure between them. The same applies to the permanent magnet 164 and the open position holding member 162.

[0039] The vibration trough 122 of the embodiment shown in Figure 2, as shown in detail in Figures 3 to 5, includes a shutter 127 that is pivotally supported on the side walls 124, 125 of the vibration trough body and opens and closes due to the vibration of the vibration trough 122; an air cylinder 155 and rod 156 (actuator) that are provided on the widthwise member 154 on the vibration trough body side as a structure for holding the shutter 127 and have a pressing part 157 that moves back and forth toward the shutter 127, and presses the pressing part 157 against the shutter 127 to hold the shutter 127 in the closed position (Figure 3); and open position holding members 161, 162 and permanent magnets 163, 164 (open position holding part) that are provided between the widthwise member 154 and the shutter 127 as a structure for holding the shutter 127 and adhere to the shutter 127 while the pressing part 157 is retracted from the shutter 127 to hold the shutter 127 in the open position (Figure 5).

[0040] In this embodiment of the shutter structure, the air cylinder 155 acting as an actuator presses the shutter only when the shutter 127 is held in the closed position (Figure 2). This eliminates the need for a link structure between the actuator and the shutter, thus avoiding the use of a vibration-sensitive link structure. This improves the durability of the shutter structure. Furthermore, the air cylinder 155 acting as an actuator and the rod 156 push the pressing part 157 against the shutter 127, actively holding the shutter 127 in the closed position. This ensures that the shutter 127 is held in the closed position even when the raw material oscillating within the vibration trough 122 constantly collides with the shutter 127, or when the thickness of the raw material B layer becomes particularly large downstream of the vibration trough 122, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 2, placing a load on the shutter 127. Additionally, utilizing the vibration of the vibration trough 122 for opening and closing the shutter 127 improves the operational performance of the shutter 127.

[0041] Furthermore, the shutter 127 of this embodiment has permanent magnets 163 and 164, and when the shutter 127 is in the open position, the permanent magnets 163 and 164 are attached to the open position holding members 161 and 162 on the vibration trough body side by magnetic force. Thus, the shutter can be reliably held in the open position (Figure 4) with a simple configuration of magnetic attraction.

[0042] Furthermore, the vibrating trough 122 of this embodiment includes a bottom plate 123 on which raw materials are placed on its upper surface, and the shutter 127 is pivotally supported by the side walls 124 and 125 so as to swing directly above the bottom plate 123. As a result, the raw materials discharged while sliding along the upper surface of the bottom plate 123 can push open the shutter 127, promoting the natural opening of the shutter 127. In addition, it is less likely for the raw materials to get caught between the shutter 127 and the bottom plate 123. Moreover, when opening the shutter 127, the raw materials swinging within the vibrating trough 122 constantly collide with the shutter 127, pushing it open.

[0043] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since stoppers 158 and 159 are provided to receive the pressing force of the pressing part 157 and restrict the shutter 127 to the closed position, the shutter 127 can be firmly held in the closed position with sufficient pressing force.

[0044] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments. Various modifications and variations can be made to the illustrated embodiments within the same scope as the present invention, or within an equivalent scope. [Industrial applicability]

[0045] This invention is advantageously utilized in production and processing equipment. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0046] 111, 121, 122 Vibration trough, 123 Bottom plate of the vibration trough body, 124,125 Side walls of the vibration trough body, 127 Shutter, 155 Air cylinder (actuator), 156 Rod (actuator), 157 Pressing part, 161, 162 Open position holding member, 163,164 permanent magnets.

Claims

1. A shutter installed in the vibration trough body that opens and closes due to vibration, An actuator provided on the vibration trough body for holding the shutter in the closed position, A shutter structure for a vibrating trough, comprising: an open position holding part provided between the vibrating trough body and the shutter, which adheres to the shutter and holds the shutter in the open position when the actuator is not holding the shutter in the closed position.

2. The shutter structure for a vibrating trough according to claim 1, wherein the actuator has a pressing portion that moves forward and backward toward the shutter, and presses the pressing portion against the shutter to hold the shutter in the closed position.

3. The shutter structure for a vibrating trough according to claim 1, wherein the open position holding portion includes a magnet and is attached to the shutter in the open position by magnetic force.

4. The vibrating trough body includes a bottom plate on which raw materials are placed on the upper surface. The shutter structure for a vibrating trough according to claim 1, wherein the shutter is pivotally supported on the vibrating trough body so as to swing directly above the bottom plate.

5. The shutter structure for a vibrating trough according to claim 2, further comprising a stopper that receives the pressing force of the pressing portion and restricts the shutter to the closed position.

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