Quantitative feeding device for powders and granules

Abstract

This invention provides a quantitative feeder device for powders and granules that can reliably prevent phenomena such as bridging and rotation of powders and granules within the container, thereby achieving highly accurate quantitative supply. [Solution] The quantification feeder device for powders and granules comprises a container having an opening at the top for introducing powders and granules and a cylindrical part at the bottom; a main shaft protruding inward from the bottom of the container and rotated by a drive unit; a stirring member attached to the main shaft, whose lower end protrudes into the container, and which rotates synchronously; and a baffle member extending from the top to the bottom of the container.

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a metering feeder device for quantitatively supplying powders and granules.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, stably quantitatively supplying powders and granules (powders, granules, or a mixture of powders and granules) in a micro range is affected by the physical properties of the powders and granules, such as differences in specific gravity, particles, particle size, adhesiveness and cohesiveness caused by moisture and static electricity, and phenomena such as bridging and adhesion inside the hopper occur, making it a very difficult task.

[0003] In response to such problems, in order to stably quantitatively supply powders and granules, the applicant has proposed a powder metering feeder device (Patent Document 1).

[0004] The powder metering feeder device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a powder and granule storage container (hopper) with an inlet for powders and granules as an object opened upward. This storage container is a straight cylindrical shape for the purpose of preventing bridging. Further, a drive unit is provided below the storage container. This drive unit has a stirring shaft whose upper end protrudes into the storage container, and a substantially L-shaped round bar-shaped stirring rod is attached to the stirring shaft protruding into the storage container. By the synchronous rotation of the stirring rod and the stirring shaft, in the storage container, the phenomenon of bridging and adhesion of powders and granules is prevented from occurring.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] In conventional quantitative powder feeder devices such as those described in Patent Document 1, when quantitatively supplying powdered raw materials, a stirring rod that rotates along the inner surface of the straight cylindrical container can eliminate the bridging phenomenon within the container. However, in the case of raw materials that tend to adhere, as the amount of powdered raw material in the container decreases, especially in cone-shaped containers (hoppers) that can hold a relatively large amount of raw material, if only the straight section (cylindrical section) at the bottom of the container contains raw material, the pressure from the powdered raw material at the top disappears, and bridging occurs. This leads to a problem in which the powdered raw material rotates together with the stirring rod, resulting in a decrease in the stirring effect.

[0007] Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a quantitative feeder device for powders and granules that can reliably prevent phenomena such as bridging and rotation of powders and granules within the container and achieve highly accurate quantitative supply.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide a quantitative feeder device for powders and granules that can handle a variety of powders and granules. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] According to the present invention, a quantitative feeder device for powders and granules comprises a container having an opening at the top for introducing powders and granules and a cylindrical portion at the bottom; a main shaft protruding inward from the bottom of the container and rotated by a drive unit; a stirring member whose lower end is attached to the main shaft protruding inward from the container and which rotates synchronously; and a baffle member extending from the top to the bottom of the container (hereinafter referred to as "the first quantitative feeder device for powders and granules of the present invention").

[0010] In the first granular material quantitative feeder device of the present invention, the granular material quantitative feeder device is provided with a baffle member extending from the top to the bottom of the containment container. When the granular material is stirred by the stirring member, the rotation of the granular material together with the main shaft is prevented by the baffle member, which does not rotate synchronously with the main shaft. Therefore, even with raw materials that tend to adhere, phenomena such as bridging and rotation of the granular material together within the containment container can be reliably prevented, and highly accurate quantitative supply can be achieved.

[0011] In the first quantitative feeder device for powders and granules of the present invention, the stirring member is preferably formed in a substantially L-shape extending from the main shaft toward the peripheral wall of the containment container and along the peripheral wall, and the baffle member is preferably installed so that at least the lower part is parallel to the lower part of the stirring member in the cylindrical portion and is located between the stirring member and the axis of the main shaft (hereinafter referred to as the "second quantitative feeder device for powders and granules of the present invention").

[0012] In the second granular material quantitative feeder device of the present invention, the stirring member is formed in a substantially L-shape extending from the main shaft toward the peripheral wall of the containment container and along the peripheral wall, and the baffle member is installed so that at least the lower part is parallel to the lower part of the stirring member in the cylindrical part and is located between the stirring member and the axis of the main shaft. As a result, phenomena such as bridging and rotation of granular materials within the containment container can be reliably prevented even with raw materials that tend to adhere, and highly accurate quantitative feeding can be achieved.

[0013] In the first or second quantitative feeder device for powders and granules of the present invention, it is also preferable that the baffle member has its upper end fixed to the upper part of the containment container and its lower end as a free end, and is installed so as to be stationary relative to the stirring member (hereinafter referred to as the "third quantitative feeder device for powders and granules of the present invention").

[0014] In the third granular material quantitative feeder device of the present invention, the baffle member has its upper end fixed to the top of the container and its lower end is a free end, and is installed to remain stationary relative to the stirring member, resulting in a simple structure and easy installation. Furthermore, by remaining stationary relative to the stirring member, the baffle member can reliably prevent the granular material from rotating together with the stirring member.

[0015] In the first or second quantitative feeder device for powders and granules of the present invention, it is also preferable that the baffle member is configured to be able to adjust the distance between itself and the stirring member (hereinafter referred to as "in the fourth quantitative feeder device for powders and granules of the present invention").

[0016] In the fourth granular material quantitative feeder device of the present invention, the baffle member is configured to allow adjustment of the distance between it and the stirring member, so that it can handle various granular materials by adjusting the distance between the baffle member and the stirring member according to the characteristics of the granular material. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the powder and granular material quantitative feeder device of the present invention, by providing a baffle member extending from the top to the bottom of the containment container, phenomena such as bridging and rotation of powder and granular materials within the containment container can be reliably prevented, even for raw materials that tend to adhere, thereby achieving highly accurate quantitative supply.

[0018] Furthermore, in a quantitative feeder device for powders and granules, the baffle member is configured to allow adjustment of the distance between it and the stirring member. By adjusting the distance between the baffle member and the stirring member according to the characteristics of the powder or granule raw material, it is possible to accommodate a variety of powder or granule raw materials. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0019] [Figure 1] This is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing the overall configuration of a quantitative feeder device for powders and granules according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]It is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of a baffle member and a lid of the powder quantitative feeder device of FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a plan view showing the metering section of the powder quantitative feeder device of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is a side sectional view schematically showing the overall configuration of the powder quantitative feeder device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a perspective view schematically showing the configuration of the baffle member of the powder quantitative feeder device of FIG. 4.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the powder quantitative feeder device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0021] FIGS. 1 and 2 schematically show the overall configuration of a powder quantitative feeder device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows the configuration of a baffle member 40 of the powder quantitative feeder device 100. FIG. 3 schematically shows the configuration of the metering section 50 of the powder quantitative feeder device 100.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 1, the powder quantitative feeder device 100 according to the present embodiment includes a storage container (hopper) 10 for storing powder, a main shaft 20 that protrudes inward from the bottom of the storage container 10 and is rotatable, a stirring member 30 for stirring the powder in the storage container 10, a baffle member 40, a metering section 50 for metering and discharging the powder, a disk frame 60 on which the metering section 50 is installed, a driving section 70 for driving the metering section 50, and a pedestal 80.

[0023] The storage container 10 is composed of a straight cylindrical container having an opening 10a for charging powder at the upper part. In the present embodiment, the upper part of the storage container 10 is covered with a lid 10b having an opening and closing port. A long hole 10c extending in the radial direction is provided in the lid 10b of the storage container 10.

[0024] Furthermore, a crescent-shaped partition plate 12 is provided below the stirring member 30, with a slight gap between it and the inner surface of the containment container 10. The partition plate 12 acts as a partition, separating the inside of the containment container 10 from the supply means 51 of the powder granular material quantitative measurement unit 50, which is installed below it. The partition plate 12 functions to maintain a constant powder pressure supplied to the supply means 51, minimizing fluctuations in the supply amount due to changes in the remaining amount of material inside the containment container 10, and enabling more accurate quantitative supply.

[0025] The main shaft 20 is coaxial with the container 10, protruding inward from the bottom of the container 10, and is rotated by the drive unit 70. The upper end of the main shaft 20 is positioned so as to protrude into the partition plate 12 at the bottom of the container 10. The lower end of the stirring member 30 is attached to the upper end of the main shaft 20. A supply means 51 for sending a fixed amount of powder to a supply plate 52 (described later) is attached to the lower end of the main shaft 20, and the supply means 51 rotates synchronously with the main shaft 20.

[0026] The stirring member 30 is formed, for example, from a round bar with a circular cross-section in a substantially L-shape. In this embodiment, the stirring member 30 has a horizontal portion that extends radially from the main shaft 20 toward the peripheral wall of the containment container 10, and a vertical portion that extends upward from the tip of the horizontal portion, bending at approximately 90 degrees in an L-shape along the peripheral wall. The base end of the horizontal portion is detachably attached to the main shaft 20, and the upper part of the vertical portion has a bent portion that follows the peripheral wall of the containment container 10. Furthermore, the stirring member 30 rotates synchronously with the main shaft 20, stirring the powder and granules inside the containment container 10 along the peripheral wall of the containment container 10 to prevent bridging and adhesion of the powder and granules. This prevents bridging and adhesion of the powder and granules inside the containment container 10.

[0027] The baffle member 40, together with the stirring member 30, prevents bridging, particularly co-rotation, of the powder and granular material inside the container 10. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the baffle member 40 is formed from a round bar with a circular cross-section, with its upper end attached to the upper part (lid 10b) of the container 10 and its lower end being a free end, and is installed to remain stationary relative to the stirring member 30. Furthermore, at least the lower part of the baffle member 40 is positioned parallel to the lower part of the stirring member 30 in the cylindrical part 11 of the container 10, and between the stirring member 30 and the axis X of the main shaft 20. Also, as shown in Figure 2, the upper end of the baffle member 40 is provided with a threaded portion 41, which is inserted through an elongated hole 10c provided in the lid 10b of the container 10 and fixed with a pair of nuts 42. With this configuration, by adjusting the distance d between the baffle member 40 and the stirring member 30 according to the powder and granular material, phenomena such as bridging and co-rotation can be reliably prevented.

[0028] As shown in Figure 3, the quantitative measurement unit 50 measures and discharges powders and granules, and includes a supply means 51, a supply plate 52, and a forced discharge plate 53. The supply plate 52 and the forced discharge plate 53 are installed at the same height, and the supply means 51 is positioned one level higher. The supply plate 52 and the forced discharge plate 53 are housed in a common housing 54 that has a shape along the outer circumference of the supply plate 52 and the forced discharge plate 53. The supply means 51, the supply plate 52, and the forced discharge plate 53 are all configured to rotate.

[0029] The supply means 51 has a plurality of blades 51a arranged at equal intervals with respect to the center of the main shaft 20. The supply means 51 is positioned so as to partially overlap with the periphery of the supply plate 52 in a plan view, and the tips of the blades 51a of the supply means 51 are in sliding contact with the upper surface of the supply plate 52. By rotating, the supply means 51 promotes the falling of powder and granules from the containment container 10 located above the supply means 51 and feeds the powder and granules into the measuring groove 52a formed in the supply plate 52.

[0030] The supply plate 52 is composed of a gear-shaped disc with teeth formed at equal intervals along its periphery. Multiple metering grooves 52a are continuously formed at equal pitches along the periphery of the supply plate 52. The powder and granular material fed by the blade 51a of the supply means 51 is successively sent into the metering grooves 52a, which are recesses in the supply plate 52, and these metering grooves 52a are filled with the powder and granular material.

[0031] The forced discharge plate 53 is composed of a gear-shaped disc with teeth formed at equal intervals along its periphery. The forced discharge plate 53 also has a plurality of protruding teeth 53a formed at equal pitches along its periphery. The protruding teeth 53a are configured to mesh with the metering groove 52a of the supply plate 52.

[0032] A hole is formed in the bottom of the storage section 54 at the position corresponding to the engagement point between the measuring groove 52a and the protruding teeth 53a. A discharge chute (discharge port) 55 is connected below the hole. In other words, the discharge chute 55 is positioned at the engagement point between the measuring groove 52a and the protruding teeth 53a. When the protruding teeth 53a engage with the measuring groove 52a, any remaining powder or granular material in the measuring groove 52a is forcibly discharged through the hole into the discharge chute 55.

[0033] The supply means 51 and the supply plate 52 are driven by the drive unit 70. The forced discharge plate 53 rotates synchronously with the supply plate 52 by engaging the metering groove 52a of the supply plate 52 with its protruding teeth 53a. The supply means 51, the supply plate 52, and the forced discharge plate 53 can be made of metal.

[0034] The disk frame 60 has a quantitative unit 50 installed inside, a storage container 10 installed on its top surface, and a drive unit 70 installed at its rear.

[0035] The drive unit 70 consists of a motor and a reduction gear. The drive unit 70 is configured such that the output of the motor rotates the main shaft 20, the feed plate 52, and the forced discharge plate 53 via the reduction gear.

[0036] The support frame 80 is used to fix and support the device. A disk frame 60 is provided on top of this support frame 80. In this embodiment, the support frame 80 is configured to be height adjustable. However, the present invention is not limited to this. It can be designed as appropriate as needed.

[0037] The following describes the operation and effects of the quantitative feeder device for powders and granules according to this embodiment.

[0038] As described above, the powder and granular material quantitative feeder device 100 of this embodiment comprises a storage container (hopper) 10, a main shaft 20, a stirring member 30, a baffle member 40, a quantitative unit 50, a disc frame 60, a drive unit 70, and a stand 80. The stirring member 30 is formed in a substantially L-shape, extending from the main shaft 20 toward the peripheral wall of the storage container 10 and then along the peripheral wall. The baffle member 40 is installed so as to extend from the top to the bottom of the storage container 10, with at least its lower part parallel to the lower part of the stirring member 30 in the cylindrical portion 11, and positioned between the stirring member 30 and the axis X of the main shaft 20.

[0039] As a result, when the stirring member 30 stirs the powder, the baffle member 40 prevents the powder from rotating in sync with the main shaft 20. Therefore, even with raw materials that tend to adhere, phenomena such as bridging and co-rotation of the powder within the container 10 can be reliably prevented, enabling highly accurate quantitative supply.

[0040] Furthermore, since the baffle member 40 is configured to allow adjustment of the distance between it and the stirring member 30, it can accommodate various types of powdered or granular raw materials by adjusting the distance between the baffle member 40 and the stirring member 30 according to the characteristics of the powdered or granular raw material.

[0041] In the above-described embodiment of the powder and granular material quantitative feeder device 100, the upper end of the baffle member 40 is provided with a threaded portion 41 and is inserted through an elongated hole 10c provided in the lid 10b of the storage container 10, and fixed with a pair of nuts 42. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the upper end of the baffle member 40 may be fixed to the lid 10b of the storage container 10 by welding or the like. In this case, the radial position of the baffle member 40 cannot be adjusted.

[0042] Hereinafter, a quantitative feeder device for powders and granules according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5.

[0043] Figure 4 schematically shows the overall configuration of the powder and granular material quantitative feeder device 100A according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 schematically shows the configuration of the baffle member 40A of the powder and granular material quantitative feeder device 100A.

[0044] The powder and granular material quantitative feeder device 100A has the same configuration as the powder and granular material quantitative feeder device 100 described above, except for the configuration of the baffle member 40A, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0045] The baffle member 40A, together with the stirring member 30, prevents bridging of the powder and granules in the container 10, particularly the co-rotation phenomenon. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the baffle member 40A is formed from a round bar with a circular cross-section, with its upper end attached to the upper part (side part) of the container 10 and its lower end being a free end, and is installed to remain stationary relative to the stirring member 30. Furthermore, at least the lower part of the baffle member 40A is installed so as to be parallel to the lower part of the stirring member 30 in the cylindrical part 11 of the container 10, and positioned between the stirring member 30 and the axis X of the main shaft 20.

[0046] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the upper part of the baffle member 40A is bent horizontally at a 90-degree angle, and a threaded portion 41A is provided at its tip. This threaded portion 41A is inserted through a hole 11a provided in the upper part (side part) of the containment container 10 and secured with a pair of nuts 42A (see Figure 4). The hole 11a is located above the upper end of the stirring member 30 so as not to affect the rotation of the stirring member 30. With this configuration, the distance d between the baffle member 40A and the stirring member 30 can be adjusted by changing the mounting position of the threaded portion 41A depending on the powdered raw material, thereby reliably preventing phenomena such as bridging and co-rotation.

[0047] The granular material quantitative feeder device 100A according to the second embodiment of the present invention can obtain the same effects as the granular material quantitative feeder device 100 according to the first embodiment described above.

[0048] Furthermore, in the granular material quantitative feeder device 100A of the above-described embodiment, In the example described, the upper part of the baffle member 40A is bent horizontally at a 90-degree angle, and a threaded portion is provided at its tip. This threaded portion 41A is inserted through a hole 11a provided in the upper part (side part) of the housing container 10 and fixed with a pair of nuts 42A. However, the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the upper part of the baffle member may be bent horizontally at a 90-degree angle, and its tip may be fixed to the upper part (side part) of the housing container by welding or the like. In this case, the radial position of the baffle member cannot be adjusted.

[0049] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiments of the powder and granular material quantitative feeder devices 100 and 100A, the baffle members 40 and 40A were described as being formed from a round bar with a circular cross-section, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, they may be formed from a rod-shaped material having a cross-section other than a circle.

[0050] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiment of the powder and granular material quantitative feeder devices 100 and 100A has been explained in which one baffle member 40 and 40A is installed, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, multiple baffle members may be installed at predetermined angular intervals.

[0051] Furthermore, in the quantification feeder devices 100 and 100A of the powder and granular materials described above, the baffle members 40 and 40A are described in an example where their upper ends are attached to the upper part of the containment container 10, their lower ends are left as free ends, and they are installed to remain stationary relative to the stirring member 30. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the baffle members may be installed to rotate at a different speed (low speed) relative to the stirring member. Alternatively, they may be installed to rotate in the opposite direction relative to the stirring member.

[0052] Furthermore, in the quantification feeder devices 100 and 100A of the powder and granular materials described above, an example was described in which the containment container 10 is made up of a straight cylindrical container, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the containment container may be made up of a cone-shaped containment container (hopper) having a large-diameter cylindrical section with an opening at the top for introducing powder and granular materials, an inverted frustoconical section connected to the large-diameter cylindrical section, and a small-diameter cylindrical section connected to the inverted frustoconical section. In this case, a relatively large amount of raw material can be contained.

[0053] Furthermore, although the above-described embodiments of the powder and granular material quantitative feeder devices 100 and 100A have been shown to have one stirring member 30, the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, multiple stirring members may be installed at predetermined angular intervals.

[0054] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and its technical scope includes various design modifications that do not depart from the gist of the invention as described in the claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0055] 10 Containment containers 10a opening 10b Lid 10c long hole 11 Cylindrical part 11a Hole 12 partition plates 20 spindle 30 Stirring member 40, 40A baffle component 41, 41A Screw part 42, 42A nuts 50 Quantification section 51 Supply means 51a Feather body 52 Supply board 52a Measuring groove 53 Forced ejection board 53a Protruding teeth 54 Storage Unit 55 Discharge Chute 60 disc frames 70 Drive unit 80 mounting bases 100, 100A Quantitative Feeder Device for Powders and Granules X axis

Claims

1. A container having an opening at the top for introducing powdered or granular material and a cylindrical part at the bottom, A main shaft protrudes from the bottom of the aforementioned containment container and is rotated by a drive unit, A stirring member is attached to the main shaft, the lower end of which protrudes into the interior of the container, and rotates synchronously with the main shaft. A quantitative feeder device for powders and granules, characterized by comprising a baffle member extending from the top to the bottom of the aforementioned container.

2. The stirring member is formed in a substantially L-shape, extending from the main shaft toward the peripheral wall of the containment container and then along the peripheral wall. The quantification feeder device for powders and granules according to claim 1, characterized in that the baffle member is installed such that at least its lower part is parallel to the lower part of the stirring member in the cylindrical portion and is located between the stirring member and the axis of the main shaft.

3. The quantification feeder device for powders and granules according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the baffle member has its upper end fixed to the upper part of the containment container and its lower end is a free end, and is installed so as to remain stationary with respect to the stirring member.

4. The quantification feeder device for powders and granules according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the baffle member is configured to allow adjustment of the distance between it and the stirring member.

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