Weighing device

Abstract

To provide a weighing device equipped with a powder supply device that can reduce the effort required for cleaning. [Solution] The weighing device (1) comprises an electronic balance (10) having a weighing pan (11), a trough-shaped or cylindrical powder container (21) with a discharge section (211) at one end, a powder container mounting section (22) to which the powder container (21) can be attached and detached so that the discharge section (211) is located directly above the weighing pan (11), a vibrator (23) attached to the powder container mounting section (22) that applies vibration to the discharge section (211) of the powder container (21), and a control unit (30) that acquires a weighing value from the electronic balance (10) and controls the operation of the vibrator (23) based on the weighing value.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present invention relates to a weighing device, and particularly to a weighing device having a device for supplying powder onto a weighing pan of an electronic balance. BACKGROUND ART

[0002] When weighing a predetermined amount of powder such as a pharmaceutical agent, a user places a container or powder weighing paper on a weighing pan of an electronic balance, performs zero point adjustment for the weighed value in this state, and then gradually drops powder scooped with a pharmaceutical spatula onto the container or the powder weighing paper little by little until the weighed value reaches the predetermined value. However, due to factors such as force applied from the spatula to the powder when scooping the powder, and powder aggregation caused by the influence of static electricity or humidity, a large amount of powder may fall onto the container or the powder weighing paper at one time, causing the weighed value to exceed the predetermined value. This forces the user to redo the operation, which consumes extra labor and time.

[0003] In order to avoid such extra labor and time, a powder supply device provided above a weighing pan of an electronic balance for supplying powder onto the weighing pan has been conventionally used (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The powder supply device described in Patent Document 1 includes: a powder container that accommodates powder therein and is provided with a discharge port which is a small hole for discharging the powder at a lower end thereof; a shutter valve that opens and closes the discharge port; an impact applying device that strikes the powder container; and a controller that controls the shutter valve and the impact applying device based on an electric signal indicating a weighed value. In a state where powder is accommodated in the powder container, when the shutter valve is opened and an impact is applied to the powder container by the impact applying device, the downward movement of the powder in the powder container due to the impact and gravity is promoted, and the powder is discharged out of the powder container from the discharge port. The discharged powder is supplied to the weighing pan located below the powder supply device. Then, when the weighed value of the powder on the weighing pan reaches a predetermined value, the controller controls the shutter valve to close and stops the impact application by the impact applying device, thereby stopping the powder discharge. Through these operations, a predetermined amount of powder can be weighed without requiring extra labor from a user. PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2010-518365 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] When changing the type of powder to be weighed, or when it is necessary to avoid mixing powders of the same type but from different manufacturing lots, the powder supply device must be cleaned before weighing the new powder. The powder supply device described in Patent Document 1 requires the effort of disassembling the device before cleaning and then reassembling it afterward, and it also requires effort to remove any remaining powder from the narrow space inside the small holes that serve as the discharge ports.

[0006] The problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide a weighing device equipped with a powder supply device that can reduce the effort required for cleaning. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The weighing apparatus according to the present invention, which was developed to solve the above problems, An electronic balance having a weighing pan, A trough-shaped or cylindrical powder container with one end being a discharge port, A powder container mounting section is provided to allow the attachment and detachment of the powder container so that the discharge section is located directly above the weighing pan, A vibrator is attached to the powder container mounting section and applies vibration to the discharge section of the powder container, A control unit that acquires a weighing value from the electronic balance and controls the operation of the vibrator based on the weighing value. It is equipped with.

[0008] When using the weighing device according to the present invention, first, powder is placed in a powder container, and then the powder container is attached to the powder container mounting section. From this state, when vibration is applied from the vibrator to the discharge section via the powder container mounting section according to the control of the control unit, the powder spreads out on both sides in the longitudinal direction of the powder container (and consequently the thickness of the accumulated powder becomes thinner), and the powder that spreads towards the discharge section moves toward the discharge section. The powder that moves toward the discharge section in this way gradually falls from the discharge section onto the weighing pan located directly below it. The weighed value of the powder that has fallen onto the weighing pan is fed back to the control unit, and the operation of the vibrator is controlled based on this weighed value.

[0009] When changing the type of powder to be weighed or the manufacturing lot, the powder container is removed from the powder container mounting section and the inside of the powder container is cleaned. In this invention, the powder container is cylindrical or trough-shaped, and one end of the cylinder or trough is the discharge section, so there is no need to clean narrow spaces such as small holes. Furthermore, since there is no need to provide a valve to open and close the discharge section, there is no need to remove the valve before cleaning or install the valve after cleaning. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The present invention provides a weighing apparatus equipped with a powder supply device that can reduce the effort required for cleaning. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] A schematic diagram showing a first embodiment of the weighing apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 2] A perspective view showing the configuration of the powder container in the weighing device of the first embodiment with powder contained within it. [Figure 3] A diagram showing another example of the powder container of the first embodiment containing powder. [Figure 4] This figure shows the powder container of the first embodiment, containing the powder, attached to the powder container mounting section, and the weighed powder container placed on the weighing pan. [Figure 5] A schematic diagram showing a second embodiment of the weighing device according to the present invention. [Figure 6]A perspective view showing the configuration of a powder container in the weighing device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] A schematic configuration diagram showing a third embodiment of the weighing device according to the present invention. [Figure 8] A perspective view of a powder container in the weighing device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 9] A vertical cross-sectional view of a powder container mounting part and a powder container mounted on the powder container mounting part in the weighing device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 10] A diagram showing a state (a) when powder is stored in a powder container body, a state (b) where a lid is attached to the powder container body storing powder, and a state (c) where the powder container with the lid attached is mounted on the powder container mounting part. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] An embodiment of the weighing device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 10.

[0013] (1) First Embodiment As shown in FIG. 1, the weighing device 1 according to the first embodiment includes an electronic balance 10, a powder supply device 20, and a control unit 30.

[0014] The electronic balance 10 includes a weighing pan 11 on which an object to be measured (powder in the present invention) is placed, and a measurement unit 12. The measurement unit 12 has a function of measuring the weight of the object to be measured based on the force applied to the weighing pan 11, and transmitting a weighing value signal, which is an electric signal indicating the measured value (weighed value), to the control unit 30. Since the configuration of the electronic balance 10 is the same as that of a conventional electronic balance, detailed description thereof is omitted.

[0015] The powder supply device 20 includes a powder container 21, a powder container mounting part 22, and a vibrator 23.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 2, the powder container 21 has an overall shape obtained by removing a part of a cylindrical side wall. One end of the cylinder is open, and functions as a discharge portion 211 that discharges powder when supplying the powder in the powder container 21 onto the weighing pan 11. On the other hand, the other end of the cylinder is closed, and functions as the bottom of the powder container 21 (the bottom 212 during supply) when the powder P is accommodated in the powder container 21 with the cylinder stood upright with the other end facing downward. It should be noted that, as will be described later, when the powder container 21 is mounted on the powder container mounting portion 22, a portion other than the bottom 212 during supply serves as the bottom of the powder container 21.

[0017] The range where the side wall of the cylinder is removed is a part on the discharge portion 211 side in the longitudinal direction of the cylinder (for example, 1 / 3 to 3 / 4 of the total length of the cylinder), and is also a part in the circumferential direction (for example, 3 / 4 or less of the entire circumference), and the removed range becomes larger toward the discharge portion 211 side. The portion where the side wall of the cylinder is removed functions as a supply port 213 for the powder P when the powder is accommodated in the powder container 21. Further, the portion closer to the bottom 212 during supply than the supply port 213 and provided with the cylindrical side wall over the entire circumferential direction functions as a storage portion 214 for storing the powder P when the powder P is accommodated in the powder container 21 in a state where the cylinder is stood upright.

[0018] On the cylindrical side wall, at a position located on the lower side when the longitudinal direction is oriented horizontally with the supply port 213 facing upward, two concave container-side fixing portions 215, into which convex members described later are inserted when the powder container 21 is mounted on the powder container mounting portion 22, are provided spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction.

[0019] In the present embodiment, a material having conductivity is used for the powder container 21. The entire powder container 21 may be formed of a conductive material such as a metal made of stainless steel, aluminum or the like, or a material obtained by forming a conductive film on the surface of a non-conductive base material may be used.

[0020] The powder container mounting section 22 consists of two convex members that protrude from the upper surface of the housing 25, which houses the vibrator 23 and the control unit 30, and are arranged laterally toward the weighing pan 11 of the electronic balance 10. It is preferable to use conductive materials for these members as well. These two convex members are positioned corresponding to the positions of the two container-side fixing parts 215 of the powder container 21, and the powder container 21 is mounted by inserting these members into the container-side fixing parts 215. Alternatively, two protrusions may be provided at the positions of the container-side fixing parts 215, and these protrusions may be inserted into the powder container mounting section 22. Furthermore, magnets may be provided on the container-side fixing parts 215 and the powder container mounting section 22 to fix it by magnetic force. In this way, the powder container 21 can be easily removed from the vibrator 23, while preventing the powder container 21 from coming off due to vibrations of the vibrator 23.

[0021] The two convex members may be such that the one closer to the weighing pan 11 is shorter than the one further away. Due to this difference in length between the two convex members, the mounting bottom 216, which becomes the bottom (lower side) of the powder container 21 when mounted on the powder container mounting section 22, is inclined downward toward the discharge section 211, making it easier for the powder to advance toward the discharge section 211. The inclination angle of the mounting bottom 216 at this time is set to a size such that, when the powder container 21 is not subjected to vibration, normal powder does not slide off due to static friction between the particles and the mounting bottom 216 and between the particles themselves. Alternatively, instead of the length of the convex members, each of the two container-side fixing sections 215 may be a projection, and the projection closer to the weighing pan 11 may be made shorter than the one further away, thereby inclining the mounting bottom 216 downward toward the discharge section 211. On the other hand, when high-precision weighing is required, the two convex members can be made to be approximately the same height and the two recesses to be the same depth, allowing the powder to approach the discharge section 211 slowly.

[0022] The vibrator 23 applies vibration to the powder container 21 via the convex members, which are the powder container mounting section 22.

[0023] The control unit 30 acquires a weighing value signal from the measuring unit 12 of the electronic balance 10 and controls the operation of the vibrator 23 based on that weighing value. The control unit 30 is implemented by hardware such as a central processing unit (CPU) and software that causes the hardware to execute the control.

[0024] In addition, although not shown in the diagram, the weighing device 1 includes an input unit consisting of buttons, a touch panel, etc., for the operator to perform input operations, and a display unit that displays weighing values, etc.

[0025] The operation of the weighing device 1 of the first embodiment will be described below in the case of weighing a predetermined amount of powder.

[0026] First, the operator removes the powder container 21 from the powder container mounting section 22 and then places the powder P to be weighed into the powder container 21 through the supply port 213. At this time, as shown in Figure 2, by placing the bottom 212 downwards during supply and standing the cylindrical powder container 21 upright, the powder P is placed in the storage section 214, which is the part of the powder container 21 where cylindrical side walls are provided around the entire circumference, thereby preventing the powder P from spilling out of the supply port 213. The amount of powder P to be placed in the powder container 21 is expected to be a sufficiently large amount compared to the predetermined amount.

[0027] Alternatively, instead of keeping the powder container 21 upright as shown in Figure 3, the cylindrical powder container 21 may be laid down with its bottom 216 facing downwards, and the powder P may be supplied from the supply port 213 onto the bottom 216. In this case, the powder P may be supplied together with the storage section 214, or instead of the storage section 214, to a position directly below the supply port 213.

[0028] Next, the operator attaches the powder container 21 to the powder container mounting section 22 by inserting the protrusions of the powder container mounting section 22 into the two container-side fixing sections 215 of the powder container 21 into which the powder P is supplied (Figure 4). Here, if the protrusion closer to the weighing pan 11 is shorter than the one further away, the powder container 21 is fixed in an inclined position with the discharge section 211 facing downwards. Even when the powder container 21 is fixed in this inclined position, the inclination angle of the mounting bottom 216 is set to such an extent that the powder does not slide off due to static friction between the particles and the mounting bottom 216 and between the particles themselves, as described above. Therefore, the powder P inside the powder container 21 does not slide off.

[0029] Furthermore, the operator places a weighed powder container 91 on the weighing pan 11 to receive the powder P to be weighed (Figure 4). Alternatively, a weighing paper or the like may be placed on the weighing pan 11 instead of the weighed powder container 91.

[0030] The operations described above—attaching the powder container 21 to the powder container mounting section 22, and / or placing the weighed powder container 91 on the weighing pan 11—are performed by the operator, instead of being performed by the weighing device 1. Alternatively, a manipulator could be installed to automate the process.

[0031] Next, the operator sets the weighing weight value, which is the weight of the powder P to be weighed, by operating the control unit. Subsequently, the operator performs a weighing start operation using the control unit to begin weighing. Upon receiving this weighing start operation, the control unit 30 transmits a start signal, which is an electrical signal, to the vibrator 23. Upon receiving the start signal, the vibrator 23 starts an operation to apply vibration to the powder container mounting unit 22. As a result, vibration is applied to the powder container 21 via the powder container mounting unit 22. Then, the powder P inside the powder container 21 expands in the longitudinal direction of the powder container 21 due to the vibration and also tries to move downward due to gravity, so it gradually moves toward the discharge unit 211, which is the lower end in the longitudinal direction of the powder container 21. Then, the powder P that reaches the discharge unit 211 gradually falls from the discharge unit 211 to the weighing pan 11 and is contained in the weighed powder container 91 (Figure 4).

[0032] As the powder P gradually falls onto the weighing pan 11, the weighed value obtained by the measuring unit 12 gradually increases. The measuring unit 12 continuously transmits a weighed value signal indicating the obtained weighed value to the control unit 30. When the weighed value indicated by the weighed value signal reaches the weighed weight value set by the operator, the control unit 30 transmits a stop signal, which is an electrical signal to stop the application of vibration, to the vibrator 23. Upon receiving the stop signal, the vibrator 23 stops applying vibration to the powder container mounting unit 22. As a result, the vibration of the powder container 21 stops, and powder P stops falling from the discharge unit 211, thus stopping the supply of powder P to the weighed powder container 91. Through the above operations, the weight of powder P set by the operator as the weighed weight value is weighed into the weighed powder container 91.

[0033] Here, if the powder P is charged with static electricity, it may move in a solidified state. This makes it difficult to gradually drop the powder P into the weighed powder container 91, making it impossible to precisely control the amount of powder P supplied to the weighed powder container 91, and thus preventing accurate weighing. However, in this embodiment, by using a conductive material for the powder container 21, static electricity can be removed from the powder P, thus suppressing the effects of static electricity and enabling accurate weighing. Furthermore, by using a conductive material for both the powder container 21 and the powder container mounting part 22, static electricity can be removed from the powder P more reliably.

[0034] Furthermore, control may be performed to reduce the intensity of vibrations applied by the vibrator 23 to the powder container mounting section 22 at a predetermined weighing value before reaching the weighing weight value. In addition, this vibration reduction control may be performed in multiple stages such that the vibrations become weaker at later stages.

[0035] As described above, when weighing the same powder again after the first weighing is completed, the operator can leave the powder container 21 attached to the powder container mounting unit 22, set the weight value for the next weighing using the control unit, and then perform the weighing start operation. The next weighing will then be performed in the same manner as the first weighing.

[0036] On the other hand, when changing the type of powder to be weighed, or when it is necessary to avoid mixing powders from different manufacturing lots even if they are the same type of powder, the powder container 21 is removed from the powder container mounting section 22, the powder P remaining inside the powder container 21 is recovered and removed, and then the inside of the powder container 21 is cleaned. The powder container 21 of the first embodiment has no small holes or other places where powder can easily clog, and there are no components that need to be disassembled during cleaning, such as valve members, so it can be easily cleaned. After the cleaning of the powder container 21 is completed, the powder P to be weighed is placed in the powder container 21, so that the powder P to be weighed can be weighed without any mixing of the powder P that has been weighed so far.

[0037] Furthermore, multiple powder containers 21 may be prepared in advance. This improves work efficiency because weighing can be performed using another powder container 21 while one powder container 21 is being used for weighing or being cleaned. The powder container 21 of the first embodiment does not require complex mechanisms such as on-off valves and is inexpensive, so even if multiple containers are prepared, the increase in cost can be kept to a minimum.

[0038] (2) Second Embodiment Figure 5 shows the weighing device 2 of the second embodiment. The configuration of the powder container 41 and powder container mounting section 42 of the powder supply device 40 of this weighing device 2 differs from the configuration of the powder container 21 and powder container mounting section 22 of the powder supply device 20 in the weighing device 1 of the first embodiment. The other components are the same as those in the weighing device 1 of the first embodiment, so their description is omitted. The powder container 41 and powder container mounting section 42 will be described in detail below.

[0039] The powder container 41 has a configuration in which a main trough 410 and a discharge trough 417 are connected in the longitudinal direction. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the main trough 410 consists of a trough with a rectangular cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction. The discharge trough 417 is located closer to the weighing pan 11 than the main trough 410 when mounted on the powder container mounting section 42, and its end on the weighing pan 11 side is the discharge section 411. The width of the discharge trough 417 is narrower than that of the main trough 410. On the back surface of the main trough 410, there is a container fixing recess (not shown) into which the protrusion of the powder container mounting section 42, which will be described later, is inserted. When mounted on the powder container mounting section 42, the bottom surface 416 of the main trough 410 is mostly horizontal, but a portion of the powder convergence region 4161, which is roughly trapezoidal, near the discharge trough 417 is formed to slope downward toward the discharge trough 417. The powder converging region 4161 has a trapezoidal upper and lower base, with the shorter side matching the width and length of the discharge-side trough 417, and is in contact with the end of the discharge-side trough 417 opposite to the discharge section 411. The longer side of the trapezoidal upper and lower base matches the width and length of the main body trough 410. The bottom surface 418 of the discharge-side trough 417 is approximately horizontal when mounted on the powder container mounting section 42. The material used for the powder container 41 is conductive, as in the first embodiment.

[0040] The powder container mounting section 42 is similar to the powder container mounting section 22 in the first embodiment in that it consists of two convex members arranged laterally toward the weighing pan 11 of the electronic balance 10, but these two convex members have the same length. As a result, when the powder container 41 is mounted on the powder container mounting section 42, the bottom surface 416 of the main body trough section 410 and the bottom surface 418 of the discharge side trough section 417 become approximately horizontal.

[0041] The operation of the weighing device 2 in the second embodiment is basically the same as that of the weighing device 1 in the first embodiment, but the operation when filling the powder P into the powder container 41 and the behavior of the powder P when vibration is applied to the powder container 41 differ from those of the first embodiment. These differences will be explained below, and the explanation of other operations will be omitted.

[0042] The powder P is contained on the bottom surface 416 of the main body trough 410 of the powder container 41. In the second embodiment, it is not necessary to remove the powder container 41 from the powder container mounting section 42 except when cleaning the powder container 41, and the powder P may be placed in the powder container 41 while the powder container 41 is still attached to the powder container mounting section 42.

[0043] When vibration is applied to the powder container 41 from the vibrator 23 via the powder container mounting section 42, the powder P inside the powder container 21 gradually spreads out in the longitudinal direction of the powder container 21 in response to the vibration and reaches the powder convergence region 4161. In the powder convergence region 4161, the bottom surface slopes downward and the width narrows in the longitudinal direction toward the discharge section 211 (or discharge side trough section 417), so the powder P moves toward the discharge side trough section 417 while narrowing (converging) the width of its distribution. Once the powder P reaches the discharge side trough section 417, it gradually moves toward the discharge section 211 in response to the vibration of the powder container 41 (the discharge side trough section 417 inside) and falls from the discharge section 211 into the weighing pan 11.

[0044] The weighing device 2 of the second embodiment provides the same effects as the weighing device 1 of the first embodiment. In addition, in the weighing device of the second embodiment, the powder P is contained in the main body trough 410, which is wider than the discharge trough 417, and then supplied to the weighing pan 11 via the discharge trough 417 while being converged in the width direction in the powder convergence region 4161. Therefore, a large amount of powder P can be contained while weighing the powder P onto the narrow weighing pan 11.

[0045] (3) Third Embodiment Figure 7 shows the weighing device 3 of the third embodiment. The configuration of the powder container 51 and powder container mounting section 52 of the powder supply device 50 of this weighing device 3 differs from the configuration of the powder container 21 and powder container mounting section 22 of the powder supply device 20 in the weighing device 1 of the first embodiment and the configuration of the powder container 41 and powder container mounting section 42 of the powder supply device 40 in the weighing device 2 of the second embodiment. Other components are the same as those in the weighing devices 1 and 2 of the first and second embodiments, so their description is omitted. The powder container 51 and powder container mounting section 52 will be described in detail below.

[0046] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the powder container 51 has a container body 511 and a lid 512. The container body 511 is made of a metal, which is a conductive material, and has a cylindrical shape. A triangular prism-shaped powder storage space 5111 is provided inside the container body 511. In this embodiment, the triangular prism is an equilateral triangular prism with an equilateral triangle as its base, but it may also be a triangular prism with an isosceles triangle as its base or the shape of another triangle. It is not limited to triangles and can also be a circle or an ellipse. One end of the powder storage space 5111 is an opening 5112, and the other end is closed. This opening serves as a supply port when supplying powder P to the powder storage space 5111, and also as a discharge port when discharging powder P from the powder storage space 5111. The lid 512 is attached to the side of the container body 511 that has the opening 5112. In this embodiment, the lid 512 is attached to the container body 511 by screwing together a female thread (not shown) on the inner surface of the lid 512 with a male thread 5113 on the outer surface of the container body 511. However, the lid 512 may be attached to the container body 511 using other configurations. Once the lid 512 is attached to the container body 511, the powder storage space 5111 is sealed. The outer shape of the container body 511 is cylindrical, but it may also be in other shapes such as a triangular prism.

[0047] Figure 9 shows the configuration of the powder container mounting section 52 in the approximately vertical cross-section A shown in Figure 7. In cross-section A, the powder container 51 has a vertically elongated elliptical shape. The powder container mounting section 52 has a gripping section 521 formed by providing a notch 5211 at the top of an annular body that has a vertically elongated elliptical shape. The powder container 51 is inserted into the annular body through the notch 5211. The gripping section 521 is made of metal, which is a conductive and flexible material. Due to this flexibility, the gripping section 521 expands to both sides when the powder container 51 is inserted, and when the powder container 51 is inserted to a predetermined position, it acts to grip the powder container 51 from both sides. Two powder container mounting sections 52 are provided so as to be arranged laterally toward the weighing pan 11 of the electronic balance 10. Of the two gripping portions 521 that each of the two powder container mounting portions 52 has, the one located closer to the weighing pan 11 is positioned lower than the other.

[0048] The operation of the weighing device 3 in the third embodiment is basically the same as that of the weighing device 1 in the first embodiment, but the operation when filling the powder P into the powder container 51 and when attaching the powder container 51 to the powder container mounting section 52 differs from that of the first embodiment. These differences will be explained below, and the explanation of other operations will be omitted.

[0049] The operator first removes the powder container 51 from the powder container mounting section 52, places the powder P into the powder storage space 5111 through the opening 5112 (Figure 10(a)), and then attaches the lid 512 to the opening 5112 (Figure 10(b)). The powder container 51 is then placed in the designated location with the lid 512 attached.

[0050] Next, with the lid 512 still attached, the powder container 51 is inserted into the gripping portions 521 of the two powder container mounting portions 52 through the notches 5211 (ibid. (c)). Here, the powder container 51 is mounted in the powder container mounting portion 52 with its longitudinal direction facing the opening 5112 side toward the weighing pan 11, and with one side of the triangular prism-shaped powder storage space 5111 (the side perpendicular to the triangular base) facing downwards. Therefore, in the cross-section shown in Figure 9, one of the vertices of the triangle of the powder storage space 5111 is facing downwards. Also, as described above, the gripping portion 521 located closer to the weighing pan 11 is positioned lower than the other, so the mounted powder container 51 is mounted with its opening 5112 side facing downwards and tilted from horizontal.

[0051] Then, just before starting the operation to supply powder P to the weighing pan 11, the lid 512 is removed from the powder container body 511.

[0052] Furthermore, some or all of the operations described above may be performed automatically by equipping the weighing device 3 with a manipulator, instead of being performed by an operator.

[0053] Next, vibration is applied to the powder container 51 from the vibrator 23 via the powder container mounting section 52. As a result, the powder P inside the powder container 51 is vibrated and gradually moves toward the downward-facing opening 5112 as described above, and falls little by little from the opening (discharge section) 5112 and is supplied to the weighed powder container 91 on the weighing pan 11. The subsequent operation is the same as that of the weighing device 1 of the first embodiment.

[0054] If the powder P absorbs moisture, the weighing system will weigh the combined mass of the powder P and the moisture, making it impossible to accurately weigh the powder P. Furthermore, the powder P may solidify, preventing the supply of the powder P from the powder container 51 in small increments. This makes it impossible to precisely control the amount of powder supplied to the powder container 91 after weighing, resulting in inaccurate weighing. In contrast, the weighing device 3 of the third embodiment keeps the lid 512 attached to the opening from the time the powder P is placed in the powder storage space 5111 until the start of supply to the powder container 91 after weighing. This prevents the powder P from absorbing moisture from the air during this period, allowing for accurate and precise weighing of the powder P.

[0055] In the above description, the powder container 51 was attached to the gripping part 521 with the lid 512 attached, but it may also be attached to the gripping part 521 after removing the lid 512. Removing the lid 512 before the powder container 51 is attached to the gripping part 512 makes it easier to remove the lid 512.

[0056] Furthermore, the weighing device 3 of the third embodiment, like the first embodiment, uses a conductive material for the powder container 51, which allows for the removal of static electricity from the powder P, thereby preventing the powder P from solidifying and enabling precise weighing.

[0057] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, the weighing device 3 is mounted on the powder container mounting section 52 with one side of the triangular prism-shaped powder storage space 5111 facing downwards, so that the powder storage space 5111 has a groove-like shape with a V-shaped cross-section. Having such a shaped powder storage space 5111 allows the powder P to be smoothly delivered along the groove to the opening (discharge section) 5112.

[0058] (4) Variations The present invention is not limited to the three embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible. For example, in the first embodiment, a powder container 21 having a cylindrical shape with a portion of the side wall removed was used, but a cylindrical powder container with an intact side wall, or a trough-shaped powder container with a portion of the circumferential side wall removed along the entire length of the cylinder, may also be used. In addition, instead of a cylinder, a tube with a polygonal cross-section such as a quadrilateral (including rectangles and squares) or a triangle may be used. The bottom portion 212 may be omitted during supply.

[0059] In the first embodiment, the powder container 21 was tilted so that the discharge portion 211 was facing downwards and mounted on the powder container mounting portion 22, and in the second embodiment, the powder container 41 was mounted in a substantially horizontal position on the powder container mounting portion 22. However, the powder container 21 of the first embodiment may be mounted in a substantially horizontal position on the powder container mounting portion 42 of the second embodiment, or the powder container 41 of the second embodiment may be tilted so that the discharge portion 411 is facing downwards and mounted on the powder container mounting portion 22 of the first embodiment.

[0060] In the embodiments described above, a conductive material was used for the powder container, but the present invention also includes cases where a non-conductive material such as plastic is used.

[0061] Furthermore, the components of the three embodiments and modified examples described above may be used in appropriate combinations.

[0062] [Pattern] It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the exemplary embodiments described above are specific examples of the following embodiments.

[0063] (Section 1) A weighing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention is: An electronic balance having a weighing pan, A trough-shaped or cylindrical powder container with one end being a discharge port, A powder container mounting section is provided to allow the attachment and detachment of the powder container so that the discharge section is located directly above the weighing pan, A vibrator is attached to the powder container mounting section and applies vibration to the discharge section of the powder container, A control unit that acquires a weighing value from the electronic balance and controls the operation of the vibrator based on the weighing value. It is equipped with.

[0064] In the weighing apparatus described in paragraph 1, when changing the type of powder to be weighed or the manufacturing lot, the powder container is removed from the vibrator and the inside of the powder container is cleaned. At that time, since the powder container is cylindrical or trough-shaped, and one end of the cylinder or trough is the discharge part, there is no need to clean narrow spaces such as small holes. Furthermore, since there is no need to install a valve to open and close the discharge part, there is no need to remove the valve before cleaning or install the valve after cleaning. For these reasons, the weighing apparatus described in paragraph 1 can reduce the effort required for cleaning.

[0065] (Paragraph 2) The weighing device relating to Paragraph 2 is, in the weighing device relating to Paragraph 1, The powder container is provided with a container-side fixing part for fixing to the powder container mounting part. The powder container mounting portion is provided at a position corresponding to the container-side fixing portion of the vibrator.

[0066] According to the weighing device described in paragraph 2, the powder container can be easily attached to the powder container mounting section.

[0067] (Paragraph 3) The weighing device relating to Paragraph 3 is the same as the weighing device relating to Paragraph 1 or Paragraph 2, in which the other end of the powder container is closed.

[0068] The other end of the closed powder container can function as the bottom of the container when the container is placed upright with the other end facing downwards and the powder is being stored inside.

[0069] (Article 4) The weighing device according to Article 4 is a weighing device according to any one of Articles 1 to 3, wherein the bottom surface of the powder container is provided with a powder converging region in which the bottom surface descends toward the discharge section and narrows in width when the powder container is mounted on the powder container mounting section.

[0070] According to the weighing device described in paragraph 4, the powder moves toward the discharge section in such a way that the width of the powder distribution in the powder convergence region narrows. Therefore, a larger quantity of powder can be contained in a wider area of ​​the powder container, while the powder can be supplied to a narrower area of ​​the weighing pan.

[0071] (Article 5) The weighing device relating to Article 5 is a weighing device relating to any one of Articles 1 to 4, wherein the space inside the powder container has a groove-like shape with a V-shaped cross-section.

[0072] According to the weighing device described in paragraph 5, the space inside the powder container has a groove-like shape with a V-shaped cross-section, which allows the powder to be smoothly delivered along the groove to the discharge section.

[0073] (Paragraph 6) The weighing apparatus relating to Paragraph 6 is a weighing apparatus relating to any one of Paragraphs 1 to 5, wherein the powder container is made of a conductive material.

[0074] According to the weighing device described in paragraph 6, since the powder container is made of a conductive material, static electricity can be removed from the powder contained in the container. This prevents the powder P from moving in a solidified state due to static electricity, and allows the powder to be discharged gradually from the discharge section, thus enabling precise control of the powder supply amount and accurate weighing.

[0075] (Clause 7) The weighing device according to paragraph 7 is a weighing device according to any one of paragraphs 1 to 6, and is equipped with a lid on which the powder container is attached to the discharge section.

[0076] If the powder in the powder container absorbs moisture, the weighing system will weigh the combined mass of the powder and moisture, making it impossible to accurately weigh the powder. Furthermore, the powder may solidify, making it impossible to supply the powder gradually from the container, thus preventing precise control of the powder supply and resulting in inaccurate weighing. In contrast, the weighing device described in paragraph 7 has a lid attached to the discharge section after the powder is placed in the powder container, and the lid is removed just before the powder is supplied from the discharge section. This prevents the powder P from absorbing moisture from the air. Therefore, the powder can be weighed accurately and with precision. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 1, 2, 3... Weighing device 10…Electronic balance 11... Weighing dish 12…Measuring part 20, 40, 50...Powder feeding device 21, 41, 51... Powder containers 211, 511...Discharge part 212…Bottom part when supplied 213... Supply port 214... Storage section 215…Container side fixing part 216...Bottom when attached 22, 42, 52... Powder container mounting section 23… Vibrator 25... Cabinet 30…Control Unit 410... Main gutter section 416...Bottom surface of the main gutter section 4161...Powder convergence region 417...Discharge side gutter section 418...Bottom surface of the discharge trough 5111... Powder containment space 5112...Opening (supply port, discharge part) 5113... Male screw 512…Lid 521...Gripping part 5211... Notch 91... Powder container after weighing P…Powder

Claims

1. An electronic balance having a weighing pan, A trough-shaped or cylindrical powder container with one end being a discharge port, A powder container mounting section is provided to allow the attachment and detachment of the powder container so that the discharge section is located directly above the weighing pan, A vibrator is attached to the powder container mounting section and applies vibration to the discharge section of the powder container, A control unit that acquires a weighing value from the electronic balance and controls the operation of the vibrator based on the weighing value. A weighing device equipped with the following features.

2. The powder container is provided with a container-side fixing part for fixing to the powder container mounting part. The powder container mounting portion is provided at a position corresponding to the container-side fixing portion of the vibrator. The electronic balance according to claim 1.

3. The weighing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the other end of the powder container is closed.

4. The weighing device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the bottom surface of the powder container is provided with a powder converging region in which the bottom surface descends toward the discharge portion and narrows in width when the powder container is mounted on the powder container mounting portion.

5. The weighing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the space inside the powder container has a groove-like shape with a V-shaped cross-section.

6. The weighing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the powder container is made of a conductive material.

7. The weighing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the powder container is equipped with a lid that is attached to the discharge section.

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