hopper

Abstract

To provide a hopper capable of reducing the load on a screw shaft when restarting the operation of a continuous kneader. [Solution] The hopper 30 is equipped with a material supply port 35 that communicates with the conveying space 11a inside the continuous mixer and sends out the powdered resin material from the lower end side of the hopper 30, an inclined surface 31 at the lower part 32 of the hopper 30 that guides the powdered resin material inside the hopper 30 to the material supply port 35, and an inspection hatch 42 that connects the inside and outside of the hopper 30. The inspection hatch 42 is within the height range of the inclined surface 31.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a hopper. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a feeding device that feeds bulk material to the screw portion of a screw machine. As shown in Fig. 5, the feeding device 90 disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a hopper 91 that receives bulk material supplied from a feeding pipe located above. The hopper 91 is provided with a screen element 92 for removing metal particles contained in the bulk material, a drive device 93 for moving the screen element 92 back and forth, an opening 94 for removing metal particles remaining on the screen element 92 that has been pulled outward, and a cover element 95 that closes the opening 94. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-109871 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a continuous mixer having an internal screw shaft, the screw shaft may be stopped by an emergency stop control. In such a case, the supply control of the powdered resin material to the hopper may not be synchronized, and the stop of the supply to the hopper may be delayed. In this case, a certain amount of powdered resin material is supplied to the hopper, causing the powdered resin material to accumulate at the supply port from the hopper to the continuous mixer. In this case, if a large amount of powdered resin material accumulates near the screw shaft, the powdered resin material may weigh heavily on the screw shaft, which may prevent the screw shaft from rotating again when the continuous mixer is restarted.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention was made in consideration of the above-mentioned conventional technology, and its purpose is to provide a hopper that can reduce the load on the screw shaft when restarting operation of a continuous mixer having a screw shaft inside. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a hopper for supplying powdered resin material to a continuous mixer having an internal conveying space and a screw shaft within the conveying space, the hopper comprising: a material supply port that communicates with the conveying space within the continuous mixer and discharges the powdered resin material from the lower end side of the hopper; an inclined surface at the lower part of the hopper that guides the powdered resin material inside the hopper to the material supply port; and an inspection hatch that connects the inside and outside of the hopper, the inspection hatch being within the height range of the inclined surface.

[0007] In the hopper, the powdered resin material accumulated within the height range of the lower part of the hopper near the screw shaft of the continuous mixer can be removed to the outside of the hopper through an inspection hatch provided within the height range of the inclined surface of the hopper. This allows the weight of the powdered resin material on the screw shaft to be reduced when restarting operation of the continuous mixer after an emergency stop, preventing the restart of rotation of the screw shaft from being obstructed.

[0008] The continuous mixer may include a hopper section that receives the powdered resin material from the hopper, and a drive end section that houses a rotation shaft portion of the screw shaft and is located on the opposite side of the hopper section from the material extrusion direction of the continuous mixer. In this case, the hopper may be assembled to the hopper section so that the inspection hatch is located on the drive end section side with respect to the material supply port.

[0009] The hopper section of a continuous mixer is adjacent to a barrel in the direction of material extrusion. The extrusion material flows through the barrel, causing it to become very hot. Therefore, if the hopper has an inspection hatch on the side facing the barrel, powdered resin material falling through the inspection hatch will adhere to the hot outer wall of the barrel, melt, and stick to the barrel's outer wall. On the other hand, the drive end section, located opposite the material extrusion direction, is cooler than the barrel. Therefore, if the inspection hatch is located on the drive end section side of the material supply port, powdered resin material falling through the inspection hatch will not stick to the drive end section. This makes cleaning easy.

[0010] The inspection hatch may be provided with a door. In this case, the door may have a hinge and a locking mechanism. In this aspect, an operator can easily open and close the inspection hatch. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] As described above, according to the present invention, the load on the screw shaft can be reduced when the continuous mixer is restarted. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a view showing a continuous mixer to which a hopper according to an embodiment is attached. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the hopper. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a view showing the hopper as viewed from the opposite side to the material extrusion direction of the continuous mixer. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 shows an inspection hatch and a door. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a conventional hopper. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, a hopper 30 according to this embodiment is assembled to a continuous mixer 10 for use. The continuous mixer 10 includes a hopper section 11 having a conveying space 11a, and the hopper 30 is connected to this hopper section 11 via a bellows-shaped connecting member 12. The hopper 30 may be supported in a suspended state by a hanging jig (not shown). A powdered resin material is charged into the hopper 30, and this powdered resin material is introduced from the hopper 30 into the hopper section 11 of the continuous mixer 10. An example of the powdered resin material is polyolefin powder.

[0015] A pair of screw shafts 14, which are located within the conveying space 11a and are configured to be able to deliver the powdered resin material, are housed in the hopper section 11. Each screw shaft 14 has a rotor 17 for kneading the powdered resin material, and the pair of screw shafts 14 with the rotors 17 are driven by a motor (driver) 18.

[0016] A barrel 19 accommodating a pair of rotors 17 is adjacent to one side of the hopper section 11, and a drive end section 22 supporting a pair of rotary shafts 21 connected to the pair of screw shafts 14 is adjacent to the other side of the hopper section 11. That is, the drive end section 22 houses the rotary shaft portions of the screw shafts 14 and is located on the opposite side of the hopper section 11 to the material extrusion direction of the continuous kneader 10. The pair of rotary shafts 21 are connected to a drive shaft 18a of a motor 18. Therefore, the driving force generated by the motor 18 is transmitted to the pair of screw shafts 14 and the pair of rotors 17 via the pair of rotary shafts 21, causing the pair of screw shafts 14 and the pair of rotors 17 to rotate. As a result, the powdered resin material in the hopper section 11 is sent into the barrel 19, where it is kneaded.

[0017] 2 and 3, the hopper 30 has a lower portion 32 having an inclined surface 31 and an upper portion 33 located above the lower portion 32. The upper portion 33 is formed in a cylindrical shape. The upper portion 33 may be a cylindrical shape with a circular cross section or a cylindrical shape with a polygonal cross section.

[0018] An inlet (not shown) for the powdered resin material is provided on the top surface of the upper portion 33. That is, a nozzle or a silo (not shown) for supplying the powdered resin material is inserted into the inlet of the upper portion 33, and the powdered resin material is supplied into the hopper 30 from the nozzle or the silo.

[0019] The upper portion 33 may be used as a member for attaching accessories. For example, a nozzle for supplying the powdered resin material may be attached to the side surface of the upper portion 33 so as to be inserted into the side surface of the upper portion 33. In this case, the inlet on the top surface of the upper portion 33 is omitted. A screen (not shown) for removing foreign matter contained in the powdered resin material may be provided inside the upper portion 33.

[0020] The lower end of the hopper 30 is open as a material supply port 35 that connects the powdered resin material to the kneading space of the hopper section 11. A bellows-shaped connecting member 12 is provided between the lower end of the hopper 30 and the hopper section 11. Therefore, the interior of the hopper 30 communicates with the conveying space 11a through the internal space of the connecting member 12.

[0021] The hopper 30 is disposed at a position separated from the hopper section 11 by a distance corresponding to the size of the connecting member 12. Furthermore, since the connecting member 12 is formed by bellows, vibrations of the hopper section 11, i.e., the continuous mixer 10, are not transmitted to the hopper 30.

[0022] The hopper 30 is fastened to the connecting member 12 by a fastener (not shown). Therefore, by removing the fastener, the hopper 30 can be separated from the connecting member 12, i.e., the hopper section 11. Furthermore, because the hopper 30 is positioned away from the hopper section 11, during maintenance of the rotor 17, space can be secured to remove the rotor 17 upward by shifting the hopper section 11 in the axial direction.

[0023] Although the hopper 30 has a cylindrical upper portion 33 and an inclined lower portion 32, the configuration of the hopper 30 is not limited to this. For example, the hopper 30 may have only the inclined lower portion 32. In other words, the hopper 30 may be configured to be inclined as a whole.

[0024] An air knocker 37 is attached to the hopper 30 to remove powder adhering to the wall surface of the hopper 30 from the wall surface. The air knocker 37 is attached to the outer wall surface of the hopper 30. The air knocker 37 is configured to drive a cylinder piston with air, causing the piston to collide with the wall surface (inclined surface 31) of the hopper 30, thereby impacting the hopper 30. Powder accumulated on the inner wall surface of the hopper 30 is dropped by the vibration of the hopper 30. Note that the inner surface of the hopper 30 is smooth and has steeply inclined portions, but depending on the type of material, powder is likely to adhere to the wall surface. For this reason, the inclined surface 31 is vibrated by the air knocker 37.

[0025] The air knocker 37 is connected to an air regulator 38 that controls the amount of air supplied to the air knocker 37. The air regulator 38 has an air filter built in that captures foreign matter contained in the air.

[0026] A sight window 40 is provided in the lower portion 32 of the hopper 30. Therefore, the state inside the hopper 30 can be observed through the sight window 40. This makes it possible to check whether powder has accumulated inside the hopper 30, whether powder is passing through the hopper 30, etc. Furthermore, to prevent powder from adhering to the sight window 40 and obscuring the inside of the hopper 30, nitrogen gas may be blown onto the sight window 40 from the inside to keep powder from adhering to the sight window 40 at all times.

[0027] The sight window 40 is attached to a surface 31a facing one side (for example, a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the screw shaft 14) of the inclined surface 31 constituting the lower portion 32. A glass window 41 may be provided on the other surface (the side opposite to the sight window 40) of the lower portion 32. The glass window 41 allows light to reach the inside of the hopper 30, making it easier to see inside the hopper 30.

[0028] An inspection hatch 42 is provided in the lower portion 32 of the hopper 30. The inspection hatch 42 is configured to communicate between the inside and outside of the hopper 30, and is provided with a door 43 for opening and closing the inspection hatch 42. By opening the inspection hatch 42 with the door 43, a suction hose for sucking up powder accumulated in the material supply port 35 can be inserted into the hopper 30 through the inspection hatch 42.

[0029] The inspection hatch 42 is located within the height range of the inclined surface 31 of the lower portion 32. For example, the inspection hatch 42 is preferably provided within a range of 1 meter from the lower end position of the connecting member 12. This prevents deterioration of the workability of cleaning the inside of the hopper 30. It is preferable that the inspection hatch 42 be located as low as possible.

[0030] Inspection hatch 42 may also be circular and have a diameter of 300 mm to 400 mm. In this case, people cannot enter hopper 30 through inspection hatch 42, ensuring the safety of workers.

[0031] The inspection hatch 42 is located on the opposite side of the material extrusion direction of the continuous mixer 10. Specifically, the lower portion 32 of the hopper 30 is formed in a tapered cylindrical shape that tapers downward. The inspection hatch 42 is located on the surface 31b of the inclined surface 31 constituting the lower portion 32, facing the opposite side of the material extrusion direction (the left side in FIG. 2 ). In other words, in the continuous mixer 10, the resin material is extruded from the hopper section 11 toward the barrel 19. Therefore, the inspection hatch 42 is located on the opposite side of the barrel 19, i.e., on the surface 31b facing the drive end section 22 and the motor 18. While the barrel 19 becomes hot due to the mixing of the resin material, the drive end section 22 is not affected and remains relatively cool. Therefore, even if powder falls through the inspection hatch 42, the powder will not melt. This facilitates cleaning.

[0032] As shown in Figure 4, the door 43 has a door body 43a, a hinge 43b, and a locking mechanism 43c. The hinge 43b supports the door body 43a so that it can rotate relative to the hopper 30. The hinge 43b is located at the right or left end of the inspection hatch 42. The hinge 43b is configured to be able to displace the door body 43a in a direction away from the inspection hatch 42. Therefore, the hinge 43b allows the door body 43a to rotate when the door body 43a is away from the inspection hatch 42.

[0033] The door main body 43a is provided with a handle 43d, which can be used to open and close the door main body 43a.

[0034] The locking mechanism 43c has multiple toggle clamps 43e, which are arranged on the outer periphery of the door main body 43a, as shown in Fig. 3. By providing the toggle clamps 43e at multiple locations around the circumference of the door main body 43a, the inspection hatch 42 can be kept closed.

[0035] The toggle clamp 43e is a tightening tool that uses a toggle mechanism. By operating the lever of the toggle clamp 43e, the clamp portion keeps the door body 43a pressed against the inspection hatch 42. In addition, by operating the lever, the toggle clamp 43e can be removed.

[0036] As described above, in the hopper 30 according to this embodiment, powdered resin material accumulated within the height range of the lower portion 32 of the hopper 30, which is near the screw shaft 14 of the continuous mixer 10, can be removed to the outside of the hopper 30 through the inspection hatch 42 provided within the height range of the inclined surface 31 of the hopper 30. This reduces the weight of the powdered resin material on the screw shaft 14 when restarting operation of the continuous mixer 10 after an emergency stop, preventing the restart of rotation of the screw shaft 14 from being impeded. In other words, if startup of the continuous mixer 10 fails, the continuous mixer 10 and the nozzle or silo above the hopper 30 are immediately shut down. However, due to a time lag until the nozzle or silo is shut down, a certain amount of powder may accumulate in the conveying space 11a of the continuous mixer 10. When powder accumulates in the conveying space 11a, the torque required to rotate the rotor 17 increases, which may prevent the motor 18 from starting. In this case, the powder accumulated in the conveying space 11a of the continuous mixer 10 can be sucked and removed by inserting the hose of a suction machine into the hopper 30 through the inspection opening 42. By doing so, the continuous mixer 10 can be started up.

[0037] Furthermore, the barrel 19 is adjacent to the hopper section 11 of the continuous mixer 10 in the direction of material extrusion by the continuous mixer 10. The barrel 19 becomes hot because the extrusion material flows through it. Therefore, if the inspection hatch 42 is located on the side of the hopper 30 facing the barrel 19, when the powdered resin material falls through the inspection hatch 42, the powdered resin material will adhere to the hot outer wall of the barrel 19, melt, and stick to the outer wall of the barrel 19. On the other hand, the drive end section 22 is cooler than the barrel 19. Therefore, when the inspection hatch 42 is located on the opposite side of the material extrusion direction by the continuous mixer 10, as in this embodiment, the powdered resin material falling through the inspection hatch 42 will not stick to the drive end section 22. This facilitates cleaning.

[0038] Furthermore, since the door 43 of the inspection hatch 42 is provided with hinges 43b and a locking mechanism 43c, the worker can easily open and close the inspection hatch 42.

[0039] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered limiting. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and improvements are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, a bellows-shaped connecting member 12 is provided between the hopper 30 and the hopper section 11, but the connecting member 12 may be omitted. Furthermore, the connecting member 12 does not need to be configured as a bellows, and may be configured as a non-expandable tubular member.

[0040] The door 43 has a locking mechanism 43c having a plurality of toggle clamps 43e and hinges 43b, but is not limited to this. The door 43 may be detachable from the inspection hatch 42 by bolts or the like. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 10: Continuous mixer 11: Hopper section 11a: Transfer space 14: Screw shaft 22: Drive end section 30: Hopper 31: Inclined surface 32: Lower part 35: Material supply port 42: Inspection hatch 43: Door 43b: Hinge 43c: Locking mechanism

Claims

1. A hopper having a conveying space therein and supplying a powdered resin material to a continuous kneader having a screw shaft in the conveying space, a material supply port communicating with the conveying space and configured to discharge the powder resin material from a lower end side of the hopper; an inclined surface at a lower portion of the hopper that guides the powdered resin material inside the hopper to the material supply port; an inspection port that connects the inside and outside of the hopper to each other; Equipped with A hopper, characterized in that the inspection hatch is within the height range of the inclined surface.

2. the continuous mixer includes a hopper section that receives the powdered resin material from the hopper, and a drive end section that houses a rotation shaft portion of the screw shaft and is located on the opposite side of the hopper section to a material extrusion direction by the continuous mixer; 2. The hopper according to claim 1, wherein the inspection hatch is assembled to the hopper section so as to be located on the drive end section side relative to the material supply opening.

3. The inspection hatch is provided with a door, 10. The hopper of claim 1, wherein the door has a hinge and a locking mechanism.

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