Viscous liquid supply device

Abstract

This viscous liquid supply device (1) comprises a storage tank (10) that stores a viscous liquid, and a pump (14) that supplies the viscous liquid in the storage tank (10) to a use point (U), wherein the viscous liquid supple device further comprises: a viscometer (20) that measures the viscosity of the viscous liquid in the storage tank (10); and a replenishing device (30) that supplies a replenishing liquid to the storage tank (10) on the basis of the viscosity measured by the viscometer (20). The viscometer (20) is a rotary viscometer comprising a cylindrical rotor (23) that rotates when immersed in the viscous liquid. The rotor (23) comprises a stirring blade that agitates the viscous liquid in the storage tank (10).

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a viscous liquid supplying device that supplies a viscous liquid such as a sealing liquid. [Background technology]

[0002] For capsules of medicines, foods, etc., a band seal is conventionally formed at the fitting portion between the cap and the body using a sealing liquid. The sealing liquid, which is a viscous liquid, is adjusted to a desired viscosity and then supplied to the sealing pan of a sealing machine, where it is applied to the capsules during transportation (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Re-tabled publication 2009 / 125485 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the viscosity of the sealing liquid gradually changes due to evaporation of water, and as a result, the quality of the sealing liquid may deteriorate, which may result in insufficient sealing of the fitting portion.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a viscous liquid supplying device capable of supplying a viscous liquid with a stable viscosity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a storage tank for storing viscous liquid. Cylindrical with bottomA viscous liquid supplying device comprising a storage tank and a pump for supplying the viscous liquid in the storage tank to a point of use, the device further comprising a viscometer for measuring the viscosity of the viscous liquid in the storage tank, and a replenishing device for supplying a replenishing liquid to the storage tank based on the viscosity measured by the viscometer, the viscometer being a rotational viscometer having a cylindrical rotor that is immersed in the viscous liquid and rotates, the rotor having an agitating blade for agitating the viscous liquid in the storage tank. a plurality of the stirring blades are provided radially from a drive shaft that rotates the rotor toward the inner peripheral surface of the rotor, a gap between the inner peripheral surface of the storage tank and the outer peripheral surface of the rotor is 2 to 10% of the radius inside the storage tank, the use point is provided midway through a circulation line that circulates the viscous liquid in the storage tank to the outside of the storage tank, the viscous liquid is a sealing liquid for forming a band seal on a capsule and is supplied to a seal pan provided at the use point, the sealing liquid in the seal pan is recovered in the storage tank by the circulation line, and when the viscosity of the viscous liquid in the storage tank changes as a result of the water evaporating from the viscous liquid at the use point and the viscous liquid being returned to the storage tank, the viscometer measures the viscosity while stirring the viscous liquid with the stirring blades, and the refilling device controls the supply amount of refill liquid consisting of water in accordance with the detection by the viscometer. This is achieved by a viscous liquid supply device. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the viscous liquid supplying device of the present invention, it is possible to supply a viscous liquid having a stable viscosity. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a viscous liquid supplying device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view of a main part of the viscous liquid supplying device shown in FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 2 is a plan view of a main part of the viscous liquid supplying device shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a viscous liquid supplying device according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the viscous liquid supplying device 1 includes a bottomed cylindrical storage tank 10 for storing a viscous liquid, a circulation line 12 for circulating the viscous liquid in the storage tank 10 to the outside of the storage tank 10, a viscometer 20 for measuring the viscosity of the viscous liquid in the storage tank 10, and a replenishing device 30 for supplying a replenishing liquid to the storage tank 10 based on the viscosity measured by the viscometer 20. The viscous liquid in this embodiment is a sealing liquid for forming a band seal in a capsule.

[0013] The circulation line 12 is equipped with a pump 14, and by operating the pump 14, the viscous liquid can be supplied to a use point U provided in the middle of the circulation line 12. A seal pan 16 for storing the supplied sealing liquid is provided at the use point U, and a band seal can be formed for capsules conveyed successively above the seal pan 16 by rotation of a seal roller (not shown). The sealing liquid in the seal pan 16 is collected in the storage tank 10 by the circulation line 12. Although a plurality of circulation lines 12 are provided in this embodiment, a single circulation line may be provided.

[0014] The viscometer 20 includes a viscometer body 21 disposed above the storage tank 10, a drive shaft 22 extending vertically downward from the viscometer body 21, and a cylindrical rotor 23 that rotates horizontally by the rotation of the drive shaft 22. The measurement principle of the viscometer 20 is the same as that of a known rotational viscometer, and the viscometer body 21 includes a drive unit, a control unit, an output unit, and the like housed in a housing. The upper end of the drive shaft 22 is connected to a motor that constitutes the drive unit of the viscometer body 21, and the control unit of the viscometer body 21 detects in real time the viscous torque that the drive shaft 22, which rotates at a predetermined rotation speed, receives from the viscous liquid, and outputs the detection result from the output unit to the refill device 30.

[0015] The replenishing device 30 stores a replenishing liquid equivalent to the evaporated components of the viscous liquid in a built-in tank (not shown), and can control the amount of replenishing liquid supplied to the storage tank 10 based on detection by the viscometer 20. In this embodiment, water is used as the replenishing liquid.

[0016] Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view showing the vicinity of rotor 23, and Fig. 3 is a plan view of rotor 23. As shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, rotor 23 is different from rotors provided in general rotational viscometers and is provided with stirring blades 24 that stir the viscous liquid in storage tank 10.

[0017] A plurality of agitating blades 24 (four in this embodiment) are provided below rotor 23, which is open at both ends, so as to extend radially from drive shaft 22 passing through the center of rotor 23, and the tips of agitating blades 24 are joined to the inner peripheral surface of rotor 23, so that rotor 23 is supported by drive shaft 22 via agitating blades 24. The tip side of each agitating blade 24 in the rotation direction is inclined obliquely upward, and the rotation of rotor 23 generates a swirling flow and an upward flow in the viscous liquid, so that the viscous liquid in storage tank 10 can be agitated to make the viscosity uniform.

[0018] The diameter of the rotor 23 is preferably determined in accordance with the diameter of the storage tank 10 so that the stirring of the viscous liquid by the stirring blade 24 is performed throughout the entire inside of the storage tank 10. For example, the gap S between the inner peripheral surface of the storage tank 10 and the outer peripheral surface of the rotor 23 shown in FIG. 2 is preferably set to 2 to 10% of the inner radius of the storage tank 10.

[0019] In the viscous liquid supplying device 1 of this embodiment, when the viscosity of the viscous liquid in the storage tank 10 changes due to the water in the viscous liquid evaporating at the use point U or the like and returning to the storage tank 10, the viscometer 20 performs viscosity measurement while stirring the viscous liquid with the stirring blade 24, thereby making it possible to accurately measure the viscosity of the viscous liquid in the storage tank 10 in real time. Therefore, the replenishing device 30 controls the supply amount of the replenishing liquid according to the detection by the viscometer 20, thereby reliably maintaining the viscosity of the viscous liquid within a certain range, and therefore it is possible to supply a viscous liquid with a stable viscosity. The supply of the replenishing liquid from the replenishing device 30 may be either continuous or batchwise. [Explanation of symbols]

[0021] 1 Viscous liquid supply device 10. Storage Tank 12 Circulation Line 14 Pump 16 Seal Pan 20 Viscometer 22 Drive shaft 23 Rotor 24 Mixing blade 30 Replenishment device U Use Point

Claims

[Claim 1] A viscous liquid supply device comprising a bottomed cylindrical storage tank for storing a viscous liquid, and a pump for supplying the viscous liquid in the storage tank to a use point, a viscometer for measuring the viscosity of the viscous liquid in the storage tank; a replenishing device for supplying a replenisher liquid to the storage tank based on the viscosity measured by the viscometer; The viscometer is a rotational viscometer having a cylindrical rotor that is immersed in a viscous liquid and rotates, The rotor includes an agitating blade for agitating the viscous liquid in the storage tank, The stirring blades are provided radially from a drive shaft that rotates the rotor toward an inner circumferential surface of the rotor, a gap between an inner peripheral surface of the storage tank and an outer peripheral surface of the rotor is 2 to 10% of a radius of the inside of the storage tank; the point of use is provided in the middle of a circulation line that circulates the viscous liquid in the storage tank to the outside of the storage tank, The viscous liquid is a sealing liquid for forming a band seal on the capsule, and is supplied to a sealing pan provided at the point of use, The sealing liquid in the seal pan is collected in the storage tank through the circulation line, When the viscosity of the viscous liquid in the storage tank changes as water evaporates at the point of use and the viscous liquid is returned to the storage tank, the viscometer measures the viscosity while stirring the viscous liquid with the stirring blade, and the replenishment device controls the amount of replenishment liquid (water) supplied in accordance with the detection by the viscometer.

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