Crusher and crushing method

Abstract

To provide a crusher which can control collision energy between a stirring member and a crushing medium, and to provide a crushing method.SOLUTION: A crusher includes: a crushing container defining a processing space in which a crushing medium may be housed; a stirring member which is rotatably disposed in the processing space and stirs the crushing medium; and a volumetric capacity change part which moves at least a part of the crushing container so that the volumetric capacity of the processing space is changed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a grinding machine and a grinding method. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a pulverizer that pulverizes granular raw materials using pulverization media. The pulverizer described in Patent Document 1 includes a pulverization container and an agitator that rotates relative to the pulverization container. The pulverization media, which are agitated by the agitator, collide with the granular raw materials, pulverizing the granular raw materials. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 3-118849 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In order to obtain a large amount of pulverized granular raw material in one operation, it is necessary to enlarge the pulverization vessel and the stirring member, and to increase the number of pulverization media and the amount of granular raw material to be put into the pulverization vessel. However, when a pulverizer equipped with a large pulverization vessel and stirring member is adopted, the collision energy between the pulverization media and the stirring member increases, so that the conventional rotation drive device of the stirring member may not be able to output the torque required to rotate the stirring member. Therefore, it is necessary to devise a way to reduce the collision energy between the stirring member and the grinding media. On the other hand, when the rotation drive device of the stirring member has high performance, it is possible to output the torque required to rotate the stirring member, but in order to achieve a shorter pulverization time, it is necessary to devise a way to increase the collision energy between the stirring member and the grinding media. The present disclosure provides a pulverizer and a pulverization method capable of controlling the collision energy between the stirring member and the grinding media. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A grinding machine according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a grinding container, a stirring member, and a volume changing unit. The grinding container defines a processing space therein capable of accommodating grinding media. The stirring member is rotatably disposed in the processing space and stirs the grinding media. The volume changing unit moves at least a portion of the grinding container so as to change the volume of the processing space.

[0006] In this pulverizer, the volume of the processing space of the grinding container is changed by the volume change unit. For example, when the processing space is expanded by the volume change unit, the number of grinding media that collide with the stirring member per unit time decreases compared to before the change. In other words, the collision energy between the stirring member and the grinding media decreases compared to before the change. As a result, the torque required to rotate the stirring member becomes smaller. And when the processing space is reduced by the volume change unit, the number of grinding media that collide with the stirring member increases compared to before the change. In other words, the collision energy between the stirring member and the grinding media increases compared to before the change. As a result, the torque required to rotate the stirring member becomes larger. In this way, by providing the volume change unit, this pulverizer can control the collision energy between the grinding media and the stirring member using the volume of the grinding container as a parameter.

[0007] In one embodiment, the stirring member has a rotating shaft and an arm member provided on the rotating shaft and extending radially outward from the rotating shaft, and may further include a drive unit that rotates the rotating shaft about the axis of the rotating shaft. The crusher configured in this manner can rotate the arm member in the processing space in conjunction with the rotation of the rotating shaft, and collide it against the crushing media.

[0008] In one embodiment, the volume changer may move the rotating shaft along its axis. With this configuration, the positional relationship between the arm member and the grinding media can be adjusted by moving the rotating shaft back and forth within the processing space. This allows the grinding machine to control the collision energy between the grinding media and the agitating member using the position of the rotating shaft as a parameter.

[0009] In one embodiment, the crusher further includes an arm drive unit that changes the posture of the arm member, and the arm member may have a polygonal cross section. By configuring in this manner, the rotation direction of the arm member can be made to coincide with the orientation of the corners of the arm member, or the rotation direction of the arm member can be made to intersect with the orientation of the corners of the arm member. This allows the crusher to control the collision energy between the crushing media and the agitating member according to the posture of the arm member.

[0010] A grinding method according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes the following steps. (1) A step of increasing the volume of a processing space defined inside a grinding vessel to a first volume. (2) After the processing space is changed to the first volume in the changing step, a step of starting rotation of the stirring member disposed in the processing space with the grinding media contained in the processing space. (3) After the step of starting rotation of the stirring member, changing the volume of the processing space to a second volume smaller than the first volume.

[0011] In this grinding method, after the volume of the processing space is changed to increase, the rotation of the stirring member is started with the grinding media accommodated in the processing space. As a result, the amount of grinding media colliding with the stirring member is reduced compared to before the volume of the processing space is changed, so that the collision energy between the stirring member and the grinding media can be reduced. Then, after the step of starting the rotation of the stirring member, the volume of the processing space is changed to decrease. As a result, the amount of grinding media colliding with the stirring member is increased, so that the collision energy between the stirring member and the grinding media can be increased. In this way, at the start of the rotation of the stirring member, the torque required to start the stirring member is suppressed by reducing the collision energy between the stirring member and the grinding media, and after the rotation of the stirring member, the collision energy between the stirring member and the grinding media is increased, so that the grinding raw material can be efficiently ground. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the crusher and crushing method of the present disclosure, the collision energy between the stirring member and the crushing media can be controlled. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating an example of a crusher according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a part of the crusher according to the embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial cross-sectional view of a portion of the crusher shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] Fig. 4(a) is a side view when the corner of the arm member is oriented in the same direction as the rotation direction, and Fig. 4(b) is a side view when the corner of the arm member is oriented in a direction intersecting the rotation direction. [Diagram 5] 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the collection section shown in FIG. 2. [Figure 6] 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a grinding method according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] Fig. 7(a) is a plan view showing an example of a grinding container according to a modified example, and Fig. 7(b) is a side view showing an example of a grinding container according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same or equivalent elements are given the same reference numerals, and redundant description will not be repeated. The dimensional ratios of the drawings do not necessarily match those in the description. The terms "upper", "lower", "left" and "right" are based on the illustrated state and are for convenience.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a side view showing an example of a pulverizer according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view showing an enlarged portion of the pulverizer according to an embodiment. In the figure, the X direction and the Y direction are horizontal directions, and the Z direction is vertical directions. The X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction are axial directions perpendicular to each other in a Cartesian coordinate system in a three-dimensional space. Hereinafter, the direction along the XY plane is also referred to as the horizontal direction, and the Z direction is also referred to as the up-down direction. The pulverizer 1 shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 is a pulverizer that pulverizes a raw material to be pulverized. The pulverizer 1 includes a pulverization container 20, a volume change unit 30, a stirring member 41, and an axial drive unit 45 (an example of a drive unit). The pulverizer 1 further includes a supply unit 10, a support unit 70, a recovery unit 80, and a control unit 90.

[0016] The supply unit 10 supplies the raw material to be ground to the grinding container 20. The supply unit 10 has a hopper 11, a pipe 12, and a port 13. The hopper 11 is, for example, located above the port 13. The hopper 11 is a container for storing the raw material to be ground. The raw material to be ground is, for example, anhydrous sodium metaborate, sodium metaborate hydrate, magnesium hydride, magnesium, aluminum, or a mixture of two or more of these, and is an object to be ground by the grinder 1. The pipe 12 is connected to the bottom of the hopper 11 and the port 13 via a valve (not shown). When the valve is opened, the raw material to be ground in the hopper 11 flows into the pipe 12. The pipe 12 has a shape that can expand and contract between the hopper 11 and the port 13. The pipe 12 is, for example, an elastic rubber hose or a pipe with an expandable bellows.

[0017] The port 13 has a cylindrical shape. For example, the upper end of the port 13 is connected to the pipe 12, and the lower end of the port 13 is connected to the grinding container 20. The port 13 is provided at the upper end of the grinding container 20, and supplies the grinding raw material flowing in from the pipe 12 to the grinding container 20.

[0018] FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view of an enlarged portion of the pulverizer shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the pulverization container 20 can accommodate pulverization media and pulverization raw material therein, and defines a processing space 21a with a variable volume. The pulverization media is a member that moves in the processing space 21a and collides with the pulverization raw material to pulverize the pulverization raw material. The pulverization media is, for example, a sphere of about 10 mm to 15 mm, and is made of zirconia. The pulverization container 20 has, for example, a container 21 having a bottomed cylindrical shape and a lid part 24. The container 21 is composed of a side wall 22 and a bottom wall 23. The side wall 22 is a cylindrical member. The bottom wall 23 is a disk-shaped member. The bottom wall 23 is fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the side wall 22 at the lower end of the side wall 22. A part of the bottom wall 23 is provided with an opening 23a penetrating in the vertical direction and a blocking member 23b that can block the opening 23a. When the closing member 23b does not close (seal) the opening 23a, the processing space 21a communicates with a space inside a recovery tube 81 of a recovery section 80, which will be described later.

[0019] The lid 24 is a disk-shaped member extending in the horizontal direction. At least the outer edge of the lower part of the lid 24 abuts against the inner peripheral surface of the side wall 22 of the container 21. The lid 24 is provided above the bottom wall 23. The lid 24 is provided with a port opening 24a penetrating in the vertical direction and an axial opening 24b penetrating in the vertical direction. The port 13 of the supply unit 10 is provided on the upper surface of the lid 24, and the internal space of the port 13 communicates with the processing space 21a via the port opening 24a. The axial opening 24b is, for example, a circular opening provided in the horizontal center of the lid 24. The diameter of the axial opening 24b is larger than the outer diameter of a part of the stirring member 41 so that a part of the stirring member 41 (a rotating shaft 40 described later) can be inserted therethrough. The processing space 21a is a cylindrical space surrounded by the side wall 22, the bottom wall 23, and the lid 24. The container 21 accommodates, in a processing space 21a, the raw material to be ground that is supplied via the port 13 of the supply unit 10, and grinding media such as balls. The grain size of the grinding media is at least larger than the grain size of the raw material to be ground after grinding.

[0020] In the grinding container 20, at least a part of the side wall 22, the bottom wall 23, and the lid part 24 that define the processing space 21a are provided so as to be movable. For example, the lid part 24 is provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction along the side wall 22. For example, an O-ring is provided on the outer edge of the lid part 24. The volume of the processing space 21a changes as the lid part 24 moves in the vertical direction relative to the side wall 22 and the bottom wall 23.

[0021] The volume change unit 30 moves at least a part of the grinding container 20 so that the volume of the processing space 21a changes. The volume change unit 30 has, for example, a pair of container driving units 31 and a lid driving unit 32. Each container driving unit 31 is, for example, a cylinder. Each container driving unit 31 has a cylinder main body unit 31a and a cylinder rod 31b. Each container driving unit 31 is provided at a position facing each other on the upper end of the side wall 22 of the container 21 and extends in the vertical direction. The cylinder rod 31b extends downward from the cylinder main body unit 31a. Each container driving unit 31 fixes the lower end of the cylinder rod 31b to the upper end of the side wall 22 of the container 21 and moves the container 21 in the vertical direction.

[0022] The lid driving unit 32 is provided, for example, on the upper surface of the lid portion 24 and extends in the vertical direction. The lid driving unit 32 is, for example, a cylinder. The lid driving unit 32 has a cylinder main body portion 32a and a cylinder rod 32b. The lid driving unit 32 is provided on the upper surface of the lid portion 24 and extends in the vertical direction. The cylinder rod 32b extends downward from the cylinder main body portion 32a. The lid driving unit 32 fixes the lower end of the cylinder rod 32b to the upper surface of the lid portion 24 and moves the lid portion 24 in the vertical direction. The lid driving unit 32 defines an axial space 32c capable of accommodating the axial driving unit 45. The axial space 32c extends in the vertical direction and is open at the bottom.

[0023] In the volume changing unit 30, the size of the processing space 21a is changed by driving at least one of the container driving unit 31 and the lid driving unit 32. For example, the extension of the cylinder rod 31b of the container driving unit 31 or the shortening of the cylinder rod 32b of the lid driving unit 32 increases the vertical distance between the bottom wall 23 and the lid unit 24, so that the processing space 21a becomes larger. Conversely, the shortening of the cylinder rod 31b of the container driving unit 31 or the extension of the cylinder rod 32b of the lid driving unit 32 reduces the vertical distance between the bottom wall 23 and the lid unit 24, so that the processing space 21a becomes smaller.

[0024] The stirring member 41 is rotatably disposed in the processing space 21a and stirs the grinding media. The stirring member 41 has a rotating shaft 40 and an arm member 50. The rotating shaft 40 extends in the processing space 21a. The rotating shaft 40 extends in the vertical direction and is configured to be movable in the extending direction by the volume changing unit 30. The rotating shaft 40 is inserted into the shaft opening 24b of the cover unit 24 and extends in the vertical direction. FIG. 4(a) is a side view when the direction of the corner of the arm member is aligned with the rotation direction. As shown in FIG. 4(a), the rotating shaft 40 defines an arm space 40a inside thereof that can accommodate the arm driving unit 60. A plurality of arm openings 40b are provided on the side surface of the rotating shaft 40, which penetrate in the horizontal direction (radial direction of the rotating shaft 40) so that the space outside the rotating shaft 40 communicates with the arm space 40a. An arm shaft 51 of each arm member 50 described below is inserted into each arm opening 40b. Please refer to Figures 2 and 3 again. The rotating shaft 40 is provided on the lid portion 24 so as to be rotatable and movable in the vertical direction. The rotating shaft 40 is inserted into an axis space 32c defined in the lid drive portion 32.

[0025] The shaft drive unit 45 rotates the rotating shaft 40 around the axis of the rotating shaft 40. The shaft drive unit 45 is provided, for example, above the rotating shaft 40. The shaft drive unit 45 is fixed to the cylinder rod 32b of the lid drive unit 32 so as to be movable in the vertical direction in accordance with the movement of the lid unit 24 of the grinding container 20. The shaft drive unit 45 has, for example, a motor 45a and a rod 45b. The rod 45b is connected to the lower end of the motor 45a and extends downward. The shaft drive unit 45 rotates the rod 45b by the motor 45a. The lower end of the rod 45b of the shaft drive unit 45 is fixed to the upper end of the rotating shaft 40 in the axial space 32c of the lid drive unit 32. The shaft drive unit 45 rotates the rotating shaft 40 along the horizontal direction in conjunction with the rod 45b. The shaft drive unit 45 is movable in the vertical direction together with the lid unit 24 by the lid drive unit 32. The shaft driving portion 45 is movable in accordance with the vertical movement of the lid portion 24, and therefore moves the rotation shaft 40 in the vertical direction together with the lid portion 24.

[0026] The arm members 50 are provided on the rotating shaft 40 and extend radially outward from the rotating shaft 40. FIG. 4(b) is a side view of the arm members when the corners of the arm members are crossed with respect to the rotation direction. As shown in FIG. 4(a) and FIG. 4(b), each arm member 50 is a rod-shaped member attached to an arm shaft 51 extending from the rotating shaft 40 in the rotation radial direction C. Each arm member 50 has a polygonal cross section (cross section in the rotation radial direction C). In the example of FIG. 4(a) and FIG. 4(b), the cross section of each arm member 50 has a triangular shape. That is, the outer shape of each arm member 50 is a triangular prism. The arm member 50 has a corner portion 52 formed by the ends of two adjacent side surfaces extending in the rotation radial direction C, and a flat portion 53 formed by one side surface extending in the rotation radial direction C. The corner portion 52 is, for example, a side extending along the extension direction of the arm member 50 and the peripheral edge of that side.

[0027] Each arm member 50 is configured to be able to change its posture. For example, each arm member 50 is attached to the rotating shaft 40 so as to be rotatable about an arm axis 51 extending in the extension direction (rotational radial direction C) of the arm member 50. Two arm members 50 extending in one horizontal direction (e.g., X direction) are provided at positions on the rotating shaft 40 spaced a predetermined distance apart in the up-down direction. Two arm members 50 extending in the other horizontal direction (e.g., Y direction) are provided at positions adjacent to the positions on the rotating shaft 40 where the two arm members 50 are provided in the up-down direction.

[0028] The arm driving unit 60 rotates the multiple arm members 50 around the arm axis 51. The arm driving unit 60 is, for example, a motor. The arm driving unit 60 can change the posture of each arm member 50 so that the rotation direction R of each arm member 50 coincides with the orientation of the corner portion 52 or so that the rotation direction R intersects with the orientation of the corner portion 52.

[0029] Referring again to FIG. 1, the support unit 70 supports the hopper 11 of the supply unit 10 and the grinding container 20. The grinding container 20 supports the volume change unit 30 and the shaft drive unit 45, and therefore can support the rotating shaft 40, the arm member 50, and the arm drive unit 60. The support unit 70 is, for example, a frame made of a metal member. The support unit 70 supports the grinding container 20 rotatably along the XZ plane. This allows the positions and directions of other components of the grinding machine, including the grinding container 20, to be adjusted.

[0030] The recovery section 80 recovers the raw material to be ground in the container 21 of the grinding container 20. It is provided on the lower surface of the bottom wall 23 of the grinding container 20. FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the recovery section shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 5, the recovery section 80 has a recovery tube 81, a stopper 82, and a stopper drive section 83. The recovery tube 81 is a cylindrical member connected to the lower surface of the bottom wall 23 of the grinding container 20. The space inside the recovery tube 81 communicates with the processing space 21a inside the container 21 through the opening 23a of the bottom wall 23. The recovery tube 81 is bent obliquely (in the X direction) in part as it goes downward, for example. The lower end of the recovery tube 81 is connected to a pipe, for example.

[0031] The stopper 82 prevents the grinding media contained in the processing space 21a of the container 21 from being contained in the recovery tube 81. The stopper 82 is a comb-shaped member having multiple ridges that protrude upward and extend along the Y direction. The intervals between the multiple ridges and the intervals between the bottom wall 23 and each ridge are smaller than the particle size of the grinding media.

[0032] The stopper driving part 83 drives the stopper 82 in the up and down direction. The stopper driving part 83 is, for example, a cylinder. The stopper driving part 83 has a cylinder main body part 83a and a cylinder rod 83b. The cylinder rod 83b extends upward from the cylinder main body part 83a. The upper part of the cylinder main body part 31a and the cylinder rod 83b are provided in the space inside the recovery tube 81, and the lower part of the cylinder main body part 83a is located below the recovery tube 81. A part or the whole of the stopper 82 can protrude upward from the opening 23a of the bottom wall 23 by the stopper driving part 83, and can be located below the opening 23a of the bottom wall 23.

[0033] When the opening 23a is closed by the closing member 23b provided on the bottom wall 23 of the grinding container 20, the stopper 82 is positioned below the opening 23a by the stopper drive unit 83. When the opening 23a is not closed by the closing member 23b, the stopper 82 is positioned above the opening 23a by the stopper drive unit 83. In this case, the grinding media in the processing space 21a is loaded on the bottom wall 23 of the container 21 or on the stopper 82, and only the grinding raw material in the processing space 21a descends through the opening 23a and is collected into the collection tube 81. The grinding raw material collected in the collection tube 81 is transported to a collection container or the like through a pipe connected to the lower end of the collection tube 81.

[0034] Referring again to FIG. 1, the control unit 90 is connected to each component of the pulverizer 1. The control unit 90 is configured as a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) as an example. The control unit 90 may be configured as a normal computer system including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a main storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) and a ROM (Read Only Memory), an input device such as a touch panel or a keyboard, an output device such as a display, and an auxiliary storage device such as a hard disk. The control unit 90 is provided with, for example, an operation panel that can be operated by an operator. The control unit 90 controls the movement of each component of the pulverizer 1, such as the supply of the pulverized raw material to the port 13 in the supply unit 10 (opening and closing of the valve), the opening and closing of the blocking member 23b of the bottom wall 23 of the pulverizing container 20, the driving of the volume change unit 30, the driving of the shaft driving unit 45, the driving of the arm driving unit 60, and the driving of the stopper driving unit 83.

[0035] Next, a method for grinding the raw material to be ground will be described. FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing an example of the grinding method according to the embodiment. The grinding method according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 6 is started by the control unit 90 based on an instruction from an operator, for example, when a predetermined amount of raw material to be ground is stored in the hopper 11 of the supply unit 10. At this time, grinding media are accommodated in the processing space 21a of the container 21 in advance. The grinding media are located on the bottom wall 23 at the lower part of the processing space 21a due to gravity.

[0036] First, the supply unit 10 supplies the pulverized raw material from the hopper 11 to the grinding container 20 as a supply process (S11). The supply unit 10 supplies a predetermined amount of pulverized raw material from the hopper 11 to the container 21 of the grinding container 20 through the pipe 12 and the port 13. The supply unit 10 opens a valve provided on the pipe 12 to cause the pulverized raw material in the hopper 11 to flow down to the processing space 21a of the container 21. The pulverized raw material supplied to the processing space 21a is located on the bottom wall 23 below the processing space 21a due to gravity. The supply unit 10 closes the valve provided on the pipe 12 to suppress the pulverized raw material in the hopper 11 from flowing down. If the supply unit 10 opens the valve provided on the pipe 12 and then closes it, the control unit 90 determines that a predetermined amount of pulverized raw material has been accommodated in the container 21, ends the supply process (S11), and moves to the next process.

[0037] Next, the volume change unit 30 increases the volume of the processing space 21a of the grinding container 20 to the first volume as a volume increase process (S13: an example of a step of changing to a first volume). The first volume is a predetermined volume of the processing space 21a. By extending the container drive unit 31 or shortening the lid drive unit 32, the volume change unit 30 increases the vertical distance between the bottom wall 23 and the lid unit 24, thereby enlarging the processing space 21a. If the sum of the degree of extension of the container drive unit 31 and the degree of shortening of the lid drive unit 32 is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the control unit 90 ends the volume increase process (S13) and proceeds to the next process.

[0038] Next, the volume change unit 30 or the shaft drive unit 45 moves the rotating shaft 40 away from the bottom wall 23 of the grinding container 20 as a rotating shaft retraction process (S15). In this embodiment, since the shaft drive unit 45 is fixed to the lid drive unit 32 and is linked to the lid unit 24, the shaft drive unit 45 and the rotating shaft 40 fixed to the shaft drive unit 45 move upward by the volume increase process (S13). That is, the rotating shaft retraction process (S15) of this embodiment is executed simultaneously with the volume increase process (S13). As a result, the rotating shaft 40 and the arm member 50 provided on the rotating shaft 40 are separated from the bottom wall 23, and can be separated from the grinding raw material and grinding media located on the bottom wall 23 by gravity. If the sum of the extension degree of the container drive unit 31 and the shortening degree of the lid drive unit 32 is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the control unit 90 ends the rotating shaft retraction process (S15) and proceeds to the next process.

[0039] Next, as a first angle adjustment process (S17), the arm driver 60 adjusts the posture of each arm member 50 so that the corners 52 of each arm member 50 coincide with the rotation direction R. The arm driver 60 rotates each arm member 50 around each arm axis 51, thereby causing the orientation of the corners 52 of each arm member 50 to coincide with the rotation direction R. When the orientation of the corners 52 of each arm member 50 has been caused to coincide with the rotation direction R, the control unit 90 ends the first angle adjustment process (S17) and proceeds to the next process.

[0040] Next, the shaft driving unit 45 rotates the rotating shaft 40 as a first rotation process (S19: an example of a step of starting rotation). Because the volume increase process (S13) and the rotating shaft retract process (S15) separate the rotating shaft 40 and the arm member 50 from the raw material and grinding media located on the bottom wall 23, collision between the rotating shaft 40 and the arm member 50 and the raw material and grinding media at the stage when the rotating shaft 40 and the arm member 50 start to rotate is suppressed. When the shaft driving unit 45 rotates the rotating shaft 40 at a rotation speed equal to or higher than a predetermined first speed value, the control unit 90 ends the first rotation process (S19) and proceeds to the next process.

[0041] Next, the volume change unit 30 reduces the volume of the processing space 21a of the grinding container 20 as a volume reduction process (S21: an example of a step of changing to a second volume). By shortening the container drive unit 31 or extending the lid drive unit 32, the volume change unit 30 narrows the vertical distance between the bottom wall 23 and the lid unit 24, reducing the processing space 21a to a second volume. The second volume is smaller than the first volume. If the sum of the shortening degree of the container drive unit 31 and the extension degree of the lid drive unit 32 is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the control unit 90 ends the volume reduction process (S21) and proceeds to the next process.

[0042] Next, the volume change unit 30 or the shaft drive unit 45 moves the rotating shaft 40 closer to the bottom wall 23 of the grinding container 20 as the rotating shaft introduction process (S23). In this embodiment, since the shaft drive unit 45 is fixed to the lid drive unit 32 and is linked to the lid unit 24, the shaft drive unit 45 and the rotating shaft 40 fixed to the shaft drive unit 45 move downward by the volume reduction process (S21). That is, the rotating shaft introduction process (S23) of this embodiment is executed simultaneously with the volume reduction process (S21). As a result, the rotating shaft 40 and the arm member 50 provided on the rotating shaft 40 approach the bottom wall 23 and can approach or abut the grinding raw material and grinding media located on the bottom wall 23 due to gravity. If the sum of the shortening degree of the container drive unit 31 and the extension degree of the lid drive unit 32 is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the control unit 90 ends the rotating shaft introduction process (S23) and proceeds to the next process.

[0043] Next, the shaft driving unit 45 changes the rotation speed of the rotating shaft 40 in accordance with the kinetic energy of the grinding media in the processing space 21a as the second rotation process (S25). The rotating shaft introduction process (S23) causes the rotating shaft 40 and the arm member 50 to collide with the grinding raw material and grinding media located on the bottom wall 23. The collision causes the grinding raw material and grinding media to move in the processing space 21a, and the grinding raw material begins to be crushed. If the degree of deviation between the rotation speed of the rotating shaft 40 and the arm member 50 in the processing space 21a and the motion speed of the grinding raw material and grinding media is large, the energy loss of the rotation energy of the rotating shaft 40 due to the collision is large. In order to keep the difference between the motion speed of the grinding raw material and grinding media and the rotation speed of the rotating shaft 40 small, the shaft driving unit 45 increases the rotation speed of the rotating shaft 40 as the kinetic energy of the grinding media increases. The increase or decrease in the kinetic energy of the grinding media is calculated based on the set rotation speed of the rotating shaft 40, which is increased at a predetermined rate, the actual rotation speed of the rotating shaft 40 reduced by collision with the rotating shaft 40 and the arm member 50, the mass of the grinding media, etc. This makes it possible to reduce the total amount of energy loss of the rotating shaft 40 from the first speed value until the rotating shaft 40 reaches a predetermined second speed value. When the shaft driving unit 45 rotates the rotating shaft 40 to a rotation speed equal to or higher than the predetermined second speed value, the control unit 90 ends the second rotation process (S25) and moves to the next process.

[0044] Next, as a second angle adjustment process (S27), the arm driver 60 adjusts the posture of each arm member 50 so that the orientation of the corner portion 52 of each arm member 50 intersects with the rotation direction R. The arm driver 60 rotates each arm member 50 around each arm axis 51 so that the direction in which the flat portion 53 faces in each arm member 50 coincides with the rotation direction R. When the arm driver 60 has rotated each arm member 50 by a predetermined angle so that the direction in which the flat portion 53 faces coincides with the rotation direction R, the control unit 90 ends the second angle adjustment process (S27) and proceeds to the next process.

[0045] Next, as the crushing process (S29), the shaft driver 45 rotates the rotating shaft 40 for a predetermined time. The raw material contained in the processing space 21a is crushed by, for example, colliding with the arm member 50 or with the crushing media that collides with the arm member 50 and moves, and is crushed. When the rotating shaft 40 has rotated for the predetermined time, the control unit 90 ends the crushing process (S29) and moves to the next process.

[0046] Next, as a recovery process (S31), the grinding container 20 opens the closing member 23b, and the recovery unit 80 recovers the ground raw material into the recovery tube 81. The ground raw material recovered in the recovery tube 81 is recovered into a recovery container or the like through a pipe connected to the recovery tube 81. When a predetermined amount of ground raw material has been recovered into a recovery container or the like, the control unit 90 ends the recovery process (S31) and ends the grinding method.

[0047] As described above, the crusher 1 and crushing method can control the collision energy between the stirring member and the crushing media. The volume of the processing space 21a of the crushing vessel 20 is changed by the volume change unit 30. For example, when the processing space 21a is expanded by the volume change unit 30 in the volume increase process (S13), the number of crushing media colliding with the stirring member 41 per unit time in the first rotation process (S19) is reduced compared to before the change in volume. In other words, the collision energy between the stirring member 41 and the crushing media is reduced compared to before the change. This reduces the torque required to rotate the stirring member 41. For example, the crusher 1 and crushing method can suppress collision between the arm member 50 and the crushing raw material and the crushing media until the rotation speed (first speed value) required for crushing the crushing raw material is reached in the first rotation process (S19). Then, when the processing space 21a is reduced by the volume change unit 30 in the volume decrease process (S21), the number of crushing media colliding with the stirring member 41 is increased compared to before the change in volume. In other words, the collision energy between the stirring member 41 and the grinding media increases compared to before the change. As a result, the torque required to rotate the stirring member 41 increases. For example, the crusher 1 and the crushing method can cause the arm member 50, which has reached the rotation speed (first speed value) required for grinding the raw material by the first rotation process (S19), to collide with the raw material and the grinding media at an appropriate timing. In this way, by providing the volume change unit, the crusher 1 and the crushing method can control the collision energy between the grinding media and the stirring member using the volume of the grinding container as a parameter.

[0048] Moreover, the stirring member 41 has a rotating shaft 40 and an arm member 50, and the crusher 1 further includes a shaft driving unit 45. The crusher 1 configured in this manner can rotate the arm member 50 in association with the rotation of the rotating shaft 40 in the processing space 21a, and collide it against the crushing media.

[0049] Moreover, the volume changing unit 30 moves the rotating shaft 40 along the axis of the rotating shaft 40. With this configuration, the positional relationship between the arm member 50 and the grinding media can be adjusted by moving the rotating shaft 40 forward and backward within the processing space 21a in the rotating shaft retraction process (S15) and the rotating shaft introduction process (S23). This allows the grinder 1 to control the collision energy between the grinding media and the stirring member 41 using the position of the rotating shaft 40 as a parameter.

[0050] The crusher 1 further includes an arm drive unit 60, and the cross section of the arm member 50 has a polygonal shape. With this configuration, the rotation direction R of the arm member 50 and the orientation of the corners 52 of the arm member 50 can be made to coincide with each other, or the rotation direction R of the arm member 50 and the orientation of the corners 52 of the arm member 50 can be made to intersect with each other. This allows the crusher 1 to control the collision energy between the crushing media and the stirring member 41 according to the posture of the arm member 50.

[0051] In the second rotation process (S25) of the grinding method, the rotation speed of the rotating shaft 40 is changed according to the kinetic energy of the grinding raw material and grinding media in the processing space 21a. For example, when the rotating shaft 40 starts to rotate in the first rotation process (S19), the kinetic energy of the grinding media is small (zero), so the faster the rotation speed of the rotating shaft 40, the greater the collision energy generated when the grinding raw material and grinding media collide with the arm member 50 rotating together with the rotating shaft 40. Therefore, by changing the rotation speed of the rotating shaft 40 according to the kinetic energy of the grinding raw material and grinding media in the second rotation process (S25), the increase in collision energy generated by the collision between the grinding raw material and grinding media and the rotating arm member 50 can be appropriately suppressed, and the loss of rotational energy (torque) related to the rotating shaft 40 can be suppressed.

[0052] The above-described embodiment shows an example of the crusher 1 and crushing method according to the present disclosure. The crusher 1 and crushing method according to the present disclosure are not limited to the crusher 1 and crushing method according to the embodiment, and may be modified or applied to other things within the scope of the gist described in each claim.

[0053] For example, the shape of each component of the grinding container 20 is not limited to the above. Although the above shows a structure in which the cover part 24 of the grinding container 20 can move in the vertical direction, any structure may be used as long as the volume of the processing space 21a is variable. For example, the side wall 22 may be structured to be expandable in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction. FIG. 7(a) is a plan view showing an example of a grinding container according to a modified example. As shown in FIG. 7(a), as an example, a volume change part 30 is provided on a part of the side wall 22. At this time, the volume change part 30 has a plurality of first side wall driving parts 33. For example, a piezoelectric actuator can be applied to each of the first side wall driving parts 33. The piezoelectric actuator includes, for example, stacked piezoelectric elements that expand and contract in response to an applied voltage. The piezoelectric elements are passive elements that deform in response to an applied voltage.

[0054] Each first sidewall drive unit 33 connects the left sidewall 22a, which is a part of the sidewall 22, and the right sidewall 22b, which is a part of the sidewall 22, along the circumferential direction of the sidewall 22, and extends in the vertical direction. Each first sidewall drive unit 33 is sandwiched between the left sidewall 22a and the right sidewall 22b so that the pulverized raw material and the pulverized media do not pass through. Each first sidewall drive unit 33 alternately repeats a state in which it expands and moves the left sidewall 22a relatively to the right sidewall 22b, and a state in which it contracts and moves the left sidewall 22a relatively to the right sidewall 22b. At this time, the bottom wall 23 and the lid 24 each have a piezoelectric actuator similar to the first sidewall drive unit 33, and can expand and contract along the left and right directions. As a result, the processing space 21a of the container 21 can expand or contract in the left and right directions while preventing the pulverized raw material and the pulverized media from leaking out from the inside.

[0055] Fig. 7(b) is a side view showing an example of a grinding container according to a modified example. As shown in Fig. 7(b), as an example, a volume changer 30 is provided in a part of the side wall 22. In this case, the volume changer 30 has a second side wall driver 34. For example, the same piezo actuator as the above-mentioned first side wall driver 33 can be applied to the second side wall driver 34.

[0056] The second sidewall drive unit 34 connects the upper wall 22c, which is the upper part of the sidewall 22, to the lower wall 22d, which is the lower part of the sidewall 22, along the vertical direction of the sidewall 22, and extends in the circumferential direction of the sidewall 22. The second sidewall drive unit 34 is sandwiched between the upper wall 22c and the lower wall 22d so that the pulverized raw material and the pulverization media do not pass through. The second sidewall drive unit 34 alternately repeats a state in which it expands and moves the upper wall 22c upward relative to the lower wall 22d, and a state in which it contracts and moves the upper wall 22c downward relative to the lower wall 22d. This allows the processing space 21a of the container 21 to expand or contract in the vertical direction while preventing the pulverized raw material and the pulverization media from leaking out of the inside.

[0057] Also, for example, the bottom wall 23 may be provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction along the side wall 22. In this case, for example, an O-ring is provided on the outer edge of the bottom wall 23. The bottom wall 23 moves in the vertical direction relative to the side wall 22, thereby changing the volume of the processing space 21a. In this case, the volume changer 30 has a bottom wall drive unit (not shown). The bottom wall drive unit is a cylinder, and a cylinder rod extends in the vertical direction. The upper end of the cylinder rod of the bottom wall drive unit is fixed to the lower surface of the bottom wall 23, and the bottom wall 23 moves in conjunction with the cylinder rod as the cylinder rod expands and contracts. This allows the processing space 21a of the container 21 to expand or contract in the vertical direction while preventing the grinding raw material and grinding media from leaking out from the inside.

[0058] The above-mentioned respective extension and contraction configurations of the grinding container 20 may be applied in combination, or at least one of the configurations may be applied. The extension and contraction in the left-right direction of the side wall 22, the extension and contraction in the up-down direction of the side wall 22, the vertical movement of the bottom wall 23, and the vertical movement of the lid part 24 may be combined and executed in the grinding method. That is, in the volume increase process (S13), at least one of the extension of the container drive part 31, the extension of each first side wall drive part 33, the extension of the second side wall drive part 34, and the contraction of the lid drive part 32 is executed to enlarge the processing space 21a. When the sum of each extension degree and contraction degree is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the control part 90 ends the volume increase process (S13) and proceeds to the next process. In the volume reduction process (S21), the processing space 21a is reduced in size by performing at least one of shortening the container drive unit 31, shortening each of the first side wall drive units 33, shortening the second side wall drive unit 34, and extending the lid drive unit 32. If the sum of the degrees of shortening and extending is equal to or greater than a threshold, the control unit 90 ends the volume reduction process (S21) and proceeds to the next process.

[0059] In addition, if the rotating shaft 40 is rotatably fixed to the lid portion 24 and configured to be extendable and retractable, the rotating shaft 40 can move up and down together with the lid portion 24 by extending and retracting its length even if the shaft driving portion 45 is not fixed to the lid driving portion 32. In addition, for example, the rotating shaft 40 and the shaft driving portion 45 may be fixed to the container driving portion 31 and supported by the container 21 of the grinding container 20.

[0060] Also, for example, the shaft drive unit 45 may further include a cylinder mechanism to move the rotating shaft 40 in the vertical direction. In this case, the rotating shaft 40 is inserted into the shaft opening 24b of the lid part 24 and is provided so as to be rotatable and vertically movable with respect to the lid part 24. The rotating shaft 40 and the shaft drive unit 45 may not be fixed to the lid drive unit 32, and may be located so as to be vertically movable within the shaft space 32c of the lid drive unit 32. Note that in the crushing method, the rotating shaft retraction process (S15) and the rotating shaft introduction process (S23) may not be performed.

[0061] The position of the shaft driving unit 45 and the extending direction of the rotation shaft are not limited. For example, the rotation shaft 40 may extend in the horizontal direction. In this case, the rotation shaft 40 may be inserted into the side wall 22 of the container 21, and the rotation shaft 40 may be movable in the vertical direction. The shaft driving unit 45 may be provided below the rotation shaft 40.

[0062] Also, for example, there may be only one arm member 50. The cross section of each arm member 50 does not have to be polygonal. The cross section of each arm member 50 may be polygonal but not angular and may be rounded. Also, for example, the crusher 1 does not have to include the arm drive unit 60.

[0063] The pulverization method may only include the volume increase process (S13), the first rotation process (S19), and the volume decrease process (S21). Some of the processes in the pulverization method may be performed in any order, or may be performed simultaneously. For example, the volume increase process (S13), the rotating shaft retraction process (S15), and the first angle adjustment process (S17) may be performed simultaneously in any order. For example, the volume decrease process (S21), the rotating shaft introduction process (S23), the second rotation process (S25), and the second angle adjustment process (S27) may be performed simultaneously in any order. The pulverization process (S29) may be started halfway through the start of the rotating shaft introduction process (S23). [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1...crusher, 10...supply section, 20...crushing container, 21...container, 21a...treatment space, 22...side wall, 23...bottom wall, 24...lid section, 30...volume changing section, 31...container drive section, 32...lid drive section, 33...first side wall drive section, 34...second side wall drive section, 40...rotating shaft, 41...agitating member, 45...shaft drive section, 50...arm member, 51...arm shaft, 52...corner section, 53...flat section, 60...arm drive section, 70...support section, 80...recovery section, 81...recovery tube, 82...stopper, 83...stopper drive section, 90...control section, C...radial direction of rotation, R...rotation direction.

Claims

1. A grinding container defining a processing space therein capable of accommodating grinding media; A stirring member rotatably disposed in the treatment space and configured to stir the grinding media; a volume change unit that moves at least a part of the grinding container so that the volume of the processing space is changed; Equipped with The stirring member is A rotation axis; an arm member provided on the rotating shaft and extending radially outward from the rotating shaft; having A drive unit that rotates the rotation shaft about an axis of the rotation shaft, The volume changing unit moves the rotation shaft along an axis of the rotation shaft. Crusher.

2. A grinding container defining a processing space therein capable of accommodating grinding media; A stirring member rotatably disposed in the treatment space and configured to stir the grinding media; a volume change unit that moves at least a part of the grinding container so that the volume of the processing space is changed; Equipped with The stirring member is A rotation axis; an arm member provided on the rotating shaft and extending radially outward from the rotating shaft; having A drive unit that rotates the rotation shaft about an axis of the rotation shaft; an arm driving unit that changes the posture of the arm member; Further equipped with The cross section of the arm member is polygonal. Crusher.

3. The robot further includes an arm drive unit that changes the posture of the arm member, 2. The pulverizer of claim 1, wherein the arm members have a cross section that is polygonal.

4. Increasing the volume of a processing space defined inside the grinding vessel to a first volume; After the processing space is changed to the first volume in the changing step, starting rotation of an agitating member disposed in the processing space while grinding media is accommodated in the processing space; changing the volume of the processing space to a second volume smaller than the first volume after the step of starting rotation of the stirring member; Including, The stirring member is A rotation axis; an arm member provided on the rotating shaft and extending radially outward from the rotating shaft; having In the step of starting the rotation, the rotation shaft is rotated about an axis of the rotation shaft; In the step of changing to the first volume and the step of changing to the second volume, the rotation shaft of the stirring member is moved along an axis of the rotation shaft. Grinding method.

5. Increasing the volume of a processing space defined inside the grinding vessel to a first volume; After the processing space is changed to the first volume in the changing step, starting rotation of an agitating member disposed in the processing space while grinding media is accommodated in the processing space; changing the volume of the processing space to a second volume smaller than the first volume after the step of starting rotation of the stirring member; Including, The stirring member is A rotation axis; an arm member provided on the rotating shaft, having a polygonal cross section, and extending radially outward from the rotating shaft; having The method further includes a step of adjusting a posture of the arm member, In the step of starting the rotation, the rotation shaft is rotated about an axis line of the rotation shaft. Grinding method.

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