Spray machine, method for operating a spray machine, and program

Abstract

To provide a sprayer which can automatically perform operation that has been conventionally performed by an operator, a method for operating the sprayer, and a program.SOLUTION: A sprayer 1 includes: an upper pot 3 having a material charge port 2; a lower pot 13 which communicates with the upper pot 3 by a connection port 4 and has a material discharge port 15; an inner lid 17 for opening / closing the connection port 4; an inner lid driving unit 18 for moving the inner lid 17 between an open position where the connection port 4 is opened and a close position where the connection port 4 is closed; an agitator driving unit 31 for driving an upper pot agitator 6 provided on the upper pot 3 and a lower pot agitator 14 provided on the lower pot 13; and a control unit 11 for driving the inner lid driving unit 18 so that the inner lid 17 is moved to the close position, when a current value at the time of driving the agitator driving unit 31 is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and the state where the current value is equal to or less than the predetermined value continues for a predetermined period of time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a spraying machine that can be used for various spraying works on slopes and the like, a method for operating the spraying machine, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Various spraying works (e.g., mortar spraying, spraying frame work, vegetation substrate spraying, etc.) have been carried out for the purpose of protecting slopes and preventing collapse. For such spraying works, spraying machines such as those shown in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are used.

[0003] Generally, this type of spraying machine comprises an upper hob with a material inlet, a lower hob with a material outlet that is connected to the upper hob via a connecting port, and an inner lid that opens and closes the connecting port. By pressurizing the lower hob, a spraying material (such as mortar) is sprayed toward the slope from a hose connected to the material outlet. To replenish the spraying material contained in the lower hob, the inner lid is moved to close the connecting port, and various materials are then loaded into the upper hob through the material inlet. The material inlet is then closed and the upper hob is pressurized. Once the pressures in the upper and lower hobs are equalized, the inner lid is moved to open the connecting port, allowing the material from the upper hob to fall into the lower hob. To ensure uniform mixing of the loaded materials, agitators are provided in both the upper and lower hobs. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3250589 [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6755634 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Conventional spraying machines are typically operated by an operator on the spot. This is because operation of a spraying machine relies heavily on the operator's intuition based on their experience. For example, the amount of spraying material dispensed from the hose is not always constant, and therefore, even if the spraying time remains the same, the amount of material remaining in the spraying machine can vary. Suppose that when closing the inner lid to supply new material to the upper hook, the amount of material remaining in the spraying machine is greater than usual, and some material remains in the upper hook that did not fall into the lower hook when the inner lid was closed. In this case, supplying new material to the upper hook may exceed the upper hook's capacity, resulting in material overflowing from the material inlet. On the other hand, closing the inner lid when the amount of material remaining in the spraying machine is less than usual may shorten the time required to agitate the material in the upper hook, potentially resulting in insufficiently agitated material being dispensed. For this reason, with conventional spraying machines, workers have to manually open and close the inner lid while estimating the remaining amount of spraying material based on the spraying time and the sound and vibrations from the machine.

[0006] As described above, conventional spray machines require operators to perform operations while checking the status of the spray machine in order to prevent the above-mentioned problems, making it difficult to operate them automatically.

[0007] In view of the above-mentioned problems, the present invention aims to propose a spraying machine that can automatically perform the operations that have traditionally been performed by an operator, as well as a method for operating the spraying machine and a program related to the spraying machine. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention provides a cooking apparatus including an upper hook having a material inlet, a lower hook communicating with the upper hook through a connecting port and having a material outlet, an inner lid for opening and closing the connecting port, an inner lid drive unit for moving the inner lid between an open position where the connecting port is open and a closed position where the connecting port is closed, and an agitator drive unit for driving an upper hook agitator provided in the upper hook and a lower hook agitator provided in the lower hook. It becomes smaller as the amount of material inside the upper and lower hooks decreases. the agitator drive unit of Drive Dynamic This spray machine is equipped with a control unit that drives the inner lid drive unit so that the inner lid moves to the closed position when the current value is below a predetermined value and remains below the predetermined value for a predetermined period of time.

[0009] In such a spray machine, a sensor is provided to detect that the inner lid has moved to the closed position, and when the control unit drives the inner lid drive unit to move the inner lid to the closed position, if the sensor cannot detect that the inner lid has moved to the closed position within a predetermined time, the control unit moves the inner lid to the open position, and then, after a predetermined time has passed, if the current value when the agitator drive unit is driven is below the predetermined value and this state of being below the predetermined value continues for a predetermined time, it preferably drives the inner lid drive unit to move the inner lid to the closed position.

[0010] The present invention also provides a method for operating a spraying machine comprising an upper hook having a material inlet, a lower hook communicating with the upper hook by a connecting port and having a material outlet, an inner lid for opening and closing the connecting port, an inner lid drive unit for moving the inner lid between an open position where the connecting port is open and a closed position where the connecting port is closed, an agitator drive unit for driving an upper hook agitator provided in the upper hook and a lower hook agitator provided in the lower hook, and a control unit for driving the agitator drive unit and the inner lid drive unit, wherein when a material contained in the upper hook is supplied to the lower hook, It becomes smaller as the amount of material inside the upper and lower hooks decreases. the agitator drive unit of Drive Dynamic The method also includes a first step in which, when the current value is below a predetermined value and remains below the predetermined value for a predetermined period of time, the control unit drives the inner lid drive unit so that the inner lid moves to the closed position.

[0011] In such a method, it is preferable that the spray machine is equipped with a sensor that detects that the inner lid has moved to the closed position, and when the inner lid drive unit is driven to move the inner lid to the closed position, if the sensor cannot detect that the inner lid has moved to the closed position within a predetermined time, the inner lid is moved to the open position, and then, after a predetermined time has elapsed, if the current value when the agitator drive unit is driven is below the predetermined value and this state of being below the predetermined value continues for a predetermined time, the control unit drives the inner lid drive unit so that the inner lid moves to the closed position.

[0012] The present invention also provides a spraying machine comprising an upper hook having a material inlet, a lower hook communicating with the upper hook by a connecting port and having a material outlet, an inner lid for opening and closing the connecting port, an inner lid drive unit for moving the inner lid between an open position where the connecting port is open and a closed position where the connecting port is closed, and an agitator drive unit for driving an upper hook agitator provided in the upper hook and a lower hook agitator provided in the lower hook, the machine being configured to control a computer to supply the material stored in the upper hook to the lower hook: It becomes smaller as the amount of material inside the upper and lower hooks decreases. the agitator drive unit of Drive Dynamic It is also a program for executing a first step of driving the inner lid drive unit so that the inner lid moves to the closed position when the current value is below a predetermined value and remains below that predetermined value for a predetermined period of time. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] After extensive research, the inventors of the present invention have found that, with regard to the agitator drive unit that drives the upper kettle agitator provided in the upper kettle and the lower kettle agitator provided in the lower kettle, if the current value when the agitator drive unit is operating is below a predetermined value and this state below the predetermined value continues for a predetermined time, the inner lid can be closed with the remaining amount of material contained in the spray machine at an appropriate level. Therefore, with the spray machine of the present invention configured as described above, it is possible to prevent problems such as new material being supplied when there is still material in the upper kettle or material being discharged without being sufficiently agitated, and the spray machine can be operated automatically without the operator having to operate the inner lid. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an embodiment of a spray machine according to the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an inner lid driving unit, an agitator driving unit, a control unit, etc. of the spray machine shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an operation flow of the spray machine shown in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a spray machine according to the present invention, a method for operating the spray machine, and a program associated with the spray machine will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0016] Figure 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of one embodiment of a spraying machine according to the present invention. The spraying machine 1 of this embodiment is equipped with an upper shuttle 3 having a material inlet 2 at its top. A connecting port 4 is provided at the bottom of the upper shuttle 3. A hopper 5 surrounding the material inlet 2 is also provided at the top of the upper shuttle 3.

[0017] Various materials to be used as the spraying material depending on the purpose of the spraying work are supplied to hopper 5. For example, when mortar or concrete is used as the spraying material, aggregate such as sand and cement are supplied to hopper 5 by a belt conveyor or the like. Water used as a material may be supplied from hopper 5, or it may be supplied through a water supply pipe (not shown) connected to upper kettle 3. These materials may be supplied individually or mixed together. An agitator (upper kettle agitator 6) driven by an agitator drive unit (described later) is provided inside upper kettle 3, and the material supplied to upper kettle 3 is uniformly agitated by upper kettle agitator 6.

[0018] The spray machine 1 of this embodiment is also equipped with a top cover 7 for opening and closing the material inlet 2. The top cover 7 of this embodiment is configured to swing as shown by the solid and phantom lines in Fig. 1, and is moved between an open position shown by the phantom lines and a closed position shown by the solid lines by a drive unit (top cover drive unit) not shown. There are no limitations on the type of top cover drive unit, and it may be one that uses various fluids (gas or liquid) (for example, an air cylinder or hydraulic cylinder), or one that uses electricity (for example, a motor).

[0019] A hook pressurizing passage 9 connected to a compressor 8 is connected to the hook 3. The hook pressurizing passage 9 supplies pressurized air from the compressor 8 to the hook 3, thereby pressurizing the interior of the hook 3. The hook 3 is also provided with a hook pressure sensor 10 that measures the internal pressure. The hook pressure sensor 10 is electrically connected to a control unit 11 shown in FIG. 2. Although not shown, the hook 3 or the hook pressure passage 9 is provided with an exhaust means for returning the pressurized pressure in the hook 3 to atmospheric pressure. As will be described later, the control unit 11 controls the exhaust means to exhaust the air in the hook 3 at a predetermined timing. The control unit 11 also has a function of controlling a switching means (not shown) that has the function of supplying pressurized air from the hook pressure passage 9 to the hook 3 or stopping the supply of pressurized air.

[0020] A lower hook 13 is provided below the upper hook 3. The lower hook 13 is connected to the upper hook 3 by a connecting port 4. An agitator (lower hook agitator 14) driven by an agitation drive unit is also provided inside the lower hook 13. A material discharge port 15 is provided below the lower hook 13, and a hose 16 is attached to the material discharge port 15 for spraying a spraying material (mortar, etc.) toward a slope or the like.

[0021] The spray machine 1 also includes an inner lid 17 for opening and closing the connecting port 4. The inner lid 17 is configured to swing as shown by the solid and phantom lines in FIG. 1 . A drive unit (inner lid drive unit) is attached to the inner lid 17, and the inner lid drive unit moves the inner lid 17 between the open position shown by the phantom lines and the closed position shown by the solid lines. As with the top lid drive unit, various types of inner lid drive unit can be used, such as an air cylinder, hydraulic cylinder, or motor. The inner lid drive unit in this embodiment is an air cylinder 18, and a rod 19 moves forward or backward when air is supplied. The inner lid 17 moves to the closed position when the rod 19 moves forward, and moves to the open position when the rod 19 moves backward.

[0022] 2, the air cylinder 18 is provided with two flow paths (closed-side air path 20 and open-side air path 21) for supplying air into the air cylinder 18. By supplying air from the closed-side air path 20, the rod 19 moves forward, and the inner lid 17 can be moved toward the closed position. By supplying air from the open-side air path 21, the rod 19 moves backward, and the inner lid 17 can be moved toward the open position.

[0023] The closed-side air passage 20 and the open-side air passage 21 are connected to the compressor 8 via a control valve 23 shown in Fig. 2. The control valve 23 is electrically connected to the control unit 11, and switches the destination of the pressurized air from the compressor 8 to either the closed-side air passage 20 or the open-side air passage 21 based on a command from the control unit 11. Note that when the control valve 23 supplies pressurized air to either the closed-side air passage 20 or the open-side air passage 21, it also has the function of communicating the other passage with the outside to exhaust the air.

[0024] The air cylinder 18 is also equipped with two sensors (an inner lid closed position detection sensor 24 and an inner lid open position detection sensor 25). The inner lid closed position detection sensor 24 detects whether the rod 19 has moved to the forward end, thereby indirectly detecting whether the inner lid 17 has moved to the closed position. The inner lid open position detection sensor 25 detects whether the rod 19 has moved to the backward end, thereby indirectly detecting whether the inner lid 17 has moved to the open position. The inner lid closed position detection sensor 24 and the inner lid open position detection sensor 25 are electrically connected to the above-mentioned control unit 11, and signals output from the inner lid closed position detection sensor 24 and the inner lid open position detection sensor 25 are transmitted to the control unit 11.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 1, a lower pot pressure passage 26 connected to the compressor 8 is connected to the lower pot 13. That is, both the upper pot pressure passage 9 and the lower pot pressure passage 26 are connected to the compressor 8. The lower pot pressure passage 26 supplies pressurized air from the compressor 8 to the lower pot 13, thereby pressurizing the interior of the lower pot 13, allowing the material agitated by the lower pot agitator 14 to be discharged from the tip of the hose 16. The control unit 11 has the function of controlling a switching means (not shown) that has the function of supplying or stopping the supply of pressurized air from the lower pot pressure passage 26 to the lower pot 13. Furthermore, the lower pot 13 is provided with a lower pot pressure sensor 27 that measures the internal pressure. The lower pot pressure sensor 27 is electrically connected to the control unit 11 as shown in FIG. 2.

[0026] As the agitation drive section, the spraying machine 1 is equipped with a motor 31 that is controlled by the control section 11 and drives both the upper pot agitator 6 and the lower pot agitator 14 (see FIG. 2). A configuration in which one motor 31 drives both the upper pot agitator 6 and the lower pot agitator 14 can be exemplified by a mechanism in which, when the drive shaft of the motor 31, the rotating shaft of the upper pot agitator 6, and the rotating shaft of the lower pot agitator 14 are rotated, the two rotating shafts also rotate in unison.

[0027] Control unit 11 has the function of controlling spray machine 1 to perform various operations. Control unit 11 is embodied by a computer such as a PLC (programmable logic controller) or a PC (personal computer). Note that a program for controlling the operation of spray machine 1 is stored in the computer's internal storage device or an external storage device connected to it, and control unit 11 controls the operation of spray machine 1 based on this program. Control unit 11 also has the function of measuring the current value when motor 31 is driven and the function of measuring the time it takes for spray machine 1 to perform various operations.

[0028] Next, a method for operating the spray machine 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to the operation flow shown in Figure 3. The following explanation will be given from the state before operation of the spray machine 1, in which the material is contained in the upper shuttle 3 and the lower shuttle 13, and the upper lid 7 and the inner lid 17 have been moved to the closed position.

[0029] The spraying machine 1 first moves the inner lid 17 to the open position, and the upper kettle agitator 6 and the lower kettle agitator 14 agitate the material (step S1 in Figure 3). At this time, the control unit 11 controls the control valve 23 so that pressurized air from the compressor 8 is supplied to the open-side air passage 21. This causes the rod 19 of the air cylinder 18 to retract, and the inner lid 17 moves toward the open position. The control unit 11 also controls the motor 31 to drive the upper kettle agitator 6 and the lower kettle agitator 14.

[0030] Next, the spray machine 1 discharges the material from the hose 16 (step S2 in FIG. 3). At this time, the control unit 11 controls a switching means (not shown) so that pressurized air is supplied from the lower hook pressurizing passage 26 to the lower hook 13. Note that in this state, the inner lid 17 has moved to the open position and the upper hook 3 and the lower hook 13 are in communication, so the control unit 11 may control so that pressurized air is supplied from the upper hook pressurizing passage 9 to the upper hook 3, or so that air is supplied from both the lower hook pressurizing passage 26 and the upper hook pressurizing passage 9.

[0031] However, as material continues to be discharged from the hose 16, the amount of material inside the spray machine 1 decreases. Therefore, to continuously discharge material, new material must be supplied to the upper hook 3, and for this purpose, the inner lid 17 must be moved to the closed position. However, problems can arise if the timing of moving the inner lid 17 to the closed position is inappropriate. For example, if the timing of closing the inner lid 17 is delayed, the time available to agitate the material in the upper hook 3 is reduced, and there is a risk that the material will be discharged without being sufficiently agitated.

[0032] After further investigation, the inventors of the present invention found that as the amount of material in the spray machine 1 decreases, the current value when the motor 31 is driven decreases. Further investigation into this point revealed that the current value when the motor 31 is driven does not decrease uniformly as the amount of material decreases, but rather varies due to factors such as variations in the material itself and the degree to which the material is stirred. Further investigation by the inventors of the present invention revealed that various problems can be effectively prevented by moving the inner lid 17 to the closed position when the current value when the motor 31 is driven falls below a predetermined value and remains below this predetermined value for a predetermined period of time (e.g., about 10 seconds).

[0033] Therefore, in the spray machine 1 of this embodiment, after step S2 shown in Fig. 3, the control unit 11 checks whether the current value when driving the motor 31 is equal to or less than a predetermined value and whether this state of being equal to or less than the predetermined value continues for a predetermined time (step S3 in Fig. 3). If it is confirmed that the current value has remained equal to or less than the predetermined value for the predetermined time (YES in step S3 in Fig. 3), the control unit 11 controls the control valve 23 so that pressurized air from the compressor 8 is supplied to the closed-side air passage 20. This moves the rod 19 of the air cylinder 18 forward, and the inner lid 17 moves toward the closed position (step S4 in Fig. 3).

[0034] On the other hand, when the control unit 11 checks, if the current value of the motor 31 is greater than the predetermined value, or if it is confirmed that the current value when the motor 31 is driving is less than the predetermined value but this state does not continue for the predetermined time (for example, if it is confirmed that the current value is less than the predetermined value and then it is confirmed that the current value exceeds the predetermined value before the predetermined time has elapsed (NO in step S3 of Figure 3)), the control unit 11 will again check whether the current value when the motor 31 is driving is less than the predetermined value and whether this state of being less than the predetermined value has continued for the predetermined time (step S3 of Figure 3).

[0035] The time it takes for all the material in upper hook 3 to fall into lower hook 13 often varies depending on various factors, including the properties of the material and the degree to which the material is being stirred. For this reason, even if inner lid 17 is moved to the closed position by checking the current value when motor 31 is driven as described above, there is a possibility that the timing at which inner lid 17 is moved toward the closed position will be while the material in upper hook 3 is falling into lower hook 13. If inner lid 17 does not close completely due to the material falling from upper hook 3, the air will be vented from upper hook 3, as described below, with connecting port 4 not completely closed, which could cause problems such as the material not being able to be discharged from hose 16.

[0036] Therefore, in this embodiment, the control unit 11 checks a signal from the inner lid closed position detection sensor 24 after a predetermined time (for example, about 2 seconds) has elapsed since executing step S4, and checks whether the inner lid 17 has completely moved to the closed position (step S5 in FIG. 3). This makes it possible to know whether the connecting port 4 has been completely closed.

[0037] If it is confirmed that the inner lid 17 has been moved to the closed position (YES in step S5 in FIG. 3), the control unit 11 operates the exhaust means (not shown) described above to exhaust the air from the upper pot 3 and return the internal pressure to atmospheric pressure (step S6 in FIG. 3).

[0038] On the other hand, if a signal from the inner lid closed position detection sensor 24 cannot be confirmed when a predetermined time has elapsed (NO in step S5 in FIG. 3), the control unit 11 sends a command to the control valve 23 shown in FIG. 2 to supply pressurized air from the compressor 8 to the open-side air passage 21. This causes the rod 19 of the air cylinder 18 to retract, and the inner lid 17 moves toward the open position (step S7 in FIG. 3). At this time, the control unit 11 checks the signal from the inner lid open position detection sensor 25, and based on this signal, detects whether the inner lid 17 has completely moved to the open position.

[0039] The control unit 11 then waits until a predetermined time (e.g., approximately 60 seconds) has elapsed since the inner lid 17 moved to the open position (step S8 in FIG. 3). During this time, the movement of the inner lid 17 to the open position completely opens the connecting port 4, allowing the material remaining in the upper kettle 3 and the material that was preventing the inner lid 17 from moving to the closed position to fall. After waiting, the control unit 11 again sends a command to the control valve 23 to supply pressurized air from the compressor 8 to the closing-side air passage 20, thereby advancing the rod 19 of the air cylinder 18 and moving the inner lid 17 toward the closed position (step S4 in FIG. 3). Note that if steps S5, S7, and S8 are repeated, the control unit 11 will execute error processing (e.g., stopping the operation of the spray machine 1 and displaying a message indicating that an error has occurred on a display unit (not shown) provided on the spray machine 1 or emitting an alarm sound from a buzzer (not shown) provided on the spray machine 1) after the predetermined number of repetitions.

[0040] After performing step S6 in Figure 3 to evacuate the air from upper hook 3, control unit 11 operates the upper lid drive unit (not shown) to move upper hook 7 to the open position shown by the phantom line (step S9 in Figure 3). This opens material inlet 2, allowing the spraying material to be fed from hopper 5 into upper hook 3 (step S10 in Figure 3). The material fed into upper hook 3 is agitated by upper hook agitator 6. After the material has been fed, the upper lid drive unit (not shown) moves upper hook 7 to the closed position shown by the solid line in Figure 1, closing material inlet 2 (step S11 in Figure 3).

[0041] Next, the control unit 11 controls a switching means (not shown) so that the air pressurized by the compressor 8 is supplied from the upper hook pressure path 9 to the upper hook 3. Furthermore, the control unit 11 checks whether the pressure in the upper hook 3 has become approximately the same as the pressure in the lower hook 13, based on signals from the upper hook pressure sensor 10 and the lower hook pressure sensor 27 (step S12 in FIG. 3). After step S12, if the pressure in the upper hook 3 has not yet reached approximately the same as the pressure in the lower hook 13 (NO in step S12 in FIG. 3), the control unit 11 continues to check the pressure in the upper hook 3 and the lower hook 13. On the other hand, if it is determined that the pressure in the upper hook 3 has become approximately the same as the pressure in the lower hook 13 (YES in step S12 in FIG. 3), the control unit 11 executes step S13 described below.

[0042] When it is determined that the pressure in the upper hook 3 has become approximately the same as the pressure in the lower hook 13, the control unit 11 sends a command to the control valve 23 shown in FIG. 2 to supply pressurized air from the compressor 8 to the open-side air passage 21. This causes the rod 19 of the air cylinder 18 to retract, and the inner lid 17 moves toward the open position (step S13 in FIG. 3). At this time, the control unit 11 checks a signal from the inner lid open position detection sensor 25, and detects based on this signal whether or not the inner lid 17 has completely moved to the open position. If it cannot be confirmed that the inner lid 17 has completely moved to the open position, the above-mentioned error processing may be executed.

[0043] When the inner lid 17 moves toward the open position, the connecting port 4 opens, and the material in the upper pot 3 that has been agitated by the upper pot agitator 6 can be supplied to the lower pot 13. Therefore, the material can be continuously discharged from the hose 16.

[0044] As described above, the spray machine 1 of this embodiment can be operated automatically without the need for an operator to operate the inner lid 17, as was previously necessary, preventing malfunctions such as new material being supplied when there is still material remaining in the upper pot 3 or material being discharged without being sufficiently stirred. Furthermore, if there is a malfunction in the operation of the inner lid 17, error processing is performed automatically, so there is no need for an operator to be near the spray machine 1 at all times.

[0045] In the above-described embodiment, inner lid 17 is closed after confirming that the current value when motor 31 is driven is equal to or less than a predetermined value and that this state of being equal to or less than this predetermined value has continued for a predetermined time, but inner lid 17 may also be closed after confirming that the torque value of motor 31 is equal to or less than a predetermined value and that this state of being equal to or less than this predetermined value has continued for a predetermined time. Alternatively, strain gauges may be attached to the stirring blades of upper pot agitator 6 and lower pot agitator 14, and inner lid 17 may be closed after confirming that the bending resistance value acting on the stirring blade is equal to or less than a predetermined value and that this state of being equal to or less than this predetermined value has continued for a predetermined time.

[0046] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiment, and unless otherwise limited in the above description, various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the spirit of the present invention as set forth in the claims. Furthermore, the effects of the above embodiment are merely examples of the effects that can be obtained from the present invention, and do not mean that the effects of the present invention are limited to the above effects.

[0047] For example, in this embodiment, the means for detecting whether the inner lid 17 has moved to the closed position or the open position are the inner lid closed position detection sensor 24 and the inner lid open position detection sensor 25 provided on the air cylinder 18, but it is also possible to place sensors near the closed position or near the open position of the inner lid 17 to directly detect the position of the inner lid 17. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 1: Spray machine 2: Material input port 3: Upper pot 4: Connection port 5: Hopper 6: Upper pot stirrer 7: Upper lid 8: Compressor 9: Upper pot pressure passage 10: Upper pot pressure sensor 11: Control unit 13: Lower pot 14: Lower pot stirrer 15: Material discharge port 16: Hose 17: Inner lid 18: Air cylinder (inner lid drive unit) 19: Rod 20: Closed air passage 21: Open air passage 23: Control valve 24: Inner lid closed position detection sensor 25: Inner lid open position detection sensor 26: Lower pot pressure passage 27: Lower pot pressure sensor 31: Motor (agitator drive unit)

Claims

1. an upper pot having a material inlet; a lower hook communicating with the upper hook through a connecting port and having a material discharge port; an inner lid that opens and closes the connecting port; an inner lid driving unit that moves the inner lid between an open position where the connecting port is open and a closed position where the connecting port is closed; an agitator drive unit that drives an upper pot agitator provided in the upper pot and a lower pot agitator provided in the lower pot; a control unit that drives the inner lid drive unit so that the inner lid moves to the closed position when the driving current value of the agitator drive unit, which decreases as the material inside the upper and lower pots decreases, is equal to or less than a predetermined value and remains at or below the predetermined value for a predetermined period of time.

2. a sensor for detecting that the inner lid has moved to the closed position; The spray machine described in claim 1, wherein when the control unit drives the inner lid drive unit so that the inner lid moves to the closed position, if the sensor cannot detect that the inner lid has moved to the closed position within a predetermined time, the control unit moves the inner lid to the open position, and then, after a predetermined time has passed, if the current value when the agitator drive unit is driven is less than the predetermined value and this state of being less than the predetermined value continues for a predetermined time, the control unit drives the inner lid drive unit so that the inner lid moves to the closed position.

3. an upper pot having a material inlet; a lower hook communicating with the upper hook through a connecting port and having a material discharge port; an inner lid that opens and closes the connecting port; an inner lid driving unit that moves the inner lid between an open position where the connecting port is open and a closed position where the connecting port is closed; an agitator drive unit that drives an upper pot agitator provided in the upper pot and a lower pot agitator provided in the lower pot; A method for operating a spray machine including a control unit that drives the agitator drive unit and the inner lid drive unit, A method including a first step in which, when supplying material contained in the upper pot to the lower pot, if the driving current value of the agitator drive unit, which decreases as the material inside the upper pot and the lower pot decreases, is below a predetermined value and remains below the predetermined value for a predetermined period of time, the control unit drives the inner lid drive unit so that the inner lid moves to the closed position.

4. The spray machine includes a sensor that detects when the inner cover has moved to the closed position, The method of claim 3, further comprising a second step of moving the inner lid to the open position when the inner lid drive unit is driven to move the inner lid to the closed position, if the sensor cannot detect that the inner lid has moved to the closed position within a predetermined time, and then, after a predetermined time has elapsed, if the current value when the agitator drive unit is driven is less than the predetermined value and remains below the predetermined value for a predetermined time, causing the control unit to drive the inner lid drive unit so that the inner lid moves to the closed position.

5. an upper pot having a material inlet; a lower hook communicating with the upper hook through a connecting port and having a material discharge port; an inner lid that opens and closes the connecting port; an inner lid driving unit that moves the inner lid between an open position where the connecting port is open and a closed position where the connecting port is closed; A spraying machine including an upper kettle agitator provided in the upper kettle and an agitator drive unit that drives a lower kettle agitator provided in the lower kettle, On the computer, A program for executing a first step of driving the inner lid drive unit so that the inner lid moves to the closed position when, when the material contained in the upper pot is supplied to the lower pot, the driving current value of the agitator drive unit, which decreases as the material inside the upper pot and the lower pot decreases, is below a predetermined value and remains below the predetermined value for a predetermined period of time.

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