Quantitative feeding device

Abstract

To provide a fixed quantity supply device capable of conveying a fixed quantity of supplied bodies in a relatively compact configuration.SOLUTION: A fixed quantity supply device 100 includes a storage tank having a supply port at an upper part and a discharge port at a lower part, and a measuring tank provided in the storage tank. An upper opening portion of the measuring tank is provided at a lower position of the supply port and separated from the supply port. A lower opening of the measuring tank is provided at an upper position of the discharge port with distance from the discharge port. The lower opening of the measuring tank is provided with a shutter part for opening and closing the lower opening.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a metering and feeding device for feeding a supplied object such as granular material or powder in a rice milling machine, a flour mill, or the like.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, various supply devices for supplying granular materials, powders, etc. (supplied objects) are known. For example, as a device for quantitatively supplying powder, a device (supply amount control device) disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 62-106323 (Patent Document 1) is known. The device disclosed in this Patent Document 1 is composed of a first metering tank, a second metering tank, a powder flow meter, and a control means, and grasps the supply amount of the powder from the transition time of the upper and lower limit weights of the first metering tank, the weight of the second metering tank, and the measured value of the powder flow meter, and is configured to perform quantitative supply.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the above prior art (Patent Document 1), since it is configured using two serially connected metering tanks and a powder flow meter, there is a problem that the device becomes large-sized. Further, in the above prior art, since each component constituting the device forms a continuous series of flows (the flow of the supplied object), if a problem occurs in any part of the components (especially the drive part of the metering tank, etc.), the supply of the supplied object stops in the entire device. For example, if a problem occurs in the extraction device (drive part) of the first metering tank or the extraction device (drive part) of the second metering tank, the supplied object cannot be supplied to the subsequent flow side, so the supply of the supplied object stops as the entire device.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the problems of the above-mentioned prior art, and aims to provide a quantitative feeding device that can achieve quantitative transport of the supplied material with a relatively compact configuration. Furthermore, the present invention aims to provide a quantitative feeding device that can continue to supply the supplied material as a whole even if a malfunction occurs in the drive unit of the weighing tank or the like. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A quantitative dispensing device according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a storage tank having a supply port at the top and a discharge port at the bottom, and a measuring tank provided inside the storage tank, wherein an upper opening of the measuring tank is provided below the supply port and spaced apart from the supply port, and a lower opening of the measuring tank is provided above the discharge port and spaced apart from the discharge port, and the lower opening of the measuring tank is provided with a shutter that opens and closes the lower opening.

[0007] The quantitative dispensing device according to this first embodiment is configured to achieve quantitative dispensing by providing a measuring tank in a storage tank, measuring in this measuring tank, and opening and closing a shutter provided in the measuring tank. With this configuration, a more compact quantitative dispensing device can be obtained by providing a measuring tank in a storage tank.

[0008] In addition, this quantitative dispensing device has an upper opening of the measuring tank located below the supply port and spaced apart from the supply port, and a lower opening of the measuring tank located above the discharge port and spaced apart from the discharge port. In other words, in the quantitative dispensing device according to the present invention, the upper and lower openings of the measuring tank are located spaced apart from the supply port and discharge port of the storage tank. With this configuration, even if the shutter section fails to open due to some malfunction and remains closed, the dispensed substance can be continuously supplied (supplied to the discharge port of the storage tank) via the measuring tank. Specifically, according to the quantitative dispensing device of the first embodiment, since the upper opening of the measuring tank is spaced apart from the supply port, even if the material to be dispensed is continuously fed into the measuring tank while the shutter remains closed, the material to be dispensed will overflow from the upper opening. Furthermore, since the lower opening of the measuring tank is spaced apart from the discharge port, the material to be dispensed that overflows from the upper opening will be continuously supplied to the downstream side of the storage tank through the discharge port.

[0009] A quantitative supply device according to a second aspect of the present invention comprises a storage tank having a supply port at the top and a discharge port at the bottom, and a measuring tank provided within the storage tank, wherein an upper opening of the measuring tank is provided below the supply port and spaced apart from the supply port, and a lower opening of the measuring tank is provided above the discharge port and spaced apart from the discharge port, the lower opening of the measuring tank is provided with a shutter portion for opening and closing the lower opening, and a discharge portion for the supplied material is formed in at least one of the upper opening of the measuring tank and the vicinity of the upper opening.

[0010] According to this second embodiment of the quantitative feeding device, in addition to the same effects and advantages as the quantitative feeding device according to the first embodiment described above, the following effects and advantages can be obtained. In this second embodiment, the quantitative dispensing device has a discharge section for the dispensed material formed in at least one of the upper opening of the measuring tank and / or near the upper opening. For example, a notch (discharge section for the dispensed material) may be provided in part of the upper opening, or one or more openings (discharge sections for the dispensed material) may be provided near the upper opening, or both may be provided. With such a configuration, by forming a discharge section for the dispensed material having an appropriate shape and number (appropriate opening area, etc.), the flow rate of the dispensed material overflowing through the upper opening of the measuring tank can be appropriately determined.

[0011] A quantitative feeding device according to a third aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the configuration of the first or second aspect, it comprises a powder / granular material supply unit (e.g., a rotary valve) connected to the upstream side of the supply port and a powder / granular material discharge unit (e.g., a rotary valve) connected to the downstream side of the discharge port.

[0012] According to this third embodiment of the quantitative feeding device, in addition to the same effects and advantages as the quantitative feeding device according to the first or second embodiment described above, the following effects and advantages can be obtained. In this third embodiment, the quantitative supply device has a powder / granular material supply section on the upstream side of the storage tank and a powder / granular material discharge section on the downstream side of the storage tank. By appropriately controlling the powder / granular material supply section and the powder / granular material discharge section, it is possible to continuously supply a quantitative amount of the material to be supplied to the storage tank (supply port) and to continuously discharge a quantitative amount of the material to be supplied from the storage tank (discharge port).

[0013] The quantitative supply device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the configuration of the third aspect, a bypass piping section is provided that connects the upstream side of the powder supply section and the downstream side of the powder discharge section.

[0014] According to this fourth embodiment of the quantitative feeding device, in addition to the same effects and advantages as the quantitative feeding device according to the third embodiment described above, the following effects and advantages can be obtained. The quantitative feeding device according to this fourth embodiment is characterized by having the bypass piping section described above. Therefore, according to this embodiment, even if a malfunction occurs in at least one of the storage tank, measuring tank, powder / granular material supply section, and powder / granular material discharge section, and the material to be supplied becomes stagnant (clogging, etc.) due to the effect of the malfunction, the supply of the material to be supplied can be continued appropriately. In other words, according to the quantitative feeding device according to this embodiment, a bypass piping section is provided to skip each component located between the powder / granular material supply section and the powder / granular material discharge section, so even if some malfunction occurs in the components of the skipped section, the continuous supply of the material to be supplied can be appropriately carried out. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a quantitative feeding device that can achieve quantitative transport and supply of the object to be fed with a relatively compact configuration. Furthermore, according to the present invention, even if a malfunction occurs in the drive unit near the weighing unit, it is possible to obtain a quantitative feeding device that can continue to supply the object to be fed as a whole. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This diagram shows a schematic representation of a malt processing system configured using a quantitative feeding device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This figure shows a schematic perspective view of the quantitative feeding device according to this embodiment (the quantitative feeding device that constitutes the malt processing system shown in Figure 1). [Figure 3] This figure shows a schematic perspective view (partially broken view) of the storage tank that constitutes the quantitative supply device according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] This diagram shows a schematic (partially broken) view of the storage tank and its surrounding elements that constitute the quantitative supply device according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention, such as a quantitative feeding device, will be described based on the drawings. Here, an example of a material to be supplied by the quantitative supply device according to this embodiment is granular material such as nuts, beans, grains, resin, stone, glass, and wood. "Grains" refers to grains of cereal, and grain is a general term for food ingredients obtained from plants. Examples of grains include rice, wheat, millet, barnyard millet, corn, soybeans, adzuki beans, and buckwheat. Another example of a material to be supplied by the quantitative supply device according to this embodiment is powdered material such as wheat flour. In other words, the quantitative supply device according to this embodiment is configured to supply granular material, powder, or other powdered material (hereinafter also referred to as "material to be supplied") in a quantitative manner. Hereinafter, in the present embodiment, a metering and feeding device that feeds wheat (wheat grains, powder particles) as a supply object to a wheat milling device, and a system (wheat milling system) configured using the metering and feeding device and the like will be described.

[0018] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of a wheat milling system configured using the metering and feeding device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of the metering and feeding device (the metering and feeding device constituting the wheat milling system shown in FIG. 1) according to the present embodiment. FIG. 3 shows a schematic perspective view (partial cutaway view) of the storage tank constituting the metering and feeding device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Further, FIG. 4 shows a schematic view (partial cutaway view) of the storage tank constituting the metering and feeding device according to the present embodiment and its peripheral elements.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the wheat milling system 300 according to the present embodiment is configured using a metering and feeding device 100, a wheat milling device 200, and the like. The metering and feeding device 100 constituting the wheat milling system 300 is configured to appropriately meter and feed wheat to the wheat milling device 200, as will be described later. The wheat milling device 200 constituting the wheat milling system 300 is configured to perform wheat milling on the wheat metered and fed by the metering and feeding device 100. More specifically, the wheat milling device 200 according to the present embodiment is configured to uniformly remove the outer layer (husk) of wheat grains before flour production by grinding and friction.

[0020] For the wheat subjected to wheat milling in this wheat milling system 300, flour production is then performed. According to the present embodiment, since appropriate wheat milling is performed before flour production in the wheat milling system 300 (the wheat milling device 200 constituting it) shown in FIG. 1, bacteria, mold, pesticides, etc. on the surface of the wheat (wheat grains) are removed, and the bran is also appropriately removed. Therefore, in the flour production process on the downstream side of the wheat milling system 300 according to the present embodiment, very hygienic and highly white flour can be obtained. Here, the details of the configuration of the wheat milling device 200 constituting the wheat milling system 300 will be omitted.

[0021] The quantitative feeding device 100, which constitutes the malt processing system 300 shown in Figure 1, is composed of a storage tank 1, a first rotary valve 61 forming a granular material supply section, a second rotary valve 62 forming a granular material discharge section, and a bypass piping section 80, etc. The quantitative feeding device 100 according to this embodiment is configured to continuously or intermittently supply a predetermined amount of granular material (wheat) to be supplied. As shown in Figure 1, the material to be supplied (granular material) is supplied to the quantitative feeding device 100 via the upper piping section 91 and discharged from the quantitative feeding device 100 to the malt processing device 200 via the lower piping section 92.

[0022] In the quantitative supply device 100 according to this embodiment, the upper piping section 91 is connected via a first rotary valve 61, and the lower piping section 92 is connected via a second rotary valve 62. Furthermore, the bypass piping section 80 that constitutes the quantitative supply device 100 according to this embodiment is configured to connect the upper piping section 91 and the lower piping section 92.

[0023] Figure 2 shows a schematic perspective view of the quantitative feeding device 100 that constitutes the malt processing system 300 shown in Figure 1.

[0024] As shown in Figure 2, the quantitative feeding device 100 according to this embodiment is composed of a storage tank 1, a first rotary valve 61 (powder and granular material supply section), a second rotary valve 62 (powder and granular material discharge section), and a bypass piping section 80, etc. The material to be fed (powder and granular material) is supplied to the quantitative feeding device 100 via the upper piping section 91, and the material supplied to the quantitative feeding device 100 is supplied (discharged) to the malting device 200 via the lower piping section 82.

[0025] A first rotary valve 61 is provided between the storage tank 1 and the upper piping section 91, which constitute the quantitative supply device 100, and a second rotary valve 62 is provided between the storage tank 1 and the lower piping section 92. Furthermore, the quantitative supply device 100 according to this embodiment has a bypass piping section 80 provided to connect the upstream side of the first rotary valve 61 (powder and granular material supply section) and the downstream side of the second rotary valve 62 (powder and granular material discharge section).

[0026] The bypass piping section 80 of the quantitative supply device 100 according to this embodiment is composed of an upper connection section 81, a lower connection section 82, and a bypass body section 83. One end (upstream side) of the upper connection section 81 of the bypass piping section 80 is connected in communication with an upper piping section 91 located above (upstream side) the first rotary valve 61. The other end (downstream side) of the lower connection section 82 of the bypass piping section 80 is connected in communication with a lower piping section 92 located below (downstream side) the second rotary valve 62. Furthermore, one end (upstream side) of the bypass body section 83 of the bypass piping section 80 is connected in communication with the other end (downstream side) of the upper connection section 81, and the other end (downstream side) is connected in communication with one end (upstream side) of the lower connection section 82.

[0027] Furthermore, the storage tank 1 that constitutes the quantitative supply device 100 according to this embodiment is provided with a control unit 40 (a control unit equipped with various devices necessary for controlling the quantitative supply device 100, such as a CPU and memory). This control unit 40 is configured to perform various controls, such as appropriately operating the quantitative supply device 100, stopping it as needed, or issuing warning signals depending on the situation, based on commands given in advance and various signals obtained as needed.

[0028] Figure 3 shows a schematic perspective view (partially broken view) of the storage tank 1 that constitutes the quantitative supply device 100 according to this embodiment. Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram (partially broken view) of the storage tank 1 and its surrounding elements. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the storage tank 1 that constitutes the quantitative supply device 100 according to this embodiment is equipped with a sensor unit 5 and a measuring tank 11, etc.

[0029] The storage tank 1 that constitutes the quantitative supply device 100 according to this embodiment is composed of a storage tank housing 2, a supply port 3 provided in the upper part 2B of the storage tank housing 2, and a discharge port 4 provided in the lower part 2C of the storage tank housing 2, etc. Furthermore, a control unit 40 is provided on the outside of the side part 2A of the storage tank housing 1.

[0030] In this embodiment, a sensor unit 5 is provided inside the storage tank 1 near the lower part 2C of the storage tank housing 2. This sensor unit 5 is composed of an upper sensor 5A, a lower sensor 5B, and the like.

[0031] In this embodiment, a measuring tank 11 is provided inside the storage tank 1 for measuring the powder and granular material supplied into the storage tank 1 via a supply port 3. The measuring tank 11 has an upper opening 13 formed in its upper part (upper part 11B) and a lower opening 14 formed in its lower part (lower part 11C). The upper opening 13 has a section 13A for discharging the supplied material, formed by cutting out a portion of it. The lower opening 14 of the measuring tank 11 is provided with a shutter section 16 that controls the opening and closing state of the lower opening 14. Furthermore, the measuring tank 11 is configured to be able to measure the powder and granular material inside the measuring tank 11 using a load cell 18.

[0032] In this embodiment, a case in which the discharge section 13A for the supplied material is formed by cutting out a part of the upper opening 13 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. Therefore, for example, the discharge section for the supplied material can be configured in various ways, such as by providing a hole near the upper opening 13, or by providing both a hole and a notch.

[0033] As described above, the quantitative feeding device 100 (and the malting processing system 300 configured using it) according to this embodiment is configured as shown in Figures 1 to 4. The quantitative feeding device 100 according to this embodiment aims to achieve quantitative feeding of the granular material (wheat) to be fed with a relatively compact configuration, and functions as described below. The operation and effects of the quantitative feeding device 100 according to this embodiment will be explained below with reference to Figures 1 to 4.

[0034] In the malt processing system 300 according to this embodiment, as explained earlier, wheat (powdered or granular) is supplied to the malt processing device 200 via the supply device 100, and malt processing is performed on the supplied wheat using the malt processing device 200. In such a malt processing system 300, not only is the performance of the malt processing device 200 important, but it is also important to continuously supply a predetermined amount of wheat to the malt processing device 200 using the quantitative supply device 100. Therefore, the quantitative supply device 100 according to this embodiment has been designed with various features to enable "quantitative supply" of wheat in a relatively compact configuration and to "continuous supply" even in the event of any malfunction.

[0035] As shown in Figure 1 and other figures, the quantitative supply device 100 according to this embodiment is composed of a storage tank 1 for storing wheat (powdered grain), a first rotary valve 61 (powdered grain supply unit) connected to a supply port 3 of the storage tank 1, a second rotary valve 62 (powdered grain discharge unit) connected to a discharge port 4 of the storage tank 1, a measuring tank 11 installed above the storage tank 1, a sensor unit 5 provided below the storage tank 1, and a control unit 40 for controlling the amount of wheat supplied to the storage tank 1 and the amount of wheat discharged from the storage tank 1.

[0036] The storage tank 1 is configured to temporarily hold granular material and, as needed, to discharge the granular material to the downstream side of the storage tank 1 continuously or intermittently. The supply state of the granular material to the storage tank 1 is controlled using a first rotary valve 61 based on a signal from the control unit 40. The discharge state of the granular material from the storage tank 1 is controlled using a second rotary valve 62 based on a signal from the control unit 40.

[0037] The first rotary valve 61 controls the rotational drive state of its internal rotor (not shown) based on a signal from the control unit 40. Then, as needed, the rotor is driven to rotate continuously or intermittently to control the supply state of the powder to the storage tank 1. The second rotary valve 62 controls the rotational drive state of its internal rotor (not shown) based on signals from the control unit 40. Then, as needed, the rotor is driven to rotate continuously or intermittently to control the discharge state of the powder and granular material from the storage tank 1.

[0038] The sensor unit 5, located below the storage tank 1, is configured to detect the flow rate (level) of the granular material inside the storage tank 1. This sensor unit 5 consists of an upper sensor 5A that detects the upper limit level of the granular material and a lower sensor 5B that detects the lower limit level of the granular material. Here, the upper limit level is the level at which, if the amount of powder in storage tank 1 exceeds this level, there is a risk that the powder will reach the weighing tank 11, making accurate weighing impossible. The lower limit level is the level at which, if the amount of powder in weighing tank 1 falls below this level, the accumulation of powder in weighing tank 1 decreases, and it may become impossible to continuously discharge the powder.

[0039] In this embodiment, if the detection levels of both the lower sensor 5B and the upper sensor 5A are "OFF", the first rotary valve 61 is started and the flow rate is checked in the measuring tank 11. If the detection level of the lower sensor 5B is "ON" and the detection level of the upper sensor 5A is "OFF", the first rotary valve 61 and the second rotary valve 62 are operated. If the detection levels of both the lower sensor 5B and the upper sensor 5A are "ON", the second rotary valve 62 is operated and the first rotary valve 61 is stopped (or its rotational speed is reduced). In other words, in this embodiment, when both sensors 5A and 5B are "OFF", the operation of the first rotary valve 61 is controlled; when the lower sensor 5B is "ON" (upper sensor 5A is "OFF"), the operation of the second rotary valve 62 is controlled; when the upper sensor 5A is "ON" (both sensors 5A and 5B are "ON"), the first rotary valve 61 is stopped (or its rotational speed is reduced); and when the upper sensor 5A is "OFF" (lower sensor 5B is "ON"), the operation of the first and second rotary valves 61 and 62 is controlled.

[0040] In the storage tank 1 according to this embodiment, when weighing in the weighing tank 11, no powder or granular material is added to the downstream side. Therefore, it is necessary that the second rotary valve 62 has at least the same amount of powder or granular material as the accumulated weight of one weighing tank 11. For this reason, in the process disclosure, the detection level of the lower sensor 5B being "ON" serves as the command to start operation of the second rotary valve 62. Furthermore, in the storage tank 1 according to this embodiment, if a problem occurs and the process stops (if the process stops upstream or downstream of the quantitative supply device 100), the first and second rotary valves 61 and 62 are controlled to stop. Then, as control when restarting operation, the level status of the upper sensor 5A and the lower sensor 5B is checked. Specifically, if the lower sensor 5B and the upper sensor 5A are "ON", the operation of the second rotary valve 62 is started, and when the upper sensor 5A becomes "OFF", the operation of the first rotary valve 61 is started. Also, if the lower sensor 5B is "ON" and the upper sensor 5A is "OFF", the operation of the first and second rotary valves 61 and 62 is started. Furthermore, if the lower sensor 5B and the upper sensor 5A are "OFF", the operation of the first rotary valve 61 is started, and when the lower sensor 5B becomes "ON", the operation of the second rotary valve 62 is started.

[0041] The weighing tank 11 is installed inside the upper part of the storage tank 1 and is configured to weigh the powder and granular material supplied to the storage tank 1 via the first rotary valve 61. The weighing tank 11 has an upper weighing tank portion 11B formed with an opening at the top and a lower weighing tank portion 11C formed with an opening at the bottom. The weighing tank 11 also has a load cell 18 capable of weighing the entire weighing tank 11 and a shutter portion 16 that can open and close the lower weighing tank portion 11C.

[0042] The shutter section 16, located in the lower part 11C of the weighing tank 11, is controlled by the control unit 40 to open and close, in principle, at a predetermined weighing interval and for a predetermined weighing time, so that the lower part 11C of the weighing tank remains closed. For example, the shutter section 16 is configured to close the lower part 11C of the weighing tank for 3 seconds at 3-minute intervals, and the weighing process during this closed state is performed by the load cell 18.

[0043] The shutter section 16 provided in the weighing tank 11 functions as described above in principle, thereby performing the weighing process in the weighing tank 11. However, if necessary, the shutter section 16 may be controlled differently. Specifically, if there is a difference between the amount of powder supplied from the first rotary valve 61 (powder supply section) and the amount of powder discharged from the second rotary valve 62 (powder discharge section), the control unit 40 controls at least one of the following in order to adjust the amount of powder H (see Figure 4) stored in the storage tank 1: the operation control of the first rotary valve 61 and the operation control of the second rotary valve 62. For example, if the amount (level) of powder H stored in the storage tank 1 exceeds the upper sensor 5A, control is performed to close the shutter section 16, even if it is not at the set interval (timing). In such cases, weighing is also performed as needed.

[0044] The control unit 40 is configured to appropriately control the operation of each drive unit constituting the quantitative supply device 100 according to this embodiment, acquire various data, perform calculation processing based on the acquired data, and provide feedback control to each drive unit based on the results of this calculation processing. For example, the control unit 40 calculates the flow rate of the powder from the weight and weighing time of the powder measured in the weighing tank 11, controls the amount of powder supplied from the first rotary valve 61 (powder supply unit) based on the flow rate of the powder, and controls the amount of powder discharged from the second rotary valve 62 (powder discharge unit) based on the level of the powder H (detection result of the sensor unit 5).

[0045] The quantitative supply device 100 according to this embodiment is configured as described with reference to Figures 1 to 4. The functions of the quantitative supply device 100 according to this embodiment will now be described based on the drawings.

[0046] In the quantitative supply device 100 according to this embodiment, powdered material is continuously supplied into the storage tank 1 via the first rotary valve 61. The supplied powdered material is stored in the storage tank 1 (near the lower part 2C of the housing) via the supply port 3 of the storage tank 1, the upper opening 13 of the measuring tank 11, and the lower opening 14 of the measuring tank 11.

[0047] The amount of powdered material being stored is constantly detected by the sensor unit 5 (which consists of an upper sensor 5A and a lower sensor 5B), and the detection signal regarding the amount of stored material is transmitted to the control unit 40.

[0048] Based on the acquired detection signal regarding the amount of stored material, the control unit 40 determines that the amount of stored powder has reached the lower sensor 5B, and controls the second rotary valve 62 to rotate at the same speed as the first rotary valve 61. When this second rotary valve 62 rotates, the powder in the storage tank 1 is discharged to the outside of the quantitative supply device 100 (to the malting device 200 in this embodiment).

[0049] A shutter section 16 is provided at the lower opening 14 of the weighing tank 11 located inside the storage tank 1. As mentioned above, this shutter section 16 is controlled to remain closed only at predetermined intervals and for predetermined times (for example, for 3 seconds at 3-minute intervals), and the weighing process of the powder is performed using the load cell 18 when the shutter section 16 is closed. In other words, by keeping the lower opening 14 of the weighing tank 11 closed by the shutter section 16, the powder accumulates in the weighing tank 11, and the weight of this accumulated powder is measured using the load cell 18. From this weight and weighing time, the flow rate of the powder is calculated. Then, the control unit 40 controls the rotation speed of the first rotary valve 61 so that the calculated flow rate of the powder becomes a predetermined flow rate.

[0050] The second rotary valve 62, connected to the discharge port 4 of the storage tank 1, has its rotation speed controlled by the control unit 40 so that the storage level of the powder in the storage tank 1 is between the upper sensor 5A and the lower sensor 5B of the sensor unit 5. Furthermore, the second rotary valve 62 is controlled by the control unit 40 to increase its rotation speed when the storage level of the powder in the storage tank 1 is equal to or higher than the upper sensor 5A (or higher), and to decrease its rotation speed when the storage level of the powder is equal to or lower than the lower sensor 5B (or lower). In this embodiment, after the first rotary valve 61 starts operation, the flow rate is measured in the metering tank 11, and the frequency (rotation speed) of the first rotary valve 61 is increased or decreased to adjust the flow rate so that it reaches the set flow rate. At this time, the second rotary valve 62 is operated at the same frequency (rotation speed) as the first rotary valve 61.

[0051] In principle, the weighing process using the weighing tank 11 according to this embodiment is performed at regular intervals. However, in some cases, the weighing process may be performed as appropriate. For example, if the weighing interval is set to be long (for example, 30 minutes), when the powder level exceeds the upper sensor 5A of the sensor unit 5, the lower opening 14 of the weighing tank 11 may be closed with the shutter unit 16 and the weighing process may be performed. Normally, the storage level in the storage tank 1 is maintained between the upper sensor 5A and the lower sensor 5B, but as described above, if the weighing process is performed by closing the shutter unit 16 when the powder level exceeds the upper sensor 5A of the sensor unit 5, it becomes possible to control the rotation speed of each rotary valve 61, 62 more appropriately based on the weighing signal.

[0052] Based on the various functions described above, the quantitative supply device 100 according to this embodiment is configured to measure the actual flow rate of powder supplied from the first rotary valve 61 (powder supply unit) to the storage tank 1 in the measuring tank 11, and to discharge the powder using the second rotary valve 62 (powder discharge unit) so that the amount of powder stored in the storage tank 1 remains constant. Therefore, the quantitative supply device 100 according to this embodiment can continuously supply powder at a constant flow rate with accuracy.

[0053] The quantitative supply device 100 according to this embodiment is configured and functions as described above, and therefore has the following effects. The configuration and effects of the quantitative supply device 100 according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0054] The quantitative supply device 100 according to this embodiment comprises a storage tank 1 having a supply port 3 at the top and a discharge port 4 at the bottom, and a measuring tank 11 provided inside the storage tank 1. The upper opening 13 of the measuring tank 11 is provided below the supply port 3 and spaced apart from the supply port 3, and the lower opening 14 of the measuring tank 11 is provided above the discharge port 4 and spaced apart from the discharge port 4. The lower opening 14 of the measuring tank 11 is provided with a shutter 16 that opens and closes the lower opening 14.

[0055] The quantitative supply device 100 according to this embodiment is configured to achieve quantitative supply by providing a measuring tank 11 in the storage tank 1, measuring in the measuring tank 11, and driving a shutter section 16 provided in the measuring tank to open and close. With this configuration, a more compact quantitative supply device 100 can be obtained by providing the measuring tank 11 in the storage tank 1.

[0056] In addition, this quantitative feeding device 100 has an upper opening 13 of the measuring tank 11 located below the supply port 3 and spaced apart from the supply port 3, and a lower opening 14 of the measuring tank 11 located above the discharge port 4 and spaced apart from the discharge port 4. In other words, in this embodiment, the quantitative feeding device 100 has the upper opening 13 and lower opening 14 of the measuring tank 11 spaced apart from the supply port 3 and discharge port 4 of the storage tank 1. With this configuration, even if the shutter section 16 is not opened due to some malfunction and remains closed, the powder and granular material can be continuously supplied (supplied to the discharge port 4 of the storage tank 1) via the measuring tank 11. Specifically, with this quantitative feeding device 100, since the upper opening 13 of the measuring tank 11 is spaced apart from the supply port 3, even if powder and granular material are continuously fed into the measuring tank 11 while the shutter section 16 remains closed, the powder and granular material will overflow from the upper opening 13. Furthermore, since the lower opening 14 of the measuring tank 11 is spaced apart from the discharge port 4, the powder and granular material that overflows from the upper opening 13 will be continuously supplied to the downstream side of the storage tank 1 via the discharge port 4.

[0057] Furthermore, the quantitative supply device 100 according to this embodiment comprises a storage tank 1 having a supply port 3 at the top and a discharge port 4 at the bottom, and a measuring tank 11 provided inside the storage tank 1. An upper opening 13 of the measuring tank 11 is provided below the supply port 3, spaced apart from the supply port 3, and a lower opening 14 of the measuring tank 11 is provided above the discharge port 4, spaced apart from the discharge port 4. A shutter portion 16 for opening and closing the lower opening 14 is provided in the lower opening 14 of the measuring tank 11, and a discharge portion 13A for the supplied material is formed in at least one of the upper opening 13 of the measuring tank 11 and in the vicinity of the upper opening 13.

[0058] With the quantitative feeding device 100 configured in this way, in addition to the same effects and benefits as the quantitative feeding device described above, the following effects and benefits can be obtained. In this embodiment, the quantitative feeding device 100 has a discharge section 13A for the supplied material formed in at least one of the upper opening 13 of the measuring tank 11 and in the vicinity of the upper opening 13. For example, a notch (discharge section for the supplied material) is provided in part of the upper opening 13, or one or more openings (discharge sections for the supplied material) are provided in the vicinity of the upper opening, or both are provided. With such a configuration, by forming a discharge section 13A for the supplied material having an appropriate shape and number (appropriate opening area, etc.), the flow rate of the powder and granular material overflowing through the upper opening 13 of the measuring tank 11 and its vicinity can be appropriately determined.

[0059] Furthermore, the quantitative supply device 100 according to this embodiment is characterized in that, in the configuration described above, it includes a first rotary valve 61 (powder and granular material supply unit) connected to the upstream side of the supply port 3 and a second rotary valve 62 (powder and granular material discharge unit) connected to the downstream side of the discharge port 4.

[0060] With the quantitative supply device 100 configured in this way, in addition to the effects described above, the following effects can be obtained. This quantitative supply device 100 has a first rotary valve 61 on the upstream side of the storage tank 1 and a second rotary valve 62 on the downstream side of the storage tank 1. By appropriately controlling these rotary valves 61 and 62, it is possible to continuously supply a quantitative amount of powder to the storage tank (supply port 3) and to continuously discharge a quantitative amount of powder from the storage tank (discharge port 4).

[0061] Furthermore, the quantitative supply device 100 according to this embodiment is characterized in that, in a configuration having rotary valves 61 and 62, a bypass piping section 80 is provided that connects the upstream side of the first rotary valve 61 and the downstream side of the second rotary valve 62.

[0062] With the quantitative supply device 100 configured in this way, in addition to the effects described above, the following effects can be obtained. This quantitative feeding device 100 is characterized by having the bypass piping section 80 described above. Therefore, according to this embodiment, even if a malfunction occurs in at least one of the storage tank 1, measuring tank 11, first rotary valve 61, and second rotary valve 62, and the powder material accumulates (becomes clogged, etc.) due to the malfunction, the supply of the powder material can be continued appropriately. In other words, according to the quantitative feeding device 100 of this embodiment, since the bypass piping section 80 is provided to skip each component located between the first rotary valve 61 and the second rotary valve 62, even if some malfunction occurs in the components of the skipped section, the continuous supply of powder material can be appropriately carried out.

[0063] <Other Embodiments> It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be made as necessary within the scope of the spirit of the present invention, and all such modifications fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0064] In the above embodiments, the case where the supplied material is wheat was described, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. Therefore, for example, the supplied material may be various granular materials (granular materials such as nuts, beans, grains, resins, stones, glass, and wood) or various powders.

[0065] Furthermore, although the above embodiment describes a configuration in which a malting device 200 is provided downstream of the quantitative feeding device 100, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. Since the characteristic configuration of the present invention is the quantitative feeding device 100, the devices provided upstream and downstream of this quantitative feeding device 100 are not limited in any way.

[0066] Furthermore, although the above embodiment described the case in which rotary valves 61 and 62 are used as the powder supply unit and powder discharge unit constituting the quantitative supply device 100, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. In other words, any equipment that can transport powder (the material to be supplied) and allows for flow rate adjustment during transport can be applied as the powder supply unit and powder discharge unit. Examples of such powder supply unit and powder discharge unit include screw feeders and vibrating feeders. It is desirable that the powder supply unit and the powder discharge unit be the same piece of equipment. This is because, in this embodiment in which the first rotary valve 61 functions as the powder supply unit and the second rotary valve 62 functions as the powder discharge unit, using the same equipment makes it easy to control the powder supply unit and the powder discharge unit at the same frequency (same rotational speed). With this configuration, it is possible to supply and discharge the same amount of powder at approximately the same rotation speed, so that the amount of powder in the storage tank 1 can be stabilized in a short time to a level between the upper sensor 5A and the lower sensor 5B. In other words, in the embodiment of the present invention, if one (for example, the powder supply unit) is a vibrating feeder, it is preferable that the other (for example, the powder discharge unit) is also a vibrating feeder.

[0067] Furthermore, although the above embodiment described a case where the powder supply unit and the powder discharge unit are the same device, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. Therefore, for example, in other embodiments of the present invention, the powder supply unit may be configured using a rotary valve, and the powder discharge unit may be configured using a vibrating feeder, etc. However, when using different devices in this way, initial investigations and initial settings will be necessary because the capabilities of each device will differ depending on the frequency. [Industrial applicability]

[0068] This invention relates to a quantitative feeding device for supplying granular materials, powders, and other materials to be supplied in rice milling machines, flour milling machines, and the like.

[0069] The quantitative dispensing device according to the present invention comprises, for example, a storage tank having a supply port at the top and a discharge port at the bottom, and a measuring tank provided inside the storage tank, wherein an upper opening of the measuring tank is provided below the supply port and spaced apart from the supply port, and a lower opening of the measuring tank is provided above the discharge port and spaced apart from the discharge port, and the lower opening of the measuring tank is provided with a shutter that opens and closes the lower opening.

[0070] According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a quantitative feeding device that can achieve quantitative transport and supply of powders and granules (the material to be supplied) with a relatively compact configuration. Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a quantitative feeding device that can continue to supply powders and granules as a whole even if a malfunction occurs in the drive unit near the weighing unit.

[0071] Because the quantitative feeding device according to the present invention has the above-described configuration and effects, it is considered to have high industrial applicability. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0072] 1…Storage tank 2...Storage tank housing 2A... Side of the enclosure 2B... Upper part of the cabinet 2C...Lower part of the casing 3… Supply port 4…Discharge port 5...Sensor unit 5A…Top sensor 5B...Lower sensor 11...Measuring tank 11B…Upper part of measuring tank 11C…Lower part of measuring tank 13…Top opening 13A…Supplied object discharge part 14…Lower opening 16...Shutter section 18…Load cell 40... Control Unit 61…First rotary valve (powder / granular material supply unit) 62...Second rotary valve (powder / granular material discharge section) 80... Bypass piping section 81…Upper connection part 82...Lower connection part 83...Bypass main unit 91... Upper piping section 92...Lower piping section 100…Quantitative supply device 200…Wheat milling equipment 300... Barley processing system H...Powder (material to be supplied) R...Opening and closing direction of the shutter

Claims

1. A storage tank having a supply port at the top and a discharge port at the bottom, The storage tank is equipped with a measuring tank, An upper opening of the measuring tank is provided below the supply port, spaced apart from the supply port, and a lower opening of the measuring tank is provided above the discharge port, spaced apart from the discharge port. The lower opening of the weighing tank is provided with a shutter that opens and closes the lower opening. A powder and granular material supply unit connected to the upstream side of the supply port, It comprises a powder and granular material discharge section connected to the downstream side of the discharge port, A bypass piping section is provided to connect the upstream side of the powder supply section and the downstream side of the powder discharge section. A quantitative feeding device characterized by the following features.

2. A discharge section for the supplied material is formed in at least one of the upper opening of the measuring tank and the vicinity of the upper opening. The quantitative dispensing device according to claim 1.

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