JP2014108414A - Solution discharge device and solution discharge method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a device capable of discharging a constant amount irrespective of a residual amount of a solution.SOLUTION: Opening time of a valve is determined at least based on a residual amount reflection parameter R acquired by a parameter acquisition unit 57A, a flow amount Q of a solution presented by a flow amount presentation unit 46A and a discharge amount W presented by a discharge amount presentation unit 44A. Thereby, the opening time of a valve 56A is extended according to a residual amount of a solution in a syringe 30A. Therefore, a substantially constant amount of a solution can be discharged from the syringe irrespective of the residual amount of a solution 9A in the syringe. Also, the opening extention time is calculated based on the flow amount of the solution discharged from the syringe. Thereby, the number of measurement and experiments performed beforehand for determining the opening extension time can be reduced.

Description

  The present invention relates to a liquid agent discharge apparatus and a liquid agent discharge method.

Conventionally, a discharge device that discharges a liquid such as an adhesive quantitatively is known. For example, Japanese Patent No. 2511117 discloses a liquid dispensing apparatus that includes a syringe filled with a liquid and an air supply source that supplies pressurized air to the syringe. In the liquid dispensing apparatus disclosed in this publication, a voltage signal is output from the control unit to operate a discharge electromagnetic switching valve, and pressurized air from an air supply source is supplied to the syringe. Thereby, the liquid is discharged from the syringe (second page, right column, lines 18 to 22).
Japanese Patent No. 2511117

  In such a discharge device, when the remaining amount of the liquid in the syringe decreases, a void is generated in the syringe. For this reason, a part of the pressurized air supplied to the syringe is used to increase the pressure of the gap. If it does so, the discharge amount of the liquid from a syringe will reduce.

  In this regard, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2511117 describes that the discharge time is controlled in accordance with the remaining amount of liquid in the syringe (page 2, right column, lines 22 to 27). However, in this publication, the discharge time is obtained using a constant n determined by the viscosity of the liquid, the length and inner diameter of the pipe, the size of the syringe, and the like. In this method, it is necessary to determine the constant n by experiment (page 4, left column, lines 24 to 26).

  An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid agent discharge apparatus and a liquid agent discharge method capable of discharging a substantially constant amount of liquid agent from a syringe and reducing the measurement and experiment to be performed in advance for calculation of the extension time of opening. It is.

  An exemplary first invention of the present application is a liquid agent discharge device that discharges a liquid agent by gas pressure, and stores a liquid agent therein and has a syringe having a discharge port for discharging the liquid agent, and the inside of the liquid agent discharge device Alternatively, a pipe that connects the gas supply source provided outside and the syringe, a valve provided in the pipe, a control unit that controls opening and closing of the valve, and a residual that reflects the remaining amount of the liquid agent in the syringe A parameter acquisition unit that acquires a quantity reflection parameter, and the control unit is discharged from the syringe, a discharge amount presenting unit that presents a discharge amount of the liquid agent to be discharged in one discharge operation A flow rate presentation unit that presents the flow rate of the liquid agent, at least a remaining amount reflection parameter acquired by the parameter acquisition unit, a flow rate of the liquid agent that is presented by the flow rate presentation unit, and the discharge amount presentation unit. An operation command unit that determines an opening time of the valve based on the indicated discharge amount, and the relationship between the opening time determined by the operation command unit and the discharge amount increases the discharge amount. The open extension time, which is the open time when the linear function is extrapolated to a point where the discharge amount is zero, is a positive value. The opening extension time increases as the remaining amount of the liquid agent decreases, and decreases as the flow rate of the liquid agent increases.

  An exemplary second invention of the present application is a liquid agent discharge method for discharging a liquid agent from a syringe by the pressure of a gas supplied by opening a valve, and a) a liquid agent to be discharged in one discharge operation A step of setting a discharge amount; b) a step of acquiring a remaining amount reflection parameter reflecting a remaining amount of the liquid agent in the syringe; c) a step of estimating or measuring a flow rate of the liquid agent discharged from the syringe; d) The opening time of the valve is determined based on at least the discharge amount acquired in the step a), the remaining amount reflection parameter acquired in the step b), and the flow rate acquired in the step c). And e) opening the valve for the open time determined in the step d), and the relationship between the open time determined in the step d) and the discharge amount. Includes a range represented by a substantially linear function in which the open time increases as the discharge amount increases, and the open extension is the open time when the linear function is extrapolated to a point where the discharge amount is zero. The time is a positive value, and the opening extension time increases as the remaining amount of the liquid decreases, and decreases as the flow rate of the liquid increases.

  According to the first and second exemplary inventions of the present application, the valve opening time can be extended according to the remaining amount of the liquid in the syringe. Thereby, a substantially constant amount of the liquid agent can be discharged from the syringe regardless of the remaining amount of the liquid agent. Further, the opening extension time is calculated based on the flow rate of the liquid agent discharged from the syringe. Thereby, the measurement and experiment previously performed for determination of open extension time can be reduced.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the liquid agent discharge device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is an external view of the liquid agent discharge device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an air supply system and a control system of the liquid agent discharge device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of the liquid agent discharge process according to the second embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating valve switching and gas pressure change. FIG. 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the discharge amount and the valve opening time. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a flow of open time determination processing according to the second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a block diagram conceptually showing the open time determination process according to the second embodiment. FIG. 9 is a view showing the shape of the syringe according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a graph showing the relationship between the flow rate of the liquid agent and the open extension time. FIG. 11 is a graph obtained by actually plotting the flow rate and the correction coefficient of the liquid discharged from the syringe. FIG. 12 is a block diagram conceptually showing the open time determination process according to the modification. FIG. 13 is a block diagram conceptually showing the open time determination process according to the modification. FIG. 14 is a block diagram conceptually showing the open time determination process according to the modification. FIG. 15 is a block diagram conceptually showing an open time determination process according to the modification. FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an air supply system and a control system of a liquid agent discharge device according to a modification.

  Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<1. First Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a liquid agent discharge apparatus 1A according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The liquid agent discharge device 1A is a device that discharges the liquid agent 9A by gas pressure. As illustrated in FIG. 1, the liquid agent discharge device 1A includes a syringe 30A, a pipe 50A, a valve 56A, a control unit 40A, and a parameter acquisition unit 57A.

  The syringe 30A has a discharge port 33A for storing the liquid 9A and discharging the liquid 9A. The pipe 50A connects the gas supply source provided inside or outside the liquid agent discharge device 1A and the syringe 30A. A valve 56A is provided in the course of the pipe 50A. The control unit 40A controls opening and closing of the valve 56A. The parameter acquisition unit 57A acquires a remaining amount reflection parameter R that reflects the remaining amount of the liquid 9A in the syringe 30A.

  Further, as conceptually shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 40A includes a discharge amount presentation unit 44A, a flow rate presentation unit 46A, and an operation command unit 45A. The discharge amount presentation unit 44A presents the discharge amount W of the liquid 9A to be discharged in one discharge operation. The flow rate presentation unit 46A presents the flow rate Q of the liquid 9A discharged from the syringe 30A. The operation command unit 45A includes at least the remaining amount reflection parameter R acquired by the parameter acquisition unit 57A, the discharge amount W presented by the discharge amount presentation unit 44A, and the flow rate Q of the liquid 9A presented by the flow rate presentation unit 46A. Based on this, the opening time of the valve 56A is determined.

  The relationship between the opening time determined by the operation command unit 45A and the discharge amount W includes a range represented by a substantially linear function in which the opening time increases as the discharge amount W increases. The opening time when the linear function is extrapolated to a point where the discharge amount W is zero becomes the opening extension time of the valve 56. The opening extension time is a positive value. Further, the opening extension time increases as the remaining amount of the liquid 9A decreases, and decreases as the flow rate Q of the liquid 9A increases.

  In this liquid agent discharge device 1A, the opening time of the valve 56A can be extended according to the remaining amount of the liquid agent 9A in the syringe 30A. Thereby, a substantially constant amount of the liquid 9A can be discharged from the syringe 30A regardless of the remaining amount of the liquid 9A. Further, the open extension time is calculated based on the flow rate Q of the liquid 9A discharged from the syringe 30A. Thereby, the measurement and experiment previously performed for determination of open extension time can be reduced.

<2. Second Embodiment>
<2-1. Configuration of Liquid Discharge Device 1>
FIG. 2 is an external view of the liquid agent discharge apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The liquid agent discharge device 1 is a device that discharges a liquid agent 9 on the surface of an object using a gas pressure. The liquid agent discharge device 1 applies a liquid agent 9 such as an adhesive or oil to the surface of various objects in a manufacturing process of, for example, an automobile, an electronic device, a communication device, a flat panel display, an optical disk, and a secondary battery. Used for. The liquid 9 may be a liquid with high fluidity or a gel substance. As shown in FIG. 2, the liquid agent discharge device 1 includes a main body box 10, an external pipe 21 connected to the main body box 10, and a syringe 30 attached to the tip of the external pipe 21.

  The main body box 10 is a housing made of metal or resin. An internal pipe 22 and a microcomputer 40 are accommodated in the main body box 10. The internal pipe 22 is a pipe for supplying gas to the external pipe 21. The microcomputer 40 is a control unit that controls the operation of each unit of the liquid agent discharge device 1. A display unit 11 and an operation unit 12 are provided on the front surface of the main body box 10. The display unit 11 displays various information output from the microcomputer 40. The operation unit 12 includes switches and buttons for inputting various commands to the microcomputer 40.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of an air supply system and a control system of the liquid agent discharge device 1. As shown in FIG. 3, the liquid agent discharge device 1 includes a first pipe 51, a second pipe 52, a third pipe 53, and a fourth pipe 54. The external pipe 21 described above corresponds to a part of the second pipe 52 on the downstream side in the supply direction. The internal pipe 22 described above corresponds to a part of the second pipe 52 on the upstream side in the supply direction, the first pipe 51, the third pipe 53, and the fourth pipe 54.

  The first pipe 51 connects the air supply unit 55 and a switching valve 56 described later to configure a gas flow path. The air supply unit 55 is connected to a gas supply source that supplies a gas such as clean air or nitrogen gas. The gas supply source may be a part of the liquid agent discharge device 1 or a factory utility installed outside the liquid agent discharge device 1.

  The second pipe 52 connects the switching valve 56 and the syringe 30 to form a gas flow path. A first pressure sensor 57 that measures the pressure of the gas in the second pipe 52 is provided on the path of the second pipe 52. The syringe 30 includes, for example, a storage unit 31 and a replaceable nozzle unit 32. The liquid 9 is stored in the storage unit 31 and the nozzle unit 32. A discharge port 33 for discharging the liquid agent 9 is provided at the lower end of the nozzle portion 32.

  A switching valve 56 is provided between the first pipe 51 and the third pipe 53 and the second pipe 52. The switching valve 56 is between a first state (the state of FIG. 3) that connects the first pipe 51 and the second pipe 52 and a second state that connects the first pipe 51 and the third pipe 53. Switching is possible. In the first state, the gap between the first pipe 51 and the second pipe 52 is opened, and the gap between the third pipe 53 and the second pipe 52 is closed. In the second state, the gap between the first pipe 51 and the second pipe 52 is closed, and the gap between the third pipe 53 and the second pipe 52 is opened.

  A first electropneumatic regulator 58 and an air tank 59 are provided on the path of the first pipe 51. The first electropneumatic regulator 58 fills the air tank 59 with gas based on the input electrical signal. When a discharge process described later is performed, the air tank 59 is filled with a compressed gas in advance. After the gas is filled in the air tank 59, when the switching valve 56 is switched from the second state to the first state, the gas in the air tank 59 is supplied to the syringe 30 through the second pipe 52. Then, the liquid 9 is discharged from the discharge port 33 of the syringe 30 by the pressure of the gas.

  The fourth pipe 54 connects a portion of the first pipe 51 on the upstream side in the supply direction from the first electropneumatic regulator 58 and the exhaust part 60 to constitute a gas flow path. A second electropneumatic regulator 61 and an ejector 62 are provided on the path of the fourth pipe 54. The third pipe 53 connects the switching valve 56 and the ejector 62 to constitute a gas flow path. When the second electropneumatic regulator 61 is operated, the compressed gas is sent from the second electropneumatic regulator 61 to the exhaust section 60. Then, negative pressure is generated at the connection port on the third pipe 53 side of the ejector 62. That is, in the present embodiment, the ejector 62 constitutes a decompression unit having a pressure lower than the external pressure.

  The microcomputer 40 is a control unit that controls the operation of each unit in the liquid agent discharge apparatus 1. As conceptually shown in FIG. 1, the microcomputer 40 electrically connects the switching valve 56, the first electropneumatic regulator 58, and the second electropneumatic regulator 61 described above via the D / A converter 41. Connected. Further, the microcomputer 40 is electrically connected to the first pressure sensor 57 described above via the A / D converter 42. The microcomputer 40 controls the operation of the switching valve 56, the first electropneumatic regulator 58, and the second electropneumatic regulator 61 while referring to a preset program and a measurement signal from the first pressure sensor 57. Thereby, the discharge process of the liquid agent 9 in the liquid agent discharge apparatus 1 proceeds.

  In this embodiment, the control unit is configured by the microcomputer 40 that performs only limited processing. However, the control unit of the present invention may be a highly extensible personal computer having a CPU and a memory. . The control unit of the present invention may be a device using a microprocessor such as a programmable logic controller.

  In addition, it is preferable to provide the air tank 59 on the path | route of the 1st piping 51 like this embodiment. In this way, when the switching valve 56 is in the first state, the gas pressure in the second pipe 52 is stabilized, and the liquid 9 can be discharged from the syringe 30 with higher accuracy. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the air tank 59 may be omitted.

  In the present embodiment, the second electropneumatic regulator 61 is provided in the fourth pipe 54, but a needle valve or a regulator other than the electropneumatic regulator is provided instead of the second electropneumatic regulator 61. May be.

<2-2. About Discharge Processing>
Subsequently, the discharge process of the liquid agent 9 in the liquid agent discharge apparatus 1 described above will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of the ejection process.

  In the liquid agent discharge apparatus 1, when discharging the liquid agent 9, first, the discharge amount W of the liquid agent 9 is set (step S1). For example, the user of the liquid agent discharge device 1 operates the operation unit 12 to arbitrarily input the maximum gas pressure and the standard opening time of the switching valve 56. When this operation is performed, the discharge amount W of the liquid 9 to be discharged in one discharge operation is set from the input maximum pressure and standard opening time. Then, information on the set discharge amount W is input to the microcomputer 40.

  The discharge amount W may be set by a method other than the above. For example, the user of the liquid agent discharge apparatus 1 may directly input the discharge amount W of the liquid agent 9 to be discharged in one discharge operation by operating the operation unit 12.

  Next, the microcomputer 40 switches the switching valve 56 from the second state to the first state. That is, the switching valve 56 is opened between the first pipe 51 and the second pipe 52 (step S2). Then, the gas filled in the air tank 59 is supplied to the syringe 30 through the second pipe 52. And the discharge of the liquid agent 9 from the syringe 30 is started by the pressure of the gas.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating switching of the switching valve 56 and changes in gas pressure generated in the second pipe 52 by the switching. Time is shown on the horizontal axis of FIG. The vertical axis in FIG. 5 shows the state of the switching valve 56 and the gas pressure in the second pipe 52. Further, the upper part of FIG. 5 shows a case where the liquid agent 9 is fully filled in the syringe 30 at the start of discharge. The lower part of FIG. 5 shows a case where the remaining amount of the liquid 9 in the syringe 30 is less than the full amount at the start of discharge.

  Here, the actual maximum remaining amount of the liquid 9 filled in the syringe 30 is referred to as “full amount”. Therefore, the “full amount” does not necessarily have to be a state where the space in the syringe 30 is completely filled with the liquid 9.

  As shown in FIG. 5, when the switching valve 56 is switched from the second state to the first state, the pressure of the gas in the second pipe 52 gradually increases. In the upper case of FIG. 5, the maximum pressure Pa is reached after the standard time Tr1 has elapsed since the switching valve 56 was switched to the first state. On the other hand, in the lower case of FIG. 5, since the remaining amount of the liquid 9 in the syringe 30 is less than the full amount, a gap corresponding to that amount exists in the syringe 30. For this reason, the rising time Tr2 from when the switching valve 56 is switched to the first state until the maximum pressure Pa is reached is longer than the standard time Tr1. In the example of FIG. 5, there is a difference in delay time ΔTr between the standard time Tr1 and the rise time Tr2.

  Thus, when the remaining amount of the liquid agent 9 in the syringe 30 decreases, the rise of the pressure P is delayed. For this reason, in order to discharge the liquid agent 9 at a constant discharge amount W regardless of the remaining amount of the liquid agent 9 in the syringe 30, the switching valve 56 is changed in accordance with a decrease in the remaining amount of the liquid agent 9 in the syringe 30. It is necessary to extend the time (hereinafter referred to as “open time T”) for maintaining the first state in the first state.

  FIG. 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the discharge amount W set in step S1 and the open time T. A change line 70 in FIG. 6 indicates the relationship between the discharge amount W and the opening time when the syringe 9 is fully filled with the liquid 9 (hereinafter referred to as “standard opening time Ts”). . As indicated by the change line 70, the relationship between the discharge amount W and the standard opening time Ts is represented by a substantially linear function in which the standard opening time Ts increases as the discharge amount W increases.

Moreover, the change line 71 in FIG. 6 shows the relationship between the discharge amount W and the open time T when the remaining amount of the liquid 9 in the syringe 30 is less than the full amount. As indicated by the change line 71, the relationship between the discharge amount W and the open time T is a substantially linear function in which the open time T increases as the discharge amount W increases at least in the range from the minimum time Tmin to the maximum time Tmax. It is controlled to become. The minimum time Tmin is calculated by substituting the syringe volume V and the maximum gas pressure Pa into the following third calculation formula, and the maximum time Tmax is calculated by substituting the syringe volume V and the maximum gas pressure Pa It is calculated by substituting into the fourth calculation formula. The open time T is longer than the standard open time Ts. In the change line 71, a portion where the discharge amount W is smaller than the range represented by the substantially linear function is estimated to be curved as shown by a broken line in FIG.
Tmin = {2+ (0.15 × V)} × √Pa (third calculation formula)
Tmax = V × √Pa (fourth calculation formula)

  Note that Tmin and Tmax are not attributed to the essential characteristics of the control method of the present invention in which the discharge amount is controlled by calculating the valve opening extension time. For example, even when the range controlled by the substantially linear function is only a time range larger than Tmin and smaller than Tmin, the control method of the present invention functions effectively within the range. However, in consideration of the application in which the present invention is actually used, if the valve opening time is not controlled by a substantially linear function over a certain range, it cannot be a practical device. Therefore, it is necessary to limit Tmin and Tmin.

  In the present embodiment, for example, when the syringe volume V = 3 cc and the maximum pressure Pa = 200 kPa, control is performed according to a substantially linear function in a range of approximately 26 msec to approximately 80 msec. Since Tmin and Tmax given by the third calculation formula and the fourth calculation formula are 34 msec and 42 msec, respectively, they comply with the limits of Tmin and Tmax. Further, when the syringe volume is 70 cc and the maximum pressure Pa = 800 kPa, control is performed in accordance with a substantially linear function in the range of about 200 msec to about 2720 msec. Since Tmin and Tmax given by the third calculation formula and the fourth calculation formula are 354 msec and 1979 msec, they comply with the limits of Tmin and Tmax.

  The microcomputer 40 determines the open time T according to the discharge amount W set in step S1 and the remaining amount of the liquid 9 in the syringe 30 (step S3). Then, after switching the switching valve 56 to the first state, the first state is maintained for the open time T determined in step S3. Eventually, when the open time T elapses, the microcomputer 40 switches the switching valve 56 from the first state to the second state. That is, the switching valve 56 is closed between the first pipe 51 and the second pipe 52 (step S4).

  When the switching valve 56 is switched to the second state, the gas in the second pipe 52 is sent to the third pipe 53 by the negative pressure generated by the ejector 62. Thereby, discharge of the liquid agent 9 can be stopped rapidly. In this way, it is possible to prevent the liquid agent 9 from dripping excessively from the syringe 30 after the discharge is completed. As a result, the discharge amount of the liquid 9 from the syringe 30 can be brought closer to the set discharge amount W.

<2-3. Opening time determination process>
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing in more detail the process of step S3 described above, that is, the process of determining the opening time T of the switching valve 56. FIG. 8 is a block diagram conceptually showing a calculation process for determining the opening time T of the switching valve 56 in the microcomputer 40. Below, the determination process of the open time T is demonstrated, referring FIG. 7 and FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the microcomputer 40 includes a storage unit 43, a discharge amount presentation unit 44, an operation command unit 45, a flow rate calculation unit 46, and a timer 47. Each function of the storage unit 43, the discharge amount presentation unit 44, the operation command unit 45, the flow rate calculation unit 46, and the timer 47 is realized by arithmetic processing in the microcomputer 40.

  When determining the opening time T, first, the standard opening time Ts is determined (step S31). Specifically, the standard opening time of the switching valve 56 input by the user when setting the discharge amount W in step S1 is set as the standard opening time Ts.

  However, when the user directly inputs the discharge amount W in step S1, the standard opening time Ts may be determined based on the discharge amount W. In that case, the discharge amount presentation unit 44 presents the set discharge amount W to the operation command unit 45 based on the input signal from the operation unit 12. In the operation command unit 45, data corresponding to the change line 70 in FIG. 6 is set in advance. The operation command unit 45 may determine the standard opening time Ts based on the data and the presented discharge amount W.

  Next, the timer 47 measures the rising time Tr2 of the pressure P measured by the first pressure sensor 57. Specifically, based on the measurement signal of the first pressure sensor 57, the rising time Tr2 until the gas pressure P in the second pipe 52 reaches the maximum pressure Pa is measured. Then, the delay time ΔTr from the standard time Tr1 of the rising time Tr2 is acquired (step S32).

  As shown in FIG. 5, the delay time ΔTr changes according to the remaining amount of the liquid agent 9 in the syringe 30. In the present embodiment, this delay time ΔTr is acquired as a remaining amount reflecting parameter reflecting the remaining amount of the liquid 9 in the syringe 30. That is, in the present embodiment, the first pressure sensor 57 and the timer 47 function as a parameter acquisition unit that acquires the remaining amount reflection parameter. If the delay time ΔTr is used as the remaining amount reflecting parameter, it is not necessary to directly measure the remaining amount of the liquid 9 in the syringe 30.

Next, the flow rate calculation unit 46 calculates the flow rate Q of the liquid agent 9 discharged from the syringe 30 (step S33). The storage unit 43 stores the diameter d of the inner peripheral surface of the nozzle unit 32, the length L of the internal space of the nozzle unit 32 in the ejection direction, and the viscosity μ of the liquid agent 9. In step S <b> 33, the flow rate calculation unit 46 reads the diameter d, the length L, and the viscosity μ from the storage unit 43. Further, the flow rate calculation unit 46 acquires the gas pressure P in the second pipe 52 from the first pressure sensor 57. The pressure P acquired here is preferably the pressure Pa after rising. Then, the flow rate calculation unit 46 calculates the flow rate Q of the liquid agent 9 by substituting the diameter d, the length L, the viscosity μ, and the pressure P into the following second calculation formula (step S33). Note that π is the circumference ratio.
Q = (P × π × d ⁴ ) / (128 × μ × L) (second calculation formula)

  Thereby, the flow rate Q of the liquid agent 9 discharged from the syringe 30 is estimated. If it does in this way, the flow volume of the liquid agent 9 discharged from the syringe 30 can be obtained without actually measuring. The calculated flow rate Q is presented to the operation command unit 45. That is, in this embodiment, the flow rate calculation unit 46 functions as a flow rate presentation unit that presents the flow rate Q of the liquid agent 9 discharged from the syringe 30.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a more detailed shape of the syringe 30. As illustrated in FIG. 9, the storage unit 31 includes a storage main body 311, a first reduced diameter portion 312, and an inner connection portion 313. On the other hand, the nozzle part 32 includes an outer connection part 321, a second reduced diameter part 322, and a nozzle body part 323. The storage part 31 and the nozzle part 32 are connected by mounting the outer connection part 321 on the outer peripheral surface of the inner connection part 313.

  When the syringe 30 has such a shape, the diameter d described above may be, for example, the diameter d of the inner peripheral surface of the nozzle body 323. Moreover, the length L mentioned above should just be made the length of the discharge direction of the internal space of the nozzle main-body part 323, for example.

Subsequently, the operation command unit 45 substitutes the delay time ΔTr, which is the remaining amount reflection parameter, and the flow rate Q presented by the flow rate calculation unit 46 into the following first calculation formula. Thereby, the open extension time Td is calculated (step S34). C is a coefficient.
Td = C × ΔTr / Q (first calculation formula)

  The open extension time Td calculated here is the open time when the linear function included in the change line 71 in FIG. 6 is extrapolated to a point where the discharge amount W is zero. As shown in FIG. 6, the open extension time Td is a positive value. Further, according to the first calculation formula, the open extension time Td increases as the delay time ΔTr increases, that is, as the remaining amount of the liquid 9 decreases. Further, the open extension time Td decreases as the delay time ΔTr decreases, that is, as the remaining amount of the liquid 9 increases.

  FIG. 10 is a graph showing the relationship between the flow rate Q of the liquid 9 and the open extension time Td. The horizontal axis in FIG. 10 indicates the flow rate Q. The vertical axis in FIG. 10 indicates the open extension time Td. Assuming that the delay time ΔTr is constant, the open extension time Td becomes a decreasing function with respect to the flow rate Q as shown in FIG. That is, the open extension time Td increases as the remaining amount Q of the liquid agent 9 decreases, and decreases as the flow rate Q of the liquid agent 9 increases. Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the magnitude of the decrease in the open extension time Td with respect to the increase in the flow rate Q of the liquid agent 9 is smaller as the flow rate Q of the liquid agent 9 is larger.

  FIG. 11 is a graph in which the flow rate Q of the liquid 9 discharged from a certain syringe 30 and the correction coefficient correlated with the open extension time Td are respectively measured and plotted. Referring to the result of FIG. 11, the correction coefficient decreases as the flow rate Q of the liquid 9 increases. Further, the magnitude of the decrease in the correction coefficient with respect to the increase in the flow rate Q of the liquid agent 9 is smaller as the flow rate Q of the liquid agent 9 is larger. If the measurement condition changes, the actual measurement value in FIG. 11 changes, but the inclination of the correction coefficient with respect to the flow rate Q shows the same tendency regardless of the measurement condition.

  In the present embodiment, the above-described first calculation formula is set based on the result of FIG. That is, the open extension time Td follows the first calculation formula represented by Td = C × ΔTr / Q. Accordingly, the open extension time Td is appropriately calculated according to the flow rate Q of the liquid agent 9.

  Thereafter, the operation command unit 45 calculates the opening time T of the switching valve 56 by adding the opening extension time Td to the standard opening time Ts (step S35). According to the above calculation processing, the open time T of the switching valve 56 can be extended according to the remaining amount of the liquid 9 in the syringe 30. Thereby, a substantially constant amount of the liquid agent can be discharged from the syringe 30 regardless of the remaining amount of the liquid agent 9. Further, the open extension time Td is calculated based on the flow rate of the liquid 9 discharged from the syringe 30. Thereby, the measurement and experiment previously performed for determination of the open extension time Td can be reduced.

<3. Modification>
As mentioned above, although exemplary embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to said embodiment.

  FIG. 12 is a block diagram conceptually showing a modification of the calculation process for determining the opening time T of the switching valve. In the example of FIG. 12, the pressure P used for the calculation of the flow rate calculation unit 46B is stored in advance as a fixed value in the storage unit 43B. When calculating the flow rate Q, the flow rate calculation unit 46B reads the diameter d, the length L, the viscosity μ, and the pressure P from the storage unit 43B. Then, the flow rate calculation unit 46B calculates the flow rate Q of the liquid agent by substituting the diameter d, the length L, the viscosity μ, and the pressure P into the second calculation formula.

  FIG. 13 is a block diagram conceptually showing another modification of the calculation process for determining the opening time T of the switching valve. The liquid agent discharge device of FIG. 13 further includes a viscosity measuring unit 34C that measures the viscosity μ of the liquid agent 9C stored in the syringe 30C. When calculating the flow rate Q, the flow rate calculation unit 46C acquires the viscosity μ measured by the viscosity measurement unit 34C. Then, the flow rate calculation unit 46C calculates the flow rate Q of the liquid 9C by substituting the diameter d, the length L, the viscosity μ, and the pressure P into the second calculation formula. In this way, the flow rate Q of the liquid 9C can be calculated more accurately based on the actually measured value of the viscosity μ.

  FIG. 14 is a block diagram conceptually showing another modification of the calculation process for determining the opening time T of the switching valve. The liquid agent discharge device in FIG. 14 further includes a flow meter 35D that measures the flow rate Q of the liquid agent 9D discharged from the syringe 30D. When calculating the open extension time Td, the operation command unit 45D acquires the flow rate Q presented based on the measurement signal input from the flow meter 35D. Then, the operation command unit 45D calculates the open extension time Td by substituting the flow rate Q and the delay time ΔTr into the first calculation formula. In this way, the open extension time Td can be calculated more accurately based on the measured value of the flow rate Q.

  FIG. 15 is a block diagram conceptually showing another modification of the calculation process for determining the opening time T of the switching valve. 15 further includes an input unit 48E for changing and inputting the coefficient C. When calculating the open extension time Td, the operation command unit 45E acquires the coefficient C input from the input unit 48E. Then, the operation command unit 45E calculates the open extension time Td by substituting the flow rate Q, the delay time ΔTr, and the coefficient C into the first calculation formula. In this way, the open extension time Td can be calculated using an appropriate coefficient C corresponding to the type of the liquid agent 9.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an air supply system and a control system of a liquid agent discharge apparatus 1F according to another modification. In the example of FIG. 16, the second pressure sensor 63F is provided between the first electropneumatic regulator 58F and the air tank 59F of the first pipe 51F. That is, the first pressure sensor 57F is provided at a position downstream of the switching valve 56F in the supply direction, and the second pressure sensor 63F is provided at a position upstream of the switching valve 56F in the supply direction. The second pressure sensor 63F is electrically connected to the microcomputer 40 via the A / D converter 42F.

  In the example of FIG. 16, the timer in the microcomputer 40F acquires the measurement value of the first pressure sensor 57F and the measurement value of the second pressure sensor 63F. Then, the above-described rise time Tr2 is measured based on the time when the two measured values coincide. In this way, the rise time Tr2 can be measured even when the measured value of the first pressure sensor 57F does not reach the preset maximum pressure Pa.

  In the above embodiment, the microcomputer 40 controls the switching valve 56 via the D / A converter 41. However, the control unit of the present invention may control the valve without going through the D / A converter, and may control it with binary values of ON / OFF, for example.

  Moreover, about the detailed shape of the liquid agent discharge apparatus 1, you may differ from the shape shown by each figure of this application. Moreover, you may combine suitably each element which appeared in said embodiment and modification in the range which does not produce inconsistency.

  The present invention can be used for a liquid agent discharge apparatus and a liquid agent discharge method.

1, 1A, 1F Liquid Dispensing Device 9, 9A, 9C, 9D Liquid 10 Body Box 11 Display 12 Operation Unit 21 External Piping 22 Internal Piping 30, 30A, 30C, 30D Syringe 31 Storage Portion 32 Nozzle Portion 33, 33A Discharge Port 34C Viscosity measurement unit 35D Flow meter 40 Microcomputer 40A Control unit 41 D / A converter 42 A / D converter 43, 43B Storage unit 44, 44A Discharge amount presentation unit 45, 45A, 45D, 45E Operation command unit 46, 46B, 46C Flow rate calculation unit 46A Flow rate presentation unit 47 Timer 48E Input unit 51, 51F First piping 52 Second piping 53 Third piping 54 Fourth piping 56 First switching valve 56A Valve 57, 57F First pressure sensor 57A Parameter acquisition unit 58 , 58F First electropneumatic regulator 59, 59F Air tank 61 Second Pneumatic regulator 62 ejector 63F second pressure sensor

Claims (13)

A liquid agent discharge device for discharging a liquid agent by gas pressure,
While storing the liquid agent inside, a syringe having a discharge port for discharging the liquid agent;
A pipe connecting the syringe with a gas supply source provided inside or outside the liquid agent discharge device;
A valve provided in the pipe;
A control unit for controlling opening and closing of the valve;
A parameter acquisition unit that acquires a remaining amount reflection parameter that reflects the remaining amount of liquid in the syringe;
Have
The controller is
A discharge amount presentation unit for presenting a discharge amount of the liquid agent to be discharged in one discharge operation;
A flow rate presenting unit for presenting the flow rate of the liquid discharged from the syringe;
The valve opening time is determined based on at least the remaining amount reflection parameter acquired by the parameter acquisition unit, the flow rate of the liquid agent presented by the flow rate presentation unit, and the discharge amount presented by the discharge amount presentation unit. An operation command section;
Have
The relationship between the opening time determined by the operation command unit and the discharge amount includes a range represented by a substantially linear function in which the opening time increases as the discharge amount increases, at least in the range from Tmin to Tmax. The open extension time, which is the open time when the linear function is extrapolated to a point where the discharge amount is zero, is a positive value,
The Tmin and Tmax are set such that the syringe volume is V and the maximum gas pressure is Pa.
Tmin = {2+ (0.15 × V)} × √Pa
Tmax = V × √Pa
Represented by
The liquid discharge device, wherein the extension time increases as the remaining amount of the liquid decreases, and decreases as the flow rate of the liquid increases. The liquid agent discharge device according to claim 1,
The magnitude of the decrease in the open extension time with respect to the increase in the flow rate of the liquid agent is smaller as the flow rate of the liquid agent is larger. It is a liquid agent discharge device according to claim 1 or 2,
The parameter acquisition unit
A first pressure sensor provided at a position downstream of the valve of the pipe;
A timer for measuring the rise time of the pressure measured by the first pressure sensor;
Have
A liquid agent discharge device that acquires a delay time from a standard time of a rise time measured by the timer as the remaining amount reflecting parameter when the valve is opened. It is a liquid agent discharge device according to claim 3,
When the opening extension time is Td, the delay time is ΔTr, the flow rate of the liquid discharged from the syringe is Q, and the coefficient is C,
The open extension time Td is:
Td = C × ΔTr / Q
The liquid agent discharge apparatus according to the 1st calculation formula represented by these. A liquid agent discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The syringe includes a nozzle portion having the discharge port,
The controller is
By substituting the diameter of the inner peripheral surface of the nozzle part, the length in the discharge direction of the internal space of the nozzle part, the viscosity of the liquid agent, and the gas pressure in the pipe into the second calculation formula, A flow rate calculation unit for calculating the flow rate;
The flow rate presentation unit is a liquid ejection device that presents the flow rate calculated by the flow rate calculation unit. It is a liquid agent discharge device according to claim 5,
Q is the flow rate of the liquid agent, d is the diameter of the inner peripheral surface of the nozzle part, L is the length in the discharge direction of the internal space of the nozzle part, μ is the viscosity of the liquid agent, P is the gas pressure in the pipe, Let pi be pi
The second calculation formula is:
Q = (P × π × d ⁴ ) / (128 × μ × L)
The liquid agent discharge device. It is a liquid agent discharge device according to claim 5 or 6,
The liquid agent discharge device, wherein the pressure of the gas substituted into the second calculation formula is a fixed value set in advance. A liquid agent ejection device according to any one of claims 5 to 7,
A viscosity measuring unit for measuring the viscosity of the liquid agent;
The flow rate calculation unit is a liquid agent ejection device that substitutes the viscosity measured by the viscosity measurement unit into the second calculation formula. A liquid agent discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A flow meter for measuring the flow rate of the liquid discharged from the syringe;
The flow rate presenting unit is a liquid agent ejection device that presents a flow rate measured by the flow meter. It is a liquid agent discharge device according to claim 4,
The controller is
A liquid agent discharge apparatus further comprising an input unit for changing and inputting the coefficient C. It is a liquid agent discharge device according to claim 3 or claim 4,
The parameter acquisition unit
A second pressure sensor provided at a position upstream of the valve of the pipe;
The said timer is a liquid agent discharge apparatus which measures the said rise time based on the time when the measured value of the said 1st pressure sensor and the measured value of the said 2nd pressure sensor corresponded. A liquid agent discharge device according to any one of claims 1 to 11,
The piping is
A first pipe connecting the gas supply source and the valve;
A second pipe connecting the valve and the syringe;
A third pipe that connects the syringe and the decompression section having a pressure lower than the external pressure;
Including
The valve is capable of switching between a state of connecting the first pipe and the second pipe and a state of connecting the third pipe and the second pipe. A liquid agent discharge method for discharging a liquid agent from a syringe by the pressure of a gas supplied by opening a valve,
a) setting a discharge amount of a liquid agent to be discharged in one discharge operation;
b) obtaining a remaining amount reflecting parameter reflecting the remaining amount of the liquid agent in the syringe;
c) estimating or measuring the flow rate of the liquid discharged from the syringe;
d) The opening time of the valve is determined based on at least the discharge amount acquired in the step a), the remaining amount reflection parameter acquired in the step b), and the flow rate acquired in the step c). And a process of
e) opening the valve for the open time determined in step d);
Including
The relationship between the opening time and the discharge amount determined in the step d) is a range represented by a substantially linear function in which the opening time increases as the discharge amount increases, at least in the range from Tmin to Tmax. Including an open extension time when the linear function is extrapolated to a point where the discharge amount is zero, and is a positive value.
The Tmin and Tmax are set such that the syringe volume is V and the maximum gas pressure is Pa.
Tmin = {2+ (0.15 × V)} × √Pa
Tmax = V × √Pa
Represented by
The liquid extension method, wherein the opening extension time increases as the remaining amount of the liquid decreases, and decreases as the flow rate of the liquid increases.

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