JPH0319939B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to an automatic viscosity measuring device that automatically measures the viscosity of a liquid.

A viscosity measuring device is required, for example, in a paint coating line that coats a steel strip with paint. In other words, in such a paint coating line, if the amount of paint lifted by the pick-up roll from the container (pan) containing liquid paint is almost constant at all times, the thickness of the paint film coated on the steel strip becomes stable. Become something. However, as the viscosity of the paint in the pan increases, the amount of paint that can be lifted increases, and conversely, as the viscosity of the paint in the pan decreases, the amount of paint that can be lifted decreases. Causes non-uniformity. In this way, in order to keep the paint film thickness coated on the steel strip uniform at all times, the viscosity of the paint in the pan is periodically measured using a viscosity measuring device.
It is necessary to maintain a constant viscosity of the paint in the pan.

Traditionally, a food cup, an inexpensive viscometer, is often used to measure the viscosity of paint in a pan. This food cup corresponds to the viscosity of the time it takes for all the paint in the cup to flow out of the hole at the bottom. However, measuring the time required for all the paint to drain from the food cup is not automated and must rely on human intervention.

Furthermore, a falling ball viscometer has also been used to measure the viscosity of paint in conventional pans. In this case, there is a branch pipe from the paint pipe to the pan, and the metal ball falls inside the branch vertical pipe. When measuring, this is an automatic viscosity measuring device that temporarily stops the flow of paint in the branch vertical pipe and allows the metal ball to fall, and correlates the falling time with the viscosity.This method requires large-scale equipment,
This ends up being more expensive than using a food cup.

An object of the present invention is to provide an inexpensive automatic viscosity measuring device that can accurately measure liquid viscosity.

A specific object of the present invention is to use an inexpensive viscosity measurement cup (for example, a food cup) with a hole in the bottom as a viscometer, and to automate the measurement of the time until all the liquid in the cup flows out through the hole. The purpose of this invention is to provide a measuring device.

According to the present invention, a viscosity measuring cup having a hole in the bottom and said cup submerged in a liquid to be measured in a container are pulled up to a predetermined position above the liquid level and returned to their original position. a first detector for detecting the point in time when the cup is lifted above the liquid level by the cup drive; and a state in which the cup is pulled up to the predetermined position. , a second detector detects when the liquid in the cup has completely flowed out from the bottom hole; and the second detector starts operation based on the detection signal of the first detector, and the second detector detects the detection signal of the second detector. There is obtained an automatic viscosity measuring device characterized in that it has a timer that stops its operation at a certain point.

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

Referring to FIG. 1, an automatic viscosity measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention is submerged in paint 3, which is a liquid to be measured, in a food cup 1 having a hole 1a at the bottom and a pan 2. Said cup 1
(The condition of this cup 1 is shown by the broken line in FIG. 1) is pulled up to a predetermined position above the liquid level of the paint 3 (the condition of this cup 1 is shown by the solid line in FIG. 1). An air cylinder 4 is a cup driving device for lifting and returning the cup to its original position, and a first detector detects when the cup 1 is lifted above the liquid level of the paint 3 by the air cylinder 4. a position detector 5; and photo sensors 6, 7 which are second detectors for detecting the point in time when the paint in the cup 1 has completely flowed out from the bottom hole 1a when the cup 1 is pulled up to the predetermined position.
(6 is a light emitter, 7 is a light receiver), and a timer 8 that starts operating in response to a detection signal 5a from the cylinder position detector 5 and stops operating in response to a detection signal 7a from the photo sensors 6 and 7.

Stroke position detectors 5 and 9 are attached to the air cylinder 4. That is, the position detector 5 is attached to the air cylinder 4 at a position where it can detect when the cup 1 is lifted above the liquid level of the paint 3 in the pan 2, as described above. On the other hand, the position detector 9 is placed in a position relative to the air cylinder 4 where it can detect when the cup 1 is pulled up to a predetermined position above the paint 3 (the position of the cup 1 indicated by the solid line in FIG. 1). installed. Detection signal 5a of position detector 5
is used as a start signal for the timer 8 in the control device 10. A detection signal 9a from the position detector 9 is given to the control device 10 as a confirmation signal of the food cup stop position. An activation signal 6a to the light emitter 6 of the photo sensor is given from the control device 10. The light receiver 7 of the photo sensor outputs a detection signal 7a when there is no obstacle (paint 3a) on the optical path between it and the light emitter 6. This detection signal 7a is used as a stop signal for a timer 8 in the coating device 10. The coating device 10 includes a timer 8, for example, a digital timer, and a photo sensor 7.
A photo sensor amplifier 11 receiving a signal from
and a sequencer 12 consisting of, for example, a programmable sequencer, to automatically measure time corresponding to viscosity. The air from the compressor 13 is guided to the solenoid valve 15 via the air pipe 14, and the air pipe 1 selected by the solenoid valve 15 is
6 and 17, and is guided to the upper or lower part of the air cylinder 4. The state of the solenoid valve 15 is determined by an instruction signal 18 from the control device 10.

The outer case 18 has a function of preventing the paint 3a from fluctuating due to wind, and is made of a transparent material so that the movements of the cylinder 4 and the food cup 1 can be visually observed.

This automatic viscosity measuring device has a control device 1.
It operates according to the sequence of the sequencer 12 of 0. The contents of the sequence of the programmable sequencer 12 are as follows.

1. The movable part of the cylinder 4 is raised by the instruction signal 18 from the control device 10. As a result, the food cup 1, which had been submerged in the paint 3 in the pan 2, is pulled up.

2. When the control device 10 receives the detection signal 5a from the position detector 5, it starts the timer 8.

3 Timer 8 is stopped using photo sensors 6 and 7.
However, when the food cup 1 is initially pulled up, the flow of the paint 3a is oscillated and unstable, so the flow of the paint 3a may deviate from the optical path of the photo sensors 6 and 7, so the stop signal 7a from the photo sensor 7 is Set the sequence to not accept for a certain period of time (set a dead time).

4. Also, unless the food cup 1 is located above the optical path, a correct stop signal 7a cannot be obtained from the photo sensor 7, so this is confirmed by the detection signal 9a of the position detector 9.

5 When the control device 10 receives the stop signal 7a from the photo sensor 7, the control device 10 starts the timer 8.
to stop. The time when the timer 8 stops is displayed on the timer 8 display.

6 The control device 10 outputs a stop signal 7a.
After receiving the instruction signal 18, the cylinder 4
Lower the movable parts to their original positions. By this,
Submerge food cup 1 in pan 2.

7 After a certain period of time, return to step 1) above.

As described above, the viscosity of the paint 3 in the pan 2 can be periodically measured by periodically moving the food cup 1 up and down. food cup 1
If you leave it in the air, hole 1 at the bottom of the cup will open.
Since the paint on the edge of a will harden and the hole will become smaller, keep the food cup 1 submerged in the pan 2 except when measuring.

As explained above, according to the present invention, a relatively inexpensive viscometer called a viscosity measuring cup (for example, a food cup) having a hole in the bottom is used to measure the time required for all the liquid to flow out from the cup. An automatic viscosity measuring device that automates the process and eliminates the need for human operations can be obtained, and an inexpensive configuration makes it possible to accurately measure liquid viscosity.

It goes without saying that the present invention includes modifications to the above-described embodiments. For example, as a cup for measuring viscosity, if it is cup-shaped with a hole at the bottom other than a food cup,
Available for use. Furthermore, the present invention is applicable to measuring the viscosity of liquids other than paint.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an automatic viscosity measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1...Food cup, 1a...hole, 2...bread, 3
…Paint, 4…Air cylinder, 5…Position detector, 6 and 7…Photo sensor, 8…Timer, 9
...Position detector, 10...Control device, 11...
Photo sensor amplifier, 12...programmable sequencer, 13...compressor, 14, 16 and 17...air piping, 18...outer case.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A cup for measuring viscosity with a hole in the bottom, and a cup for lifting the cup submerged in the liquid to be measured in the container to a predetermined position above the liquid level and returning it to its original position. a drive device;
a first detector for detecting when the cup is lifted above the liquid level by the cup drive device; and a first detector for detecting when the cup is lifted above the liquid level; a second detector for detecting the point in time when all the water has flowed out from the hole;
An automatic viscosity measuring device comprising: a timer that starts operating in response to a detection signal from the first detector and stops operating in response to a detection signal from the second detector.