Automatic solution mixing apparatus

• US 5,177,693 A
• Filed: 10/04/1990
• Issued: 01/05/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Karashiki Boseki Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Kurashiki Boseki Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Sato, Koichi, Aoki, Nobuaki, Wada, Atsuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Teska, Kevin J.
• Application Number:
  US07/593,013
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 364/500, 364/502, 364/479, 364/510, 364/140, 73/863.31, 73/863.33, 73/863.54, 73/863.83, 73/864.13, 73/864.16, 73/864.17, 73/864.18, 222/56, 417/17, 417/403
• US Class Current: 700/265
• CPC Class Codes: B01F 35/8822 using measuring chambers of the piston or plunger type B01F35/8823 takes precedence

Abstract

An automatic solution mixing apparatus is provided with a plurality of solution distributors located on opposite sides of a common base plate supported on a supporting block. The support block is movable in opposite directions. Pistons of the solution distributors are connected to the common base plate so that dual solution mixing operations can be performed by the solution distributors with a high degree of accuracy. Moreover, a stepping motor is utilized as a driving motor, and the operation of the stepping motor can be controlled by controlling the number of pulses supplied to the driving motor without using a rotaty encoder.

Claims

1. An automatic solution mixing apparatus comprising:

at least one pair of solution distributors, each of said distributors including a cylinder and a piston slidably received in said cylinder so as to be reciprocatable relative to said cylinder, and the distributors of each said pair thereof being disposed opposite one another in the apparatus with the pistons thereof extending from their cylinders in opposite directions in the apparatus;

a common base plate interposed between the distributors of each said pair thereof;

a piston coupling mechanism coupling each of said pistons to said common base plate,

said coupling mechanism including a forked member fixed to one of a respective said piston and said common base plate, and a joint member fixed to the other of said respective piston and said common base plate,

said forked member having a pair of arms each having a recessed portion defining a recess therein, and

said joint member being received in the recesses defined in the arms of said forked member and detachably connected to said forked member at the recessed portions of the arms thereof;

a supporting block supporting said common base plate in the apparatus;

a shifting screw operatively connected to said supporting block so as to move said supporting block in the apparatus in respective directions causing the piston of each said solution distributor on one side of said common base plate to extend and the piston of each said solution distributor disposed opposite thereto on the other side of said common base plate to concurrently retract;

first pulley means connected to said shifting screw for transmitting drive to said shifting screw to rotate said screw;

a stepping motor having an output shaft;

second pulley means connected to the output shaft of said stepping motor for transmitting output of the stepping motor; and

transmission belt means extending around said first and said second pulley means for transmitting the output of said stepping motor from said second pulley means to said first pulley means to rotate said shifting screw and move said supporting block.

2. An automatic solution mixing apparatus comprising:

at least one pair of solution distributors, each of said distributors including a cylinder and a piston slidably received in said cylinder so as to be reciprocatable relative to said cylinder, and the distributors of each said pair thereof being disposed opposite one another in the apparatus with the pistons thereof extending from their cylinders in opposite directions in the apparatus;

a plurality of solution tanks provided to supply solutions to said solution distributors;

a plurality of solution receivers provided to receive solution from said solution distributors;

three-way solenoid valves operatively interposed between each of said solution distributors and respective ones of the solution tanks and solution receivers associated therewith, each of said three-way solenoid valves moveable between positions at which valve passages of the valves place the solution distributor associated with the valve in open communication with a said solution tank associated with the distributor and with a said solution receiver associated with the distributor, respectively;

a common base plate interposed between the distributors of each said pair thereof;

a piston coupling mechanism coupling each of said pistons to said common base plate,

said coupling mechanism including a forked member fixed to one of a respective said piston and said common base plate, and a joint member fixed to the other of said respective piston and said common base plate,

said forked member having a pair of arms each having a recessed portion defining a recess therein, and

said joint member being received in the recesses defined in the arms of said forked member and detachably connected to said forked member at the recessed portions of the arms thereof;

a supporting block supporting said common base plate in the apparatus;

a shifting screw operatively connected to said supporting block so as to move said supporting block in the apparatus in respective directions causing the piston of each said solution distributor on one side of said common base plate to extend and the piston of each said solution distributor disposed opposite thereto on the other side of said common base plate to concurrently retract;

first pulley means connected to said shifting screw for transmitting drive to said shifting screw to rotate said screw;

a stepping motor having an output shaft;

second pulley means connected to the output shaft of said stepping motor for transmitting output of the stepping motor;

transmission belt means extending around said first and said second pulley means for transmitting the output of said stepping motor from said second pulley means to said first pulley means to rotate said shifting screw and move said supporting block;

solenoid valve control means for feeding signals to said three-way solenoid valves to selectively move said valves to said positions thereof;

calculation means for calculating data corresponding to a predetermined target quantity of solution to be discharged into said receivers from each of said distributors;

driving motor control means operatively connected to said stepping motor for controlling said stepping motor; and

control unit means operatively connected to said solenoid valve control means, to said calculation means and to said driving motor control means for controlling said solenoid valve control means and said driving motor control means based on the data calculated by said calculation means.

3. An automatic solution mixing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein said calculation means calculates data of a number of pulses by which said stepping motor will operate to cause the predetermined target quantity of solutions to be discharged from each of said solution distributors, by executing the following equations:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">PQiL=POiL×

QiL,

and

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">PQiR=POiR×

QiR

wherein PQiL is the number of pulses by which said stepping motor will operate to cause a predetermined quantity of solution to be discharged from a respective one of the solution distributors on one side of said common base plate, PQiR is the number of pulses by which said stepping motor will operate to cause a predetermined quantity of solution to be discharged from a respective one of the solution distributors on the other side of said common base plate, POiL is the number of pulses by which said stepping motor will operate to cause a unit amount of solution to be discharged from the respective one of the solution distributors on said one side of said common base plate, POiR is the number of pulses by which said stepping motor will operate to cause a unit amount of solution to be discharged from the respective one of the solution distributors on said other side of said common base plate, QiL is said predetermined target quantity of solution to be discharged from the respective one of said solution distributors on said one side of said common base plate, and QiR is said predetermined target quantity of solution to be discharged from the respective one of said solution distributors on said other side of said common base plate.