Blasting apparatus and volumetric feeder

Abstract

A blasting apparatus includes: a storage container including a storage chamber; a volumetric feeder; and a nozzle configured to project, together with compressed air, an abrasive supplied from the volumetric feeder, wherein: the volumetric feeder includes: a casing configured to define a space on an inside, and including an introduction port causing the space and the storage chamber to communicate with each other and a supply port opened toward a lower side in a position separated from the introduction port in a horizontal direction; and a screw including a rotational shaft housed in the casing and extending along the horizontal direction, the screw configured to carry the abrasive in the space toward the supply port from the introduction port by rotating about the rotational shaft; wherein the screw is housed in the casing in such a way as not to overlap the supply port in a vertical direction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A blasting apparatus configured to project an abrasive, the blasting apparatus comprising:
 a storage container configured to define a storage chamber storing the abrasive in the storage chamber;   a volumetric feeder configured to supply the abrasive to an outside of the storage container from the storage chamber; and   a nozzle configured to project, together with compressed air, the abrasive supplied from the volumetric feeder, wherein:   the volumetric feeder includes:
 a casing extending along a horizontal direction, configured to define a space on an inside, and including an introduction port and a supply port, the introduction port configured to cause the space and the storage chamber to communicate with each other, and the supply port opened toward a lower side in a position separated from the introduction port in the horizontal direction; and 
 a screw including a rotational shaft housed in the casing and extending along the horizontal direction, the screw configured to carry the abrasive in the space toward the supply port from the introduction port by rotating about the rotational shaft; 
   wherein the screw is housed in the casing in such a way as not to overlap the supply port in a vertical direction.   
     
     
         2 . The blasting apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising an air supplying member housed in the storage chamber, connected to an air source, and including a plurality of air holes configured to supply air from the air source provided therein. 
     
     
         3 . The blasting apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a connection pipe connecting the nozzle and the supply port of the casing to each other, wherein the nozzle is provided in such a way as to cause a relative positional relationship with the casing to be fixed. 
     
     
         4 . The blasting apparatus according to  claim 2 , further comprising a connection pipe connecting the nozzle and the supply port of the casing to each other, wherein the nozzle is provided in such a way as to cause a relative positional relationship with the casing to be fixed. 
     
     
         5 . The blasting apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the nozzle includes:
 a body coupled to a path through which the abrasive is transferred toward the nozzle from the volumetric feeder; 
 an air nozzle configured to introduce the compressed air into the body and configured to generate an air flow sucking the abrasive into the body; and 
 an injection nozzle configured to project, together with the compressed air, the abrasive transferred into the body; and 
   the nozzle is disposed in such a way as to cause a pressure loss generated in accordance with the generation of the air flow to be 0.1 kPa or less.   
     
     
         6 . The blasting apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the nozzle includes:
 a body coupled to a path through which the abrasive is transferred toward the nozzle from the volumetric feeder; 
 an air nozzle introducing the compressed air into the body and configured to generate an air flow sucking the abrasive into the body; and 
 an injection nozzle projecting, together with the compressed air, the abrasive transferred into the body; and 
   the nozzle is disposed in such a way as to cause a pressure loss generated in accordance with the generation of the air flow to be 0.1 kPa or less.   
     
     
         7 . The blasting apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein:
 the nozzle includes:
 a body coupled to a path through which the abrasive is transferred toward the nozzle from the volumetric feeder; 
 an air nozzle introducing the compressed air into the body and configured to generate an air flow sucking the abrasive into the body; and 
 an injection nozzle projecting, together with the compressed air, the abrasive transferred into the body; and 
   the nozzle is disposed in such a way as to cause a pressure loss generated in accordance with the generation of the air flow to be 0.1 kPa or less.   
     
     
         8 . The blasting apparatus according to  claim 1 , comprising a restriction plate in which an opening passing through the restriction plate in a thickness direction is formed, the restriction plate being disposed between a distal end of the screw and the supply port in such a way as to partition an inside of the casing. 
     
     
         9 . The blasting apparatus according to  claim 2 , comprising a restriction plate in which an opening passing through the restriction plate in a thickness direction is formed, the restriction plate being disposed between a distal end of the screw and the supply port in such a way as to partition an inside of the casing. 
     
     
         10 . The blasting apparatus according to  claim 3 , comprising a restriction plate in which an opening passing through the restriction plate in a thickness direction is formed, the restriction plate being disposed between a distal end of the screw and the supply port in such a way as to partition an inside of the casing. 
     
     
         11 . The blasting apparatus according to  claim 4 , comprising a restriction plate in which an opening passing through the restriction plate in a thickness direction is formed, the restriction plate being disposed between a distal end of the screw and the supply port in such a way as to partition an inside of the casing. 
     
     
         12 . The blasting apparatus according to  claim 1 , comprising a restriction plate fixed to a distal end of the screw in such a way as to form a gap between the restriction plate and an inner wall of the casing. 
     
     
         13 . The blasting apparatus according to  claim 2 , comprising a restriction plate fixed to a distal end of the screw in such a way as to form a gap between the restriction plate and an inner wall of the casing. 
     
     
         14 . The blasting apparatus according to  claim 3 , comprising a restriction plate fixed to a distal end of the screw in such a way as to form a gap between the restriction plate and an inner wall of the casing. 
     
     
         15 . The blasting apparatus according to  claim 4 , comprising a restriction plate fixed to a distal end of the screw in such a way as to form a gap between the restriction plate and an inner wall of the casing. 
     
     
         16 . The blasting apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the storage container, the volumetric feeder, and the nozzle configure a unit, the blasting apparatus comprising a movement mechanism relatively moving the unit with respect to an object to be processed. 
     
     
         17 . A volumetric feeder supplying an abrasive to a nozzle configured to blast, the volumetric feeder comprising:
 a casing extending in a horizontal direction, defining a space on an inside, and including an introduction port configured to introduce the abrasive to the space, and a supply port opened toward a lower side in a position separated from the introduction port in a horizontal direction; and   a screw including a rotational shaft housed in the casing, the rotational shaft extending in the horizontal direction, the screw configured to carry the abrasive in the space toward the supply port from the introduction port by rotating about the rotational shaft;   wherein the screw is housed in the casing in such a way as not to overlap the supply port in a vertical direction.