# US 2014/0190791 A1 · Vibration device, article conveyance device, and article sorting device

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2014/0190791 A1
- Document ID: US20140190791A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/129,489
- Filed: 2012-05-31
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2011-07-08
- Assignees: Sinfonia Technology Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Tetsuyuki Kimura; Yasushi Muragishi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140190791A1

## CPC

- B65G 27/18: Mechanical devices {(B65G27/26 takes precedence)}
- B06B 1/0603: {using a piezoelectric bender, e.g. bimorph}
- B07B 13/113: {shaking tables (for wet separating B03B5/04; tables with water impulse B03B5/70; pneumatic tables B03B4/02; moving screens B07B1/28)}
- B65G 27/24: Electromagnetic devices
- B65G 27/26: with elastic coupling between vibrator and load carrier
- B65G 27/32: with means for controlling direction, frequency or amplitude of vibration or shaking movement
- Y10T 74/18856: Oscillating to oscillating
- B65G: TRANSPORT OR STORAGE DEVICES, e.g. CONVEYORS FOR LOADING OR TIPPING, SHOP CONVEYOR SYSTEMS OR PNEUMATIC TUBE CONVEYORS (packaging B65B; handling thin or filamentary materials, e.g. paper sheets or thread, B65H; cranes B66C; portable mobile or lifting or hauling appliances, e.g. hoists, B66D; devices for lifting or lowering goods for loading or unloading purposes, e.g. fork-lift trucks, B66F9/00; emptying bottles, jars, casks, barrels or similar containers, not otherwise provided for, B67C9/00; delivering or transferring liquids B67D; filling or discharging vessels for liquefied, solidified or compressed gases F17C; pipe-line systems for fluids F17D)
- B06B: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR GENERATING OR TRANSMITTING MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OF INFRASONIC, SONIC, OR ULTRASONIC FREQUENCY, {e.g.} FOR PERFORMING MECHANICAL WORK IN GENERAL (for particular applications, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. B07B1/40, B23Q17/12, B24B31/06; measurement of mechanical vibrations G01H; in direction finding, locating, distance or velocity measuring G01S; {generating seismic energy G01V1/02}; control of mechanical vibrations in general G05D; sound-producing devices, e.g. bells, sirens, whistles G10K, {e.g. methods or devices for transmitting, conducting, or directing sound in general G10K11/00}; generation of electrical oscillations H03B; electromechanical resonators in general H03H; electromechanical transducers {for communication techniques, e.g. microphones, speakers} H04R)
- B07B: SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM SOLIDS BY SIEVING, SCREENING, SIFTING OR BY USING GAS CURRENTS; SEPARATING BY OTHER DRY METHODS APPLICABLE TO BULK MATERIAL, e.g. LOOSE ARTICLES FIT TO BE HANDLED LIKE BULK MATERIAL (wet separating processes, sorting by processes using fluent material in the same way as liquid B03; combinations of dry separating apparatus with wet separating apparatus B03B; using liquids B03B, B03D; sorting by magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges or vortex apparatus for carrying out physical processes B04; hand sorting, postal sorting, sorting by switching or other devices actuated in response to detection or measurement of some feature of articles or samples of material B07C)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A vibration device includes a base, a movable bench elastically supported with respect to the base, a first horizontal excitation unit that vibrates the movable bench in a first horizontal direction, a second horizontal excitation unit that vibrates the movable bench in a second horizontal direction that crosses the first horizontal direction, a vertical excitation unit that vibrates the movable bench in a vertical direction, and first and second middle benches between the base and the movable bench, wherein first to third plate-like spring members elastically connect the base, the first and second middle benches, and the movable bench sequentially in the first horizontal direction, the second horizontal direction, and the vertical direction.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

-16. (canceled)

### Claim 17

A vibration device comprising a base, a movable bench elastically supported with respect to the base, a first horizontal excitation unit that vibrates the movable bench in a first horizontal direction, a second horizontal excitation unit that vibrates the movable bench in a second horizontal direction that crosses the first horizontal direction, and a vertical excitation unit that vibrates the movable bench in a vertical direction, the vibration device comprising:
a first middle bench and a second middle bench between the base and the movable bench, and the vibration device including:
a first horizontal elastic support unit, a second horizontal elastic support unit, and a vertical elastic support unit that elastically connect the base, the first middle bench, the second middle bench, and the movable bench sequentially in the first horizontal direction, the second horizontal direction, and the vertical direction, wherein
the first horizontal elastic support unit is configured from a first plate-like spring member with a thickness direction approximately matching to the first horizontal direction and with a longitudinal direction arranged in a horizontal direction,
the second horizontal elastic support unit is configured from a second plate-like spring member with a thickness direction approximately matching to the second horizontal direction and with a longitudinal direction arranged in a horizontal direction, and
the vertical elastic support unit is configured from a third plate-like spring member with a thickness direction approximately matching to the vertical direction and with a longitudinal direction arranged in a horizontal direction.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The vibration device according to claim 17, wherein
at least any of the first to third plate-like spring members are provided in parallel in plural while being separated at a predetermined distance.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The vibration device according to claim 17, wherein
the first and second horizontal excitation units and the vertical excitation unit are piezoelectric elements that are stuck on at least one face of the first to third plate-like spring members, and the first to third plate-like spring members are vibrated by applying sinusoidal voltage to these piezoelectric elements to cause periodic elongation.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The vibration device according to claim 18, wherein
the first and second horizontal excitation units and the vertical excitation unit are piezoelectric elements that are stuck on at least one face of the first to third plate-like spring members, and the first to third plate-like spring members are vibrated by applying sinusoidal voltage to these piezoelectric elements to cause periodic elongation.

### Claim 21 (depends on 17)

The vibration device according to claim 17, wherein
spring seats are provided between at least any of the base and the first middle bench and the first plate-like spring member, and between at least any of the first middle bench and the second middle bench and the second plate-like spring member, respectively, and positions of the spring seats are configured to be changeable with respect to the longitudinal directions of the first and the second plate-like spring members, respectively.

### Claim 22

A vibration device comprising a base supported on a ground surface via a vibration isolation spring, a movable bench elastically supported with respect to the base, a first horizontal excitation unit that vibrates the movable bench in a first horizontal direction, a second horizontal excitation unit that vibrates the movable bench in a second horizontal direction that crosses the first horizontal direction, and a vertical excitation unit that vibrates the movable bench in a vertical direction, and the vibration device comprising:
a first middle bench and a second middle bench between the base and the movable bench, and the vibration device including:
a plurality of first horizontal elastic support units, a plurality of second horizontal elastic support units, and a plurality of vertical elastic support units that elastically connect the base, the first middle bench, the second middle bench, and the movable bench sequentially in the first horizontal direction, the second horizontal direction, and the vertical direction, wherein
the vibration device is configured such that if overall device is supposed as a first mass body, a second mass body, and a third mass body with the first horizontal elastic support units and the second horizontal elastic support units as boundaries, respective barycentric positions of these mass bodies are almost the same in the vertical direction and horizontal direction.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The vibration device according to claim 22, wherein
the barycentric positions of respective mass bodies and attachment positions of respective horizontal elastic support units are almost the same in the vertical direction.

### Claim 24 (depends on 22)

The vibration device according to claim 22, wherein
the plurality of vertical elastic support units are provided so as to be symmetrical with respect to each excitation direction with the barycentric position of each mass body as a center, and a counter weight is provided with respect to the movable bench at a position to be symmetrical with sandwiching the vertical elastic support units.

### Claim 25 (depends on 23)

The vibration device according to claim 23, wherein
the plurality of vertical elastic support units are provided so as to be symmetrical with respect to each excitation direction with the barycentric position of each mass body as a center, and a counter weight is provided with respect to the movable bench at a position to be symmetrical with sandwiching the vertical elastic support units.

### Claim 26

A vibration device comprising a base supported on a ground surface via a vibration isolation spring, a movable bench elastically supported with respect to the base, a horizontal excitation unit that vibrates the movable bench in a horizontal direction, and a vertical excitation unit that vibrates the movable bench in a vertical direction, the vibration device comprising:
a middle bench between the base and the movable bench, and the vibration device including:
a plurality of horizontal elastic support units and a plurality of vertical elastic support units that elastically connect the base, the middle bench, and the movable bench sequentially in the horizontal direction and vertical direction, wherein
the vibration device is configured such that if overall device is supposed as two mass bodies with the horizontal elastic support unit as a boundary, respective barycentric positions of these mass bodies are almost the same in the vertical direction and horizontal direction.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The vibration device according to claim 26, wherein
the barycentric position of each mass body and an attachment position of each horizontal elastic support unit are almost the same in the vertical direction.

### Claim 28 (depends on 26)

The vibration device according to claim 26, wherein
the plurality of vertical elastic support units are provided so as to be symmetrical with respect to each excitation direction with the barycentric position of each mass body as a center, and a counter weight is provided with respect to the movable bench at a position to be symmetrical with sandwiching the vertical elastic support units.

### Claim 29 (depends on 27)

A vibration device according to claim 27, wherein
the plurality of vertical elastic support units are provided so as to be symmetrical with respect to each excitation direction with the barycentric position of each mass body as a center, and a counter weight is provided with respect to the movable bench at a position to be symmetrical with sandwiching the vertical elastic support units.

### Claim 30 (depends on 22)

The vibration device according to claim 22, wherein
a peripheral wall part that is raised from near an outer peripheral edge of the base is provided, and
the peripheral wall part is configured to surround the elastic support units and the excitation units, and is configured as a barycentric adjustment member that adjusts a barycentric position of the base.

### Claim 31 (depends on 26)

The vibration device according to claim 26, wherein
a peripheral wall part that is raised from near an outer peripheral edge of the base is provided, and
the peripheral wall part is configured to surround the elastic support units and the excitation units, and is configured as a barycentric adjustment member that adjusts a barycentric position of the base.

### Claim 32 (depends on 17)

An article conveyance device that conveys the article loaded on a movable bench by vibration of the movable bench, the article conveyance device comprising:
the vibration device according to claim 17, a vibration control unit that controls each excitation unit so as to simultaneously generate periodic excitation force by a plurality of the excitation units which the vibration device has, with a phase difference and at the same frequency, to cause three-dimensional vibration trajectory to the movable bench, and a vibration switching unit that switches an amplitude and the phase difference of the periodic excitation force by the each excitation unit.

### Claim 33 (depends on 22)

An article conveyance device that conveys the article loaded on a movable bench by vibration of the movable bench, the article conveyance device comprising:
the vibration device according to claim 22, a vibration control unit that controls each excitation unit so as to simultaneously generate periodic excitation force by a plurality of the excitation units which the vibration device has, with a phase difference and at the same frequency, to cause three-dimensional vibration trajectory to the movable bench, and a vibration switching unit that switches an amplitude and the phase difference of the periodic excitation force by the each excitation unit.

### Claim 34 (depends on 26)

An article conveyance device that conveys the article loaded on a movable bench by vibration of the movable bench, the article conveyance device comprising:
the vibration device according to claim 26, a vibration control unit that controls each excitation unit so as to simultaneously generate periodic excitation force by a plurality of the excitation units which the vibration device has, with a phase difference and at the same frequency, to cause three-dimensional vibration trajectory to the movable bench, and a vibration switching unit that switches an amplitude and the phase difference of the periodic excitation force by the each excitation unit.

### Claim 35 (depends on 17)

An article sorting device that sorts a plurality of articles loaded on a movable bench by vibration of the movable bench, the article sorting device comprising:
the vibration device according to claim 17, and a vibration control unit that controls each excitation unit so as to simultaneously generate periodic excitation force by a plurality of the excitation units which the vibration device has, with a phase difference and at the same frequency, to cause three-dimensional vibration trajectory to the movable bench, wherein
by setting a phase difference between the periodic excitation force by the horizontal excitation units and periodic excitation force by the vertical excitation unit, so as to move each article to a different direction on the basis of the magnitude, with respect to a reference coefficient of friction, of coefficient of friction which individual article has, with the predetermined reference coefficient of friction as a boundary, the plurality of articles loaded on the movable bench are simultaneously sorted.

### Claim 36 (depends on 22)

An article sorting device that sorts a plurality of articles loaded on a movable bench by vibration of the movable bench, the article sorting device comprising:
the vibration device according to claim 22, and a vibration control unit that controls each excitation unit so as to simultaneously generate periodic excitation force by a plurality of the excitation units which the vibration device has, with a phase difference and at the same frequency, to cause three-dimensional vibration trajectory to the movable bench, wherein
by setting a phase difference between the periodic excitation force by the horizontal excitation units and periodic excitation force by the vertical excitation unit, so as to move each article to a different direction on the basis of the magnitude, with respect to a reference coefficient of friction, of coefficient of friction which individual article has, with the predetermined reference coefficient of friction as a boundary, the plurality of articles loaded on the movable bench are simultaneously sorted.

### Claim 37 (depends on 26)

An article sorting device that sorts a plurality of articles loaded on a movable bench by vibration of the movable bench, the article sorting device comprising:
the vibration device according to claim 26 and a vibration control unit that controls each excitation unit so as to simultaneously generate periodic excitation force by a plurality of the excitation units which the vibration device has, with a phase difference and at the same frequency, to cause three-dimensional vibration trajectory to the movable bench, wherein
by setting a phase difference between the periodic excitation force by the horizontal excitation unit and periodic excitation force by the vertical excitation unit, so as to move each article to a different direction on the basis of the magnitude, with respect to a reference coefficient of friction, of coefficient of friction which individual article has, with the predetermined reference coefficient of friction as a boundary, the plurality of articles loaded on the movable bench are simultaneously sorted.