Patent ID: 9296570
Filing Date: 2016-03-29
CPC Classification: B65G,F23K,G01G

Claim Text:
1. A powder supply device that supplies powder in a feed tank to outside of the feed tank, the powder supply device comprising: a powder supply pipe having at least a part being an expansion/contraction part adapted to expand/contract in a vertical direction, connected to an upper portion of the feed tank, and adapted to supply the powder into the feed tank; a first valve provided between the expansion/contraction part and the feed tank; a load cell adapted to receive a load from the feed tank to detect the load; a powder discharge valve configured to control a flow rate of the powder supplied from the feed tank to outside the feed tank; an internal pressure control valve configured to control pressure inside the feed tank; and a controller, wherein the controller obtains a powder weight or a rate of change in the powder weight in the feed tank on the basis of a value obtained by subtracting a value proportional to a pressure in the expansion/contraction part from the load detected by the load cell in a state in which the first valve is closed, and controls the flow rate of powder to be supplied to outside of the feed tank by controlling the powder discharge valve and the internal pressure control valve on the basis of the powder weight or the rate of change in the powder weight.