Granular material feeder

Abstract

A granular material feeder for feeding a granular material into an at least partially breathable container includes: a storage receptacle configured to store the granular material; and a granular material discharger, and the granular material discharger has a granular material discharger portion configured to discharge the granular material in the storage receptacle into the container, and an air blower portion configured to blow air through a region surrounding the granular material discharger portion into the container during discharge of the granular material.

That which is claimed: 
     
         1 . A granular material feeder for feeding a granular material into an at least partially breathable container, the granular material feeder comprising:
 a storage receptacle configured to store the granular material; and   a granular material discharger, said granular material discharger comprising:
 a granular material discharger portion configured to discharge the granular material in the storage receptacle into the container; and 
 an air blower portion configured to blow air through a region surrounding the granular material discharger portion into the container during discharge of the granular material. 
   
     
     
         2 . The granular material feeder of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the granular material discharger includes at least one discharge pipe having one or more granular material discharge openings and inserted into the container, and discharges the granular material through the one or more granular material discharge openings in the container; and   the at least one discharge pipe is the granular material discharger portion.   
     
     
         3 . The granular material feeder of  claim 2 , wherein the one or more granular material discharge openings are opened in a front end of the discharge pipe. 
     
     
         4 . The granular material feeder of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the granular material discharger includes at least one air nozzle having an air-blowing opening and being an air blower portion, and blows the air through a region surrounding the at least one discharge pipe into the container with the at least one discharge pipe being passed through the air-blowing opening of the at least one air nozzle.   
     
     
         5 . The granular material feeder of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the granular material discharger includes at least one air nozzle having an air-blowing opening and being the air blower portion, and blows the air through a region surrounding the at least one discharge pipe into the container with the at least one discharge pipe being passed through the air-blowing opening of the at least one air nozzle.   
     
     
         6 . The granular material feeder of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the granular material discharger includes the at least one discharge pipe including a plurality of discharge pipes, and the at least one air nozzle including a plurality of air nozzles that correspond to the discharge pipes and each have the air-blowing opening, and blows the air through regions surrounding the discharge pipes into the container with the discharge pipes being each passed through the air-blowing opening of a corresponding one of the air nozzles.   
     
     
         7 . The granular material feeder of  claim 5 , wherein:
 the granular material discharger includes the at least one discharge pipe including a plurality of discharge pipes, and the at least one air nozzle including a plurality of air nozzles that correspond to the discharge pipes and each have the air-blowing opening, and blows the air through regions surrounding the discharge pipes into the container with the discharge pipes being each passed through the air-blowing opening of a corresponding one of the air nozzles.   
     
     
         8 . The granular material feeder of  claim 3  further comprising:
 a driver configured to drive any one or both of the discharge pipe and the container such that while the granular material is discharged through the one or more granular material discharge openings of the discharge pipe, the one or more granular material discharge openings move from an inside bottom of the container to an entrance of the container. 
 
     
     
         9 . The granular material feeder of  claim 5  further comprising:
 a driver configured to drive any one or both of the discharge pipe and the container such that while the granular material is discharged through the one or more granular material discharge openings of the discharge pipe, the one or more granular material discharge openings move from an inside bottom of the container to an entrance of the container. 
 
     
     
         10 . The granular material feeder of  claim 7  further comprising:
 a driver configured to drive any one or both of the discharge pipe and the container such that while the granular material is discharged through the one or more granular material discharge openings of the discharge pipe, the one or more granular material discharge openings move from an inside bottom of the container to an entrance of the container. 
 
     
     
         11 . The granular material feeder of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the granular material discharger blows the air from the air nozzle through a region surrounding the at least one discharge pipe into the container during movement of the one or more granular material discharge openings of the discharge pipe.   
     
     
         12 . The granular material feeder of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the granular material discharger blows the air from the air nozzle through a region surrounding the at least one discharge pipe into the container during movement of the one or more granular material discharge openings of the discharge pipe.   
     
     
         13 . The granular material feeder of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the granular material discharger blows the air from the air nozzle through a region surrounding the at least one discharge pipe into the container during movement of the one or more granular material discharge openings of the discharge pipe.   
     
     
         14 . The granular material feeder of  claim 4 , wherein the at least one air nozzle includes a tapered fitting portion fitted into an entrance of the container. 
     
     
         15 . The granular material feeder of  claim 5 , wherein the at least one air nozzle includes a tapered fitting portion fitted into an entrance of the container. 
     
     
         16 . The granular material feeder of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a discharge amount controller configured to change an amount of the granular material discharged by the granular material discharger. 
 
     
     
         17 . The granular material feeder of  claim 1 , wherein the granular material discharger selects one of ionized air and normal air that is not ionized as the air, and blows the selected air through the air blower portion.