JP3190787B2 - Container orientation correction device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a container for a container having a rectangular body with a rectangular horizontal section spaced apart from each other. The present invention relates to an apparatus for correcting a container in a vertical direction.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a container for filling a liquid or the like, a plastic bottle or a glass bottle having a body having a rectangular horizontal cross section is used. The bottom of the container may be rectangular, as in the case of the body, or oval, unlike the case of the body. The transport direction of the container includes a vertical direction in which the long side of the rectangle is parallel to the transport direction and a horizontal direction in which the rectangular side is at a right angle. The container is transported in the vertical direction so that it is difficult to rotate during the transportation. In this case, the containers in the horizontal direction may occasionally be mixed. Therefore, a device for correcting the horizontal container in the vertical direction is required.

As an apparatus for performing such a direction correction, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-155430 discloses an apparatus capable of handling an elliptical bottom container. This apparatus includes a horizontal transport surface, an inclined transport surface that crosses the horizontal transport surface and has a speed difference, and a support fence that supports the container on the horizontal transport surface side. Vertical containers are transported on the horizontal transport surface only. The horizontal container rides on the horizontal transport surface and the inclined transport surface, and slides from the inclined transport surface and is supported by the support fence. And the horizontal container is
The bottom makes point contact with the transport surface.

Further, since the support by the support fence is provided near the bottom of the container, the contact between the support fence and the container is close to point contact. The container in the horizontal direction rotates forward or backward in the advancing direction due to the difference in speed between the two transport surfaces, slides on the inclined surface, further rotates, and rides on the horizontal transport surface in the vertical direction.

[0005] However, the above-mentioned device has a disadvantage that it cannot cope with the case where the bottom of the container is rectangular. This is because the container is pressed against the support fence and does not rotate because the short side of the container is in line contact with the transport surface and the support fence and the container is inclined by the inclined surface. That is, the short side of the container is pressed against the support fence to make line contact.

[0006]

An apparatus described in JP-A-5-301624 is one which is not limited by the shape of the bottom of the container. In this device, a low-speed transport surface and a high-speed transport surface are provided in the same plane, and a container is introduced from both sides of the low-speed transport surface by an introduction fence (guide fence), and the opposite side of the side in contact with the introduction fence. Is applied to the container because the bottom of the side is on the high-speed transport surface. The container in the horizontal direction rotates to be in the vertical direction, but the container in the vertical direction does not move in the horizontal direction because the short side extends over both transport surfaces and the rotational force is small.

[0007] However, the plastic bottle of the container, when filled with liquid, has a problem that the body expands and the bottle has elasticity, so that the contact state between the introduction fence and the body changes and the degree of rotation is not constant. is there. In this case as well, the cause is that the sides of the container come into contact with the fence when rotating.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned circumstances, and has a container which can reliably correct the direction of the container even when the bottom of the container is rectangular or the shape of the body changes. It is an object to provide a direction correcting device.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a container having a body having a rectangular horizontal cross-section spaced apart from each other, and a mixture of a horizontal container and a vertical container. When transported in a row, a device that corrects the horizontal container in the vertical direction, a transport surface having a high-speed transport surface and a low-speed transport surface in substantially the same plane, and the high-speed transport surface and the low-speed transport surface An introduction fence for introducing the container from the high-speed conveyance surface side is provided, and at the end of the introduction fence, 1/4 to 1/3 of the bottom area of the container in the horizontal direction rides on the high-speed conveyance surface, After passing the fence, the transport surface has a downward slope such that the container slides from the high-speed transport surface side to the low-speed transport surface side, and supports the container on the low-speed transport surface side at the point having the downward slope. A support fence is provided.

[0010]

The container in the horizontal direction is introduced from the high-speed transport surface side and does not rotate while in contact with the introduction fence. However, when the container travels a certain distance past the introduction fence, the speed difference between the transport surfaces causes the container to rotate. Is rotated more than a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction, and the vehicle is moved forward in the traveling direction. Vertical containers,
It rotates, but does not rotate by the direction where the diagonal of the container is perpendicular to the direction of travel.

[0011] Since the transport surface has a downward slope such that the container slides from the high-speed transport surface side to the low-speed transport surface side after passing through the introduction fence, the container slides on the transport surface while rotating. The corner portion of the container comes into contact with the support fence, and rotates by gravity in the traveling direction or the opposite direction around the corner portion.
The container introduced in the horizontal direction comes into contact with the support fence in the forward tilted state and further rotates in the vertical direction. The container introduced in the vertical direction comes into contact with the support fence in a backward position, and rotates in the direction in which the rotation caused by the difference in speed between the transport surfaces is returned to the vertical direction.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a container direction correcting apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the container direction correcting device has a transfer surface having a high-speed transfer surface 1 and a low-speed transfer surface 2 in the same plane or substantially in the same plane. The speed difference between the two conveying surfaces is set to 5 to 10 m / min. On the entrance side of the transport surface, an entrance conveyor 3 is arranged adjacent to the high-speed transport surface 1. Above the entrance side of the transport surface, an introduction fence 4 is disposed so as to cross the high-speed transport surface 1 diagonally,
The container 5 supplied from the entrance conveyor 3 is introduced from the high-speed transfer surface side over the high-speed transfer surface 1 and the low-speed transfer surface 2.

The transport surface is not inclined at the entrance side, but is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane so as to have a downward gradient from the high-speed transport surface side to the low-speed transport surface side as it proceeds in the traveling direction.
The slope stops again near the exit. The inclination of the transfer surface is set to 0 ° at the position a, δ ₁ = 8 ° at the position b, δ ₂ = 11 ° which is the maximum inclination angle at the position c, and 0 ° at the position d. The position b indicates the end of the introduction fence 4. After the end of the container 5 has passed the end of the introduction fence 4, a part of the container 5 starts to slide. The inclination angle at which a part of this container 5 starts to slide is 8
°. Therefore, the inclination angle before the end (position b) of the introduction fence 4 is less than 8 °, and the inclination angle at the end (position b) of the introduction fence 4 is set to 8 °. This inclination angle is δ at position c, which is the angle at which all containers 5 are sliding.
_It gradually increases up to ₂ = 11 °.

A support fence 6 for supporting the container 5 on the low-speed transport surface is provided between the position a and the position d on the transport surface. And, at the end of the support fence 6, the low-speed transport surface 2
The exit conveyor 7 is installed adjacent to. Above the exit side of the transport surface, a discharge fence 8 is installed so as to obliquely cross the low-speed transport surface 2, and discharges the container 5 from the low-speed transport surface 2 to the exit conveyor 7.

Next, the operation of the apparatus for correcting the direction of a container constructed as described above will be described. In the inlet conveyor 3, horizontal containers and vertical containers are mixed and conveyed in a line at predetermined intervals. Container 5 is introduced by introduction fence 4
It is introduced from the entrance conveyor 3 to the high-speed transport surface 1, and further over the high-speed transport surface 1 and the low-speed transport surface 2.
In this case, at the end of the introduction fence 4,
Is set so that １ ／ to の of the bottom area rides on the high-speed transport surface 1 and the remaining area rides on the low-speed transport surface 2.

The horizontal container 5a and the vertical container 5b will be described below with reference to FIG. Horizontal container 5
a, 1/4 to 1/3 of the bottom area rides on the high-speed transport surface 1,
Since the remaining area is on the low-speed transport surface 2, the introduction fence 4
When the vehicle travels a certain distance after passing through, the diagonal of the container 5a is rotated by an angle (θ ₁ ) in a direction (L) perpendicular to the traveling direction due to the difference in speed of the transport surface, and further, the angle (α) of moving forward ) To 5a '. α may be small. The container 5b in the vertical direction also rotates, but the angle (θ ₂ ) at which the diagonal line of the container 5b becomes a direction (L) perpendicular to the traveling direction is θ.
_Since it is larger than the sum of ₁ and α, the container is not rotated until the diagonal line of the container is perpendicular to the direction of travel (L).
Becomes The speed difference is adjusted within a range of 5 to 10 m / min so as to satisfy the relationship of the rotation angle described above.

Since the transfer surface has a downward slope from the high-speed transfer surface to the low-speed transfer surface at the position c, the container slides on the transfer surface while rotating, and the corner of the container comes into contact with the support fence 6 and It rotates by gravity in the traveling direction or the opposite direction about the part. The container 5a introduced in the horizontal direction comes into contact with the support fence 6 in the forward tilted state, and further rotates in the vertical direction.
The container 5b introduced in the vertical direction is moved backward and
And rotates in the direction in which the portion rotated by the difference in speed of the transport surface is returned to the vertical direction. The vertical containers 5b which are arranged in a row at an interval on the low-speed transport surface 2 are discharged to an exit conveyor 7 by a discharge fence 8 and supplied to the next step by the exit conveyor 7.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a second embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment has a curved transport surface.
That is, the high-speed transport surface 1 'and the low-speed transport surface 2' are each curved at a predetermined curvature in plan view. It is the same that the transfer surface has a downward slope from the high-speed transfer surface to the low-speed transfer surface. In this case, the container 5
Δ ₁ = 6 ゜, δ
₂ may be 9 °. Other configurations, that is, the configurations of the entrance conveyor 3, the introduction fence 4, the support fence 6, the exit conveyor 7, and the discharge fence 8 are the same as those in the embodiment of FIG.

In the present embodiment, the effect is obtained that the angle of the downward slope of the conveying surface is smaller than in the first embodiment. In addition, since the apparatus can be installed at a portion where the transport direction is changed, for example, at a corner of an installation space, the degree of freedom in installing the apparatus is improved. Other functions and effects are the same as those of the first embodiment. The above is the same whether the bottom of the container is rectangular or elliptical.

[0021]

As described above, according to the present invention,
When correcting the direction of a container whose horizontal cross section is rectangular, the sides of the container do not come into contact with the fences, so the bottom may be rectangular or elliptical, or the shape of the trunk may change. However, the direction can be corrected stably.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a first embodiment of a container direction correcting device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory view illustrating the operation of the container direction correcting device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a second embodiment of the container direction correcting device according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 High-speed conveyance surface 2 Low-speed conveyance surface 3 Inlet conveyor 4 Introductory fence 5 Container 5a Horizontal container 5b Vertical container 6 Support fence 7 Exit conveyor 8 Discharge fence

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. When a container having a rectangular horizontal cross section is spaced apart from each other and a horizontal container and a vertical container are mixed and conveyed in a line, the horizontal container is corrected in a vertical direction. A transport surface having a high-speed transport surface and a low-speed transport surface in substantially the same plane, and an introduction fence that introduces a container from the high-speed transport surface across the high-speed transport surface and the low-speed transport surface. At the end of the introduction fence, the horizontal container has a bottom area of 1/4 to 1/3 of the bottom surface riding on the high-speed conveyance surface, and when passing through the introduction fence, the conveyance surface is on the high-speed conveyance surface side. The container has a downward slope that allows the container to slide down to the low-speed transport surface side, and a support fence that supports the container on the low-speed transport surface side is provided at the location having the downward gradient. apparatus. 2. The maximum inclination angle of the downward slope is 9 ° to 11 ° with respect to a horizontal plane.
A device for correcting the direction of a container as described in the above.