JP3493262B2 - Ampoule transfer device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for transporting an unstable container, for example, a long-body container such as an ampoule or a syringe, in one direction, while transferring the container from vertical to horizontal and from horizontal to vertical. Using a screw and a guide, twist (change direction)
The present invention relates to a device to be transferred to a star wheel in the next process. 2. Description of the Related Art As a prior art, for example, the body of an ampoule is fitted into a thread groove of a feed screw to be rotated, and the bottom and the head of the ampoule are supported by guide rods so that the ampoule can be moved in one direction. In the case where the ampoule is dried by a heating device while being transferred, when the position of the guide rod is changed and the ampoule is displaced while rotating with respect to the axis of the feed screw, the feed of the portion in contact with the ampoule is performed. There is an ampoule transfer device (see Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 48-35890) in which the screw and the guide rod are formed of a synthetic resin having a low frictional resistance. However, in the case of an unstable container, for example, an ampoule having a high container height relative to the body diameter, such as an ampoule, the ampoule collapses during twisting and the tip (branch) Could be broken by overlapping each other. The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an ampoule conveyance device which can stably convey an ampule without the ends (branches) overlapping even when the ampule is twisted. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and comprises a screw for loading a supplied ampule into a groove and transporting the same, and an ampule for transporting the screw in association with the screw. Equipped with a bottom and a guide that supports the body, the supplied ampule can be positioned vertically or horizontally, or
In ampoule transfer device for discharging change from horizontal to vertical, at least one in the discharge position and the supply position the width of the screw groove, with respect to the center axis of the screw, the amplifier
The width of the ampoule is vertically conveyed, the width of the position change position is smaller than the supply position and the discharge position, and the width of the ampule is conveyed along the slope of the screw groove. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention has a specially shaped screw groove interval, and includes a screw for loading a supplied ampule into the groove and transporting the screw, and a head of the ampule for transporting the screw in relation to the screw. engages the parts and the body and a bottom, and a guide guide to change the attitude of the ampoule was fed amplifier
In the ampoule transfer device that changes the position of the screw and discharges the screw, the width of the screw groove is set to the width at which the ampoule is transferred perpendicular to the center axis of the screw in at least one of the supply position and the discharge position. in, narrower than the discharge position and the supply position, the ampoule ampoule transfer device for a width that is conveyed along the inclination of the screw groove is considered as an embodiment. Now, an embodiment of the ampoule conveying device of the present invention will be described in detail. The present invention relates to a twist conveying device for an ampule that twists an ampule conveyed in an upright state and transfers the ampule to a supply starwheel of a washer in a next process in a rolled state. The present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiments. FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing an ampule feeder provided with the twist transport device of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a screw portion of the twist transport device, and FIGS. What is shown is an explanatory view showing the state of the ampoule at the time of twisting. In the drawing, reference numeral 2 denotes a supply conveyor for conveying the ampoule 1 downstream, and reference numeral 3 denotes a rotary belt device provided with a rotary belt 4 for applying a propulsive force to the ampoule 1 downstream, and a base 6 fixed to the supply conveyor 2. , Pulleys a, b, c, d are rotatably provided. A motor 5 is provided on the base 6, and a pulley e is fixed to the motor 5. [0011] The rotating belt 4 has a pulley a,
The motor 5 drives the motor 5 to rotate the ampoule 1 in contact with the rotating belt 4 on the supply conveyor 2 in a direction in which a propulsive force is applied to the downstream side. The rotating belt device 3 is capable of swinging with the base 6 around the pulley a, so that it can be adjusted when the diameter of the ampoule 1 to be handled is changed. Reference numeral 7 denotes a guide member provided to face the rotary belt device 3. One end of the guide member is screwed to a fixed conveyor guide 8 at a connecting portion 7 a, and the other end is provided at the tip of a cylinder 9. It is in contact with the inclined portion 10a of the triangular guide 10, and is arranged in a bow shape as shown in FIG. A Teflon sheet is adhered to the surface of the guide member 7 to prevent the ampule 1 from being damaged. When the triangular guide 10 moves forward and backward by the cylinder 9, the guide member 7 swings about the connecting portion 7 a as a fulcrum, and applies a pressing force to the ampule 1 on the supply conveyor 2. Numeral 11 denotes a screw for accommodating the ampoules 1 conveyed on the supply conveyor 2 one by one in the groove 11a and transferring the ampules 1 to the star wheel 15. The screw 11 includes a head guide 12, a body guide 13 and a bottom guide 14. The ampule 1 is twisted and delivered to the star wheel 15 of the washing machine in a state of being turned over. Next, the operation of the present invention will be described. The ampoule 1 placed on the supply conveyor 2 by means not shown is conveyed in a dense state toward the screw 11, and the ampoule 1 arriving at the screw 11 is sequentially turned into a groove 11.
and is transported downstream (to the right in FIG. 1). At this time, the groove 11a of the screw 11 is
Since the starting portion (the left end in FIG. 1) is always empty, the ampule 1 is concentrated and stored in the starting portion of the screw 11. As a result, the ampules in the vicinity of A in FIG. 1 are concentrated and stored in the screw 11, but the propulsive force is applied to the ampules conveyed on the rear side of A by the rotating belt 4. It is conveyed to the screw 11 while maintaining a dense state. The guide member 7 is periodically swung about the connecting portion 7 a as a fulcrum by the advance and retreat of the triangular guide 10 provided at the tip of the cylinder 9, and the guide member 7 is transferred to the ampoule 1 which is conveyed on the supply conveyor 2. Pressing is performed periodically upward and diagonally to the left in FIG.
Is caused by the conveying force of the supply conveyor 2 and the rotating force of the rotating belt 4 and the screw 11, as indicated by a counterclockwise arrow shown in FIG. By promoting the flow by the pressing force of the guide member 7, the ampoule 1 on the supply conveyor 2 can be kept in a dense state at all times.
Even if the container is unstable, it can be stably transported. The ampule 1 housed in the groove 11a of the screw 11 is conveyed downstream while abutting on the groove 11a of the screw 11, and along the way, as shown in FIGS. It is twisted while being supported by the body guide 13 and the bottom guide 14, and delivered to the star wheel 15 of the washing machine in a rolled state. At this time, the shape of the groove 11a of the screw 11 is such that the ampoule 1 can be conveyed perpendicularly to the central axis of the screw 11 at the beginning. That is, the width of the groove 11a is set to be larger than the diameter of the ampoule 1, and when the ampoule 1 is accommodated along the inclination of the groove 11a, a gap is generated to some extent. On the other hand, the width of the twist portion is set such that the ampoule 1 is conveyed along the inclination of the groove 11a. That is, since the width of the groove 11a is smaller than the starting portion and the ampoule 1 cannot be accommodated unless it follows the inclination of the groove 11a, the ampule 1 is forcibly conveyed along the inclination of the groove 11a. Therefore, at the time of twisting, the ampoule 1 is firmly held in the groove 11a of the screw 11, so that the ampoule 1 is shifted laterally during the twisting and does not overlap with the adjacent ampoule 1. Thus, the ampoule 1 turned over is
Although it is conveyed in an oblique state along the inclination of the groove 11a of the screw 11, at the discharge position of the screw 11,
The groove 11a of the screw 11 has a width such that the ampoule 1 can be conveyed vertically with respect to the center axis of the screw 11 as in the start portion, so that the ampoule 1 can be in a vertical state. In addition, even when the ampoule 1 is supplied to the star wheel 15 in an oblique state, the head of the ampoule 1 is first lifted by the head star wheel 15a, and the trunk of the ampoule 1 is delayed. Although it is housed in the torso star wheel 15b, the pocket of the torso star wheel 15b is decentered on the rear side and is large, so that even if the torso of the ampoule 1 is delayed, it is stable. It can be accommodated in a pocket. Thus, the ampule 1 housed in the star wheel 15 is washed in a washing section (not shown) and sent to the next step. As described above, the ampule 1 is swung by the three guides 12, 13, and 14 from the standing state to the horizontal state. This ampoule 1 has three guides 12, 1
FIGS. 3 to 5 show a state in which the state is changed from the standing state to the horizontal state by the guidance of 3 and 14. FIG. 3 shows a state immediately after the ampoule 1 is supplied to the screw 11 in the state of the BB section shown in FIG. 1, and shows a state where the ampule 1 is supported by the screw 11 in a substantially vertical state. FIG. 4 shows an aspect in which the ampule 1 is tilted in the same manner as in the CC section shown in FIG. FIG.
Indicates a substantially horizontal state in the state of the DD section shown in FIG. According to the present invention, as a result of adopting the above configuration,
The following effects can be obtained. (1) The overlap of the head (branch) at the end of the twist during the supply of the ampoule is reduced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing an ampule supply device provided with a twist transport device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing a screw portion of the twist transport device of the present invention. FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing an ampule standing state at the time of twisting of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing an ampule tilt state at the time of twisting according to the present invention. FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a horizontal state of an ampoule at the time of twisting according to the present invention. [Description of Signs] 1 ampule 2 supply conveyor 3 rotating belt device 4 rotating belt 5 motor 6 base 7 guide member 8 conveyor guide 9 cylinder 10 Triangular guide 11 ‥‥ screw 12 ‥‥ head guide 13 ‥‥ trunk guide 14 ‥‥ bottom guide 15 ‥‥ star wheel

Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-63-311957 (JP, A) JP-A-60-132824 (JP, A) JP-A 64-24027 (JP, U) JP-A 48-35890 (JP) , Y1) (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B65G 47/248 B65G 33/04

Claims (1)

(57) a screw for conveying the ampoule was charged in a groove which is [Claims 1. A feed, A to convey in connection with screw
And a guide guides for supporting the bottom and the body of the sample, a horizontal posture of the supplied ampoule from the vertical or horizontal,
In the ampoule transfer device that changes from vertical to discharge, the width of the screw groove is at least one of the supply position and the discharge position, and the width is such that the ampule is transported vertically with respect to the center axis of the screw. , narrower than at least one of the discharge position and the supply position, the amplifier
Le ampoules conveying apparatus characterized by a width which is conveyed along the inclination of the screw groove.