JP4885536B2 - Processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a processing apparatus for processing articles and a transport apparatus suitable as a component of the processing apparatus.

A cap with a cap (mushroom plug) having a cap and a trunk is known. In general, a cap with a cap has a trunk portion made of cork, and such a cap with cap is called a cork cap with cap. Patent Document 1 describes a stoppering device that stoppers a cork stopper with a shade (cork stopper having a grip portion) into a container. This plugging device includes a cork stopper transfer device, and the cork stopper transfer device includes a chain conveyor and a cork stopper holding device attached to the chain conveyor at a constant pitch.
JP-A-6-345186

  When processing an article having directionality such as a cap with cap, the article should be conveyed in a state in which the article is directed in a predetermined direction. In addition, a predetermined interval should be provided between the articles to be conveyed. For this purpose, the article should be conveyed while being held by the holding mechanism in a state where the article is directed in a predetermined direction.

  However, in general, in a processing apparatus that processes while holding and transporting an article by a holding mechanism, when the article supplied to the processing apparatus is received, the article is held by the holding mechanism, and when the processed article is sent out Must release the holding of the article by the holding mechanism. In general, the structure of a holding mechanism capable of holding and releasing an article can be complicated.

  For example, the cap with cap can be used as a stopper of a container filled with a beverage such as whiskey or shochu. Therefore, the processing device for processing the cap with cap is required to be easy to clean, and a holding mechanism having a complicated structure is not preferable. Moreover, it is preferable that a processing apparatus or a conveying apparatus is a simple structure from the viewpoint of ease of maintenance and apparatus cost, regardless of what the object of processing or conveying is.

  The present invention has been made with the above recognition as an opportunity. For example, an object of the present invention is to provide a processing apparatus or a transport apparatus in which a structure for holding an article to be processed or transported is simplified.

One aspect of the present invention relates to a processing apparatus for processing an article, wherein the processing apparatus is attached to the chain, and the article is attached to the chain in a partial section of the circular orbit of the chain. A plurality of driven pieces for holding and transporting, and a processing unit for processing an article held and transported by the plurality of driven pieces, wherein the plurality of driven pieces are arranged on the front side in the circumferential direction of the chain. An article is sandwiched and held between the driven piece and the rear driven piece, and each of the plurality of driven pieces includes a first member having a first type changing engagement portion and a second type changing type. And a second member attached to the first member by a hinge .

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, each of the plurality of driven pieces has a front edge portion on the front side and a rear edge portion on the rear side in the circumferential direction of the chain, and the front edge portion includes an article and An engaging portion is formed, and the article is conveyed while being sandwiched between the engaging portion of the front driven piece and the front edge of the rear driven piece in the circumferential direction of the chain. sell.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the articles are Kasazuke plug having a cap portion及beauty barrel, the engagement portion surrounds a portion of the side surface of the barrel and the cap portion Can be configured to be supported from below.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the chain may be arranged to circulate in a horizontal plane.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the orbit includes at least first and second bent portions, and an article is received by the driven piece at the first bent portion, and the second bent portion at the second bent portion. It can be sent out by a follower.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the processing apparatus may further include a supply unit that supplies an article to the driven piece in the vicinity of the first bent portion.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it may further comprise a conveyor that receives and conveys articles from the driven piece in the vicinity of the second bent portion.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the processing unit may include a cleaning unit that cleans an article.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, when the article is a cap with a cap having a cap and a trunk, it is preferable that the supply unit includes a cap plug aligning device for directing the cap with a cap. The cap stopper aligning device is configured to engage a transport mechanism that transports the cap stopper and a cap portion of the cap stopper that is not directed to the target direction among the cap stoppers transported by the transport mechanism. It is preferable to provide an engaging part. Here, the cap with cap that is not oriented in the target direction can be rotated by the cap portion being engaged with the engaging portion and directed in the target direction.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the shade engaging portion is configured such that the shade portion of the shaded cap facing the first direction among the shaded caps conveyed by the conveyance mechanism is engaged. The second engaging portion is configured to be engaged with the cap portion of the cap with the cap facing the second direction different from the first direction among the cap with the cap transported by the transport mechanism. It is preferable that an engagement part is included. The cap with caps facing in the first direction rotates when the cap portion engages with the first engaging portion, and the cap with caps facing in the second direction has the cap portion in the second direction. The cap with a cap that rotates by engaging with the engaging portion and thus does not face the target direction faces the target direction.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the structure for holding the articles | goods which should be processed or conveyed can be provided with a simple processing apparatus or conveying apparatus.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a typical cap with cap. The cap with cap 10 includes a cap portion 11 and a trunk portion 12, and has a mushroom shape as a whole. The cap 11 can be made of glass, wood, plastic, or the like, for example. The trunk | drum 12 is typically comprised with a cork. A cap with a cap having a cork made of cork is called a cap with cap.

There are various ways of expressing the direction of the cap with cap 10, but here, the direction A from the cap portion 11 toward the trunk portion 12 along the axis of the cap with cap 10 is set as the direction of the cap with cap 10. In this specification and drawings, the cap with cap is represented by a symbol “10” or “10” followed by an alphabet. This alphabet is added for convenience to distinguish caps with different orientations.
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a packaging apparatus (processing facility) according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The packaging device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a filling device 300 for filling a container with a liquid (for example, whiskey, shochu, etc.), an alignment device 100 for aligning the caps with a cap, and a shade attached by the alignment device 100. A cleaning device 200 for cleaning the stopper and a stoppering device 400 for stoppering the cap with the cap washed by the cleaning device 200 into the container filled with the liquid by the filling device 300 are provided.

2-7 is a figure which shows typically the principal part or component of the cap stopper alignment apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. More specifically, FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 are plan views showing main parts of the cap stopper aligning device 100, FIG. 4 is a side view showing a part of the cap stopper aligning device 100, and FIG. FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 are plan views showing the guide 70. FIG.
The cap stopper aligning device 100 is directed to a target direction (here, substantially vertical direction) of the screw conveyor 20 as an example of a transport mechanism that transports the cap stopper 10 and the cap stopper 10 being transported by the screw conveyor 20. There are provided a first engagement portion 35 and a second engagement portion 55 with which the shade portions 11 of the shadeless caps 10A and 10B are engaged.

  In this embodiment, the first engagement portion 35 is formed in the first guide 30 that guides the cap with caps 10 (including 10A, 10B, and 10T), and the second engagement portion 55 guides the cap with caps 10. It is formed by the end of the second guide 50.

The cap with cap 10A is a cap with cap that faces A on the screw conveyor 20 side (first direction), and the cap A with cap has a direction A that faces the upper side of the first guide 30 (second direction). It is a cap with a cap whose tip of the body portion 12 is located on the first guide 30. Further, the cap 10T with caps is a cap with caps whose direction A is oriented substantially in the vertical direction (target direction).
In the configuration example shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first engaging portion 35 is provided at two locations of the first guide 30, and the cap 10 </ b> A with the shade facing the first direction is moved along the target direction. Rotate to Specifically, the cap with cap 11A (FIG. 2) facing in the first direction is temporarily engaged (hooked) by the cap 11 with the first engaging portion 35 as it is conveyed by the screw conveyor 20. ), The direction is changed so as to rotate around the first engagement portion 35 as the center of rotation and toward the target direction (10T in FIG. 3).
As described above, the second engaging portion 55 is formed by the end portion of the second guide 50, and rotates the cap 10B with the shade facing the second direction so as to face the target direction along with the movement. . Specifically, the cap 10B with caps (FIGS. 2 to 4) facing in the second direction is pushed out toward the second guide 50 by the screw conveyor 20, and at this time, the cap 12 is in the second engagement. The joint portion 55 is temporarily engaged (hooked), and rotated around the second engagement portion 55 as a rotation center so as to be directed to the target direction (in FIGS. 2 to 4, the second guide). 50T Kasatsu Line 10T).
The shaded plug aligning device 100 may further include a container 60 that temporarily stores the shaded stopper 10 that is not aligned, and a supply mechanism 90 that supplies the shaded stopper 10 in the container 60 to the screw conveyor 20. The container 60 has, for example, a bottom surface that is inclined downward toward the screw conveyor 20, and the cap with cap 10 moves in the direction of the supply mechanism 90 while rolling or sliding on the bottom surface. The supply mechanism 90 has, for example, a mechanism that pushes the cap 10 with caps toward the screw conveyor 20.

  By passing through the first engaging portion 35 and the second engaging portion 55, all the caps with caps 10 should be aligned to face the target direction. However, for some reason, the cap 10C with caps pushed out by the screw conveyor 20 to the second guide 50 without being directed to the target direction may occur. The shaded plug aligning device 100 includes a mechanism that prevents the shaded stopper 10C that is not oriented in the target direction from being conveyed to the cleaning device 200 that is the next process device.

The second guide 50 is composed of two guide rails. The cap with cap 10 facing the target direction is transported in a state where the trunk portion 12 is sandwiched between the two guide rails and the cap portion 11 is placed on the two guide rails. 10 C of shade caps which are not suitable for the target direction are facing upwards (including diagonally upward). Accordingly, the cap 10C with the cap not facing the target direction passes through a position higher than the cap 10T with the cap facing the target direction. Therefore, the sensor (for example, photo interrupter) 80 is arranged so that the cap 10C with the cap not facing the target direction blocks the sensor optical axis, and the cap 10T with the cap facing the target direction does not block the sensor optical axis. Thus, it is possible to detect the cap 10C with the shade that is not oriented in the target direction. The sensor 80 is disposed downstream of the first engagement portion 35 and the second engagement portion 55 in the conveying direction of the screw conveyor 20.
The evacuation mechanism 90 is configured to include, for example, an air cylinder, and evacuates the cap 10C with the cap that is not oriented in the target direction based on the output of the sensor 80 indicating the presence thereof.
Further, the shaded plug aligning device 100 moves the shaded stopper 10T facing the target direction among the shaded stoppers 10 conveyed by the second guide 50, and stops the shaded stopper 10C not facing the target direction. A guide 70 is preferably provided. For example, the third guide 70 may be configured such that the cap with cap is moved by its own weight.
FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 are plan views schematically showing the configuration of the cleaning device 200 and the transport device incorporated therein. FIG. 11 is a side view (partially a cross section) schematically showing the configuration of the cleaning device 200 and the transport device incorporated therein. In addition, although the washing | cleaning apparatus which wash | cleans the cap 10 with a cap as an application example of the processing apparatus of this invention is demonstrated here, the content of the process by the processing apparatus of this invention is not limited to washing | cleaning, Moreover, the object of processing Is not limited to caps with caps. That is, the processing apparatus of the present invention can be applied to any processing of any article unless explicitly limited. Processing can include, for example, cleaning, manipulation, deformation, processing, inspection, or observation.

  The cleaning apparatus 200 according to a preferred embodiment of the processing apparatus of the present invention can be configured to clean the cap 10 with cap. The cleaning device 200 includes a chain 210 that spans at least two sprockets 212. At least one of the at least two sprockets 212 is rotationally driven by a rotation source and functions as a drive sprocket. The chain 210 is driven by a drive sprocket to go around.

  A plurality of driven pieces 220 that follow the chain 210 are attached. Typically, the chain 210 is configured as a chain with an attachment, and a follower piece 220 is attached to the attachment. The chain 210 may typically be configured to circulate in a horizontal plane. Further, the plurality of driven pieces 220 are typically supported from below by the support guide 230 and circulate in a substantially horizontal state while following the rotation of the chain 210.

In this specification and drawings, the driven piece is represented by a reference numeral “220” or “220” followed by an alphabet. This alphabet is given for convenience in order to show the positional relationship between one driven piece and the adjacent driven piece.
The plurality of driven pieces 220 are configured to hold the stoppered cap (article) 10 in a partial section (preferably a straight section) of the circular orbit of the chain 210 and convey it by following the circular movement of the chain 210. Composed. The plurality of driven pieces 220 are configured to hold the cap 10 with the cap 10 between the front driven piece 220A and the rear driven piece 220B in the circumferential direction C of the chain 210.

  Each driven piece 220 has a front edge portion 220fe on the front side in the circumferential direction C of the chain 210 and a rear edge portion 220be on the rear side. The front edge portion 220fe is preferably formed with an engaging portion 220e that engages with the cap 10 with cap. The cap with cap 10 can be transported in a state of being sandwiched between the engaging portion 220e of the front driven piece 220A and the front edge portion 220fe of the rear driven piece 220B in the circumferential direction C of the chain 210. The engaging part 220e can be configured to surround a part of the side surface of the body part 12 of the cap with cap 10 and to support the cap part 11 from below, for example.

  The circling track of the chain 210 includes at least a first bent portion 210A and a second bent portion 210B. The section from the first bent portion 210A to the second bent portion 210B along the circumferential direction is preferably configured as a straight section. The cap with cap 10 can be received by the driven piece 220 at the first bent portion 210A and sent out by the driven piece 220 at the second bent portion 210B.

  In the section from the first bent portion 210A to the second bent portion 210B along the circumferential direction C, a cleaning portion 240 for cleaning the cap 10 held by the driven piece 220 is disposed. The cleaning unit 240 may include, for example, a cleaning region 240A in which an injection unit that injects the cleaning liquid toward the body portion of the cap 10 with a cap and a draining region 240B in which the cleaning liquid is dropped from the cap 10 with a cap. Instead of or in addition to the cleaning unit 240, a unit that performs other processing on the cap 10 may be arranged.

  In the vicinity of the first bent portion 210 </ b> A, the cap with cap 10 is supplied through the guide 70 of the cap plug aligning device 100 to the engaging portion 220 e of the driven portion 220. As illustrated in FIG. 12, the cap with cap 10 supplied through the guide 70 may collide with the engaging portion 220 e while being guided by the guide 72 and stop. The follower 220 moves around with the rotation of the chain 210. Accordingly, as illustrated in FIG. 13, immediately after the cap 10 with the cap is engaged with the engaging portion 220e of the front driven portion 220A in the circulation direction C, the cap boat 10 is moved to the rear side in the rotation direction C. It is pushed in the circumferential direction C (front direction) by the front edge portion 220fe of the driven portion 220B. In this way, the opening portion of the engaging portion 220e formed on the rear edge portion 220be of the front driven portion 220A is closed by the front edge portion 220fe of the rear driven portion 220B, so that the front driven piece 220A is closed. And the rear driven piece 220B sandwich the cap 10 with caps.

  On the other hand, in the vicinity of the second bent portion 210B, as shown in FIG. 14, the cap 10 with the cap is guided by the guide 250, and the front driven portion 220A (not shown in FIG. 14) circulates. The cap 10 with caps is sent out in the direction of the conveyor 260 by the front edge 220fe of the driven portion 220B on the rear side in a state of running sideways along the track. The conveyor 260 can include, for example, opposed belts and a mechanism for driving them. The cap with cap 10 delivered from the cleaning device 200 can be supplied to the plugging device 400 through the conveyor 260 and, if necessary, another conveyor.

  As described above, according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to carry the cap 10 with the cap with the simple structure in which the driven piece 220 is attached to the chain 210. Further, the caps with caps 10 can be transported at equal intervals by making the dimensions of the plurality of driven pieces 220 equal and making the mounting intervals of the driven pieces 220 to the chain 210 equal.

  Further, after the cap 102 is supplied to the engaging portion 220e of the front driven portion 220A, the rear driven portion 220B moves so as to press the cap 10 against the engaging portion 220e as the chain 210 circulates. By doing so, it is possible to reliably receive and hold the cap 10 with the two followers 220A and 220B.

  Further, after the front driven portion 220A escapes sideways along the circumference of the chain 210, the cap 10 is pushed out by the front edge portion 220fe of the rear driven portion 220B, thereby being sandwiched between the two driven portions 220A and 220B. The shaded cap 10 that has been held is reliably discharged from the cleaning device 200.

  FIGS. 15-17 is a figure which shows the preferable structural example of the driven piece 220 suitable for said washing | cleaning apparatus or conveyance apparatus. As exemplarily shown in FIGS. 15 to 17, each driven piece 220 includes a plurality of remodeling engaging portions 220 e and 220 e-2 that are selectively used according to the cap (article) 10 with caps to be transported. It is preferable to have. For example, each driven portion 220 includes a first member 220-1 having a first type changing engagement portion 220e suitable for a first type cap with cap (first type article), and a second type cap with cap ( And a second member 220-2 having a second type changing engagement portion 220e-2 adapted to the 21st type article) and attached to the first member 220-1 by a hinge 222. Furthermore, a larger number of engaging parts for changing the mold may be provided so as to be selectively usable so as to adapt to changing the type of caps (articles) with more caps.

  15 and 16 show an example in which the follower 220 is set to hold the cap with a cap by a second type changing engagement portion 220e-2 provided on the second member 220-2. FIG. 17 shows an example in which the driven portion 220 is set so that the cap with cap is held by the first type changing engagement portion 220e provided on the first member 220-1. To change from the state shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 to the state shown in FIG. 17 or in the opposite direction (mold change), the second member 220-2 may be rotated 180 degrees. According to such a configuration, the mold changing operation can be performed very efficiently.

It is a figure which shows the structure of a typical cap with a cap. It is a top view which shows the principal part of a cap stopper aligning apparatus. It is a top view which shows the principal part of a cap stopper aligning apparatus. It is a side view which shows a part of cap stopper alignment apparatus. It is sectional drawing which shows the guide which moves the aligned cap with cap. It is a top view which shows the guide which moves the aligned cap with cap. It is a top view which shows the guide which moves the aligned cap with cap. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the packaging apparatus (processing equipment) of suitable embodiment of this invention. It is a top view which shows typically the structure of a washing | cleaning apparatus and the conveying apparatus integrated in it. It is a top view which shows typically the structure of a washing | cleaning apparatus and the conveying apparatus integrated in it. It is a side view (a part is a section) showing typically composition of a cleaning device and a conveyance device built in it. It is a top view which shows a part of cleaning apparatus (1st bend part vicinity). It is a top view which shows a part of cleaning apparatus (1st bend part vicinity). It is a top view which shows a part of cleaning apparatus (2nd bend part vicinity). It is a figure which shows the preferable structural example of a driven piece. It is a figure which shows the preferable structural example of a driven piece. It is a figure which shows the preferable structural example of a driven piece.

Explanation of symbols

10, 10A, 10B, 10C, 10T: cap with cap, 11: cap, 12: trunk, A: direction of cap with cap, 20: screw conveyor (conveyance mechanism), 30: first guide, 35: first engagement 50: 2nd guide, 55: 2nd engaging part, 60: Container, 70: 3rd guide, 72: Guide, 80: Sensor, 90: Exhaust mechanism, 100: Cap-equipped stopper alignment device, 200: Washing Apparatus: 300: filling device, 400: stoppering device, 210: chain. 210A: first bent portion, 210B: second bent portion, 212: sprocket, 220 driven piece, 220A: front driven piece, 220B: rear driven piece, 220fe: front edge of driven piece, 220be: driven piece Rear edge portion, 220e: driven piece engaging portion (first type changing engaging portion), 220-1: first member, 220-2: second member, 220e-2: second type changing member Joint part, 222: Hinge, 230: Support guide, 240: Washing part, 240A: Washing area, 240B: Draining area, 250: Guide, 260: Conveyor,

Claims (6)

A processing device for processing an article,
A chain arranged to go around,
A plurality of driven pieces attached to the chain and holding and transporting articles in a partial section of the circular orbit of the chain;
A processing unit for processing an article held and conveyed by the plurality of driven pieces,
The plurality of driven pieces are configured to hold the article between the front driven piece and the rear driven piece in the circumferential direction of the chain ,
Each of the plurality of driven pieces is:
A first member having a first mold changing engagement portion;
A second member having a second type changing engagement portion and attached to the first member by a hinge.
The processing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. Each of the plurality of driven pieces has a front edge portion on the front side and a rear edge portion on the rear side in the circumferential direction of the chain, and an engagement portion that engages with an article is formed on the front edge portion. The article is conveyed in a state of being sandwiched between an engaging portion of a front driven piece and a front edge portion of a rear driven piece in the circumferential direction of the chain. Processing equipment.   The article is a cap with a shade having a shade portion and a trunk portion, and the engaging portion surrounds a part of a side surface of the trunk portion and is configured to support the shade portion from below. The processing apparatus according to claim 2.   The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the chain is arranged so as to circulate in a horizontal plane. The circular orbit includes at least first and second bent portions,
The article is received by said driven piece at the first bend portion, the processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that delivered by said driven piece at the second bend portion. Wherein the processing unit, the processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises a cleaning unit for cleaning an article.

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