JP6399588B2 - Cap feeder - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a cap supply device that transports a cap sterilizer arranged on the upper side by aligning the front and back of a cap with a sorter.

  In an aseptic filling line, a cap supplied to a hopper is generally sent to a sorter, and the front and back of the cap are aligned with the sorter, and then sterilized with a cap sterilizer and supplied to the capper.

  The hopper is generally arranged on the first floor because the cap is supplied manually. On the other hand, since the cap supply from the cap sterilizer to the capper is slid in the chute using the cap's own weight or supplied by rolling, the cap sterilizer is arranged at a higher position than the capper. Therefore, when the cap is transported from the sorter to the cap sterilizer, the cap is transported by an air conveyor provided vertically or inclined (see Patent Document 1).

  On the other hand, a cap supply device that transports caps with the front and back aligned is configured to detect the direction of the cap during transport from the sorter and reject the cap that faces in an inappropriate direction for post-processing (see Patent Document 2). ).

Japanese Patent No. 4791479 Japanese Patent No. 5340152

  When transferring the cap from the sorter to the cap sterilizer disposed above as in Patent Document 1, the inclination of the air conveyor connecting the sorter and the cap sterilizer is large, and the installation area of the entire cap supply device becomes smaller Can be small. However, if the inclination of the air conveyor is large, the air volume for conveying the cap increases, and the load on the cap increases accordingly. Therefore, if the inclination of the air conveyor is increased in order to reduce the installation area of the entire apparatus, there arises a problem that the cap is damaged.

  In addition, since it is impossible to grasp the individual position of the cap conveyed by air, the configuration disclosed in Patent Document 2 rejects the cap conveyed by air. Therefore, in such a configuration, the conveyance of the cap that is continuously conveyed is temporarily stopped, and the efficiency deteriorates.

  In view of the above problems, the present invention is capable of transporting without damaging the cap while reducing the installation area of the entire cap supply device, and performing efficient transport without stopping the transfer of the cap. It is an issue.

  The cap supply device of the present invention includes a cap aligning means for aligning the cap direction, a cap sterilizing means disposed at a position higher than the cap aligning means, and a cap transporting means for transporting the cap from the cap aligning means to the cap sterilizing means. A cap supply device provided with a chute that is provided at a discharge portion of the cap sterilization unit and transfers the cap after sterilization to the downstream capper by its own weight, and the cap transport unit receives the cap from the cap alignment unit A first air conveyor that transports the caps in a horizontal direction, a lift conveyor that is connected to the first air conveyor via a supply wheel and that transports upwards while holding the caps spaced apart by the supply wheel; Second air that receives the cap from the conveyor and transports the cap horizontally It is characterized in that it comprises a Nbeya.

  The cap supply device is provided on a transport path of the ascending conveyor and detects the direction of the cap, a reject means provided downstream of the detecting means on the transport path of the ascending conveyor, and controls the reject means And a control means, and it is preferable that the defective cap can be rejected on the transport path of the ascending conveyor.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it can convey without damaging a cap, reducing the installation area of the whole cap supply apparatus, and can perform efficient conveyance, without stopping the transfer of a cap.

It is a figure which shows the whole layout of the cap supply apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a front view which shows the structure of the cap alignment apparatus used by this embodiment. It is a typical side view which shows the structure of a raising conveyor. It is sectional drawing along the IV-IV line of the raising conveyor of FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the electrical structure of a rejection mechanism at the time of using a camera for the sensor of a front and back detection part.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall layout of a cap supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

  The cap supply apparatus 10 of this embodiment is used in, for example, an aseptic filling line, and conveys the cap from the hopper 11 to the capper (22) via the cap sterilization apparatus (cap sterilization means) 19. The resin cap is put into the hopper 11 disposed on the first floor by an operator, for example, and stored in the hopper 11. The caps stored in the hopper 11 are supplied to the first air conveyor 13 arranged substantially horizontally after the caps are aligned in a predetermined direction by a cap aligning device (cap aligning means) 12 and aligned in a line. . The cap supplied to the first air conveyor 13 is transported in the duct by the air fed from the blower 14 to the first air conveyor 13, the transport pitch is adjusted through the rotating wheel 30, and the ascending conveyor (cap transport means) 15. To be sent to.

  The ascending conveyor 15 sucks and holds the cap supplied from the first air conveyor 13 and conveys it substantially vertically, and sequentially sends it out to the second air conveyor 16 arranged substantially horizontally. The cap supplied to the second air conveyor 16 is conveyed in the duct by the air sent from the blower 17 to the second air conveyor 16, and is supplied to the cap sterilizer 19 via the chute 18. The cap sterilizer 19 is disposed on a base 20 having a height of about the second floor, for example. The caps sterilized by the cap sterilizer 19 are sequentially sent out to the chute 21 and supplied through the chute 21 to a capper (not shown) housed in a chamber 22 arranged on the first floor.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the structure of the cap alignment apparatus 12 used with the cap supply apparatus 10 of this embodiment and the cap alignment operation | movement by the apparatus are demonstrated. FIG. 2 is a front view of the cap alignment device 12 arranged in the hopper 11.

  The cap aligning device 12 includes a cross belt 25 that is hung between a pair of upper and lower pulleys (not shown). The cap aligning device 12 is disposed in a state in which the conveying belt (surface that is raised during rotation driving) is inclined slightly upward from the state in which the belt with belt 25 stands upright, and the lower end thereof is disposed in the hopper 11. Is done. A large number of crosspieces 26 are provided at regular intervals on the belt conveyance surface of the crosspiece belt 25, and each crosspiece 26 is provided, for example, perpendicular to the belt conveyance direction. And the cap alignment apparatus 12 is arrange | positioned so that the crosspiece 26 may become substantially horizontal.

  The interval between the crosspieces 26 is slightly wider than the diameter of the cap to be conveyed. When the crosspiece belt 25 is driven to rotate, the cap stored in the hopper 11 is scraped up by the crosspiece 26. At this time, other than the cap whose top surface is in contact with the belt surface, for example, the cap whose side surface or opening edge is in contact with the belt surface has its center of gravity outside the rail 26 and falls off from the rail 26 to the hopper 11. That is, the caps supported by the crosspiece 26 and moved upward by the crosspiece belt 25 of the cap aligning device 12 are substantially in a state where the top surface is in contact with the belt surface, and are aligned at unequal intervals along the crosspiece 26. ing.

  A guide guide 27 connected to the first air conveyor 13 is disposed above the cap aligning device 12 and on the side of the conveying surface of the belt 25 with the rail so as to be parallel to the rail 26 at the position. . Further, for example, three air nozzles 28 are arranged on the side of the conveying surface of the cross belt 25 opposite to the guide guide 27. The air nozzle 28 is a device for sending the cap transferred by the crosspiece 26 to the guide guide 27 with high-pressure air, and the three air nozzles 28 are between the pair of crosspieces 26 corresponding to the position of the guide guide 27. It arrange | positions in parallel with the crosspiece 26 so that air may be sprayed.

  That is, when the cap which is scraped up by the rail 26 of the belt with belt 25 and is transferred from the hopper 11 reaches the height of the guide guide 27, it is sent out to the guide guide 27 by the high-pressure air from the air nozzle 28, and the first air It is sent to the conveyor 13. The duct of the first air conveyor 13 is provided with a plurality of openings at predetermined intervals, and air is supplied from the blower 14 through the openings. The cap is then conveyed by the air flowing in the duct so as to roll in a standing state.

  Next, with reference to FIG. 3, FIG. 4, the structure of the raising conveyor 15 and the conveyance operation of the cap from the 1st air conveyor 13 to the 2nd air conveyor 16 using the raising conveyor 15 are demonstrated. 3 is a schematic side view of the ascending conveyor 15, and FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line IV-IV of the ascending conveyor 15 in FIG.

  The ascending conveyor 15 of the present embodiment is, for example, a vacuum type vertical conveyance conveyor, and a supply wheel 30 is disposed between the ascending conveyor 15 and the first air conveyor 13. On the periphery of the supply wheel 30, pockets 30 </ b> P that match the cap C are formed at regular intervals, and one cap C that has been conveyed by the first air conveyor 13 is placed in each pocket 30 </ b> P of the rotating supply wheel 30. It is accommodated and rotated and transferred toward the ascending conveyor 15 along the arcuate guide member 30 </ b> C covering the lower half of the outer periphery of the supply wheel 30 and delivered to the ascending conveyor 15.

  In the present embodiment, a front / back detection unit 31 that detects the front and back of the cap using a laser sensor is provided on the conveyance path of the supply wheel 30 surrounded by the arcuate guide member 30C. The front / back detection unit 31 irradiates the cap 30P at a predetermined position with a laser toward the cap C, detects reflection from the top surface of the cap C, and detects the front and back of the cap C. The detection result is used for the cap C reject process in the ascending conveyor 15 described later.

  The ascending conveyor 15 is a top chain conveyor in which openings 40A are provided at predetermined intervals on each plate 40 attached to the chain. The ascending conveyor 15 is hung on a driving sprocket 32 disposed above and a driven sprocket 33 disposed below. Turned. The drive sprocket 32 is rotated by a motor 34 and the amount of rotation is monitored by an encoder 35. The cap conveying surface 40C of the ascending conveyor 15 is parallel to the rotating surface of the supply wheel 30, and the supplying wheel 30 supplies the caps accommodated in the pockets 30P one by one onto the conveying surface of the ascending conveyor 15 while rotating.

  A duct 41 is disposed inside the top chain of the ascending conveyor 15 (FIG. 4), and a number of suction pipes 36 are connected to the duct 41 at predetermined intervals along the longitudinal direction. The pipe 36 is connected to the blower 37 and the air in the duct 41 is sucked. The inner surface of the plate 40 is supported by a pair of rails 42 that extend along a chain (not shown) on both sides of the duct 41. An opening 41A is provided on the surface of the duct 41 on the conveying surface side (upper side in FIG. 4), and the cap C is adsorbed to the plate 40 through the opening 40A by the negative pressure in the duct 41. Further, guide members 43 that support both sides of the cap are provided in the ascending conveyor 15 along the conveyance path.

  A reject air nozzle 44 is provided at a predetermined position in the middle of the transport path of the ascending conveyor 15. The rejection air nozzle 44 blows high-pressure air onto the side surface of the cap C that is attracted and transported by the plate 40, and discharges, for example, the defective cap C 'that is in the reverse state from the transport path. Accordingly, an opening 15A for allowing air jetted from the reject air nozzle 44 to pass through is provided on the side wall of the ascending conveyor 15, and an opening 45B for discharging the defective cap C ′ is provided on the opposite side wall. It is done. Similarly, a notch 43A for passing the defective cap C 'to be discharged is provided at a position corresponding to the opening 15A of the guide member 43 located on the opening 45B side.

  A connecting portion of the ascending conveyor 15 to the second air conveyor 16 is provided with a pair of arcuate guide members 45 that support both sides of the cap C that has been conveyed and guide it to the second air conveyor 16. On the upstream side of the arcuate guide member 45, a pushing air nozzle 46 that transfers the cap C to the second air conveyor 16 along the arcuate guide member 45 with high-pressure air is disposed.

  In addition, for example, a camera 47 is disposed near the lower end side of the ascending conveyor 15 and the exit of the rotating wheel 30, and the presence or absence of the cap C conveyed by the camera 47 is detected. That is, the cap C has its conveyance pitch adjusted by the pockets 30P of the rotating wheel 30, but the caps C are accommodated in all the pockets 30P and are not necessarily transferred from the first air conveyor 13 to the ascending conveyor 15. Therefore, the camera 47 detects whether there is such a missing.

  The rotation of the rotating wheel 30 and the rotation of the ascending conveyor 15 are synchronized, and the position of the plate 40 where the cap C is adsorbed can be detected by monitoring the value of the encoder 35. When the cap C ′ to be discharged, which is in the reverse state based on the signals from the front / back detection unit 31, the camera 47, and the encoder 35, reaches a position corresponding to the rejection air nozzle 44, the rejection air nozzle 44 becomes high pressure. Air is ejected and the cap C ′ is discharged from the ascending conveyor 15 through the notch 43A.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, by adopting a vacuum type transport conveyor using a top chain, caps whose front and back sides are substantially aligned can be transported substantially vertically, and the installation area of the entire cap supply device can be reduced. can do. In addition, the load applied to the cap is reduced as compared with the case where a steep air conveyor is used, and the cap is prevented from being damaged. In addition, the rising conveyor of this embodiment can detect the front and back of each cap while adjusting the conveyance pitch of the cap with a rotating wheel, and can grasp the conveyance position of the cap with an encoder, so it is efficient without stopping the conveyance of the cap. Caps with opposite sides can be discharged from the transport path.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the camera 50 can be used for the front / back detection unit 31 of FIG. 3, and in this case, the front and back of the cap are identified from the image captured by the camera 50. Further, when the camera 50 is used, other states such as cap deformation and color difference can be detected from the image, and therefore, a defective cap may be determined by combining them. That is, the CPU 51 determines the defective cap based on the image from the camera 50, monitors the position of the cap based on the signal from the encoder 35, and when the defective cap comes in front of the reject air nozzle 44, the high-pressure air is discharged. The cap is ejected from the transport path.

  In the present embodiment, the top chain is used for the ascending conveyor, but a belt conveyor can also be used. In this embodiment, the position of the conveyor is monitored using an encoder connected to the drive motor of the conveyor. However, this is not limited to the same sensor as long as the position of the cap to be rejected in the ascending conveyor can be grasped. In the present embodiment, the air nozzle is used for discharging (rejecting) the cap. However, other methods such as using a rejecting member can be used for discharging from the transport path.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Cap supply apparatus 11 Hopper 12 Cap alignment apparatus (cap alignment means)
13 First air conveyor 14, 17, 37 Blower 15 Ascending conveyor (cap conveying means)
16 Second air conveyor 18, 21 Chute 19 Cap sterilizer (cap sterilization means)
20 units 22 chamber 25 belt with cross 26 cross 27 guide guide 28 air nozzle 30 supply wheel 30P pocket 31 front and back detector (detection means)
32 Drive sprocket 33 Driven sprocket 34 Motor 35 Encoder 36 Suction piping 44 Reject air nozzle (reject means)
46 Push-in air nozzle 47, 50 Camera 51 CPU
C cap C 'discharge (defective) cap

Claims (2)

Cap alignment means for aligning the cap direction;
Cap sterilization means disposed at a position higher than the cap alignment means;
Cap conveying means for conveying a cap from the cap alignment means to the cap sterilizing means;
In a cap supply device provided with a chute that is provided in the discharge part of the cap sterilizing means and transfers the cap after sterilization to its downstream weight by its own weight,
The cap conveying means is
A first air conveyor for receiving a cap from the cap alignment means and transporting the cap in a horizontal direction;
An ascending conveyor that is connected to the first air conveyor via a supply wheel and that conveys upwards while holding caps spaced by the supply wheel;
A cap supply device comprising: a second air conveyor that receives a cap from the ascending conveyor and conveys the cap in a horizontal direction. Detection means provided on the transport path of the ascending conveyor to detect the direction of the cap;
Reject means provided downstream of the detection means on the transport path of the ascending conveyor;
Control means for controlling the reject means,
The cap supply device according to claim 1, wherein a defective cap can be rejected on a transport path of the ascending conveyor.

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